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warc | 201704 | Today, the Coalition on Human Needs sent a letter making these points to every senator.
May 16, 2012
Dear Senator:
Today you will have the opportunity to vote on a number of budget resolutions: the House-passed budget and plans by Senators Toomey, Paul, and Lee. The Coalition on Human Needs strongly urges you to vote against all these plans.
The Coalition on Human Needs is an alliance of national organizations concerned about the needs of low-income and vulnerable people: faith-based groups, service providers, policy experts, civil rights, labor, and other advocates. We see the ways federal programs serve as life-lines in times of need and engines of opportunity in good times and bad. Tens of thousands in our networks nationwide work with and seek to improve federal programs. We know that the last thing the nation needs is a wholesale decimation of federal services and a permanent weakening of the federal capacity to respond either to the crises or opportunities the future may bring.
Every number in a budget is a choice that has real consequences in people's lives. We see these consequences every day; our report Self-Inflicted Wounds:
Protecting Families and OurEconomy from Bad Budget Choices shows what the results of these choices will be.
The reckless cuts in all these budget plans seem divorced from any recognition of those consequences. The plans would all repeal the Affordable Care Act, heedless of the 30 million people who will go without health insurance. They slash and block-grant Medicaid, eliminating protections for children, the elderly and the disabled, and over time forcing states to either cut back services, remove people from the program, or both. They turn Medicare into a voucher, shifting costs massively from the federal government to older Americans. They make cuts in income security programs such as SNAP (formerly food stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and child nutrition programs that range from extreme to unimaginable. The House, Toomey, and Paul budgets would convert SNAP into a block grant; SNAP would no longer be able to help millions of families put food on the table during recessions because it would not have the resources to increase the number of people it served.
These devastating cuts are not necessary. All these budgets reduce the deficit solely through spending cuts instead of increasing revenue, understood by responsible analysts as a necessary component of any plan to provide fiscal stability. In fact, they go further and cut taxes.
The tax proposals incorporated in these budgets overwhelmingly will benefit the rich. In fact, many of the proposals appear to be a concerted effort to engineer wider economic inequality. Taken together with income security spending cuts, huge health care cuts, and eviscerated domestic appropriations, the tax and spending choices represent an enormous transfer of resources from the poor to the rich.
These budgets also would limit the ability of future Congresses to remedy these problems. They include new budget rules that cap spending at dangerously low levels only waive-able with a two-thirds vote.
The immediate human costs of these budgets are unacceptably high. The long-term consequences share the characteristics of a nightmare: frightening but unreal. The House-passed budget takes discretionary spending down to 3.75 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2050. That budget would not allow defense spending to dip below 3 percent of GDP, leaving a fraction of a percent for education, the environment, transportation, law enforcement, medical research, housing, and much more. Those programs have not been less than 8 percent of GDP since the end of World War II.
It is an article of faith among those who would shrink government and pile up more tax breaks for millionaires that such steps will spur economic growth. But this view is certainly not backed by evidence. In our periods of strongest economic growth, there were far higher tax rates on the wealthy. Government investments in education, health care, nutrition, and infrastructure have contributed to economic growth. A healthier and better-educated workforce has in the past increased productivity. The cuts already enacted under the Budget Control Act threaten to undermine future shared prosperity, with no new revenues to replace cuts in education, job training, roads, and research. Cutting still more deeply will do significant harm.
There are far better alternatives. The FY 2013 budget proposed by President Obama provides a balanced approach that protects programs serving low- and middle-income people and incorporates job creation plans, while responsibly raising revenues from those who can afford to pay and modestly reducing military spending. We believe the military can be cut more than the President proposes, and that greater revenue gains would make possible more effective investments to reduce poverty and promote shared economic growth. But unlike the budgets before you today, the budget proposed by the President seeks shared responsibility for our future and keeps strong the federal capacity to respond to need.
The increased poverty, hardship, and inequality that would result if the House, Toomey, Paul, or Lee budgets were to be enacted are simply unacceptable. Please reject these budgets.
Sincerely yours,
Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director
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warc | 201704 | In the movie "Leap of Faith" there was a con-man preacher that ran a traveling revival show. In the movie, the semi-truck breaks down in mid-America but despite the break down the show went on. There is a sequence where the trucks move into place and the tent is raised, the people arrive and the high-tech communication from the bus dictates Nightingale's every move; when Nightingale unveils the crucifix that cries, curing people on cue from the command center.
In the Book of Haggai, the people that resided in Jerusalem, like that semi-truck in "Leap of Faith," witnessed the rubble and demise of its Temple. The problem was amplified in Judah and Jerusalem having a very bleak forecast economically. As a result, the existing and returning residents seemed to be more concerned with building their own homes than worrying about the possibility of rebuilding the temple (Haggai 1:4,9). The prophet Haggai's ministry was a mere bump in the road from a longevity standpoint, lasting less than four months during the second year of the reign of the Persian King Darius (Haggai 1:1,15; 2:1,10). Despite Haggai's short time on the scene, however, his prophetic authority had a more lasting impact. Under Darius, some of the Jewish exiles who had been taken away from Jerusalem by the Babylonians nearly 70 years before were now returning home. Darius' royal predecessor Cyrus had previously ordered that the returning exiles not only be supplied with funds to rebuild their temple, but also that the sacred images and temple furniture that had been looted by the Babylonians be returned as well (Ezra 1:2-4; 6:2-5).
While Haggai himself would admit that the building itself wasn't yet much to look at, he would also say that the real point was not how it looked but what God was going to do in and through the new sacred space. Regardless of whether God's people were in temporary dwellings or a temple made of stone, these sacred spaces were vital reminders that God was with them.
For Haggai, the bottom line for a place of worship was not about how it was constructed or how it looked, but who was there. Whether it's a tent, a temple or a truck, the key architectural criterion for sacred space is that it is a place where God's "spirit abides among you" (v. 5).
It's interesting that God would be so adamant with the returning exiles about rebuilding the temple, especially since the central image the original temple was built to house was no longer there.
That meant that in a very real sense this rebuilt temple could never really be like the old one but would instead be something very new and different. In fact, said God, it would be much better (v. 9). The lesson for me is that God's temple is not confined to grandiose structures but in knowing that all of our human activity is to be dedicated to God even if we are in the slums of the Dominican Republic, at the Wal-Mart or in our routine motions of life.
We spend an awful lot of time trying to figure out how to get more people to come to church -- to a defined, shiny and often expensive piece of real estate. We pay a lot for our sacred spaces and feel the pressure to fill the seats. The reality, however, is that no amount of great architecture, high-tech media, parking spaces, carpeting and padded seats will make a place sacred unless God's Spirit dwells within the community that meets there.
Maybe "success" in a church is a lot less about how many people are in the pews on Sunday morning and a lot more about how many people in the community find sacred space within the church's everyday life. This is shown continuously with people identifying themselves as making a clear distinction of religion and spirituality. How many people, for example, come into your church on a weekly basis looking for solace, for a place to pray, perhaps to get some assistance with food or clothing? Maybe you use your church space to help jobless people get connected with work. Maybe you run a preschool for low-income families or host some community organizations that need a place to meet God told Haggai that God would "shake all the nations" so that their "treasure" would come and furnish the new temple the people were to continue building (v. 6-8). Maybe the "treasure" the house that God wants to give our churches will be manifested in all of us where we can encounter God and community in the sanctuary, in the hallway, in the classroom, in the pantry and wherever else God dwells with us.
The Morning Email helps you start your workday with everything you need to know: breaking news, entertainment and a dash of fun. Learn more | 4,626 | 2,237 | 0.000449 |
warc | 201704 | No matter how fast pharmaceutical companies can churn out drugs to prevent or cure illnesses, health insurance doesn’t cover the cost of hiring a person to follow you around and remind you to take your meds. So the FDA has approved a pill that can do it on its own by monitoring your insides and relaying the information back to a healthcare provider. The pills, made by Proteus Digital Health, have sand-particle-sized silicon chips with small amounts of magnesium and copper on them. After they’re swallowed, they generate voltage as they make contact with digestive juices. That signals a patch on the person’s skin, which then relays a message to a mobile phone given to a healthcare provider. It’s only been approved for use with placebos right now, but the company is hoping to get it approved for use with other drugs (which would be where it would get the most use).
Read the rest here
Govtslaves.info
Judy Morris,
Blogger, THL
Articles | Website | 981 | 580 | 0.001773 |
warc | 201704 | Community Achievement in Health Care Finalist: B.A.B.E. (Beds and Britches, Etc. Store) St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital
Six vouchers for a convertible car seat, two vouchers for a crib blanket, one voucher for a pack of 12 diapers. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from noon ’til 4 p.m. you’ll hear voucher talk at St. Vincent’s Beds and Britches, Etc. Store, as moms-to-be and parents shop for clothing and other items for their babies. B.A.B.E. may look like a small, low-frills cousin of a retail baby store, but its impact is huge.
The incentive program, a collaboration among local hospitals and community service agencies, was created to encourage underprivileged moms-to-be to get the health care and education they needed to deliver healthy babies. The ultimate goal was to lower Marion County’s infant mortality rate, which ranked among the highest in the nation 20 years ago. African-American babies were particularly at risk.
Participating health-care providers reward qualifying moms-to-be and new parents $5 or $10 vouchers for getting pre-natal check-ups; attending childbirth, nutrition and parenting classes and GED programs; and taking their infants to a clinic for well-baby visits and immunizations. The vouchers can be exchanged at a B.A.B.E. store for gently used or new maternity and baby clothes and other necessities.
St. Vincent sponsored the first area B.A.B.E. store, which opened in 1995 at 23rd Street and Park Avenue. It’s been going strong ever since under the management of Sister Rosaria Raidl, Daughter of Charity, who has seen it transform lives over the years. “The moms have really taken the responsibility of keeping their appointments with the health-care providers and taking advantage of parenting and childbirth educational classes and other programs,” she said. Most moms-to-be Sister Raidl sees are African-Americans between the ages of 15 and 30. Some are as young as age 12. Twice each year Sister Mary John Tintea, Daughter of Charity, spearheads a fundraiser for the store, collecting donations and selling raffle tickets. “The fundraiser is aimed at St. Vincent associates, who purchase thousands of dollars in raffle tickets each year to raise money for the store,” said Jon J. White, communications consultant for St. Vincent Hospital Indianapolis. Donated items range from flat screen TVs to Indianapolis 500 race tickets. Today five B.A.B.E. stores are located throughout Marion County. St. Vincent is responsible for two of the stores. Besides the original, it operates a store at 6940 Michigan Road. Other B.A.B.E. stores are sponsored by the Marion County Public Health Department, Methodist Hospital and Franciscan St. Francis Health. While the demographic each serves is different, the common denominator is that their customers are all struggling financially. Without this program, they would not receive pre-natal care and education, and their babies wouldn’t receive the care they need to improve their odds of living beyond infancy. Since the program began, thousands of women have redeemed coupons, fathers are participating in larger numbers and Marion County’s infant mortality rate has fallen. “The B.A.B.E. stores continue to play a critical role in promoting healthy pregnancies and reducing the infant mortality rate in Marion County,” said Dr. Virginia A. Caine, director of the Marion County Health Department. “The B.A.B.E. program is fortunate to have such great community partners.” | 3,543 | 1,698 | 0.000603 |
warc | 201704 | The secret to eternal youth has long been searched for by mankind and now, finally, it may have been discovered.
Scientists in Germany have found a link between humans and an immortal freshwater animal, the polyp Hydra.
Researchers from Kiel University were looking at how the polyp Hydra is immortal but instead found a link to aging in humans.
The animal is immortal because they reproduce by budding instead of mating; meaning they contain stem cells capable of continuous proliferation.
Without these stem cells, polyp Hydra would not be able to reproduce anymore. When looking for the gene to immortality, the scientists stumbled upon the well-known FoxO gene, which has been known to exist in animals and humans for years.
When people age, their stem cells lose the ability to produce new cells, so aging tissues cannot regenerate themselves.
This can be seen in elderly people, as their muscles are affected and decline. They also tend to feel weaker because their heart muscle is affected by this process.
However, with the new research, it may be possible to manipulate the aging process so humans can feel physically stronger for much longer.
Anna-Marei Böhm, author of the study, said: "Surprisingly, our search for the gene that causes Hydra to be immortal led us to the so-called FoxO gene."
Although the genes presence is well established, it is not understood why human stem cells become inactive with increasing age, which biochemical mechanisms are involved or if FoxO plays a role in the aging process.
The team examined the FoxO gene in genetically modified polpys Hydra. They were then able to determine that animals without FoxO have significantly less stem cells.
Thomas Bosch from the Zoological Institute of Kiel University, said: "Our research group demonstrated for the first time that there is a direct link between the FoxO gene and ageing."
"FoxO has been found to be particularly active in centenarians - people older than one hundred years - which is why we believe that FoxO plays a key role in ageing - not only in Hydra but also in humans."
The scientists concluded that the FoxO gene plays an important role in the maintenance of stem cells, therefore determining the life spans of animals. It also shows that aging and longevity depend on stem cell maintenance and the maintenance functioning immune system. | 2,369 | 1,159 | 0.000872 |
warc | 201704 | Exxon Mobil Corp, the world’s largest traded oil and natural gas company, is keeping fossil fuels as part of its primary strategy for the near term despite a growing U.S. government push for alternative energy sources with less impact on climate change, the company’s chief executive said recently.
Our approach to alternative energy in the near term is alternative ways to consume fossil fuels more efficiently, CEO Rex Tillerson said during the firm's annual shareholder meeting last week, the Dallas Morning News reported.
In the U.S., tighter vehicle efficiency standards announced by President Barack Obama last month will drop demand for gasoline, the same way it has declined in Europe, Tillerson was quoted as saying.
He noted a brighter outlook for Asia’s oil market, however, saying the world will continue to rely on fossil fuels for decades to come. He forecasted gasoline demand to triple in China by 2030 and increase in India and the rest of Asia as well.
The report noted some shareholders have rebuked the company for not investing in fuels other than hydrocarbons.
Shareholder proposals to force changes in the company’s policies failed after a majority vote. Proposals voted down included a decision to invest in fuels beyond hydrocarbons, take steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions or make resolutions to invest in renewable energy technologies.
Later this year, the U.S. Congress could pass a cap-and-trade law that may curb profits for oil companies, an issue that is of the great concern for the company and its shareholders. The law is aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Although oil prices fell as low as $32.40 in December, Exxon Mobil was able to emerge as the top company in 2009 in the Fortune 500 list that ranks America's largest corporations. | 1,831 | 980 | 0.001037 |
warc | 201704 | So, What Is a Gene? by Frank Sherwin, M.A. *
DNA is the famous molecule of heredity that carries the code of life—an altogether remarkable biopolymer (polynucleotide). As expected, the more research that is conducted on the DNA molecule, the more complexity it divulges.
1
Decades ago, when less was known about this amazing molecule, the definition of the unit called the gene was fairly cut and dried. For example, in 1980 evolutionist David Kirk stated in his college biology text, “The units of heredity are invisible entities called genes, which specify the observable features of an organism.”
2
Today, the gene is given molecular and nonmolecular labels: “In nonmolecular terms, a unit of inheritance that governs the character of a particular trait. In molecular terms, a segment of DNA containing the information for a single polypeptide or RNA molecule, including transcribed but non-coding regions.”
3 Gerald Karp also stated, “Our concept of the gene has undergone a remarkable evolution as biologists have learned more and more about the nature of inheritance.” 4
In his chapter on “the units of selection,” Mark Ridley wrote:
[American evolutionary biologist George C.] Williams defined the gene to make it almost true by definition that the gene is the unit of selection. He defined the gene as “that which segregates and recombines with appreciable frequency.”
5
It’s hardly surprising, then, that someone has said, “What a gene is depends on who you ask.”
In the 21st century, the definition of a gene continues to become more convoluted, with the possibility that the word—like life—will remain a challenge to define (although a good description of “life” can be found on pages 11-15 of ICR’s
Origin of Life science curriculum supplement). Confusion over what exactly a gene is has been added to by discoveries made through ongoing investigations into the genome (the total genetic material within a cell or individual). 6
Take, for example, an amazing genetic discovery called “the Splicing Code” announced last year by computer scientists and molecular biologists.
7 A news release at the time declared:
Researchers at the University of Toronto have discovered a fundamentally new view of how living cells use a limited number of genes to generate enormously complex organs such as the brain.
8
This inner code has been painstakingly deciphered to the extent that molecular biologists can actually predict what happens during some phases of genetic regulation. The Human Genome Project revealed that man has but 20,000 genes that directly and indirectly regulate the system of our body,
9 and the Splicing Code directs when and how the genes and regulatory elements are to be assembled by a communication network.
So far, scientists have found that 95 percent of our genome has this amazing alternative splicing. The complexity arises when required combinations (who knows how many) must be assembled and then expressed. Is it any wonder that in addition to computer scientists and molecular biologists, cracking this Splicing Code required other researchers proficient in vector calculus, code optimization, geometry, advanced algebra, probability theory, and information theory? This is the antithesis of the time and chance required by evolutionism (which was never mentioned in a related paper in
Nature 10).
Regardless of how the gene is defined, logic shows it to be a product of planning, purpose, and special creation. With each new discovery, the complicated reality of the genome more clearly reflects the genius of its Maker.
References
Criswell, D. 2007. The Code of Life: Little Words, Big Message. Acts & Facts.36 (3).
Kirk, D. L. 1980. Biology Today.New York: Random House, 446.
Karp, G. 2010. Cell and Molecular Biology.Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., G-8. Ibid, 379.
Ridley, M. 2004. Evolution. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 308.
Thomas, B. Genomes Have Remarkable 3-D Organization. ICR News.Posted on icr.org November 15, 2010.
Ledford, H. 2010. The code within the code. Nature. 465: 16-17. U of T researchers crack “splicing code,” solve a mystery underlying biological complexity. University of Toronto news release, May 5, 2010.
Kunarso, G. et al. 2010. Transposable elements have rewired the core regulatory network of human embryonic stem cells. Nature Genetics. 42 (7): 631-634.
Barash, Y. et al. 2010. Deciphering the splicing code. Nature. 465 (7294): 53-59. * Mr. Sherwin is Research Associate, Senior Lecturer and Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.
Cite this article: Sherwin, F. 2011. So, What
Is a Gene? Acts & Facts. 40 (10): 16. | 4,760 | 2,412 | 0.000428 |
warc | 201704 | Notices
Welcome to our forums!
This online gardening community is different, political, and organic. I decided to start these forums so gardeners would have a free place to discuss heirloom gardening, gene-altered food, seed saving, natural politics and products. We are dedicated to saving our food and horticultural heritage, and hope you enjoy this forum for the free-thinking gardener!
Wishing you great gardening,
Herbs and FlowersParsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
IDigMyGarden™ Forums > Herbs and Flowers
From Susan Wittig Albert
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Central CA
USDA Zone: 9a
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From Susan Wittig Albert
This Week's Special Days:
A Potpourri of Celebrations
Herb of the Year for 2008: Bay
July: National Peach Month
July 14: Bastille Day, the national French holiday
July 15: St. Swithin's Day. Is it raining?
July 16: National Corn Fritters Day
July 17: National Peach Ice Cream Day
The Weather in Your Garden
St. Swithin's Day if thou does rain
For forty days it will remain;
St. Swithin's Day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain na mair.
—Traditional weather lore
Saint Swithin was a Saxon bishop of Winchester in the ninth century. According to legend, he asked to be buried outdoors, so that "the sweet rain from heaven" could fall on his grave. For nine years, that's where he stayed—until the socially-conscious Winchester monks decided to move him to a splendid shrine inside the cathedral.
The ceremony, planned for July 15, 971, was rained out, or so the story goes, and the rain continued for 40 days. Hence the prediction: foul weather on St. Swithin's Day will bring 40 days of rain—but not often enough to make it a reliable prognosticator, according to British meteorologists.
However, there are other weather proverbs that might help:
If the leaves show their undersides, beware of foul weather.
When the dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass.
When you hear the rain crow call, the rain will fall.
When the wind's in the south, the rain's in its mouth.
If these don't work, try looking at your garden. Clover, chickweed, dandelions, morning glories, anemone, and tulips are said to fold their petals prior to a rain. If the marigold opens before seven, you'll soon hear thunder; if they stay open all day, you're in for sunshine. And for predicting the temperature, try your local rhododendron, which furls its leaves as the temperature rises and falls: completely closed at 20°F, completely open at 60°F.
Now that climate change is upon us, in one form or another, weather is becoming a serious question for many. I've started keeping my own weather records, so I can know, from year to year, how things are changing here. Here's a simple log (http://urbanext.illinois.edu/weather/weatherlog.html ) that you and your children might enjoy keeping together. Or you can use a free online service like this one. (Whatever your choice, it pays to keep your eyes on the skies!
Weather is a great metaphor for life—sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella. —Pepper Giardino
Things to Do This Week
If you're French, celebrate Bastille Day. You're not French? Celebrate it anyway, by baking a classic Quiche Lorraine. Bon appetit!
If you're wondering what you can do about the weather (climate change, that is), give some thought to new life style choices. We can all do something, can't we? For instance, we can create a Victory Garden, and reduce those "food miles" our veggies travel from farm to fork. We can make some good dirt. Learn how in Let It Rot: The Gardener's Guide to Composting. And we can be informed. Read Tim Flannery's bestselling book, The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth
Learn more about corn. It's in the news these days, because we're turning more of it into biofuel and less of it into food. (Is that really what we want to do?) For every kernel of information you'll ever need to know about this staff of American food life, read The Story of Corn, by Betty Fussell.
Appreciate your peaches. We don't want to spoil your appetite for peach ice cream (mercy, no!). But there's another aspect to the peach personality you might want to know about. For centuries, herbalists have prescribed the leaves, bark, kernel, and flowers of the peach tree as a medicine. Imagine that, as you enjoy that scrumptious dish of peach ice cream!
__________________
“Give me spots on my apples; but leave me the birds and the bees….please!”
From “Big Yellow Taxi” -- Joni Mitchell
Last edited by cyra; July 13, 2009 at 08:59 PM..
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warc | 201704 | Digital marketing is changing at a rapid pace. We marketers face a parade of shiny new technologies, tools, and platforms that promise to change everything.
With so much fluctuation, it's important to filter the core trends from the noise to understand what will shape the digital marketing landscape this year.
Here are six trends in digital marketing to embrace now and stay ahead of the curve in 2013.
Digital marketing agencies will double in quantity
Online marketing has long "crossed the chasm" and now is taking over the full mass market with the late majority and laggers. A known characteristic of laggers is that they like their products bundled, tested, and at an affordable price. These factors contribute to the increase in digital marketing agencies -- from owner-operated agencies and consultants all the way to creative agencies offering the full span of sophisticated online services. The digital marketing agency is only going to grow.
Marketers become data geeks
The growth of digital data will be 44 times greater in 2020 than it was in 2009. That volume of data production is pretty overwhelming for marketers who aren't smart about how they use that knowledge. Marketers and agencies will need to analyze, interpret, and translate this data into meaningful insight and actions. Attributing revenue to the correct marketing source will be increasingly important. More B2B companies will adopt multi-channel reporting to judge the effectiveness of their channel mix and determine each channel's incremental contributions. In addition, these analytics will be used to refine segmentation and targeting.
Agencies dive deeper into technology
Code is the universal language of the internet. It's the foundation of all things digital. Agencies and marketers will be expected to understand "the back-end" of everything as the level of complexity to deliver on brand engagement and revenue growth across multiple channels increases. Knowing what an API is and how to build an interface to create simple and actionable reports will become a marketing requirement. For the same reason, 2013 will see a significant rise in the number of collaborations between agency and marketing technologies.
More responsive websites
User experience is becoming a major part of every website, and personalization is at its core. Personalization will grow, and services that offer the ability to personalize experience will emerge as well -- whether it is cookie-based, login-based, or self-select preferences.
Rise of content creation services and software
Content marketing is becoming the core of every marketing initiative for B2B marketing as well as B2C. As the year progresses, we will see software and services solutions for content creation and syndication emerge and grow as companies try to leverage content for demand generation.
Stronger connection between offline and online events
Nowadays, there is a lot of discussion about the connection between the digital world and the physical world. Cross-channel campaigns will include offline events such as direct mail, tradeshows, city tours, and networking events. Companies need to tie offline events to online engagement to measure the impact of these cross-channel campaigns. Being relevant to your customer in every context improves your brand's awareness, and engagement will ultimately lead to more customers. This will require marketers to remove the silos in their go-to-market strategy and focus on the most important thing -- their customers. Customers no longer have simply offline or simply online experiences; they have integrated brand experiences.
We're all trying to stay a step ahead of the competition and monetize on new and emerging trends. What are your predictions for 2013? Where do I have it all wrong? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter (@Jenerationy).
" Businessman point to 2013 chart " image via Shutterstock. | 3,925 | 1,867 | 0.000539 |
warc | 201704 | What crucial issues do research universities face in the 21st century? A longtime researcher and research administrator contemplates the question.
The summer solstice, a 90th birthday, a loved one's death—important dates in our lives are about "intensified remembering."
An expert on how institutions affect humans considers the institution that has supported her career for more than 30 years.
In the last 25 years, the study of biology has leaped from the dawn of recombinant DNA to the post-genomic era. How is this revolution changing the way biologists do their work?
Scholarly publishing goes post-Gutenberg—or does it?
A sculptor who seeks "universal wonder," a painter portraying the down-to-earth side of American cities, a master printer, an artist emulating natural forms in metals: Each is part of the long tradition of the 100-year-old Herron School of Art.
The new leader of the National Endowment for Humanities talks about democracy, money, and working in D.C.
So you think you're just not creative. Think again.
From her post in the Midwest, a writer recreates her hometown Los Angeles in prize-winning fiction.
Award-winning facilities and "a certain focus" make research life at Indiana University's Kokomo campus and other regional locations especially fruitful.
They're skillful, intellectual, and busy researching everything from bacteria populations to pornography—and they haven't yet gotten their degrees. | 1,463 | 863 | 0.001185 |
warc | 201704 | Don't try anything new on race day
Stick with your usual schedule and routine. Wear the same clothes and shoes that you usually do, eat the same food, and drink the same stuff. Throwing in an "unknown" can send your day spiraling off into unknown space or at least make you really, really uncomfortable.
Take weather in account
Check the weather when you get up and dress accordingly. If it's going to be warm, dress light, bring water, and be ready to run slower. If it's going to be cold, dress in layers, bring the chapstick, and be ready to remove layers as you get through the race.
Bring someone along to cheer you on
Ask a friend (or a few friends) to come to the race and urge you on from the sidelines. You won't believe the power of hearing a familiar voice screaming your name and cheering you on, especially when you hit that last mile or two and not sure if you're going to make it.
You might also want to write your name on your shorts or bib so others – volunteers, spectators, and other racers – can urge you on by name. Make sure to do the same for others around you!
Arrive at the race site early
Race days are usually crazy with people running around, participants trying to find their space, people milling around watching the chaos, and race coordinators trying to keep it all under control. No matter how efficient you are or how many times you've been to the site before the race, it's going to take you a lot longer than you think to find parking, check-in, and find your spot. Arriving early will allow you to do all of that and enjoy the race atmosphere without feeling like you're in a rush.
Attach your race number and / or computer chip
Attached your number to your shirt as the race officials tell you to. You'll need at least four safety pins to ensure that your number stays on without flapping around and annoying you. (Yes, you'd be surprised at how annoying an ill-placed race number bib can get by mile 10.)
Also, make sure your computer chip is securely attached to you. This little chip is usually attached to your shoe string, clothes, arm, or wrist and will help race officials to track your progress. Check with the race officials to find out the best way to attach it.
Warm-up Before the Race
The last thing you will want to do is to start a long race with cold muscles. Without stretching, you have a higher chance of injuring yourself in the first few miles of the marathon. Your best bet is to start stretching about 30 minutes before the race begins.
Take Your Time
When the race begins, take your time. Run more slowly and walk a little more at the beginning of the race to help your muscles get into the groove of running. You have 26 miles to go – take your time and let your body get acclimated to the task in front of it.
As the race progresses, keep to the walk-run ratio that you are used to. When it comes to your first marathon, it's more important that you
finishthe race rather than come in first. The more energy you conserve at the beginning of the course, the stronger you will finish at the end. Drink!
Almost all runners know that it's super important to stay hydrated while they're running, but it's even more important in a distance running event like a marathon. To stay properly hydrated, experts say that you should drink at least 8 oz. of water or sports drink every 15-20 minutes. Bring your own bottle for the first few miles and then take advantage of the refreshment stands along the way – that's what they're there for!
Don't Stop At the Finish Line!
When you hit the finish line, you're going to want to immediately fall over on the grass and die. DON'T! That's the worst thing you can do for your body after a long, stressful run. Your best bet is to walk for at least 30 minutes. This will allow your muscles and heart to cool down and get ready to rest. You might want to mix in a few good stretches into your cool down to help the rest of your body to relax and stretch out.
Make sure to eat and hydrate after the race
It's important for you to replenish all of the nutrients and water that you lost in that long run. Drink water or sports drink as you walk and have a snack when you're done, if you stomach can tolerate it. | 4,248 | 1,953 | 0.000518 |
warc | 201704 | According to this, a gene in the endorphin metabolism is altered in a typical fashion more often in women alcoholics than in healthy women. In mice too, endorphins seem to play an important role in the amount of alcohol consumed, particularly among females.
The scientists discuss their results in the current issue of the journal 'Biological Psychiatry' (doi:10.1016/j.biospych.2008.05.008).
Endorphins are known as 'happiness' hormones. They activate what is known as the reward system in the brain and thereby ensure a good mood. This could be the case after jogging (experts talk about 'Runner's High'), after a bar of chocolate or also after a glass of beer or wine. The body endeavours to repeat this high, in the worst case ending in addiction.
Without these 'happiness' hormones you should be going easy on the alcohol, the theory also says. Researchers have tested this hypothesis. For this they examined mice that could not produce any endorphins due to a genetic mutation. The laboratory mice had the choice of quenching their thirst with pure water or an ethanol solution. 'Overall, mice without endorphins drank less alcohol than their relatives with endorphins,' Dr. Ildikó Rácz from the Bonn Institute of Molecular Psychiatry explains. She led the study together with her colleague Britta Schürmann and the director of the institute, Professor Dr. Andreas Zimmer.
The endorphin effect was particularly marked in female mice. Normally these tend to hit the bottle more than males. 'But without endorphins, the decrease in their desire for alcohol was particularly drastic.' Dr Rácz adds. By contrast, in males the absence of the endorphins made less difference.
From mice to humans
Then the scientists scrutinised genes which are important in the human endorphin metabolism. For this they analysed blood samples of just short of a total of 500 female and male alcoholics for peculiarities. Successfully. 'We were able to show that two genetic changes in the genes of female alcoholics occurred significantly more frequently than in healthy women,' is how Dr Rácz sums up the results. 'We don’t know what the exact effect of these changes is.' By contrast, the scientists did not find any changes that indicated a contribution of endorphins in male alcoholics.
Women with a particular genetic make-up could therefore be at greater risk of becoming dependent on alcohol. 'Today we estimate the influence of the genes in this disease to be at least 50 per cent,' Ildikó Rácz explains. However, she warns against exaggerating the results. 'We can only evaluate how large the influence of the genetic mutations we found really is after carrying out further research.'
At least it seems to be a bit clearer now that endorphins really do play a role in the development of ethanol addiction. Animal experiments provided more contradictory answers to this question, probably also because alcohol consumption is in fact likewise dependent on environmental influences and therefore on the conditions the experiments were carried out under. As Ildikó Rácz says: 'However, our research clearly assigns a fundamental role to endorphins.
Dr. Ildikó Rácz | alfa
Further information: http://www.uni-bonn.de
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warc | 201704 | Philippines, EU sign new framework for partnership
InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA - After seven rounds of intense negotiations in Manila and Brussels since February 2009, the Philippines and the European Union (EU) signed on Wednesday a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) that aims to further advance their bilateral cooperation.
The PCA is an umbrella framework which covers the areas of politico-security cooperation, human rights, counter-terrorism, promoting trade and investment, development cooperation, education and culture, energy, transport, and migration.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario signed on behalf of the Philippines, while EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice President Lady Catherine Ashton signed on behalf of the Union comprising 27 member-states.
“I believe the PCA provides an opportunity and basis for the Philippines and EU to work closely together in addressing real challenges such as the global financial crisis, migration, the pursuit of development goals, expanding trade and investment, improving development cooperation, and promoting international peace and security, and human rights,” del Rosario said after the signing ceremony in Phnom Penh at the sidelines of the security-centered 19th ASEAN Regional Forum.
"With the Philippines, Europe has a long historical relationship. We share many common beliefs such as on human rights or on democracy. The level of trust between the Philippines and the EU is such that sensitive political issues are already part of our daily work, be it cooperation on counterterrorism, non-proliferation, or the peace process in Southern Mindanao, where the EU is a willing and engaged partner," said Ashton.
Both parties expressed optimism that the signing of the bilateral agreement will pave the way to more enhanced cooperation as it points to a more concrete and comprehensive framework that will guide the future directions of Philippines-EU relations on the basis of mutual benefit.
The EU is a vital economic and political partner of the Philippines.
Trade with the EU totalled $10.396 billion in 2011. The Philippines received a total of P2.5 billionin development assistance from the EU in 2011.
Philippine exports to the EU include coconut oil (crude), electronic micro assemblies, electrical and electronic machinery/equipment/parts, photosensitive semiconductor devices, storage units, static converters, other brakes and servo-brakes and parts, and digital monolithic integrated circuits.
EU’s development assistance to the Philippines focused on health, trade and investment, good governance, human rights and climate action. Projects on indigenous peoples, conflict prevention, and promotion of peace also form part of EU cooperation scheme with the Philippines.
Both the EU and the Philippines believe that these statistics could increase with the signing of a framework meant to open up market opportunities in trade, tourism and investment both ways.
Still, both foreign ministers admitted that these relations have the great potential to increase exponentially if provided the right impetus and incentive.
The earlier cooperation agreement signed in 1980 had been deemed outmoded and insufficient to address current challenges and opportunities for the Philippines and the EU. There was a mutually recognized need to update that agreement so as to raise the level of cooperation between the two parties in the context of the 21
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warc | 201704 | by the International Budget Partnership— Jan 19, 2017
Do developing countries have the scope to raise sufficient domestic resources to end extreme poverty among their citizenry? A recent working paper titled Gasoline, Guns, and Giveaways, published by the Center for Global Development found, somewhat surprisingly, that almost three-quarters of global poverty could be tackled through the redistribution of national resources. Co-author Chris Hoy shares more about what this means for those working on government budgets.
by Rebecca Warner, International Budget Partnership— Jun 08, 2016
Economic downturns often leave governments with substantially reduced revenues at the same time as they face increasing demand for public services by those affected by the crisis. Too often governments in this situation will choose to curtail spending in an effort to control public-sector debt, an approach that can have significant consequences on the poorest and most vulnerable. Such budgetary decisions and their effect on marginalized communities are strictly bound by international human rights law. The question of how austerity measures have threatened human rights in Latin America was discussed in April 2016 at a gathering of civil society representatives and officials from international governing bodies.
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By Subrat Das, Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability and Ravi Duggal, International Budget Partnership— Nov 06, 2015
In a welcome move, India’s finance ministry has announced that this year’s pre-budget consultations will be held far earlier than in previous years. This change is welcome news for civil society organizations (CSOs) doing budget work in India, which have long called for consultations to begin earlier.
Sayed Nasrat, independent consultant based in Kabul, Afghanistan— Aug 12, 2015
Since Afghanistan’s transition to a democracy 13 years ago, the government and the international community have made multiple attempts to decentralize the budget system to better incorporate the needs of provinces. So far, these attempts have failed. A new set of reforms currently awaiting approval, however, shows greater promise. | 3,158 | 1,569 | 0.000652 |
warc | 201704 | Do you think that abortion should be legalised in Ireland?
10 Posts
What's the point of making everything 100% worse by killing an innocent child on top of everything else? I also have a disability but I went on to have 8 healthy children. Children who are delighted to have been born. And yes, I've been raped too and left down. We all have baggage but a beautiful child can still be born out of any situation. I put my first child up for adoption and while I missed him terribly I'm so glad that I didn't kill him. I couldn't do that to anyone especially because I have been allowed to be born myself. We can all come through difficult situations. All we need is the right people and the right supports and we'll get there. No need to kill at all!
21 Posts
Gabs, I too have known and tried to help good people like the ones you have known who are in great distress. But more violence is never the solution to easing their distress.
Abortion for rape victims leads to double victimization.
Another act of violence perpetrated against a the innocent woman and her innocent little child. It is a totally inappropriate response to offer victims/survivors of violence a 'service' that comprises per se another act of violence, this time an act of violence in which there are two victims, the hurting mother and her own aborted child.
The last thing these distressed mothers need is more violence.
What the distressed mother really wants and needs (and is entitled to receive) is an immediate and whole-hearted acceptance, love and ongoing care and protection for herself and her baby. She needs a firm promise that help will be there for her and her child, a comforting and genuine reassurance that both will be looked after both now and for the long run.
Violence against children is never 'necessary'. All violence against children is preventable.
Before as well as after birth, children should never receive less protection than adults.
Their mothers' personal and social needs can and should be met by non-violent means.
1 Posts
Yes it should be legal. Have you people whom disagree ever dealt with a person with a disability who was raped ; have you ever had to deal with persons of certain religions whom committed suicide because of the fear of beatings , exclusion. Well I have.
Today may be better
10 Posts
Rita J wrote a wonderful piece! Well done! Abortion is just so barbaric and we as humans should have moved past this long ago. Love is the way to go for every human being on the planet. Abortion is nothing but hatred towards our fellow human beings. I will NEVER support it here in Ireland.
21 Posts
Genuine medicine does no deliberate harm to a distressed mother or her little unborn daughter or son.
Lethal violence against children is never 'necessary'. All violence against children is preventable. Before as well as after birth, children should never receive less protection than adults.
Their mothers' personal and social needs can and should be met by non-violent means.
Abortion is inter-personal--it involves the person of the mother, the person of her tiny daughter or son being protected and nurtured in her/his mother's womb, and the person of the abortionist who for a fee is willing to 'treat' a tiny human being as a piece of problematical rubbish, of no value, as 'a problem' to be removed and disposed of.
There is no "choice" to lethally attack another human being who is utterly defenceless and guilty of no crime.
Ultrasound technology, together with biology, embryology, fetal surgery, and examination of the human remains of an abortion, all tell us that the victim targeted for abortion is a human being, belonging to the human family, a human being who can be identified as a daughter or son, a ‘who’ not a generic ‘thing’.
True justice requires that elective abortions be recognized and treated not as harmless, idiosyncratic, personal ‘choices’ but as abusive practices, as human rights violations perpetrated by individuals and involving the complicity of politicians, judges and others.
Both distressed mothers and their unborn children need tender loving care and support not abortion.
1 Posts
Abortion should 100% be legalised in Ireland, it is time that Ireland came out of the dark ages by not letting a church have power over human rights. Every woman has her own opinion on abortion which is fair and has the right over her own choices, I myself had an abortion in England and I know it was the right choice for me, do I feel guilty? Not really because my whole future was at risk, I was only 20 and a student in college, if I had to continue the pregnancy it would have forced me to leave my dream plus I am in no fit position to be a young mother nor my partner who had been so supportive, mistakes were made and we have made sure it wont happen again with proper contraception methods. I go into my local town and see anti abortion protestors displaying horrid graphic abortion images saying how this is morrally wrong, it made me feel sick inside and to also think this was diaplayed in front of children and other individuals is disgusting ( shame on you ) . Simple, if a woman does not want to continue a pregnancy she should have an option there, not leaflets from churches and groups in your ear trying to presuade you to keep away from that option. There will always be people who are anti abortion and for abortion, if abortion was legalised it would be absolutely no ones business if a woman wanted to terminate a pregnancy anyway.
21 Posts
You are right, Emma, when you question who we are to decide who is to live and who is to die. We should not decide that any one should die.
The last thing a victim of rape needs is pressure to abort her child.
What she really wants and needs (and is entitled to receive) is an immediate and whole-hearted acceptance for herself and her little daughter or son. She needs a firm promise that help will be there for her and her child, a comforting and genuine reassurance that both will be looked after both now and for the long run.
As the most vulnerable of all pregnant women, victims of rape need non-ambivalent reassurance, more so than other women.
The very offer of an abortion carries with it a subliminal message that her child is not positively wanted, is not going to be compassionately and lovingly accepted by family, friends and the wider community.
It is indefensible to respond with a lethal act of violence against her child for a crime for which neither innocent victim was not responsible.
The selective abortion of such a child is based on prejudice not justice.
We need to deal with this appalling social climate in which vestiges of public censure of acts of rape spill over quite irrationally to the children being nurtured in the pregnancies that result from these acts. Both the abused mother and her child need all our love and help.
3 Posts
I said before I'm not in a position to decide whether or not abortion should be legal...But I can share my point of view... Everyone should see this issue in different angles or perspective.. But I can't imagine how horrible it could feel or experience to be a victim and carried on the baby of rapist... "Whoever" the human rights apply, everyone is entitled to decide what is best for their health when your helth is at risk, mentally, emotionally, physically and socially... "Now" from a egg to an embryo that take two weeks to fully develope.. Then the little embryo have a form also a beating heart it's have developed to a living life...there in my opinion every living life should have the possibility to express themselves, to live,to flourish into something greater.... Whom are we to decide who can live or not? It's should be legal for those women victim of a extrem situation like (been rape) the abortion should be done immediately.... "Quick question " if abortion was legal in Ireland? Would go out there and have sex with anyone you desire Without any worries? Or you worried that you don't remember what happened last night?
Be responsible for the action around you...
21 Posts
Emma, the last thing needed by any woman who has been through a bad experience is to be subjected to another bad experince--at the hands of an abortionist.
