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warc | 201704 | Splitting
In its most fundamental form, splitting is the separation of one item into two such that they can be handled separately.
When a person holds two thoughts in the mind that are contradictory or otherwise so uncomfortable, the person will cognitively separate them, not thinking of the separate thoughts at the same time. This is a process of 'psychic economy' whereby a complex situation is simplified by separation rather than resolution.
The lines of division can be any form, from visual appearance to concepts and ideas. A common split is into good and bad. The good part can then be retained, loved and admired whilst the bad part is attacked or repressed.
When a part of the self is associated with both of two separated thoughts, then the person is also split. In extreme, this is a basis for schizophrenia. In more general practice, we all have multiple internal voices which may have appeared from repression.
Splitting was first described by Freud in his work on fetishes and pathological grief, where he referred to a mental process by which two separate and contradictory versions of reality could co-exist (Freud, 1900).
Splitting can lead to polar simplification and classification, such as where an object is assigned as good or bad, rather than considered as something more complex.
Klein considered that splitting could not happen without division of the ego, classically between instincts of love and hate.
Klein describes splitting in the way a child seeks to retain good feelings and introject good objects, whilst expelling bad objects and projecting bad feelings onto an external object, in order to protect the good object from being contaminated by the bad object.
Splitting is a part of ordinary life as well as an aspect of schizophrenia.
"Splitting is a boundary-creating mode of thought and therefore a part of an order generating process." (Ogden, 1986)
Splitting is an essential part of learning, where 'more and more is known about less and less'. To understand something in more detail is to split it. Splitting of ideas is thus a hierarchical process. It may be combined with association of separated ideas to build a network of understanding.
Splitting also is seen as a normal part of development, such as when a child differentiates itself from its context. The child finds that things are not all good or all bad and has to learn to handle this. If this is not completed well, they may grow up with a polarized view of things being either all good or all bad.
In dysfuncational contexts, splitting may be seen as defending against feelings of both love and hate for the same object, for example where a person has two separate mothers, a 'good mother' and a 'bad mother'. The therapist helps the person realize what is happening and to re-integrate the split object and accept the reality of combined good and bad.
Freud. S. (1940).
Ogden, T. (1986).
And the big
Disciplines
* Argument
Techniques
* Assertiveness
Principles Explanations
* Behaviors
Theories And | 3,033 | 1,449 | 0.000696 |
warc | 201704 | It’s too bad we all don’t have cockroach killing birds to keep these pests from entering our homes. No matter how clean you keep your place, cockroaches can still find a way in. But it’s not just the gross-factor that makes us what to get rid of them, the microscopic stuff they leave behind can be harmful to your pets and you as well. On this blog, How to Get Rid of Things, you’ll find an extensive overview of what to do in order to get rid of the roaches in your home. You’ll read tips on identifying the specific species of roach and therefore how best to beat it as well as ways to roach-proof your home by sealing cracks and closing up food properly. | 685 | 414 | 0.002515 |
warc | 201704 | Article Title Abstract
This Development offers a discussion and analysis of the most recent cases that have formulated a definition of "habitual residence" in the context of the Convention. As the definition has evolved, US courts have differed as to how much weight should be given to the various components of the definition. It is my contention that the Gitter Standard is the most comprehensive standard that thoroughly contemplates the acclimatization of the child. To define habitual residence, the first prong of the Gitter Standard asserts that courts should inquire into the last shared intent of those entitled to fix the child's residence. The second prong states that the court should determine whether the evidence "unequivocally points to the conclusion that the child has acclimatized to the new environment." Taken together, the two prongs protect the child's best interest when it can be proven that the child has become acclimatized to his surroundings and is considered mature enough to contest his return to the country of habitual residence. The standard also takes into consideration the exceptions in Articles Twelve and Thirteen of the Convention by allowing the proven acclimatization of the child to trump parental intent. In the event that the child is a newborn, the Gitter Standard should be expanded to include the Delvoye Standard. This Development further asserts that in cases that were wrongly decided, habitual residence would have been correctly defined and properly assigned had the court applied the Gitter Standard. The first Section sets forth the definition of habitual residence created by the Mozes court and explains how the Gitter Standard expands upon the prior definition, by placing more emphasis on whether a child has become acclimated to his environment. The second Section discusses two recent cases that would have had a different outcome had the Gitter Standard been properly applied. The third Section explores how habitual residence is determined when one country is not a party to the Convention, as well as how non-Contracting States acknowledge the importance of a child's desires and level of acclimatization, which places their logic closely in line with that of the court in Gitter. Previous commentaries have acknowledged the need for a uniform standard, and this Development concludes by reexamining the reasons why the Gitter Standard is the standard that should be uniformly adopted.
Recommended Citation
Davis, Carshae DeAnn(2006)"The Gitter Standard: Creating a Uniform Definition of Habitual Residence under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction,"
Chicago Journal of International Law:Vol. 7:No.1, Article 15. Available at: http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cjil/vol7/iss1/15 | 2,794 | 1,287 | 0.00078 |
warc | 201704 | Role of p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases in Preconditioning A Detrimental Factor or a Protective Kinase?
Preconditioning, the phenomenon whereby brief episodes of ischemia or pharmacological agents protect the myocardium against subsequent ischemic injury, consists of an early and a late phase.
1 The early phase develops immediately and disappears within 1 to 2 hours of ischemic preconditioning stimulus, whereas the late phase, also known as the “second window” of protection, becomes manifest after 12 to 24 hours and lasts for 3 to 4 days. An understanding of the signaling mechanisms that trigger and mediate this cardioprotective phenomenon would have vast physiological and pathological implications. Accordingly, many recent studies have focused on the characterization and delineation of the signal transduction pathways (molecules) underlying the development and manifestation of both the early and late phases of preconditioning. The general hypothesis is that the preconditioning stimulus will induce the activation of a cascade of stress-responsive kinases, which in turn transduce the stress signal into the generation of a protective protein or activation of a protective kinase. In this context, the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), a family of stress-activated MAPKs, 2 3 have been examined as the candidate kinases during preconditioning.
In this issue of
Circulation Research, Dana et al 4 report that the adenosine A 1 agonist 2-chloro- N 6-cyclopentyladenosine (CCPA) induces a late phase of preconditioning in rabbit hearts. Twenty-four hours after the transient activation of the adenosine A 1 receptor, the myocardium exhibited a significant rise in the activity of p38 MAPK. The increased p38 MAPK activity was completely abolished when the infarct-sparing effect of CCPA was abrogated by either the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor chelerythrine or the tyrosine kinase inhibitor lavendustin A. This is a very provocative study, and it is also the first to demonstrate activation of the p38 MAPK 24 hours after preconditioning. The data are compatible with the hypothesis that p38 MAPKs may mediate the protective signaling pathways or function as protective kinases during the late phase of pharmacological preconditioning. However, this conclusion is based on the correlation between activation of p38 MAPK and protection. Before the role of p38 MAPK in late preconditioning can be definitely established, it is necessary to show that the inhibition of p38 MAPK blocks the protection. If activation of p38 MAPKs is a necessary signaling event for the protection to manifest on day 2, then inhibition of this kinase will lead to the abrogation of late preconditioning.
The role of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway in the early phase of preconditioning has been more extensively investigated.
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 However, the published observations are inconsistent, and the role of p38 MAPKs in early preconditioning seems to be controversial. The two lines of studies performed thus far have sought to determine (1) whether preconditioning induces the activation of p38 MAPKs and (2) whether inhibition of p38 MAPKs abrogates the cardioprotective effect. Unfortunately, both have yielded conflicting results. In the first line of studies, it remains uncertain whether ischemia/reperfusion induces sustained activation of p38 MAPKs. Ischemia stimulus has been shown to induce activation of p38 MAPKs. 5 6 Furthermore, ischemic preconditioning activates MAPKAPK2, the downstream signaling substrate of p38 MAPK, 5 6 demonstrating that activation of the p38 MAPK signaling cascade, not just one element of the MAPK module, is part of the signaling events involved in preconditioning. Although activation of p38 MAPK has been confirmed in several studies, 7 8 12 13 the temporal aspects of the activation have been a point of debate. Several studies 7 12 13 have reported that activation of p38 MAPKs during ischemia is transient and does not correlate with the preconditioning effect, thereby questioning the functional significance of this observation. In the second line of studies, at the center of the controversy are data obtained using the specific p38 MAPK inhibitors (SB 203580 or SB 202190). Inhibition of p38 MAPK was shown to completely block the cardioprotective phenomenon in several studies, 5 6 8 indicating that activation of p38 MAPK is an essential signaling event in the genesis of preconditioning. In apparent contradiction to these findings, several recent studies 9 10 11 report that SB 203580 and SB 202190 can function as cardioprotective compounds, ie, that they improve postischemic functional recovery, 10 delay myocardial cell death, 11 and precondition cardiac myocytes against simulated ischemia. 9 These studies suggest that, far from playing a protective role, activation of the stress kinase p38 MAPK may be detrimental to the heart and inhibition of this stress-activated kinase will protect the myocardium.
What could be the reasons for the discrepancies of these studies? One obvious explanation has to do with the experimental models and animal species. The experimental models used to test the role of p38 MAPK are vastly different, ranging from isolated perfused rabbit hearts,
6 rat hearts, 5 10 and pig hearts, 7 11 to cultured cardiac cells 8 9 and biopsy tissue samples from human hearts. 12 The preconditioning protocols differ among studies, and the endpoints examined are also different in each investigation. To a certain extent, these factors may have contributed to the conflicting observations. Nevertheless, a mechanism that is not conserved across species is arguably less significant than one that is manifest in multiple biological systems. The fact that the expression of p38 MAPKs is strikingly conserved from yeast to humans 2 combined with the observation that the preconditioning phenomenon has been demonstrated in all species tested 1 suggests a more fundamental mechanism that is common to all models.
Recent studies have demonstrated that the family of p38 MAPKs is composed of at least 4 isoforms, namely, p38α, p38β, p38γ, and p38δ.
2 3 Studies in cultured cells have shown that individual isoforms of the p38 MAPK may possess distinct biological functions. 2 14 Thus, a second plausible explanation for the p38 MAPK controversy may be the differential actions of individual isoforms of the p38 MAPK family. One critical missing piece of the puzzle in all of the above reports is the effect of preconditioning on the activity of individual p38 MAPK isoforms and their corresponding downstream substrates. Characterization of the myocardial expression of all p38 MAPK isoforms and their downstream signaling targets would be necessary prerequisites for these studies. For example, selective activation of only one p38 isoform may result in an apparent lack of activation of the entire p38 MAPK family, a phenomenon that has been documented with the role of PKC isoforms in preconditioning. Indeed, one of the most powerful arguments against a role of PKC in preconditioning is the observation that total PKC activity did not increase after a preconditioning stimulus. 15 However, it was found subsequently in rabbits that preconditioning induces selective activation of only 2 of the 11 known PKC isoforms (ε and η) and is insufficient to elevate total PKC activity. 16
The third possibility for the inconsistencies resides in the efficacy and selectivity of the pyridinlimidazole compound SB 203580. Although this agent has a potent effect on the activity of the p38α and p38β MAPKs, its efficacy for the p38γ and p38δ isoforms is low.
17 Moreover, at a higher concentration (IC 50=5 μmol/L), this compound will inhibit the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) family of MAPKs 17 and phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3) kinase/protein kinase B, 18 and both the JNK and PI3 kinases have been shown to be recruited by ischemic preconditioning. 13 19 It is difficult to assess the precise intracellular concentrations of this compound achieved in the isolated-perfused heart models; however, it is highly likely that the concentration of the inhibitor used may vary in different studies. This may have contributed to the inconsistent findings in the literature.
In summary, targeted activation or inhibition of individual p38 MAPK isoforms will be essential to provide conclusive evidence to either support or refute the role of p38 MAPKs in the early and late phases of preconditioning. The development of isoform-specific pharmacological inhibitors or transgenic mice expressing a cardiac-specific individual p38 MAPK isoform (in its active or
trans-dominantly negative form) should provide important contributions to resolving this controversy.
Footnotes
The opinions expressed in this editorial are not necessarily those of the editors or of the American Heart Association.
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc. References ↵ ↵ Garrington TP, Johnson GL. Organization and regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Curr Opin Cell Biol.1999;11:211–218. ↵ Sugden PH, Clerk A. “Stress-responsive” mitogen-activated protein kinases (c-Jun N-terminal kinases and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases) in the myocardium. Circ Res .1998;83:345–352. ↵ Dana A, Skarli M, Papakrivopoulou J, Yellon DM. Adenosine A 1receptor induced delayed preconditioning in rabbits: induction of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation and Hsp27 phosphorylation via a tyrosine kinase– and protein kinase C–dependent mechanism. Circ Res. 2000; 86:989–997. ↵ Maulik N, Yoshida T, Zu YL, Sato M, Banerjee A, Das DK. Ischemic preconditioning triggers tyrosine kinase signaling: a potential role for MAPKAP kinase 2. Am J Physiol .1998;275:H1857–H1864. ↵ Nakano A, Baines CP, Kim SO, Pelech SL, Downey JM, Cohen MV, Critz SD. Ischemic preconditioning activates MAPKAPK2 in the isolated rabbit heart: evidence for involvement of p38 MAPK. Circ Res.2000;86:144–151. ↵ Behrends M, Schulz R, Post H, Alexandrow A, Belosjorow S, Michel MC, Heusch G. Inconsistent relation of MAP kinase activation to infarct size reduction by ischemic preconditioning in the porcine heart in situ. Am J Physiol. In press. ↵ ↵ Saurin AT, Heads RJ, Foley C, Wang Y, Marber MS. Inhibition of p38α activation may underlay protection in a surrogate model of ischemic preconditioning. Circulation. 1999;100(suppl I):I-492. Abstract. ↵ Schneider S, Hou J, London RE, Steenbergen C, Murphy E. Inhibition of p38 MAP kinase reduces ischemic injury and does not block the protective effects of preconditioning. J Mol Cell Cardiol .1999;31:A43. Abstract. ↵ Barancik M, Htun P, Strohm C, Kilian S, Schaper W. Inhibition of the cardiac p38-MAPK pathway by SB203580 delays ischemic cell death. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol.2000:35:474–483. ↵ Talmor D, Applebaum A, Rudich A, Shapira Y, Tirosh A. Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases in human heart during cardiopulmonary bypass. Circ Res .2000;86:1004–1007. ↵ Ping P, Zhang J, Huang S, Cao X, Tang X, Li R, Zheng Y, Qiu Y, Clerk A, Sugden P, Han J, Bolli R. PKC-dependent activation of p46/p54 JNKs during ischemic preconditioning in conscious rabbits. Am J Physiol.1999; 277:1771–1785. ↵ Wang Y, Su B, Sah VP, Brown JH, Han J, Chien KR. Cardiac hypertrophy induced by mitogen-activated protein kinase 7, a specific activator for c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase in ventricular muscle cells. J Biol Chem .1998;273:5423–5426. ↵ Przyklenk K, Sussman MA, Simkhovich BZ, Kloner RA. Does ischemic preconditioning trigger translocation of protein kinase C in the canine model? Circulation .1995;92:1546–1557. ↵ Ping P, Zhang J, Qiu Y, Tang X, Manchikalapudi S, Cao X, Bolli R. Ischemic preconditioning induces selective translocation of protein kinase C isoforms ε and η in the heart of conscious rabbits without subcellular redistribution of total protein kinase C activity. Circ Res .1997;81:404–414. ↵ ↵ Lali FV, Hunt AE, Turner SJ, Foxwell BM. The pyridinyl imidazole inhibitor SB 203580 blocks phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase activity, protein kinase B phosphorylation, and retinoblastoma hyperphosphorylation in interleukin-2-stimulated T cells independently of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. J Biol Chem .2000;275:7395–7402. ↵ Tong H, Chen W, London RE, Murphy E, Steenbergen C. Phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) is involved in preconditioning. J Mol Cell Cardiol .1999;31:A19. Abstract. | 12,689 | 5,236 | 0.000195 |
warc | 201704 | The NSW and ACT Regional Climate Modelling (NARCliM) Project is a research partnership between the
NSW and ACT governments and the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of NSW. The NSW partners include
The NARCliM project began in 2011 in response to the need by regional decision makers and impact assessment researchers for high resolution climate change projections. Previously climate change information had been at a scale that could not be used for localised decisions. NARCliM has produced an ensemble of robust regional climate projections for south-eastern Australia that can be used by the NSW and ACT community to plan for the range of likely future changes in climate.
1 NARCLIM Domain
The region of Australia which was modelled is called the
NARCliM domain (see graphic). The domain was chosen to provide robust simulations of NSW’s climate, particularly as the coastal strip contains almost half the population of Australia.
The domain covers are large area of ocean, specifically chosen to capture offshore climate events, such as the storms generated from East Coast Lows.
NARCliM provides dynamically downscaled climate projections for south-east Australia at a 10-km resolution 2 and for the whole of Australasia at 50 km, in line with the CORDEX Framework. 3 NARCliM Modelling Overview
The NARCliM projections have been generated from four global climate models (GCMs) dynamically downscaled by three regional climate models (RCMs).
The four GCMs (MIROC, ECHAM, CCCMA and CSIRO Mk3.0) form part of the World Climate Research Program's (WCRP) Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3) models, which were used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for its Fourth Assessment Report. See the NARCliM Model Selection for more information on how the models were selected.
The
Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, a dynamical regional climate mode, was used to downscale projections from the four GCMs. WRF has been demonstrated to be effective in simulating temperature and rainfall in NSW 4, 5 and provides a good representation of local topography and coastal processes. It was jointly developed by several major weather and research centres in the United States and is widely used internationally.
Three physical configurations of WRF were run with each of the four separate GCMs, for a total of 12 runs, producing a 12 model ensemble. The 12 models were run using a single, representative emissions scenario: the IPCC high emissions scenario A2. The 12 models were run for three time periods: 1990 to 2009 (base), 2020 to 2039 (near future), and 2060 to 2079 (far future). A reanalysis dataset is also available for the period 1950 to 2009.
NARCliM project model output
The NARCliM models generate data for more than 100 meteorological variables. The most commonly used variables are being provided through Adapt NSW website in multiple formats to ensure the information is easily accessible and easy to use. These include:
2-metre temperature (hourly) daily maximum 2-metre temperature daily minimum 2-metre temperature precipitation (total 1 hour) surface pressure 2-metre specific humidity (hourly) 10-metre wind speed (hourly) surface evaporation soil moisture snow amount sea surface temperature. NARCliM data management
NARCliM has generated a very large dataset, almost 1 petabyte in size (1 million gigabytes). This dataset is stored at NSW Government facilities at Silverwater and recognised by the Federal Government as a dataset of national significance and will be stored on Commonwealth data repositories.