Abortion is the only operation that involves two patients that has for its purpose the direct killing of one of the patients.
Genuine medicine does no deliberate harm to a mother or her unborn child.
In my opinion, before as well as after birth, children should never receive less protection than adults.
3 Posts
I'm not in a position to decide or to judge people's when it comes to a very sensitive topic such as abortion.. However!! In my personal opinion I think who are we to decide who can live or who can't? A baby doesn't choose to be in our lives but we make the decision to have a baby in our lives.. In other case unfortunately some victims get caught up.in the wrong place, wrong time, involved with the wrong people..must of the time alcohol is involved or drug... No woman should carry a child from a bad experience or the obligation to give birth... If the abortion is done within the days,before the embryo is fully developed making it a living life....in that case abortion should be legal.. For special particular cases...and last we all should be responsible for our actions and aware of the world we surround yourself...
6 Posts
Definitely YES. full stop.
(Ireland is one of the last so called developed countries where the old religion based law is still in force.)
3,037 Posts
NME I think you have summed up the complexities of this issue very well in your post. We have radicals on both sides - one group says that abortion is wrong in all situations which is of course, ridiculous. There will always be "caveats" such as rape, illness etc and we cannot have a blanket ban. The other side tells us that abortion should be freely available for all who were too stupid or drunk to use contraception. This is just as bad. As with most things, the solution (such as it would be) lies somewhere in the middle. The problem is that if it was legalised just for extenuating circumstances, the system would of course be abused (as most systems are). Legalisation without legislation is sadly what we do best in this country. And whereas I do not raise issue with a woman who has been raped undergoing an early abortion or an indirect abortion as a result of medical treatment, I would feel sick to think my tax could pay for the murder of a child conceived through carelessness. Sadly, the radicals from both sides do nothing to promote their agenda - they simply get backs up.
132 Posts
Yes and No - I don't believe there's a correct answer to this question. Of course it should be available for some of the types of cases mentioned, and definitely NOT for the "unfit" parents to be who will no doubt use it as a form of contraception. But who will make the decisions, what will be the criteria? It's an impossible situation... it is totally wrong to allow an abortion for someone who didn't use contraception or just plain changed her mind BUT it is completely barbaric to expect a woman or child to proceed with a pregnancy having been raped, or to endanger the life of a woman in order to force her to give birth.
Live and let live
3,037 Posts
I cannot believe this argument is starting again....
12,085 Posts
Not even if you are a raped adolescent and your life is in danger Jean?
2 Posts
I think it is insane that abortion is still illegal in Ireland.
http://vincedelmonteabout.com
1 Posts
No I dont think women think about the after affects of abortion .... ....no one has the right to abort a baby no matter what ....
3,037 Posts
Anon, I agree with you (as stated) re the MAP, as it can only help to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Thank you for addressing the fact that the majority of us who call ourselves "pro-life" would not force a women to continue with a pregnancy if it meant her life was in danger, the distinction of course being "limited circumstances" as opposed to the hundreds of thousadns of abortions on demand that are carried out for other reasons. You might find it hard to believe but I am equally appalled by the pro-life extremists who would see a woman die rather than have access to a termination, and of course I resent the bad name that they generate for those of us who wish to support the rights of the child at it's most vulnerable stage.
12,085 Posts
Just to correct the end of my post. What I meant was - The European court has now madated that every avenue must be explored to protect the life of the woman, including abortioN where it is needed.The case, in the end was brought to the European Court and after the ruling was made, the women involved in the case in Cork (this was made public in the Independant the week before Christmas) highlighted what she had had to go through. Indeed, the reasonable majority of those who favour abortion in limited circumstances i.e. those we would term real pro-life - as in pro the life of the woman, are somehow being overlooked in favour of the roaring extremist minority of foetus first pro-"life", which is a pity as it is only among the reasonable majorities on both sides that a consensus can be reached. In addition to new rules governing the MAP, what I would like to see is a postive change and openness in the attitudes towards sex, sexuality, contraception and sex education.
3,037 Posts
thanks for the info anon, thats all I really needed to know, that the two conditions were the same. I did not want to take that as a given. Of course I think it's wrong that these two women were denied abortions, but I still maintain that we should keep the distinction between cases such as these, and others.
Although it was a sham that this case even HAD to be brought to the high court, I think its a pity (though of course entirely predictable) that those of us who are against abortion for socio-economic reasons or multiple abortions when care has not been taken, are now being tarred with the same brush, and are being portrayed as monsters who force women with cancer to continue with their pregnancies. Like I said, predictable, but certainly not true.
Another interesting report I read today that a Red C poll for the Irish Times has revealed some interesting figures. 86% of people polled are in favour of allowing abortion
if the mother is at risk (and I dont know what planet the other 14% are living on tbh) and 64% are in favour where the child would not survive beyond birth. However only 38% think that abortion should be available on demand. Looks like most of us have the right idea. Hopefully with the new rules governing the sale of the MAP, we may see a positive reflection in abortion figures ie; a decline.
12,085 Posts
Buzz, the condition was the same as the condition, highlighted in the European court, where it was ruled that the woman's rights were breached by being denied access to abortion. In the case in Cork, the woman's medical team agreed that abortion was required as part the treatment to save her life. The hospitals ethics team denied it to her. Her case was highlighted becuase it was another example of of the case brought to light in the European Court.No, no decent person would see a woman denied an abortion where it was ruled by her medical team - as it was in the case in Cork, that it was required as part of the treatment to save her life. But in that case that hopital ethics team did in fact deny it to her. Is it any wonder then that the European court ruled as it did. Clearly as not everyone is decent in this regard, legislation is needed. The court did not rule on abortions which are not done where a woman's life or health is at risk.
I don't think witofire that anyone is referring to abortion a form of contraception.
Contraception, be it pre or post-coital is universally known to be the prevention of pregnancy.
Abortion takes place when the pregnancy is already established.
I agree, resolution will only ever be reached by the moderates on both sides. Extremist pro-lifers or indeed pro-choicers (tho they seem few) will only achieve antagonising each other.The European court has not madated that every avenue must be explored to protect the life of the woman, inclusing abortio where it is needed.
3,037 Posts
I cannot speak for anyone else jo, but I certainly do not feel ashamed.
353 Posts
It is surely incorrect to call abortion a form of contraception as conception has already taken place.
Contraception is the intentional prevention of conception or impregnation.
This divisive issue would be better handled by both pro and anti camps calming down and looking sympathetically at the opposite side's problems.
Every avenue should be explored to protect the life of the unborn child before any drastic and irreversible action be taken.
There is no smoke witofire!
7 Posts
Y'all pro lifers should be ashamed that our country is once again ousted internationally as a violator of womens rights.
3,037 Posts
I am not familiar with the case in Cork - what was the condition that required direct abortion?
re legislation pertaining to suicide risk, I dont think I am alone in my fear that the system would be abused.
Thanks for the info, and I dont think any decent person would see a woman denied an abortion IF it was to save her life. Though these are, of course, distinct from the majority (a given, seeing as only two cases have been cited). That is not to say that they are any less significant of course, but one wonders about (and there's nothing wrong with wondering) the hundreds of thousands of abortions that are NOT deemed to be life saving procedures..
12,085 Posts
I agree completely with regard to the morning after pill. A welcome move by Boots.
However, you are in fact mistaken when you state that there are no cases as yet where a direct abortion will save a womans life. With regard to the case highlighted in the European court that is exactly why the ruling was given, the woman's life - and she had a rare from of cancer, was being endangered becuase she was denied access to abortion. Similarly with the case in Cork which was recently highlighted. The woman's meidcal team deemed that abortion - direct abortion, was a medical neccessity in her case to save her life, yet she was denied access to it here. These are entirely different cases from foetal deminse as a side effect of treatment, which is Not abortion and not medically or ethically regarded as such. The ruling on suicide has already been dealt with in the 1992 referendum making abortion legal in cases of suicide - legislation to effect this however has not been enacted.
3,037 Posts
On a related note, I read with interest today that the morning after pill is to become OTC in Boots pharmacies. I cannot understand why people have a problem with this. The media slant is that the pro-lifers will be against this move but I dont understand why. The morning after pill simply prevents a pregnancy, it doesnt undo an establisehed pregnancy and surely in this day and age it is a far better option to be able to access emergency contraceptives than "hope for the best" as some are forced to do, and then terminate at a later date? Studies have shown that in countries where the MAP is otc, promiscuity does not increase (though I would be interested to know how they measured this!)
Re recent media light thrown on our constitution, I think that if a womans life is in danger she should be allowed to access an abortion, but I think (as has been discussed here before) there are no cases as yet where a direct abortion will save a womans life, rather a termination as a side effect of treatment, which is distinct from direct abortion. Unfortunately, every system gets abused, in all walks of life. Once we bring in the "if I dont have an abortion I will kill myself therefore my life is in danger" element...the gates for abusing the system are wide open. All one will have to do is recite the phrase above in front of a GP to qualify. Let us not be naiive and imagine it wont happen.
12,085 Posts
Due to the recent ruling form the European counrt of Human Rights, it looks liek we may have to finally face up to the legislative mess created and either hold yet another referendum or put in place legislation.
2 Posts
Im not in favour of killing un born children in Ireland or any where else.
196 Posts
I am totally against abortion and hope I never would be tempted if I found myself pregnant as does happen silly tough it may sound contraception is not 100% safe but I do not think I'm qualified to expect others to always agree with me. it is against my religion to have an abortion but we don't all have the same beliefs so I would vote to allow abortion in this country, nobody wants to make it obligitory.
jenny
1 Posts
Yes I think it should be legalised. it costs about E2,000 altogether to get it done privately in England and you don't get proper aftercare.
3,037 Posts
I agree with Sue regarding contraception. Surely prevention is always better than cure. Having been in a situation where I have had to borrow money for the emergency pill from a close friend, I can see the merit in such a scheme. I think claims that freely available contraceptives lead to promiscuity are unfounded. Unprotected sex is not ideal but it IS a reality which cannot be ignored. I often think, if my close friend had not been someone I could go to, or if I hadn't asked him for the loan, where would I be now? Abortion is not something I would EVER contemplate for myself so I would have been left with an unwanted pregnancy. He did joke that he would rather pay for the MAP than be left babysitting for the next ten years! It seems funny now but some people may not have people like this in their lives, especially young girls who might be afraid to ask for help.
26 Posts
I think abortion should always be the decision of the woman involved and the service for a legal abortion should be in place. The stress of an unplanned pregnancy is so devistating we should not put in on ourselves to judge the decision of the woman involved. I also think their should be an open door for girls whatever age to have contraception available free of charge
The peer pressure on young girls these day outweighs their maturity and knowledge so lets help to protect them while they growup and wiseup
this problem has for too long been packed off to England, while we sit back like the holy hippocrates
3,037 Posts
Jamie asking you to address the questions put to you on a discussion board is not unreasonable, and if you decide to take such requests as a personal affront then I have very little to say to you.
When you are interested in acting like an adult be sure to let us now!
658 Posts
"Address my previous post please before you try to go off on a tangent and avoid the questions I put to you" Sorry buzz, but I don't reply to person insults on a messageboard, especially on a serious topic like this.
12,085 Posts
Rita, as I have already stated given your refusal to answer my previous questions and thereby tacit admssion that your post was therefore wrong, this renders all of your subsequent posts as baseless and irrelevant, including your most recent one, so chunks of self-references is both pointless and silly.
Chris
3,037 Posts
Sorry Jamie but that post in no way answers the questions I put to you. Oh and please dont interpret THIS as me "telling you what you can and cannot post"! Address my previous post please before you try to go off on a tangent and avoid the questions I put to you.
21 Posts
Under the European Convention, the European Court of Human Rights can authorize neither the abuse of the human rights of children at risk of abortion in some States nor the removal of legal protection from such children in any State.
The Universal Declaration
§ equal protection before the law of all members of the human family,
§ equal safeguards including appropriate legal protection for the child before birth as for the child after birth, and
§ an equal right to life, development and survival for all members of the human family.
Dr. Charles Malik, Rapporteur for the Human Rights Commission that drafted the
International Bill of Rights, wrote in 1948 about the Commission’s implied agreement on the nature and origin of human rights:
Where do they come from? What is their metaphysical status? Are they arbitrarily conferred upon me by some external visible agency, such as my state or parliament or the United Nations, so that this visible power can conceivably one day withdraw them from me at will, without thereby violating a higher law? Or do they belong to my essence, so that the function of any external visible power with respect to them is not to create and constitute them but only to recognize and respect them, and so that if in any way it violates them it will thereby trespass against the natural law of my humanity?
This is clearly the problem of natural versus positive law. If these rights are the mere products of positive law, namely of law as it happens to be at a particular stage in evolution, then clearly, since positive law changes, my rights, and therewith my very human nature, will change with it. But if, on the other hand, these rights express my nature as a human being, then there is a certain compulsion about them: they are metaphysically prior to any positive law, and any such law must either conform to them or else be by nature null and void.
Every human being at the embryonic and foetal stages of life is essentially human, so that when the European Court of Human Rights reinterprets the European Convention to deny these smaller human beings their essential human rights, they are trespassing against the natural law of our common humanity upon which the entire modern international human rights law is built.
658 Posts
Sorry if you think it's personal Buzz, but you're on here telling people what they can and can't post, I thought it was worth pointing out that you have no business doing that. Posts here take a few hours to appear because forum administrators go through the content and filter what's not allowed. They do a decent job, so there's no need for you to tell people what they're allowed to post. Now I shouldn't post here because it's tedius and boring to reply to them? Did you ever think of ignoring them? Blazen was being helpful and you attacked him simply because you don't agree with abortion. Would you attack someone for suggesting a place for eye laser treatment, or dental treatment abroad? Apologies for getting your sex wrong, it was 50/50!
3,037 Posts
Oh and Jamie, I am a female! | 26,837 | 10,753 | 0.000094 |
warc | 201704 | State should build expertise in coastal protection, expert says ‘Hard’ engineering solutions and international consultants no longer good value, UCC engineer says
New wave: Tramore beach last week as storm force winds and high tides arrived. We need to study our own coastline to find solutions to coastal erosion and protect against storm damage, according to senior research engineer Jimmy Murphy. Photograph: Dylan Vaughan
Coastal councils will waste money if their sole focus is on “hard engineering” solutions to recent extreme weather, according to an expert.
At about €1 million per 100 linear metres, hard engineering protection such as revetements, rock armour and groynes are an expensive and often ineffective approach, and one which other countries have moved away from.
Beach nourishmentResearch has shown that such heavy protection can be of limited use, merely passing the erosion further along the coastline.
“Beach nourishment”, whereby suitable sand is pumped in from offshore on a periodic basis, was about half the cost and had proven to be very effective in parts of Europe and north America, Mr Murphy said.
Lack of knowledge The technique has been used in Rosslare, Co Wexford in combination with beach groynes, but it is not a standard approach here. “In Ireland, we like the big project, we tend to react rather than prepare, and we don’t study or understand the coastline,” he said . “We also tend to hire in consultants from England and the Netherlands after a crisis, rather than building up our own core expertise . “Sometimes there is natural coastal regeneration, and that is something we need to know about before we start imposing man-made solutions . Dunes are there to erode when a storm comes, and they have natural cycles.” Parts of the coast suffer serious erosion even without storms, such as Rossbeigh in Co Kerry which Mr Murphy and his UCC Beaufort Research colleagues have been studying for the past five years. “In 2008, the dunes at Rossbeigh were breached,” he said . “Since then, an incredible amount of sand, at about five to six million tonnes, has been lost, and the erosion has been continuous . “Yet that sand may come back in naturally and that is something we need to study in this and other areas in case intervention is not actually required . “Every section of coastline is different, and reacting in a piecemeal way is also not the answer .”
Coastal cells
“In some areas there are coastal cells, where sediment is fully contained in a unit, whereas on an open coastline sand can move more than 100km . “The coastline is always changing, and yet there is no funding specifically for coastline research,” he s aid. “A storm is a snapshot, whereas we need long-term knowledge – as in databases of waves, currents, seabed levels – to make a proper assessment.” Marine masters Beaufort Research, which is part of the Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster at Cork’s Ringaskiddy, has initiated a new applied coastal and marine management masters qualification. The course focuses strongly on reducing the impact from storm events through “pro active management of the marine resource”. | 3,296 | 1,616 | 0.000649 |
warc | 201704 | Holy cow! This was a particularly rough summer. Not enough water in the river to treat and that which WAS there created treatment challenges. But, the water professionals at our water plant were poised to attack the issue head on and make the "best quality water, at a reasonable price, delivered directly to the spigots of our citizens”.
Who are these "water professionals”? Well, if you work in the water profession, YOU are a WATER PROFESSIONAL. If you are reading this article, you most likely are one of those WATER PROFESSIONALS. Webster Dictionary gives the definition of
PROFESSIONAL as: of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession.
Many people think of the word "professional” as someone who wears a suit, sits in a corner office and has reached a certain station in life (or someone who thinks they have). Well, I sometimes wear a suit, I sit in a corner office, I don't think that I have reached any station in my life, and I rarely act professional; but I can tell you that all the staff here at my water treatment plant are water professionals in the same vain that I am. It's about the passion and professionalism that you bring to your job that makes you a WATER PROFESSIONAL. I want everyone (management, union, public sector, private sector, manufacturers, consultants, etc.) to know that we are all WATER PROFESSIONALS.
And what a great profession to get passionate about -WATER. It's the best job in the world. There are many opportunities in the water industry. The water sector has a wide range of rewarding job opportunities fitting a broad range of skills. General areas include engineer; organizational services; communications; policy and education; instrumentation; laboratory and science; operations; maintenance; trades; and environmental. The industry has something for everyone at every level. Many of the careers in the water industry allow you to begin at an entry level without a college degree, for those who may not think that they are college material. Work in our field is extremely stable. There is always going to be a need for safe water; and, therefore, there will always be a need for qualified and experienced water professionals.
Jobs in the water industry will never be replaced by a computer. Computers will help make the work easier, more streamlined and sustainable, but never replace the human in the industry. The jobs are extremely portable. With the experience you gain as a water treatment professional in one place, you can take that experience with you and it is directly transferable to other locations, around the block or around the world.
There are many opportunities for advancement in the water industry. This
profession brings out the best in people, making them want to learn more and advance. Many water professionals may have advanced through their organizations. There are always chances for advancement in the field, should you find yourself with the enthusiasm to move up in an organization or even into another branch of the industry.
You can choose a job in water that is inside a building. You can choose a job that is out in the field. You can choose a job that sits at a desk. You choose one that is very physical. The choices are endless.
I am extremely passionate about spreading the good news of advancing career opportunities in the water profession. I, like you, am a WATER PROFESSIONAL. Let's all work to engage the next generation of water professionals. | 3,470 | 1,585 | 0.000636 |
warc | 201704 | G.M.’s CEO is the latest executive to see the light
Wednesday, June 11, 2014, at the bottom right-hand corner of the section “Business Day” in The New York Times, is a boxed photograph of General Motors’ chief executive Mary T. Barra. The headline: “G.M. Chief Pledges A Commitment to Safety.”
Nothing against Ms. Barra. I’m sure she is sincere and determined in making her pledge. But I just shook my head when I saw this little “sidebar” box and the headline. Once again, we are treated to a CEO committing to safety after disaster strikes, innocent people are killed (so far G.M. has tied 13 deaths and 54 accidents to the defective ignition switch), and a corporation’s reputation is dragged through the media mud. The caption of Ms. Barra’s pic says it all: “…Mary T. Barra told shareholders that the company was making major changes after an investigation of its recall of defective small cars.”
Why do the commitments, the pledges and the changes come down from on high almost invariably after the fact?
You can talk all you want about the need to be proactive about safety, and safety experts have done just that for 20 or 30 or more years. Where has it gotten us, or more precisely, what impact has it had on the corporate world?
Talk all you want
Talk all you want about senior leaders of corporations needing to take an active leadership role in safety. Again, safety experts have lectured and written articles and books about safety leadership for decades. Sorry, but I can’t conjure the picture of most execs reading safety periodical articles and books. I know top organization leaders have stressful jobs with all sorts of pressures and competing demands. But I have a hard time picturing a CEO carving out reading time for a safety book in the evening. Indeed a few exist; former Alcoa CEO Paul O’Neill is the shining example. But they are the exceptions that prove the rule. The National Safety Council’s Campbell Institute of world class safety organizations and CEOs who “get it” are the exceptions, too, I’d assert.
And what is the rule? As a rule, proven again and again ad nauseam, top leaders of large corporations only really get into safety when they’re forced into a reactive mode. For the sake of share price and investor confidence, they speak out to clean up a reputational mess brought about by a widely publicized safety tragedy. Two space shuttles explode. Refineries blow up. Mines cave in. The incident doesn’t have to involve multiple fatalities and damning press coverage. I’ve talked with and listen to more than one plant manager or senior organization leader forced to make that terrible phone call to the family of a worker killed on the job, and who attended the funeral. The same declaration is stressed time and again: “Never again. Never again am I going to be put in the position of going through that emotional trauma. Business school never prepared me for that.”
“In her speech to shareholders, Ms. Barra apologized again to accident victims and their families, and vowed to improve the company’s commitment to safety,” reported The New York Times. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers,” she said. “Absolutely nothing.”
Oh really? What about the safety of G.M.’s workers? Oh yes, it’s customers who drive sales and profits, not line workers. This is cold business reality. Who did G.M.’s CEO want to get her safety message across to? She spoke at G.M.’s annual shareholder meeting in Detroit. Shareholders’ confidence needed shoring up. So you have the tough talk, the very infrequent public talk, about safety.
Preaching to the choir
I’ve just returned from the American Society of Safety Engineers annual professional development conference in Orlando. There was a raft of talks on safety leadership, what senior leaders can and should do to get actively involved in safety. There were presentations on the competitive edge safety can give companies. If an operation is run safely, there are fewer absences, better morale, good teamwork, workers watching out for each other, cohesiveness, strong productivity and quality and brand reputations. The classic counter-argument to the business case was also made: safety is an ethical and moral imperative, pure and simple.
But who’s listening to this sound advice and so-called thought leadership? As NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard pointed out in his talk, the ASSE audience, as with any safety conference audience, consists of the true believers who need no convincing. How many MBAs are in the audience?
Too often the moral high ground is swamped by the short-term, quarter-by-quarter financials that CEOs live or die by. Chalk it up to human nature, perhaps. Superior safety performance, as BST’s CEO Colin Duncan said at ASSE, results in nil outcomes. Nothing happens. CEOs are not educated to give thought and energy to outcomes that amount to nothing. So safety is invisible on corner office radar screens until a shock outcome does surface. Then come the regrets, the “if only I had known,” the internal investigation, the blunt, critical findings, the mea culpas, the “never again,” the pledge, the commitment, the vow, the tough talk.
There’s that saying, “Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it.” Sadly, and to me infuriatingly, a long history of safety tragedies has not proven to be much of a learning experience for many corporate leaders. “Ah, that won’t happen to us. Our (injury) numbers are far above average.” Still, you won’t have to wait long for the next safety apology to come out of mahogany row. It’s a pathetic ritual endlessly recycled. | 5,876 | 2,845 | 0.000369 |
warc | 201704 | Published by Posted on Leave your thoughts Commercial Trends
Though there are many trends and much research that indicates a great deal of commerce is going online, this does not mean that companies are foregoing tried-and-true techniques like the business card. Even though the newer generations of consumers like to do business online, they still want to know that you are prepared for them if you should meet in person.
Historically, the symbol of a prepared businessman was a business card at the ready. A business card is an indication not only a preparedness, but also of organization. A business card contains all of the relevant information to a business, information that can be quickly accessed by the consumer whenever he or she needs it.
Businesses on the cutting-edge are realizing more and more that having a business card does not mean that you are in the backend of the industry. In fact, as the next few paragraphs show, business cards can actually be incorporated into the new marketing techniques of the digital world.
Digital Codes and Business Cards
Perhaps you have seen a weird looking barcode type thing in a window storefront and wondered what it was. You have probably just had your first look at a QR code.
The QR code is a format that can be scanned by a smart phone after the QR code reader is downloaded (most QR code readers and QR codes are currently free of charge). When the smart phone reads the QR code, it will access whatever website that code tells it to go to.
QR codes are often used on business cards as well as in storefront windows. This keeps the personal touch of the business card along with the expediency of the digital format. No longer does a potential client have to type in an entire phone number or website. They can simply scan the QR code that is on the business card and be led straight to the preferred website of the business.
New Opportunities
Combining the two “technologies,” namely coding and the personal touch, can lead to some outstanding business results. Once you make the personal acquaintance of a client and avail them of the notion that your business is on the cutting edge, it is a one-two punch that not many new customers can wiggle their way out of.
Businesses that use the personal touch along with the new technologies that are available for business cards usually find themselves at the heads of their industries. The moral of the story is this: Some technologies (the business card) will never go out of style; they will only be updated and made better. | 2,555 | 1,231 | 0.000819 |
warc | 201704 | Emergency First Aid at Work Knowing what to do in a first aid situation is vitally important. Providing basic first aid and acting promptly could make all the difference to someone who is taken ill or injured.
This one day Emergency First Aid training course is offered by the ISTD in conjunction with our external providers. The course is specially created for people working in low-risk environments and provides delegates with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to act safely and calmly in emergency situations.
This highly successful course has been well attended by a variety of ISTD members and non-members ranging from fully fledged dance teachers to receptionists at dance schools. When we asked participants to describe the most useful aspects of the training they highlighted the importance of taking the opportunity to practice key first aid skills such as CPR and learn the correct first response to common dance injuries such as sprains and fractures. Attendees left the course feeling prepared and confident in their ability to assist in an emergency.
As part of the course, delegates will benefit from hands-on practical training
. Upcoming training dates:
Date Venue Monday 3rd April 2017
ISTD2 Dance Studios
346 Old Street
London
EC1V 9NQ
10:30 - 17:30
It is strongly recommended by the Health & Safety Executive that holders of First Aid certificates attend a refresher course once a year - make sure you're up-to-date! Email: coursebookings@istd.org Telephone: +44 (0)207 377 1577 | 1,519 | 868 | 0.001162 |
warc | 201704 | A young company named Aristex Health Solutions announced Thursday the launch of Global Lifeguard, a Web-based application that will allow patients and physicians alike access to their medical records online.
The program is a proprietary, Web-based, content management system application, according to Aristex’s vice-president of product management, Jeff Johnston. Started only a year ago, Aristex does systems, risk management and privacy consulting in the health care industry, but Global Lifeguard is its flagship product. The company got the inspiration for the program in the wake of the Canadian health care system reports from the Kirby and Romanow committees in 2002. “We saw the opportunity to create something so that Canadians are actively engaged in managing their own health care – we want to give Canadians control of their health management,” said Johnston.
The program, however, has nothing to do with the government-funded group Canada Health Infoway, whose goal is to establish a pan-Canadian electronic health record by 2009, although, said Johnston, Global Lifeguard is standards-based and would be compatible with a HL7 health record set-up.
Michael Martineau, director of the Branham Group, a market research and strategic consulting firm for IT vendors, said that this type of technology is coming at just the right time. “Consumer e-health is one of the big growth areas over the next few years,” said Martineau. “When it comes to health care, baby boomers are becoming more demanding and acting more like consumers.” He said that similar programs have been cropping up in the U.S., where they’re “used to” paying for health care, and that Canadians are coming around to the idea of paying that extra for health care. That has resulted in several other personal health record management systems pilots in this country.
The program – which is in pilot mode now in several southern Ontario clinics, and is scheduled for a limited rollout in March – offers both patient record storage and the capability to input other types of health information, such as blood sugar levels or the person’s diet, so it can be tracked or printed off for their physician.
There are two ways of setting up a Global Lifeguard account. The person can sign up through their doctor, who will input their information into the program, either manually into a form, or by scanning the pages of the chart and then uploading them into the program. The information is stored in Aristex’s data centre in individual patient accounts. The other way is by self-registering over the Internet, which only allows the patient to either scan in their medical information (copies of their chart or labs, for instance), or log the contents of a doctor’s visit in by hand. If they want their actual charts or doctor’s involvement, they must authorize their physician to access their records. “(For physicians) to register with us, we need to validate their credentials with their provincial licensing body and conduct a site visit,” Johnston said.
Once approved for the system, Johnston said, there are many benefits for physicians, whose involvement with the program is what makes it unique among personal health record management programs. Referrals would be made a breeze, as they could print out Global Lifeguard records for faxing, or could simply transfer the information to the Global Lifeguard-enabled specialist, who wouldn’t then make the mistake of ordering the same tests. Patients who moved could easily access their records, and doctors could enjoy the security of having a second copy of their patient’s records in a data centre somewhere.
Yet in the wake of such data breaches as the Winners/Home Sense debacle, said Martineau, information security needs to be a priority. “If you don’t get it right, you could erode confidence and throw everything back years,” he said. To address that issue, Aristex has enlisted the services of Entrust, which has provided a two-factor authentication process for those logging into the system, along with anti-phishing mechanisms. “We’ve built our own data centre, so we’re not using shared data centre space,” according to Johnston. “Plus, we have physical security features like biometric access, video surveillance, and 24-security security.”
Martineau is not confident that physicians will adopt Global Lifeguard with any speed. While they do get to use it for free (Aristex charges patients a $10 subscription fee per month), he thinks that adoption of the program among doctors will be slow, as they may view Global Lifeguard with some suspicion – or as a nuisance. “They’ll be asking themselves, do they have time to be filling out even more forms? To deal with more questions they’ll have to answer? People are already bringing in stacks of pages printed from the Internet, so they might be cautious in adopting it.”
But he also acknowledges that the doctors, falling in line with DIYadvocates banks and airlines, could very well think, “How can we get our users to think for themselves?” and “What can we get the patient to start doing for us?”
“There’s a shift in mindset to support that – baby boomers are booking travel online and banking online,” he said. “This will be good for the health care system, a real win in the long term – the more actively involved they are, the better it is.”
Comment: info@itbusiness.ca | 5,603 | 2,572 | 0.000406 |
warc | 201704 | Home Information About IUPD F.A.Q. Contact Us Domestic Violence
If you or anyone you know are the victim of domestic violence, get help immediately; there are many community resources designed to help you.
REMEMBER You are not alone It is not your fault Help is available
Domestic Violence is defined by the Indiana Code as:
IC 5-26.5-1-3 "Domestic violence" includes conduct that is an element of an offense under IC 35-42 or a threat to commit an act described in IC 35-42 by a person against a person who: (1) is or was a spouse of; (2) is or was living as if a spouse of; (3) has a child in common with; (4) is a minor subject to the control of; or (5) is an incapacitated individual under the guardianship or otherwise subject to the control of; the other person regardless of whether the act or threat has been reported to a law enforcement agency or results in a criminal prosecution. As added by P.L.273-2001, SEC.3.
The Domestic Violence Handbook offers a broader definition:
Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating.
Examples of abuse include:
name-calling or putdowns keeping a partner from contacting their family or friends withholding money stopping a partner from getting or keeping a job actual or threatened physical harm sexual assault stalking intimidation
Violence can be criminal and includes physical assault (hitting, pushing, shoving, etc.), sexual abuse (unwanted or forced sexual activity), and stalking. Although emotional, psychological and financial abuse are not criminal behaviors, they are forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence.
IUPD offers several self defense courses designed to educate and empower the participants. The Rape Aggression Defense System (RAD) is a program of realistic, self-defense tactics and techniques. The RAD system is a comprehensive course for women that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction, and avoidance, while progressing on to the basics of hands-on defense training. For more information, contact Lt. David Rhodes 812-855-4111.
National Toll-Free Hotline for Victims of Domestic Violence
1-800-799-SAFE (799-7233)
The Protective Order Project is a student-directed project at the Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington designed to help victims of domestic abuse obtain civil protective orders from the court, with the ultimate goal of preventing further abuse, both by restraining the abuser and by empowering the victim.
Local Resources Middle Way House - 24 hour Crisis Line 812-336-0846 IUPD - 812-855-4111, 911 for emergencies BPD - 812-339-4477, 911 for emergencies IU Sexual Assault Crisis Service - 24 hour Crisis Line 812-855-8900 IU Counseling and Psychological Services - 812-855-5711 IU Health Center - 812-855-4011 Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence - 800-332-7385 Bloomington Hospital Monroe County Prosecutor's Office, Victim's Assistance - 812-349-2670 Monroe County Sheriff's Office - 812-349-2534, 911 for emergencies National Resources National Center on Dometic Violence and Sexual Violence U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women National Coalition Against Domestic Violence ABA Commission on Domestic Violence Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence Domestic Violence Handbook | 3,436 | 1,712 | 0.000587 |
warc | 201704 | It’s been a while since the word “globalization” came into widespread use. But its meaning isn’t always clear, perhaps because each person uses the term in his own way.
As for me, I understand it as a condition in which cross-border movements of not only money and goods, but people and even land, effectively, become possible, thereby accelerating the integration of the world’s economies into one.
Of course land does not move across national borders. National borders were drawn over land against the backdrop of accumulated history. Similarly, people are bound by their nationalities, which are not so easy to change.
The purpose of economic activity is to bring together limited productive elements — such as raw materials, capital, labor and land — to fulfill human desires to the maximum extent possible.
In a market economy, the priority goes to maximizing profits. To attain that goal, people look all over the globe for the cheapest productive elements possible and use them.
During the Cold War, such efforts were hampered by limits on movement of technology and capital, even though people knew cheap land and labor were available in other countries.
The end of the Cold War eliminated those restrictions, making it possible to integrate the technology and funds of advanced economies with the labor and land of developing countries. The mass exodus of people from the eastern side of the former Berlin Wall to the western side is still fresh in our memory.
Even without the actual physical movement of people, increasing production in other countries can create the same economic effect as human resources and land “moving” across national borders. And it is this movement that is having positive — and negative — impacts on our daily lives.
The first impact of globalization had the positive effect of invigorating world economies and expanding the volume of trade.
Developing countries, of course, welcome foreign firms who expand local production. The influxes of technology and funds lead to job creation and greater use of land, with the added benefit of higher tax revenue.
On the other hand, the developed countries from which these kinds of investments originate are then hit by reduced economic activity, fewer jobs, competition from cheaper products made by the recipients of the investments, and a drop in tax income.
The second impact is that the influx of cheaper products effectively boosts consumer purchasing power in advanced countries. In addition, changes in demand-supply situations, due to increased output capacity in the developing nations, make advanced economies less vulnerable to inflation, giving their governments wider options in monetary policy.
Here again, the negative aspect of this is that increased competition means greater risk of corporate bankruptcies and unemployment.
The third factor is the widening income gaps between individuals — a phenomenon taking place both in developed and developing countries.
An expansion in market opportunities gives some individuals a better chance to realize their potential, but those unable to improve performance are exposed to greater risk of wage cuts and unemployment because they have to compete with other low-income players newly entering the arena.
To sum up, globalization, by ushering in new competition, creates various conflicts of interest among states, corporations and individuals, between producers and consumers, and between corporations and labor unions. Even national governments are not immune. Taxation is the symbol of a state’s sovereign rights, but unless a national government takes globalization into account, it may end up seeing its tax revenue flow overseas.
But it is also true that globalization expands the aggregate economic pie.
A Group of Seven finance ministers’ meeting held earlier this month in London launched a new forum for emerging economic powers China and India — an indication that the global economy can no longer be controlled by the rich club of advanced nations alone.
It would be rather difficult to stop globalization. Instead, nations, corporations and individuals should focus on how they will ride out this market-driven trend because the stakes are getting increasingly higher. | 4,318 | 2,013 | 0.000508 |
warc | 201704 | Back in April I wrote about my decision to take a “watch and wait” approach with two small cavities that my dentist recommended getting filled. My plan was to follow a home treatment plan including dental hygiene, nutrition, and supplements. This is a follow-up post to fill you in on the results.
Compliance
I did a decent but imperfect job in terms of complying with my own home treatment plan. I intended to do a fluoride rinse three times a week, but I slacked off over time, probably averaging only once a week. In most other areas I did well, including taking supplements on a regular basis (vitamin D, vitamin K2, magnesium), and eating foods rich in calcium and vitamin A. I modified my diet to include more vegetables and somewhat less protein (I still eat meat, but my diet would probably be better described as “low-grain Mediterranean” rather than “paleo”). I continued to not drink soda, which as far as I can tell is the most destructive and dangerous habit in terms of dental health (I could link to pictures of “soda teeth” but I will spare you the gore). I continued to brush at least twice a day and floss at least once a day. I chewed xylitol gum on most days.
Results
On my most recent visit to the dentist, my dentist observed that one area where the enamel had been soft had hardened up, and she no longer recommended drilling and filling that tooth. The other small cavity, though apparently not worse, had not improved. Otherwise, my teeth and gums were in great shape.
At this point I will take her recommendation and get the one cavity filled.
Takeaway
I’ll continue with my home treatment plan, as it seems to be doing some good in terms of dental health. I’m glad I took the watch and wait approach, as it seems to have saved me some money, done no harm, and saved a tooth from being drilled.
Advice
If your dentist says you have a cavity, ask for details. How big is it? Is there any chance that the enamel could harden up over time with good dental hygiene, home fluoride rinse treatment, and excellent nutrition? Within private healthcare systems, it’s not in your dentist’s financial interest to recommend delaying treatment, so they may not present this as an option. Dentists may also be reluctant to recommend delaying treatment of observable cavities because of their training, and/or the expectations of their patients.
Remember that the final decision is yours (as well as the ultimate responsibility for your dental health). | 2,535 | 1,277 | 0.000806 |
warc | 201704 | My first suggestion is that after this, you study every night or two for each of your classes. Reread assigned material, go over your notes, and perhaps rewrite them. You know you'll have tests, so if you keep up and learn the material as you go along, then you won't need to cram the night before a test. Just before a test, you shouldn't have to spend more than a few minutes quickly reviewing what you've already learned.
I know school is tough these days, so it's imperative that students learn to budget their time. An extra few minutes each night and a few hours over the weekend should enable you to thoroughly learn and prevent having to be stressed out the night before a test. Good luck!
i do not under stand with what
try doing each "subject" for a half-hour, and if your still not done with everything after a half-hour of it, then go back and finish it later. also, take 5 or so minute breaks between each subject, and give your brain a rest. it usually works for me. good luck!
the three tests i just found out about today
Thank you and I will try the 30 min thing. It may work
no problem...good luck =]
But what do i do if we find out about the tests the day before
You KNOW you will have tests in these subjects. You just don't know when. That's why suggestion to study every night or two in these subjects makes sense. You need to learn as you go along, not just the night before a test.
OHHHHH! I understand now sorry. I am doing fairly well thanks to you advice thank you
http://www.jiskha.com/display.cgi?id=1191220368.1191232007
There are many good study-tips websites in this linked page. The pinkmonkey.com one is absolutely superb. Learning how to study well is something learned over time and needs to be carried out over time. All the suggestions above are excellent. There is more really good information in the link I've given above. =)
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. The night before an exam (or in this case 3) you can NOT cram. Be sure to get a good night's sleep, get up with enough time to have a good breakfast. Be sure to do some "exercises" to get the blood flowing and if you are allowed to bring a bottle of water with you, sipping water helps "wake up the brain." Of course, be sure you are ready to enter the class, with the proper materials for the test.
You may even have time to refresh final notes BEFORE you enter the room. When you first look at the test, do what you can do easily (to build up your confidence and so you won't run out of time) and then go back to the more difficult ones. If there is no penalty for "guessing" and/or "wrong answers" give it your best guess! A lucky guess is better than a blank. Check your work, if you have time, to be sure you have no careless mistakes. A good rule is "if you think it is correct first, it "usually" is." But of COURSE, the best policy is to be overprepared by following the Study Habits you have already received! Then, depending upon what "type" of test it is I have lots more suggestions for you. Best of luck! But then we often make our own luck! | 3,102 | 1,572 | 0.000643 |
warc | 201704 | A polar bear roams near the North Pole in an undated image. Photo by U.S. Navy.
All kinds of climate change records were smashed in 2015, setting new standards for atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration, sea level rise, and surface temperatures on both land and sea, according to a new report...
After tallying up all the numbers, 2015 surpassed 2014 as the warmest on record since the industrial revolution, according to the “State of the Climate,” an annual report with over 450 contributing scientists from 62 countries released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
In short, the scientists have painted a picture of a planet facing dangerous extremes.
The NOAA report found that days of extreme heat in North America, Australia, Europe, and much of Asia were well above average in 2015. Image courtesy NOAA.
The changes in 2015 were driven by a combination of long-term trends and 2015's el Niño, which was the strongest since at least 1950, according to Thomas Karl, the director of NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. El Niño is a weather pattern driven by some warmer ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean.
“Last year's El Niño was a clear reminder of how short-term events can amplify the relative influence and impacts stemming from longer-term global warming trends," Karl said in a statement released by NOAA.
Carbon dioxide concentrations have not hit 400 ppm in four million years. While the global average — 399.4 ppm — was just shy of that mark, the UN estimates that carbon dioxide emissions will continue to rise in 2016.
CO2 concentrations measured at Mauna Loa, Hawaii averaged over 400 ppm for the first time ever. Image courtesy NOAA.
The seas also reached new milestones in both temperature and height, with surface temperature well above average and the global sea level rising 2.75 inches higher than when satellites started recording it in 1993. Both set new benchmarks.
The report found that most indicators of climate change continued to reflect trends consistent with a warming planet. Global ice and snow cover dropped, with alpine glaciers in their 36th consecutive year of retreat and late-spring snow cover in North America continuing to drop, hitting its second lowest rate in the 49-year satellite record last June.
The prevalence of tropical storms was also well above average in 2015. The NOAA found that there were 101 tropical cyclones across all oceans. The average from 1981–2010 sits at 82 storms. And at 26, the most named storms were recorded since 1992 in the eastern and central Pacific. Overall, the North Atlantic was quieter than average.