RESOURCES
UNSW Climate Change Research Centre NARCLiM Project Page
Technical Note 1 - Choosing GCMs [PDF 552kB]
Technical Note 2 - Choosing the RCMs to perform the downscaling [PDF 458kB]
Technical Note 3 - Guidance on the use of bias corrected data [PDF 195kB]
Technical Note 4 – NARCliM Climatological Atlas [PDF 53.1MB]
PARTNERS
Office of Environment and Heritage
ACT Environment and Planning Directorate
Sydney Water
Sydney Catchment Authority
Hunter Water
NSW Department of Transport
NSW Department of Primary Industry
NSW Office of Water
UNSW Climate Change Research Centre
Footnotes Evans JP, Ji F, Lee C, Smith P, Argüeso D and Fita L (2014) Design of a regional climate modelling projection ensemble experiment – NARCliM (PDF 1.43 MB). Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 621–629. NARCliM 10-km domain covers south-eastern Australia and much of the Tasman Sea (135-165E, 23-40S). Giorgi F, Jones C and Asrar GR (2009) Addressing climate information needs at the regional level: the CORDEX framework (PDF 504 KB), WMO Bulletin, 58(3), 175–183. Evans JP and McCabe MF (2010) Regional climate simulation over Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin: a multi-temporal assessment, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 115, D14114, doi:10.1029/2010JD013816. Evans JP and McCabe MF (2013) Effect of model resolution on a regional climate model simulation over south-east Australia, Clim. Res., 56, 131–145, doi:10.3354/cr01151. | 5,059 | 2,397 | 0.000423 |
warc | 201704 | From the Wall Street Journal:
The Disappearing Recovery Barack Obama, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell have been performing an intricate scorpion dance over spending, taxes and the debt ceiling, premised on the belief that thisis the deal that would ignite the recovery. But what if it's too late? What if that first-quarter growth rate of 1.8% is a portent of the U.S.'s long-term future? What if below-normal U.S. GDP is, as the Obama folks like to say, the new normal? Robert Lucas, the 1995 Nobel laureate in economics, has spent his career thinking about why economies grow, and in particular about the effect of policy making on growth. From his office at the University of Chicago, Prof. Lucas has been wondering, like the rest of us, why, if the recession officially ended in the first half of 2009, there hasn't been more growth in the U.S. economy. He's also been wondering why this delayed recovery resembles the long non-recovery years of the 1930s. And he has been thinking about the U.S. and Europe. In May, Bob Lucas pulled his thoughts together and delivered them as the Milliman Lecture at the University of Washington, an exercise he described to me this week as "intelligent speculation." Here is the lecture's provocative final thought: "Is it possible that by imitating European policies on labor markets, welfare and taxes, the U.S. has chosen a new, lower GDP trend? If so, it may be that the weak recovery we have had so far is all the recovery we will get." The Obama-will-turn-us-into-Europe argument is a staple of the administration's critics. Prof. Lucas's intelligent speculation, however, carries the case beyond dinner-party carping. The baseline reality for any discussion of where we're headed is that from 1870 to 2008, the U.S. economy has had average GDP productivity growth of about 3% and about 2% on a per-person basis. Despite displacements—wars, depressions—we've always returned to this solid upward trend. From 1870 till recently, real income per person has increased by a factor of 12—"an ongoing miracle," Prof. Lucas notes, "mainly due to free-market capitalism." The Obama economists like to argue that this recession was the greatest meltdown since the Depression. Prof. Lucas agrees. Most recessions, he says, are not very important events. This one, though, has taken U.S. GDP almost 10% off its long-term growth trend. The only downturn comparable to this in the past century is the more than 30% decline during the Depression. By the end of 2008, he notes, the primary storm of the financial panic was essentially over. We did get spending declines in GDP in that year's last quarter and in the first quarter of 2009. "But there is a world of difference," he says, "between two quarters of production declines and four years!" The persistence of growth 10 percentage points below its long-term trend line is troubling....MORE | 2,908 | 1,499 | 0.000674 |
warc | 201704 | At the
Lowy Interpreter Sam Roggeveen speculates about the possibility of a company (particularly Apple) buying a country.
There has been at least on fictional treatment of a corporation taking over a country in John Brunner’s wonderful 1968 novel
Stand on Zanzibar. It is based in 2010 and the corporation is transparently based on General Electric, and the country based on what would become Benin. Like much science fiction, it tends to tell us a great deal from what change it didn’t anticipate. In particular it didn’t anticipate how corporations (at least in the US) would change, and why the idea of a corporation taking over a country is less plausible than it once was.
It made sense in the 1960s to think of Corporations as great sprawling organisations that could possibly marshall the array of skills involved in running a country. Companies did have wide ranges of businesses and were more relaxed. But attitudes changed in the 1980s – maximizing return on capital meant that companies would shrink down to core products with the greatest returns, and jettisoning or spinning off other projects. In many ways I suspect this had alot to do with the movement from internally fostered management to a floating class of specialists in exploiting the principal agent problem in corporate governance. Shuffling projects between companies and identities meant an apparent increase in return on capital became the basis for bonuses – even though in aggregate there was no improvement.
Nowadays only a few companies still dominated by the shareholdings of a few (like Microsoft, News Ltd or Google) are prepared to fritter away money on unprofitable side projects. Even
zaibatsu are less keen to expand the range of what they do now, and the chaebol were forcibly shrunk in the late 90s.
So we end up with a company like Apple, with a handful of very successful products that make a great deal of money it can’t do anything with. It has no other divisions to cross subsidize subsidize, or research to undertake (the company’s success has always been in packaging end products and not developing technology. They either cop the tax when they repatriate the money and pay larger dividends, or they let it sit in a bank account. They certainly wouldn’t pursue something outside their core – unless there was a tax dodge in it.
To be sure, owning a country would free the company from tax obligations were they to incorporate there and pay dividends there. But do they pay them in Apple dollars, get another country to let them use their currency or make sure the country they buy already has an easily currency? Think about what would be needed to support a new currency. They’d either start taxing, issuing debt, or make Apple dollars backable by Apple products – all of which seem foolish and still unlikely to make it a tradable currency (assuming shareholders want to buy things other than consumer electronics). But whom would let them use their currency, and countries that already have hard currencies are likely to be too large.
And of course, if shareholders remain in other countries, they’d be reliant on their resident states continuing to recognise Appledonia as a sovereign state in a way that prevents them taxing those same dividends. Maybe they’d also pay to join the WTO? | 3,366 | 1,648 | 0.000621 |
warc | 201704 | WASHINGTON - What do you get when you take fishing line or sewing thread, and coil it up in just the right way?
No, not a tangle of twine to keep your pet cat entertained.
Instead, scientists have turned this into amazingly strong, and cheap, artificial muscles that could be used in robots, prosthetic limbs or woven into "smart" fabrics whose pores expand in warm weather to keep a person cool and contract in chilly weather to block out the cold.
In the past, artificial muscles have been crafted out of materials including metal wires and carbon nanotubes, but they have proven to be costly to make and tricky to control.
According to research published in the journal Science on Thursday, these scientists instead turned to high-strength polymer fibers made of polyethylene and nylon, materials found in everyday items like fishing line and sewing thread. They twisted the fibers into very tight coils and used changes in temperature to make the artificial muscles contract and relax.
Scientists from the United States, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Turkey and China performed the research.
"These polymer muscles can lift 100 times the weight of natural muscles of the same size," Ray Baughman, director of the NanoTech Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas, said in a telephone interview. "They can generate 100 times the mechanical power of the same weight in natural muscle."
John Madden, an electrical and computer engineering professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada, added in a statement: "It also has a higher power output for its weight than that of an automobile combustion engine."
The most advanced humanoid robots or prosthetic limbs made today are limited by relatively bulky motors and hydraulic systems that can inhibit dexterity, the generation of force and overall work capability, the scientists noted.
Applications for the new artificial muscles could include: minimally invasive robotic microsurgery; human prosthetics; devices that open and close windows in response to temperature changes to keep a building comfortable; and better robots.
"There was a beautiful woman I met in Korea," Baughman said. "The closer I got to this beautiful woman, she didn't look so beautiful. The woman was ... a humanoid robot. She didn't have enough muscles in her face to express natural emotion: smile or get angry. She looked robotic."
An interesting practical application could be temperature adjusting clothing. The researchers wove textiles using the polymer coils that could "breathe" with pores that opened in response to warmth and closed in cold temperatures. | 2,635 | 1,326 | 0.000762 |
warc | 201704 | A legislative update heard by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Advisory Council was received with quiet outrage during the CAC’s spring meeting Wednesday morning at the Coastal Electric Membership Cooperative headquarters on Highway 17 in Midway.
The nearly 25 members who attended the meeting reacted strongly to new state legislation that allows the Environmental Protection Division to end the requirement for developers to maintain a minimum 25-foot buffer from salt marshes. Prior to the meeting, David Kyler, executive director for the Center for a Sustainable Coast on St. Simons Island, said he and other CAC members had planned to debate sending a letter from the CAC to Gov. Nathan Deal to protest the new legislation. Kyler said he fully expected the majority of CAC members would not support such a letter, and there would be heated debate. Instead, it appeared nearly all members were against the EPD directive. There was concern only about how the letter should be worded and whether the letter should be more than a protest. CAC Chairman Steve Vives said there are two perspectives about the new legislation. One perspective is that buffers protect saltwater marshes with a strip of vegetated land that runs along the edge of the marsh, filtering out pollutants near the marsh. Buffers also reduce flooding when high winds drive the tide inland. EPD Director Judson Turner’s perspective is that the Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Act, which former EPD Director Carol Couch used to establish the 25-foot buffer, supersedes the jurisdictional boundaries set by the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act. “Most people thought the 25-foot buffer was a huge compromise,” said Steve Willis, CSC and Sierra Club member. “It was originally 150 feet, then it went down to 75 feet, then 50 feet. You can see there is a pattern of reduction here. Twenty-five feet is not enough, but we don’t want to lose it. It should be a 50-foot-minimum buffer.” Paul Wolff of Tybee Island said there is a feeling by some that conservationists are trying to take away 25 feet of their land. He said, on the contrary, conservationists are trying to save the marshes. Mike Edgy of Brantley County warned the council about “pushing too hard” and said they were likely to lose what they’ve already achieved to protect the marshes. If they push for more than 25-foot buffers, he said “the people with all the money” will fight it. A motion then was made for members to discuss via email the appropriate language for a letter to the Board of Natural Resources that would urge for reversal of the EPD directive. That letter should be completed in two weeks. Kyler said he hopes the letter will call for reversing the April 22 EPD directive and support development and adoption of legislation based on scientific research on the benefits of marsh buffers. In other business, the CAC heard from Kelly Spratt from the Georgia Sea Grant about the status of flood insurance in Coastal Georgia. She noted that the National Flood Insurance Program was $18 billion in debt after Hurricane Katrina. Reforms made in 2011 were intended to have flood insurance reflect “true flood risks.” Then along came Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Spratt said the NFIP now is $30 billion in debt. She said the fix for the NFIP included major premium increases for home and business owners, with some increases over 25 percent. Home and business owners could no longer afford their flood insurance, but they couldn’t sell their homes or businesses due to a stagnant housing market and weak economy. Spratt said the Affordable Flood Insurance Act of 2014 caps premiums at 18 percent. Moreover, it can be transferred upon sale of the house or business. “There is still a huge paper tiger we’re trying to deal with, and that’s the implementation,” Spratt said. “It’s a matter of getting in there to help local governments with this new paperwork.” | 4,033 | 1,946 | 0.000529 |
warc | 201704 | Conventional wisdom maintains that preppers need to group together so as to have better odds of surviving in a future challenging situation. We don’t disagree, indeed, quite the opposite – we strongly urge you to do exactly that. At the same time, we also anticipate that should the rule of law and society in general, break down at a future time, then some of the quickly starving and deservedly panicked vast majority of the country […]
So you’re about to buy yourself a rural retreat? Congratulations. We hope you’ll never need it, but how wonderful it is to know it is there and available if things should go severely wrong. In among all the other things you need to consider when choosing a retreat is its lot size. There are a number of different factors affecting how large a lot you need, including the soil type, what sorts of crops you […]
Today marked a watershed moment in our privacy. A new commercial satellite was launched with four times better than before imaging capabilities, further reducing our privacy. There was a time when getting privacy in our retreat was an easy and simple concept. Choose a location away from the main roads, and you knew that as long as the parts of your retreat that you wished to keep private were not visible from any other property […]
A white police officer in Ferguson, MO (a suburb of St Louis) shot a black youth on Saturday 9 August. On Sunday, during the day, there were some protests by members of the local community and a vigil. What happened next was unfortunate, but also educational to us as preppers, and it behooves us to learn the lessons inherent in the events that followed. (Note : The riots initially filled Sunday night, Monday night was […]
We sometimes amuse ourselves reading properties for sale advertisements that describe themselves as being prepper properties. We particularly like looking at the dwelling structures – what they proudly term the prepper retreat – on such properties. Nine times out of ten (maybe even 99 times out of 100), the ‘retreat’ is nothing more than a generic house with nothing at all that would enhance its role as a sturdy building, reliably protecting the people inside […]
We’ve seen very little written about adding an escape tunnel to your retreat, and what has been written has not necessarily been practical or prudent. First, of course, do you need an escape tunnel for your retreat? That’s something you have to decide for yourself, and probably also something you have to do a cost/benefit calculation on. Most of us have our retreat designs limited first and foremost by our budget, and we have to […]
We all know about the dreadful ammo shortage that has plagued the country for the last nine months. Less well-known is the reason for this – sure, a lot of people bought extra ammo after last December’s school shooting in CT, fearing new government restrictions, but the biggest reason for the continuing ammo shortage seems to be massive buying by the federal government. You may have read about the billions of rounds of ammo being […]
An awkward issue that preppers have to confront when planning for a possible problematic future is what to expect from other people. Will people peacefully unite and work together effectively to create win-win examples of mutual survival? Or will some group of society (maybe only a small minority) take advantage of a possible collapse of law-enforcement and in an anarchistic manner run amok in an orgy of looting, pillaging and plundering? Opinions differ greatly as […]
In a future ‘grid down’ situation, your normal cell phones will almost certainly not be working. These days we’ve grown so accustomed to being always in touch with everyone, no matter where we are or where they are, that we’ll almost certainly want to recreate some form of ubiquitous communications, at least with other members of our retreat community and possibly with friendly nearby neighbors, too. There is a wide range of different types of […] | 4,115 | 2,047 | 0.000505 |
warc | 201704 | Like many new vegetarians and vegans, when I started to examine my food choices in early 2008, I needed an outlet for my new-found knowledge and enthusiasm. And just like other animal advocates in Southern California at that time, I started volunteering for the successful Yes on Prop 2 campaign (a ground-breaking initiative that bans the cruel practices of intensively confining calves, pigs, and birds in tiny cages or crates). After tabling for the campaign at just one festival, I was hooked. I knew I had found something meaningful that would remain a part of my life for years to come.
Within months of joining this farmed animal ballot initiative campaign, I found myself so dedicated to these issues that I started working full-time at a local animal protection organization. Since then I’ve been a part of the animal advocacy movement in a variety of ways: as a full- and part-time staff member, a contractor, a supporter, and a volunteer—and I’ve learned a few things along the way that have had a tremendous impact on my life and my advocacy:
Farmed animal advocacy has a tremendous impact on saving lives. In the past five years I’ve worked on farmed animal advocacy almost exclusively. And there is something interesting about working to ease the suffering of animals raised for food: we don’t see them first-hand. Our efforts aren’t immediately realized as if, say, we rescued a dog or cat from of a dangerous situation. Rarely is there an individual farmed animal who we can pet, snuggle with, or comfort. That doesn’t mean, however, that our efforts aren’t worthwhile. In fact, I would argue, working on behalf of farmed animals can be some of the most meaningful change we can make for animalssimply because of the sheer number of animals impacted—regardless of whether we can see that impact through specific stories. For example, by convincing one person to go vegetarian, that’s equivalent to saving the lives of an estimated 28 land animals and 175 aquatic animals. Any amount of time that you can devote to advocacy matters for animals. In the past five years, I’ve gone through a few personal events that have prevented me from devoting my full attention to advocating for animals. And you know what? That’s okay. Organizations like Compassion Over Killing rely on volunteers who are willing to dedicate even just a few hours a week, or month, or day to continue their life-saving work. When I was busy with other things, I knew that I could still help animals simply by volunteering a few hours a week or by making a financial contribution which not only helps to fund the work I find so valuable, but donating makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger even when I’m able to be there on the front lines. And when I was ready, I increased my volunteer hours, and started helping powerhouse organizations even more. Don’t forget to strategize. It’s important to focus on meaningful, effective strategies to help animals. Especially when we have limited time, we need to make sure that the time being spent helping animals is productive. A great place to start is by reading The Animal Activist’s Handbookby Bruce Friedrich and Matt Ball. You can make a difference for animals from anywhere. I’ve worked and volunteered for animal protection organizations while living in major cities as well as from my house in a rural town with a population of 7,000 people. Even when it seems like I am literally the only animal advocate or vegan in town, I know there are meaningful things I can do to help animals and, especially given the networking capabilities via the internet, I’m part of a team of activists across the country dedicated to building a kinder world for animals. Whether I’m asking a local restaurant to offer a vegan burger, working with my City Council to pass a veg-friendly resolution, writing letters to the editor, or even helping groups from home with phone banking or data entry projects, it’s easy to find motivation knowing I’m a part of a larger movement. Never give up – we’re winning! Remember to find joy in what you’re doing. Sometimes it can be hard watching undercover investigations, realizing how formidable of an adversary animal agribusiness can be.. Find solace in knowing that the meat industry is on the defensive, and that with every undercover investigation more and more people are leaving animals off their plates and empowering others to embrace compassion as well. Every day we can — and we are — making a difference for animals. When it comes to speaking out for those who can’t, we’re on the right side, and we’re also on the winning side. That’s something to always be proud of.
Being an animal advocate is a lifetime commitment for me, and I hope for you, too. I’m constantly amazed and inspired by progress we’re making as movement, and I’m looking forward to seeing even more positive advancements for animals that will be made within the next five years of advocacy. And if you are just starting out, welcome! There are plenty of ways to get involved, and we hope you’ll join us. Start now by signing up to volunteer, signing up to help at an event, or donating to our work.
Thank you for teaming up with us to help demonstrate the power of compassion. | 5,407 | 2,520 | 0.000411 |
warc | 201704 | Students with prior work experience preferred in IIM placements this yearComments
Early this month, Google India wrapped up a new search at IIMs in Ahmedabad and Kolkata. It walked into the placement round for ‘laterals’ for the first time ever and hired a few. In campus placement context, ‘laterals’ refer to students who had work experience before joining the course. Google declined to share numbers, but a spokesperson said it hired more laterals this year than last and that the number of such hires was in double digits. Previously it only hired laterals from ISB, Hyderabad, never from the IIMs.
Early data trickling in from the ongoing lateral placements in at least eight IIMs suggest that, like Google, other companies are also braving the economic slowdown to pick up professionals.
“In difficult economic conditions, laterals hit the road running very fast,” says Ganesh Shermon, KPMG India partner and country head (human capital). “They have a faster learning curve, easier socialisation, quicker turnaround time, easy adaptability and good people skills. Plus, attrition is lower.”
On an average, roughly 40-50 per cent of IIM graduates have at least 10 months work experience and participate in lateral placements. This happens from mid-December to mid-February.
The final placements, when the bulk of students without prior work experience are hired, happens in February and early March. Companies often visit campuses twice to pick students from both buckets.
Companies like Deloitte, Wipro, Aditya Birla Group, Amazon, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, Capgemini, Cognizant, BPCL, HPCL and Union Bank are among the regulars at IIMs during lateral placement season. This time, say most campuses, it’s the pharma, healthcare, IT and FMCG companies that are among the most active recruiters.
So far, the number of offers made at this year’s lateral placements at IIMs are on a par with last year and the increase in salaries is marginal, in the 5-10 per cent range, sources from IIMs say.