Climate change and el Niño contributed to record sea level rise in 2015. Image courtesy NOAA. Other highlights Arctic surface temperature matched record highs in 2007 and 2011, representing a 2.8°C increase since records-keeping began. The report found that August's average sea surface temperatures in the Arctic Ocean's ice-free zones ranged from "near-normal" to 8°C above average. It said that "increasing temperatures have led to decreasing Arctic sea ice extent and thickness." According to the report, walrus herds in the Pacific Arctic are "hauling out on land rather than on sea ice, raising concern about the energy requirements of females and young animals." The NOAA also found that rising temperatures in the Barents Sea - in the Arctic off the coasts of Norway and Russia - are jeopardizing fish populations. They found that "warmer-water fish are moving farther north, and long-standing Arctic species, such as gelatinous snailfish and polar cod have been almost pushed out of the area." The "State of the Climate" also found that Antarctic temperatures were cooler than average, lower than the 1981-2010 average over most of the year. Do you like this post? | 3,888 | 1,862 | 0.000549 |
warc | 201704 | Every time I hear someone use the word “theory,” I’m reminded of this joke:
A family is sitting around the dinner table and the father asks the son how school is going, what’s the latest that he’s learned. The son starts talking about a philosophy course and the current topic is “theory versus reality.” The father says “Son, I know we’re spending a lot of money for college, but I have to tell you, I can explain the difference between theory and reality in just 2 minutes.”
He turns to his wife and asks,”Honey, would you sleep with a stranger for one million dollars?” The wife thinks for a minute and starts rationalizing, “For a million dollars, we can pay off the house, save for retirement, take that trip to Paris we always wanted to take. I think I would.” He then asks his daughter the same question. “Well, daddy, for a million dollars, I can pay for my college, and start a business after I graduate, I think I would.”
The father looks at his son, and says, “If you haven’t figured it out yet, in theory we’ll sitting on two million dollars. In reality, we live with a couple sluts.”
It’s a bit off-color I suppose, but it sure does make the point.
Joe | 1,277 | 678 | 0.001617 |
warc | 201704 | Adapted tango dancing improves mobility and balance in older adults and additional populations with balance impairments. It is composed of very simple step elements. Adapted tango involves movement initiation and cessation, multi-directional perturbations, varied speeds and rhythms. Focus on foot placement, whole body coordination, and attention to partner, path of movement, and aesthetics likely underlie adapted tango’s demonstrated efficacy for improving mobility and balance. In this paper, we describe the methodology to disseminate the adapted tango teaching methods to dance instructor trainees and to implement the adapted tango by the trainees in the community for older adults and individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Efficacy in improving mobility (measured with the Timed Up and Go, Tandem stance, Berg Balance Scale, Gait Speed and 30 sec chair stand), safety and fidelity of the program is maximized through targeted instructor and volunteer training and a structured detailed syllabus outlining class practices and progression.
24 Related JoVE Articles!
Examining the Characteristics of Episodic Memory using Event-related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Institutions: Vanderbilt University.
Our laboratory uses event-related EEG potentials (ERPs) to understand and support behavioral investigations of episodic memory in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Whereas behavioral data inform us about the patients' performance, ERPs allow us to record discrete changes in brain activity. Further, ERPs can give us insight into the onset, duration, and interaction of independent cognitive processes associated with memory retrieval. In patient populations, these types of studies are used to examine which aspects of memory are impaired and which remain relatively intact compared to a control population. The methodology for collecting ERP data from a vulnerable patient population while these participants perform a recognition memory task is reviewed. This protocol includes participant preparation, quality assurance, data acquisition, and data analysis. In addition to basic setup and acquisition, we will also demonstrate localization techniques to obtain greater spatial resolution and source localization using high-density (128 channel) electrode arrays.
Medicine, Issue 54, recognition memory, episodic memory, event-related potentials, dual process, Alzheimer's disease, amnestic mild cognitive impairment
2715
Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
Institutions: Rotman Research Institute, University of Toronto, University of Toronto.
Explicit (often verbal) reports are typically used to investigate memory (e.g. "Tell me what you remember about the person you saw at the bank yesterday."), however such reports can often be unreliable or sensitive to response bias
1
, and may be unobtainable in some participant populations. Furthermore, explicit reports only reveal when information has reached consciousness and cannot comment on when memories were accessed during processing, regardless of whether the information is subsequently accessed in a conscious manner. Eye movement monitoring (eye tracking) provides a tool by which memory can be probed without asking participants to comment on the contents of their memories, and access of such memories can be revealed on-line
2,3
. Video-based eye trackers (either head-mounted or remote) use a system of cameras and infrared markers to examine the pupil and corneal reflection in each eye as the participant views a display monitor. For head-mounted eye trackers, infrared markers are also used to determine head position to allow for head movement and more precise localization of eye position. Here, we demonstrate the use of a head-mounted eye tracking system to investigate memory performance in neurologically-intact and neurologically-impaired adults. Eye movement monitoring procedures begin with the placement of the eye tracker on the participant, and setup of the head and eye cameras. Calibration and validation procedures are conducted to ensure accuracy of eye position recording. Real-time recordings of X,Y-coordinate positions on the display monitor are then converted and used to describe periods of time in which the eye is static (i.e. fixations) versus in motion (i.e., saccades). Fixations and saccades are time-locked with respect to the onset/offset of a visual display or another external event (e.g. button press). Experimental manipulations are constructed to examine how and when patterns of fixations and saccades are altered through different types of prior experience. The influence of memory is revealed in the extent to which scanning patterns to new images differ from scanning patterns to images that have been previously studied
2, 4-5
. Memory can also be interrogated for its specificity; for instance, eye movement patterns that differ between an identical and an altered version of a previously studied image reveal the storage of the altered detail in memory
2-3, 6-8
. These indices of memory can be compared across participant populations, thereby providing a powerful tool by which to examine the organization of memory in healthy individuals, and the specific changes that occur to memory with neurological insult or decline
2-3, 8-10
.
Neuroscience, Issue 42, eye movement monitoring, eye tracking, memory, aging, amnesia, visual processing
2108
Eye Tracking, Cortisol, and a Sleep vs. Wake Consolidation Delay: Combining Methods to Uncover an Interactive Effect of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory
Institutions: Boston College, Wofford College, University of Notre Dame.
Although rises in cortisol can benefit memory consolidation, as can sleep soon after encoding, there is currently a paucity of literature as to how these two factors may interact to influence consolidation. Here we present a protocol to examine the interactive influence of cortisol and sleep on memory consolidation, by combining three methods: eye tracking, salivary cortisol analysis, and behavioral memory testing across sleep and wake delays. To assess resting cortisol levels, participants gave a saliva sample before viewing negative and neutral objects within scenes. To measure overt attention, participants’ eye gaze was tracked during encoding. To manipulate whether sleep occurred during the consolidation window, participants either encoded scenes in the evening, slept overnight, and took a recognition test the next morning, or encoded scenes in the morning and remained awake during a comparably long retention interval. Additional control groups were tested after a 20 min delay in the morning or evening, to control for time-of-day effects. Together, results showed that there is a direct relation between resting cortisol at encoding and subsequent memory, only following a period of sleep. Through eye tracking, it was further determined that for negative stimuli, this beneficial effect of cortisol on subsequent memory may be due to cortisol strengthening the relation between where participants look during encoding and what they are later able to remember. Overall, results obtained by a combination of these methods uncovered an interactive effect of sleep and cortisol on memory consolidation.
Behavior, Issue 88, attention, consolidation, cortisol, emotion, encoding, glucocorticoids, memory, sleep, stress
51500
Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues
Institutions: University of Zurich.
Mori's Uncanny Valley Hypothesis
1,2
proposes that the perception of humanlike characters such as robots and, by extension, avatars (computer-generated characters) can evoke negative or positive affect (valence) depending on the object's degree of visual and behavioral realism along a
dimension of human likeness
(
DHL
) (
Figure 1
). But studies of affective valence of subjective responses to variously realistic non-human characters have produced inconsistent findings
3, 4, 5, 6
. One of a number of reasons for this is that human likeness is not perceived as the hypothesis assumes. While the DHL can be defined following Mori's description as a smooth linear change in the degree of physical humanlike similarity, subjective perception of objects along the DHL can be understood in terms of the psychological effects of categorical perception (CP)
7
. Further behavioral and neuroimaging investigations of category processing and CP along the DHL and of the potential influence of the dimension's underlying category structure on affective experience are needed. This protocol therefore focuses on the DHL and allows examination of CP. Based on the protocol presented in the video as an example, issues surrounding the methodology in the protocol and the use in "uncanny" research of stimuli drawn from morph continua to represent the DHL are discussed in the article that accompanies the video. The use of neuroimaging and morph stimuli to represent the DHL in order to disentangle brain regions neurally responsive to physical human-like similarity from those responsive to category change and category processing is briefly illustrated.
Behavior, Issue 76, Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Molecular Biology, Psychology, Neuropsychology, uncanny valley, functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI, categorical perception, virtual reality, avatar, human likeness, Mori, uncanny valley hypothesis, perception, magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, imaging, clinical techniques
4375
Methods to Assess Subcellular Compartments of Muscle in
C. elegans Institutions: University of Nottingham.
Muscle is a dynamic tissue that responds to changes in nutrition, exercise, and disease state. The loss of muscle mass and function with disease and age are significant public health burdens. We currently understand little about the genetic regulation of muscle health with disease or age. The nematode
C. elegans
is an established model for understanding the genomic regulation of biological processes of interest. This worm’s body wall muscles display a large degree of homology with the muscles of higher metazoan species. Since
C. elegans
is a transparent organism, the localization of GFP to mitochondria and sarcomeres allows visualization of these structures
in vivo
. Similarly, feeding animals cationic dyes, which accumulate based on the existence of a mitochondrial membrane potential, allows the assessment of mitochondrial function
in vivo
. These methods, as well as assessment of muscle protein homeostasis, are combined with assessment of whole animal muscle function, in the form of movement assays, to allow correlation of sub-cellular defects with functional measures of muscle performance. Thus,
C. elegans
provides a powerful platform with which to assess the impact of mutations, gene knockdown, and/or chemical compounds upon muscle structure and function. Lastly, as GFP, cationic dyes, and movement assays are assessed non-invasively, prospective studies of muscle structure and function can be conducted across the whole life course and this at present cannot be easily investigated
in vivo
in any other organism.
Developmental Biology, Issue 93, Physiology,
C. elegans, muscle, mitochondria, sarcomeres, ageing
52043
A Research Method For Detecting Transient Myocardial Ischemia In Patients With Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome Using Continuous ST-segment Analysis
Institutions: University of Nevada, Reno, St. Joseph's Medical Center, University of Rochester Medical Center .
Each year, an estimated 785,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack, or acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The pathophysiology of ACS involves rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque; hence, treatment is aimed at plaque stabilization in order to prevent cellular death. However, there is considerable debate among clinicians, about which treatment pathway is best: early invasive using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI/stent) when indicated or a conservative approach (
i.e.
, medication only with PCI/stent if recurrent symptoms occur).
There are three types of ACS: ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST elevation MI (NSTEMI), and unstable angina (UA). Among the three types, NSTEMI/UA is nearly four times as common as STEMI. Treatment decisions for NSTEMI/UA are based largely on symptoms and resting or exercise electrocardiograms (ECG). However, because of the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the atherosclerotic plaque, these methods often under detect myocardial ischemia because symptoms are unreliable, and/or continuous ECG monitoring was not utilized.
Continuous 12-lead ECG monitoring, which is both inexpensive and non-invasive, can identify transient episodes of myocardial ischemia, a precursor to MI, even when asymptomatic. However, continuous 12-lead ECG monitoring is not usual hospital practice; rather, only two leads are typically monitored. Information obtained with 12-lead ECG monitoring might provide useful information for deciding the best ACS treatment.
Purpose.
Therefore, using 12-lead ECG monitoring, the COMPARE Study (electro
C
ardiographic evaluati
O
n of ische
M
ia com
P
aring inv
A
sive to pha
R
macological tr
E
atment) was designed to assess the frequency and clinical consequences of transient myocardial ischemia, in patients with NSTEMI/UA treated with either early invasive PCI/stent or those managed conservatively (medications or PCI/stent following recurrent symptoms). The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the methodology used in the COMPARE Study.
Method.
Permission to proceed with this study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the hospital and the university. Research nurses identify hospitalized patients from the emergency department and telemetry unit with suspected ACS. Once consented, a 12-lead ECG Holter monitor is applied, and remains in place during the patient's entire hospital stay. Patients are also maintained on the routine bedside ECG monitoring system per hospital protocol. Off-line ECG analysis is done using sophisticated software and careful human oversight.
Medicine, Issue 70, Anatomy, Physiology, Cardiology, Myocardial Ischemia, Cardiovascular Diseases, Health Occupations, Health Care, transient myocardial ischemia, Acute Coronary Syndrome, electrocardiogram, ST-segment monitoring, Holter monitoring, research methodology
50124
Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication
Institutions: University of Sydney, University of Hull, Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals, Addenbrookes Hospital.
Computerized dynamic posturography with the EquiTest is an objective technique for measuring postural strategies under challenging static and dynamic conditions. As part of a diagnostic assessment, the early detection of postural deficits is important so that appropriate and targeted interventions can be prescribed. The Sensory Organization Test (SOT) on the EquiTest determines an individual's use of the sensory systems (somatosensory, visual, and vestibular) that are responsible for postural control. Somatosensory and visual input are altered by the calibrated sway-referenced support surface and visual surround, which move in the anterior-posterior direction in response to the individual's postural sway. This creates a conflicting sensory experience. The Motor Control Test (MCT) challenges postural control by creating unexpected postural disturbances in the form of backwards and forwards translations. The translations are graded in magnitude and the time to recover from the perturbation is computed.Intermittent claudication, the most common symptom of peripheral arterial disease, is characterized by a cramping pain in the lower limbs and caused by muscle ischemia secondary to reduced blood flow to working muscles during physical exertion. Claudicants often display poor balance, making them susceptible to falls and activity avoidance. The Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI) is a noninvasive method for indicating the presence of peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication, a common symptom in the lower extremities. ABPI is measured as the highest systolic pressure from either the dorsalis pedis or posterior tibial artery divided by the highest brachial artery systolic pressure from either arm. This paper will focus on the use of computerized dynamic posturography in the assessment of balance in claudicants.
Medicine, Issue 82, Posture, Computerized dynamic posturography, Ankle brachial pressure index, Peripheral arterial disease, Intermittent claudication, Balance, Posture, EquiTest, Sensory Organization Test, Motor Control Test
51077
Technique and Considerations in the Use of 4x1 Ring High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS)
Institutions: Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Charité University Medicine Berlin, The City College of The City University of New York, University of Michigan.
High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) has recently been developed as a noninvasive brain stimulation approach that increases the accuracy of current delivery to the brain by using arrays of smaller "high-definition" electrodes, instead of the larger pad-electrodes of conventional tDCS. Targeting is achieved by energizing electrodes placed in predetermined configurations. One of these is the 4x1-ring configuration. In this approach, a center ring electrode (anode or cathode) overlying the target cortical region is surrounded by four return electrodes, which help circumscribe the area of stimulation. Delivery of 4x1-ring HD-tDCS is capable of inducing significant neurophysiological and clinical effects in both healthy subjects and patients. Furthermore, its tolerability is supported by studies using intensities as high as 2.0 milliamperes for up to twenty minutes.Even though 4x1 HD-tDCS is simple to perform, correct electrode positioning is important in order to accurately stimulate target cortical regions and exert its neuromodulatory effects. The use of electrodes and hardware that have specifically been tested for HD-tDCS is critical for safety and tolerability. Given that most published studies on 4x1 HD-tDCS have targeted the primary motor cortex (M1), particularly for pain-related outcomes, the purpose of this article is to systematically describe its use for M1 stimulation, as well as the considerations to be taken for safe and effective stimulation. However, the methods outlined here can be adapted for other HD-tDCS configurations and cortical targets.
Medicine, Issue 77, Neurobiology, Neuroscience, Physiology, Anatomy, Biomedical Engineering, Biophysics, Neurophysiology, Nervous System Diseases, Diagnosis, Therapeutics, Anesthesia and Analgesia, Investigative Techniques, Equipment and Supplies, Mental Disorders, Transcranial direct current stimulation, tDCS, High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation, HD-tDCS, Electrical brain stimulation, Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Neuromodulation, non-invasive, brain, stimulation, clinical techniques
50309
Flat-floored Air-lifted Platform: A New Method for Combining Behavior with Microscopy or Electrophysiology on Awake Freely Moving Rodents
Institutions: University of Helsinki, Neurotar LTD, University of Eastern Finland, University of Helsinki.
It is widely acknowledged that the use of general anesthetics can undermine the relevance of electrophysiological or microscopical data obtained from a living animal’s brain. Moreover, the lengthy recovery from anesthesia limits the frequency of repeated recording/imaging episodes in longitudinal studies. Hence, new methods that would allow stable recordings from non-anesthetized behaving mice are expected to advance the fields of cellular and cognitive neurosciences. Existing solutions range from mere physical restraint to more sophisticated approaches, such as linear and spherical treadmills used in combination with computer-generated virtual reality. Here, a novel method is described where a head-fixed mouse can move around an air-lifted mobile homecage and explore its environment under stress-free conditions. This method allows researchers to perform behavioral tests (
e.g.
, learning, habituation or novel object recognition) simultaneously with two-photon microscopic imaging and/or patch-clamp recordings, all combined in a single experiment. This video-article describes the use of the awake animal head fixation device (mobile homecage), demonstrates the procedures of animal habituation, and exemplifies a number of possible applications of the method.
Empty Value, Issue 88, awake,
in vivo two-photon microscopy, blood vessels, dendrites, dendritic spines, Ca 2+ imaging, intrinsic optical imaging, patch-clamp
51869
Prehospital Thrombolysis: A Manual from Berlin
Institutions: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg - Eppendorf, Berliner Feuerwehr, STEMO-Consortium.
In acute ischemic stroke, time from symptom onset to intervention is a decisive prognostic factor. In order to reduce this time, prehospital thrombolysis at the emergency site would be preferable. However, apart from neurological expertise and laboratory investigations a computed tomography (CT) scan is necessary to exclude hemorrhagic stroke prior to thrombolysis. Therefore, a specialized ambulance equipped with a CT scanner and point-of-care laboratory was designed and constructed. Further, a new stroke identifying interview algorithm was developed and implemented in the Berlin emergency medical services. Since February 2011 the identification of suspected stroke in the dispatch center of the Berlin Fire Brigade prompts the deployment of this ambulance, a stroke emergency mobile (STEMO). On arrival, a neurologist, experienced in stroke care and with additional training in emergency medicine, takes a neurological examination. If stroke is suspected a CT scan excludes intracranial hemorrhage. The CT-scans are telemetrically transmitted to the neuroradiologist on-call. If coagulation status of the patient is normal and patient's medical history reveals no contraindication, prehospital thrombolysis is applied according to current guidelines (intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, iv rtPA, alteplase, Actilyse).Thereafter patients are transported to the nearest hospital with a certified stroke unit for further treatment and assessment of strokeaetiology. After a pilot-phase, weeks were randomized into blocks either with or without STEMO care. Primary end-point of this study is time from alarm to the initiation of thrombolysis. We hypothesized that alarm-to-treatment time can be reduced by at least 20 min compared to regular care.
Medicine, Issue 81, Telemedicine, Emergency Medical Services, Stroke, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Emergency Treatment,[stroke, thrombolysis, prehospital, emergency medical services, ambulance
50534
Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Institutions: University of Arizona, University of Arizona.
A simple, validated protocol consisting of a battery of tests is available to identify elderly patients with frailty syndrome. This syndrome of decreased reserve and resistance to stressors increases in incidence with increasing age. In the elderly, frailty may pursue a step-wise loss of function from non-frail to pre-frail to frail. We studied frailty in HIV-infected patients and found that ~20% are frail using the Fried phenotype using stringent criteria developed for the elderly
1,2
. In HIV infection the syndrome occurs at a younger age.HIV patients were checked for 1) unintentional weight loss; 2) slowness as determined by walking speed; 3) weakness as measured by a grip dynamometer; 4) exhaustion by responses to a depression scale; and 5) low physical activity was determined by assessing kilocalories expended in a week's time. Pre-frailty was present with any two of five criteria and frailty was present if any three of the five criteria were abnormal.The tests take approximately 10-15 min to complete and they can be performed by medical assistants during routine clinic visits. Test results are scored by referring to standard tables. Understanding which of the five components contribute to frailty in an individual patient can allow the clinician to address relevant underlying problems, many of which are not evident in routine HIV clinic visits.
Medicine, Issue 77, Infection, Virology, Infectious Diseases, Anatomy, Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Retroviridae Infections, Body Weight Changes, Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures, Physical Examination, Muscle Strength, Behavior, Virus Diseases, Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis, Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena, HIV, HIV-1, AIDS, Frailty, Depression, Weight Loss, Weakness, Slowness, Exhaustion, Aging, clinical techniques
50537
Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
Institutions: Freie Universität Berlin, Charité Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich.
The main goal of this study was to assess the usability of a tablet-computer-based application (EmoCogMeter) in investigating the effects of age on cognitive functions across the lifespan in a sample of 378 healthy subjects (age range 18-89 years). Consistent with previous findings we found an age-related cognitive decline across a wide range of neuropsychological domains (memory, attention, executive functions), thereby proving the usability of our tablet-based application. Regardless of prior computer experience, subjects of all age groups were able to perform the tasks without instruction or feedback from an experimenter. Increased motivation and compliance proved to be beneficial for task performance, thereby potentially increasing the validity of the results. Our promising findings underline the great clinical and practical potential of a tablet-based application for detection and monitoring of cognitive dysfunction.
Behavior, Issue 84, Neuropsychological Testing, cognitive decline, age, tablet-computer, memory, attention, executive functions
50942
Performing Behavioral Tasks in Subjects with Intracranial Electrodes
Institutions: Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Johns Hopkins University.
Patients having stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) electrode, subdural grid or depth electrode implants have a multitude of electrodes implanted in different areas of their brain for the localization of their seizure focus and eloquent areas. After implantation, the patient must remain in the hospital until the pathological area of brain is found and possibly resected. During this time, these patients offer a unique opportunity to the research community because any number of behavioral paradigms can be performed to uncover the neural correlates that guide behavior. Here we present a method for recording brain activity from intracranial implants as subjects perform a behavioral task designed to assess decision-making and reward encoding. All electrophysiological data from the intracranial electrodes are recorded during the behavioral task, allowing for the examination of the many brain areas involved in a single function at time scales relevant to behavior. Moreover, and unlike animal studies, human patients can learn a wide variety of behavioral tasks quickly, allowing for the ability to perform more than one task in the same subject or for performing controls. Despite the many advantages of this technique for understanding human brain function, there are also methodological limitations that we discuss, including environmental factors, analgesic effects, time constraints and recordings from diseased tissue. This method may be easily implemented by any institution that performs intracranial assessments; providing the opportunity to directly examine human brain function during behavior.
Behavior, Issue 92, Cognitive neuroscience, Epilepsy, Stereo-electroencephalography, Subdural grids, Behavioral method, Electrophysiology
51947
Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults
Institutions: Rutgers University.
Investigators have long been interested in the human propensity for the rapid detection of threatening stimuli. However, until recently, research in this domain has focused almost exclusively on adult participants, completely ignoring the topic of threat detection over the course of development. One of the biggest reasons for the lack of developmental work in this area is likely the absence of a reliable paradigm that can measure perceptual biases for threat in children. To address this issue, we recently designed a modified visual search paradigm similar to the standard adult paradigm that is appropriate for studying threat detection in preschool-aged participants. Here we describe this new procedure. In the general paradigm, we present participants with matrices of color photographs, and ask them to find and touch a target on the screen. Latency to touch the target is recorded. Using a touch-screen monitor makes the procedure simple and easy, allowing us to collect data in participants ranging from 3 years of age to adults. Thus far, the paradigm has consistently shown that both adults and children detect threatening stimuli (
e.g.,
snakes, spiders, angry/fearful faces) more quickly than neutral stimuli (
e.g.,
flowers, mushrooms, happy/neutral faces). Altogether, this procedure provides an important new tool for researchers interested in studying the development of attentional biases for threat.
Behavior, Issue 92, Detection, threat, attention, attentional bias, anxiety, visual search
52190
Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Institutions: NeuroCog Trials, Inc., Duke-NUS Graduate Medical Center, Duke University Medical Center, Fox Evaluation and Consulting, PLLC, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Cognitive impairments affect the majority of patients with schizophrenia and these impairments predict poor long term psychosocial outcomes. Treatment studies aimed at cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia not only require demonstration of improvements on cognitive tests, but also evidence that any cognitive changes lead to clinically meaningful improvements. Measures of “functional capacity” index the extent to which individuals have the potential to perform skills required for real world functioning. Current data do not support the recommendation of any single instrument for measurement of functional capacity. The Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool (VRFCAT) is a novel, interactive gaming based measure of functional capacity that uses a realistic simulated environment to recreate routine activities of daily living. Studies are currently underway to evaluate and establish the VRFCAT’s sensitivity, reliability, validity, and practicality. This new measure of functional capacity is practical, relevant, easy to use, and has several features that improve validity and sensitivity of measurement of function in clinical trials of patients with CNS disorders.
Behavior, Issue 86, Virtual Reality, Cognitive Assessment, Functional Capacity, Computer Based Assessment, Schizophrenia, Neuropsychology, Aging, Dementia
51405
Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction
Institutions: Rutgers University, Koç University, New York University, Fairfield University.
We describe a high-throughput, high-volume, fully automated, live-in 24/7 behavioral testing system for assessing the effects of genetic and pharmacological manipulations on basic mechanisms of cognition and learning in mice. A standard polypropylene mouse housing tub is connected through an acrylic tube to a standard commercial mouse test box. The test box has 3 hoppers, 2 of which are connected to pellet feeders. All are internally illuminable with an LED and monitored for head entries by infrared (IR) beams. Mice live in the environment, which eliminates handling during screening. They obtain their food during two or more daily feeding periods by performing in operant (instrumental) and Pavlovian (classical) protocols, for which we have written protocol-control software and quasi-real-time data analysis and graphing software. The data analysis and graphing routines are written in a MATLAB-based language created to simplify greatly the analysis of large time-stamped behavioral and physiological event records and to preserve a full data trail from raw data through all intermediate analyses to the published graphs and statistics within a single data structure. The data-analysis code harvests the data several times a day and subjects it to statistical and graphical analyses, which are automatically stored in the "cloud" and on in-lab computers. Thus, the progress of individual mice is visualized and quantified daily. The data-analysis code talks to the protocol-control code, permitting the automated advance from protocol to protocol of individual subjects. The behavioral protocols implemented are matching, autoshaping, timed hopper-switching, risk assessment in timed hopper-switching, impulsivity measurement, and the circadian anticipation of food availability. Open-source protocol-control and data-analysis code makes the addition of new protocols simple. Eight test environments fit in a 48 in x 24 in x 78 in cabinet; two such cabinets (16 environments) may be controlled by one computer.
Behavior, Issue 84, genetics, cognitive mechanisms, behavioral screening, learning, memory, timing
51047
Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods
Institutions: Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New York University , New York University , New York University .
Most of the choices we make have uncertain consequences. In some cases the probabilities for different possible outcomes are precisely known, a condition termed "risky". In other cases when probabilities cannot be estimated, this is a condition described as "ambiguous". While most people are averse to both risk and ambiguity
1,2
, the degree of those aversions vary substantially across individuals, such that the
subjective value
of the same risky or ambiguous option can be very different for different individuals. We combine functional MRI (fMRI) with an experimental economics-based method
3
to assess the neural representation of the subjective values of risky and ambiguous options
4
. This technique can be now used to study these neural representations in different populations, such as different age groups and different patient populations.
In our experiment, subjects make consequential choices between two alternatives while their neural activation is tracked using fMRI. On each trial subjects choose between lotteries that vary in their monetary amount and in either the probability of winning that amount or the ambiguity level associated with winning. Our parametric design allows us to use each individual's choice behavior to estimate their attitudes towards risk and ambiguity, and thus to estimate the subjective values that each option held for them. Another important feature of the design is that the outcome of the chosen lottery is not revealed during the experiment, so that no learning can take place, and thus the ambiguous options remain ambiguous and risk attitudes are stable. Instead, at the end of the scanning session one or few trials are randomly selected and played for real money. Since subjects do not know beforehand which trials will be selected, they must treat each and every trial as if it and it alone was the one trial on which they will be paid. This design ensures that we can estimate the true subjective value of each option to each subject. We then look for areas in the brain whose activation is correlated with the subjective value of risky options and for areas whose activation is correlated with the subjective value of ambiguous options.
Neuroscience, Issue 67, Medicine, Molecular Biology, fMRI, magnetic resonance imaging, decision-making, value, uncertainty, risk, ambiguity
3724
Training Synesthetic Letter-color Associations by Reading in Color
Institutions: University of Amsterdam.
Synesthesia is a rare condition in which a stimulus from one modality automatically and consistently triggers unusual sensations in the same and/or other modalities. A relatively common and well-studied type is grapheme-color synesthesia, defined as the consistent experience of color when viewing, hearing and thinking about letters, words and numbers. We describe our method for investigating to what extent synesthetic associations between letters and colors can be learned by reading in color in nonsynesthetes. Reading in color is a special method for training associations in the sense that the associations are learned implicitly while the reader reads text as he or she normally would and it does not require explicit computer-directed training methods. In this protocol, participants are given specially prepared books to read in which four high-frequency letters are paired with four high-frequency colors. Participants receive unique sets of letter-color pairs based on their pre-existing preferences for colored letters. A modified Stroop task is administered before and after reading in order to test for learned letter-color associations and changes in brain activation. In addition to objective testing, a reading experience questionnaire is administered that is designed to probe for differences in subjective experience. A subset of questions may predict how well an individual learned the associations from reading in color. Importantly, we are not claiming that this method will cause each individual to develop grapheme-color synesthesia, only that it is possible for certain individuals to form letter-color associations by reading in color and these associations are similar in some aspects to those seen in developmental grapheme-color synesthetes. The method is quite flexible and can be used to investigate different aspects and outcomes of training synesthetic associations, including learning-induced changes in brain function and structure.
Behavior, Issue 84, synesthesia, training, learning, reading, vision, memory, cognition
50893
The Use of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy as a Tool for the Measurement of Bi-hemispheric Transcranial Electric Stimulation Effects on Primary Motor Cortex Metabolism
Institutions: University of Montréal, McGill University, University of Minnesota.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique that has been increasingly used over the past decade in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as stroke and depression. Yet, the mechanisms underlying its ability to modulate brain excitability to improve clinical symptoms remains poorly understood
33
. To help improve this understanding, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (
1
H-MRS) can be used as it allows the
in vivo
quantification of brain metabolites such as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate in a region-specific manner
41
. In fact, a recent study demonstrated that
1
H-MRS is indeed a powerful means to better understand the effects of tDCS on neurotransmitter concentration
34
. This article aims to describe the complete protocol for combining tDCS (NeuroConn MR compatible stimulator) with
1
H-MRS at 3 T using a MEGA-PRESS sequence. We will describe the impact of a protocol that has shown great promise for the treatment of motor dysfunctions after stroke, which consists of bilateral stimulation of primary motor cortices
27,30,31
. Methodological factors to consider and possible modifications to the protocol are also discussed.
Neuroscience, Issue 93, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, transcranial direct current stimulation, primary motor cortex, GABA, glutamate, stroke
51631
Ultrasound Assessment of Endothelial-Dependent Flow-Mediated Vasodilation of the Brachial Artery in Clinical Research
Institutions: University of California, San Francisco, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco.
The vascular endothelium is a monolayer of cells that cover the interior of blood vessels and provide both structural and functional roles. The endothelium acts as a barrier, preventing leukocyte adhesion and aggregation, as well as controlling permeability to plasma components. Functionally, the endothelium affects vessel tone.Endothelial dysfunction is an imbalance between the chemical species which regulate vessel tone, thombroresistance, cellular proliferation and mitosis. It is the first step in atherosclerosis and is associated with coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, heart failure, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.The first demonstration of endothelial dysfunction involved direct infusion of acetylcholine and quantitative coronary angiography. Acetylcholine binds to muscarinic receptors on the endothelial cell surface, leading to an increase of intracellular calcium and increased nitric oxide (NO) production. In subjects with an intact endothelium, vasodilation was observed while subjects with endothelial damage experienced paradoxical vasoconstriction.There exists a non-invasive,
in vivo
method for measuring endothelial function in peripheral arteries using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound. The endothelial function of peripheral arteries is closely related to coronary artery function. This technique measures the percent diameter change in the brachial artery during a period of reactive hyperemia following limb ischemia.This technique, known as endothelium-dependent, flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) has value in clinical research settings. However, a number of physiological and technical issues can affect the accuracy of the results and appropriate guidelines for the technique have been published. Despite the guidelines, FMD remains heavily operator dependent and presents a steep learning curve. This article presents a standardized method for measuring FMD in the brachial artery on the upper arm and offers suggestions to reduce intra-operator variability.
Medicine, Issue 92, endothelial function, endothelial dysfunction, brachial artery, peripheral artery disease, ultrasound, vascular, endothelium, cardiovascular disease.
52070
Measuring Oral Fatty Acid Thresholds, Fat Perception, Fatty Food Liking, and Papillae Density in Humans
Institutions: Deakin University.
Emerging evidence from a number of laboratories indicates that humans have the ability to identify fatty acids in the oral cavity, presumably via fatty acid receptors housed on taste cells. Previous research has shown that an individual's oral sensitivity to fatty acid, specifically oleic acid (C18:1) is associated with body mass index (BMI), dietary fat consumption, and the ability to identify fat in foods. We have developed a reliable and reproducible method to assess oral chemoreception of fatty acids, using a milk and C18:1 emulsion, together with an ascending forced choice triangle procedure. In parallel, a food matrix has been developed to assess an individual's ability to perceive fat, in addition to a simple method to assess fatty food liking. As an added measure tongue photography is used to assess papillae density, with higher density often being associated with increased taste sensitivity.
Neuroscience, Issue 88, taste, overweight and obesity, dietary fat, fatty acid, diet, fatty food liking, detection threshold
51236
The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test (MSPT): An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool
Institutions: Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Precise measurement of neurological and neuropsychological impairment and disability in multiple sclerosis is challenging. We report a new test, the Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test (MSPT), which represents a new approach to quantifying MS related disability. The MSPT takes advantage of advances in computer technology, information technology, biomechanics, and clinical measurement science. The resulting MSPT represents a computer-based platform for precise, valid measurement of MS severity. Based on, but extending the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC), the MSPT provides precise, quantitative data on walking speed, balance, manual dexterity, visual function, and cognitive processing speed. The MSPT was tested by 51 MS patients and 49 healthy controls (HC). MSPT scores were highly reproducible, correlated strongly with technician-administered test scores, discriminated MS from HC and severe from mild MS, and correlated with patient reported outcomes. Measures of reliability, sensitivity, and clinical meaning for MSPT scores were favorable compared with technician-based testing. The MSPT is a potentially transformative approach for collecting MS disability outcome data for patient care and research. Because the testing is computer-based, test performance can be analyzed in traditional or novel ways and data can be directly entered into research or clinical databases. The MSPT could be widely disseminated to clinicians in practice settings who are not connected to clinical trial performance sites or who are practicing in rural settings, drastically improving access to clinical trials for clinicians and patients. The MSPT could be adapted to out of clinic settings, like the patient’s home, thereby providing more meaningful real world data. The MSPT represents a new paradigm for neuroperformance testing. This method could have the same transformative effect on clinical care and research in MS as standardized computer-adapted testing has had in the education field, with clear potential to accelerate progress in clinical care and research.
Medicine, Issue 88, Multiple Sclerosis, Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, computer-based testing, 25-foot walk test, 9-hole peg test, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Low Contrast Visual Acuity, Clinical Outcome Measure
51318
Getting to Compliance in Forced Exercise in Rodents: A Critical Standard to Evaluate Exercise Impact in Aging-related Disorders and Disease
Institutions: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
There is a major increase in the awareness of the positive impact of exercise on improving several disease states with neurobiological basis; these include improving cognitive function and physical performance. As a result, there is an increase in the number of animal studies employing exercise. It is argued that one intrinsic value of forced exercise is that the investigator has control over the factors that can influence the impact of exercise on behavioral outcomes, notably exercise frequency, duration, and intensity of the exercise regimen. However, compliance in forced exercise regimens may be an issue, particularly if potential confounds of employing foot-shock are to be avoided. It is also important to consider that since most cognitive and locomotor impairments strike in the aged individual, determining impact of exercise on these impairments should consider using aged rodents with a highest possible level of compliance to ensure minimal need for test subjects. Here, the pertinent steps and considerations necessary to achieve nearly 100% compliance to treadmill exercise in an aged rodent model will be presented and discussed. Notwithstanding the particular exercise regimen being employed by the investigator, our protocol should be of use to investigators that are particularly interested in the potential impact of forced exercise on aging-related impairments, including aging-related Parkinsonism and Parkinson’s disease.
Behavior, Issue 90, Exercise, locomotor, Parkinson’s disease, aging, treadmill, bradykinesia, Parkinsonism
51827
Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Institutions: Brandeis University, Brandeis University.
The Institute of Medicine has targeted patient-centeredness as an important area of quality improvement. A major dimension of patient-centeredness is respect for patient's values, preferences, and expressed needs. Yet specific approaches to gaining this understanding and translating it to quality care in the clinical setting are lacking. From a patient perspective quality is not a simple concept but is best understood in terms of five dimensions: technical outcomes; decision-making efficiency; amenities and convenience; information and emotional support; and overall patient satisfaction. Failure to consider quality from this five-pronged perspective results in a focus on medical outcomes, without considering the processes central to quality from the patient's perspective and vital to achieving good outcomes. In this paper, we argue for applying the concept of fair process in clinical settings. Fair process involves using a collaborative approach to exploring diagnostic issues and treatments with patients, explaining the rationale for decisions, setting expectations about roles and responsibilities, and implementing a core plan and ongoing evaluation. Fair process opens the door to bringing patient expertise into the clinical setting and the work of developing health care goals and strategies. This paper provides a step by step illustration of an innovative visual approach, called photovoice or photo-elicitation, to achieve fair process in clinical work with acquired brain injury survivors and others living with chronic health conditions. Applying this visual tool and methodology in the clinical setting will enhance patient-provider communication; engage patients as partners in identifying challenges, strengths, goals, and strategies; and support evaluation of progress over time. Asking patients to bring visuals of their lives into the clinical interaction can help to illuminate gaps in clinical knowledge, forge better therapeutic relationships with patients living with chronic conditions such as brain injury, and identify patient-centered goals and possibilities for healing. The process illustrated here can be used by clinicians, (primary care physicians, rehabilitation therapists, neurologists, neuropsychologists, psychologists, and others) working with people living with chronic conditions such as acquired brain injury, mental illness, physical disabilities, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, or post-traumatic stress, and by leaders of support groups for the types of patients described above and their family members or caregivers.
Medicine, Issue 48, person-centered care, participatory visual methods, photovoice, photo-elicitation, narrative medicine, acquired brain injury, disability, rehabilitation, palliative care
2342 | 51,637 | 20,219 | 0.00005 |
warc | 201704 | 7AASM058 Brazil from Independence to the Present
Credit value: 20 credits Module tutor: Dr Adrian Pearce Assessment: Two 3,000 word essays (100%) Teaching arrangements: 2 hour weekly lecture/seminar
Reassessment: Students are reassessed in the failed elements of assessment and by the same methods as the first attempt Module description
Brazil from Independence to the Present studies the main trends in Brazilian political, economic, and social history over the ca. 200 years since emancipation from Portugal. The emphasis is on the striking rapidity of societal change during a period in which Brazil was transformed from slave-holding empire to industrial and urbanised democracy. A further key theme considers how Brazil has been affected by, and in turn has affected, the broader Latin American and global contexts.
Three opening sessions discuss the transition to independence and the creation in Brazil of the only sovereign monarchy in the Americas since the European conquest. There then follow two weeks devoted to the ‘Old Republic’, which replaced the monarchy in 1889 and endured until a major political crisis in 1930. Remaining sessions discuss the corporatist and authoritarian regime of Getúlio Vargas in the 1930s and 1940s, the populist democratic regimes of the 1950s and early 1960s, the military dictatorship which ruled the country from 1964 to 1984, and the consolidation of democracy and wide-ranging economic change and liberalisation over the past quarter century.
The module embraces key issues in Western history of the past two centuries, often manifest in Brazil with a highly distinctive flavour. These themes include slavery and its social consequences, nation-building and state formation, mass immigration and internal migrations, the rise of popular politics and political populism, rapid change in social and gender attitudes from the 1970s, dependency theory and Brazil’s place in the world system, as well as the ongoing search for social justice and the strengthening of civil society.
Module aims Provide an understanding of key historical debates concerning developments in the two centuries since Brazil’s independence in the early 1800s. Place Brazilian history in Latin American and global context, through critical scrutiny of concepts of nineteenth-century exceptionalism, twentieth-century Latin Americanisation, and ‘dependency’ and its heirs since the 1960s. Demonstrate how major themes apparent in much of the West since 1800 have played out in a major country of the Americas with a distinctive linguistic, ethnic, and cultural patrimony. Ground modern-day Brazil in the political, economic, and social trends of the past two centuries Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, the students will be able to demonstrate intellectual, transferable and practicable skills appropriate to a Level 7 module and in particular will be able to demonstrate an understanding of:
the chief political and social challenges facing the construction of the nation-state in Brazil following Independence; the differing attempts made since the late nineteenth century to secure a stable political settlement and sustained economic growth for Brazil; the tension between economic growth and development and 1) distribution and social equity and 2) environmental degradation; broad processes of social change and development, especially since ca. 1900, whether affected by or independent of governmental strategies; the depth and scope of democratisation and economic liberalisation in Brazil since the 1980s. Key texts
General Introductory Reading
Fausto, Boris, A Concise History of Brazil (Cambridge: 1999). Skidmore, Thomas, Brazil: Five Centuries of Change (New York: 2010).
Collections of sources
Hanke, Lewis (ed.), History of Latin American Civilization vol. 2 The Modern Age (London: 1969), esp. sections 4, 9. Keen, Benjamin (ed.), Latin American Civilization: History and Society, 1492 to the Present 7th ed. (Boulder, CO.: 2000), esp. chaps. 11-13, 16, 19. Levine, Robert, & John Crocitti (eds.), The Brazil Reader: History, Culture, Politics (Durham, N.C.: 1999).
Some key primary texts
Texts published in the early 1970s in the Pelican Latin American Library include:
Marighela, Carlos, For the Liberation of Brazil. Arraes, Miguel, Brazil: The People and the Power. Julião, Francisco, Cambão – The Yoke.
Key texts
Bourne, Richard, Lula of Brazil: The Story so Far (London: 2008). Branford, Sue, & Bernardo Kucinski, Lula and the Workers’ Party in Brazil (New York: 2005) D’Alva Kinzo, Maria, & James Dunkerley (eds.), Brazil since 1985: Economy, Polity and Society (London: 2003). Garfield, Seth, Indigenous Struggle at the Heart of Brazil: State Policy, Frontier Expansion, and the Xavante Indians, 1937-1988 (Durham, NC: 2001). Hentschke, Jens (ed.), Vargas and Brazil: New Perspectives (New York: 2006). Kingstone, Peter, & Timothy Power (eds.), Democratic Brazil Revisited (Pittsburgh, 2008). Kraay, Hendrik, Race, State, and Armed Forces in Independence-Era Brazil: Bahia, 1790s–1840s (California: 2001). Levine, Robert, Vale of Tears: Revisiting the Canudos Massacre in Northeastern Brazil, 1893-1897 (Berkeley: 1992). Meade, Teresa, "Civilizing" Rio: Reform and Resistance in a Brazilian City, 1889-1930 (University Park, PA: 1997). Mosher, Jeffrey, Political Struggle, Ideology, and State Building: Pernambuco and the Construction of Brazil, 1817-1850 (Lincoln, NEB.: 2008). Needell, Jeffrey, A Tropical Belle Epoque: Elite Culture and Society in Turn-of-the-Century Rio de Janeiro, (Cambridge: 1987). Skidmore, Thomas, Black Into White: Race and Nationality in Brazilian Thought new ed. (Durham, NC.: 1992). Skidmore, Thomas, Politics in Brazil, 1930-1964: An Experiment in Democracy 40th anniversary ed. (Oxford: 2007). Skidmore, Thomas, The Politics of Military Rule in Brazil, 1964-85 (New York: 1988). Vidal Luna, Francisco, & Herbert S. Klein, Brazil since 1980 (Cambridge: 2006). Wolfe, Joel, Working Women, Working Men: São Paulo and the Rise of Brazil's Industrial Working Class, 1900-1955 (Durham, N.C.: 1993).
The modules run in each academic year are subject to change in line with staff availability and student demand so there is no guarantee every module will run. Module descriptions and information may vary depending between years. | 6,400 | 3,114 | 0.000326 |
warc | 201704 | FRANKFORT — Eighteen years ago, Sharon Yelton was living in public housing in Northern Kentucky with a new baby, few job prospects and no child care for her daughter.
Because Yelton was working part time and was going to college, she qualified for state child care assistance grants that paid for her daughter's child care for four years. She graduated with a degree in biology and later accepted a position at Harvard University's Natural History Museum.
"I don't know where my child and I would be without child care assistance," Yelton told a crowd of several hundred people Monday at a rally in the state Capitol. "It's not a hand out; it's a hand up."
Yelton, who has since moved back to Covington, recently graduated from law school. Stories like hers will become less common now that the state has slashed spending on its child care assistance program for poor working families, she said.
Kentucky Youth Advocates and other child advocacy groups sponsored the rally on the first day of a special legislative session to redraw state legislative boundaries. The groups were protesting cuts to child care assistance and to kinship care, a program that provides $300 monthly stipends to grandparents and other family members who raise abused and neglected children who have been removed from their homes.
The cuts to the programs were announced in January after the Cabinet for Health and Family Services reported that it had an $86.6 million shortfall in the budget for the Department for Community Based Services, which oversees child and adult protection and assistance programs such as food stamps.
A moratorium on applications to the child care assistance program took effect in April. Beginning July 1, the income threshold for parents to participate in the program was lowered from 150 percent of the poverty level — $33,075 for a family of four — to 100 percent of the poverty level — $22,050 for a family of four. That's one of the toughest income requirements in the country.
The cabinet estimated that as many 8,700 families would be cut when the new income guidelines took effect in July. It is estimated that an additional 2,900 children a month probably will not receive child care assistance because of the moratorium on new applications to the program beginning in April.
Also in April, relatives who care for children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect no longer receive a $300 monthly stipend, a move designed to save $8.3 million. Those who received the stipend before April will continue to receive the payment.
Terry Brooks, the executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, questioned Monday why the cuts were implemented when the state finished the fiscal year with a surplus of $70.6 million.
"It's time to stop raining on Kentucky's children," Brooks said as he held an umbrella during the news conference. Brooks later said that other key programs in state government had not been cut.
"In the past year, there was enough money for theme parks, bourbon and business, but apparently not enough money for kids," Brooks said. "It's time for our governor, House and Senate leadership, and all legislators to fund kids first. We look forward to working with them on that now and during the 2014 General Assembly session."
No senators and only four House members, all Democrats, attended Monday's rally.
Jill Midkiff, a spokeswoman for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said the cabinet has used one-time money for several years to help meet the demand for child care assistance. However, that money has now been depleted.
Midkiff said the state's rainy day funds can not be used at Gov. Steve Beshear's discretion. That money can only be used for emergencies and other unavoidable expenditures, but can not be used to reverse spending cuts.
"While the cabinet recognizes that these cuts have placed a hardship on the families that we are trying to help, this is not an allowable use of the rainy day funds, which are very clearly set forth in the budget bill," Midkiff said. "Nevertheless, the cabinet appreciates the community of child service advocates who have kept this issue before the public." | 4,218 | 1,980 | 0.000511 |
warc | 201704 | 2015 CCR
2015 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report)
The City of Kerrville, TexasImmuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants can be at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial containments are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
(830) 257-4668
Special Notice - Required language for ALL community public water systems:
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. We cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Public Participation Opportunities October 17, 2016
Date:
Time: 5:00 PM
Location: Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library - Meeting Room
505 Water Street
Kerrville, Texas 78028
For Information Call: (830-257-8000) or; visit your Water Production Division on the World Wide Web by links from the City of Kerrville Home Page at: www.kerrvilletx.gov. Post your questions and comments and receive prompt attention via e-mail.
OUR DRINKING WATER IS REGULATEDThis Annual Water Quality Report is for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2015. This report is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made by the water system to provide safe drinking water.
INFORMATION ON SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER: The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals, and in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
Microbial Containments, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
Pesticides and Herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential users.
Organic Chemical Contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
Radioactive Contaminates, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre el agua que usted bebe. Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. Si tiene preguntas o’ comentarios sobre este informte en espanol, favor de llamar al tel. (830) 257-8000 par hablar con una persona bilingue en espanol.
WHERE DO WE GET OUR DRINKING WATER?The source of drinking water you buy CITY OF KERRVILLE is SURFACE WATER. A Source Water Susceptibility Assessment for your drinking water sources(s) is currently being updated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. This information describes the susceptibility and types of constituents that may come into contact with your drinking water source based on human activities and natural conditions. The information contained in the assessment allows us to focus our source water protection strategies. For more information about your sources of water, please refer to the Source Water Assessment Viewer available at the following URL: http://gis3.tceq.state.tx.us/swav/Controller/index.jsp?wtrsrc=
Further details about sources and source water assessments are available in Drinking Water Watch at the following URL: http://dww2.tceq.texas.gov/DWW/
INFORMATION ABOUT SECONDARY CONTAMINANTSMany constituents (such as calcium, sodium, or iron) which are often found in drinking water, can cause taste, color, and odor problems. The taste and odor constituents are called secondary constituents and are regulated by the State of Texas, not the EPA. These constituents are not causes for health concerns. Therefore, secondaries are not required to be reported in this document, but they may greatly affect the appearance and taste of your water.
DEFINITIONS
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) - The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) - The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination.
mrem - A measure of radiation absorbed by the body
ppb - Microgram per liter or parts per billion-one ounce in 7,350,000 gallons of water.
n/a - Not applicable.
Avg - Regulatory compliance with MCLs are based running annual average of monthly samples.
ppm - Milligrams per liter or parts per million-or one ounce in 7,350 gallons of water.
ABBREVIATIONS Nephelometric Turbidity Units
NTU-
MFL- million fibers per liter (a measure of asbestos)
pCi/l - picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity)
ppm - parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/l)
ppb - parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/l)
ppt - parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter
ppq - parts per quadrillion, or picograms per liter
Click here to see the full results | 6,877 | 3,158 | 0.000319 |
warc | 201704 | Chronic Kidney Disease patients suffer from many symptoms which involve all parts of human body, and different patients patients experience the different symptom. Dizziness is the common symptom of
CKD, it disturb the thought of patients and give the bad feelings to patients. All of these things urge patients to know the cause and treatment. The cause of dizziness in CKD:
Dizziness often is related with the high blood pressure which is the serious complication of CKD. Accompanied with hypertension, patients may also suffer from symptoms such as nauses and vomiting. In addition, the high blood pressure also can accumulate the prognosis of renal fibrosis. So CKD patients who want to get rid of dizziness should try their best to control their high blood pressure.
The treatment for dizziness in CKD:
Generally speaking, patients would take hypertension drugs to control their blood pressure. However, with the stop use of medicines, high blood pressure occur again, why?
The essence of CKD is the arteriosclerosis in kidneys due to the insufficient blood and oxygen and ultra immune responses in kidneys. without enough blood supply, the kidney would secrete more renin which would stimulate the secretion of angiotensin, at this time, patients would suffer the high blood pressure. The root treatment for high blood pressure should reverse the kidney function.
Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy is the best choice for CKD patients with high blood pressure. The active substances in medicine has function of expending blood vessels, so that the high blood pressure can be remitted. In addition, the medicine also can work on promoting blood circulation to remove blood clots, cleaning toxins in blood and supporting nutrition to kidney tissues, with the enough healthy blood supply, the kidney damage can be blocked and kidney function also can be improved. At this time, high blood pressure can be treated from root.
Now if you want to know more information about the cause and treatment for dizziness in CKD, you can contact our online doctors, leave us messages or send email to kidneyfailuretreat@hotmail.com, we will reply you within 24 hours.
Leave your problem to us,You will surely get the free medical advice from experts within 24 hours! | 2,265 | 1,030 | 0.000975 |
warc | 201704 | The summer holidays are the prime opportunity for a school’s maintenance team to get to work and get it looking its best before the new intake in September, and time is running out if you want to do all the necessary work in time without having all the pupils around. It’s far easier for everyone to get all the work done in this time period, and it won’t inconvenience anyone, so if you’re going to be making any changes to your school, do it now while you still have time.
If your classroom furniture is looking a little old and tired, replace it with some brand new desks, chairs and storage units for a more modern feel in the classroom. It can have a strong psychological impact for children and teenagers to work in a place that looks like it takes education seriously, so you could find that behavior improves and focus is boosted when pupils walk into a learning environment that looks the part.
It’s best to keep your displays current, so replace backing paper on wall displays and get them ready for the new topics you will be covering. This keeps everything looking fresh and means you can show off the best work of the new students as well as giving everyone in other year groups the chance to see their own work on display at some point.
Presumably at the start of the summer holidays the school was thoroughly cleaned, but remember that teachers may be popping in over the summer to prepare resources and get their classrooms ready. This could mean that there is a little mess that is left over that needs to be sorted out before the children return, so make sure your cleaning team are able to check the school over once more the week before everyone returns or on an inset day.
It might also be a good idea to ask a health and safety expert to come along and check everything over. There are lots of things that can go wrong in a school, and if you’re not an expert yourself it can be reassuring to be given the all-clear from someone who knows what to look out for, even if you’re not due for a check yet. It is better to be safe than sorry, especially where children are concerned, and it’s best to know if your wiring needs sorting before everyone returns and children could be placed in danger.
Stacey Arnold is the caretaker for an inner London primary school and offers her advice on essential maintenance and upkeep | 2,385 | 1,160 | 0.000879 |
warc | 201704 | 1144 W. Lacey Blvd.Hanford, CA 93230(559) 584-1441
With the birth of my second grandchild (grand parenting has become one of the greatest joys of my life), I am reminded of the importance of the first 5-years of a child’s life in regards to cognitive and emotional development. Research is clear that the first 5-years in a child’s life is a critical time for brain development and has a profound impact on virtually all developmental milestones.
Did you know? - At birth, a child’s brain already has about all of the neurons it will ever have, which emphasizes the importance of prenatal care.
- A child’s brain doubles in size in the first year of life.
- A child’s brain reaches about 80% of its adult size by age 3.
New parents often wonder, what’s the best thing I can do for my child? New parents are also flooded with information. It is best to remember that the brain needs exercise and learning begins at birth. This is why First 5 California developed the “Talk, Read, Sing”, public awareness campaign.
The focus of the campaign stresses the importance of taking every opportunity to talk, read or sing to your baby from the moment they’re born. Describe everything, count everything, sing songs, and read books. By doing this you are boosting your child’s early brain development and you are stacking the building blocks in their favor for future learning. To learn of additional Resources click on Early Child Development Link (left side).
Tim Bowers
County Superintendent of Schools
1/13/2017
Job seekers are invited to attend a Career & Resource Expo hosted by Senator Andy Vidak. More than 80 local employers, with immediate job openings, are schedueld to attend the Job Fair.
If you are seeking employment,click here for complete details:
12/15/2016
The Kings County Office of Education is hosting a Resource Fair, and the Community is invited!
View details here:
12/14/2016
11/17/2016
The Kings County Spelling Bee dates have been announced for the 2017 competition.
Click here to see Spelling Bee dates:
County Superintendent | 2,114 | 1,107 | 0.000935 |
warc | 201704 | Open Source and Patent Collaboration
The open source movement, partly a philosophy and partly a business model, promotes free sharing of technical information for the benefit of a broader community. Within the larger IP community in Silicon Valley, there is a great willingness to embrace open source and to work together on standards. Some technology is simply too complex for one company to do it alone.
For example, Netflix uses open source software and has licensed a number of its technologies under open source licenses.
“Participating in open source software projects allows us to save time and money,” says Angioletti. “I see an open, collaborative culture in Silicon Valley and software developers are willing to work together to innovate. There are a lot of similarities with the culture at UVA.When I was a student, we were always willing to help each other out.”
Hockett also believes in the patent system’s ability to solve problems, and in American business and markets that can get around imperfect government structures. “People find a way, and the debate is becoming much more nuanced and thoughtful about the problems. That’s encouraging to me.”
Google engineer and scientist Eric Tassone revels in the freedom and creativity that open source provides. Indeed, one of the mottos of Google Scholar, the company’s free index of research and scholarship, “We stand on the shoulders of giants,” is a quote from Isaac Newton.
“We realize we are building on a lot of research that came before,” says Tassone. “We’re building on academic papers. We’re building on each other’s work. That’s part of the culture of shared trust, shared responsibility.”
Moreover, instead of building its own hardware to house its search engine, Google strung together clusters of relatively cheap computers made by other companies and developed the technological infrastructure that enabled these machines to talk to each other. This allowed Google to lessen its reliance on the product pipeline of other companies while making it easier to distribute its information, expand applications (add more machines), and fix hardware failures.
“Idealism is strong here,” says Tassone. “To an outsider, it may look like we have a robotic master plan. The truth is that Google is a bunch of idealistic humans. It is a very organized chaos – and I use that term in a mathematical sense. By design, there is supposed to be experimentation and risk taking.”
“My personal view is that the system will never be perfect,” he adds. “But there’s so much innovation here in Silicon Valley that it is going to happen no matter what. People are open-minded and intellectually curious. They want to make new things. So they’re going to do it, and the legal system is just going to have to adjust.” | 2,929 | 1,442 | 0.000734 |
warc | 201704 | “Don’t be a mugu!” exclaims a voice in the background of an advertisement currently on television. For me, the term elicits the picture of a rough drifter, living on the fringes of society, being somewhat of a fool. A closer look, however, reveals some interesting facets of this word, and the reason that South Africans feel insulted by Nigerian fraudsters.
For one, the word is found in at least four different languages in four far-removed parts of the world, but only in South Africa and Nigeria could there be a slight relationship between the origins of the word.
Only with Point Mugu in California, the location of a naval base and popular surfing spot, could the origin of ‘mugu’ be established with some degree of certainty. In this case, it is believed to derive from the Chumash Indian term
muwu, meaning 'beach'. It was first mentioned by the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in his journals dating back to 1542.
One of the 75 districts of Nepal in South Asia is named Mugu, where the indigenous Mugalis live. While we could not establish the exact origin of the name there, a search on the Internet tells us that the name Mugu has a web popularity of 4.91 million, a
Google+ presence of 2 720 pages.
In South Africa, the word ‘mugu’ first surfaced during the 1950s as a term used by the ‘ducktales’ of the time to describe a 'useless' or 'square' person. It is fairly widely accepted that its roots are in Afrikaans, and one of the first novels by the celebrated Afrikaans writer Etienne le Roux in 1959 was titled,
Die Mugu.
There are two possible explanations offered of how the word was formed. The first is that it comes from the Afrikaans word
moeg, meaning 'tired'.
The second, and more likely, is that it comes from the Afrikaans word
muggie or ‘midge’ in English – those tiny but highly irritating flying insects attracted to decaying fruit or the faces of batsmen on cricket fields across the world. It is also from ‘midge’ that we get the word ‘midget’ for very short people.
What is particularly interesting, however, is that there is also an English slang word ‘mugu’, which means to surround or to settle upon any object as flies or insects do.
Adding insult to injury
The most common use of the word or term ‘mugu’ hails from Nigeria, where fraudsters use it to describe a fool who falls for a money scam, mostly perpetrated via emails and to which many South Africans have fallen victim. The scam is known as the advance fee, 419, or money cleaning.
The 419 name comes from the section of Nigerian law that covers fraud. It originated during the 1990s as the oil-based economy took a serious dive.It is now the most common email-based crime in the world and has many variants.
In the one best known to South Africans, an email pretends to come from the solicitor, representative of the family of a wealthy, often politically influential Nigerian citizen who is exiled, imprisoned or dead. It tells you there are millions of dollars the family cannot get out of Nigeria themselves, but which can be deposited into a foreign bank account.
The ‘mugu’ is then asked to make his/her bank account available for safekeeping of the millions. In exchange for this ‘service’, he/she will be allowed to keep a percentage of the money smuggled out of Nigeria. Somewhere along the line, the ‘mugu’ will be required to advance a relatively small fee to ‘facilitate’ the process – never to hear from the ‘benefactors’ again.
If you think this sort of scam is a new phenomenon of the modern technological age, think again. In the Middle Ages around 1550, there was a similar scam known as the 'Spanish prisoner letter', in which a fictitious prisoner would promise to share a hidden treasure with the person who would send him money to bribe his guards.
To add insult to injury, the Nigerian tricksters are not only attempting to defraud us of our money, but they are insulting us with a word they probably stole from us as well! | 4,128 | 2,024 | 0.000516 |
warc | 201704 | Behaving Badly: Social Panic and Moral Outrage – Victorian and Modern Parallels, edited by Judith Rowbotham and Kim Stevenson; pp. xxii + 247. Aldershot, Hants, and Burlington VA: Ashgate, 2003. £47.50, $94.95.
The fourteen chapters of this book address a range of issues of concern to the Victorians and still, or again, causes of concern today. These involve ‘the essentially fluid boundary between the criminal and the anti-social’ (p. 1). This volume foregrounds the complex interactions between popular and media understandings of the point at which where offensive behavior becomes (or ought to be designated) crime, and the official response through legislation or policing practice within their broad social and cultural context. The approach is strongly interdisciplinary: contributors include academics from a range of areas. Several are also lawyers or solicitors, or have been involved in various aspects of law and policing.
Initial chapters look at broad general issues to do with legal systems, perceptions
of the law, and the role of policing. David Bentley, a former QC, judge and legal
historian, contrasts Victorian and modern trial systems. In spite of the lack of
representation for poor prisoners, and of an effective appeal structure, confidence in the
Victorian legal system was high, with a tacit assumption that there were never
miscarriages of justice. The editors’ chapter on ‘Media and Legal Representations of Bad
Behaviour’, argues that the Victorians manifested trust in their political and legal
institutions, whereas in the present day the media uses ‘personal “exposures”... to
undermine the individual professional’ (p. 33). They also find, however, significant
similarities in ‘attention-grabbing sensationalism’, and the media’s ability to ‘make
choate the incoherent fears existing more widely in society’. Kiron Reid, a lecturer in
law, examines the enormous recent increase of criminal legislation and state intervention
in the UK, independent of changes in the ruling party. The Victorians passed relatively
few Acts relating to criminal justice, but this was less about liberalism than the presence
of extensive powers enabling the police to deal with a range of bad behaviour. There is
also continuing disjunction between the attitudes expressed through legislation by
successive parliaments and how the justice system works in the courts.
The rise of a professional police force to assist in coping with the bad behavior of the populace was a nineteenth century innovation. In ‘Policing a Myth, Managing an Illusion’, Tom Williamson, a former Deputy Chief Constable and forensic psychiatrist, considers crime recording and the production of statistics, particularly in the light of the vast explosion in the numbers of criminal offences defined by the law since 1901. Roger Hopkins Burke looks at get-tough policing strategies then and now to remove undesirables - drunks, vagrants, beggars - from the public streets, a class particularly likely to be swelled in periods of economic upheaval and trade recession. He argues that pro-active dealing with these ‘rougher elements’ both in the Victorian era and today has commanded a good deal of support from the ‘respectable working class’, who were the most likely to be affected by the gross behavior, violence, and extortions of this excluded group.
Several chapters address particular forms of bad behavior. Sara Wilson, a lecturer in Company Law and financial crime, considers ‘white-collar’ crime . She suggests that financial crime in the modern sense was born and only then did fraud come to be perceived as undermining social and economic stability, and that. Blasphemy, the subject of historian of secularism David Nash’s article, may conversely seem like an ancient one. Nash argues that English jurisprudence in this area has, historically, generated significant paradoxes, through its unique ‘strange mixture of authoritarian defence of morals and protection of individual opinion’ (p.114). A similar point is made by Tom Lewis, a solicitor: the ‘lack of certainty and clarity’ (p. 151) about the line between art and obscenity in Victorian England, he suggests, was rooted in a central paradox: preserving the right to privacy and maintaining the right of protection from pollution. The problematic boundary between art and the obscene is also explored in Susan Edwards’ chapter on ‘The Pornographisation of the Child in Art, the Written Word, Film and Photograph’. She concludes that the operations of the law in regulating child pornography remain ‘contradictory, ambiguous and confused’ (p. 189).
Lewis also makes the point that increased anxieties over obscene representations were fuelled by the wider and cheaper dissemination of such materials enabled by technological developments. This theme is picked up in Gavin Sutter’s chapter on penny dreadfuls. As with the internet today, these were seen as making dangerous representations (sensational stories of crime and criminals) available to a vulnerable and corruptible populace.
A good deal of continuity can be seen in how the law has grappled with several of these issues, and this can equally be discerned in the attitudes to murder of husbands by wives described by Judith Knelman, a media historian. Acceptance of mitigation in cases of prolonged domestic abuse is still limited. Other issues, for example blasphemy, and discussions of the ‘Dangerous Obsession’ of gambling, as analysed by Mike Ahearne, appear to inhabit very different moral frameworks at the two periods. M. E. Rodgers is perhaps stretching a little in drawing analogies between Victorian attitudes towards infanticide (and fails to cite some significant historical studies on this topic) and contemporary cases of medical intervention in childbirth without the patient’s consent: the recent furores around cot-deaths, accident or murder, might have made a more coherent link.
Richard Stone’s chapter on issues of public disorder arising from a lawful activity perceived as provocative by other groups within the community, perhaps the most obviously political form of ‘bad behavior’ discussed in this volume, argues that simplistic models of ‘class conflict’ occlude the intricacies of complex interactions between competing interest groups.
Because of the constraints of length, there is a tendency to the dry and synoptic summary and a reliance upon secondary studies. It is undoubtedly a valuable exercise to historicize certain crimes or behaviours deemed to be deviant in various ways: when and why does ‘bad behavior’ become a crime, or something that ought to be criminalized? Certain phenomena are illuminated by their consideration in a longer historical framework: for example, the role of new technology and media in the rise of fears concerning the dissemination of materials believed to be deleterious or subversive is not a product of the internet superhighway but can be traced back at least to the explosion of cheap literature for the masses following innovations in printing technology during the nineteenth century.
A number of problems that might have been discussed are not included, though they might have proved particularly resonant: age of consent and adolescent sexuality, the anti-vaccination campaign and more recent furores over infant immunisation; prostitution; changes in matrimonial law. The collection deals with big issues rather than the individual and particular, but it might have been illuminating to look at some Victorian political scandals and more recent ones. Some important and pertinent studies are not cited.
Whether the ‘high concept’ of comparing and contrasting Victorian and contemporary reactions to various perceived problems of society is a useful one is not entirely answered by this volume. Is there something particular about the Victorian era which makes it especially valuable as a baseline against which to consider certain contemporary concerns: or is it just a useful limitation enabling the volume to maintain a degree of coherence? (Or is it just playing to popular notions of ‘Victorian values’?) The Victorian era and the present are, suggest the editors in their introduction, ‘both... ages of “social panic” and resultant “moral outrage”.’ But has there ever been an age that lacked moments of social panic and outbursts of moral outrage?
Lesley Hall is an archivist at the Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of
Medicine, London. She is the author of
Sex, Gender and Social Change in Britain since
1880 (2000) and editor of the anthology Outspoken Women: women writing about sex
1870-1969 (2005), several other books, and numerous articles, chapter and reviews. | 8,992 | 4,247 | 0.000244 |
warc | 201704 | How is central government negotiating devolution deals with local areas? The PAC and NAO believe that the deals offer opportunities to stimulate economic growth and reform public services. However the arrangements are untested and the government could do more to provide confidence that these deals will achieve the benefits intended.
How are devolution deals negotiated and evaluated and are communities and the voluntary sector involved? The two reports considered here from NAVCA and Locality, and from the Political Studies Association, consider these issues and make recommendations for local and central government to improve negotiation and involvement.
The agendas for local authority leadership and management of local growth are extensive and increasingly important. This briefing explores the depth and breadth of work needed in the light of Spending Review 2015 and accompanying policies.
A new LGiU report, Resilience in Practice, looks at what resilience means for local authorities. The paper argues that building an understanding of resilience at the local level will enable better responses to the big challenges we face, and offers guidance for councils to facilitate their thinking about the subject.
How can grassroots sport deliver wider social goals and how can it be funded? Should funding decisions be decentralised to councils? We look here at the government’s new strategy for community sport consultation, at the sector’s and local government’s response to it, and at a variety of case studies
Citizen Power Peterborough: the Arts and Social Change Programme aimed to use socially engaged art to stimulate community participation and generate new perspectives among leaders of public services. It also sought to support locally based artists to contribute to the city's aspirations.
In the light of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill, how should local authorities shape and progress proposals for enhanced devolution? This briefing explores key issues raised by the Bill and wider decentralisation announcements of the new government, and considers how local government might respond to them.
Play is crucial for children’s development. Recent reports stress that quality play provision can help meet wider local authority objectives such as increasing volunteering and reducing anti-social behaviour. Funding for play is under threat, however a strategic approach that takes account of these wider benefits could help to maintain services.
Making the university ‘anchor institution’ a reality: Towards more purposeful local government – university relations
This period presents an important opportunity for local authorities to deepen and broaden their relationships with local universities. There are significant benefits to be realised from a strong, purposeful, strategic approach - for LAs, universities, and for the areas and communities they both serve.
When they were introduced as part of the Localism Agenda in 2012, Community Rights were promoted as enabling people to take responsibility for services, to become directly involved in development, and to protect the future of assets such as pubs, post offices, and other community assets in their localities. | 3,257 | 1,563 | 0.000649 |
warc | 201704 | The lines between salon brands and mass-market hair-care labels continue to blur as 2005 retail sales for the total U.S. hair-care market hit $7.2 billion.
Packaged Facts estimates the total market for hair-care products grew 3.9 percent over total sales for 2004, topping $7.2 billion in 2005. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the 2001 to 2005 period was 1.1 percent.
In 2005, sales of all hair-care products tracked by Information Resources Inc. (IRI) grew 2.15 percent to $4.75 billion. Growth in 2005 primarily came from conditioners (up 4.1 percent) and hair accessories (up 6.9 percent); each category posted sales of $825 million. Sales of shampoo also were up with a 1.4 percent increase to $1.26 billion, while gels/mousses increased 2.4 percent. Sales and share for hair growth products fell the most, down 9.3 percent or nearly $6 million. Other categories in decline were hair coloring and permanent/relaxers, although recent data show hair coloring may be improving.
Shampoo usage remained high, at nearly 94 percent of the population in 2005, but, in general, the U.S. consumer has become less interested in other types of hair-care products. Consumers appear to be shifting away from higher-maintenance hairstyles that require the use of other hair-care products, and they are opting for more all-in-one solutions intended for specific hair color and issues.
Procter & Gamble (P&G) remains the leader in the hair-care market with the help of its premier brands, Pantene and Clairol, accounting for 28.1 percent of the market at $1.33 billion in sales, according to IRI. However, P&G's market share fell from 28.5 percent in 2004. P&G is restaging and extending its Pantene and Aussie brands this year, while jettisoning a number of other labels. A Clairol hair color restage also may be in the offing. With $960 million in tracked sales in 2005, No. 2 L'Oreal's market share increased from 19.5 percent to 20.2 percent in 2005.
The lines between salon brands and mass-market hair-care labels continue to blur. Salon and professional brands—such as John Paul Mitchell, Nexxus, John Frieda, and Ken Paves—that once fought this shift are, in part, embracing it, with many signing exclusive deals with mass retail outlets. CVS, for example, exclusively offers the Cristophe Beverly Hills professional hair-care line, named for stylist Cristophe Schatteman's California salon. For retailers, salon brands are viewed as a way to rekindle sales growth in a slow and cluttered hair-care category. However, for manufacturers, prestige brands are causing difficulties for value and private-label brands. P&G discontinued its Daily Defense and Daily Renewal lines early last year and put Pert up for sale, while Unilever's Salon Selectives is off the shelves of major chains. | 2,806 | 1,402 | 0.000718 |
warc | 201704 | Either we will harden ourselves against the Word of God or we will respond to it with faith and obedience. Though the Lord always fulfills His purposes, we do not know what those purposes are; thus, we must take every ...Read More
We live in a lawless age that disdains boundaries and restrictions. Thus, the notion of loving God’s law seems quite strange to the unbeliever. Yet it should never seem strange to us. If God by His Spirit has poured His ...Read More
In Matthew 18:21–22, Jesus tells Peter that His disciples must freely forgive others. One of the ways we can be sure that we have received forgiveness from God and are truly justified is that we are quick to forgive those ...Read More
Those who sold their property showed their trust in Jesus’ words, while those who bought and/or hoarded it did not. While we are not called to act out such drastic steps, we are called to learn from what is recorded ...Read More
From delaying Adam’s eternal death after he sinned to the grace shown the church today, it is clear our Father gives mercy to the unworthy. But we must never use this grace as a license to sin or believe we ...Read More
Joseph’s weeping in today’s passage shows how he longed once again to experience fellowship with those who wronged him. One of the marks of sanctification is that we long for broken relationships to be restored, and so we must do ...Read More
Jesus said that all people would know His disciples by their love for one another (John 13:35). The most tangible expression of this love is our forgiveness of others. If pagans like Esau can forgive, our readiness to pardon others ...Read More
It is all too easy for us to think of other people as lesser Christians than we are because of the way they dress, what they eat and drink, how knowledgeable they are about the finer points of theological arguments, ...Read More
Fallen people can by no means get God to save them; He redeems according to the good pleasure of His will. Until the day we are fully and finally glorified, however, we who are in Christ are in a position ...Read More
Seeing the wicked succeed can be discouraging, especially when we are suffering for the sake of righteousness. Yet what we should never do, today’s passage tells us, is envy the wicked and their success. The success of the wicked is ...Read More | 2,374 | 1,191 | 0.000856 |
warc | 201704 | What do physicians, nurses, chaplains, and social workers think about moral and religious issues in care for the dying? These professionals live with death, including many untimely and difficult deaths, on a daily basis. Based on intensive interviews with a cross sample of health care professionals, David H. Smith details how the churches could not only be supportive of these primary caregivers in dealing with end of life issues, but how they could enlist their help in informing their own congregations about the realities of death.To care for the dying is spiritually demanding work. Churches should not let health professionals struggle with religious issues—whether of patients, families, or their own—in isolation. Smith's respondents offer powerful perspectives on the issue of physician assisted suicide. Religious and theological ethics cannot afford to ignore insights and questions that come from those who deal with dying every day. Finding meaning in the face of human suffering comes less from doctrine than from living a certain kind of life.This book is a clarion call for new, practical, and vital forms of education, support, and commitment, particularly within the churches, in the cause of improving care for the dying. | 1,254 | 677 | 0.001491 |
warc | 201704 | Your support is critical to our success.
Accepted Scientific Name:
Eriosyce sp. Tulahuen (Valle del Limari) Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli Pyrrhocactus sp.Tulahuen (Valle del Limari) ( Eriosyce sp.Tulahuen (Valle del Limari)) Origin and Habitat: Tulahuen (Valle del Limari), 04 Coquimbo, Chile. Synonyms: Accepted name in llifle Database:
Eriosyce sp. Tulahuen (Valle del Limari)
Synonymy: 2
Cultivars (1): Description: This is a fiercely spined species related with Eriosyce subgibbosa. Cultivation and Propagation: It is a summer-growing species of relatively easy cultivation. This plant is extremely xerophytic, adapted to very dry soils and is quite susceptible to over-watering if kept in a non ventilated place. Growth rate: Slow-growing. Soil: Grow it in an open mineral, sandy-gritty cactus compost and provide a very good drainage. Exposure: It is suited for sunny-brightly exposure, but can tolerate light shade. However it will do its best only with lots of sun and become stressed with inadequate light which could result in poor growth and unnatural shape. It has a good heat tolerance. Watering: Water sparingly and keep it completely dry during winter. Mature individuals easily rot and die especially after transplanting so be extremely cautious with watering. Keep dry in winter or when night temperatures remain below 10° C. Water it less than average if in bigger pots. Fertilization: Feed them once during the growing season with a fertilizer specifically formulated for cactus and succulents (high potash fertilizer with a dilute low nitrogen), including all micro nutrients and trace elements diluted to ½ the strength recommended on the label. They thrive in poor soils and need a limited supplies of fertilizer to avoid the plants developing excess vegetation, which is easily attacked by fungal diseases. Special need: It is suited for airy exposures. Provide very good ventilation. Nearly all problems occur as a result of overwatering and poor ventilation, especially when weather conditions are dull and cool or very humid. They must have very dry atmosphere. Hardiness: It likes warmth (recommended minimum winter temperature 5° C) But plants kept perfectly dry can easily survive to winter night temperatures below 0° C. Pests & diseases: These cacti may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, there are several pests to watch for: - Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by misting the plants from above. - Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new leaves and flowers with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects. - Scales, thrips and aphids: These insects are rarely a problem. - Rot: Rot is only a minor problem if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly. If they are not, fungicides won't help all that much. Propagation: Usually propagated from seeds (seldom produces offsets) or graft. The seeds can be sown in pots of fine, well-drained sandy soil, any time during the spring when temperatures are warm. Cover the seeds with a fine layer of grit and water from below with a fungicide to prevent damping off. For the 1-2 weeks cover the pots with a sheet of glass/clear perspex to keep the humidity levels high. Remove the glass and replace it with light shade-cloth and mist once or twice a day for the next two weeks after which most seeds should have germinated. From then on mistings can be reduced to every second and then every third day as the little plants grow. The seedlings should not be disturbed until they are well rooted after which they can be planted separately in small pots. Sometimes it is grafted to avoid root rot problems as plants grafted on an hardy stock are easy to grow and no special skill is required.
Your Actions Back to Pyrrhocactus index Back to Cactaceae index Back to Cacti Encyclopedia index | 4,085 | 1,978 | 0.00051 |
warc | 201704 | The idea is to cut out the middle man by controlling the quality processing and production of coffee products for selling at an affordable price, as well as for exporting.
Vitis Industries Limited, Managing Director, Sergei Mossin, says currently there is an oversupply of coffee on the market following the entry of non-traditional coffee growing countries.
He says this oversupply will continue for a number of years and it is not a viable option to sell coffee beans to a middle man to produce coffee products.
“Instead of selling our coffee cheap to some middle people overseas, we process it locally for local consumption and export the final product which can be sold directly to the public at a better price.
“Because what we realise when we try to export our coffee right now in the form of green beans, the international market is oversupplied. Plenty different countries which never grew coffee before, now they are growing coffee. In Nepal and Laos, Thailand, in Taiwan, and South China.
“Then these traders they use the situation to buy our coffee at a cheaper price, blend with some low quality coffee’s and sell to consumers on high price,” Mossin said.
The design of the factory, which will include room for extension, will be developed in China and once built, will be able to produce one hundred of kilos of instant coffee per hour.
Mossin says this will require about 500 – 600 kilograms of green beans per hour operating for 24 hours non-stop for two months, with two to three days of cleaning and repairs.
To meet this demand a 360 hectare coffee plantation, near Wau Town, has been secured by Vitis industries Limited and already has 200 employees working on site.
Coffee beans are almost ready for harvest, says mossin, who has engaged a large number of pickers.
“During the harvest we employ a lot of coffee pickers. Mostly around 300 people. Right now the harvest is coming, maybe February, then we will employ pickers to pick our coffee and it gives a big boost to local economy in Wau.
“We employ such a large number of people and it’s the only form of employment for people in these place,’’ says Mossin.
The plantation nursery has on site around three million coffee tree which will be planted in February or March, and will increase productivity by threefold.
Small holders and coffee growers will also be involved through their purchase of their coffee beans which Mossin says is of quality standard.
A new water system is currently being worked which will feed into the plantation,
“We are trying to improve the Factory too because until today this plantation has no water supply. The water we use for production and processng is not really fresh so now we are building a new water supply system which will produce 3,000 – 4,000 litres of water per hour,” Mossin said.
Sergei Mossin checking coffee beans at the Vitis Industries Limited factory outside Port Moresby. | 2,985 | 1,407 | 0.000732 |
warc | 201704 | 请问科幻迷，人类在太空中能繁衍吗？
首先庆祝中国载人航天又迈了一大步。
似乎很难着床？然后在失重的状态下，婴儿会发生发生什么变化，new type?还是一个肉球（好吧。。） 想听听大家的想法
首先庆祝中国载人航天又迈了一大步。
似乎很难着床？然后在失重的状态下，婴儿会发生发生什么变化，new type?还是一个肉球（好吧。。） 想听听大家的想法 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sex in space refers to sexual activity in the weightlessness and/or extreme environments of outer space. Usually only human sexual activity is considered. The act of human intimacy, sexual intercourse, and procreation distinguished by the state of weightlessness (precluding artificial gravity) presents difficulties surrounding the performing of most sexual activities due to Newton's Third Law. The issue also includes conception and pregnancy in off-Earth environments.[1][2][3][4] The topic of sex in space has been hotly debated to clarify its potential impact on human beings in the isolated, confined, and hazardous space environment. Past discussions often included attempts to determine the veracity of speculations (e.g., about the STS-47 mission, on which married astronauts Mark C. Lee and Jan Davis flew), and even hoaxes, such as Document 12-571-3570. Experts such as Princeton astrophysics professor Dr. J. Richard Gott consider humanity's expansion into space crucial to survival,[5] but it was considered taboo for decades of spacefaring exploration history.[6][7] As of 2009, with NASA planning long-term missions for lunar settlements with goals to explore and colonize space, the topic has taken its respected place in life sciences. Scientist Stephen Hawking publicly concurred in 2007 that possibly human survival itself will depend on successfully contending with the extreme environments of space.[8][9]
Numerous physiological changes have been noted during spaceflight, many of which may affect sex and procreation, although it remains unclear whether such effects are due to gravity changes, radiation, noise, vibration, isolation, disrupted circadian rhythms, stress, or a combination of these factors.[10]
The primary issue to be considered in off-Earth reproduction is the lack of gravitational acceleration. Life on Earth, and thus the reproductive and ontogenetic processes of all extant species and their ancestors, evolved under the constant influence of the Earth's 1G gravitational field. It is imperative to study how space environment affects critical phases of mammalian reproduction and development as well as events surrounding fertilization, embryogenesis, pregnancy, birth, postnatal maturation, and parental care.[11] Gravity affects all aspects of vertebrate development, including cell structure and function, organ system development, and even behavior. As gravity regulates mammalian gene expression then there are significant implications for successful procreation in an extraterrestrial environment. Studies conducted on reproduction of mammals in microgravity include experiments with rats. Although the fetus developed properly, the rats that developed in microgravity lacked the ability to right themselves.[12] Another study examined mouse embryo fertilization in microgravity. Although both groups resulted in healthy mice, the authors noted that the growth rate was slower for the embryos fertilized in microgravity than for those in normal gravity.[13]
The psychosocial implications of in-flight sex and reproduction are at least as problematic as the related physiological challenges. For the foreseeable future, space crews will be relatively small in number. If pairing off occurs within the crew, it can have ramifications on the crew's working relationships, and therefore, on mission success and crew operations.[14][15] Behavioral health, close proximity, compatibility and coupling will all be factors determining selection of crews for long term and off-planet missions.