This gives some indications to how the rest of the placement season will unfold. Salary for laterals is generally 20-25 per cent higher than fresh graduates. At IIM Bangalore, where around 60 per cent of the batch of 300-plus can sit for the lateral placement round, around 60 companies are expected this year. A third of this have already visited.
“Salaries have not dipped compared to last year. The increase, however, is reflective of the sectors they represent and therefore, is market-driven,” said a faculty member who did not wish to be named. Packages of Rs 20 lakh have reportedly been given to some students. RPG will be going to IIMs at Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Ranchi, Kozhikode and Indore and will be offering Rs 14-15 lakh for those with 18-36 months of experience while candidates with more experience may get up to Rs 19-20 lakh.
At IIM Kozhikode, 120 students out of a batch of 360 will sit for lateral placements. The B-school will have a lateral process for the first time in four years as the last few batches did not have too many with work experience. An Indian agro-product maker’s African arm has picked up five students for $60,000 (Rs 33 lakh approx) for marketing and brand management profiles. Companies from the Middle East have also offered posts in Dubai and IIM Kozhikode has seen seven international placements. Already 115 students have been placed.
Others on campus include IT consulting companies, pharma and general management firms, a member of the placement team said. At IIM Lucknow, about 50 per cent of the 430-strong batch is eligible for the laterals, also called Higher Entry Placement Process (HEPP) at the institute. Besides regular recruiters, about 20 per cent of the companies in HEPP are coming for the first time.
Most of these are from e-commerce, pharmaceutical, FMCG, real estate and IT. “Most companies have opened up additional profiles and higher roles than those offered in last 2 years,” says the IIM Lucknow placements chairperson Rajesh Aithal. Around 120 of IIM Indore’s 450-strong batch are participating in the laterals.
Thirty companies will come calling; Cipla and Ranbaxy are among the first-timers. Pharma/healthcare and IT are among the sectors leading the charge and salaries are 10-15 per cent higher than last year, according to an IIM Indore placement officer. Newer IIMs too, are doing well. IIM Rohtak placements officer Argha Chatterjee says that this batch is doing better than last year’s since students have more work experience. About 55-60 per cent of the total batch size of 125 is eligible for the laterals. Some 17-22 companies are participating, many of them first-timers.
“Companies need to spend on training and development on freshers, who often end up looking for other opportunities after that. Candidates hired during lateral placements bring experience to the table,” says Chatterjee.
Source: The Economic Times | 5,005 | 2,357 | 0.000434 |
warc | 201704 | Though Akron has a relatively good humid continental environment—with warm, nice summers and cold yet mild winters months—roofs of Akron homes are not safe from the weather's onslaught. Roofs disintegrate with extreme heat, high winds, and torrential rain. Once this happens, do you know what to do? You may be able to diagnose your roof's problems, but do you have knowledge of what the next step is? Listed below are a few things which you can do when taking care of the disintegrating roofing of Akron residences.
Right after you've checked your roof's damage, you should find out if it necessitates repair or requires a replacement. Normally, all roofs, despite how sturdy they were built, will have to be replaced eventually. The real challenge right here is: recognizing the correct time to do so.
Repairs make good sense when resolving minor issues, like leaks, on an otherwise sturdy roofing system. Although repairs can also be done for significant roof issues, it can be rather unpractical, especially if your roof is nearing its 20-year mark. During these situations, replacement is normally the more effective option.
As soon as you've identified which path to go through, you need to decide on whether to do it on your own or to hire a respectable Dover roofing company. Certainly enough, your choice is controlled by the path you opt to take. If you want to do small repairs, then a Do It Yourself project is a good idea. On the other hand, if your roof needs major repairs, then it's best to call a professional. The same goes if your roof is informing you that it should be replaced. Working with a certified contractor is a safer and more practical choice.
If you do opt to work with one, make certain you only hire those who are qualified. To jumpstart your search, you can consult with your buddies and relatives for names of roofers they can endorse. After receiving a few names, contact each one of them and start your screening process.
Remember to only work with contractors who are insured and licensed. By doing this, you give protection to yourself, your loved ones, and your investment from being scammed by unreliable contractors and their shoddy wormanship. For additional information, go to houselogic.com/home-advice/roofing-gutters-siding/roofing-repair-or-replace.
Some Valuable Ideas on Handling Declining Akron Roofing
81 views | 2,381 | 1,258 | 0.000801 |
warc | 201704 | Cognitive Behavioural School of Therapy
The Cognitive Behavioural School of Therapy can trace its roots back to the 1950’s and in particular an American psychologist named Albert Ellis who developed a therapy named REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy), he believed it was possible to ‘think yourself out of life’s difficulties’.
Ellis a keen student of philosophy developed his ideas from the teachings of the Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus a Greek slave who lived (AD 55-135). Stoicism is a philosophical belief that much of our worry is derived from external events of which we have little control; however we are able to take responsibility for ourselves through exercising self discipline and examining our motivations in life. The philosophy of Epictetus and Stoicism can be summed up in this quote written by Epictetus himself; ‘Men are disturbed not by what happens to them, but their opinion of the things that happen.’ In other words we have the ability to think ourselves out of worry.
CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT was developed by an American Psychiatrist Aaron T Beck who came to prominence in the 1960’s.
Building on the idea of REBT, Beck developed the idea that the therapist as well as disputing a clients irrational thinking, could ‘educate’ them out of distress.
He developed a series of educational programs, which asked the client to check their thinking against reality. Perhaps the biggest difference between REBT and CBT is the use of worksheets and self assessments, in which the client with the help of a therapist slowly replaces negative thinking with more positive ideas of how they experience the world and themselves. Document Archive | 1,739 | 905 | 0.00114 |
warc | 201704 | Appeal from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; (Hon. Ronald P. Wertheim, Motions Judge); (Hon. Robert M. Scott, Trial Judge)
Before Schwelb and Farrell, Associate Judges, and Mack, Senior Judge. Opinion for the court by Associate Judge Schwelb. Dissenting statement by Senior Judge Mack.
The opinion of the court was delivered by: Schwelb
SCHWELB, Associate Judge: E.A.H., who was fourteen years of age at the time of the offense, was tried as a juvenile and adjudicated delinquent after having been found guilty at a bench trial of assault with a dangerous weapon and related possessory weapons charges. The case stemmed from the shooting of one Bruce Gaddy. On appeal, E.A.H. contends that the motions Judge committed reversible error by denying his motion to suppress incriminating statements which E.A.H. made to police while a search warrant was being executed at his home. The motions Judge held that E.A.H. was not in custody when the statements were made, that no Miranda warning was therefore required, *fn1 and that the statements were voluntary. We affirm.
The principal facts are undisputed. Detective Donald Gossage, together with a second detective and several uniformed officers of the Metropolitan Police Department, executed a search warrant at 8:30 one Friday morning at the home in which E.A.H. lived with his mother and his siblings, including his co-respondent half-brother, S.W. The officers placed all of the occupants of the house in the living room on the ground floor while the warrant was being executed. Armed officers guarded all of the exits, and E.A.H. was obviously "seized" and not free to leave. A pistol was recovered in S.W.'s front upstairs bedroom.
Detective Gossage interviewed the respondents one at a time in the front upstairs bedroom, with the door open, but with no one else present. After speaking with S.W., Gossage called in E.A.H. He showed E.A.H. the search warrant and explained that he was looking for the weapon with which Bruce Gaddy had been shot. He asked if the pistol which police had just found was used to shoot Gaddy. E.A.H. responded in the negative. In response to further questions by Detective Gossage, however, E.A.H. stated that the pistol was his and that he was the person who had shot Gaddy.
E.A.H. was not told that he was under arrest, and he received no Miranda warning during the brief interview, which lasted only about three minutes. Detective Gossage did not draw his weapon during the interview, nor did he use any deceptive or overtly coercive tactics of any kind.
After completing the questioning, Detective Gossage and the other officers prepared to leave the house. Before they departed, E.A.H.'s mother asked if anybody would be arrested that morning, and Gossage said that nobody would. He explained that the investigation was continuing, and requested the mother to bring three of her sons, including S.W. and E.A.H., to the police station the following Sunday. When she did so, both respondents were read their Miranda rights, questioned further, and then arrested.
Prior to his trial, E.A.H. moved to suppress the incriminating statements he had made to Detective Gossage in the upstairs bedroom. After hearing the testimony, the motions Judge found that Detective Gossage had used no coercion, "though obviously the officers standing at the doorway were interested (and properly so) to prevent anyone from leaving while the search was executed." He noted that the respondents had been interrogated in their own home, "within earshot of their family through an open door," a fact which he viewed as rendering the atmosphere less coercive than that in a police station. Characterizing the Miranda doctrine as a "prophylactic rule" which was "designed to forestall the worst kinds of unconstitutional interrogation people in police custody," the Judge held that E.A.H. had not been in custody and denied the motion to suppress. *fn2 A different Judge found E.A.H. guilty at the factfinding hearing, which is the juvenile analogue of a trial. See D.C. Code § 16-2317 (1989).
The sole question on this appeal is whether E.A.H. was in police custody when he made his incriminating statements. In reviewing the motions Judge's decision on that issue, we defer to his findings of evidentiary fact, but determine the ultimate question of law de novo. Cf. United States v. Gayden, 492 A.2d 868, 872 (D.C. 1989) (dealing with the issue of seizure, but apparently treating it as equivalent to the question of custody for purposes of scope of review). The inquiry is an objective one, and the court must consider the totality of the circumstances. State v. Willis, 145 Vt. 459, 494 A.2d 108, 117 (Vt. 1985). *fn3
The Court stated in Miranda, 384 U.S. at 444, that "by custodial interrogation, we mean questioning initiated by law enforcement officers after a person has been taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom in any significant way." Since Miranda, the Court has narrowed the definition of custodial interrogation to include only those cases in which there has been a "formal arrest or restraint on freedom of movement of the degree associated with a formal arrest." California v. Beheler, 436 U.S. 1121, 1125 (1983) (per curiam) (emphasis added and citations and internal quotation marks omitted); Berkemer v. McCarty, 468 U.S. 420, 439-40, 82 L.Ed.2d 317, 104 S.Ct. 3138 (1984). Furthermore, this court has held that a restraint on liberty which would constitute a seizure under the doctrine of Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 20 L.Ed.2d 889, 88 S.Ct. 1868 (1968), does not necessarily place the seized person in custody for Miranda purposes. McIlwain v. United States, 568 A.2d 470, 472-73 (D.C. 1989); *fn4 see Berkemer, supra, 468 U.S. at 439-40. Moreover, this court has twice rejected the notion that a person was in custody for Miranda purposes because he was questioned during the execution of a search warrant in his home, even though he was not free to leave. Tyler v. United States, 298 A.2d 224, 226-27 & n.4 (D.C. 1972); Wells v. United States, 281 A.2d 226, 228 (D.C. 1971). These decisions present difficulties for E.A.H. which, in our view, he cannot surmount.
As stated earlier, the test for whether a person is in custody is an objective one; "the . . . relevant inquiry is how a reasonable man in the suspect's position would have understood his situation." Berkemer, supra, 468 U.S. at 442. In Berkemer the Court quoted, with apparent approval, language of the New York Court of Appeals justifying an objective inquiry on the ground, inter alia, that it does not "place upon the police the burden of anticipating the frailties or idiosyncrasies of every person whom they question." Id. at 442 n.35 (quoting People v. P., 21 N.Y.2d 1, 9-10, 286 N.Y.S.2d 225, 232, 233 N.E.2d 255, 260 (1967)). Cf. Michigan v. Chesternut, 486 U.S. 567, 574, 100 L.Ed.2d 565, 108 S.Ct. 1975 (1988) ("reasonable person" standard for determining whether seizure has occurred "ensures that the scope of Fourth Amendment protection does not vary with the state of mind of the particular individual being approached"). Nevertheless, juveniles are not simply younger adults, a fact which has prompted one court to state that "in the case of a juvenile, it is reasonable . . . for courts to apply a wider definition of custody for Miranda purposes." In re Lucas F., 68 Md. App. 97, 510 A.2d 270, 273 (Md. App. 1986); accord, In re Owen F., 70 Md. app. 678, 523 A.2d 627, 630 (Md. App. 1987). See also 3 WILLIAM E. RINGEL, SEARCHES & SEIZURES, ARRESTS & CONFESSIONS §§ 27.3, at 27.7 (2d ed. 1992).
We conclude that it is unnecessary for us to decide whether the objective reasonable person test for custody may properly include "subjective elements," In re Owen F., 523 A.2d at 630 n.3, where juveniles are concerned. In the present case, which is quite unlike Lucas F. and Owen F. factually, *fn5 we are satisfied that, even taking into consideration E.A.H.'s youth, the restraint on E.A.H.'s liberty during his brief questioning in a room in his home with the door open, did not approach a level comparable to that of a formal arrest. *fn6 No weapons were drawn, E.A.H. was not handcuffed, and the police left without arresting him. Moreover, E.A.H. was interviewed after his half-brother, and was able to see that the latter was, at least, not formally arrested. Although E.A.H. was or became a suspect, and although there was probable cause to arrest him after his admission to Detective Gossage, neither fact is a conclusive ... | 8,585 | 3,941 | 0.000255 |
warc | 201704 | The opinion of the court was delivered by: Thomas F. Hogan United States District Judge
Pending before the Court is the government's Motion For Partial And Temporary Relief From The Court's July 11, 2008 Scheduling Order. For the reasons that follow, the Court will grant the motion.
A little over three months ago, the Supreme Court held that foreign nationals detained at the United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, "are entitled to the privilege of habeas corpus to challenge the legality of their detention." Boumediene v. Bush, ___ U.S. ___, 128 S.Ct. 2229, 2262 (2008). In its decision, the Court directed that, "[w]hile some delay in fashioning new procedures is unavoidable, the costs of delay can no longer be borne by those who are held in custody." Id. at 2275. In sum, the Supreme Court held, "[t]he detainees in these cases are entitled to a prompt habeas corpus hearing." Id.
Following the Supreme Court's decision in Boumediene, this Court convened two meetings with government counsel and representative counsel for petitioners-the first on June 18, 2008, and the second on June 25, 2008-during which the Court and counsel discussed management of these habeas cases. On July 1, 2008, the Judges of this Court resolved by Executive Session to designate the undersigned to coordinate and manage proceedings in all cases involving petitioners presently detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,*fn1 so that these cases would be addressed as expeditiously as possible per the Supreme Court's directive in Boumediene. One week later, this Court held a status conference to discuss the procedures for handling these cases, including the schedule by which the government was to process factual returns. On July 11, 2008, the Court entered a scheduling order in which, relying in part on the government's assurances that it could meet such a schedule, the Court ordered the government to file factual returns at a rate of fifty per month, with the first fifty due by August 29, 2008.
Just before midnight on August 29, 2008, and after filing only ten factual returns in these consolidated cases,*fn2 the government filed the instant motion. In its motion, the government explains that it "simply did not appreciate the full extent of the challenges posed by the extensive need for classified information in these cases when [it] proposed to complete the first set of factual returns by the end of August" and, therefore, requests that this Court grant it "partial and temporary" relief from the July 11, 2008, scheduling order. Respondents' Motion For Partial And Temporary Relief From The Court's July 11, 2008 Scheduling Order ("Gov't Mot.") 1, 3. Specifically, the government asks this Court to extend by thirty days the date by which it is to file the first fifty factual returns.*fn3 In support of its motion, the government attached public declarations from high-level government officials-the Acting General Counsel for the Department of Defense, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency-as well as an ex parte declaration from the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, explaining the substantial resources and efforts the government has devoted to preparing factual returns and the risk of harm to the national security involved in releasing classified information to persons outside the Executive Branch.*fn4
Nearly all of the petitioners in these consolidated cases object to the government's request for an extension of time and filed or joined oppositions stating their respective positions for doing so. See, e.g., 08-mc-442, Docket Nos. 327, 330, 334, 341, 342, 346, 348, 350, 351, 353, 354, 355, 356, 392, 400 (joined by petitioners in 64 cases), and 406. For the most part, petitioners contend that granting the motion would prejudice them by further delaying habeas hearings, contrary to the Supreme Court's admonition in Boumediene that petitioners are entitled to "prompt habeas corpus hearing[s]," 128 S.Ct. at 2275. And they assert that government's reasons for requesting an extension are unpersuasive. To penalize the government for failing to meet the Court's deadline and to deter future violations of the scheduling order, petitioners propose various sanctions, including denial of motions to amend factual returns, default, and evidentiary and monetary sanctions.
Cognizant of the Supreme Court's directive that this Court address petitioners' cases expeditiously, see Boumediene, 128 S.Ct. at 2275, while, at the same time, "us[ing] its discretion" to accommodate the government's "legitimate interest in protecting sources and methods of intelligence gathering . . . to the greatest extent possible," id. at 2276, the Court will grant the government's motion. Upon review of the public and ex parte declarations, the Court is satisfied that the government is not dragging its feet in an attempt to delay these matters beyond what is necessary to protect the national security concerns associated with releasing classified information. These cases are not run of the mine; they involve significant amounts of sensitive, classified information concerning individuals whom the government alleges were part of or supporting the Taliban or al Qaida or other organizations against which the United States is engaged in armed conflict. The Court, therefore, must proceed with "caution . . . [and] pay proper heed both to the matters of national security that might arise in an individual case and to the constitutional limitations safeguarding essential liberties that remain vibrant even in times of security concerns." Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, 542 U.S. 507, 538-39 (2004) (plurality). As described in the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency's ex parte declaration, the dangers and risks to the national security that could follow from inadequate intelligence agency review of factual returns lead this Court to find that the government's requested extension of thirty days strikes, in this context, the proper balance between protecting the national security and providing petitioners the prompt habeas corpus hearings to which they are entitled.
As it is disappointed in the government's failure to meet the schedule the Court adopted based in part on the government's assurances, the Court grants the government's motion reluctantly. At this juncture, however, the Court is not convinced that the scope and nature of the sanctions petitioners propose are warranted to ensure that the government will meet its future obligations under the Court's scheduling order. But the Court admonishes the government that, in allowing it an additional thirty days to file each set of factual returns in these cases, the Court is not merely setting a "goal" for which the government is to "strive," Gov't Mot. 10-11 (contending that the government has diligently proceeded to "attempt to meet its goal"); id. at 12 ("The government will continue to strive to meet the 50-per-month requirement."). Rather, the Court is ordering the government to produce at least fifty factual returns by month's end, followed by at least fifty more each month thereafter until production is complete. Nor is the government's "doubt that Petitioners' counsel can respond, and the Court can adjudicate, cases at that pace," Gov't Reply 4, a basis on which the government can rely to disobey an order of this Court.
While the Court is not unsympathetic to the government's current workload and that, since Boumediene was decided a little over three months ago, government "[a]ttorneys and others from multiple agencies have worked long and hard, nights and weekends," see Gov't Mot. 10-11, 10 n.3, the government has detained many of these petitioners for more than six years, and the time has come to provide them with the opportunity to fully test the legality of such detention in a prompt, meaningful manner. And although the Court cannot fault the government for failing to "engage[] in resource ramp-up," Gov't Mot. 11 n.3, prior to the Supreme Court's decision in Boumediene, it was "no bolt out of the blue" that detainees at Guantanamo would be able to fully test the legality of their detention through habeas corpus challenges. 128 S.Ct. at 2278 (Souter, J., joined by Ginsburg & Breyer, JJ., concurring). Indeed, the Supreme Court held as much over four years ago. See Rasul v. Bush, 542 U.S. 466, 481-82 (2004) ("We therefore hold that [28 U.S.C.] § 2241 confers on the District Court jurisdiction to hear petitioners' habeas corpus challenges to the legality of their detention at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.").