Lyubov Serova, a specialist with the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP) in the field of procreation in the conditions of spaceflight, says "After a period of adaptation for weightlessness, people will not need any special devices, like elastic belts or inflatable tubes to have sex in space," and "We study the impact of weightlessness on the reproductive function of male and female bodies by using mammals as test subjects, particularly rats." The overall conclusion is that sex in space is not a physical problem, and that individuals motivated enough to embark on space flight won't be distracted by sex.[16]
我进行google渣翻译简介：
大意是人类在亲密*行为,需要考虑失重状态(排除人造重力)需要克服牛顿第三定律的困难,另外像受孕&妊娠离地环境也很难完成。
生理上的变化：太空中许多因素会影响性与生殖，虽然目前还不清楚这种影响是否是由于重力变化，辐射，噪声，振动，隔离，昼夜节奏混乱，压力，或这些的组合因素。
太空中繁衍的主要问题是的重力加速度缺乏。地球上的生命，所有现存物种和他们的祖先的生殖和个体发育过程，在地球引力场的不断影响下而演变。当务之急是研究太空环境如何影响哺乳动物的繁殖和发展，以及胚胎发育，怀孕，分娩，产后的成熟，父母照顾。重力影响脊椎动物发展的各个方面，包括细胞结构和功能，器官系统的发展，甚至行为。由于重力调节哺乳动物的基因表达，对成功生育产生重大影响。
在微重力环境对哺乳动物繁殖进行的研究包括实验大鼠。虽然，在微重力的老鼠缺乏自行OOXX的能力。另一项研究在微重力小鼠胚胎受精。专家指出，在微重力受精的胚胎比在正常重力增长速度慢，但胎儿可正常发展。微重力环境对小鼠胚胎发育的影响
另外船员的内部以及心理挑战问题（感情不可以作为科学，而且还是人类，一般都是被禁止和封闭信息的，搜不到）…太空繁殖还需要大量的哺乳活体实验和科学方法，人类进军太空繁衍的道路还很漫长。 | 8,282 | 3,668 | 0.000459 |
warc | 201704 | Geochemists, geologists, chemists, mathematicians, technicians and amateur prospectors alike will find this a practically oriented and comprehensive handbook for use in the field or office. It describes methodologies for assessing overburden in Arctic and temperate regions. Scientists can study the composition of bedrock by analyzing the overburden and ores found by the separation of the anomalies from the chemical background variation. This task is a very demanding one for previously glaciated terrain, where overburden consists totally of transported and mixed materials. It is possible to trace back the anomalies found in glacial till and sometimes those found in glacifluvial sediments. Special care in sampling and preparation of samples for analysis as well as very sensitive methods of analysis are necessary in obtaining results suitable for successful interpretation. The present handbook is dedicated to these vital problems.
The genesis of overburden formations and the character of geochemical anomalies are discussed at length, after which examples are provided from a variety of situations. Articles concerning practical aspects of sampling, analysis and mathematical treatment, written specifically to help investigations are also included. The text is illustrated by 196 drawings, 32 tables and the selected bibliography contains 533 references. A key word list makes the handbook easy to use.
To view this DRM protected ebook on your desktop or laptop you will need to have
Adobe Digital Editions installed. It is a free software. We also strongly recommend that you sign up for an AdobeID at the Adobe website. For more details please see FAQ 1&2. To view this ebook on an iPhone, iPad or Android mobile device you will need the Adobe Digital Editions app, or BlueFire Reader or Txtr app. These are free, too. For more details see this article.
Ebook Details Size: 93.5 MB Publisher: Elsevier Science Date published: 1992 ISBN: 9781483291239 (DRM-PDF)
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warc | 201704 | While most -- OK, all -- moms I know aren't gunning for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, there is a parallel, which I mentioned over at The 36-Hour Day and which they're talking about over at Babble Magazine: Much of the work we do as a parents helps us hone the skills that apply directly to the work we want to do for pay.
Some of those opposed to Kagan's nomination are focusing on comments she made about the Constitution while working as a clerk for Thurgood Marshall. Others take issue with the fact that, while Dean of Harvard Law School, she barred military recruiters from campus because of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Still others insist that she's not qualified because, even though she has worked in all three branches of government, has spent decades studying Constitutional law, and currently represents the government before the Supreme Court, she has never actually been a judge.
But Kagan isn't the first Supreme Court nominee to not have served as a judge prior to nomination -- not by a long shot. Her former boss, Thurgood Marshall, was a lawyer when he was nominated. Of the eight Supreme Court judges nominated by President Kennedy, President Johnson, and President Nixon, five of them (White, Goldberg, Fortas, Powell, and Rehnquist) hadn't served as judges prior to their nominations. In fact, 14 of the 16 Chief Justices were not judges prior to appointment. And they did just fine.
As work-at-home, stay-at-home, entrepreneurial, or part-time working moms, we've gained skills acting as the CEOs of our families that more than qualify us for the workforce at large. If you're thinking of a career switch, don't justify your decision to leave; focus on the skills you have that make you an asset elsewhere. Rejoining the workforce? Instead of dreading having to explain that so-called resume gap, think about how you can apply the skills you honed at home: scheduling, multitasking, personnel management, communication, budgeting... the list goes on and on.
Elena Kagan is inspirational for what she's already accomplished, regardless of what happens with this nomination.
Parents who are working in so many different ways:
What skills have you already gained? And how do they apply to your job, or to what you want to do next? | 2,267 | 1,209 | 0.00083 |
warc | 201704 | By Katherine Tallmadge Over the years, I’ve noticed that clients who added a certain item to their diet seemed more likely to lose weight. And this happened even when their calorie intake remained the same. What is this superfood? It’s
Archive
Did Nose Cells Help Paralyzed Man Walk? By Peter Russell WebMD Health News Reviewed by Keith Barnard, MD Oct. 21, 2014 – A group of doctors and scientists say a paralyzed man has been able to walk again after surgery
Topic Overview What is tuberculosis? Tuberculosis (TB) is an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria that grow best in areas of the body that have lots of blood and oxygen. That’s why it is most often found in the lungs. This
By Laura Tedesco / October 23, 2014 Guys, you’ve heard the standard advice for protecting your swimmers: Don’t wear tight undies. Keep your laptop far from, well, your lap. Stop smoking ASAP. But there may be an even easier way to
Police Couple Kissing taken more serious than bribery The most Costs kissing in our World
The Facts on Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common infections in the world. About 2 billion people are infected with TB and nearly 3 million people are killed by it each year. The bacterium that causes
By David McNamee Medical News Today New research finds that increasing fatty fish intake may be one way to improve the response rate among depressed patients who do not find antidepressants beneficial. Up to half of patients with depression do
By Melinda Carstensen Men and pre-menopausal women may process fat differently, leaving men at a greater risk for excess fat-related illnesses such as heart disease and obesity, a new study suggests. “It had been really well reported that brain inflammation
Liberia’s transport minister quarantined after her driver died SIERRA LEONE (ASSOCIATED PRESS) — A Sierra Leone soldier has tested positive for Ebola but he is not a member of, and had no contact with, a battalion of peacekeepers waiting to
Why is our sense of smell such a vital part of our lives – and how has it influenced science, art, culture and history? This might sound like common scents . . . but the aroma of breakfast is a
By Eric Bach (Life by DailyBurn) — Every exercise in your strength program has a purpose — to help you build strength and muscle, burn fat, and improve your fitness. While there’s a time and a place for nearly any
Associated Press A breach of infection control resulting in a Dallas health worker getting Ebola raises fresh questions about whether hospitals truly can safely take care of people with the deadly virus, as health officials insist is possible. Even in
By Chris Gayomali “Often people think of coffee just as a vehicle for caffeine,” writes Dr. Rob van Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health. “But it’s actually a very complex beverage,” containing hundreds of different chemical compounds. Grown
What Is a Stroke? A stroke occurs if the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a portion of the brain is blocked. Without oxygen, brain cells start to die after a few minutes. Sudden bleeding in the brain also can cause
What is menstruation? Menstruation (men-STRAY-shuhn) is a woman’s monthly bleeding. When you menstruate, your body sheds the lining of the uterus (womb). Menstrual blood flows from the uterus through the small opening in the cervix and passes out of the
It is thought that one in five people succumb to depression, the most common mental health problem But although prescription rates are rising – from 15 million in 1998 to 40 million in 2012 – for some 62 per
By Catharine Paddock PhD Medical News Today A new study published in the British Journal of Cancer promises to open up new avenues toward swifter diagnosis of colorectal cancer by identifying two potential biomarkers for the early detection of the
The Associated Press · Dallas · Oct 8, 2014 A Dallas hospital spokesman says the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States has died. Wendell Watson of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital says Thomas Eric Duncan died Wednesday morning. More:
What is malnutrition? Malnutrition in people with cancer occurs when you are eating less energy and protein than the amount your body needs. This can lead to unplanned weight loss and a reduction in body fat and muscle. Compared to
By AMANDA MacMILLAN / ABC News You know the best place to get information about your sexual health is from your doctor, but for whatever reason—convenience, privacy, or anxiety and urgency—you may one day find yourself searching the Internet for | 4,676 | 2,475 | 0.000417 |
warc | 201704 | Mark White's blog
Do you wonder about the value of twitter, either from a personal or a business point of view? If so, you’re likely among the 60% of Twitter users (updated information here) who created an account, experimented briefly and then left it behind. If so, consider giving twitter a second chance. As part of a larger discussion about twitter and social activism - Can Twitter Lead People to the Streets - Howard Rheingold, lecturer at Stanford and U.C. Berkeley had this observation:
Can social media become an effective tool for influencing mass behavior – for creating or nourishing social activist movements? Plenty of social media evangelists believe this capability has already been demonstrated –with the rise of the Tea Party movement or in candidate Obama’s presidential campaign. But does information exchange online correlate with behavior change? Maybe the social bonds we develop online do not lead to actual social activism but only to a more bland form of social networking which we mistake as ‘activism’. So argues Malcolm Gladwell in his recent New Yorker article – Small Change, Why the Revolution Will not be Tweeted.
Yesterday, Citigroup tried to put the toothpaste back in the tube.
They went after blogger Doug Henwood who had posted a 2009 Citigroup research report dealing with the (then) upcoming Government run stress tests being administered to the major banks.
The stress tests, you'll recall, were meant to assess the strength of the banks' balance sheets and to justify, in the views of many, the enormous bailouts the banks were receiving at the time. The document is apparently embarrassing to Citigroup since it confirms what many understood to be an extremely softball approach by the government regulators towards the banks.
Social buying is a gathering wave with tantalizing possibilities that remain largely untapped. There are so many potential win-win situations where businesses can gain customers and customers can collectively negotiate bargains of one sort or another.
Having said that, what prompted a disgruntled customer to say that her experience with social buying company Groupon was "the biggest mistake of her life"? Here is the blog post gone viral that you don't want to see when you are the communications director of a social media dependent ecommerce company like Groupon.
So, what exactly is Groupon?
When people think of internet use and social media there tend to be unspoken assumptions that older adults are not participating to the same degree as their younger counterparts. Well, think again. This appears to be old news. A recent report written by Mary Madden for the Pew Research Center details the significant increase in social media use among older demographics - a change that is most significant just in this past year. While use of social media has spread across all age groups the most dramatic increase has been in the 50 and older age group. Specifically, use of social media for this group has gone up from 22% to 42% - or in other words - almost doubled.
Sometimes a new scientific study reinforces our previously held beliefs, sometimes it challenges those beliefs and provides new insights. This new study by Damon Centola, an assistant professor of system dynamics and economic sociology at the MIT Sloan School of Management manages to do both.
Centola's study, The Spread of Behavior in an Online Social Network Experiment, appears in this month's issue of Science magazine and has some interesting, and counterintuitive things to tell us about how information spreads through online social networks and how that information may influence actual behavior.
Just a quick update to our previous column about why comments were worth the trouble. For those who worry about legal liability for what commenters may post on their site see this post about a recent legal ruling on exactly this question by Wendy Davis on Online Media Daily. In this case, a TV anchor sued her former employer, the TV station where she worked, for allowing allegedly libelous posts about her in the comments section of their website. The court's ruling says, in part:
The Citizen Media Law Project has just issued a white paper entitled The Rise of the News Aggregator: Legal Implications and Best Practices.
The 29 page report, available in pdf format, outlines current legal issues related to news aggregation on the web and provides a manual of best practices that should be carefully read by anyone developing, running or contemplating a news aggregation site.
First of all, let's clarify the stakes. According to the report:
It's a sad state of affairs, but a fact, that online search is structurally biased towards crowd mentality. So, say there is a term that becomes popular for some reason so that it sticks in people's minds. It is that term people will use to search for it online. So use of 'ground zero mosque' as inaccurate as it is ranks better in search results than, say, park51. And naturally, in order to garner better search results websites will use that term online. So the cycle goes.
This little gem from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation may not be the most serious item to pass your desk today but it has to be the one that makes you laugh the hardest AND the one that you can most seriously relate to...either from one point of view or the other. Clearly, if you have ever either taught or been taught how to do something on the computer this is a reality check that can help you put it all in perspective. | 5,559 | 2,787 | 0.000362 |
warc | 201704 | January 2013
For Pharmaceutical Companies
Featured Articles
Traditionally companies have been performing risk analysis to identify hazards, categorize the risk, and find methods for mitigating those risks. This approach has only been focused on the finished product with a limited view during design controls, not on how product is actually used. The risk analysis has been done as part of design and development with the development team themselves identifying the risks and hazards. What we are seeing over the last few years is that risk analysis or risk assessment is just a part of the entire picture. Organizations are realizing that a total risk management system must be implemented for their quality system to gain the full advantage. This article will discuss how companies can integrate risk management philosophies and techniques into their quality system processes.
Read more
The de facto standard for excellent business operations is Lean Six Sigma. Only five years ago you could not say that. But today, in every industry and every geography, companies have determined that the principles and practices of Lean and Six Sigma are the world-class standard for designing, configuring, improving, and controlling business.
Lean-with its recent Far East heritage-embodies the operational, cultural, and leadership philosophies which center all work on increasing customer value while reducing waste. It employs practices that purposely bring process waste to the surface, so it can be actively identified and eliminated by everyone in the organization.
Read more
In December 2010, the European Commission (EC) published legislation for implementation in July 2012 that made the most sweeping changes to European pharmacovigilance since 1995. Directive 2001/83/EC, covering non-centrally approved products, was amended by 2010/84/EU, and Regulation EC/726/2004, governing centrally approved products and European Medicines Agency activities, was amended by 1235/2010.
The new regulations replace Volume 9A with sixteen Good Pharmacovigilance Practice (GVP) guideline modules and five Annexes to be adopted in stages, with some provisions of Volume 9A temporarily remaining in effect; details can be found at http://bit.ly/OWQ8AM.
Read more
The life science industry has not been immune to the global economic downturn, with pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca, Roche, and AMAG Pharmaceuticals recently announcing layoffs. Similarly, medical device companies such as Stryker, Medtronic, and Smith & Nephew have announced job cuts. So, is there such a thing as job security anymore?
Paula Rutledge, president and founder of Legacy MEDSearch, a recruitment firm exclusively serving the medical device and healthcare industry, noted the overall unemployment rate in the United States (7.9 percent in November 2012 versus 8.9 percent the previous year) and was generally upbeat about the job picture.
Read more | 2,938 | 1,530 | 0.000657 |
warc | 201704 | Weekly oil price monitoring
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment carries out weekly monitoring of “importer margins” for regular petrol and automotive diesel. The weekly oil prices monitoring report is reissued each week with the previous week's data.
The Ministry revised its weekly oil price monitoring method in September 2015. For more information see the frequently asked questions [PDF 235KB].
New Zealand petrol and diesel retail prices presented here represent weekly average retail prices from Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch: the
main port price. These prices from October 2006 onwards have been adjusted to account for the significant discounting activity (through loyalty schemes, shopper coupons and regional discounting) that has become increasingly common since about 2006, and are referred to as the discounted price.
The level of discount is estimated each quarter by comparing the quarterly average
main port price to the quarterly average retail price collected by Statistics New Zealand as part of their Consumers Price Index (CPI) calculations. Statistics New Zealand compile this price series by surveying a selection of service stations in 12 regions of New Zealand, as well as collecting information about discounting from the major fuel retailers.
Find out more information about Statistics New Zealand’s CPI calculation method.
Since the Statistics New Zealand CPI data are not available for the current quarter, an Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model is used to estimate the current quarter’s discount amount. When new CPI data are available, the previous quarter’s estimated discount factor will be revised with the actual figure.
The
importer margin is the difference between the discounted price less duties, taxes, levies, the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the importer cost. That is, the gross margin available to the retailers to cover domestic transportation, distribution and retailing costs, and profit margins.
The
importer cost is the cost importing the fuel to New Zealand. It includes the cost of purchasing the fuel in Singapore, shipping it to New Zealand, insurance and losses, and wharfage and handling.
The purpose of this monitoring is to promote transparency in retail petrol and diesel pricing and is a key recommendation from the New Zealand Petrol Review [PDF 706KB].
Graphs Importer margins Petrol and diesel price components Long-term importer margin trends International comparison of petrol price
Download the data used to produce these charts [CSV 169KB] Explanation of variables in the weekly table [PDF 302KB]
Please note that the trend series’ in the following two charts (and the above CSV file) are calculated using a LOESS smoothing algorithm.
Note | The weekly average main port price series used to be a Saturday to Friday average. It is now a Monday to Sunday average. For this reason comparing the new weekly table with previously published data is not advised. Regular petrol
Diesel
The following charts show the magnitude of the individual components of the discounted regular petrol and diesel retail prices over the last two years.
Regular petrol
Diesel
Daily Importer Margin charts
Charts of the daily variability of the importer margin on regular petrol and diesel are included at the above link. These data are provided to the Ministry by Hale and Twomey Ltd. Please note that the data in the above charts are calculated using undiscounted retail prices, and will therefore generally be at a higher level than the Ministry’s weekly importer margins. Care should be taken when comparing these series’.
Data sources
The data is sourced from:
US Energy Information Agency Argus Media Limited International Energy Agency Hale & Twomey Pricewatch and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
All data are presented as non-weighted weekly averages and adjusted to NZ dollars as appropriate based on the prevailing exchange rate.
More information on importer margins and costs is published in the annual Energy in New Zealand publication. A detailed time-series of fuel duties, taxes and levies are available from the Energy Prices data table.
The costs associated with the ETS are provided by Hale & Twomey based on the prevailing carbon price from the New Zealand Carbon Market.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand License. | 4,461 | 1,990 | 0.000511 |
warc | 201704 | Event
June 14 Capitol Hill Forum: College Match Matters
On June 14, 12:00-1:30 pm, the American Youth Policy Forum and MDRC are cosponsoring a Capitol Hill forum, “College Match Matters,” which will provide an overview of the research conducted by MDRC on the promising College Match Program in Chicago Public Schools, as well as a panel discussion on the implications for policy, specifically considering opportunities for sustainability and scaling up.
In 2009, only 36 percent of youth in the United States ages 18-24 were enrolled in college, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those who managed to navigate the system and gain access to higher education, only 53 percent attending four-year institutions were able to graduate within six years. While many factors contribute to low rates of postsecondary enrollment and graduation, too many low-income,
college-ready students are “undermatching” — enrolling in colleges for which they are academically overqualified or not going to college at all. Research suggests that students are most likely to succeed and graduate when they attend the most academically demanding institution that will admit them.
The College Match Program was designed to respond to the undermatching problem by encouraging academically capable students to choose colleges where they are likely to thrive and graduate. College Match proactively delivers crucial information, supports students as they navigate the complicated college and financial aid application process, and helps students and parents make thoughtful decisions about college enrollment.
Presenters at the June 14 forum will include:
D. Crystal Byndloss, Senior Associate, MDRC Michael McPherson, President, Spencer Foundation Greg Darnieder, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Education on the College Access Initiative, U.S. Department of Education Mariana Saucedo, College Match Adviser, DeVry Advantage Academy High School and Lincoln Park High School
Register online for this forum. | 2,044 | 1,067 | 0.000954 |
warc | 201704 | Scientists have found that sound training via computer exercises can be helpful in curing the problem of sound processing among dyslexic children, which hinders their ability to read.
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Dr. Nadine Gaab of the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience at Children's Hospital Boston says that the new finding may eventually translate into measures to diagnose dyslexia even before reading begins. She counts musical training among the possible new ways of treating dyslexia.
AdvertisementThe researcher used functional MRI imaging (fMRI) examine how the brains of 9 to 12 year-old children with developmental dyslexia and that of normal readers responded to fast changing and slow changing sounds, which the participants were made to listen through headphones.
She also involved educational software called 'Fast ForWord Language', designed in part by a co-author on the study named Tallal, in her study.
In typical readers, 11 brain areas became more active when the children listened to fast-changing sounds, compared to slow-changing sounds.
In dyslexic children, the fast-changing sounds did not trigger this ramped-up brain activity. Their brains rather processed the fast-changing sounds as if they were slow-changing sounds.
"This is obviously wrong. Children with developmental dyslexia may be living in a world with in-between sounds. It could be that whenever I tell a dyslexic child 'ga,' they hear a mix of 'ga,' 'ka,' 'ba,' and 'wa'," says Dr. Gaab.
However, dyslexic children's brains changed after completing exercises in the computer program 'Fast ForWord Language', which involved listening to sounds, starting with simple, changing noises, like chirps that swooped up in pitch. The children then had to indicate whether the chirp's pitch went up or down.
The researchers later introduced increasingly complex sounds like syllables, words, and sentences in the exercises.
After eight weeks of daily sessions, about 60 hours total, dyslexic children's brains started responding more like typical readers' when processing fast-changing sounds. It also helped improve their reading ability.
The researchers, however, are unclear whether the improvement would have lasted beyond a few weeks, as they did not conduct follow-up tests.
Dr. Gaab is now planning to investigate whether other type of sound trainingósuch as learning to sing or play a musical instrumentómay help dyslexic children.
"We've done a few studies showing that musicians are much better at processing rapidly changing sounds than people without musical training. If musicians are so much better at these abilities, and you need these abilities to read, why not try musical training with dyslexic children and see if that improves their reading," she says.
The study has been reported in the journal Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience.
Source: ANI
SRM/C
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warc | 201704 | As man bulldozes through the environment, changing it according to his whims and fancies, forest reserves increasingly become islands of wild fauna lying amidst plantations, agricultural fields and pastures.
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Well, this doesn't exactly displease ecologists. For example in the tropics coffee plantations which run on ecologically sustainable methods can form effective buffer zones around protected areas. These can provide 'transit lounges' for many wildlife species that require connectivity between forests.
AdvertisementA study of mammalian communities in 15 coffee plantations around the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats (near Chikmagalur district) has put down 28 species of mammals, seen during six months from December 2005 to May 2006.
Archana Bali, from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) arrived at these figures of mammal species richness and abundance , with the help of indirect evidence in belt transects and track plots, and from sightings during night surveys.
Plantations of coffee, tea, cardamom and teak have caused extensive fragmentation of habitat. Their extent of about 3,300 sq. km is approximately 25 per cent of the total protected area network in the Western Ghats, says Bali.
Indian coffee is traditionally grown under shade. This comprises native forest tree species. Several ecological scientists have proven that such traditional agricultural practices are in sync with the conservation of native biodiversity.
Yet as Ms Bali's study, which was published recently in the journal Biological Conservation, notes, modern coffee planters in India shade coffee with the silver oak (Grevelia robusta). This is an exotic timber-producing tree from Australia. Its perks are vigorous growth and a worth of about $ 700 per cubic metre of timber, which serves as an additional source of income against the fluctuations of coffee prices.
Conversion to monoculture has been seen to bring about a loss of biodiversity in other coffee growing regions of the world. Now Ms. Bali's study throws up possibilities that it might be the same case in the Western Ghats.
The study goes on to look at how coffee estates can be merged into conservation of protected areas. This is based on the hypothesis that mammalian communities in coffee plantations would depend on their proximity to the protected area, vegetation characteristics, and in particular, the extent of silver oak.
At least 28 species of mammals were spotted in the 15 estates. These include the bonnet macaque, common langur, sambar, mouse deer, Indian muntjac, spotted deer, gaur, and wild pig, a solitary sighting of an elephant, sloth bear, jackal, dhole, tiger, common leopard, small cats, civets, Indian giant squirrel, jungle striped squirrel, and two other squirrel species.
The study has shown that a rich pool of mammal species make use of the coffee estates. The estates closer to the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary have a greater diversity of mammal species, notes the study.
Planters must be made partners in the initiative to conserve this biodiversity, opines Ajith Kumar, of the Wildlife Conservation Society (India Programme) and co-author.
Source: Medindia
ANN/V
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warc | 201704 | A few years ago, art investigator Curtis Dowling was hired by a man in France who'd just spent more than $100 million on a Picasso. Having handed over a nine-figure check, he wanted to make sure the painting was real. "He'd pretty much spent every last penny to own this Picasso," says Dowling. "It had passed down through a number of sources, and he thought he'd gotten a bargain." As it turned out, he had not. The painting was fake, and the guy was now the proud owner of a $100 million hunk of scrap canvas. "Let's just say I had a very disappointed customer," says Dowling.
On the new reality show 'Treasure Detectives' (CNBC, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST), Dowling and his team authenticate – or often don't authenticate – all kinds of artwork and collectibles. Dowling says fraud is a huge problem: He estimates 40 percent of the stuff he comes across is phony. "It's a bad batting average, but it's true," he says. "It's easier to fake a Picasso than it is to smuggle heroin. Even organized crime now is using the art market to generate a fortune from forgery."
And you don't have to shell out a hundred mil to get screwed. Even people dabbling at the bottom of the market need to be careful when hunting for cool old stuff, whether it's a 19th-century painting or an autographed Beatles LP. Here are some of Dowling's tips for how not to get ripped off.
Hit the books.
The most important strategy is to never buy something blind. This is one area where you really do need to do your homework. "I know they say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but no knowledge is a lot more dangerous," says Dowling. "If you don't have some knowledge, nearly everything you buy won't be right. Know your subject." And while it'll be tempting to start plugging keywords into Google, Dowling suggests your local library might be safer. "The Internet is a great source of information, but it's also a great source of disinformation," he says. "It has been used by criminals and continues to be. The Internet is great for basics. It's certainly not good if you're about to put your hand in your pocket, whether it's $50 or $5 million."
Credit: Lynn James / Getty Images | 2,194 | 1,168 | 0.00087 |
warc | 201704 | Patient's Bill of Rights
As a person receiving mental health services, you have the right to:
Be treated with dignity and respect. Choose the services or programs in which you participate based upon information about rules, treatment procedures, costs, risks, rights and responsibilities. Ask questions and get answers about services. Participate fully in all decisions about treatment or services. Request changes in treatment or services. Receive treatment in the least restrictive setting - one that provides the most freedom appropriate to your treatment needs. Refuse treatment or service unless ordered by the Court to participate. Be informed about the rules that will result in discharge from a program if violated. Participate fully in decisions regarding your discharge from a program and receive advance notice regarding the proposed discharge, unless your behavior threatens the well being of another person. Be given help in obtaining another place to live prior to discharge from a residential program. Know the name of the medication you are taking, why you are taking it, and what its possible side effects might be. Refuse to take medication, if you choose. (Note: You should not discontinue taking medication suddenly without first discussing the possible dangers with a psychiatrist.) Have your family involved in your treatment. Refuse family participation in your treatment, if you choose. Not be subjected to verbal, physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse; harsh or unfair treatment. Make complaints, have them heard, get a prompt response, and not receive any threats or mistreatments as a result. File a grievance if you are not satisfied with the response to a complaint. Be assisted by an advocate of your choice; for example, family, friend, case manager, member of a consumer advocacy committee or organization, etc. Review your record, with two exceptions. Limited portions of your records can be withheld from you if your treatment team leader has written that seeing specific information would, be harmful to your treatment, or reveal the identity or break the trust of someone who has provided information in confidence. Decide who else can see your records, with several exceptions. Those who do not need to ask your permission are: people involved in your mental health treatment or to whom you are referred for treatment, people providing emergency medical care, an attorney representing you at a commitment hearing, a court, people conducting program or utilization reviews, or third party payers (those who pay for your treatment). These people may only see as much information as they need for the specific purpose requested. Manage your own financial affairs, if you choose, with one exception. If you receive social security benefits, the Social Security Administration might decide that you need a payee, based upon a psychiatrist's report. If this happens, you have the right to choose the person who will be your payee. You can also regain the right to receive your social security check if a psychiatrist fills out a form saying you are now capable of managing your own money. Be given information about the maximum amount of money, or percentage of your income, a residential facility may charge you for rent. If the facility receives your check, you should be told the amount of spending money remaining for your use. You must be informed in writing about any increase in rent at least 30 days before the increase takes place. Be paid a fair wage for any work you do that benefits an agency facility except for personal housekeeping tasks, shared household chores, or voluntary participation in a work-oriented day program. Visit and communicate privately with family and others, at home or in the community (unless restricted by service plan); send and receive personal mail unopened; have access to a telephone. Meet and participate with social, religious and community groups of your choice. Keep and use personal clothing and possessions as space permits, unless it infringes upon others. Exercise all civil and legal rights afforded to citizens of the United States; for example, vote, marry, obtain a driver's license, write a will, etc. Not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or marital status.
Return to main Making a Complaint page. | 4,381 | 2,019 | 0.000496 |
warc | 201704 | How Gun Control Supporters Lie to Themselves, Each Other, and Us
Sep 17, 201310:31PM
These are so common they should be an FAQ.
"Nobody wants to take away your guns."
How you lie to yourselves:
This huge list of people http://thewriterinblack.blogspot.com/2014/09/nobody-wants-to-take-your-guns.html want to take away our guns. You can't claim it's only rhetoric. You can't claim it doesn't matter. You can't claim it's a fabrication or "out of context." They have stated so, repeatedly, in public. Anyone repeating "no one wants to take away your guns" is deluding themselves into a false moral high ground.
If you are one of these people, knowing this, you have a couple of choices: Contact all the above people and express your objections, or admit that you're okay with people taking away our guns. In which case, you're lying to us, too.
~~~
"No right is absolute. Nobody would claim the Second Amendment protects a right to own a nuclear bomb."
How you lie to us:
You aren't interested in nukes. However, your next statement is going to be, "So of course we can reasonably draw the line at 'assault weapons'." At which point you're conflating a common, self-loading rifle, which has been in existence for over a century, and fires bullets at people, with a nuclear device capable of destroying cities. Sure, 1763 Joules is almost the same as 5,439,200,000,000,000,000 ( 5.4392X10^18 ) Joules.
No, not really.
If you are one of these people, you're lying. We know you're lying. You also have a ridiculous obsession with guns, if you can even pretend to compare them to nukes. (FYI, there's absolutely a valid claim that the Second Amendment protects the right to own nuclear bombs.)
~~~
"High capacity clips."
By this, you mean any MAGAZINE, not clip, that holds "a lot." You're counting on your toes and running out.
How you're lying to us:
In fact, the AR15 and the military M16 started with 20 round magazines in 1959. They moved to a 30 round magazine in 1967. The AK-47 was first fielded in ...1947. It has had a 30 round magazine as its standard all along. That's 66 years. So what makes it "high capacity" now? That someone not in this field of expertise doesn't like it doesn't change the definitions. You can't arrogate that authority to yourself.
You can't even decide what constitutes "high capacity." It varies by jurisdiction from 30 to 20 to 15 to 12 to 10 to 7.
Based on what criteria? And, if you get to define it as 10, then 7, as has happened, why not 5 (standard capacity in 1893)? 4 (standard in 1859)? 1 (standard back to the 1500s)?
This is very clearly an attempt to ban guns (oh, right--you don't actually want to ban guns. See above). It's just a dishonest attempt. But go ahead, tell me why X rounds is "enough," and what task it's enough for, and your credentials for making that statement. You can't answer those questions, because you're lying.
What you mean is, "I want to find ways to make it tough for people to own guns."
~~~
"At the time the Constititution was written, people only had muskets."
Why you're lying:
Actually, no. There were repeating firearms even then. But that's irrelevant. In 1789, gays couldn't marry. Are you pushing for that? "Free speech" meant wood type or standing in the city square. What about that? Things develop and improve over time. Why don't you try being liberal, and embrace the 21st Century, rather than being stuck in 1789?
Wait, I know your response: "Those don't kill people."
Why you're STILL lying:
Pedophiles make copious use of the internet to share files that exploit, hurt, and kill kids. Please justify why you need internet in your home? What's wrong with reasonable regulation? Background checks? Why can't you access the internet from a library, where your browser history can be monitored?
You're lying. Stop wasting your time.
BTW, gay marriage aside, AIDS spread by gay men kills as many people as guns. Are you pushing for mandatory blood tests and condom usage to save lives?
If not, you're lying. It's not about saving life. It's about you having an irrational fear of guns.
~~~~
"I have guns, and all mine are properly registered."
How you're lying:
Almost no state or local jurisdiction in the US actually registers firearms. So unless you happen to live in one of those, you're either fabricating entirely to try to don the cloak of credibility, or, you don't actually know anything about the law. So perhaps you shouldn't be expressing an opinion on a subject you don't understand. Either way, lies and ignorance are poor tactics for debate.
~~~
"We are advocates for safe gun use."
How you're lying:
Would you care what a "car safety advocate" said if he wasn't a car designer, engineer, builder, or even had a driver's license? Guess what? Since you know nothing technically about the subject, you're not an advocate for safety, you're an advocate for fear and ignorance. There's no reason we should listen to you.
~~~
"Guns are only made to do one thing: Kill people."
Why you're wrong:
A lot of Olympic target shooters will be surprised to hear that. So will hunters. So will 90,000,000 Americans who didn't kill anyone last year. Statistically, guns are significantly less lethal than a great many other devices.
~~~
"We just want to save children's lives."
Why you're lying:
If it was about children's lives, booze and incidents involving booze kill more people than in incidents involving guns, A LOT more children than are killed in incidents involving guns, and there are zero non-medical reasons a person "needs" booze. How many of you voice anything about further restrictions on booze? You're quite likely part of the "booze culture" yourself. So you have no credibility.
What you are refusing to admit is that the only purpose of alcohol is to hinder and impair your judgment and motor skills. But you didn't INTEND to run anyone down, so negligence is okay.
No, it's not.
But try this to prove your position: Go to the morgue, find the body of a child hit by a drunk, and tell the parents, "Be glad they weren't shot. That would be worse."
Really. Do it.
If you won't, you know your position is dishonest. So what it comes down to is, "My vices are okay, but yours aren't, and I'm willing to lie to get what I want."
You're not interested in saving children's lives. In fact, you'll gleefully dance on their graves if you think you'll gain political leverage, while you continue with acts that kill a lot more kids.
Oh, and there's a stated constitutional right to my "vice" and SCOTUS agrees. So you're in the same "protect the children" crowd as the Klan protecting kids from blacks, the anti-gay crowd protecting kids from gays, and the anti-porn crusaders.
And that's exactly how we see you--a bunch of dishonest, loudmouthed, hypocritical bigots.
Truth hurts, eh? | 6,888 | 3,368 | 0.000302 |
warc | 201704 | Simplemente Madera logs piled at La Rosita sawmill in the eastern autonomous region of Nicaragua.
SIMPLEMENTE MADERA GROUP Builds New Infrastructure For Integrated Operations
by Gary Miller
Managua, Nicaragua - Simplemente Madera Group Ltd. is a vertically-integrated hardwood timbergrowing, processing, product manufacturing and sales enterprise. With headquarters in Managua, Nicaragua, Simplemente Madera Group has developed expertise in a broad range of disciplines, which are used in the companies’ own businesses and offered to others on a consulting and project basis.
Simplemente Madera Group’s holdings include about 30,000 acres of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified forests, three FSC-certified plantations located in climatically-diverse areas of Nicaragua, several tree nurseries and one of the most extensive wood-processing and manufacturing facilities in Central America, producing both dried sawnwood and hardwood products like furniture, doors, decking, flooring, moldings, and modular housing.
Simplemente Madera air-drying facility located at the company factory in Managua, Nicaragua.
Simplemente Madera Group consolidates the business activities that were started in Nicaragua in 1998 by French agronomist Clément Ponçon, who initially established the business by purchasing 5,000 acres of fertile land for tree farming, reforestation and conservation. Together with his sons, Eric and Arnold, Mr. Ponçon began growing native trees species, such as Roble (a South American Oak), Laurel, Pochote and African Mahogany.
Matthew Falkiner, an innovative English architect and furniture designer, became a partner in the business to start its successful furniture design, manufacturing and retail businesses, as well as their architecture, resort design and development and modular housing enterprises. And Jack Donenfeld, David Glossinger and John Warrington became partners in Simplemente Madera Group to help expand the business with new capital and to develop its international business connections and reputation.
Recently, Donenfeld, Glossinger and Warrington arranged a large investment in the company by the World Bank’s private investment division, International Finance Corporation. This new capital has enabled the company to acquire significant additional timberlands in the eastern part of Nicaragua, as discussed below. “The World Bank is exactly the right kind of investor for our business,” said Jack Donenfeld. “They’re well-capitalized, understand the timber industry and appreciate the challenges and opportunities involved in our work.”
Simplemente Madera sign from their booth at the High Point Furniture Show in North Carolina.
With three plantations located in Mataglapa, Nagarote and another one near San Juan Del Sur, the Ponçons have planted over three million trees, which Simplemente Madera Group has now started to harvest. The plantation trees at San Juan del Sur share over 3,000 acres of land with Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge, the destination eco-resort opened by the Ponçons in 2004. In addition to providing guests with world-class accommodations in an incomparable beachfront setting, guests have the opportunity to learn about reforestation, tree farming, sustainable agriculture and traditional farming techniques. Named after Alabama Senator John Morgan, who championed Nicaragua as the route for the trans-oceanic canal that was eventually built in Panama, this remarkable resort is located on the southwest coast of Nicaragua and about two and a half hours south of Managua, Nicaragua’s capital (less than an hour from the Costa Rican border).
Jack Donenfeld and John Warrington, who are now Simplemente Madera Group officers and directors, first met Clemént Ponçon at Morgan’s Rock when they visited Nicaragua with a client of their Cincinnati, Ohio-based international business planning and consulting firm. When a discussion about soybean, coffee and corn farms progressed to sustainable forestry, they began a friendship that led to consolidating Ponçon’s businesses into the enterprise that today is called Simplemente Madera Group.
The Simplemente Madera Team in Washington, D.C.: John Warrington, Eric Poncon, Clement Poncon, Jack Donenfeld and Arnold Poncon.
In September, 2007, Hurricane Felix, a category 5 hurricane, ripped through the northeastern corner of Nicaragua, leaving over three million acres of devastated forests in its wake. The Simplemente Madera Group, with government encouragement and support, took advantage of the situation, purchasing about 30,000 acres of rainforest, where they have been busy harvesting the old-growth hardwoods that once stood. “We had a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy a vast area with significant numbers of valuable tree species. We moved quickly and have been rewarded for our efforts,” said David Glossinger.
The partners in Simplemente Madera Group, now including the World Bank, have invested not only in additional timberlands, but also in the infrastructure and equipment needed to conduct the company’s sophisticated logging and wood processing operations. This infrastructure includes new roads, offices, food service facilities, a fuel depot and housing barracks for the firm’s 150 employees that operate the company’s sawmill in La Rosita. “La Rosita is literally in the middle of the rainforest, where no infrastructure previously existed,” said John Warrington. “It’s been a dramatic process, and we’ve devoted a great deal of time to logistical and operational planning there. This has laid a solid base for our success.”
The company’s manufacturing facility is in Ciudad Sandino, about six miles west of Managua. This modern furniture and wood processing facility is on twenty acres, with two buildings that have over 100,000 square feet under cover for manufacturing purposes. The company has invested in new sawmills, kilns and other machinery needed to process the large quantities of hardwoods trucked to facility.
Simplemente Madera’s drying capacity exceeds 700,000 board feet per month.
Recently, Simplemente Madera Group installed six new drying kilns at the manufacturing facility to add to the existing three kilns, increasing their total drying capacity to over 700,000 board feet per month. And they are making arrangements to install an additional twelve kilns, each with a dry kiln capacity of 30,000 board feet per charge.
All of the exotic hardwoods harvested from Simplemente Madera Group’s lands are processed into sawnwood for sale as dimensional and structural lumber, decking, flooring, mouldings, doors, furniture, veneer and veneer logs. The firm’s wood products are sold in both the domestic and international markets and include not only Roble (a South American Oak), Laurel, Pochote and African Mahogany harvested from the original plantations, but also Jatoba, Ipe, Cedro Macho, Nanciton and Tamarindo that are being extracted from the rainforest areas hit by Hurricane Felix in the eastern part of the country.
Jack Donenfeld and John Warrington, who have been integrally involved in Simplemente Madera Group’s organizational matters, travel to Nicaragua about once a month from their offices in the U.S. John Warrington said, “We are continually working on operations to make them as efficient as possible, constantly developing and evolving.
Simplemente Madera Group employs over 400 employees. Key personnel include: President and Director Clemént Ponçon; Vice President and Director Arnold Ponçon; Director Eric Ponçon; Secretary and Director Jack Donenfeld; Treasurer and Director John Warrington; and Achitecture, Design, Furniture and Housing Division President and Director Matthew Falkiner.
One of Simplemente Madera’s nine drying kilns at their factory in Managua, Nicaragua.
Simplemente Madera Group has supplied their sawnwood and wood products to some fascinating places. For example, the company provided all of the hardwood flooring for the King of Morocco’s new house and all the furniture installed in a 38-room boutique hotel in New York City. In addition, Simplemente Madera Group’s wood products have gone into housing and condominium projects all over Central America and Europe.
Simplemente Madera Group’s forestry management has been awarded international certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), following an intense assessment of its operation by the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood® Program, an accredited certifier for the FSC. “The FSC is an international non-profit organization founded to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests,” Jack Donenfeld said. “FSC certification assures our customers and clients that economic, environmental and social factors are integrated into our forestry management. We care about Nicaragua’s people and its flora and fauna, and we believe that there is an increasing demand for certified timber and wood products made from it.”
Simplemente Madera extracts Nanciton, among other species, from the rainforest areas devastated by Hurricane Felix in the eastern autonomous region of Nicaragua.
Conservationists and stewards of the land, the partners in Simplemente Madera have already begun replanting in the rainforest areas. The stewardship practices in place at their factory, sawmills, plantations and the rainforest operations are adopted according to the regimen and protocols required for FSC certification.
Timber buyers in Europe, North America, South America and Asia frequently ask for FSC certification when ordering forest products so they can assure their customers about the origin of the products they are buying. FSC certification recognizes the strength of Simplemente Madera Group’s commitment to sustainability and best practices and reflects the excellent skills of the company’s forestry and other staff.
For more information about Simplemente Madera Group and its products and services, please visit them at http://www.SimplementeMaderacom or contact them directly through John Warrington (513.833.3338, JWarrington @SimplementeMadera.com) or Jack Donenfeld (513.708.6500, JDonenfeld@SimplementeMaderacom).
Simplemente Madera has invested in new sawmills, kilns and other machinery needed to process the large quantities of hardwoods trucked from La Rosita to their factory in Managua, Nicaragua. | 10,645 | 4,346 | 0.000237 |
warc | 201704 | Corporate Welfare Vs. Social Welfare: Which Benefits The Economy More?
(MintPress) – The word “welfare” is often synonymous with individuals on the receiving end of government-sponsored programs — a keyword when debating fiscal responsibility and the role of government in the lives of Americans.
Rarely is it used to describe tax incentives used to lure corporations. Yet it’s that type of welfare that takes up a larger piece of the puzzle, with more than $90 billion spent on corporate welfare subsidies in 2007. That’s compared to $59 billion spent on social welfare programs.
Offering subsidies to companies is commonplace in economic development. Whether city or state, providing the edge when attempting to draw corporations is regularly necessary — it has become part of the competitive equation. If one state provides the incentive for more savings, business will likely follow.
The premise of this is economic growth and job creation, yet at what point does the tax relief serve corporations over taxpayers and the overall economy?
A recent article in the New York Times highlights Texas as a model for deciphering who benefits from government incentives. The state ranks top on the list in terms of its subsidies — in one year, it gave up to $19 billion worth — that’s $19 billion that would otherwise be poured into the state tax pool.
When dealing with its yearly budget, the state was “forced” to slash funding for education by $5 billion in 2011 in order to deal with a budget shortfall of $15 billion. In 2012, the Houston Chronicle reported that schools were struggling with the widespread cuts, with consequences including increased class sizes and more than 10,000 teacher layoffs.
In terms of drawing private business, it’s worked. Texas is home to more than 50 Fortune 500 operations, according to CNN Money, including oil giants Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips. This equates to job creation.
But the type of jobs created are not exactly responsible for a bursting economic situation. The state ranks third in the nation for the number of jobs paying minimum wage or less, according to the Times.
In 2010, more than 18 percent of Texans were living in poverty, according to Census data.
Texas leads common practice
Texas may be leading the way in economic subsidies, but it certainly isn’t alone.
In 2007, the U.S. dished out $92 billion to private-sector operations, according to a CATO Institute study. The study used a broad definition to account for such subsidies, but included all government-sponsored benefits awarded to corporations.
The conclusion CATO Institute came to was that many of the corporations benefiting from taxpayer funds were some of the most successful companies in the country, refuting the argument that such subsidies are necessary to fill a gap felt by businesses to succeed.
“Supporters of corporate welfare programs often justify them as remedying some sort of market failure,” Stephen Slivinski of the CATO Institute wrote in the report. “Often the market failures on which the programs are predicted are either overblown or don’t exist. Yet the federal government continues to subsidize some of the biggest companies in America.”
Some of those companies included Dow Chemical, Motorola and General Electric — corporations that produce billions in revenue each year. The extra incentives help, but do they really need them?
“While economic development is the mantra of most officials, there’s a question of when does economic development end and corporate welfare begin,” Daly Craymer, president of Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, said in an interview with the Times.
Some federal subsidy programs, including those given to the ethanol industry, were created to build up the industry for the long-term economic health of the country and to move the nation toward a more environmentally-friendly blend of fuel. But did it work — or is it worth it?
“Moreover, the federal budget is filled with a potpourri of grants, loans, loan guarantees, and other subsidies for virtually everyone in America. The doors to the federal Treasury have been open for years to anyone inclined to pillage the public,” writes Doug Bandow for Forbes Magazine.
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University published a piece by Dr. David Cay Johnston of Syracuse University on the struggle between social and corporate welfare focus. At a time when local governments are drastically cutting education and other social programs, Johnston, also a Pulitzer prize winner, argues that the media has failed in highlighting the vast amounts spent on corporate welfare.
“Reporters,” he writes, “and their editors and producers, should be comparing cuts in benefits to the vulnerable to giveaways to corporations.”
A solution?
CATO’s Slivinski presented a possible solution and end to the inadequacies of corporate welfare programs. It largely involves congressional action, similar to that seen with the Military Base Closure Commission. He proposes the creation of a Corporate Welfare Reform Commission (CWRC), which would take a look at appropriate corporate welfare initiatives, creating a system in which the commission could vote a proposal up or down.
Some local governments that have been burned by corporate subsidies have created their own system for change. Travis County in Texas created a rule that states companies benefiting from subsidies must pay employees at least $11 an hour.
This, in theory, would at least boost the economy in the area, which would in turn help fill the government’s coffers. There is clear opposition to this notion, however, with business leaders claiming any mandated wage would hurt business.
The struggle to highlight corporate welfare comes at a time when the U.S. is quite divided, especially in terms of fiscal responsibility. Approaching the so-called fiscal cliff, President Barack Obama and Democrats are having a tough time convincing Republicans that cuts on the country’s highest earners (those making more than $250,000) would be good for the economy. Opponents argue that job creators should not be severely taxed — if they are, conservatives claim the economy will suffer.
Yet with social programs being gutted and with those on the bottom bearing the brunt of budget cuts, at some point an agreement will need to be made. Highlighting the numbers — social vs. corporate welfare — would be a start.
Print This Story | 6,621 | 3,081 | 0.000335 |
warc | 201704 | SEC Expected to Put CCOs to Acid Test
December 6, 2004
Barely has the ink dried on what many in the industry, admittedly, are calling the single most important new fund regulation of 2004 and already PricewaterhouseCoopers is predicting a new tsunami wave of sanctions, within months not years, against these newly appointed chief compliance officers that will define the boundaries of industry practice.
"Everyone in the industry is waiting for the first SEC enforcement case to be brought against a chief compliance officer or a board member because, quite frankly, that is going to set a practice and set the standard in the industry," said Anthony S. Evangelista, a PricewaterhouseCoopers partner and director of the regulatory compliance practice of its investment management industry group.
"That first enforcement case will happen," he added. "The SEC has cast around in the water, and they are already fishing around. They are calling registrants and asking questions."
Lloyd E. "Chip" Voneiff, a national leader in PricewaterhouseCoopers' investment management industry group, agreed that enforcement action is inevitable. "We are months rather than years away from our first enforcement case," he said. "This is an all-new model. No one expects this to be perfect."
Last December, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a rule requiring that all mutual fund companies appoint a chief compliance officer by Oct. 5. Analysts said the rule, which enforces the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, also requires companies to adopt guidelines for federal regulatory compliance.
David J. Harris, a partner in the financial services group at the Washington law firm Dechert, said that chief compliance officers were taking the jobs without knowing what, exactly, they must do to satisfy regulators. "You have put a bull's-eye on the back of these compliance officers if there is ever a problem," he said. "Before, the responsibility was diffused. Now, it is concentrated."
Harris added: "Basically, you are putting someone on duty to watch without knowing what specifically they are looking for. They have created a scapegoat." Voneiff said most companies will spend the next 12 months monitoring and testing their policies and procedures to ensure compliance. "Big financial institutions are carefully assessing their organization," he said. "They are making sure they have the policies and controls in place. They are trying to be preventative right now."
Evangelista said that although the regulations have been codified, it will be difficult for companies to handle compliance confidently before seeing what the SEC thinks worthy of sanction in other companies. "Getting the job as a chief compliance officer is easy. The next step, compliance, is hard," Evangelista said. He added: "This is not a one-size-fits-all problem. This all really depends on your organization."
The SEC is still trying to resolve a lot of compliance issues, including brokerage practices, soft-dollar payments and financial reimbursements to vendors. Voneiff said the key to being safely compliant is full disclosure. "Firms have to dig down and look at everything," he said.
Large investment firms are currently creating internal structures to deal with compliance and are trying to create guidelines for their trading and brokerage practices, he said. Smaller fund companies are turning to outsourcing firms to handle compliance. Bank of New York, for instance, has developed a Web-based product to support fund company compliance. The service, CCOaccess, gives chief compliance officers reports on post-trade compliance, market-timing surveillance and fair valuation.
Joe Keenan, a managing director and the head of product sales and marketing strategy at Bank of New York's global fund services unit, said it is premature to predict the service's acceptance in the marketplace since it was introduced only about six weeks ago, although the initial response has been positive.
Companies are already planning to spend more for compliance, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers Management Barometer Survey. It found that 51% of U.S. and European multinational companies expect compliance spending increases averaging 23.4% during the next 12 to 24 months (see MME 11/15/04).
Dan DiFilippo, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global leader for performance improvement and U.S. leader for governance, risk and compliance, said the companies surveyed spent 6.16% of their total budgets on compliance and the 23.4% increase within two years applies to that spending share. He said he does not think companies are preparing for a new wave of sanctions so much as they are just trying to be proactive.
"Everyone is looking at their compliance program and trying to find places where they might stumble," he said. "They want to find out how they can avoid exposure from similar situations," that is, practices of their own that, in another company, have prompted regulatory action. "I don't think they are anticipating more regulations or more scandal as much as they are taking stock in where they are."
Fund companies are very concerned about compliance, especially among the third-party service companies they hire. A survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers' investment management group said 64% of fund companies are concerned about overseeing service providers, 15% about securities trading and brokerage practices, and 9% about principal underwriter activities. Voneiff said it is clear banks, fund companies and other financial services firms are concerned about compliance issues. Three hundred directors from 80 to 90 fund companies attended PricewaterhouseCoopers' annual conference on compliance and governance in New York this month, he said, compared with 200 directors last year.
"Everyone understands that these rules are new to the industry and there will be some growing pains," he said. "We are all going to carefully watch how this all gets implemented."
Matt Ackermann is a reporter for American Banker. | 6,087 | 2,713 | 0.000372 |
warc | 201704 | You might think appearing tougher than you are is a good deterrent to avoiding trouble. But if you are a paper wasp, it could get you killed. E!Science News reports that paper wasps sport markings on their faces to show if they are tough guys or wimpy wasps. And if their markings misrepresent their true strength, it can cause a whole lot of trouble for the dishonest insect.
Evolutionary biologists Elizabeth Tibbetts and Amanda Izzo of the University of Michigan studied the biological warning signals developed by the paper wasps. Apparently the insect carries fragmented facial markings that show just how crazy it is going to get in a fight. Tibbetts calls the markings, "It's the animal version of a karate belt.” Dominant wasps have more fragmented facial patterns than their weaker cousins. And if a weaker wasp fakes its fighting skills, it is going to end up with a thorax thumping it won’t forget.
Tibbetts, a biology professor, and Izzo, a graduate student, decided to see what would happen when they altered the markings of the paper wasps. They made weaker wasps look dominant. And with another group of wasps, they left the facial marks untouched. But in this case, they jacked up the wussy wasps with aggressive hormones to make them tougher than they really looked. A final group of wasps had both their faces and hormones altered so that they looked and acted like bad boys.
The wasps were thrown into a gladiator ring via a laboratory cage and observed. As E!Science News reports, wasps who had mismatched skills and facial markings were punished while wasps whose faces matched their skills were left alone. Tibbetts and Izzo also found that the wasps that looked strong but acted weak were picked on more than the wasps that looked weak but acted strong. And the weak-but-strong-looking wasps weren’t as severely punished, though normal wasps still refused to submit to them.
Tibbetts and Izzo concluded that the point of these facial markings was to challenge rivals over resources. Paper wasps get their name from the nests that they build, which look like gray or brown papery material. Their stings are considered very painful and can be dangerous to humans, who can suffer from fatal anaphylactic shock if stung.
For further reading: | 2,283 | 1,122 | 0.0009 |
warc | 201704 | When the federal government announced that it will launch a new tax-free savings account next year, most finance experts yawned and asked the feds to keep it down until they had some interesting news.
After all, these new accounts (called TFSAs for short) seem much like the RRSPs we already have — but not as good, because you don’t get a juicy tax refund when you contribute, and you’re allowed to put in only $5,000 a year. Most experts concluded that TFSAs may be handy for saving up for a house or new car, but won’t be able to handle the heavy lifting required for retirement savings.
However, when Malcolm Hamilton, an actuary at the consulting firm Mercer in Toronto, took a look at the fine print, he found that wasn’t true. “If people understand TFSAs properly, significant numbers will start using them,” he says. They’re so powerful, in fact, they could eventually become Canada’s retirement saving vehicle of choice.
How is that possible? Because despite appearances, the TFSA has most of the benefits of an RRSP — plus some powers that RRSPs lack.
The key benefit of both accounts is that they allow you to avoid paying taxes on your investment gains as long as your money remains in the account. In that respect they are identical. This tax-free compounding can put you tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars ahead over long periods of time and it’s the prime reason for using such accounts.
The biggest apparent drawback to contributing to a TFSA is that you don’t get an immediate tax refund, the way you do with an RRSP. The tax refund seems to give RRSPs an edge, but it turns out it’s only half the story.
Many people forget that when you take money out of an RRSP you have to pay taxes on it. So if you’ve amassed $100,000 in an RRSP, and you expect to retire in the 40% tax bracket, you really have only $60,000 to spend. But with the TFSA, what’s in the account is yours, tax free. If you have $100,000 in your account, you have $100,000 to spend.
It’s true that you’re limited to contributing $5,000 a year to a TFSA, which is much less than you could potentially stash away in an RRSP. But Hamilton argues that the TFSA is more generous than it first appears. Because unused contribution room is carried forward, if someone who is 18 today starts saving for retirement when she is in her late 30s, she’ll find she already has $100,000 of TFSA contribution room.
Plus, the TFSA packs a secret power: any withdrawals from a TFSA account don’t trigger clawbacks on government income. That means you can get full Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) payments from the government when you retire, no matter how much you withdraw from your TFSA.
If you save up for retirement with an RRSP, when you retire and start taking money out, you not only have to pay taxes on your RRSP income, but lower income Canadians who receive the GIS could see it reduced, and higher income Canadians who receive OAS could see clawbacks. However, if you use a TFSA, there’s no tax and no clawbacks on any government money. You could pull down $80,000 a year from your TFSA in retirement, but pay zero taxes on that amount and still get maximum government benefits.
So which account should you use? It depends on your income bracket. Low-income Canadians will find that the TFSA is clearly the better choice, because they rely more on government benefits. Middle-class Canadians will find that it’s generally still too close to call. “They’re both good for you,” Hamilton says. “TFSAs are a bit simpler, but you could just pick one or the other.” High-income Canadians have the easiest choice, says Hamilton. “They have the luxury of using both.”
The 30-second TFSA
• The TFSA is a savings or investment account you can use to save for large purchases or retirement
• You don’t pay taxes on investment returns inside your TFSA • You don’t pay taxes on money you take out of your TFSA • You don’t get a tax refund for contributing to your TFSA • You don’t have to worry about clawbacks when you withdraw from your TFSA • You can contribute up to $5,000 a year • If you contribute less than $5,000 in a given year, the unused room is carried forward • If you take money out, you get that contribution room back • Contribution room begins accumulating at age 18, even if you don’t have an account (as long as you file a tax return) • Banks and brokerages will begin offering TFSAs in 2009 | 4,647 | 2,065 | 0.000509 |
warc | 201704 | Is every mealtime, bathtime, or trip to the store an emotional battle? Are you at the end of your rope? Desperate for solutions? Don't let your child's tantrums get the best of you!
Whether you're a new mom or an experienced parent, tantrums can be a challenge. But with this practical, hands-on guide, you will find some much needed relief.
You'll learn how to:
Determine the causes behind temper tantrums Exercise patience and understanding Prevent power struggles Anticipate and diffuse your child's triggers
With honest and effective advice, you can finally learn to communicate with your child before, during, and after an outburst. Finally, this book provides the informational first-aid that ensures fewer tantrums. | 728 | 449 | 0.002246 |
warc | 201704 | Eighty percent of children with a mental health problem do not receive treatment. Are there enough providers? Is cost a factor? Do parents know where to go for help, especially in a crisis? Southern Remedy looks at how to get mental health help and the types of treatment available for children.
previous post
next post | 323 | 215 | 0.004709 |
warc | 201704 | Division Street is St. Cloud's main drag, where commerce is king. The busy artery is home to restaurants, strip malls, car dealerships... and a lot of portable signs.
Within a few blocks you can see signs advertising limousine rental, a sale on paint and a special at a spa. The signs scream for attention. Their lettering is a neon rainbow of pinks, greens, yellows and reds.
They're eye catching for sure, but officials who are putting together a plan to improve the look of St. Cloud wonder if this is the best way to welcome visitors to the city. Matt Glaesman is St. Cloud's community planner.
"As we talk about building design standards and increased landscaping, are those kinds of portable signs consistent with the image we're wanting to achieve?" Glaesman asked.
According to Glaesman the idea for the portable sign ban has come up several times in the last five years as city officials and residents have worked on a new land development code. He admits talk of banning the signs has been controversial.
"You have half the community that thinks they just aren't attractive," Glaesman said. "And you have half the community that feels they are just essential to small business and the continued success of those businesses."
One of the people who sees value in these signs is Mike Jat, the owner of Mike's Deli. The deli is tucked in a strip mall on the west side of St. Cloud, out of sight of most traffic. But Jat said a portable sign on a nearby street has helped direct customers to his location.
"It does help a lot," Jat said. "I get a lot of customers just from looking at the sign."
Another reason Jat likes the portable sign is because it's affordable. He said that's important for any small business during tough economic times.
“It catches peoples attention that's for sure. I don't think they need to ban them, there's no reason.”Lance Pappenfus
"This sign is going to allow us to have it for a whole month for like $130," Jat said. "If you think about it, advertising for a whole month on the radio is going to cost you thousands of dollars, but this sign here costs you only $130. So it is effective."
These signs may be effective, but a lot of people say they're just plain ugly.
Although that doesn't seem to bother shoppers in a St. Cloud parking lot where a nearby portable sign advertises a special at a tanning salon. One of them was Lance Pappenfus.
"I have no problem with it," Pappenfus said.
Pappenfaus admits the signs may be outrageously eye catching, but he doesn't think they should be cast out of the city.
"It catches peoples' attention that's for sure," Pappenfus said. "I don't think they need to ban them, there's no reason."
Another shopper, Carol Schmitz, agreed.
"They're not attractive," Schmitz said. "But they don't bother me. I really don't have an opinion about it."
As the city debates the aesthetics of portable signs, the city's community planner Matt Glaesman can cite another problem with the signs. He said they can pose a safety hazard.
"Often times we see these signs ending up in the public right of way itself or at a street intersections where it's blocking sight lines for vehicle movement. So it's a public safety concern as well," Glaesman said.
The St. Cloud city council will have the final say on the portable sign ban. It's also considering other measures such as landscaping to improve the overall look of the city. | 3,443 | 1,593 | 0.000639 |
warc | 201704 | The Curriculum Model of Memorial University School of Nursing depicts the essential components of nursing that the learner will assimilate and integrate as she/he evolves through the program.
The Bachelor of Nursing programme is designed to provide students with a liberal education. The student is the central focus of the educational programme in nursing. Within a learning environment, the student will acquire professional attitudes, competencies and knowledge.
For this curriculum,
Professional attitudes
include attitudes towards:
Competencies will be
developed in the areas of:
Knowledge involved
cognitive learning in the areas of:
Through the acquisition of attitudes, competencies and
knowledge, the graduating nurse will be proficient in four main
roles in nursing:
direct care-giver
teacher
counsellor
advocate
When each of these roles is enacted by the nurse, change is the consequence and a caring attitude is reflected at all times.
Linking to the Nursing roles, students can refer to the operational definitions of the key concepts in the Curriculum Model, i.e. human being, environment, nursing, health, caring, and changing. | 1,161 | 603 | 0.001686 |
warc | 201704 | RIVERSIDE – For members of Judi Harvin’s family, dining in has taken on a new meaning.
Harvin is a Riverside resident and the owner of Focus Yoga in Brookfield. As someone who began working in the fitness industry more than 20 years ago, Harvin has worked to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“If you believe that there’s this connection between you and the environment around you, it makes some sense to eat from the environment around you,” Harvin said. “Now that sounds a little bit out there. But I think it’s a really basic thing; it’s the way it used to be.”
To retain a connection with the community of local food producers, Harvin approached her family about trying an experiment. Harvin and her husband, Doug, have two daughters: Sylvia, 12, and Eva, 13. They will follow principles over the 12 months mirrored in a book titled “The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating,” by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon.
The idea is to base a daily diet as much as possible on items from people who produce food within a 100-mile radius. Harvin said it’s not as easy as it sounds.
“This was her idea. It’s probably not how I would go about a change in my life because I’m a fairly lazy person,” Doug Harvin quipped when asked about how his wife broached the idea with him. “But she had some pretty good ideas, and it would be kind of interesting.”
The Harvins’ daughters were reluctant about the plan at first but said they are on board with it.
“Not much, because we already eat really locally and healthy,” Eva said when asked what changes she had noticed in the family’s eating habits.
Her daughter, Silva, took more convincing.
“Well, I was quite negative on it and still am because I like the way that we’re eating now. I like how all the food tastes,” Sylvia said. “But I mean, sure, we can support local businesses and that. So I’m willing to give it a try.”
The Harvins have given themselves leeway in how they implement their plan. For one, the 100-mile radius extends not only to their home in Riverside but also the farm they own in Amboy, a town near Dixon. An advantage they have with this approach is that they raise steer on their farm, so their meat needs are not much of a problem.
Family members also will have to decide on what Judi Harvin called non-negotiables, food items they cannot do without but that can’t be bought locally.
“We have to make a few concessions,” Doug Harvin said. “We figure there’s a few things we’re allowed, put them on a list of things that are sort of acceptable for us.”
Judi Harvin said one of the key issues is how to carry out this plan while keeping within a sensible budget.
“What I’m looking to do is how to make this cost-effective. And it doesn’t mean not supporting the farmers. It just means coming at them in a different direction, coming at this in a different direction,” Harvin said. “Will you sell me 50 pounds of flour instead of 2? You know, ways to make it more cost-effective because it can be prohibitively expensive.”
As for what lessons will be learned through this process, each family member had a slightly different take.
“I’m interested in tastes,” Eva said. “So I think it’s going to be interesting to find what things taste better and if it’s possible to taste better.”
“I bet the first month we’ll have a hard time figuring it out for every meal. But I would bet by the end of the year we’ll be pretty local by then, I would think,” Doug Harvin said.
Judi Harvin said she has created a blog – LocalEatingProject.blogspot.com – and intends to share experiences the family has from this yearlong process. She also wants to provides tips to people about how to carry out similar plans based on what she and her family have learned.
“Part of it is that I really want them to be aware of the people who are in our local community who are growing food that they can have, that their choices are more than just what they can get at the grocery store, coming from large food corporations,” she said. “And I also think that there is a mental health benefit to knowing where your food came from and to being able to talk with the people who are producing your food. If nothing else, it’s just fun.” | 4,473 | 2,086 | 0.000516 |
warc | 201704 | Summer’s here. Well, almost.
With the summer months upon us, quality of life issues become even more evident.
Behavior that impedes a resident’s quality of life, such as drinking or urinating in public, disorderly behavior and noise complaints, if not dealt with properly, can result in continued calls for service to the same location. This wastes departmental resources and makes the department look indifferent.
What are generally referred to as nuisance complaints rise in the warmer months, and police agencies are called upon to handle calls for service which are really quality of life issues.
What are they? Typically, in the warmer months, the department receives increased calls about noisy neighbors, barking dogs, animals running loose in neighborhoods, repetitive vehicle alarms sounding, abandoned or neglected vehicles parked in public areas and shared driveway issues. The police and residents need to work together on these issues.
While the police department will respond to any call for service that is reported to them, it is a fact that most nuisance issues and/or complaints can be handled by just having consideration for your neighbors and the residents that live in your community. A general positive practice would be to talk with your neighbors in addition to following all current ordinances. Also, notify your neighbors ahead of time if you are having some type of large event or party which would increase the parking in your neighborhood and/or the possibility for outside music. Generally, speaking to your neighbors about how long your party is going to run and when the music will stop will help make your function run much more smoothly.
In Riverside, every police contact is viewed as an opportunity to gain public support and further the department’s goals. It is through public support that the village services and government response to our residents thrives, thereby, putting us in a better position to respond and serve our residents.
The police department will respond to all quality of life issues or concerns for our residents. However, the best approach for mediating quality of life issues is really just one word – consideration. Ask yourself, how would I want to be treated? | 2,252 | 1,070 | 0.000947 |
warc | 201704 | Kickstart your morning with this glutenfree, energy-releasing pimped up porridge. Famed for its slow release of energy, oatmeal will keep you full longer than other breakfast alternatives and will ensure you're at your best and ready to start your day, no matter how low the mercury dips
I feel nauseous rarely and feel more full of energy. Sligo isn't the best place to be dairyfree or vegan - sure, there are tons of places who offer glutenfree options, but for us dairy intolerant people we're not as well catered to
And as we know from previous posts, having a unhappy gut can lead to a whole host of problems including gluten intolerance so it important to not just treat the symptoms (bloating, bowel problems, skin issues, lack of energy, sore tummy, reflux, weight gain or inability to loose weight etc) but dig out and deal with the root cause | 856 | 504 | 0.001993 |
warc | 201704 | About Us Nanotechnology News Columns Products Directories Nano-Social Network Nano Consulting My Account
Once E. coli have secreted oil, they sequester themselves from the droplets as shown by this optical image, thereby facilitating oil recovery. (Image by Eric Steen, JBEI) Abstract: A collaboration led by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) has developed a microbe that can produce an advanced biofuel directly from biomass. Deploying the tools of synthetic biology, the JBEI researchers engineered a strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria to produce biodiesel fuel and other important chemicals derived from fatty acids.
"The fact that our microbes can produce a diesel fuel directly from biomass with no additional chemical modifications is exciting and important," says Jay Keasling, the Chief Executive Officer for JBEI, and a leading scientific authority on synthetic biology. "Given that the costs of recovering biodiesel are nowhere near the costs required to distill ethanol, we believe our results can significantly contribute to the ultimate goal of producing scalable and cost effective advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals."
Keasling led the collaboration, which was was made up of a team from JBEI's Fuels Synthesis Division that included Eric Steen, Yisheng Kang and Gregory Bokinsky, and a team from LS9, a privately-held industrial biotechnology firm based in South San Francisco. The LS9 team was headed by Stephen del Cardayre and included Zhihao Hu, Andreas Schirmer and Amy McClure. The collaboration has published the results of their research in the January 28, 2010 edition of the journal Nature. The paper is titled, "Microbial Production of Fatty Acid-Derived Fuels and Chemicals from Plant Biomass." A combination of ever-increasing energy costs and global warming concerns has created an international imperative for new transportation fuels that are renewable and can be produced in a sustainable fashion. Scientific studies have consistently shown that liquid fuels derived from plant biomass are one of the best alternatives if a cost-effective means of commercial production can be found. Major research efforts to this end are focused on fatty acids - the energy-rich molecules in living cells that have been dubbed nature's petroleum. Fuels and chemicals have been produced from the fatty acids in plant and animal oils for more than a century. These oils now serve as the raw materials not only for biodiesel fuel, but also for a wide range of important chemical products including surfactants, solvents and lubricants. "The increased demand and limited supply of these oils has resulted in competition with food, higher prices, questionable land-use practices and environmental concerns associated with their production," Keasling says. "A more scalable, controllable, and economic alternative route to these fuels and chemicals would be through the microbial conversion of renewable feedstocks, such as biomass-derived carbohydrates." E. coli is a well-studied microorganism whose natural ability to synthesize fatty acids and exceptional amenability to genetic manipulation make it an ideal target for biofuels research. The combination of E. coli with new biochemical reactions realized through synthetic biology, enabled Keasling, Steen and their colleagues to produce structurally tailored fatty esters (biodiesel), alcohols and waxes directly from simple sugars. "Biosynthesis of microbial fatty acids produces fatty acids bound to a carrier protein, the accumulation of which inhibits the making of additional fatty acids," Steen says. "Normally E. coli doesn't waste energy making excess fat, but by cleaving fatty acids from their carrier proteins, we're able to unlock the natural regulation and make an abundance of fatty acids that can be converted into a number of valuable products. Further, we engineered our E. coli to no longer eat fatty acids or use them for energy." After successfully diverting fatty acid metabolism toward the production of fuels and other chemicals from glucose, the JBEI researchers engineered their new strain of E. coli to produce hemicellulases - enzymes that are able to ferment hemicellulose, the complex sugars that are a major constituent of cellulosic biomass and a prime repository for the energy locked within plant cell walls. "Engineering E. coli to produce hemicellulases enables the microbes to produce fuels directly from the biomass of plants that are not used as food for humans or feed for animals," Steen says. "Currently, biochemical processing of cellulosic biomass requires costly enzymes for sugar liberation. By giving the E. coli the capacity to ferment both cellulose and hemicellulose without the addition of expensive enzymes, we can improve the economics of cellulosic biofuels." The JBEI team is now working on maximizing the efficiency and the speed by which their engineered strain of E. coli can directly convert biomass into biodiesel. They are also looking into ways of maximizing the total amount of biodiesel that can be produced from a single fermentation. "Productivity, titer and efficient conversion of feedstock into fuelare the three most important factors for engineering microbes that can produce biofuels on an industrial scale," Steen says. "There is still much more research to do before this process becomes commercially feasible." This research was supported by funds from LS9, Inc., and the UC Discovery Grant program. LS9 is using synthetic biology techniques to develop patent-pending UltraClean™ fuels and sustainable chemicals. The UC Discovery Grant program is a three-way partnership between the University of California, private industry and the state of California that is aimed at strengthening and expanding California's economy through targeted fields of research.
####
About Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory located in Berkeley, California. It conducts unclassified scientific research for DOE’s Office of Science and is managed by the University of California. About JBEI JBEI is one of three Bioenergy Research Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to advance the development of the next generation of biofuels. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, JBEI is a scientific partnership led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and including the Sandia National Laboratories, the University of California (UC) campuses of Berkeley and Davis, the Carnegie Institution for Science (located on the campus of Stanford University), and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. For more information, please click here Contacts: Lynn Yarris (510) 486-5375
Copyright © Berkeley LabIf you have a comment, please Contact us.
Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
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warc | 201704 | NSW Fisheries made a commitment to more research into the Snowy Mountain trout fishery at a public meeting in Cooma last week.
The meeting followed a couple of days of workshopping between current Fisheries officers and trout stocking advocates, retired fisheries managers and even a trout fishery expert scientist from New Zealand.
DPI Senior Fisheries Manager Inland, Cameron Westaway led the well-attended public meeting at the Cooma Ex-Services Club on Thursday, May 29, opening proceedings by admitting more research into the trout fishery was needed, particular given the perception of declining catches of rainbows.
“We would like to do more research and will be doing more research and that is the bottom line,” Westaway said.
He revealed that Fisheries did have three coded wire tagging machines that inserted a tiny wire tag into the nose of fingerling trout and that could be then read later in the fish’s life as it passed through the Jindabyne fish ladder or in other locations with portable scanners.
These devices cost $60,000 and the department would like to make greater use of this technology.
Fisheries scientific officer Jamon Forbes outlined the mixed success of the current system employed to count trout populations including electro-shocking creeks, but results often depended on what trout were in the stream at the time.
Scientists also gave assurances they would try and work better with other agencies monitoring the waterways including Snowy Hydro, which had a representative present who among things gave assurances that cloud seeding chemicals were not impacting on trout.
Taupo Fishery scientist Dr Michel Dedual gave a lengthy presentation on the experiences of the world-class rainbow trout fishery in the large volcanic lake and its feeder rivers on the North Island of New Zealand.
Dr Dedual said the entire history of Lake Taupo was important and said that quite often just restocking more trout was not the answer as other factors such as food available for the entire food chain determined how many trout any given waterway can carry.
There was always the dilemma of having fewer and larger fish versus more but stunted fish.
Interestingly, there had also been declines in catches of rainbows on Lake Taupo and the spawning patterns had also changed over the years with trout now travelling up the river over fewer months than before.
While the Taupo fisheries research was funded through trout permits, a major challenge for NSW DPI Fisheries was finding additional funding sources.
Westaway mentioned the possibility of local fishing groups and chambers of commerce funding university researchers to come and do research projects.
Members of various fishing groups were also present including the venerable Monaro Acclimatisation Society (MAS), who has been helping stock the Snowy Mountains from the early days of the previous century.
MAS president Steve Samuels welcomed the commitment for additional research into the trout fishery and his members would be willing to help out wherever possible, with tagging and fish counting and the release of hatchery fish.
Other anglers present questioned DPI Fisheries commitment to trout over native species, but Westaway gave assurances that they were equally important.
Retired fisheries managers including Richard Tilzey left the meeting feeling jaded and while the commitment was there for more research, the reality was that more resources and dollars were needed to make that happen.
Tilzey and the others said there was strange sense of déjà vu after a similar trout meeting in 2000 and what was needed was a well-funded research program that was funded to run over many years to get to the bottom of what was happening to the snowy mountain trout populations.
The trout meeting just happened to be held in the final weeks of the brown trout spawning run on the Eucumbene River that was as healthy as ever attracting huge numbers of anglers, with 86 vehicles counted on one spot on the river the day after the meeting.
But symptomatic of the problems, the reports of rainbows being caught that same week in Lake Eucumbene were dismal, prompting lots of speculation including that the healthy wild population of browns were decimating the stocked rainbow populations. | 4,305 | 2,026 | 0.000499 |
warc | 201704 | Nasal Irrigation for Kids – Pediatric Nasal Rinse & Improved Kid’s Neti Pot Alternative
The number of positive changes in a child’s health that accompany consistently using a pediatric nasal rinse can be surprising. Nasal irrigation for kids can improve children’s sleep, nutrition, allergies, asthma, comfort and overall general health. As opposed to the kid’s neti pot, a pediatric nasal rinse doesn’t flood the sinuses for a much more comfortable experience your child can enjoy during and after. The benefits I’ve seen firsthand in my own children’s health leave no doubt that it is well worth using a pediatric nasal rinse. But I’ve also personally encountered the "I can do it myself!" attitude many kids four to six years old possess. Four to six is certainly the "I can do it myself" age - if only they could! Luckily, there are a few tactics I learned in my own experience that can help with your child’s nasal irrigation.
Steps to Successful Nasal Irrigation for 4-6 Year Old Kids
This pediatric nasal rinse is shaped very differently from a kid’s neti pot or nasal spray so you want to begin by allowing your child plenty of play time with the nasal wash bottle to acquire a familiarity with it. It is important to keep in mind that children this age also learn by playing, by exploring and by doing. Nose washing can take place in the bath, the kitchen sink, or even outdoors.
Children this age also like to have an assigned task. Explain why it is important to get the old, thick, crusty mucus out of their nose.
Try a creative, simplistic approach such as the nose being like a cave, with big booger rocks blocking the entrance. Calling the bottle a "booger blaster" adds a little element of excitement and may help your child envision just what his task involves.
Use your nasal wash often and give your child many opportunities to watch you wash your nose with it. Any comments from you regarding, "Boy, that feels good. Now I can breathe," communicates that what you are requesting is a habit you yourself enjoy.
A sticker chart encourages compliance with the daily task and rewards your child's efforts with no nagging on your part.
Make a target out of a plastic plate, with circles marked off in permanent marker, and attach it to the shower wall. Begin by having your child practice aiming the squirt bottle and hitting a bull's eye on the target during bath time each evening for a week or so to prove his aim is good enough to take on the task of nose washing by himself. This will put him into a competitive, self-empowered mood.
Once your child is comfortable, make up an isotonic salt solution and have him gently squirt the solution inside his nose, with lots of praise, whooping, clapping and side-line cheering. Immediately have him climb out of the tub and put his sticker on his reward chart.
It is vitally important to remember that children this age have a very short attention span and need instant feedback and reward. You will have to be consistent in your effort to train him to be consistent in his. It may take some time but this pediatric nasal rinse is the most affordable and effective solution to children’s sinus problems I’ve seen in my professional career. Uncomfortable breathing can affect a child’s life on a daily level and there has been evidence that shows with consistent kid’s nasal irrigation, they might never have to experience that type of discomfort.
There’s no doubt consistent nasal irrigation has made a world of difference in my health and in the lives of my children. Save you and your child time, money and pain and buy Nasopure for kids today.
Be Well, Dr. Hana Hana R. Solomon, M.D. Share your experiences or ask a question drhana@nasopure.com.
Author of Clearing the Air One Nose at a Time, Caring for Your Personal | 3,886 | 1,863 | 0.000551 |
warc | 201704 | Global Health Workers, Police Can’t Handle Bioterror
5
2,005
Reported by Joe Pappalardo
The world community is trying to prepare for a bioterrorism event,
but planning for one is posing a major challenge to law enforcement
and health professionals. Identifying a deliberate outbreak and
catching those responsible will take organization and money that
currently falls short, experts admitted.
While the United Nations has agencies which have the primary responsibility
for monitoring and verifying a chemical or nuclear attack, there
is no similar global organization to deal with a biological attack,
said Ottorino Cosivi, head of the WHO’s preparedness for deliberate
epidemics project.
Bioterrorism events would have a global impact, “do not respect
national boundaries,” and require a worldwide response, Cosivi
told the International Conference of Biosafety and Biorisks in March.
It is up to the World Health Organization to provide surveillance,
assist nations’ efforts to strengthen their health systems
to identify deliberate outbreaks and issue guidelines to keep technical
information compatible during a crisis. Naturally occurring outbreaks,
however, are not part of the WHO mandate, as specified by the World
Health Assembly. That makes identifying the source of an outbreak
important, in terms of law enforcement and medical response.
The WHO relies on the Global Public Health Intelligence Network
(GPHIN) to identify and verify potential outbreaks. GPHIN continuously
monitors more than 10,000 sources of information worldwide, chiefly
from media accounts, looking for indications of an outbreak. Alerts
are then filtered by analysts and disseminated to subscribers around
the globe, who can then investigate. The system is responsible for
the initial reporting of approximately half of all reported events
of potential public health concern to the WHO.
To create a better net to catch emerging threats, the WHO’s
Office for National Epidemic Preparedness and Response, headquartered
in Lyon, France, is coordinating an effort to prepare medical laboratories
for specific, likely bioterror agents.
The bad news is that there are no designated funds for this effort;
it will be financed through grants and contributions from sources
such as foundations and national budgets.
As far as catching those responsible, police across the globe are
likewise unprepared for such investigations, according to Ronald
Noble, secretary general of Interpol.
“There is no criminal threat with greater potential danger
to all countries, regions and people in the world than the threat
of bio-terrorism,” he said. “And there is no crime area
where the police generally have as little training as they do as
in preventing or responding to bio-terrorist attacks.” | 2,858 | 1,463 | 0.000708 |
warc | 201704 | Business is an important entity that provide products and services to customers. You can start a perfect business with deep analysis, strong planning, clear goals and objectives and good implementation. Business involves many stages which should be managed in a timely manner to gain success. There are different elements involved in a business and each of these should be taken seriously and effectively. If you are thinking about building your own business, then here are some important factors you need to consider.
Create a Business that You Love
Most businesses fail because business owners fail to realize that you should love what you do. This means that whatever business you are planning to establish – it should be something that you like or better, you love. This is an important factor in your business journey. You can’t be successful in something that you don’t like doing. This is because, it will be hard for your to work your best. Finding a business that you have passion on is a perfect kick off and would help you become really successful. All things that you will be doing will be a fruit of love and most often than not success is great in this type of businesses.
Establish Your Business Goal.
Think about what activities and procedures you will follow to achieve your business goal, after analyzing all activities and procedures, start working on this and apply all procedures. Your business goal is your main target and it should revolve in the concept of business success. Make sure to identify business objective as well. These objectives are very specific and time-bounded. This will help you chronologically and systematically attain your BIG goals.
Know Your Market.
Buising a business is useless unless you put focus on your market. Your market is the fuel of your business. Your target market is your main focus and all your efforts should be intended for them.
Apart from that, see to it that you know your competitors. This will help you gauge and compare your products and services. You need to keep up if not be on top. Competing in the market is a challenge but this is great. Because competition is great for every business. It provides an opportunity for companies to do better and do everything possible to make the consumers happy.
Excellent Service
Our passion should always be to deliver our service on time with high quality. So we have to choose the right product or service to build our business. This in turn can create loyal and satisfied customers, besides they are the main focus of the business. Again, as long as you love what you do this will radiant and create happy customers. Your happy customers will inturn bring more business to you.
Valuable Resources
Next, you need to seek for valuable resources that are most important to increase productivity of your business. Your resources are the raw elements which makes your products and services stand out. Your staff are also your valuable resource. Implement high standards in all these aspects so you develop top notch products and services.
Managing Business Operations effectively
Maintain professionalism at all times. Managing your business operations is not an easy thing to do. Especially for large scale businesses. That is why it is important that you are well-informed and you know everything that involves management. Management is a core factor in a business. Without proper management, all things fail. Hence, make sure that you implement an effective and goal-oriented process.