Review of the public and ex parte declarations assures the Court that the government is now on notice of the time needed "to accomplish the development and finalization of amended and original factual returns in the pending habeas cases," Gov't Reply 2. Going forward under the revised schedule resulting from the Court's granting of its motion, consequently, the government cannot claim as a basis for failing to meet deadlines imposed by this Court that it "simply did not appreciate the full extent of the challenges posed," Gov't Mot. 3. Except for good cause shown, therefore, the Court will not tolerate any further delay. ... | 9,325 | 3,949 | 0.000255 |
warc | 201704 | Publishing Romance: The More Things Change …
Did Kathleen Woodiwiss’
The Flame and The Flower really give birth to the romance genre? Until last week, I’d always assumed the answer was a resounding No. But there seem to be quite a few sources that think it did. Wikipedia asserts that the publication of TFATF marked “the birth of the modern romance novel.” In Beyond Heaving Bosoms, Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan call it “the clearest predecessor we can find for the modern romance novel.” But what do we mean by “modern”? To a great extent we mean “modern European historical romance.” Avon editor Carrie Feron acclaimed Kathleen Woodiwiss as “the founding mother of the historical romance genre.” This tends to come as a shock to readers of Georgette Heyer, or even Barbara Cartland. And never mind Catherine Cookson, the undisputed Queen of the Clogs & Shawls subgenre of romance (never mind because even in the time of the international internet, apparently we’re all Americans). Nevertheless, Woodiwiss definitely jumpstarted something romance-related. And I would argue that what TFATF jumpstarted is even more interesting than giving birth to romance.
Janice Radway’s
Reading the Romance gets pilloried quite a bit in the online romance community. But whatever you think of the literary analysis contained therein, the first chapter, on the impact of Woodiwiss and the bodice-ripper sub-genre she introduced, is brilliant in demonstrating the importance of what she terms a “new category” of romance fiction within larger publishing trends. Radway discusses the rise of the paperback as a new profit center for traditional publishers, the acquisition and consolidation of boutique publishers by media conglomerates (plus ça change, etc. etc.), and the rise of the paperback bestseller. Publishing companies had discovered the buying power of women readers years before feminist movement took off in the mid- to late-1960s. Looking to replace the decreasing popularity of its mystery category line, Ace Books began a gothic romance imprint in 1960 with a novel by Phyllis Whitney. Other publishers soon followed, including Doubleday through its Fawcett Crest imprint, and Radway observes that they were “almost immediately successful in establishing gothic romance as a particular category and in creating a growing demand for new titles.” By 1971, when the demand for gothic romances was at its peak (first runs were as high as 800,000 copies), Dell was issuing four to five titles a month. Does this sound familiar?
So what happened to gothics? No one seems to have a good answer. Maybe the ingenue-meets-dodgy-hero-in-gloomy-house plot wore out its welcome. Certainly one possibility was the public’s growing appetite for sexually more explicit fiction, which gothic romances did not satisfy. Publishers had realized, both from the popularity of gothic romances and from their own surveys, that women were more than half the book-buying market, and we were increasingly willing and eager to read books with more and more graphic sex. In addition, the financial demands of printing technology in a profit-driven enterprise required a steady stream of books which could be counted on to sell. Gothic romance sales peaked in 1971, but the downturns in successive years made it clear they couldn’t be counted on to keep the paperback ship afloat.
Enter the slush pile. Nancy Coffey at Avon picked TFATF off the heap, took it home to read and couldn’t put it down. So Avon bought it, decided to publish it as a paperback original, and put their marketing might behind it. TFATF didn’t really break new ground, but it put together a winning combination of proven ingredients. It combined the historical sweep of bestselling sagas with a focus on the hero and heroine’s relationship which had hitherto been the domaine of category romances from Harlequin/Mills & Boon. And, of course, it added sex. In his insightful and compulsively readable survey of 1970s bestsellers and popular book publishing, John Sutherland characterizes the bodice-ripper genre as containing “a great deal of accurate sexual and inaccurate historical detail.” And, of course, there is the purple prose, which really was a new departure (perhaps to accompany the purple passion?).
The rest, of course, is history. The European Historical genre that was spawned by the spectacular success of TFATF obliterated the gothic romance and still dominates public perception of the genre today. Is that a bad thing?
Well, obviously the enduring public equivalence of romance=bodice-ripper simplifies and distorts an understanding of the depth and richness of the genre. But even within the community, when we use single books and historical moments to illustrate larger points about romance, we divert attention from the other forces in play at the same time. When we focus on the birth of the modern romance novel in the 1970s, the other critical developments we overlook include:
(1) The publishing innovations of Harlequin Books. Harlequin had certainly figured out the importance of women as readers by the 1950s and 1960s, and they expanded their distribution in the United States in the early 1970s. They commanded a majority of the sales in the romance genre, but because they released books by several authors each month (and didn’t engage in preferential promotion of their authors), the books didn’t get the attention of single titles.
(2) The focus on a single book overlooks the larger market context in which the book was launched and received. So we don’t carry the larger lessons forward. Yes, TFATF was an important benchmark. But it was a benchmark for publishing as much as for the genre.
(3) We neglect the rich diversity of the genre. Is TFATF a good place to start in the genre as a reader? Not if you want an idea of what today looks like. But also not if you want to look at continuity within romance. Reading a 1970s bodice ripper doesn’t tell you much about European historicals today, however much fun a blast from the past can be. Reading Georgette Heyer gives you a better sense of the debt today’s Regencies owe to their predecessors, especially the historically rich ones. Similarly, the less gothic Mary Stewart novels shed light on the path the Romantic Suspense sub-genre took. And of course, any number of past category authors went on to write single-title contemporary bestsellers.
One final lesson we should be sure to learn from the 1970s experience: it was a time of technological and economic upheaval. Then it was industry consolidation and the emergence of the paperback as bestseller. Today it’s industry consolidation and the rise of the ebook as major seller (I’m betting an ebook bestseller is not that far away). And yet, Harlequin once again is at the forefront of innovation; it the first major print publisher to take advantage of the ebook revolution with its Carina imprint. Apparently Avon is about to take the plunge. But will the NY publishers really exploit the opportunities of the technology? Will they see the expanding international reading public as comparable to the expansion of the reading public in the 1970s? And will they just produce more of the same, the way many publishers in the 1970s figured out how to turn hardbacks into sustained paperback profits, or will they put their marketing muscle behind a whole new genre, the way Avon did with bodice rippers? If they do, I think the smart money would be on m/m or erotic romance as sub-genres that are poised for the mainstream. But that’s a whole ‘nother post. | 7,748 | 3,611 | 0.000284 |
warc | 201704 | Le 2 août 2016, 04:07 dans Humeurs • 0
The first Sterilizer Autoclave were stovetop models, affixed with valves and steam controls, along with a measuring system to get the right pressure and temperature. These primitive yet affective devices began the process of stopping infection in surgical procedures altogether. The steam was at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius), and the pressure grew to about three atmospheres, so that organisms such as bacteria would simply burst and die and viruses would disintegrate.
This soon led to the Medical Autoclave. This front loading device had its own form of heat...the first being gas heat, later electricity and heated elements. The door was a tightly sealed affair with a locking handle. It was large enough to accompany many instruments at once, usually laid in metal trays prior to sterilization. Most of the sterilization was manual, so timing was essential.
The Plasma Sterilizer then began the process of streamlining. Simple electronics were introduced so regulate and monitor temperatures and pressure. The autoclave items are now wrapped in a temperature-sensitive paper, which changes color when sterilization is successful. Larger autoclaves were being developed in the 1960's, such that you could walk into them with the items needing to be cleaned.
Autoclaves now are computer-controlled and very efficient. Small ones are used in doctors' offices all over the world. Developing countries the world over now benefit from the autoclave, thus reducing infection in their patients. This leads to a healthy recovery.
Without the Hot Air Sterilizer, certain disciplines would have issues to overcome. Scientific laboratories that do research on harmful and beneficial organisms need sterile equipment to conduct their experiments aseptically. Contamination is also a problem with medical laboratories, which require sterile techniques in their testing regimen.
Article Source: http://www.ajagroupchina.com/ | 1,986 | 1,061 | 0.000951 |
warc | 201704 | STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) – Coloradans know the pine beetle has been causing catastrophic problems in the national forests, and now there could be a new one.
Some scientists in the Steamboat Springs area say the beetle-killed trees are creating a haze that’s preventing people from seeing across mountain tops. The research is getting world-wide attention.
The research started in Norway with a different species tree and pest, but when the research was done in Colorado, the findings were remarkable. The scientists say their research is conclusive.
“Our findings have implications in Colorado, but also all across of North America, so we’re really looking at what is the impact on visibility due to these infestations,” Dr. Gannet Hallar with Storm Peak Laboratory said.
The signs of beetle kill are abundant, especially around the central mountains of Colorado and high up on a mountain top such as at Steamboat Ski Area, the view isn’t as impressive as some would like.
“What we did was sample directly here to see what kind of emissions or changes to the atmosphere were happening at this point,” Hallar said.
Trees and even wildlife emit something called a volatile organic carbon.
“One thing that you can think about is the smell of a pine tree. That’s actually what you’re smelling; you’re smelling these compounds,” Hallar said. “What happens is, they get out into the atmosphere and then they mix with man-made chemicals like ozone and they form particulate matter. What that means is they are essentially forming haze in our atmosphere.
“We literally see 20 times more of these compounds coming from infested trees than non-infested trees.”
It’s a remarkably higher rate than scientists were even anticipating, but they admit more research needs to be done.
“We can’t directly say that specific haze is coming from bark beetles, but we’re really trying to get to that point.”
There’s some added research going on now at Colorado State University where a scientist is taking the findings and putting that information into a model to try and see what kind of impact the beetle-kill epidemic has had on not just the state, but the entire region.
For more information on the study, visit the
Environmental Science & Technology website. | 2,373 | 1,171 | 0.000901 |
warc | 201704 | research : disease studies NHLBI Lung Cohorts Sequencing Project
The major goal of this project is to apply next-generation resequencing to identify disease-causing variants influencing a key set of pediatric and adult lung diseases. The technology we will apply involves massively parallel resequencing of all protein-coding sequences in the human genome (the “exome”). In the initial discovery stage, we will work with a selected sequencing center to generate a catalogue of rare and common variants from 50-300 individuals selected from each of the tails of the distribution (1400 exomes total) of the major clinical phenotype assessed for each of seven population cohorts in which a comprehensive set of clinical traits have been well characterized. The phenotypes include: severity of lung disease in cystic fibrosis, time to acquisition of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) in cystic fibrosis, severity of lung disease in asthma, rate of decline of lung function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, severity of pulmonary hypertension and severity of acute lung injury. The variant catalogues from each tail will be mined by novel bioinformatics approaches to identify high-priority disease-modifying genes and/or causal variants. This genome-wide resequencing approach presents one of the most important challenges and opportunities in modern genetics. In a second stage, each high priority candidate gene or variant will be evaluated in all individuals in each cohort using conventional methods. Both stages of the project are projected for completion within 2 years. Summary of each lung disease cohort to be studied: Genomic Research on Asthma in the African Diaspora (GRAAD) : This cohort consists of two populations: (i) African Caribbean asthmatics and their families from Barbados; and (ii) African American asthma cases and non-asthmatic controls. Subjects in the two asthma studies were recruited through different means ( i.e., outpatient clinics, emergency departments, community centers), with different study designs ( i.e., family-based, case-control), variation in ethnicity (African American, African Caribbean), and inclusion/exclusion criteria varied, but the common denominator between studies is physician-diagnosed asthma – the gold standard – in addition to the presence of hallmark symptoms and asthma medication use. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in the Lung Health Study (LHS): This cohort is comprised of idiopathic PAH (IPAH) and scleroderma-associated PAH (PAH-SSc) cases and healthy controls in the Hopkins SCCOR program. This program aims to utilize state-of-the-art physiological, molecular, genomic and proteomic approaches as well as novel phenotyping instrumentation to provide the deepest understanding of the critical pathobiologic processes of pulmonary vascular (PV) and right ventricular remodeling, resulting RV-PV uncoupling, and their crucial impact on morbidity and mortality in PAH. Pulmonary hypertension is defined in IPAH or PAH-SSc patients as a mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 25 mm Hg proven by right heart catheterization. For patients with scleroderma, the presence of disease is defined as systemic sclerosis with diffuse or limited scleroderma meeting the American College of Rheumatology criteria. Because of the critical importance of relating accurate and sufficiently detailed phenotypes to genotypic findings, rigorous definitions for primary phenotypes of interest (IPAH and PAH-SSc) have been used. Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) Populations in the “Molecular Determinants of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension” Study: : Two ALI cohorts will be studied. The first cohort consists of ~950 critically ill patients from Harborview Medical Center with the systemic inflammatory responses syndrome (SIRS). These patients were followed through their ICU and hospital stay until death or discharge from the hospital. The second cohort consists of ~1,800 trauma patients who were at risk for ALI. Acute Lung Injury (ALI) Cystic fibrosis (CF): Pseudomonas Infection Control (EPIC) Observational Study. The EPIC cohort is the world’s largest, multicenter, longitudinal, prospective cohort of early lung disease in young CF patients. The second CF cohort consists of 1,208 ΔF508 homozygotes who are at the extremes of lung disease severity (“severe”, worst 25th %’tile of birth cohort vs. “mild”, best 25th %’tile) based on ~ 22 measures of lung function for each patient (over 5 yrs). | 4,546 | 2,185 | 0.000465 |
warc | 201704 | Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
7-1999
DOI
10.1577/1548-8454(1999)061<0239:GWRADW>2.0.CO;2
Abstract
The advent of an aquaculture industry for summer flounder
Paralichthys dentatus requires that optimal methods be identified for hatchery production. Two experiments were conducted to test strategies for larval rearing and for weaning newly metamorphosed juveniles from live to artificial diets. Rearing of larvae in ‘‘green water’’ (with algae added) resulted in better survival (76.1 6 6.5%) from days 5–42 after hatching than did rearing in ‘‘clear water’’ (no algae added; 27.8 6 13.6%), although no differences in growth were apparent. When fish were weaned from live feed beginning at day 45 versus day 57 by either a ‘‘gradual’’ method (7-d weaning period) or an ‘‘immediate’’ method (no weaning period), better survival and growth were obtained with fish weaned at the later age. For both agegroups, fish weaned by the gradual method exhibited better growth, but not better survival, than those weaned by the immediate method. With these data as examples, commercial hatcheries can conduct cost : benefit analyses of the different rearing methods. Citation/Publisher Attribution
Bengtson, David A., Lindsay Lydon and Jeffrey D. Ainley. ʺGreen-Water Rearing and Delayed Weaning Improve Growth and Survival of Summer Flounder.ʺ North American Journal of Aquaculture. 61(3):239-242. July 1999. | 1,518 | 868 | 0.001239 |
warc | 201704 | This morning I watched the president’s speech in Boston yesterday. It felt like a campaign rally. At first, it seemed off-key, although the combination with Sebelius’ dogged endurance of the deserved brickbats by Republican members was, I’d say, a relatively good day for the White House, which is not saying much these days.
But as I listened to the speech, it seemed to me that the president made some points that really do need to be re-made. Nothing makes me madder than a technical problem I cannot understand, let alone solve. Last night, as we were thrashing out various technical issues for the Dish, I got real testy and frustrated. So I can perfectly understand not just the frustration but the
rage at healthcare.gov. I can also see why the cancellation notices for individual insurance policies because they don’t cover enough and perpetuate the free-rider problem would be maddening. Obama’s relentless repetition that if you like your plan, you can keep it, period, was bullshit, and he must have known it at the back of his mind. Trust is a very dangerous thing for a president to risk. And he deserves some shellacking for it.
At the same time, look. I’m running a small business now – and we are talking to our insurance broker about what the ACA means for us. We’re not panicking, and we may well pay less. As we go through the process, I’m going to keep you informed as to what happens. As for me, with the mother of all pre-existing conditions, I cannot express how relieved I am that having HIV will no longer carry the risk of bankrupting me, if I have to seek insurance one day on the individual market. I wonder if I would have risked going independent with the Dish without the security that, even if it all fell apart, I wouldn’t be left to the ravages of the individual market for insurance for those with chronic conditions. At a small level, it gave me some sense of security to take an entrepreneurial risk. It may be a huge boon for business for people to switch jobs or try new ventures knowing that the health insurance caveat against risk-taking is now gone.
But I’m extremely lucky and privileged. How can you put a price on the relief of struggling middle-class families whose current insurance policies can be abruptly canceled, or amended with little recourse, or those who simply cannot afford insurance at all and face not just the pain of sickness but bankruptcy as well?
I tend to agree with John Kasich who urged sympathy for “the lady working down here in the doughnut shop that doesn’t have any health insurance — think about that, if you put yourself in their shoes.” Yes, put yourself in her shoes. She’s not on TV like I am, making points. She is waiting for medical support and help for all the trials that flesh is heir to.
The ACA also offers a real chance to bend the cost curve in healthcare. At its worst, it’s a start – and something that can be worked on as time goes by. Every law can be amended. But what the ACA does at its core is bring everyone into the same boat – and a bigger pool is always better for insurance purposes. That’s both a moral and a fiscal gain. I can see how it could be amended. At some point, we might be able to get rid of the employer subsidies and expand the individual market considerably. Or we could move to a single payer. But it will force all of us to grapple with this question more directly and more practically. If you don’t see it as a panacea but as a baseline for the future, it looks better.
What I’m saying, I guess, is that we should not miss the forest for a few rotten trees. If they get the website working, if more people get to sign up, if premiums remain below what was expected … then we will have a very different debate than we are having right now. And look: this is the law. It’s not a project we can simply ignore. But it is a project we should see in perspective – which our current partisan brouhaha is obscuring.
(Photo: President Obama spoke at Faneuil Hall to bolster support for his national health care law in Boston on October 30, 2013. Cathey Park, of Cambridge, displayed a cast on her broken wrist with ‘I (heart) Obamacare’ written on it. When U.S. President Barack Obama finished his speech, he shook hands with the crowd and signed her cast, next to the heart. By Yoon S. Byun/The Boston Globe via Getty Images.) | 4,483 | 2,247 | 0.00046 |
warc | 201704 | Arctic ice may be melting. The methane levels may be rising, ice shelves breaking off with every news bulletin.
Here is one thing that some of those obscene profits of the greedy climate changing corporations could be seized for through taxation. Remedying the damage done in the rainforests of Peru, South America through the extraction of gold.
It may not seem like it’s our problem or something that is potentially life threatening to us but right now the levels of methyl mercury produced from this destructive practice are increasing and spreading all around the world on the wind, killing as it goes. Not only that but the rainforest, the lungs of the planet are also being destroyed at an alarmingly rapid rate, along with the biodiversity of one of the most unique and irreplaceable regions in the world.
Having read the article from the Mongabay website and watched the film footage I can honestly say that even I was shocked by the depravity of it all. Yet this sort of destruction is happening all over the planet be it for gold, copper, rare earth metals or simply to grow palm oil plantations or extract rare hardwoods for the furniture trade in the West. And all for our perceived personal pleasure.
Ultimately its all for the profit of the corporations.
It is especially depressing when my minds eye roams to the visions of the rich and privileged walking the streets of the major Western cities wearing every conceivable item of designer fashion like a badge of honour, not even aware or even caring where it all came from. The gold in their bling and the gold in their electronic toys and the gold that buys their Glad rags and the gold that gauges their wealth status back in the bank vaults. It all started in the soil.
The gold industry and its equally destructive siblings are running amok whilst we fiddle with the controls on some new fangled device fresh off the publicity tours. And what a device. Special one off designer colour just the same as every other colour but patented and ready to do battle with the competition in the highest courts in the land. All publicity is good publicity regardless as to how crap the toys. Even if they are slimmer and trimmer in design than the competition they are still twice as easy to bend in your back pocket. Oh dear! Want some insurance with your toys Sir/Madam?
Along with their cosmetics, colourful clothing, food on the run and of course their ubiquitous can of designer drink.
Wouldn’t do now to be seen without that status symbol on display. The drink inside is crap of course and also probably originated in the developing world from someone else’s depleted aquifer leaving them totally without water, that essential of all commodities…….just for your designer drink.
Sadly the past seems to be ever more frequently forgotten as we tour the ruins of lost civilisations in awe at the monolithic walls and towers situated often only a stones throw from these newer and more modern blasted landscapes. Lost civilizations who also coveted the yellow metal and power and control. Then when discovered by the Spanish and other invading nations they succumbed to war and disease and famine. Until finally another chapter of human destructive behaviour closed and they disappeared like all the rest.
Now we face a replay of past events. The collapse of newer civilisations is upon us. The end of another episode in human endeavour, such that it was is making itself known to us. The climate is changing in more than just political ways. The real climate is having a fit at our behavior and is warming up like a body would do when fighting a virus Ah yes… Agent Smith!
We may have visited the moon and sent fancy rockets all over the solar system over the last 55 plus years but despite modern humans being around for about 200,000 years we still haven’t sorted out the basics of living down here.
Instead of trying to reach for the stars maybe we should first make the planet safe and sustainable for all life. Then we can star gaze forever, planning our next great adventure, without having to look over our shoulder for the coming storm.
But instead we crave power and wealth and destroy everything in our path to get it. And for what? Greed and vanity!
If ever there was one aspect of human behaviour which I find totally abhorrent its this greedy vanity for inanimate, useless and totally pointless products purely for narcissistic purposes. Its the ignorance of the masses as to where their food and merchandise came from. Its the ignorance of what it took in real terms to produce it all and what it inevitably costs us all. But the majority don’t give a shit about the future. They are all too wrapped up in the ‘must have’ moment, the ‘here and now’ of instant gratification. All on the outside and emptiness on the inside. No brain, no imagination and no sense of responsibility for the really important things in life.
Instead they are saying to the world ‘Look at me!’ as if they are frightened of not being noticed, of being overlooked, missed off the invite list for the latest ‘whatever’ party in the increasingly vain world of multimedia self promotion, warts and all!
Meanwhile back in the real world there are between 2 and 3 billion people scrabbling in the dirt searching for their own personal dreams by providing the material means for ours.
Yes we use some gold in electronics and medical applications but this could be extracted safely and without environmental destruction by properly organised and operated facilities. But the owners of such facilities would no doubt hold the world to ransom by deliberately manipulating the supply and demand balance to ensure the highest prices and we end up with more of the same old same old.
Profit at any cost.
Our craving for trinkets and toys is the very thing that has led us to this precise point in time and space where we are now looking upon the open dug graves of our destructive activities. Graves ready and waiting to take us into the bowels of the Earth and to bring about our species extinction along with every other species we have condemned through our selfish, arrogant behaviour. Its not really funny to see how we scar the Earth looking for something and never thinking to repair these scars. They merely remain as a permanent reminder for future generations of alien visitors to gaze upon and wonder.
Maybe the mad dash to invent our way out of trouble has distracted too many peoples attentions from climate change, from deforestation or any one of the multitude of other planetary crisis that is heading our way looking for a room.
Instead other profitable opportunities beckon. Geo-engineering the climate so that corporations can continue with ‘Business as usual’ while the pollution is compensated for by the geo-engineers latest wheeze. No not the breathless sound of the suffocating, although there will be plenty of that when the dust settles…..literally! Then we have them fracking for gas with claims of ‘its cleaner than coal’ and therefore ‘Green’ despite the polluted aquifers and noxious gases venting through every tap and well and despite the toxic chemicals poisoning everyone. Ever wondered where they get that special sand from that’s so essential to fracking?
And now we are drilling for oil in formerly icebound and pristine Arctic landscapes simply because we can. All for a hefty profit of course, with a few activists humiliating arrest on the side. Just to show the rabble that when they say they mean business, they mean business. And the power of the corporations grows. Gold does that to people.
But where are the outraged citizens? Where are the governments who claim to uphold human rights? Why are these peaceful activists being incarcerated for crimes way beyond what actually happened? Silent, because they are as much a part of the scam as the people who perpetrated the arrests. Only when the masses start to shout do a few make noises. Only the noises are dull and minuscule compared to the enemy voice.
Yet once a few nationals are released their governments claim the praise and then turn silent again just as quickly. The rest can sort their own out.
Even if it is or was an action for humanity, national boundaries still take precedence and here lies the dilemma over the future role of humanity on planet Earth. No solidarity. No common cause. No common sense. No common ground! All nations under the sun. Divided we stand and divided we fall.
Then there’s Palm oil. Another commodity we don’t actually need. Destructive beyond its worth and permanently scarring the planet. Species diversity isn’t considered. There are active patrols who go out to simply execute any intruders no matter how close their DNA is to ours. Which happens to be the Orangutans’ misfortune. This peaceful and intelligent ape lives among the trees of these far east rainforests and happens to be the closest living relative to humans. Its more of a curse than a credit. The human guards don’t give a shit either way and happily slaughter these apes…..to prevent them damaging their precious palm oil crops. See
Alternet story.
Deforestation and environmental destruction just gets worse. Out of sight and out of mind. If its not in our back yard or in our face it isn’t our problem. That is the attitude of the modern human of the developed world. Until someone makes it our problem then it will be business as usual. Something will come along to distract their attention away from the real war outside their immediate line of view. Some new must have toy will hit the market and everyone will race to get the newest version of the older version…..because its all about the numbers you know and being ahead of the crowd is where the race is at. Keeping up with the Jones. Being seen! Oh vanity, how art thou so desired! Suckers!
Despite all these promises and new ideas and newer opportunities it hasn’t hidden from view what really is the biggest problem of the day and therefore the one most urgently needing immediate remedial action to stop it.
Deforestation for mineral wealth. The powers that be place unrealistic limits on deforestation and make all the right noises about not trading in unsustainable products whilst all the while they continue with business as usual. Its all talk, talk, talk and no actual initiative gets put into effect. Its like going to the hospital with a lung condition and being treated for a facial wart. It doesn’t stop the destruction. Even the NGO’s have jumped on the corporate bandwagon and shown support for sustainable soya, sustainable old growth forest destruction and sustainable palm oil production. How does that make it sustainable? Simply by engaging the NGO’s and getting their name on the agreement makes it all ‘green and legitimate’. How bloody corrupt and bizarre!
So what is the solution? My view would be to take each part of the problem and drive it out of existence but it needs the support of the masses to make it happen. Not NGO’s stepping in and claiming ‘its green because we say so and our name is on the tin’. Utter nonsense!
We could start to make a difference by doing something about the Artisanal gold extraction and all the other causes of deforestation around the planet like palm oil production and timber clear cutting and deforestation for agriculture. Then the levels of pollution and destruction would be reversed pretty rapidly and maybe, just maybe the planet will breathe a sigh of fresh air in relief at our change of behaviour. But only if we stop running towards the horizon of new world ideas and empty promises. Provided we see the real need for change and providing we can stop being greedy.
But all this is a sham of ideological hopes on my part. I doubt that it will happen any time soon. Because it is our behaviour that is all wrong. Its our behaviour that has always been wrong and it needs to change. That includes admitting that fancy solutions are no solution at all. It means giving up the bright shiny things we desire. It means getting our hands dirty for once. It means bending our backs and getting busy. It means commitment to the planet and it means taking responsibility for our actions and taking responsibility for the welfare of the planet.
Only hard graft and knuckling down to what needs to be done to remedy the real issues that are currently facing the planet will save us all. Plants, animals and us parasitic humans.
For me the epitome of human achievement would be turning this destruction around and restoring all the blasted lands back to their former natural glory. Everywhere!
Sadly I have to admit that I am not convinced we can actually do it anytime soon.
There are just too many people with bright, profitable ideas and high career ambitions, and even more with dreams.
[
DV “School Yard Fights” editor note — Great piece, and you might want to check out the movie, The Cove, and an article on mercury in vaccinations, you know, the debate, where MDs who question the vanguard, the pro-Pharma people, how they are vilified in the media and even among those liberal elites running the show. “The Truth Behind the Vaccine Cover-Up” by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.} | 13,417 | 6,123 | 0.000167 |
warc | 201704 | Transcription
1 MORE THAN CV POINTS? The Benefits of Employee Volunteering for Business and Individuals Edited by James Lloyd
2 More than cv points? The Benefits of Employee Volunteering for Business and Individuals Edited by James Lloyd
3 FIRST PUBLISHED BY The Social Market Foundation, March Tufton Street, London SW1P 3QB The Social Market Foundation, 2010 The moral right of the author has been asserted. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book. THE SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION The Foundation s main activity is to commission and publish original papers by independent academic and other experts on key topics in the economic and social fields, with a view to stimulating public discussion on the performance of markets and the social framework within which they operate. The Foundation is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. it is independent of any political party or group and is financed by the sale of publications and by voluntary donations from individuals, organisations and companies. The views expressed in publications are those of the authors and do not represent a corporate opinion of the foundation. CHAIRMAN David Lipsey (Lord Lipsey of Tooting Bec) MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Viscount (Tom) Chandos Gavyn Davies Daniel Franklin Martin Ivens Graham Mather Brian Pomeroy DIRECTOR Ian Mulheirn DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BY SoapBox PRINTED BY Repropoint Digital Print Solutions 2
4 Contents Acknowledgements... 4 Introduction By Ian Mulheirn, Director, Social Market Foundation... 5 Getting employee volunteering right By Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office... 7 Scouting for Skills By Wayne Bulpitt, UK Chief Commissioner for Scouting, The Scout Association...12 Promoting skills-based volunteering By Roisin Murphy, European Integration Manager for KPMG Europe...18 Skills-based employee volunteering By Helen Simpson, Director of Volunteering for BT Group...24 What can be done to promote employee volunteering as a form of skills training? By Edie Fassnidge, NSS Senior Operations Manager, Volunteering England What can be done to promote volunteering as a form of skills development? By Hannah Jameson, Research Manager, IPA A bridge to prosperity? By Bob Windmill, UK Research Manager, Alliance of Sector Skills Councils...41 Employee volunteering and the UK skills strategy By John Hayes MP, Shadow Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher
5 SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION Acknowledgements The Social Market Foundation is grateful for the support of The Scout Association for making this publication possible, and for the authors who have generously donated their time and effort to write for this report. 4
6 more than cv points? Introduction By Ian Mulheirn, Director, Social Market Foundation Employee volunteering schemes have become increasingly widespread in recent years. However, in their volunteering policies, employers often fail to differentiate between different kinds of activities, conflating schemes that offer one day teambuilding exercises with those that involve accredited training and longer term career development. Such confusion persists despite the potential of skills-based volunteering to furnish both soft and hard-skills, for example, self-confidence, team-working and project management. In the wake of the worst recession experienced in decades, and with many organisations still struggling to fund training and development for staff, there has never been a better time to explore and recognise the potential of skills-based employee volunteering schemes. For these reasons, the Social Market Foundation is delighted to be publishing this edited collection by leading experts on this topic, which has been made possible by the support of The Scout Association. The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office, kicks-off the collection with Getting employee volunteering right, by highlighting the sheer size of the UK s volunteer workforce, but also the potential barriers to employee volunteering schemes. She argues that the Government can lead by example, as well as providing practical support, such as the Government s 2 million pilot fund, Access to Volunteering, which aims to reduce the barriers to disabled people s volunteering. The potential role of government is also explored in Scouting for Skills by Wayne Bulpitt, UK Chief Commissioner for Scouting at The Scout Association. Drawing on the experience of The Scout Association as both a large voluntary organisation and a provider of accredited training, Wayne puts forward some proposals for how businesses could be made better aware of the benefits of employee volunteering. 5
7 SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION It is then the turn of two of the UK s leading employers to give their perspective on the benefits of employee volunteering. Roisin Murphy of KPMG looks at how skillsbased employee volunteering can be embedded in an employer s training and development programme in Promoting Skills-based Volunteering. Helen Simpson of BT sets out how and why her organisation has recently rolled out a volunteering programme in Skills-based Employee Volunteering. Looking from the other side of the fence, two key organisations with an interest in employee volunteering then provide some ideas to answer the question: What can be done to promote employee volunteering as a form of skills training? Edie Fassnidge of Volunteering England argues for the need to clarify the business case, and to firm up the evidence base on the benefits for employers learning and development programmes. Hannah Jameson of IPA explores the potential for skills toolkits, and the role of flexible working. Looking at the wider economic picture, Bob Windmill, UK Research Manager for the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils argues policymakers need to find a way of recognising the value of volunteers to the economy and to implement concrete measures to support a culture of volunteering support in the business community. In Employee volunteering and the UK skills strategy, John Hayes MP, Shadow Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, picks up on this theme, arguing for the crucial role of providing pre-apprenticeship training for so-called NEETs as a first step on the ladder to gaining practical skills. The voluntary sector is identified as a potentially key provider of opportunities to gain practical workplace skills. 6
8 more than cv points? Getting employee volunteering right By Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Cabinet Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Olympics and London and Paymaster General This text is drawn from a speech given by Tessa Jowell MP to the Social Market Foundation on February 22nd 2010, at an event entitled Getting Employee Volunteering Right. A new context Following the banking crisis, as the country begins to move out of the downturn, the relationship between the private and the voluntary sectors has changed. In the past, collaboration between the sectors was seen as a one-way street, with the voluntary sector cast as grateful beneficiaries of private sector standards of efficiency. But now private companies are increasingly recognising that their profits depend on re-building the trust of the consumer. Consumers want to be reassured that the short-term interests of the company are not given greater priority than the service provided. In fact, 75% of the public now believe that it is either very important or absolutely essential for companies to act in a socially responsible way. More and more, firms are recognising the true value of importing the principles and values that are fundamental to the voluntary and community sector. And this is a strong sector. We know that, in this country, we can count on a tremendous number of volunteers. Around three quarters of us volunteer at some point each year, with half of us volunteering at least once a month. This is an extraordinary reflection of our society and something that s too often taken as a given rather than celebrated. The value of the sector becomes even clearer when we consider that the economic contribution made by volunteers amounts to more than 27 billion. Scouting 7
9 SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION provides a perfect example. Adults working in scouting contribute in excess of 364 million hours of voluntary work each year to allow young people to take part in a huge range of activities in their local communities. In fact, the total number of volunteers working for Scouting in this country is larger than the workforces of McDonalds and the BBC combined. But, despite this, there are still thousands of young people on the Scout Movement s waiting list. So, if we are serious about getting employee volunteering right, we need to look in particular at the barriers faced by those who are willing and eager to volunteer. Barriers to employee volunteering The National Survey of Volunteering and Charitable Giving highlights some of the main factors. First, time. More often than not it is a lack of time rather than lack of enthusiasm that is behind the volunteer shortage. In fact, more than 80% of employees indicated that they would be keen to get involved in a staff volunteering scheme if their employer allowed them the time to do it. Secondly, choice. The ability to choose the specific activity is one of the most commonly cited factors that would encourage employees to volunteer. Thirdly, company size. With smaller staff teams, the absence of an employee is often felt more keenly by small and medium sized companies than by larger firms. As a result, SMEs are currently much less likely to have an employer supported volunteer scheme in place, and are therefore less able to benefit from the business benefits that follow from this reciprocity. The final point is access. Disabled people are now around 10% less likely to volunteer than the rest of the population, highlighting the fact that the additional support or equipment that disabled volunteers require is too often lacking. 8
10 more than cv points? In central government, we have taken action to support volunteering and help overcome these barriers, including specific action in response to the recession. Last summer we launched the National Talent Bank, which aims to match employers and employees with opportunities to serve their communities. It is a programme that is focused on those who have found themselves underemployed as a result of the downturn. It targets employers who ve elected to release employees for a fixed period or to reduce the working week, as well as those who ve deferred the start dates for new recruits or retained staff whose posts have been made redundant. Already companies such as BT have signed up to the scheme, and more are likely to follow in the months ahead. At the end of last year we also published A Guide to giving for Business, which sets out the incentives for private-sector giving, including advice and recommendations on offering time to employees to take up volunteering opportunities. Meanwhile, an enormous range of opportunities are on offer at the National Volunteering Database. Visitors to do-it.org.uk which is supported by Cabinet Office funding can currently choose from nearly 1 million opportunities. With the Government s 2 million pilot fund, Access to Volunteering, we are looking to reduce barriers to disabled people volunteering. Leading the way But as well as programmes such as these, we are also looking to lead by example as champions of employee volunteering. The recommendations that were published last year by Baroness Neuberger, as the Prime Minister s volunteering champion, are now being implemented across government. All departments now have policies in place to encourage their employees to volunteer, including offering staff at least one day s paid leave. The Cabinet Office offers five days paid leave per year to take up volunteering opportunities. Meanwhile, a number of departments have employee volunteering programmes that, crucially, are linked to staff development and the organisation s objectives. 9
11 SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION Almost any well structured volunteering opportunity would enhance the employee and thereby the department. A compelling business case Leading by example is important. In order to be true champions of employee volunteering, the Government needs to convince employers that there is a compelling business case. So the evidence shows that corporate volunteers bring newfound skills, confidence, and enthusiasm back into the workplace, and that, as a result, staff become more motivated, more likely to stay in their jobs, and less likely to take sick leave. Surveys have shown that volunteers report increases in leadership, communication, and teamwork skills of between 65 and 80%. It is this kind of impact that led IBM to describe their programme as a powerful way of increasing the skills and enthusiasm of our employees. Centrica found their Cardiff Cares scheme boosted the numbers of staff reporting job satisfaction, significantly reduced absenteeism, and improved employee retention to almost 100% amongst participants. It is the investment in the personal and professional development of staff that also represents real value for money, significantly reducing training costs. The reputational and brand benefits are also substantial. An impressive record on volunteering allows a company to stand out from the rest and helps to generate greater customer loyalty. Recruitment also benefits from an enhanced public image and good relations with the community. Polls show that 9 out of 10 prospective employees agree that a company that is active in the community is likely to be a good employer, and that s especially true amongst new, young graduates. Conclusion So, a successful employee volunteering scheme delivers three types of benefits at the same time: benefits for the community; for the individual; and for participating 10