You may face issues while running your business but as operation team leader you have to analyze what are weakness and issues in your business and continue to take wise decisions to solve them. | 3,722 | 1,667 | 0.000605 |
warc | 201704 | Properties and Benefits of Copper: Being a trace mineral, copper is pivotal for the good functioning of the human body. We require very little amounts of the mineral to deliver crucial physiological functions on which life itself relies. Fish, giblets, nuts, legumes (beans, peas), cereals, vegetables and fruits all provide good amounts of the mineral. Most of the copper reserves in our body are stored in the liver, but traces can be found throughout the rest of the body as well.
In addition to dietary sources, copper is available as a food supplement as well and can be found mostly in multivitamin complexes. As a food supplement of its own, it is available in pill form, as a topical gel, even powder or as a ‘bracelet’. Despite claims, the health benefits of copper bracelets are not yet confirmed.
Copper from both dietary sources and food supplements boasts numerous health benefits like supporting the growth process, ensuring proper use of iron, participating in enzymatic reactions, in the formation of connective tissue, in
slowing down the aging process, aiding in energy production and promoting healthy hair and eyes. Overall, its activity is essential for keeping us in good health.
Promoting normal metabolic processes in association with amino acids and vitamins is another very important function of the mineral. Because it
cannot be produced by the human body, copper needs to be supplied by diet or food supplements in case of a more severe deficiency. Considering that it is the third most widespread mineral in the body, it is vital that we meet our daily needs.
Copper deficiency can manifest itself through a variety of symptoms such as premature hair graying, low body temperature, enlarged veins, low white blood cell count, frequent infections and poor immunity response to infectious agents, irregular heartbeat, brittle bones, osteoporosis, birth defects and thyroid problems.
Despite not receiving as much attention as calcium, zinc or iron, copper is pivotal for keeping in good health. Here is
how copper can help with various health issues: 1) Pigmentation of hair and eyes. Copper is an essential element of the natural pigment called melanin, responsible for skin, hair and eyes color. Melanin is produced by melanocytes only in the presence of copper. A copper deficit will lead to premature hair graying. This can be avoided or delayed either by consuming copper-rich foods or by taking multivitamin complexes.
Also, with old age comes an interesting feature: our eyes may start to discolour. A premature installment of this process is a sign of premature aging and it can be delayed or slowed down as a result of a healthy diet, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (especially copper).
2) Bactericidal properties. Scientific studies suggest that copper can inhibit and even destroy the growth of dangerous bacteria such as E. coli. According to a study conducted by Professor Bill Keevil, Head of the Microbiology Group and Director of the Environmental Healthcare Unit at the University of Southampton, several strains of the bacteria have died within minutes of their exposure to copper. 3) Thyroid gland. It would appear that copper supports the activity of the thyroid gland ( Zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium metabolism in thyroid disease). In addition to this, more than 50 different enzymes involved in various biological reactions within our body rely on copper to operate properly. Conclusion. Copper, just like every other essential nutrient, lives in a fragile balance with other vitamins and dietary minerals. Ensuring an adequate intake of every nutrient, copper included, helps our body make better use of other vitamins and minerals, contributing to better health. Too much or too little of any nutrient may have our body absorb either more or less of others, disrupting the fragile balance that keeps us as healthy as can be. | 3,918 | 1,888 | 0.000533 |
warc | 201704 | Federal Bill Aims to Speed OTC Birth Control Efforts
May 17, 2016
In terms of costs, the
National Center for Policy Analysis has argued that transitioning birth control to OTC would lower prices precipitously and result in dramatic savings, similarly to when proton pump inhibitors made the jump from prescription-only to OTC. Additionally, estimates from the Consumer Healthcare Products Association suggest that consumers save between $6 and $7 in prescription costs in unnecessary physician visits for every $1 spent on an OTC product.
Browse more articles on Health Issues | 582 | 384 | 0.002631 |
warc | 201704 | Study: Kids with working moms not developmentally harmed
Monday, August 9, 2010
Babies raised by working mothers don't necessarily suffer cognitive setbacks, according to a new Columbia University study.
As reported in the Washington Post, researchers measuring the entire effect of maternal employment on childhood development found "that the overall effect of 1st-year maternal employment on child development is neutral.”
Based on data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care, which followed more than 1,000 children through first grade, the Columbia University study found infants raised by mothers with full-time jobs scored somewhat lower on cognitive tests, deficits that persisted into first grade. But that negative effect was offset by several positives: working mothers had higher income and were more likely to seek high-quality childcare; they also displayed greater "maternal sensitivity,” the Post reported.
Those positives canceled out the negatives, the study concluded. "We can say now, from this study, what we couldn't say before: There's a slight risk, and here's the three things that you, Mom, can do to make a difference,” Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, the lead author, told the newspaper. "This particular research has a positive message for mothers that the earlier research didn't.”
The study, "First-Year Maternal Employment and Child Development in the First 7 Years,” reaffirmed that women who work full time in the first year of motherhood risk mild developmental harm to their children. Part-time employment and full-time employment after the first year have no negative effect.
A mother with a full-time job may not provide an infant "the kinds of intensive interaction that babies require,” needs that diminish in the toddler years, Brooks-Gunn told the newspaper. High-quality childcare also is hard to find for an infant. The new study suggests mothers can decide, without guilt, "whether they want to stay home with their children,” Greg Duncan, a scholar at the University of California at Irvine, who is president of the Society for Research in Child Development, said. | 2,201 | 1,097 | 0.000933 |
warc | 201704 | QUEENSLAND parents are the target of a new push by the State Government to increase vaccination rates.
Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said the State Government’s vaccination strategy would focus on adult booster shots following recent outbreaks of measles in Queensland and concerns that unvaccinated parents could potentially pass on diseases to their newborns.
“There is benefit in a whole proactive campaign of booster shots in the community and making it easier for people to do that,’’ Mr Springborg told
The Courier Mail. “That would boost the community level of immunisation generally.
“In particular, we will look at greater awareness of boosters for diseases such as measles, and how we can make it easier for people to do that.’’
Queensland Health last week announced an outbreak of six cases of measles, taking this year’s total to 33.
The state’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said while most adults were fairly well covered from childhood vaccinations, it was important they kept up to date on measles.
Any adult born in 1966 or after who hadn’t had two doses of the measles vaccine needed to visit their GP to receive a free shot, she said.
“People can go overseas and bring it in,’’ she said. “And measles is so infectious that if you are not vaccinated it is likely that you will get it.”
She said it was also important for mothers-to-be to have a pertussis booster to protect their newborns from contracting whooping cough.
Brad and Sarah Aldred know first-hand the cost of parents not vaccinating their children.
Their daughter Maya, 5, contracted whooping cough from a child who was not vaccinated because the child’s parents did not believe in the practice.
Maya had not yet had her full round of pertussis (whooping cough) vaccinations when she contracted the disease at age 2.
Mum Sarah said it was very hard to watch Maya so ill. The disease lasted months and caused many sleepless nights for the whole family.
“Maya came in contact with a child we know whose parents don’t believe in vaccinations and their child had whooping cough,’’ Sarah said.
“It wasn’t even a thought not to vaccinate – that’s what you do to protect your child and the other children they come into contact with,’’ Mrs Aldred said.
“Our frustrations were that we had to carry the ‘cost’ of someone else not immunising their child even though we’d kept all our immunisations current.
“This included costs of medicine, leave from work, late nights attending to her and most importantly, a very sick little girl.”
Originally published asPush for parent booster shots | 2,759 | 1,307 | 0.00082 |
warc | 201704 | (Life by DailyBurn) -- Every exercise in your strength program has a purpose -- to help you build strength and muscle, burn fat, and improve your fitness. While there's a time and a place for nearly any exercise under the right circumstance, some movements are simply more effective than others. And it should be no surprise that the ones that build a foundation for skills that you'll use in real life will be the most beneficial for improving your fitness and quality of life.
So how does a lifter ensure they're making all the right moves? If you've plateaued or just aren't seeing the results you're banking on, it's time to get back to basics with these seven moves. From increased strength, better core stability, greater athleticism, and improved overall health, these key...
Read more | 796 | 481 | 0.00209 |
warc | 201704 | We mistakenly think that touch occurs on the periphery of our self, a skin thing. But truthfully each surface stimulus travels far into the most hidden interior landscapes of our self, traversing long nerve cells right through the buried spinal core to enter and gather in the deep folds of our brain. It's not by accident that our skin and brain each are generated from a single ectodermic substance, cascading outwards and inwards as we grow in the womb, because right at the very root and origin of us, we are built to connect the inner and outer worlds.
Slightly older children typically find ways to build a huge, varied diet of touch into their lives. From, at the rough end of the spectrum, tumbling unexpectedly onto their parents' shoulders, rolling on the floor with siblings, wrestling with friends, to cuddling, sitting on knees, being carried, s...
Read more | 875 | 515 | 0.001951 |
warc | 201704 | The following is adapted from a speech the author gave at the Whiting Writers’ Awards on March 5th.
When I had just finished my schooling and was looking for a job, a friend put me in touch with an absurdly well-connected British biographer who, she assured me, would help me find the professional position of my dreams. I wrote and asked him whether we might meet, explaining that I would appreciate his advice on securing literary work and enclosing some of my early efforts. He duly invited me for tea. The advice I had in mind sounded like this: “You must call so-and-so at this number and say I suggested it and he will publish you and give you loads of money.” After giving me a cup of weak tea—no sandwiches, no pastry, not even sugar or milk—he said, “I have only one piece of advice for you. Have a vision and cleave to it.” We then discussed the weather for twenty minutes.
While I, unlike that biographer, am an artesian font of utilitarian suggestions, I can now see that being asked to comment on young brilliance is an explicit invitation to pomposity. I have done my best to R.S.V.P. in the negative. The proximate, tacit call to romanticism is harder for me to resist. While all old people have been young, no young people have been old, and this troubling fact engenders the frustration of all parents and elders, which is that while you can describe your experience you cannot confer it. It’s tempting, nonetheless, to pose as an expert—and in another way it’s tempting to say, ‘I know nothing that you don’t already know.’ Neither of those postures is right. Every stage of life longs for others. When one is young and eager, one aspires to maturity, and everyone older would like nothing better than to be young. We have equal things to teach each other. Life is most transfixing when you are awake to diversity, not only of ethnicity, ability, gender, belief, and sexuality but also of age and experience. The worst mistake anyone can make is to perceive anyone else as lesser. The deeper you look into other souls—and writing is primarily an exercise in doing just that—the clearer people’s inherent dignity becomes. So I would like to be young again—for the obvious dermatological advantages, and because I would like to recapture who I was before the clutter of experience made me a bit more sagacious and exhausted. What I’d really like, in fact, is to be young and middle-aged, and perhaps even very old, all at the same time—and to be dark- and fair-skinned, deaf and hearing, gay and straight, male and female. I can’t do that in life, but I can do it in writing, and so can you. Never forget that the truest luxury is imagination, and that being a writer gives you the leeway to exploit all of the imagination’s curious intricacies, to be what you were, what you are, what you will be, and what everyone else is or was or will be, too.
I want to take a moment to talk about the middle of things. The middle of things is less exciting than the beginning and less dramatic than the end. Middles can seem humdrum. Say that your current relationship to writing has been like falling in love: we exalt falling in love as the finest of all possible experiences. But the reason people marry and stay married is that the middle, when it can be made to work, far outclasses the beginning. Ask people who have been happily married for a decade or two whether they would like to start all over again, and you’ll find that they mostly wouldn’t, even if some are tempted by the occasional dalliance. It gets to be that way with your writing, too, as you get an ever-clearer sense of what interests you, what you can do, what you’d like to be able to do. Your mature work is the outcome of your early work: that there can be no meaningful middle without a meaningful beginning. But the middle is as joyous as enduring love.
In thinking about this address, I returned to Rilke’s “Letters to a Young Poet,” the ultimate expression of intergenerational literary wisdom. If you’ve never read these letters, then do. They are worth reading while you are young so that you can imagine yourself as the recipient of this brilliance; they are worth reading when you are old as a measure of what your own acumen ought to approach. One of Rilke’s injunctions is easy to follow: “Read as little as possible of literary criticism.” I’m going to pass that one along unmediated. But others warrant a closer reading. The most famous passage is this:
Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms, or books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.
The insight is tremendous, but he has it backwards. Belief in answers can get you through your early days, while the belief in questions, which is so much less tangible, takes a long time to arrive at. To know more is simply a matter of industry; to accept what you will never know is trickier. The belief that questions are precious whether or not they have answers is the hallmark of a mature writer, not the naïve blessing of a beginner.
Of writing itself, Rilke wrote: “Depict your sorrows and desires, your passing thoughts and beliefs in some kind of beauty—depict all that with heartfelt, quiet, humble sincerity; and use to express yourself the things that surround you, the images of your dreams and the objects of your memory. If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself, tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches; for to the creator there is no poverty and no poor or unimportant place.” All writers know this problem. A poor workman blames his tools, and we have only two: language and experience. Neither one is so poor as to hamper our ability to do what we dream of. The use of language gets taught at M.F.A. programs nationwide. The use of experience is far more elusive, a long-term game not easily won. Experience poses the questions we are asked to live, and our writing is the mere shadow of an answer.
Rilke adds, “Things aren’t all so tangible and sayable as people would usually have us believe; most experiences are unsayable, they happen in a space that no word has ever entered, and more unsayable than all other things are works of art, those mysterious existences, whose life endures beside our own small, transitory life.” That’s not far off base, but, of course, the writer’s job is to say those things that appear unsayable, to cloak with language those volatile experiences that seem barely able to endure it.
Rilke has written, “Search for the cause, find the impetus that bids you write. Put it to this test: Does it stretch out its roots in the deepest place of your heart? Can you avow that you would die if you were forbidden to write? Above all, in the most silent hour of your night, ask yourself this: Must I write? Dig deep into yourself for a true answer. And if it should ring its assent, if you can confidently meet this serious question with a simple, ‘I must,’ then build your life upon it.” That rhetoric of urgency is the credo of most writers: we may be on this path for profit, for fame, for catharsis—but, more fundamentally, we are there because it seems the only possibility.
Rilke goes on, “It is clear that we must trust what is difficult; everything alive trusts in it, everything in Nature grows and defends itself any way it can and is spontaneously itself, tries to be itself at all costs and against all opposition. We know little, but that we must trust in what is difficult is a certainty that will never abandon us; it is good to be solitary, for solitude is difficult; that something is difficult must be one more reason for us to do it.” The Romantic sublime entails the exchange of easier for more difficult pleasures. This is an attractive bargain only when more difficult pleasures are more propitious than less difficult ones. What Rilke is suggesting is not simply that we give up easier pleasures because the best things in life happen to be difficult, but rather that the difficulty itself is what makes those efforts so rewarding—that we need not merely endure difficulty to get to a goal, but must understand difficulty as part of the goal. That sounds masochistic, but it is masochistic only insofar as the act of writing is masochistic: insofar as the burdensome activity of marrying words to experience is a source of pain as well as pleasure.
To be an artist means: not to calculate and count; to grow and ripen like a tree which does not hurry the flow of its sap and stands at ease in the spring gales without fearing that no summer may follow. It will come. But it comes only to those who are patient, who are simply there in their vast, quiet tranquility, as if eternity lay before them.
This is what I will say to you most urgently: there are many obvious differences between middle age and youth, between having lived more and done more and being newly energized and fresh to the race. But the greatest difference is patience. Youth is notoriously impatient, even though there is no need for impatience early on, when people have the time to be patient. In middle age, the wisdom of patience seems more straightforward, but there aren’t so many days left. But Rilke is correct that we must all write as though eternity lay before us. Enjoy the flexibility that span of eternity offers. The discourse between the young and the nostalgic retains some of its inherent poetry in the form of a longing intimacy. The freshness of younger people awakens memories in older ones—because though you, young writers, are yourselves at the brink of your own future, you evoke the past for those who came before you.
Some of Rilke’s advice seems obscure today, while some of it has been followed so often and so deeply that it sounds banal. But some of it is prescient. Today, we have no choice but to live the questions, because the prospective answers have burgeoned. We no longer expect much sense of the world. Deferring to that incoherence can feel dizzying, and there is an urge to simplify, but simplicity is often a mistake: not pure but reductive. Your work is not opposed to your life; you do not have to choose between them. It is only by living in the world that you acquire the ability to represent it. I am addicted to artists’ residencies, to sequestering myself to concentrate, to the vision that comes in silence, to Rilke’s vaunted solitude—but not to the exclusion of the engagement that gives you things to say. Try not to let your words outstrip your experience.
Never suppose that the humorous is the enemy of the serious. Middles can get ponderous, weighted down with their own importance. Lightness is a gift of the beginning—try to keep it with you for the whole stretch. Much press redounds to hate speech, which can instigate destruction. But even hate speech brings its point of view up from the darkness. To hate hatred is too abstract for men and women; that is the job of the angels. To hate the language of hatred is well within our powers. Learn that selective vitriol.
We are flooded with new technologies of representation and communication. There will be unforeseeable innovations in the course of your lifetimes, as surprising to you as online culture remains for many people my age. When I was a kid, I assumed that there would be colonies on the moon by now, but if you had told me that I could carry a small object in my pocket that would allow me to speak with and see anyone in the world, that could give me directions to anyplace I wanted to go, that would contain my favorite music, and that could allow me to access information on any topic, not to mention most of world literature, I’d have laughed at the absurd notion. As you ripen, you’ll notice that time is the weirdest thing in the world, that these surprises are relentless, and that getting older is not a stroll but an ambush.
Despite every advancement, language remains the defining nexus of our humanity; it is where our knowledge and hope lie. It is the precondition of human tenderness, mightier than the sword but also infinitely more subtle and ultimately more urgent. Remember that writing things down makes them real; that it is nearly impossible to hate anyone whose story you know; and, most of all, that even in our post-postmodern era, writing has a moral purpose. With twenty-six shapes arranged in varying patterns, we can tell every story known to mankind, and make up all the new ones—indeed, we can do so in most of the world’s known tongues. If you can give language to experiences previously starved for it, you can make the world a better place.
I used to say that my books were my children, but now that I have actual children I’ve found that books are by comparison rather pliable and accommodating, if somewhat less affectionate. I can speak to you lightly about time, about getting to be middle-aged, about having a vision and cleaving to it. But in some ways I failed to have such a vision. I grew up in a time when my current life was unimaginable, in a time before gay marriage, a time before people like me could have children, and my ignorance of what was to come engendered a paralytic sadness that has turned out to be irrelevant. I don’t know what you may presume impossible, but I can say that some of it will turn out otherwise. Equally, I can say that forms of justice that seem unshakably strong will fall apart while you aren’t looking. Since I was your age, women’s reproductive rights have eroded steadily, anti-immigrant resentments have surged, and incidents of appalling racism have gripped the national conscience even since we reëlected our first African-American President. I wish I could tell you which issues will move forward surprisingly fast and which will slip unaccountably backward. There will be surprises in store on both fronts. All I know for sure is that those twenty-six shapes are what we have to defend our liberty and sustain our hope. | 14,564 | 6,613 | 0.000155 |
warc | 201704 | While everyone is watching the social media memes erupting on Twitter and Facebook around the presidential campaigns, the question remains how social media can enhance governing to provide regular government operations with a human face. In my conversations with social media directors I hear one expression over and over: “You have to be where the people are,” which reinforces the idea that social media is necessary to reach audiences where they prefer to receive official government information.
This is easier said than done, especially because the mission of most agencies does not necessarily include engagement goals. Instead, most mission statements are fully focusing on broadcasting -- providing scientific information to the public, informing the public about a policy issue or educating the public.
Translating these mission statement into social media interactions often ends up employing push tactics: Social media channels are used in highly static formats to push press-release style messages out through additional channels beyond the official agency website. But social media has the potential to be used for more than one-directional broadcasting. Many highly innovative agencies have shown that interaction and online conversations with the public are possible – if they have the right social media policies in place.
Recently, truly engaging and highly creative social media tactics emerged that give government agencies a human face in very unlikely places. Take for example the recent landing of the NASA’s Curiosity Rover on Mars. The landing itself and the reactions of JPL’s employees in the control room were broadcast worldwide, inspiring many online memes that went well beyond just the landing. The Internet community was inspired by mundane side effects such as flight director Bobak Ferdowsi’s haircut, a.k.a the “Mohawk guy,” which resulted in many Tumblr posts and JPL team’s awkward high fives inspired a YouTube dance and song: We're NASA and We Know It.
NASA social media use has kept the curiosity about the rover alive even after the usually short-lived Internet memes. Three NASA social media managers are tweeting on behalf of the rover to give her (yes, it’s a she!) a human face. Speaking in the first person about her daily experiences, using movie, popculture references and Tweetspeak, they catapulted her Twitter follower number to over 1 million users within a 20-day time period.
NASA has always had a great sense of involving audiences fascinated with space and tapped into the fan base of TV shows such as Star Trek or Enterprise. As an example, NASA organized Tweetups during space shuttle starts and landings; astronauts tweeted from space and the public was allowed to interact directly with the agency’s stars. Even before the social media era, other NASA missions inspired the public with glimpses into the world of science. Take, for example, Hubble -- also known as the people’s telescope. Until it’s flawed mirror and subsequent decommission, Hubble provided the public with inspirational space pictures and videos and NASA allowed the public to book time using the telescope.
Other government agencies are not far behind in using social media platforms in imaginative ways to connect to audiences they would otherwise not reach or who would not make use of government information. Take the U.S. Geological Survey’s ingenious use of social media, for example. USGS is well known in the social media sphere for their Internet community maps to measure the impact of earthquakes and display Tweets on a geographic map. As USGS states on its website: “We can get a more complete description of what people experienced, the effects of the earthquake and the extent of damage than traditional ways of gathering felt information.” Now on to the Muppet movie: USGS social media strategists picked up a reference from the Muppet movie and connected it to explanations their scientists can provide. An ingenious connection: Government agencies using their data and expertise to provide insights into geological procedures that are referenced in a popular movie and provide a public service by helping movie viewers understand the reference.
Another agency capturing current pop culture references and using social media to reach out to broader audiences is the Center for Disease Control. Using the Zombie Preparedness tool kit, the CDC uses popular zombie and werewolf references to get the attention the population not watching TV ads or listening to emergency announcements on the radio, because they receive their information and news through their friends on networks such as Twitter or Facebook, according to a recent Pew report:
These examples show that government agencies can use social media channels in unexpected ways to connect government data and operations directly to popular events. They are tapping into social awareness streams, linking data to questions the public is focused on and engage with elements of the population that might otherwise be disconnected from government.
Another important side effect is that the public is more likely to understand the reasons and impacts of large-scale expenses for technology policies or might in the future support additional spending for an agency’s mission. Especially in times of budget crunches and massive budget cuts, giving an agency a human face, being part of the ongoing conversation and providing insights into the importance of the agency’s mission might help to gain public support. NASA rover landing has certainly inspired the President to promise his ongoing support to the JPL budget in a recent phone call mentioning the Mohawk guy meme. | 5,769 | 2,589 | 0.000393 |
warc | 201704 | The Millennial Moment The Next Generation is Here — At Least Some of Them. Just Who are these New Nightlifers, and What Do They Want from You?
Generation X, numbering 44 million and aged 33 to 45, may have shaped the modern nightlife scene, but they were a mere foreshadowing of things to come. When you consider that the oldest of the Baby Boomers, which number 77 million, is now 64 years old, the great nocturnal spectrum of bars, clubs and lounges now belongs to a whole new crowd — one that takes its name from the recent turn of the millennium, and in whose collective hands the fortunes of many a food and beverage and entertainment entrepreneur depend.
Also known as Generation Y and the Echo Boomers, Millennials are generally considered those born between 1978 and 2000, and they are to the contemporary bar and club scene what their Boomer parents were to the previous good-time era. They have usurped their parents as the prime demographic that nightlife venue owners and operators must win over to be profitable and relevant in business now and in years to come.
What savvy operators will want to note is that this younger generation is only halfway here in the nightlife world, as a good portion of the Millennials are still below the legal drinking age. While X-ers were a force to be reckoned with in nightlife by their sheer numbers alone, the Millennial generation — in position to be predominant on-premise for at least the next two decades — may be even more of a prize for those in the hospitality trade who can tap into the wants, needs and desires of this new generation as they evolve.
According to Bruce Tulgan, founder of Rainmaker Thinking Inc. and author of Not Everyone Gets A Trophy: How To Manage Generation Y, the attention spirits purveyors and nightclub brands alike are focusing on Millennials is one of the few bright spots in the ongoing economic downturn.
By all accounts, Millennials love nightlife as much, if not more, than the highly sociable Gen X. And not only are they educated and appreciative of spirits and creative cocktailing, but Millennials also display a taste for fine wine as well as imported and craft beer. Indeed, this very Echo generation is driving the steady growth of the craft beer segment to high single digit rates annually in the past decade and raising the profile and the profit margins on wine by the glass and the bottle at the bar. Perhaps best of all, though, Millennials can be reached easily through mass — and therefore less cost-prohibitive — social marketing.
Reaching the Techies
Millennials have a clear and comprehensive understanding of technology, Tulgan asserts, and this has revolutionized communications and marketing strategies that were not even possible with Boomers in their heyday. And as a direct result, he concludes, Millennials are a much better bargain from a marketing cost standpoint.
“Technology has become more and more complex, but it’s also far easier to use. Social networking and other menu-driven, Internet-based technology allow multiple users to collaborate by using collaborative software. These technologies makes info tech easier to navigate,” Tulgan explains, noting that Millennials are extremely comfortable with these technologies and applications. Courting them via social networking and apps reaps big rewards for purveyors of food, drink and entertainment.
Arturo Gomez, president of Chicago’s Rockit Ranch Productions, uses social networking to reach the Millennial clientele of his Chicago venues: The Underground, two Rockit Bar & Grill locations and the upscale Sunda lounge/restaurant. “Facebook and Twitter have become the dominant means of marketing to [Millennials] at our venues, as are other online advertising avenues,” he says. “Let’s face it, this group is having a very difficult time finding work post-college, and they are spending more and more time looking for options on the Web.”
In a generational context, Tulgan says this prime bar- and club-going demographic tends to think short term. “They respond to brief, straight, simple messages that allow them to get more information.” The best way to appeal to them, he adds, is to convey a very clear value proposition. But, he warns, don’t force yourself into speaking their language. One of the quickest ways to turn off a member of this sophisticated, tech-savvy tribe ofbar/club patrons is to attempt to try too hard in relating to them and subsequently fall short. It’s crucial for bars and nightclubs to cater to Millennials, as the Rockit Bar & Grill in Chicago does. The demographic totals about 78 million, many of whom are already of legal drinking age.
“Sometimes, folks make a big mistake in trying to imitate their shorthand text message style. In trying to copy the latest thing, you are in great danger of becoming the joke. You can put yourself behind the curve and become an object of ridicule,” Tulgan explains.
High-Quality Demands
For club owners today, Gomez says the technological astuteness Millennials possess can be something of a double-edged sword. “To a certain extent Millennials have always been adverse to bad service, but now, because of the communication that exists on social networks, they are not tolerating anything but the best.”
This makes it vital to give Millennials optimal, personalized service, not only because they demand (and deserve) it but because they will share their experiences — especially bad ones — quickly on the Internet via sites like Yelp and Chowhound, or even a nightclub’s own website chat feed.
Allowing them to personalize their own surroundings and party experience is paramount to success with this age group, Tulgan says. “To them, uniqueness is everything, so they want to customize anything and everything they can. Their attitude is, ‘While I am there, I want to be able to shape the space.’”
But personalizing the experience goes far beyond just moving around chairs and couches — it extends to creating an energetic atmosphere. Whether it’s his 4,000-square-foot, 300-person-capacity nightclub The Underground, or his 12,000- and 5,700-square-foot Rockit Bar & Grill locations in Chicago’s River North and Wrigleyville neighborhoods, Gomez says the brick and mortar design of his concepts are not nearly as important as the intangible elements in place.
“For us, the buildings are great designs, but they are physical shells. Anyone can construct that,” he says. “What sets us apart and appeals to Generation Y is the energy within the spaces.”
The Underground, a Chicago nightclub from Rockit Ranch Productions, packs younger patrons in the club through the assistance of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Rockit Ranch Productions’ direct approach in delivering an elevated experience includes everything from operating hours that conform to the lifestyle of Millennials to price sensitivity in staging weekend and special events. “We make sure that our sponsored events are free. Our strategy is to get bodies through the door with big-name DJs, and product launches for new sprits as well as new technologies. We try to keep it as dynamic as humanly possible. That is a necessity with a nightclub. It has to be continually evolving to stay exciting.”
Selling What Works
Mike Ginley, a spirits industry veteran and founder of Westport, Conn.-based Next Level Marketing, understands Millennials’ wants and needs in his role as a sales and marketing counselor to spirits brands such as SKYY, Jim Beam and Patrón.
His method to get to the core of this generation is through ongoing online consumer surveys. By studying the brands that skew high or low on the sales charts in a given setting, Ginley discerns if a venue is reaching the Millennial demographic or missing the target.
Millennials are “all about discovering new spirits and cocktails. So, if you see one of their ‘discovery brands’ skewed lower, then you can assume that the venue is not bringing in the new, younger customers,” he says.
Because of their younger age and appearance than some other patrons in bars and nightclubs, Ginley notes that Millennials tend to gravitate to the spirits side of the beverage trilogy in order to appear a bit older and more sophisticated. True to character, at least before the most recent recession took hold, they generally would order the most expensive drink on the specialty cocktail menu when visiting a venue for the first time.
Yet Ginley says presuming Millennials are cost or status driven from such buying behavior is missing an important aspect of their collective makeup: “Millennials are trend and taste driven. Patrons in their 50s like to drink simple, non-flavored drinks, but Millennials are flavor centric.”
In particular, Millennials gravitate to the tequila, rum and vodka categories, Ginley says. “They don’t start out drinking Cognac.” For bar owners and managers, their unique taste palate is well served by flavored Martinis with elaborate garnishes. “It’s about flavor and color. Millennials have much broader preferences than Generation X-ers, and they are open to all of the innovative combinations of tastes and the different fusions going on behind the bar. Right now, it’s not enough to have one Margarita on a cocktail list. You really have to diversify. A good beverage menu needs four or five Margaritas, minimum.”
One example of brand success in connecting with Millennials of late is Sauza’s Hornitos Tequila, a brand that targets adults in their mid-20s to low 30s, according to the company. Ginley says Millennials have adopted this brand as one of their own because of its high-end taste and value. Other spirit categories, too, are bringing Millennials on board by adding a more contemporary spin to traditional brands. Red Stag by Jim Beam is a black cherry bourbon that is “right on trend,” Ginley says. “They took an older category and gave it a hipper image by infusing it with black cherry [flavor]. From a marketing standpoint, they teamed up with Kid Rock, who is promoting it at his concerts.”
In his 13 years in the nightclub, bar and restaurant trade, Gomez has watched Millennials come into their own as savvy consumers who set the pace in the on-premise industry in some ways yet mirror the tastes and preferences of Gen X-ers in others. “The younger demographic has been so informed by what Generation X has cultivated in nightlife. We created a movement that has left a lasting impression on how people want to party.” And keep in mind: The fact that they want to party and socialize is something that will stick, no matter what the generation.
NCB Our Heroes!
Spirits, wine and beer suppliers and marketers are all looking to Millennials as the generation that will resuscitate the on-premise drinks business in the next year or so. During the VIBE Conference in Las Vegas in March, executives from three industry associations pointed to the generation as the one to court.
Currently, 14.9 percent of the legal drinking age (LDA) population is in the sweet spot for beer – 21 to 27 years old – and numbers 29.4 million; as Millennials age and more come into LDA, the environment for beer on-premise should improve, according to Lester Jones, chief economist for the Beer Institute. “There’s a good demographic coming our way,” he noted.
In fact, an estimated 20 million Millennials have not yet reached LDA. That’s good news, given that consumers in their 20s appear to be developing sophisticated palates and beverage portfolios faster than previous generations.
John Gillespie, founding partner of Wine Partners, said Wine Market Council research shows 21 percent of LDA Millennials studied are “core” wine drinkers, meaning they drink wine at least once a week (on average); 21 percent of Gen Xers and 37 percent of Boomers are core wine drinkers. At this rate, Millennials may be a generation with a greater number of wine aficionados than its predecessors, Gillespie said. And that’s not to say wine snobs, but rather people who understand wine and enjoy a variety of wines as part of their regular imbibing habits.
On the spirits front, David Ozgo, senior vice president, economic and strategic analysis for the Distilled Spirits Council of U.S. (DISCUS), sees the on-premise market as key to future growth of the spirits industry. Millennials are indeed a crucial target audience for restaurants, bars and nightclubs. But consider that the generation is well-schooled in the ways of socializing in the “third place” — places other than home and work/school — thanks to Starbucks and fast-casual concepts such as Panera Bread that encourage lingering with free Wi-Fi and comfortable settings, and it’s obvious that Millennials will likely drive the on-premise drinks business for the foreseeable future.
“Happy days may soon be here again,” Ozgo quipped.
— Donna Hood Crecca | 13,240 | 5,975 | 0.000173 |
warc | 201704 | Considering Opting Out of PARCC? Make Sure You Get Your Lawn Sign The opt-out movement gets organized, while the administration comes up with its own strategies to keep students in seats
A year ago, the movement for families to opt out of the then-brand-new PARCC tests was gaining ground in many districts and had the Christie administration on the defensive over what it and local schools should do.
For PARCC’s second year, which starts for elementary-school students next week, the statewide debate has been less raucous. And in a small sampling of districts, educators are saying they are not seeing anything like last year’s numbers.
But the debate is still going on, and feelings still run high when it comes to PARCC (Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers). A union-led group named New Jersey Kids and Families has helped organize communities across the state, including public forums.
The group, which is funded by the New Jersey Education Association, the state's dominant teachers union, has also printed and distributed 1,000 lawn signs “Our Family Refuses PARCC.” Another thousand signs are on the way.
“While New Jersey Kids and Families can speak for educators, the focus of the group is to support parents in their organizing efforts,” read an article posted the NJEA.
At the same time, Save Our Schools NJ has continued its grassroots campaign against state testing as a whole. And while it explicitly says it doesn’t support families oping out, it’s certainly not doing much to discourage the protests.
“We oppose high-stakes standardized tests because they are destructive to equity and to high-quality public education,” read a statement from SOS-NJ emailed yesterday. “Many of our organizers and members are refusing the tests for their children.
“More broadly, we want parents to have accurate and complete information so they can make the best decisions for their children,” it continued.
It’s hard to gauge at this point whether last year’s surge in opt outs will be replicated this year.The state never provided an exact count or even estimate of families opting out last year, saying it does not collect that data. But more than 130,000 students did not take the tests for whatever reasons, a figure exponentially higher in than previous years.
Those results prompted the Christie administration to step up its communications to districts as to what it says are the importance of the tests. It also pressed districts to complete improvement plans to get more students into the tests, including holding small-group meetings with parents.
The state released a variety of resources to districts, including an “action plan development guide” for meeting participation targets.
And a campaign called NJ Scores has been launched in specific districts under the banner of We Raise New Jersey, a coalition of school and other groups in favor of the testing.
“Now that we’re entering the second year of PARCC testing, educators and parents are seeing the benefits of PARCC,” said state Education Commissioner David Hespe in releasing the test results last month.
“They see it’s the most effective assessment tool the state has ever had, and they see how it can help improve teaching and learning in ways that our old tests never could. And that’s precisely where the focus should be: Improving the education we provide to children.”
The state cannot make good on a threat to withhold funding to a district or school high rates of refusal, thanks to a new state law that prohibits such penalties. | 3,679 | 1,797 | 0.000578 |
warc | 201704 | By giving us your feedback, you can help improve your www.NOAA.gov experience. This short, anonymous survey only takes just a few minutes to complete 11 questions. Thank you for your input!Give my feedback
November 16, 2010
Right whales.
High resolution (Credit: NOAA)
NOAA today announced it is issuing notices of violations proposing civil administrative penalties against seven vessels for allegedly violating seasonal speed limits designed to protect one of the most endangered whales in the world. These civil administrative penalties are the first assessed since the Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule was enacted on Dec. 9, 2008.
Because there are as few as 350 North Atlantic right whales still in existence, the whales are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. The Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule restricts vessels of 65 feet or greater to speeds of 10 knots or less in seasonal management areas along the East Coast.
The NOVAs issued this week focus on vessels that allegedly traveled multiple times through the seasonal management areas for right whales at speeds well in excess of the 10 knots allowed under the regulations.
Right whale and calf.
High resolution (Credit: NOAA)
Penalty assessments in these NOVAs range from $16,500 to $49,500, depending on the frequency of the violations. The ships' owners and operators have 30 days to respond to NOVAs by paying the assessed penalty, seeking to have it modified, or requesting a hearing before an administrative law judge.
These seasonal management areas went into effect Nov. 1 in areas from Rhode Island to Brunswick, Ga., and went into effect yesterday for areas from Brunswick, Ga., to St. Augustine, Fla. Designed to reduce the chances of right whales being injured or killed by ships, the speed restrictions are based on the migration pattern of right whales and are in effect through April 30 each year. Maps of these areas and a compliance guide are available at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/shipstrike
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) focused on outreach during the rule’s first season, sending letters to alleged violators to educate them about the new federal regulation. The Notices of Violation and Assessment (NOVAs) issued by NOAA’s Office of General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation yesterday involve alleged violations of the speed restrictions during the second season the regulations were in place, November 2009 through April 2010.
“Right whales are a highly endangered and important species,” said special agent Stuart Cory, OLE's national program manager for protected resources. “It is important to remind those that use and share the same habitat as right whales that this rule was put into place to protect these mammals. Compliance with this rule is one way NOAA is striving to prevent right whales from extinction. The species' recovery is dependent upon the protection of each remaining whale.”
The mission of NOAA OLE is to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations enacted to conserve and protect our nation's marine resources. To report a suspected violation, contact the NOAA OLE national hotline at 1-800-853-1964.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov. | 3,509 | 1,694 | 0.0006 |
warc | 201704 | One of my favorite writers/bloggers, Brian Boero of 1000watt, has another gem up on his blog, in which he excoriates an unnamed “large regional company” for recruiting “dual-career agents”. It’s worth a read, and it’s short.
In it, he makes this claim:
Companies with strong organizations, a discriminating approach to recruiting, and standards around service delivery are beginning to pointedly position themselves against the companies in their markets without these things.
It’s resonating.
That’s fantastic news. Now, show me the money.
Todd Waller, in the comments, writes, “Thank you for continuing to be a beacon of sanity in an industry that is easily sidetracked by the siren’s call of the almighty dollar.”
Pam O’Connor, a brilliant executive and longtime veteran of the industry, also comments, “Until our industry becomes about talent selection instead of recruiting, and about standards and accountability instead of churning bodies and hoping some will “take,” consumers will continue to lack confidence, making it an uphill climb for the true professionals who are tainted by the rest.”
Agree wholeheartedly with both Todd and Pam. Now, show me the money.
It’s quite simple. Brokers are not in business to screw consumers. Nor are they in business to bring shame upon the industry. They’re in business to make money, and turn a profit.
The reason why these business models are embraced is because they make money. If the “higher plane” model of real estate that you, me, Brian, Todd, and Pam all espouse made more money than the scrape-the-bottom models, and killed the unprofessional models in the marketplace, then everyone would swiftly abandon those and join the Raise The Bar Brokerage model.
To that extent, I disagree with my friend Todd. The siren’s call of the Almighty Dollar is the reason to be in business. Otherwise, convert the brokerage right now, today, into a non-profit and Do Good.
So here’s the challenge for the critics of the broken brokerage model of our industry:
start posting numbers. Don’t just tell me and the world that companies are “positioning themselves” against the crap competition; tell me that those companies are kicking the ass of the crap competition, and by how much: Good Professionals Realty has 62% market share, made $4 billion in sales, at 32% profit margins last year, vs. Generic Crap Brokerage who has 12% market share and lost a million bucks last year, despite having 500 more agents than Good Professionals Realty. That would be welcome news.
Let’s stop banging that same old drum, complaining about how crappy some agents are; we all know. Do let’s start banging the drum of how talent selection, standards and accountability yield
superior financial performance. A respected firm like 1000watt can undertake a benchmark study of broker performance, broken down by talent selection & standards ratings, and show us all that indeed, the high road pays better than the low road. A major company like Leading Real Estate Companies of the World can commission such a study.
In fact, here’s a call to action.
Send me your recruiting, training, standards, accountability and operating processes along with 3 years of financials. I’ll gladly, and for no charge, do whatever number crunching and happily start compiling data on financial performance of the high road brokerage models. I’ll never release your individual info, but happily benchmark your performance against everyone else who sends me data. I’m probably not going to get the low road guys to send me anything, but at a minimum, if we can show that the high road results in 15% revenue growth year over year, 20% market share growth year over year, and healthy, above-average profit margins… maybe some of those low-road guys might see reason to change.
Because
pecunia loquitur, my friends. Money talks.
-rsh | 4,014 | 1,905 | 0.00055 |
warc | 201704 | Energy giant ExxonMobil announced Thursday that it made the largest profit in U.S. history last year: $39.5 billion. That works out to about $4.5 million an hour.
Exxon profited from sky-high oil prices last year. But in recent months, oil prices have fallen by about $20 a barrel from their mid-summer peak. ExxonMobil says it needs big profits in order to keep hunting for the oil and natural gas that its customers demand. Vice President Ken Cohen says the company spent $20 billion in 2006 on exploration and new energy projects, a 12 percent increase from the year before.
"We are investing at record levels to find, produce and deliver energy to consumers," Cohen says. "And I also want to point out that we invest in good times and in bad."
2006 was a very good time for the energy business. In July, crude oil prices hit $77 a barrel, setting off a frenzy in the oil patch. John Felmy of the American Petroleum Institute says drilling activity reached a 20-year high. But some of that may cool off now that oil prices have retreated by about $20 a barrel.