12 more than cv points? businesses. Everyone knows about the value of volunteering and we must publicise people s stories, celebrating how it changed them and the impact it had on the organisation. We must also keep an eye on the barriers that employees face, to ensure that volunteering opportunities are open to all. Employers need to promote volunteering opportunities to their staff in an enabling way. There is a question about whether volunteering should feature in performance appraisals. Volunteering gives the individual experience in an environment they are not familiar with, and communities benefit from high-level skills that are irreplaceable value in kind. Volunteering is a real trade of human capital. We must never forget the reciprocity of volunteering. 11
13 SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION Scouting for Skills By Wayne Bulpitt, UK Chief Commissioner for Scouting, The Scout Association Introduction Scouting has offered young people adventure, fun and the chance to learn about themselves and the world around them for over a century. The benefits this brings to the youngsters themselves and to wider society have long been recognised. But the positive impact on our economy, as adult volunteers put the skills and experience they have gained through Scouting into practice in their full-time jobs, is often overlooked. As we consider how as a society we can meet the shortfall in volunteers, it is time we gave these benefits greater thought and emphasis. This difficulty in recruiting and retaining volunteers is shared by organisations of all sizes and interests across the UK. We now have 35,000 young people on our waiting lists because we lack enough adults to run local Scout Groups. Our own experience, however, suggests it is not lack of enthusiasm but a lack of time that is behind this shortage. The challenge for voluntary organisation is how to ease these pressures and encouraging employers to allow staff time off is key. Here we need a change of approach. For the best way to overcome resistance is not through appeals to altruism but by presenting a hard-headed business case. We need to demonstrate that volunteering will help employees perform better at their jobs through the training they receive and the new skills they learn. With an estimated quarter of employers providing no training to their staff; 1 working with the voluntary sector can help fill the gap and equip the UK s workforce for the challenges of the modern economy. 1 Learning and Training at Work Survey (2000) 12
14 more than cv points? Adult leaders and scouting The Scout Association has been a training organisation for over 100 years. We have relied right from the beginning in 1907 on volunteers to provide high quality developmental youth work. We now have 100,000 adult volunteers working with nearly 500,000 young people week in, week out. Providing Scouting to our consistently high standards simply could not be done without giving them skills whether in project and people management, logistics, first aid or budgeting. Scouting s quality depends on its volunteers, and our volunteers depend on Scouting to teach them the skills they need. It is why we were very proud in 2009 to be recognized with a National Training Award from UK Skills. The training our volunteers receive is one of the reasons they enjoy scouting. Indeed, recent research shows one in five volunteer specifically to develop strengths and skills. Asked whether the skills and experiences they gained through Scouting have been of relevance to working or personal lives, 93% of volunteers answer positively. 2 More than two out of three see a direct correlation between their volunteer experience within Scouting and gaining employment or career development. 3 These figures are confirmed by a TimeBank survey which found nine out of ten volunteers believe the new skills learnt had helped them get their first job, increase their salary or gain promotion. 4 Project Management when 80+ Cubs are due to arrive for a weekend camp you cannot say sorry we are running a bit behind, can you come back next week. Time-critical projects is what Scouting is all about... Learning how to remain charming, polite and helpful for 12 hours a day at the World Scout Jamboree 2007 has stood me in good stead during a bad day at the office! Last September I project managed an office move of 55 people. There were several comments that my Scouting skills were showing - it was a compliment. 2 The Scouts Keeping Britain s Workforce Ready For Action: Supporting Scouting During The Credit Crunch 3 Ibid. 4 Informing The Scout Association s key messages and audience targeting with existing research, collation of existing and external research on the motivations and barriers to volunteering, Desk research report for The Scout Association, Rebecca Molyneux and Patrick Brennan, December
15 SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION Importantly, employers agree on this positive impact on careers of volunteering. A survey for Reed Executive 5 showed that 73% of Britain s biggest employers preferred a candidate with volunteering experience, while 94% recognised that volunteering can add to personal skill-sets. Even more impressive was that 58% of employers said that voluntary work experience can actually be more valuable than experience gained in paid employment. So what s the problem? Given this evidence, you might think employers would be strongly encouraging their staff to take up volunteering opportunities. The experience of our volunteers is very different. Just 53% said that their employer had responded positively to their involvement in the Scouts. 6 Securing time off was seen as the biggest problem. Lack of time is also the reason most people give for not volunteering. CSV Make a Difference Day research from 2005 found two out of three people said pressure of time was the prime reason for their lack of involvement. This reflects increased difficulties in balancing work, social and family responsibilities. There are, of course, plenty of examples of far-sighted employers. Aviva, the insurance company, allows all employees twenty one hours volunteering leave a year, plus additional reasonable paid leave for leaders in specially recognised youth organisations including Scouting. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), Sainsbury s and British Telecom are among companies which support local activities with donations up to 5000 to organisations where employees regularly volunteer. But in many cases, whether volunteering is supported depends more on the attitudes of local managers than any system-wide policy. This is an issue both in the public and private sector. The Home Office, for example, provides paid special leave to encourage employees to volunteer as part of their Community Cohesion initiative. But such support has not been extended across all of the 5 Op. cit. 6 The Scouts Keeping Britain s Workforce Ready For Action: Supporting Scouting During The Credit Crunch 14
16 more than cv points? civil service. As Baroness Neuberger commented in her review of volunteering, certain Government departments are currently not persuaded of the merits of employee volunteering. 7 Indeed, financial restraints have already seen this provision within the Home Office reduced to three days leave. And even among those organisations who do most to support volunteering, this is usually seen as part of their social responsibility programmes rather than central to their business as a human resources strategy. These examples also highlight how support for volunteering is often restricted to the largest employers. Many smaller businesses see such support as an unaffordable extra rather than a benefit to their businesses. This is ironic as it is smaller organisations who are less likely to have the resources to invest in training so have most to gain from their staff improving their skills through volunteering. These problems are leading local Scout Groups to take innovative approaches to sell the benefits of volunteering to business. In Bromley and Bexley, for example, they are working with the local Chamber of Commerce to promote Scouting as a form of training. But without the commitment of employers to supporting volunteering and a positive public policy environment, it is often only the persistent employee who manages to balance work and civic interests. So what could be done? Addressing these challenges is firstly a matter of awareness. One survey found 94.4% of respondents didn t realise that Scouts provided training. 8 This lack of knowledge of the skills training on offer is typical. Identifying where volunteering offers comparable learning experiences to training courses would help employers see the business benefits of giving staff time off. One way this could be achieved is if Government support currently available for skills training in higher and further education was extended to taster sessions within the voluntary sector. So too 7 Employer-supported volunteering in the civil service, A review by Baroness Neuberger, the Prime Minister s Volunteering Champion, July Scouts Volunteering in the Civil Service- Emerging Talent Group Project 2008/
17 SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION would encouraging larger employers to share their experience of the benefits they gain through promoting volunteering with other businesses. Greater clarity on the specific benefits would also help gain employer support for volunteering as a training activity. Accreditation will help re-assure employers about the skills that will be learnt. Schemes including Investors In Volunteering already exist to highlight and spread good practice by employers. These could be extended to identify particular skills learnt through specific volunteering roles to help employers understand how they compare with existing training workshops or programmes. Such a scheme, however, would also need to recognise the longer period that skills are developed through volunteering and the greater emphasis placed on learning through practical experience, rather than in a single seminar. There is no doubt, of course, that introducing statutory paid leave for volunteering would transform participation rates. But we understand that many employers would find this a step too far, especially in the current economic climate. This helps explain why tentative proposals for a right to time-off for statutory voluntary roles have been recently put on the back-burner. But there could be less resistance if a right to time off was linked much more directly to training. By placing the emphasis on the specific skills and experience to be gained, employers would understand better the value to them of allowing staff time off. The new UK Commission for Employment and Skills could have a valuable role in giving employers confidence that the training offered by voluntary organisations such as The Scout Association is accredited, valuable and transferable to the workplace. The shortfall in volunteers could also be tackled, along with a boost in skills, by extending existing schemes to help new graduates gain experience. We could build on the paid internships and secondments already offered by many charitable organisations to recent graduates. Thought could also be given to extending to volunteering the payment holidays on student loans enjoyed by teachers in particular subjects 16
18 more than cv points? Conclusion There is no simple single solution to the difficulties of volunteer recruitment. Volunteering organisations ourselves have to be more understanding of the pressures on employees and employers. Scouting is exploring how we can offer more opportunities to volunteer for shorter periods and to arrange training flexibly to help balance family and work commitments. But helping employers and Government better recognise the role that volunteering can play in improving skills is essential. By lifting one of the main barriers preventing the growth not only of Scouting but countless voluntary organisations across Britain, we will not only improve the health of our society but also the strength of our national economy. 17
19 SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION Promoting skills-based volunteering By Roisin Murphy, European Integration Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, KPMG Europe LLP The time is now Never has there been a more opportune time to re-shape and more explicitly link employee volunteering with skills development. With the credit crisis and organisations under budgetary pressures to reduce costs and maximise impacts, training that may once have been a nice to have or considered nonessential is being reviewed. Coupled with this is the evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and embedding CSR in an organisation. While some may view the credit crisis as a hindrance to volunteering, it may indeed, in the long-term, have far more positive benefits for our local communities than previously anticipated. This is because forward-looking organisations are focusing more attention on how to leverage volunteering to maximise the benefit to both the local community and the organisation itself. All things being equal, the volunteering opportunities that produce a positive local community benefit as well as developing employees skills and core competencies is a formula that should produce even greater benefits for communities than ever before. In an ideal world organisations will stop encouraging people with specialist skills to provide generic volunteering. KPMG Europe LLP KPMG Europe LLP member firms provide audit, tax and advisory services to help national and international companies and organisations negotiate risks and thrive in the varied environments in which they do business. KPMG Europe LLP (ELLP) is comprised in 14 countries and employs more than 33,000 people. Last year KPMG Europe LLP people contributed 59,000 hours of volunteering and pro bono work in their local communities. Over 15 million was donated to the causes we support in cash or in kind. There is a strong culture of volunteering within the firm s ethos and a commitment to positively contribute to those communities. This continues to grow as the integration of CSR across ELLP member firms becomes further embedded. 18
20 more than cv points? At KPMG* we want to inspire, challenge and empower our people to make a positive contribution to local communities where we live and work. The CSR integration approach at KPMG is committed to first understanding the local social and environmental needs. Where there are similar needs and KPMG s specialist skills can be leveraged to help alleviate challenges, KPMG sets up programmes for cross-border collaboration within countries so that these skills and experience can be applied. This is hugely advantageous. CSR teams across ELLP are working closely together to share best practice and knowledge to maximise benefits for the business and the local community. Providing an infrastructure to embed CSR and maximise participation CSR is not about winning awards, it s about doing the right thing. Businesses that provide a solid infrastructure for everyone to volunteer will be better able to maximise the contributions of their volunteering programmes. If there is no formal mechanism in which people can volunteer, participation cannot reach its full potential. The platform enabling everyone to get involved requires leadership support, time and resource. This is something that exists within KPMG Europe LLP. Each member firm has a dedicated CSR Partner sponsor, CSR resources and budget. A volunteering policy formally empowers our people to volunteer during business hours. We are committed to measuring, and working to improve our impacts. We communicate to our people about how they can get involved. We are well underway in our three year plan to establish dedicated CSR Forums in every KPMG office, ensuring the approach is not just at a national level, but also at the local office level. We have more than 120 established community programmes in 14 countries and we are working together to share knowledge and experiences to further innovate our programmes. Maximising local community benefit by leveraging core competencies and specialist skills When organisations use their skills to support the local community, it is helpful to be mindful of the difference between core competencies and specialist skills. Both are equally important, however, their application will have varying degrees of positive social impact. In a professional services firm, volunteering 19 | 30,794 | 11,827 | 0.000085 |
warc | 201704 | 1 A LETTER TO OUR PEERS Carlos Danel & Carlos Labarthe WHAT WE BELIEVE IN Since our IPO last year, the long standing discussions around the issue of the commercialization of microfinance have taken a renewed prominence. Many people in the industry have expressed concerns of where the IPO might take microfinance and others have praised it as a step forward in achieving a more inclusive financial sector. These are discussions we all in the industry should welcome, they are healthy ones. As the challenge to improve people s lives is large, these debates can make a major contribution to find the best ways to undertake it. Through it all, we at Compartamos have been mostly silent, trying to listen to the concerns and perceptions of others. We believe that some of those discussions have led to very meaningful insights. However, we have struggled with finding a way to break our silence and participate in the debate constructively. This letter aims to do that. It aims to share with the industry the core beliefs that have led Compartamos to follow the road we have followed. We are proud of what we have achieved, and by no means do we intend to change critic s minds. This is only an effort to put forth our beliefs so that we can be held accountable to them. We believe in people, we believe that microfinance is finance and has to be sustainable, that economic value is a consequence of social value, that the main contribution of microfinance is the expansion of the market, that microfinance has great economic value, and that the challenge of combating poverty is much larger than microfinance itself. WE BELIEVE IN PEOPLE We are in the business of trusting people. This trust allows our clients to seize opportunities otherwise they would not have. Yes, mostly we provide working capital loans to microentrepreneurs, but that is only part of the story. Like many of the pioneers of microfinance 1, the Mission 2 that drives us is the creation of opportunities for those who have been excluded from them. It has been the perpetual lack of opportunities that have kept capable people from realizing their full potential, and that is what Compartamos is all about. 1 The creation of opportunities for the majority of people the poor is at the heart of the work that we have dedicated ourselves to during the past 30 years Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, Oslo, December We are a bank that generates social, economic and human value. We are committed with the individual, we generate development opportunities in popular sectors; these opportunities are based in innovative and efficient large scale models and in transcendental values that create both external and internal culture, developing permanent trust worthy relationships and contributing to the creation of a better world
2 We offer our services to low income segments of the Mexican population 3. We do not claim to work with the poorest of the poor and in fact we are convinced that they (the poorest) need much more urgent economic transfers in order for them to be in a productive state and be able to use a loan successfully 4. This implies we believe in people s abilities and recognize their natural desire to prosper. In an open and free market, we are convinced our clients are in the best position to make the right choices for themselves and their families. This includes the belief that having access to financial products is better that not having access at all. If financial services are an opportunity for higher income clients and corporations, why wouldn t they be an opportunity for low income clients? We understand and share the concerns that the opportunity can become a danger without proper financial literacy or consumer protection. As Lendol Calder noted, there is such a thing as wise borrowing and foolish borrowing 5. People and institutions can and do abuse credit in a way it can harm them, but we believe it is not a valid reason to deny them access. The recent subprime crisis in the U.S. is a clear example of this abuse, something that has not occurred among microfinance clients in over two decades of serving clients in developing countries. However, there is a clear need to focus on providing consumer protection and financial education along with financial services. This is why we have been pioneers in putting forth Consumer Protection Pledges in the Microfinance Network 6 and Prodesarrollo 7. We have also been strong supporters of the Transparency Law in Mexico 8, and just in the past year, we have provided specialized financial literacy training for more than 60,000 people. Since 2001, we have entered more than a million people in the national credit bureaus 9 not only to open doors for them, but also to make sure that, as competition increases, a good client is not harmed by overindebtness, a concern we share with the Leaders behind the Pocantico Declaration who are concerned by the rising risk of over indebtedness among clients in many markets 10. We believe that microfinance provides opportunities, but is not by itself a solution to poverty alleviation. We agree with the Pocantico Declaration when it says: We affirm our ongoing confidence that microfinance can and should bring increases in income, assets and other benefits to our clients; but we acknowledge that microfinance is not a panacea We define our segment as C to D- based on the definitions by AMAI (Asociación Mexicana de Agencias de Investigación de Mercado y Opinión Pública), A D- client earns approximately 10 dollars a day. 4 We have seen and hope to learn from the institutions that are breaking ground serving the poorest of the poor like BRAC in Bangladesh. 5 Financing the American Dream, Lendol Calder, 199, Princeton University Press. 6 The MicroFinance Network (MFN) is an international association of leading microfinance institutions. Through the MFN, 37 members from 31 countries share ideas, experiences, and innovative solutions to the challenges they face in search of continuous growth and progress. 7 Prodesarrollo is a Mexican network whose members promote financial culture among popular sectors. The network includes other networks, financial institutions, individuals and members from the academia. 8 Ley para la transparencia y ordenamiento de los servicios financieros (Law for the transparency and regulation of financial services)/ Diario Oficial de la Federación, Credit bureaus in Mexico are private institutions whose official name is Sociedades de información crediticica (Institutions of credit information). As of 2008, there are two main companies: Buró de Crédito (http://www.burodecredito.com.mx/), and Círculo de Crédito (http://www.circulodecredito.com.mx/) 10 The Pocantico Declaration, April The Pocantico Declaration, April
3 At the same time we have proven that the provision of microfinance services can bring with it the potential to build other things different from financial assets. In a recent study by De la Riva Group 12, Compartamos clients showed a greater statistical level of self-esteem, financial literacy and solidarity than the control group. Much of this comes from true client service, which in Compartamos includes activities such as business workshops, yearly meetings to recognize our clients work, and publications, among others. We maintain microfinance builds social capital, and that is the greatest of the opportunities that we offer and that our clients value. So at the end of the day, we have come to understand that we are not always able to change our client s lives, but we are able to provide an opportunity for them to change their own lives. We are convinced this is worth doing. WE BELIEVE THAT MICROFINANCE IS FINANCE Pure financial intermediation is about allocating money saved by others to those deemed creditworthy and who can profitably invest it. This is what we do, and why microfinance is finance. Good microfinance institutions are good financial institutions: those who can understand the needs of their clients and can provide products that add value to them and reduce risk in the process. We agree with the Pocantico Declaration that microfinance is distinguished by its primary purpose of maximizing long term value to low income clients in a sustainable manner. This can be achieved by the growing diversity of providers and approaches 13. But even within these diverse approaches, microfinance has to be treated as finance, because it is no different from it. However, we understand there are unique features about the microfinance industry. It is an industry born out of social concern, and we are convinced its greatest contribution lies in the creation of social value. Indeed, the social value of microfinance is that it can provide financial intermediation to low income segments of the population previously not served. As a sound financial institution, microfinance must comply with best practices in terms of transparency, corporate governance, sound credit policies, innovation, client service, efficiency and cost controls. Being a true and robust financial institution has allowed MFIs to serve as a bridge between the pool of available financial resources and low income segments of societies, two universes quite far apart. So as microfinance is finance, we are convinced what it does is expand and complement an incomplete financial sector. One that has excluded low-income clients for a long time based on the belief that they do not represent a business opportunity and are not creditworthy. Proving the opposite, in our view, is the best thing the microfinance movement has done for them and their wellbeing. 12 De la Riva Group Mexico is a Market Research Firm. The study can be found at 13 The Pocantico Declaration, April
4 WE BELIEVE THAT MICROFINANCE HAS TO BE SUSTAINABLE We all know providing credit to small borrowers is relatively expensive, which is why sustainable microfinance appears to have high interest rates with respect to the rest of the financial sector, in all countries. The relative high cost of microfinance springs from the need to assure and assess credit worthiness under very difficult circumstances that explain the reluctance of the traditional financial sector to enter and serve this market. These reasons include: pervasive informality; lack of jobs in the formal economy; weak and undefined property rights; inability to assign, recognize, or price family assets; weak or absent judicial and legal remedies; no credit history and dispersed and difficult to reach clientele. To remedy these shortcomings, microfinance has developed a unique methodology that allows financial intermediation for low income clients. We believe the main purpose and value of the methodology is to discover those persons that are creditworthy, collectively even if not individually. For the most part, microfinance extends credit to the word of its clients, with no collateral. A successful operation requires building social networks of committed borrowers and networks of specialized credit officers. In Compartamos the process of providing credit involves the following: identifying and training a large number of socially committed credit officers; reaching out to groups of low income people that are potentially creditworthy; identifying and assessing their projects in collaboration with credit officers; building group capacity, extending credit for a 16 week period; and following up on supervision and collection. That is why our cost is 152 dollars a year per client. This amount entails the following: training of credit officers, labor cost of credit officers, 52 visits a year, client materials, transportation expenses to visit groups, life insurance to pay credit balance, additional life insurance of 1,454 dollars 14, and general expenses. Table 1 shows that Compartamos incurs 152 dollars a year in the cost to service a client 15 while it costs the average MFI s in the MIX dollars, and it costs slightly more to service a client in large LAC MFI s (where costs are more comparable), with a cost of 174 dollars. So in essence, in nominal terms, Compartamos is more efficient in costs compared to its peers in large LAC MFI s. However, a very significant difference has to be pointed out: with a cost of 152 dollars, Compartamos services a 450 dollar loan on average, whereas with a cost of 174 dollars, a typical large LAC MFI services a 1,322 dollar loan. As most people know, interest rate is related to the amount outstanding, so a smaller loan amount results in a higher interest rate, if the cost of servicing the loan is similar. Even though Compartamos costs are lower, they represent roughly 30% of the outstanding balance, which contrasts sharply with the 13% of large LAC MFI s. So in terms of efficiency, measured as cost per client, Compartamos is better off than large LAC MFI s. In terms of productivity, we witness 14 The amount is equivalent to 15,000 Mexican pesos. 15 This only relates to operational cost. As the reader can tell form Table 1, there are not any significant differences in financial expense ratios or loan loss provision expense ratios among peer groups. 16 The MIX stands for Microfiance Information Exchange. They are a web-based microfinance information platform and can be found at 4
5 the same situation: borrowers per staff member in Compartamos stand at 196, while the average for large LAC MFI s is 135 borrowers per staff member. If we look at cost even further, we have to mention the astounding achievement made by Large Asian MFI s who spend 29 dollars to service a 139 dollar loan (21% adjusted by GNI). However, it is important to distinguish the costs of operating in some Asian economies against operating in economies like Mexico. One of the main issues is the cost of labor. For comparison purposes, an average member of staff in Compartamos earns 16,885 dollars a year, an average member of staff in large LAC MFI s earns 12,300 dollars yearly, and yet the cost for average staff member in a large Asian MFI is 2,336 dollars a year. That is approximately 1/7 of what it costs Compartamos in Mexico. Adjusted for GNI per capita, the staff at Compartamos earns 2.15 times GNI per capita, while the Asian staff earns 3.2 times GNI per capita, so in comparable terms, the Asian staff is better compensated. Besides the salary burden, Compartamos has to come to terms with a multiplicity of other structural and regulatory factors, including: larger distances and lower population density, high regulatory compliance costs, and high costs related to infrastructure and telecommunications, among others. The Mexican case is in fact quite special. Not only is the average loan balance per borrower significantly lower than other large LAC MFI s, but when adjusted by GNI per capita, the average loan balance per borrower for Compartamos is only 5.72% of GNI per capita. The same is true for our competitors in Mexico. This is hard evidence that the Mexican microfinance industry is unique in its depth outreach. As noted by Adrian Gonzalez, Mexico is the country with the highest depth of outreach based on GNI per capita in LAC, but many argue that this is due partially to the fact that Mexico is the richest country in the region, and that incorporating income distribution in the analysis is necessary to correct such distortions. However, as shown in Table 2, Mexico is also the country with the highest depth of outreach in LAC based on loan balances relative to the average GNI of the lowest 40 percent of the population 17 If you look at the Table Mr. González is referring to in the Microbanking Bulletin, (shown at the end of this document as Table 2), you will notice that Mexico (and Argentina) not only has the highest depth of outreach in LAC, but also has the highest depth of outreach among all the 52 countries listed in the Table. Mexico is followed by Egypt with 10%, Philippines with 11% and China with 12%. 18. This stands in stark contrast to markets like Bolivia, where the average loan balance is 120% of GNI per capita. This also shows that in the case of Mexico the higher per capita GNI implies both that microcredit is allocated to lower segments of the society, and the operating costs will also tend to be higher in absolute and relative terms due to a richer economy. Now, onto the topic of interest rates. By looking at Table 1 (at the end of this document), you will notice the yield on gross portfolio 19 within a sample 20 of our competitors is between 62% and 104% while Compartamos stands in the middle at 17 Adrian Gonzalez, Lead Researcher, MIX. International comparisons of loan balances per borrower in the MicroBanking Bulletin, Spring 2008; see Table 2 at the end of this document. 18 Comparing unadjusted loan balances is subject to distortions related to different economies. Microfinance has normalized this by converting them to dollars and then comparing them to how much of local income, measured by GNI per capita does the loan amounts to. Lower numbers are a proxy per depth of outreach. In other words, when a loan is 20% of GNI per Capita as opposed to 100% of GNI per capita, it is assumed the institution is reaching lower income clients. 19 While yields do not directly equate to interest rates, as a blended yield masks different pricing across products, they offer one Proxy for interest rates Blaine Stephens, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Analysis, MIX from Bulleting Highlights, Microbanking Bulletin Spring Those where public information is available 5
6 79%. However, there are significant differences between peer groups using the MIX information; in the aggregate, the MFI s reporting to the MIX have a yield of 32%, MFI s using Village Banking Methodology 21 have an average yield of 45% and MFI s targeting low end markets 22 have an average yield of 39%. Therefore, as also pointed out by Rosenberg 23, although the interest rates Compartamos charges are not out of range with other Mexican institutions, they do seem out of range with a traditional MFI elsewhere, even if less so with those doing village banking in low end markets. But as mentioned before, the most important differences between Mexico and other markets is loan size, both in nominal as well as in adjusted terms, as well as the wealth of the economy. If we had a loan size double of what we have, the implied interest rate would roughly be half of what it is today. Thus, a plea for lower interest rates is in fact a plea to increase the size of our loans significantly. Doing that can only have two outcomes: the over-indebtedness in our clients or moving to a different segment of the market, which amounts to mission drift. These have been identified in the recent Microfinance Banana Skins survey done by CSFI 24 among the top fastest rising risks in a booming microfinance industry. This is not what Compartamos plans to do. We will do three things instead. First, keep pushing for greater efficiency by perfecting and evolving our business model by incorporating better processes, different channels and new technology 25. Second, offer new financial products to our clients which meet their needs and do not breach their payment capacity. Third, expand our client base. WE BELIEVE THE MAIN CONTRIBUTION OF MICROFINANCE IS THE EXPANSION OF THE MARKET Back in the early 90 s, we bumped into a vibrant growing industry: microfinance. We were told by the experts, there was a market failure, as regular financial institutions were not willing to lend to low income clients. Muhammad Yunus recalls: The first thing I did was to try to persuade the bank located in the campus to lend money to the poor. But that did not work. The bank said that the poor were not creditworthy. After all my efforts, over several months failed, I offered to become a guarantor for the loans to the poor. I was stunned by the result. The poor paid back their loans, on time, every time! But still I kept confronting difficulties in expanding the program through the existing banks. That was when I decided to create a separate bank for the poor, and in 1983, I finally succeeded in doing that. I named it Grameen Bank or Village bank 26. This was an eye opener for us. What Yunus taught us was that this lack of access to credit by the poor was due to a market failure and not an intrinsic lack of credit worthiness. The challenge, then, was to put in place a market mechanism to solve this market failure. Indeed, transforming the market failure into a business opportunity, which in itself provides opportunities for low income clients. 21 Compartamos belongs to this peer Group as it s primary methodology is Village Banking 22 As defined by the MIX, those that have an average balance per borrower/gni per Capita <20% or an average balance per borrower < 150 USD. 23 Focus Note No. 42 CGAP Reflections on the Compartamos IPO: a case study on microfinance interest rates and profits. CGAP, Microfinance Banana Skins 2008, Risk in a booming industry. Center for the Study of Financial Innovation 25 Although important, this will probably have the least effect. As MIX analysis has shown: reductions in operating costs taper off at relatively low thresholds of just 2,000 clients, with additional gains in efficiency diminishing significantly thereafter Blaine Stephens, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Analysis, MIX from Bulleting Highlights, Microbanking Bulletin Spring Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, Oslo, December
7 That s when we learned of the power of using commercial principles to solve social problems. Back then, our first 10 years as an NGO allowed us to serve 61,000 clients. Five years later, as a for profit commercial financial institution, we were able to reach an additional 600,000 clients. Now we are approaching one million. In order to expand the market, we came to understand that we needed to aim for higher than average profits because we wanted to build an industry, and profits are, as in any other market, the mechanism to ensure market growth. We achieved this by growing our assets on a rate of more than 50% a year for the past 7 years. In his paper, Rosenberg challenged that strategy to pursue growth: The years since 2000 have seen what can only be described as a flood of new publicly owned or socially motivated investors IFI s and MIV s who are anxious to invest large amounts in debt and equity of MFI s We have little doubt that Compartamos has turned down expressions of interest from a number of these investors since In fact, we were very much committed to prove that microfinance was investment worthy within the mainstream financial sector. Filling our balance sheet with socially motivated investors was attractive, but it crowded out mainstream investors in the long run. We understand this is a model-led choice, and respect anyone who would have chosen otherwise, but we chose to look for money in the market because as quantified by Deutsche Bank, the global demand for microfinance loans is about US$250 billion, where only about 10% of that amount has been lent so far. Resources where needed, and mainstream investors were not easily convinced. Anecdotally we should not forget that as recently as in 2005, Compartamos could not place 100% of a bond in the local market, even with an AA rating and a partial guaranty by the IFC. Funding choices might seem easy, but they were not. Savings would have been ideal, but at that time impossible for regulatory reasons. 28 Under the circumstances of a new industry which the market interprets as unchartered territory, we are convinced above average profits 29 are necessary to draw in investors and competition 30. In an article for Forbes Magazine, Michael Chu writes: In fact, humanity has found only one way to deliver consistently and simultaneously the four attributes of scale, permanence, efficacy and efficiency, and it is through private enterprise. This is the result not of any single firm individual enterprises are born, prosper and die but of the emergence of an entire industry. And industries are born out of the union of two factors: an economic activity and above average returns 31 We understand very well that people are skeptical when they hear any company wanting to draw in competition, but that is exactly what we wanted. And that is what we got. In 2006, a study by Claudio Gonzalez-Vega commissioned by CIDE and USAID concluded: The (mexican) microfinance sector is experimenting rapid growth. There is significant growth in the number of institutions, as well as in the number of clients The industry has attracted different actors, from commercial banks interested in the sector to credit bureaus who serve the institutions. The growing number of MFI s and 27 Focus Note No. 42 CGAP Reflections on the Compartamos IPO: a case study on microfinance interest rates and profits. CGAP, Mexican banking regulations do not allow a non-bank to accept savings from the public. 29 Actually, at the time of the IPO, the two largest, most established banks in Mexico provided a 30% and 29% ROE respectively. Source: CNBV Reports 30 In recent years many industries have been built by the pioneers drawing in above average returns; biotech, and the internet among them. 31 Profit and Poverty: why it matters, Michael Chu, Forbes November 5,
8 the entrance of other institutions, like commercial banks and consumer lending companies have increased competition and forced the institutions to search for better products and to improve their processes 32. In fact, the Mexican Microfinance Network Prodesarrollo, founded a decade ago with 12 institutions (among them Compartamos), now brings together more than 80 institutions serving more than 2 million clients. In the past years, Mexico has seen 8 new regulated commercial banks serving low income clients like: Banco Azteca, BAM, Banco Fácil, BanCoppel, Banco Ahorro Famsa, Banco Amigo, Banco Deuno and more recently Banco Wal-mart. The idea that there is no competition where Compartamos works today is entirely fictional. Globally, this adds to the influx of commercial finance for the industry. According to the Microfinance Bulletin over the period institutions in the region (LAC) attracted the bulk of all new global commercial debt, totaling 1.2 billion USD of the additional 2.5 billion USD in commercial borrowings on MFI balance sheets at the end of Asian MFI s accounted for much of the rest 33. Additionally, in the Banana Skins Survey, most practitioners felt significant growth and pressure from competition: They were particularly concerned about competition from outsiders, i.e. commercial banks entering the sector, or new MFI s established by commercial investors. The growth of competition was blamed, ironically, on the commercial success achieved by many MFI s, and the strong appeal of flotations such as Compartamos in Mexico 34. However, this is not only a promise that competition will make for more and better products at better prices in the future. Better pricing has already happened, and the trend should continue into the future. The interest rates of Compartamos are an example of this: in the past 7 years, interest rates have dropped from 115% to 79%, a 31% decline 35. So the benefits for the client are in the present, not in the future. However, had we limited our average profitability back in 2000, our growth would have stalled significantly and our interest rates would be higher than the one we offer today. We also speculate that it would be a much smaller, much less competed market. It should be obvious that the levels of return achieved in the IPO for the original investors were exceptional and driven by many factors 36, and one can speculate that they will hardly be seen again in future MFI flotations. However, it proved the willingness of capital markets to invest in the future growth of the industry and perhaps more importantly, it sent strong signals to the private sector and entrepreneurial class that microfinance was worth pursuing. As one of our current competitors, Mauricio Hubard, from En Confianza Microfinanciera, has said: Yunus opened the eyes of the world to microfinance. Compartamos opened the eyes of the private sector and the financial markets. Thanks to the success of their IPO, we were 32 Los Mercados de las Finanzas Rurales y Populares en México: una visión global rápida sobre su multiplicidad y alcance. El sector de las microfinanzas en México. Carlos A. Alpízar y Claudio González-Vega. Proyecto Afirma, Blaine Stephens, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Analysis, MIX from Bulleting Highlights, Microbanking Bulletin Spring David Lascelles, Center for the Study of Financial Innovation. Microbanking Bulletin, Spring 2008, Feature Articles, Microfinance Banana Skins 35 Despite some critic s misinformation that interest rates have remained over 100%: They have kept their interest rates at over 100% for many years Chuk Waterfield, CEO, MFI Solutions 36 The success of the Banco Compartamos IPO cannot be explained by a single factor. A variety of favorable conditions at the MFI, country, and international level contributed to the offering s success: Compartamos Bank, the Mexican Microfinance Market, the Mexican Financial Market (scarcity value) and the overall Mexican Environment. ACCION InSight #23: The Banco Compartamos Initial Public Offering Elisabeth Rhyne, Andres Guimon 8
9 successful in raising the initial capital we needed from private sector investors in less than a month. The success of Compartamos, even if people want to make it controversial has changed the financial sector and opened new opportunities for companies with a social commitment. 37 Commercial and business principles also bring about much needed upgrades for the microfinance industry: transparency and accountability 38. A public company such as Compartamos has to be ultra-transparent (not only by choice but by regulation) and is held accountable by many (the industry, markets, analysts, raters and regulators). We wish we could see this across the industry. True transparency and accountability also fosters good corporate governance, where one-man shows are impossible, and leadership that is broad and inclusive, based on the independence of the board of directors. We have been for more than 15 years an open book for everyone to learn from, hosting several hundred people, including academics, competitors and socially mined people. Many have benefited from our transparency. It is somewhat ironic that in fact, our transparency is what sets us up for critique. We set out to build an industry and we are very proud of what we see today. We understand it does not lack risks or challenges. We are convinced we are at a better place now than we were 10 years ago, and our clients acknowledge this. WE BELIEVE MICROFINANCE HAS GREAT ECONOMIC VALUE The methodology to serve low income segments of society developed by MFIs is what has made this industry possible and sustainable. This same methodology is what has enabled Compartamos to create social, economic and human value. We generate social value by providing access to financial services for as many people as we can in the least amount of time. We create economic value by building a profitable and strong company where private capital can participate, making this industry attractive for others to compete in providing better financial services for low income people. We also generate human value by believing in people, by giving credit to their word and their willingness to succeed and realize their capacities, and by encouraging them to be better persons. Not only do we believe these are not contradictory goals, but we are convinced the three reinforce each other. But one thing needs to be pointed out: the only reason Compartamos has been able to create economic value, is because of the social value created by this financial and working methodology. Therefore, if we fail to create Social value in the lives of our clients, we would then be unable to create Economic value for investors and shareholders. We believe investors, social or otherwise, are sensible people who understand that any business is built on adding value to client s lives. In a free market economy, companies that are unable to do so die very fast. We acknowledge it is our duty and role to make sure all of our shareholders understand and share this Some of our critics seem to be confused about this, believing that some MFI s like Compartamos do not yet face market pressures or legal requirements to disclose the information that both investors and impoverished borrowers need in order to make the best choices Microloan Sharks, Jonathan C. Lewis, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Summer
10 Experience shows that our clients derive a positive net benefit by borrowing from Compartamos. In a recent survey done by Ipsos Loyalty, Compartamos scored a 74 on a 0 to 100 scale on client loyalty compared to a 48 average for the banking industry in Mexico. We are convinced the social value of providing opportunities through the access to financial services (and other intangibles) is what drives the creation of economic value. To foster economic value, we must first make sure we keep creating social value. WE BELIEVE THE CHALLENGE IS MUCH LARGER THAN MICROFINANCE ITSELF Microfinance has already made a significant contribution in the last twenty years; however it reaches only a small proportion of the potential universe of low income people. Studies vary on the extent of this global shortage some quantifying that only 3.2% 39 of potential microfinance clients are served today, while others estimating this number is at most 10-15% 40. In order for microfinance to fulfill its social mission it is clear it must be scaled up by several orders of magnitude. This can only be accomplished by encouraging large scale private investor participation with a commercial objective. The realization that the market failure -first identified by Mr. Yunus-, can be remedied by the know-how developed by MFIs, has led investors, social and otherwise, to realize the potential business opportunity of doing it. We agree with Mr. Yunus: Almost all social and economic problems of the world will be addressed through social businesses. The challenge is to innovate business models and apply them to produce desired social results cost-effectively and efficiently. Healthcare for the poor, financial services for the poor, information technology for the poor, education and training for the poor, marketing for the poor, renewable energy these are all exciting areas for social businesses 41. However, we sill grapple with the notion of a non-loss, non-dividend company: Investors in the social business could get back their investment, but will not take any dividend from the company A social business will be a non-loss, non-dividend company 42. Maybe some would view this as an ideal state but we don t, and we acknowledge our inability to change modern economics. Many disagree that social and economic goals can reinforce each other, among them Chuck Waterfield: The fundamental issue in multiple bottom lines is that we need to understand how to strike some acceptable balance between challenging and contradictory goals 43. However, as we argue, these goals are not contradictory and the experts behind The Pocantico Declaration agree: We find hope in the continued growth of microfinance and the expansion of services provided to poor and low income people. We are encouraged that in many areas an increase in competition and the application of new technologies are bringing down transaction costs leading to lower prices for our clients. We look forward to the increased provision of savings services to the poor and the expansion of domestic capital markets. We support the expanding connections between microfinance, other sectors of the economy and other 39 GCAP: Helping Build a Microfinance Industry available at 40 Paul DiLeo and David FitzHerbert, The Investment Opportunity in Microfinance, Grassroots Capital Management, LLC, June Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, Oslo, December Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, Oslo, December th. June, Chuck Waterfield CEO, MFI Solutions 10