"The dramatic fall in crude oil prices has clearly forced producers to go back and reassess what their expectations are, because that's a huge change." Felmy says. "And in order for their projects to be economic, they have to understand what the trends are."
But forecasting trends is a gamble at best, since oil prices can swing wildly with a change in the weather, a pipeline break, or a comment from a policymaker. Lately, traders have been watching OPEC closely, to see if the cartel makes good on threatened production cuts, starting Thursday.
OPEC member Venezuela would like to see higher oil prices, to support the agenda of President Hugo Chavez. But cartel leader Saudi Arabia is taking a more cautious approach, says energy expert Robert Ebel of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"I think Saudi Arabia knows the market as well, if not better than, most people," Ebel says. "And they understand what happens when the price goes high — the importers are impacted. When it goes low, the exporters are impacted. So they're trying to find that point where both will be satisfied."
Like Exxon, Saudi Arabia makes more money when oil prices are high. But the kingdom knows that if the price climbs too high, it will spur development of alternative fuels. When oil prices were at $70 a barrel and above last year, investors poured money into ethanol and biofuel plants. Analyst Michael Liebreich of the research firm New Energy Finance says with today's lower prices, that exuberance may not last.
"There's no single magic number, because the cost of production for the different technologies actually varies," Liebreich says. "So at $78 a barrel, pretty much every technology is economically viable, particularly with the subsidies that are in place. Conversely, if you go down to $40 to $45, pretty much no part of the supply curve makes sense for biofuels."
At the moment, oil prices are in a middle range, where Liebreich says some alternatives make sense and others don't. Investors aren't running scared just yet, but they're certainly paying attention to prices.
"There's certainly nervousness. But at the current price levels, good projects do make sense," he says.
Consumers, of course, are also keeping an eye on prices, especially at the gas pump. When gasoline topped $3 a gallon last year, many drivers lost their enthusiasm for SUVs and started paying renewed attention to MPG. Another question mark for the industry is whether consumers and policymakers will maintain that focus on fuel efficiency, with gas prices in much of the country now closer to $2 a gallon. | 3,701 | 1,860 | 0.000543 |
warc | 201704 | Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the release of a Draft Sustainable Stormwater Management Plan, a component of
PlaNYC that examines and identifies immediate and long-term solutions to capture rain water before it overflows the sewer system, causes flooding and pollutes waterways.
“We designed
PlaNYC to be a detailed roadmap for the City to meet the enormous challenges we will face as our population grows, our infrastructure ages, and our environment continues to be at risk,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Whether it’s flooding or polluting our waterways, stormwater management is a necessary and critical facet of managing our City. Since its initial unveiling in April 2007, we’ve encouraged public participation in PlaNYC and we are now asking for New Yorker’s input on this component of the plan.”
The stormwater plan aims to, within two years, enact policies that will capture over one billion additional gallons of stormwater.
PlaNYC’s water quality goal called for opening up 90% of City waterways for recreational use by reducing water pollution and preserving our natural areas. To reduce water pollution from combined sewer overflows and stormwater runoff, PlaNYC called for a task force to coordinate stormwater planning issues and to create a plan to implement sustainable strategies citywide. Local Law 5 of 2008 formalized the City’s commitment to create a Sustainable Stormwater Management Plan, requiring a completed formal plan by December 1, 2008.
Formed in May 2007, the Interagency Best Management Practices Task Force brought together 13 City agencies to analyze source control stormwater management techniques into the design and construction of both public and private projects to capture stormwater runoff and reduce combined sewer overflows and stormwater runoff.
The Draft Sustainable Stormwater Management Plan is available on the
PlaNYC website available at www.nyc.gov. Public comments will be accepted until October 31 st and may be sent by email to bmptaskforce@cityhall.nyc.gov. Public feedback will be incorporated into the final plan, which will be released on December 1 st.
The Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability will host a public meeting to present the draft plan at New York University’s Kimmel Center on October 7, 2008, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The
PlaNYC website contains more details about the public meeting, instructions for submitting public comments, and more information about the City’s water quality initiatives. | 2,559 | 1,233 | 0.000835 |
warc | 201704 | The nation’s economy grew at a 3.1 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, led by an increase in consumer spending.
The revised increase in gross domestic product compares with a 2.8 percent estimate issued last month, figures from the Commerce Department showed Friday. Earnings at financial companies led a 2.3 percent increase in corporate profits from October to December that capped the biggest annual gain in six decades.
“The upward revisions are encouraging, though things are shaping up to be a bit of a disappointment this quarter,” said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics in West Chester, Pa. “Consumer spending seems to be a little bit softer than we anticipated. We know we’ll hit speed bumps, but the recovery will gather momentum through the year and into 2012.”
Another report showed consumer sentiment this month declined more than forecast as surging fuel prices squeezed household budgets. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of consumer sentiment for March fell to 67.5, from 77.5 in February, the group reported.
For all of 2010, the economy expanded 2.9 percent, the most in five years, after shrinking 2.6 percent in 2009.
Consumer spending, about 70 percent of the economy, rose at a 4 percent pace last quarter, the most since the same three months in 2006, compared with 4.1 percent previously estimated and a 2.4 percent rate in the third quarter.
The upward revision to growth was paced by a bigger increase in business investment and a smaller slowdown in stockpiling than previously estimated.
In another report, the Labor Department said unemployment decreased in 27 states in February.
The jobless rate fell the most in Nevada, where it reached 13.6 percent, the figures showed. Thirty-five states showed gains in payrolls, led by California with a 96,500 increase and Pennsylvania, where employment climbed by 23,700.
North Dakota had the lowest unemployment in the nation, falling to a 3.7 percent rate from 3.8 percent the previous month. Nevada’s jobless rate fell last month from 14.2 percent in January.
Unemployment rose in seven states, including Colorado, which reached a 9.3 percent rate in February, the highest for that state since record-keeping began in 1976.Continue reading the main story | 2,327 | 1,179 | 0.000868 |
warc | 201704 | Legal Access
Contract law basics
© 2007 Jordan Schrader PC
Question: Is an oral agreement enforceable?
Answer: While some oral agreements are enforceable, it is always a good idea to put any agreement in writing. Though the parties to an agreement may understand what they agreed to when they shook hands, that understanding is only as clear as the memory of those two individuals. Over time, those handshake deals can come back to haunt you—or worse yet, your kids when they take over the family business.
Oregon courts will enforce an oral agreement in some circumstances. But, when disputes arise, it is always a messy affair requiring a claimant to first prove the existence of a contract. To have an enforceable contract, you must demonstrate the existence of the following key elements: 1) an offer; 2) acceptance of the offer; 3) exchange of consideration (something of legal value given for the promise to perform). The offer and acceptance must be identical; in other words, there must be a “meeting of the minds” as to the key elements of the contract. Provided that an enforceable contract exists, the parties must then prove to a judge or jury that their recollection of the unwritten terms of the agreement is correct.
Some contracts are simply unenforceable if not in writing. A legal doctrine known as the
Statute of Frauds requires that parties to certain contracts must put their agreement in writing to make it enforceable. This includes contracts to lease real property for a period longer than one year, contracts for the sale of real property or of any interest in real property, contracts that cannot be performed within one year from the date of the agreement, and agreements to lend money, extend credit, or forgive a debt. (For a complete list of agreements within the Statute of Frauds see ORS 41.580.)
Bottom line...even simple agreements should be in writing. You don’t have to hire a lawyer to draw up a complicated agreement in every situation. Just make sure you include the following basic elements: 1) identity of the parties; 2) date of the agreement; 3) material terms (think who, what, when, where, why, how, and how much); and 4) signatures.
Obviously, when engaging in transactions that are more complex or where significant amounts of money are at issue, you should develop an agreement that reflects the importance and risk of the deal. You would not use the same contract for the sale of a $5,000 piece of machinery as you would use for the sale of a $5,000,000 piece of property.
This article is intended to be for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or establish an attorney-client relationship. Every situation is different and requires consultation with an attorney. If you have a specific legal question, we encourage you to use the Legal Access program—a free member benefit for all Oregon OAN members. For information on the Legal Access program please visit jordanschrader.com/oan.
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The Oregon Garden Resort
Groundbreaking Event
The Oregon Garden is celebrating! Moonstone Hotel Properties, a family of boutique garden-themed inns, is set to break ground on a new resort adjacent to The Oregon Garden in the historic town of Silverton. A ceremonial groundbreaking event will be held at the resort site on Tuesday, May 1 at 4 p.m. OAN members are invited to attend.
The groundbreaking event will feature a few words offered by Silverton mayor Ken Hector, OAN president Dave Van Essen, as well as Lynda Gill, director of operations for Moonstone Hotel Properties, and Patti Milne, a Marion County Commissioner and president of the Oregon Garden Foundation.
Scheduled for completion next summer, the resort will feature 103 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant, as well as a full-service spa, lounge, salon, pool and bridal suite.
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Nursery crop insurance
Sales closing date May 1
USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds Pacific Northwest nursery growers that Tuesday, May 1, 2007 is the final date to renew current policies on 2008 Nursery Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. This is also the final date to obtain the Pilot Nursery Grower’s Price Endorsement (NGPE) in Oregon and Washington.
The Pacific Northwest’s (Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) nursery insurance participation continues to grow, having over $455 million in coverage protection under the Federal MPCI program for crop year 2006; up from $384 in crop year 2005. In a collaborative effort between nursery and landscape associations, growers and the insurance industry, RMA enhanced and improved the nursery policy for crop year 2006 and subsequent crop years.
MPCI Nursery insurance provides protection for wholesale nurseries producing and marketing nursery plants grown in standard containers or in the field. Coverage is based on a plant inventory value report (PIVR) declaring a value of insurable plants (the lower of a nursery grower’s own prices or prices contained in a Plant Price Schedule maintained by USDA).
The nursery insurance program improvements now provide growers the flexibility to obtain a valuable risk management tool that specifically fits their business plan’s needs. Local crop insurance agents are available to provide program details reflective to a grower’s nursery inventory. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers throughout the U.S. or at the website address: http://www3.rma.usda.gov/tools/agents/.
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OSU Extension Service
New Associate Dean announced
Scott Reed, Dean and Director of the OSU Extension Service, recently announced the appointment of Deborah Maddy to the position of Associate Dean and Associate Director of the OSU Extension Service effective April 1, 2007. In her new role, Maddy will supervise the regional directors and be responsible for managing special initiatives and accountability process. You can contact Deborah Maddy at the Corvallis OSU Extension Service office by phone:
(541) 737-2711 or e-mail: deborah.maddy@oregonstate.edu.
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USDA dollars available
Value-added producer grants
The USDA Value-added Producer Grant (VAPG) was announced today with applications due on May 16, 2007. Created in the 2002 Farm Bill, the VAPG program provides planning or working capital grants to independent producers, agriculture producer groups, farmer and rancher cooperatives, and producer-controlled business ventures for projects promoting the production and marketing of value-added agricultural products and the creation of farm-based renewable energy.
Planning grants are eligible for up to $100,000, and working capital grants for a maximum of $300,000. Matching funds are required; some allowance for in-kind contribution is allowed.
To be considered “value-added,” products must possess incremental value based on a change of the product’s physical state, a differentiated means of production, or product segregation. To meet the one-year project completion requirement, all applications must request funds for a time period beginning October 1, 2007 and ending November 30, 2008.
The full Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) is available online at VAPG NOSA Fed Reg Notice (PDF). USDA’s Rural Business Cooperative Service has important guidance on eligibility criteria and the application process online at www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm.
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Save this date!
OAN Convention
Take life by the horns and go “Running with the Bulls” this coming September 27-29 at the Seventh Mountain Resort in Bend!
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Industry History book
Wanted: Your stories (and photos) for OAN 75th Anniversary
Next year, the OAN celebrates 75 years of supporting the nursery industry. Strategy Custom Publishing and Miles McCoy are helping the OAN create a book commemorating the history of the nursery industry in Oregon, which will be published and shared with members in early 2008. We want to cover the industry’s long history with stories, key milestones and photos of Oregon member nurseries and suppliers and service providers. To capture Oregon’s contribution to the industry, the growth of the industry to become the largest agricultural product in the state, and the leadership OAN members have shown over the years, the stories need to come from you! If you have a story or photos to share, please contact Miles McCoy at (971) 207-0267 or by email at miles@hevanet.com.
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News from CFP
Components of wellness
Part one
The way we live (lifestyle) impacts our bodily functions, which can eventually become clinical conditions requiring medical treatment (health plan costs). Research shows that 70% of all chronic health problems are preventable and directly linked to lifestyle. Employers can reduce costs for serious illnesses by identifying high-risk employees and encouraging them to change their behaviors. The following lifestyle factors are important components in the pursuit of wellness:
Physical activity
Stress management
Proper nutrition
Tobacco cessation program
In this article, we briefly examine two important components of wellness: physical activity and stress management. The benefits of physical activity are numerous: reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke; lowers total blood cholesterol; helps reduce high blood pressure; lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes; and diminishes stress. While multiple studies show that a worker’s quality of work, mental performance and productivity are better on days when they exercise, fewer than 50% of U.S. companies actively encourage exercise among their workforce.
The toll that stress takes on our bodies is staggering. While stress manifests itself differently with every person, it can be directly linked to cardiovascular disease, depression, impaired immune disorders, alcoholism, and drug addition. Health care expenditures are nearly 50% greater for workers who report higher levels of stress. To increase employee wellness, the objective should be to build a healthier consumer culture step-by-step through knowledge, skill building and behavior change in areas of stress management that produce lasting and effective improvements in stress resiliency.
Wellness can be defined as the pursuit of a healthy, balanced lifestyle rather than the mere absence of disease. In Part two of this article, we will examine the importance of proper nutrition and tobacco cessation programs in promoting a healthy workforce.
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Fuel prices
The consistency advantage
Each time we wince and haul out our wallet to pay for gas these days, we face fuel sticker shock. Economists say the same basic reasons apply for the annual spring price hike – rising demand from vacation-minded consumers, production switching from winter to summer fuels, and uncertainty over international events (such as the recent kidnapping of British sailors) – but each year prices rise to a greater degree.
As of April 9, the national average diesel price was $2.84 per gallon – 18 cents higher than this time last year. California (and the West Coast) and specific East Coast destinations ranked the most expensive; Texas and Kentucky were the least expensive areas.
Under the traditional rate model, a hike in diesel prices may sharply impact freight rates from week to week. Advantage Oregon’s carriers index their fuel prices. As a result, rates may be impacted by only $.01 - $.02 per mile, even when the per gallon prices increase $.11 - .12 per mile. Shippers benefit from this strategic approach to transportation management with pricing that is much more competitive and predictable. Receivers don’t pay freight charges that vary wildly from one week to the next, so they can more easily price their product for sale.
To learn more about how Advantage Oregon can help you and your customers moderate freight expense and fuel surcharges, call (503) 682-8938.
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Shipping green
Environmental transportation initiatives
Have your customers asked about your environmental agenda lately? Every segment of your business has environmental opportunities – from resource management to sustainability choices. The transportation industry is also making strides to change and develop responsible, environmentally sensitive business patterns. One of these programs is called the SmartWay Transport Partnership.
The SmartWay Transport Partnership, sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is a voluntary program that invites carriers, shippers and logistics companies to collaborate to increase energy efficiency and significantly reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution. The goals of this program are to reduce carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions to specific levels by the year 2012. At the same time, this program aims to save up to 150 million barrels of oil annually. (www.epa.gov/smartway)
Many of Advantage Oregon’s partner carriers already participate in the SmartWay program – including Railex LLC, Interstate Distribution Co., C.R. England, RFX Inc., C.H. Robinson Worldwide, May Trucking Company, and Landstar companies.
Advantage Oregon program members take pride in supporting transportation companies who are making substantive efforts to improve our environment. Be sure to let your customers know that this is one more way that Oregon shippers promote responsible – and economically beneficial – business practices.
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Last call!
DBG and Farwest Edition deadlines are May 1
Reserve your ad space
Digger: Farwest Edition ads
Directory & Buyers Guide ads Submit your DBG Listings
Contact Beth Farmer at bfarmer@oan.org
You have seen it before: May 1 is the advertising deadline for the
2007-2008 Directory & Buyers Guide (DBG) as well as Digger: Farwest Edition, the official magazine of the Farwest Show in August. Your Digger ad will reach Farwest show attendees in addition to Digger’s regular subscribers, and the DBG will be seen by thousands of the industry's top decision makers.
Reserve your ad space today! After May 1, you’ll have to wait another year. Reserve your ad space online: fill out this online ad insertion order form for
Digger, or this online ad insertion order for DBG. To mail or fax an insertion order, print this form for DBG or print this form for the Farwest Edition of Digger and mail or fax it to Chris Sweet, OAN advertising coordinator. The publications department fax number is on the form. Call Chris at the OAN office if you have questions.
May 1 is also the deadline for submitting your listings for the DBG. All OAN members are entitled to
one free listing, and those who opt to complete the listing workbook using the Excel version will receive two additional free listings. Contact Beth Farmer at bfarmer@oan.org to request the electronic workbook. Please note that we do not automatically include your free listing; you must let us know under which heading you want your listing to appear.
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Le Tour des Plants
Attention, wholesale nurseries!
Le Tour des Plants, the fall garden center promotion produced by the OAN, presents an opportunity for wholesale nurseries to work closely with OAN member garden centers to offer fresh plant material, new introductions and workshop resources. Le Tour des Plants is a garden center excursion, free to the gardening public. It takes place Sept. 15-23, with the goal of increasing fall sales for OAN member garden centers, strengthening relationships between retail members and wholesale nurseries, inspiring the gardening public and creating awareness about the nursery industry.
You’re encouraged to work directly with the participating garden centers and retail nurseries. A current list can be found on the OAN Web site. Perhaps you could provide a collection of plants offered only during Le Tour des Plants as a “Garden to Go” or offer a workshop on new introductions and how they can be effectively used in the landscape.
Display gardens also are a good way to showcase your plant material and educate the public about plant combinations and new plants. Monrovia and Terra Nova Nurseries opened their gardens last year, and hundreds of people turned out to view them. If you have a display garden you’d like to open for one or more days during Le Tour des Plants, contact Ann Murphy at (503) 682-5089 or amurphy@oan.org.
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Member Update Archives
Looking for a flier or topic from a past e-newsletter? Log in to our Web site and click on
Members Only > Member Update, and you'll find an archive of our e-newsletters.
PDF Help
PDF files can be viewed using Adobe Reader. If your computer does not have Adobe Reader you can download it for free from Adobe's Web site. Click on the link to the flier to view it in your Web browser. Right-click the link and choose "Save target as" (Windows) or "Download linked file" (Mac) to download the PDF to your hard drive.
Copyright © 2007 Oregon Association of Nurseries | 17,250 | 7,514 | 0.000136 |
warc | 201704 | Undoubtedly, the future is headed for biodiesel fuel and farmers should gear their thoughts towards that. Depending on your specific requirements, orders may come differently.
Small oil press is one such machine that extracts oil from different oil material sources. Cage and cylinder formats of extracting oil are two common means of doing it. Your system’s rate of production is determined by your ultimate goals. Single cylinder portable press is ideal for small scale farmers whose daily production capacity does not exceed 4 tons. The operation of single cylinder machine is fairly easy. Once dismantled, re-assembling is also easy compared to cage type of machine.
Another good attribute about single cylinder machine is that input chamber is adjustable and thus capable of accommodating different quantity intake or multiple feeds. Besides, it is easy to perform service maintenance in case of clogging. Due to its relatively smaller press head,
small oil press machine is not recommended for large industrial handling for it may not withstand intense pressure involved. It may not be able to handle high volume that yields immense outputs. Before you proceed to purchase your own, be sure to evaluate the size of the oil press before committing yourself. It is also advisable to weigh the benefits of purchasing an oil press against your profit expectations.
Cage type of small press machine is mostly preferred for large scale processing. Common among its application is the production of vegetable oil fuel as well as biodiesel. In spite of their large capacity handling, cage type of oil press machines are less pricy. It suffices to note that cage press machines can handle up to ten tons of raw material per machine. They do however require constant maintenance and close supervision in order to sustain continual operation. Regardless of which style of small oil press machine you opt for, you are sure to get the oils you so desire including nutrient-rich animal feeds. | 1,995 | 1,006 | 0.001 |
warc | 201704 | You can get an idea about the condition of your type 2 diabetes by checking if you have any of its symptoms. It is a condition that gets worse if you do not take action against it immediately upon diagnosis. You need to take medication to control the symptoms as they can create problems in your daily living, but the underlying causes remain untreated. You can keep your condition under control by following these do’s and don’ts.
The major causes of diabetes type 2 and consequently somethings you need to avoid to control your condition, are:
Due to these factors, you are likely to suffer from various symptoms of diabetes type 2, especially, if not controlled. They are:
When your body is not able to produce enough of insulin to help in processing the blood glucose into the cells, the condition is called diabetes type 2. Type 2 diabetes can be life threatening and you need to control it by way of a comprehensive plan. This should include a diet plan, workout plan and medication plan.
If you are able to:
your diabetes is under control. To attain this, you need to increase the intake of healthy food such as green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts and low-fat dairy. You should also avoid unsaturated fats, sugary food and food rich in carbohydrates.
Ask your fitness expert to help you to -
Make sure you follow the advice of your practitioner about managing diabetes. Unless your condition is under control, do not avoid the recommended medicines to control your blood glucose level.
Read more articles on Understand Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Related Questions
Researchers have established that type 2 diabetes, beyond its ability to reduce quality of life, holds the potential of decreasing certain cognitive capabilities known as executive functions and thereby damages brain.read more
Do you know your family’s health history? Or is it like a secret no one wants to talk about? Many health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, run in families.read more | 1,994 | 999 | 0.001015 |
warc | 201704 | Popping a pill can help you get rid of that pot belly! Are you convinced? If no, read what a new study has claimed.
A tiny capsule containing heat-generating cells has been developed and researchers claim that the cells can burn excessive abdominal fat. The capsule was tested on mice and lead to 20 per cent decrease of belly fat. The heat-generating cells in the capsule led to conversion of abdominal fat cells into thermogenic cells that are responsible for heat generation in the body.[Read: Make the Moves for A Flat Stomach] Within a few days, mice gained back some weight, but the capsule was successful in melting down about one-fifth of the visceral fat cells that accumulate on the abdomen and heightens the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiac vascular and other deleterious diseases.[Read: Weight Loss Tips for Obese People] To develop the capsule, the scientists had combined the heat-generating cells or thermogenic cells with engineered cells sans the enzyme responsible for accumulation of visceral fat. The study was published in the journal ‘Biomaterials’.
Related Questions | 1,112 | 606 | 0.001671 |
warc | 201704 | A viewer asked this question on 3/26/2000: In your opinion, will America loose its 'superpower' status, as countries before have? What is your reasoning behind your answer? JesseGordon gave this response on 3/26/2000: Yes, we will lose our superpower status eventually. While I respect my colleague Mr. BudgetAnalyst, I have to say that his answer is only true in the short term. In the long term, of course we will decline -- but we should WANT to decline, because one of our goals as a free country and world leader is to bring the rest of the world up to our level.
"Superpower" means we are the undisputed world leader. I think in the next 15-20 years, we will become first among relative equals, as Japan, China, Russia, the European Union, and maybe a Southeast Asian union rise to our economic level. Their economic parity with us will mean they also become our relative military equals, and hence we will no longer be an unrivaled superpower.
I think we should start planning for that -- by working towards making our future equals unlikely to go to war with us. Then there is little need for defense against them, and our "superpower" status becomes moot.
In terms of "losing" superpower status in absolute terms, I also think that is possible if we are short-sighted in our defense spending. Paul Kennedy wrote the classic book on that subject, called "The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers", in which he says that every "superpower" in the past fell because of military over-extension. I agree that if we continue to spend at our current levels, we will fall. I don't think that will happen because politicians will start to follow the Pentagon's advice sooner or later and stop building unnecessary weapons.
I discuss the long-term relative decline of the US, and what we can do about it, in a lengthy article at http://webmerchants.com/spectrum/altf_es.htm .
budgetanalyst gave this response on 3/26/2000: No. The United States provides many opportunities, so many of the brightest people on Earth end up coming to the United States, and contribute to its technological advancement, which in turn is the basis for economic power. The coming together of technological and economic power is what ultimately supports the "superpower" status. These three factors (borders open to the brightest, technological advantage, and economic strength) coming together is what makes it possible for the U. S. to be the superpower of the Earth. The conjunction of these factors is not what was behind the superpowers of the past.
The United States is also willing (and able to afford) to maintain a large scale military capability, which in fact is what makes it a superpower. This willingness is not likely to change in the foreseeable future because in fact it is necessary for maintaining the level of consumption that the voters enjoy.
Return to index | 2,874 | 1,408 | 0.000715 |
warc | 201704 | Report Information 26 October 2015 HR Innovation Practice Italian English 21 HR/Organization Practical Roadmap 73 Responds to... What are the evolved approaches moving talent management practice toward a disruptive model? What are the levers available to HR departments for managing talent management processes? What is the current maturity level of talent management policies in businesses? What are the main drivers of evolution in the various talent management levers and what are the barriers to it? Description
Considering both the Italian and the international context, HR Management involves looking more carefully at new topics, such as increasing staff motivation and satisfaction and introducing new leadership and cultural models. The most important field is that of talent management. In this report, we will illustrate the framework of reference regarding the “talent management journey”. This approach can be used by HR Management to build their own roadmap of innovation and change, moving towards what is known as a “Disruptive Talent Management” model, a process that involves the combined planning of four levers: recruitment, performance management, training and career planning. We have defined several steps of maturity for each of these levers, and these can be used to evaluate the “as is” HR Management profile and set out the pathway for evolution. The report also highlights the findings of a self-assessment exercise carried out by 37 HR executives using the talent management journey model. Performance managemen...
Index Reference framework for the talent management journey Recruitment Performance management Training Career planning Conclusions | 1,709 | 828 | 0.001232 |
warc | 201704 | Reader's comments »
By adding a comment on the site, you accept our terms and conditions.
The practising of religion has no place in public schools. It’s troubling that some people don’t understand this.
When the Toronto Sun reported that Valley Park Middle School in Toronto was hosting Islamic services Friday afternoons it caused a national uproar. Rightly so.
But after the Ottawa Sun followed up on this story to see if there was anything similar happening in the Ottawa region I was dismayed with what reporters discovered. Since the 1990s around a dozen Ottawa schools have given Muslims time and space for prayers.
Unfortunately new Ottawa-Carleton District School Board director Jennifer Adams does not understand what equality means. “We have a responsibility and an obligation to accommodate all faiths,” she said to a reporter, adding some schools provide ‘multi-faith rooms’.
No you don’t, Ms. Adams. You have a responsibility to treat all students equally and to administer the same curriculum and standards to all students. Multi-faith rooms already exist; they’re called churches, mosques, etc. While a free society must allow freedom of worship in private life this does not extend to shared spaces, where diverse peoples come together on common ground.
Because religion is something that happens on private property no taxpayer has to feel like they are financing activities against their beliefs. But once the taxpayer –funded OCDSB takes on the ridiculous idea that they have to accommodate all religions they are in effect making taxpayers fund all religions. They’re also straying from their job: to educate.
Now do not think this argument is solely against Islam. If it were Catholic prayers, Buddhist ceremonies or Pagan rituals we should also be outraged.
We often forget that freedom of religion includes freedom from religion – the right to not support a religion different from yours or any at all in the case of the non-religious.
Don’t fall into the trap that ‘respect’ for others means a free pass for others. Respecting others just means you don’t persecute others. It means you don’t deny people housing or employment based on their religion. That’s called equal rights and it’s a wonderful thing. But it doesn’t mean religious persons receive the go-ahead anytime they wish to introduce their views into a public realm such as public education.
Neither should anyone fall for the always absurd argument that disallowing religious practice in public schools is somehow propagating hate. All it’s doing is demanding that the private sphere be kept separate from the public sphere.
Hate would be if you went to a place of worship on private property or to a person’s home that had a religious symbol and threw bricks in their window. That’s a crime and anyone who does that will be and should be prosecuted.
To agree with this argument you can be any religion – it doesn’t matter whether you love all religions or hate all religions. I’m sure (well I’m not sure, but I hope) there are imams out there who agree with me on the principle of my point.
However we also have to guarantee we don’t become thought police. Someone should be free to quietly pray before a meal in the school cafeteria. Religious jewellery is fine if it is discrete and can’t be used as a weapon.
The practising of Islamic prayers in Ottawa public schools must stop immediately. So should any other religious practice happening on school property, on school time and supported by school monies.
anthony.furey@sunmedia.ca Watch Friday Furey on Charles Adler on Sun News Network
By adding a comment on the site, you accept our terms and conditions. | 3,814 | 1,811 | 0.000577 |
warc | 201704 | PETER WARDELL | CIO Sweden | 4 november 2015
Read full article in Swedish
PA Sourcing expert, Peter Wardell, has had a byline article published in the Swedish magazine, CIO Sweden, in which he discusses the advantages of storing data abroad.
Peter argues that Swedish organisations should evaluate opportunities to store data outside the country or risk missing out of the most cost-effective data management options. He highlights the common view that storing business critical information in Sweden is the best option because international cloud solutions are less secure and offer less control over the data. This perception then means that decisions about IT solutions and data storage are made on an emotional basis rather than on rational considerations. This means that they do not take acount of the fact international data storage options bring lower costs and a more efficient analysis and usage of data, and may be safer than the domestic options.
Peter underlines the legal protections available, including the EU directive that ensures free movement of personal data within EU/EEA but also requires high levels of protection for personal data and privacy in the member countries. Outside the EU/EEA, including India or Malaysia, specific data transfer argreements and contracts can be put in place. However, the article does outline one particular challenge with regard to the legal situation in the United States, after the recent decision from the European court to void the so-called Safe Harbour agreement that had been used to govern the transfer user information from the EU to servers in the USA.
Peter argues that the storage of data in other countries should not arouse such strong negative reactions and that, as Sweden likes to be perceived as one the leading IT nations, it should be at the forefront of storing data in the cloud. He concludes by calling the representatives of both private and public sector organisations to justify and explain to colleagues that international data storage is a rational and safe option and underline the significant benefits it can bring.
Peter Wardell is a sourcing expert at PA Consulting Group | 2,165 | 1,090 | 0.000921 |
warc | 201704 | Earthly matters: Conserving water
Unlike other rivers that are largely dependent on melting snow or rainfall, Pakistan’s main river, the Indus, is very much dependent on glacier melt. Experts say that on average, around 40pc of its water comes from glaciers melting in the summer, in the high mountains of the Hindu Kush, Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges. With increasingly warmer temperatures due to climate change, the glacier melt is going to decrease in the future (as the glaciers lose their mass of accumulated ice). In the near future, we should expect a major increase in summer floods but then what does the long-term future hold for us in this region, especially those who completely depend on the Indus for their water needs?
Journalists from China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India met in Kathmandu to discuss challenges facing the Indus at a media dialogue organised by the Third Pole Network, in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The meeting point was in Nepal because of visa issues between India and Pakistan, the two countries that predominantly share the Indus waters.
The ultimate source of the Indus is in Tibet (now in China); then it flows northwest through Ladakh (in India) and Baltistan into Gilgit, just south of the Karakoram Range. The Shyok, Shigar and Gilgit rivers carry glacial waters into the main river, which then flows to the south, emerging from the hills between Peshawar and Rawalpindi and then going further down to the plains of the Punjab and Sindh and out to the Indus Delta and the Arabian Sea. Much of the river runs through Pakistan and according to the Indus Water Treaty, we have access to its water.
According to Arun Shrestha of the Integrated Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), which is based in Kathmandu, “There has been a 20pc to 30pc area loss in glaciers in the region and the Indus will lose more ice in the future”. This is despite the so-called ‘Karakoram Anomaly’ according to which a few glaciers in the Karakoram are advancing; perhaps due to more precipitation at higher altitudes, which is just a guess as there are no weather observatories above 5,000 metres. “The knowledge is scanty but a lot of research is going on,” pointed out Shrestha, a senior climate change specialist. ICIMOD is helping to set up an Upper Indus Network so that the research is not duplicated and its results can be shared.
However, there is still a long way to go with climate models and more mass balance studies need to be done on large glaciers in this region to find out if they are growing or receding. Currently, less than 10 actual mass balance studies are being conducted, according to Shrestha. Mass balance is simply the gain and loss of ice from the glacier system; glaciers losing more mass than they receive will be in negative mass balance and so will recede. Overall, glaciers in the region are losing their mass due to progressive global warming and then there is the addition of ‘black carbon’ from local sources such as the burning of biomass, diesel fumes and other aerosols that are making them melt faster.
According to Arif Anwar, the IWMI expert based in Lahore who spoke about the state of the Lower Indus Basin, “Pakistan uses 63pc of the water of the Indus and 93pc of this water is used for agriculture … 300 million people live in the Lower Indus Basin and are dependent on this basin”. The irrigation system set up here is the largest contiguous irrigation system in the world and the agriculture done in the Indus Basin contributes to one quarter of Pakistan’s GDP.
However, the bad news is that water per capita is shrinking to a level that is unsustainable. “We are at the limits of our water resources,” pointed out Anwar. “Groundwater has saved Pakistan but that is also threatened by over-extraction and [water scarcity] is going to hit our cities the worst.” Over the past few decades, the water economy of Pakistan has survived largely because of the tapping of groundwater by farmers, villagers, urban dwellers and industries. Groundwater levels are now dropping fast and urgent steps need to be taken to recharge the groundwater.
According to Anwar’s research, Quetta, Peshawar and Lahore are going to face water shortages very soon. In fact, in Quetta the water crisis has already started and it will hit Lahore soon, since it is growing faster than the rest of Pakistan. We are not responding through better management fast enough to the water challenges, considering a growing population that places an increasing demand on water supply. With climate change, land degradation (as farmlands and wetlands are turned into housing) and a business-as-usual approach, we are clearly headed for disaster. “Water is not saved here — as more water becomes available, more land comes under cultivation,” explained Anwar. “We need better water management and more storage in the Indus.”
The Indus is literally the lifeline of the country and we need to be looking at the impacts of climate change on our water resources more seriously. We need to be talking about this challenge at various forums and raising awareness about the impending water crisis in the media, as veteran journalist Joydeep Gupta, the head of the Third Pole Network from India pointed out.
IWMI has been working on solutions that should be brought to the attention of our policy makers, farmers and urban dwellers: developing new storage and improving water infrastructure (repairing barrages and canals), growing more food with less water (using better water conservation technologies) and better managing groundwater resources. | 5,763 | 2,670 | 0.000383 |
warc | 201704 | Keeping the Holiday Spirit and Your Employees Productive
Share |
Gift buying, short work weeks, hectic travel schedules and holiday parties can disrupt productivity on the job. As the holiday season begins, know that everyone is feeling the seasonal pressure. With a few simple practices you can help employees manage both, and keep the spirit during this most wonderful time of the year. At
Be Flexible
The holiday season is not going away. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should shut down for the next two months, but a little holiday courtesy goes a long way with employees. Be flexible and understand that workers will want to use their vacation days during this time. Employers can be proactive and start announcing time-off request deadlines early to accommodate everyone as best as possible. If an employee asks to leave a few hours early to catch a flight or make a special family dinner, let them. And when possible, give your employees shortened days on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Offer Incentives
Create opportunities for employees to reap the benefits of their hard work. Regardless of whether you give out bonuses, employers can still offer an extra monetary gratuity to workers with the most productivity, sales or customer feedback, an extra vacation day or even gift cards for encouraging employee productivity over the holidays.
Celebrate
A surefire way to create a happy working environment is by giving employees something to enjoy. Let your employees decorate their work space. Plan the company party and make it inclusive of their families. A party can be even more enjoyable (and not break the bank) by making it a potluck. And make a work day fun by having a contest for the “best” worst holiday sweater.
‘Tis the Season to be Jolly but Your Employees Aren’t Happy?
Handling disgruntled employees is an issue that management faces at any given time of year, not just the winter months. No matter what type of business you run, at some point, one of your employees is bound to become unhappy. Smaller, family-owned businesses in particular, do not have a full-time staff person with a degree in Human Resources to handle difficult employees, therefore we thought to share some best-practices that can help.
Deal with Issues Promptly
As soon as you notice that an employee has an issue with the company, fellow co-workers or the management team, it is time to address it and look for a reasonable solution. The longer you take to deal with the issue, the longer the employee has to dwell on it. Extra time means problems can escalate, allowing time to spread to others throughout the company, and creating an uncomfortable work environment.
Deal with Issues Privately
Keep your ears to the ground. If an employee appears to be upset, you should handle the matter in a private setting. Do not embarrass or upset the unhappy worker further by airing their differences in front of their colleagues. Consider handling the situation at the end of the day to allow your employee to go home and consider the conversation without interference. They will appreciate your consideration and the one-on-one meeting with you to discuss their concerns.
Remain Professional
Patience is important. It is easy to become frustrated when dealing with irritated employees, however losing your patience can only escalate the problem. It’s critical to not speak negatively about the employee and ruin your reputation, and respect with your other employees. Your staff expects you to act in a professional manner and to be able to handle stressful situations as they arise.
Keep an Open Mind
In severe cases, disgruntled employees can disrupt the entire operation. There may be valid reasons behind the employee’s complaints or personal issues at the root of the problem. Either way, it is important to keep an open mind and listen to your employee. You may learn that they already have a solution for the problem. If not, legal guidance may be required.
A good pep-talk alone won’t make a happy employee, it’s important to take time to listen and set goals for your employees before problems escalate. Assign one person to handle the disgruntled employee and their concerns so that the remainder of small business can carry on as normal,and keep a happy, productive environment for the rest of your staff.
References
Human Resources: About.com
We’ve found a great collection of human resource articles and references by HR experts. You can sign-up for free newsletters on a variety of topics, delivered regularly to your email box. Articles on HR Management: FAQs/Basics; Culture; Improve Workplace Communication; Job Descriptions/HR Samples; Free Policies, Law and Employee Relations; Motivation, Recognition and Retention; Performance Management; Recruitment and Staffing, among others at humanresources.about.com. | 4,902 | 2,355 | 0.000432 |
warc | 201704 | Barbara Petersen, president of the Florida First Amendment Foundation, says Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater “has long supported transparency” and runs the best government information websites in the state.
Good for him. But not good enough. Ms. Petersen says that although Mr. Atwater’s online efforts “provide more transparency than any of the others,” they still “aren’t the greatest.”
And Mr. Atwater agrees. In a column he wrote for this Sunshine Week, which salutes efforts to make and keep government’s inner workings available to the public, Mr. Atwater notes that Florida limps by with a 30-year-old accounting system whose archaic computer code makes it impossible “to provide policymakers or the public with information on how state agencies expend funds or how costs for services vary between programs or state agencies.”
He vows to improve “this albatross.”
In his drive for openness, Mr. Atwater could use an assist from the Legislature — where the North Palm Beach Republican previously served as Senate president. On Dec. 31 state leaders let die a $5 million effort that might have provided a modern, comprehensive window into Florida’s finances.
Lawmakers and Gov. Scott ignored pleas that they put a new system dubbed Transparency 2.0 online. Instead of working to fix admitted shortcomings, they used dubious excuses to pull the plug.
Now Senate Bill 1764 promises “Transparency in Government Spending” and is making its way through the Legislature. Ms. Petersen says it requires the governor to set up a website to provide financial data that is “user-friendly and compatible with all major web browsers.” It also requires the CFO to set up a website to provide in-depth information about all the independent contractors who collect tens of billions of dollars from contracts with the state.
In fact, the bill describes a veritable online transparency utopia. But it essentially is the same utopia promised by the defunct Transparency 2.0, except the previous utopia was supposed to exist now and the new one postpones it, starting with a year of committee meetings, studies and recommendations.
Florida still is a leader in the information it requires public officials to make available to the public they work for. Instead of having to visit offices and sort through piles of paper, Floridians should be able to see most of that information online. Modern technology can provide that unprecedented public access. But the glitches of modern technology also can become an excuse. This time, instead of a promise of Transparency 3.0, Florida should provide actual transparency itself.
Jac Wilder VerSteeg
for The Post Editorial Board | 2,772 | 1,361 | 0.000764 |
warc | 201704 | Parents need not have modeling dreams for their children to care about guiding their children about fashion. Each child will develop his or her own fashion sense, sooner or later. Parents can lead them towards that by providing sensible guidance towards that development. This guidance of course will have to be tempered by respect for a child’s individuality.
Provide the Basics
Children start out in life with zero knowledge about fashion, dress codes, or fashion trends. Most of their young dependent lives, they will be wearing what their parents choose for them. Although it is not expected that children will agree with these choices when they start demonstrating their own preferences, the choice of parents more or less provides a basis for the expected standards of dressing. This is especially so in relation to culture, religion, and occasion.
Provide Options
Children may not appreciate at once the importance of why they are expected to dress in a certain manner for particular occasions or venues. Young boys would usually opt for comfort while young girls may exercise their creative choices more often than not. As parents allow children to have a free reign most of the time with the way they dress, the observance of certain standards with regards to appropriateness, modesty, and fashion basics will have to come from parents.
Be Aware of Current Trends
Every parent seeks to have their children present themselves looking their best in public. It is impossible to do this without even having the smallest idea of what the current fashion trend is. There is absolutely no need to try making our children the poster models of fashion perfection. It is mainly about letting them fit in with the other children as they go about their daily activities. It is one thing to be noticed for one’s fashion individuality and another for being dressed so out of place that it negatively affects the child.
Explore Fashion Styles with Children
Children’s preferences tend to come out not only during shopping. Parents are sure to get some clues with the way their children react to the clothes worn by other children. Color and style preferences will become more evident in time and parents will have to explore fashion styles with their children to come up with a happy compromise if there is need for one. Most children find their way as they try to discover what fits them and the personality which they wish to show. | 2,452 | 1,151 | 0.000878 |
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