11 development efforts 44. However, we are fully aware and respect the fact that there isn t agreement on the appropriate levels and use of profits to achieve this. As Alvaro Rodriguez, Chairman of Accion International writes: I think the question should not be what microfinance is about; the question should be what is it that we need to eradicate poverty. If the answer to this second question is that we need to develop commercially viable enterprises that serve the poor, then that is one of the initiatives we should pursue 45. By building Compartamos, we have tried to put forth an initiative, and we are sure it is not the only one that will work. We therefore encourage others to follow in the pursuit of other initiatives, by other means. Everybody agrees that MFIs are going through a period of deep and important change. There is no question that the debate will continue. This letter is merely a contribution to better understand our point of view in the debate. In the end, the ability to expand the market and include large numbers of excluded low income people into the financial sector, will give us all a better perspective on the benefits of the commercialization of microfinance. These are our beliefs. We did not write this paper to convince anyone of our model, but rather, to let our peers know what we stand for. We are sure the readers, after reading this, will stand for their own beliefs. We encourage you to send us your comments to 44 The Pocantico Declaration, April Alvaro Rodriguez, Commercial Microfinance: the case of Compartamos. UBS Philanthropy, Spring
12 TABLE 1 Table 1 Number of Active Borrowers Percent of Gross Loan Women Portolio (in US$) Borrowers Average Loan Balance per Borrower (US$) Average Loan Balance per Borrower (US$)/GNI per Capita Yield on Gross Portfolio Return on Equity Total Expense Ratio Financial Expense Ratio Loan Loss Provision Expense Ratio Operating Expense Ratio Average Salary/GNI per Capita Cost per Borrower Borrowers per Staff Member 1 ALSOL 13,753 N/A 2,211, % 62% 42% 32% N/A N/A 28.0% N/A 64 N/A CAME 87,840 N/A 14,811, % 104% -10% 64% N/A N/A 58.0% N/A 167 N/A ESPACIOS ALTERNATIVOS 639 N/A 86, % 76% 100% 68% N/A N/A 62.0% N/A 375 N/A FINCA MEXICO 73,346 N/A 17,858, % 82% 24% 52% N/A N/A 42.0% N/A 144 N/A FINCOMUN 36,800 N/A 32,514, % 84% 160% 50% N/A N/A 40.0% N/A 528 N/A FORJADORES 6,742 N/A 1,528, % 102% 80% 78% N/A N/A 68.0% N/A 197 N/A PROMUJER MEXICO 16,924 N/A 4,214, % 64% 100% 50% N/A N/A 42.0% N/A 133 N/A SOLFI 16,898 N/A 3,515, % 100% 140% 72% N/A N/A 62.0% N/A 160 N/A 2 FINSOL 302,158 N/A 119,759, % 79% 32% N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 148 N/A 3 COMPARTAMOS 838,754 98% 377,831, % 79% 46% 39% 8.4% 1.7% 29.0% All MFI's 16,026 64% 8,103, % 32% 8% 25% 6.7% 1.5% 15.3% Methodology - Village Banking 17,390 95% 4,372, % 45% 9% 35% 6.8% 1.1% 25.9% Profit Status - For Profit 32,485 54% 20,527, % 31% 8% 23% 6.7% 1.5% 14.4% Profit Status - Not for Profit 10,947 69% 6,082, % 32% 9% 26% 6.7% 1.5% 16.2% Target Market- Low end 18,463 92% 5,229, % 39% 7% 29% 0.1% 1.5% 21.9% Regional - Asia Large 141,957 98% 19,304, % 28% 12% 20% 6.5% 1.1% 11.4% Regional - LAC Large 55,093 54% 55,271,789 1, % 30% 21% 22% 7.6% 1.6% 13.2% All figures are extracted the official site for Prodesarrollo, the Mexican Microfinance Network. Figures are for June 2007, anualized 2 Most figures are estracted from the audited Fianancial Statements for 2007 posted in the Companys website Number of clients is estimated by diferen sources. PAR is >90 days 3 All figures are extracted from the MIX Market website for All figures are extracted form the MIX Microbanking Bulletin Spring 2008 with data for
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1 Agriculture, forestry and other land use mitigation project database Second assessment of the current status of land-based sectors in the carbon markets 6 MITIGATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN AGRICULTURE SERIES MITIGATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN AGRICULTURE MICCA
2 MITIGATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN AGRICULTURE 6 Agriculture, forestry and other land use mitigation project database Second assessment of the current status of land based sectors in the carbon markets Christina Seeberg Elverfeldt and Alashiya Gordes Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) Project FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO) January 2013
3 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO. E-ISBN (PDF) All rights reserved. FAO encourages reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Non-commercial uses will be authorized free of charge, upon request. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applications for permission to reproduce or disseminate FAO copyright materials, and all queries concerning rights and licences, should be addressed by to or to the Chief, Publishing Policy and Support Branch, Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy. FAO 2013
4 Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations Executive Summary ii ii iii 1.Introduction 1 Summary of previous conclusions 1 Scope of this paper 2 2.State of the Art of Carbon Markets 3 3. Methodology 5 Scope 5 Data collection 5 Categorization 7 Number of projects as a measure 7 New: analysis of project size by projected emissions reductions 7 4. Regional Differences 9 Project types 9 Scheme development Changes over time 12 Brief summary of trends commented in previous paper 12 Post Credit volumes of AFOLU projects Issues and gaps identified 17 for smallholder projects and carbon markets 17 for agriculture and soil carbon trading 18 7.Conclusions 20 Bibliography 22 Annex I: Data Sources 23 Annex II: Project characteristics 23 Annex III: Tables for Figures 24 i
5 Acknowledgements Various people and organizations have helped to make this publication possible, through direct and indirect contributions. The most valuable inputs are the provision of publicly available data by various crediting schemes, as well as the third party organizations who have compiled different databases (EcoAgriculture Partners, ICRAF, Forest Carbon Portal and UNEP Centre Risoe). Their work and data provides the basis of this publication. Contributions to the report have been made by Viivi Wanhalinna, Marja Liisa Tapio Biström and Francesco Tubiello. FAO gratefully acknowledges the Government of Finland for providing funding for this publication. Abbreviations AFOLU AFOLU MP A/R CAR CCBA CCX CDM CH 4 CO 2 CO 2 e EU ETS FAO GHG Gt IPCC kt NAMA MICCA MRV N 2 O NGO REDD SALM SBSTA TIST UNFCCC VCS Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use Mitigation Project Afforestation/Reforestation Climate Action Reserve Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance Chicago Climate exchange Clean Development Mechanism Methane Carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide equivalent European Union Emissions Trading System Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Greenhouse Gas Gigatonnes Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change kilotonne Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture Measurement, Reporting and Verification Nitrous oxide Non governmental organization Reducing of Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation Sustainable Agriculture Land Management Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice International Small Group and Tree Planting Program United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Verified Carbon Standard ii
6 Executive Summary This paper presents the second analysis of the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use Mitigation Project (AFOLU MP) database 1. The original analysis published in November 2010 in the second volume of the MICCA Series contained information on 497 AFOLU mitigation projects gathered from 11 different registries, both crediting scheme registries and third party databases. This follow up study includes 78 new projects from 12 different registries. As with the first publication, this paper summarizes the insights that have been gained from the analysis of the updated database. It specifically comments on the emerging gaps in the climate change agenda as regards AFOLU projects in developing countries. The updated AFOLU MP database confirms trends already identified in the previous paper, but it also notes certain changes. The regulatory markets continue to dominate carbon markets. Voluntary carbon projects make only a small contribution to the total. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects still constitute the highest number of AFOLU projects, the majority of which are manure treatment projects and, to a lesser extent, afforestation/reforestation projects. The highest number of terrestrial carbon projects are still listed under the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) scheme, which is no longer active. The next most active schemes for terrestrial carbon projects are the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) and Climate Action Reserve (CAR). The regional distribution of AFOLU projects remains similar, with the order from high to low being Latin America, North America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific and Europe and Central Asia. In Latin America and Africa, it was mainly forestry projects that have increased since the last analysis. In Asia and the Pacific, by contrast, there has been an equal increase in manure and non manure projects. In North America, more manure projects were added. Overall, the number of AFOLU projects is on the rise again, although not as rapidly as in the years previous to Africa has experienced increasing growth in absolute numbers of AFOLU projects and hosts a few large forestry carbon projects a positive development in comparison to the last paper. In terms of emission reductions, forestry projects, and specifically Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) projects, bring about the highest average annual and total annual emission reductions. The CCBA in particular, with several big REDD projects in Asia, accounts for a very high total of annual emissions reductions. Many issues for smallholder terrestrial carbon projects still remain to be solved. The initial experiences highlight the fact that good institutional linkages between project developers and farmers are a success factor for projects that adopt a climate smart agriculture approach an approach that stresses the importance of increasing productivity for farmers; building local and national capacity on measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) and carbon project development; and partnering with investors. Agriculture soil carbon projects remain marginal. Yet, the further development of soil carbon methodologies for the voluntary market, new tools and methods for greenhouse gas (GHG) quantification at whole farm and landscape level, and capacity building at the national level on methods and tools, will support the development of more agricultural soil carbon projects. In addition, specific work on agriculture also needs to be further promoted and supported in international climate change negotiations. At the national level, low emission strategies for the agriculture sector need to be developed. To support terrestrial carbon projects, an integrated landscape approach should be considered in policy making. 1 Available at iii
7 1. Introduction Summary of previous conclusions Emissions from the AFOLU sector account for approximately 30 percent of the total anthropogenic GHG emissions (IPCC, 2007). Agriculture is responsible for about 60 percent of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions and 50 percent of methane (CH 4 ) emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions are mainly caused by deforestation and land use change (IPCC, 2007). At the same time, agriculture and forestry offer huge, if yet largely unrealised, mitigation potential. Agriculture could mitigate between gigatonnes (Gt) of CO 2 equivalent per year, while forestry could mitigate 5.4 Gt of CO 2 equivalent per year (IPCC, 2007). So far, these sectors have only had limited involvement in most regulatory carbon markets. The CDM of the Kyoto Protocol recognizes only afforestation and reforestation as mitigating land use activities, but overlooks the carbon sequestration potential from sustainable agricultural land management activities, agroforestry systems and avoided deforestation through REDD. Under the Kyoto Protocol Joint Implementation Mechanism, projects involving reforestation activities, forest management, revegetation, cropland management and grazing land management can be implemented in developed (or Annex I) countries. The European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) excludes any type of land use carbon. In the United States, only the CCX allowed for agricultural carbon projects. Given that successful AFOLU mitigation schemes also provide environmental and developmental benefits, it is worthwhile to explore the current limitations for their development. Since its establishment in 2010, the Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) Programme at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has been supporting efforts to expand climate smart agricultural practices in developing countries. Towards this end, in 2010, MICCA initiated the AFOLU MP database to provide a much needed worldwide overview of already existing AFOLU mitigation efforts. An increasing number of new certification standards and methodologies have been created that have allowed for the development and registration of landbased carbon projects. This development is reflected in the database, which portrays the combined portfolios of all major crediting schemes AFOLU projects, as well as the AFOLU mitigation projects undertaken outside of formalized schemes (see Annex I for the comprehensive list of its data sources). In November 2010, MICCA published a thorough overview and analysis of the database (MICCA Series 2). As well as setting the scene for MICCA s own pilot projects, the database made it possible to identify knowledge gaps regarding mitigation activities in the AFOLU sector. Between September 2011 and January 2012, MICCA revisited the original data sources and updated the database. The conclusions of the first report reflected the situation in Since then, the policy environment has changed substantially in terms of carbon markets and this paper draws further lessons and implications from the updated database. MICCA s original analysis of the AFOLU MP database in 2010 concluded that, while AFOLU activities have established themselves on the carbon market, careful development of existing mechanisms is needed if these activities are to be sustained and expanded. Already in 2010, the MICCA paper called for a post Kyoto agreement to address the AFOLU sectors in a way that fostered increased participation from developing countries from all regions. This recommendation was prompted by the 1
8 regional imbalances highlighted in the database. Latin America and Asia had been able to capitalize on the opportunities presented by market based financing schemes, while AFOLU projects in Africa and Central Asia had not been able to participate fully in carbon trading. However, the notable amount of carbon projects in Africa that were developed outside of certification schemes indicated the great potential for AFOLU mitigation efforts that could be realized, if suitable financing mechanisms were in place. MICCA s 2010 analysis also showed that, after an initial peak in 2006, especially in CDM projects, there was a marked decline in new project development. This reflected the general uncertainty about the future of the compliance market, with the Kyoto Protocol set to expire in This cautious approach is also evident in the updated database. In 2010 and 2011 combined, there were only 37 new CDM projects, whereas in 2006 alone there were 94. Future analyses of the database will indicate whether the agreement, reached at the 17 th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2011, to institute a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol in 2013 has encouraged further CDM project development. While discussions to include REDD and REDD+ projects in a post Kyoto agreement are underway now, the 2010 analysis suggests that agricultural mitigation and soil carbon sequestration activities should not remain consigned to voluntary schemes. Without the certainty that binding compliance credits offer, as well as the investment security connected to large and liquid markets, it is not possible to capitalize on market incentives. Gaining this security is essential for overcoming AFOLU mitigation s heavy reliance on development aid and ensuring the sector flourishes and becomes selfsufficient. Moreover, the great mitigation potentials the AFOLU sectors in developing countries should not be wasted. Scope of this paper Bearing in mind the observations made in MICCA s 2010 publication, this follow up study sets out to analyze developments and trends in It provides a brief review of the developments in the regulatory and voluntary carbon markets, as well as changes in the crediting schemes. After an explanation of the methodology for compiling and analysing the AFOLU mitigation project database, the report outlines the regional differences in carbon projects, project types and schemes. Furthermore, the reports also analyses how the different schemes have changed over time in terms of project types and regional distribution. It concludes with a discussion of the gaps and issues that need to be addressed for smallholder projects and carbon markets, as well as for agriculture and soil carbon trading. 2
9 2. State of the Art of Carbon Markets The latest trends show that carbon markets continue to expand but at a slower pace than in previous years. Total global markets have grown in value by 11 percent, from US$ million in 2010 to US$ million in Volume has increased from to tonnes of CO 2 equivalent per year. These markets are strongly dominated by compliance markets, both in volume ( tonnes of CO 2 equivalent, 2011) and value (US$ million, 2011). EU ETS has the biggest share (84 percent of value) of the compliance markets, followed by primary (purchased from original party that makes the reduction) and secondary (resold from a marketplace) CDM (15 percent) (Peters Stanley and Hamilton, 2012). On the voluntary markets, credits can be either traded on private exchanges or on the Over The Counter market, where buyers and sellers engage directly through a broker or a crediting institution. The CCX was a market led, voluntary cap and trade system in the United States that was active between 2004 and The programme ceased trading carbon credits at the end of 2010, when members commitments expired. In 2011, the value of voluntary transactions increased by 33 percent to US$ 576 million, as the average offset price increased slightly from US$ 6 per tonne in 2010 to US$ 6.2 per tonne in This is the second highest overall market value in the voluntary carbon market (the highest being US$ 776 million in 2008). Volumes decreased to 95 million tonnes of CO 2 equivalent a 28 percent decrease in transaction volumes. However, if one excludes a single low priced, high volume outlier from the 2010 market, it represents a 28 percent increase over 2010 levels (Peters Stanley and Hamilton, 2012). In 2010, terrestrial carbon projects supplied 45 percent of transacted credits in the voluntary market, with REDD credits constituting the largest share of the market (29 percent). Afforestation/ Reforestation (A/R) projects constituted 6 percent. Other project types were improved forest management, agricultural soil and forestry. In 2011, the picture on the voluntary markets looked quite different, as wind projects claimed the highest share of the market at 30 percent, followed by A/R Projects with 10 percent. Terrestrial carbon projects supplied 23 percent of the market share in total, with 38 percent less volume than in The popularity of A/R projects in 2011 led to an increase in projects entering the market. A/R projects face the difficulty of the lag that exists between the time the trees are planted and the time they can store carbon and generate credits. Thus, many of these A/R projects had been already several years in the making by the time they could be registered. REDD project numbers decreased, as unsolved political and technical challenges made them less popular in In the compliance carbon market, terrestrial carbon credits can be generated only under the CDM. The share is very small still. A/R projects constitute only 0.8 percent of all projects (67 in total) (UNEP Risoe, 2012). The BioCarbon Fund in its Experience Report Insights from Afforestation and Reforestation Clean Development Projects (2011) acknowledged that the A/R sector remains underdeveloped. This is because the demand for forest carbon credits is quite limited and the GHG accounting rules are not well understood by the majority of project developers, even if the CDM Executive Board has improved and simplified the A/R CDM rules. The BioCarbon Fund calls for a further simplification of the rules and procedures to become more pragmatic and adjusted to project realities. Additionally, capacity building for local staff and project developers for the design of forest carbon projects needs to be offered. Some of the main challenges summarized from the BioCarbon Fund report are: 3
10 Project design is time intensive and costly. Delay in validations is due to limited capacity to follow the application procedures and rules, as well as the GHG accounting. Host countries face the complexity of proving additionality of projects. Many designated operational authorities are still improving their knowledge with respect to project application procedures. There are delays at the stages of registration and issuance, and due to the nonpermanence approach (which seeks to insure against the risk of sequestration being reversed if forests are cut down or destroyed by natural disasters, see section 5). Demand for forest credits is reduced due to lack of fungibility between temporary credits and credits from other sectors. Land eligibility and project boundary rules in developing countries are difficult to respect due to usually high numbers of project participants. Disproportionally large investment barriers are very common in developing countries and transaction costs are high. The BioCarbon Fund recommends institutionalizing agreements that define land use, carbon ownership rights and benefit sharing, thereby effectively improving local livelihoods. To facilitate the scaling up of A/R projects, four critical factors should be respected: regulatory improvements; access to finance; strengthened capacity; and increased demand for A/R credits (BioCarbon Fund, 2011). Since the publication of 2010 AFOLU MP report, changes have also taken place in terms of the crediting schemes analyzed. In 2011, the Voluntary Carbon Standard scheme changed its name from Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). The AFOLU MP database now also includes projects from the American Carbon Registry (ACR), which uses the American Carbon Registry Standard as well as the Forest Carbon Project Standard and works with several methodologies for forest and REDD projects, as well as methane and energy project types. As already mentioned, the CCX has stopped trading altogether. 4
11 3. Methodology To ensure a full understanding of the AFOLU MP database and the findings of this paper, this section details the central assumptions and methodological choices made while collecting and interpreting the data. Unless otherwise specified, all data cited in this report is taken from the AFOLU MP database. Scope The AFOLU MP database aims to establish an overview of current mitigation activities in the AFOLU sectors, especially in developing countries. The projects it lists are therefore all directly related to land use and livestock keeping. They include carbon sequestration in agriculture and forestry, as well as livestock manure treatment. Processing activities such as slaughtering, milling or sawmilling are not included, nor are projects involving agricultural residues, such as rice husk or bagasse. 2 These boundaries for the AFOLU MP database were set to concentrate its focus on primary agricultural activities (i.e. crop and livestock production) alongside agroforestry and forest management (i.e. the planting of new and maintenance of existing forests, which includes avoided deforestation). As specified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its 4 th Assessment Report (2007), the technical potential for mitigation options in agriculture are tonnes of CO 2 equivalent per year. Soil carbon sequestration accounts for 89 percent of this potential; reduction of methane emissions about 9 percent; and reductions of soil N 2 O emissions about 2 percent (IPCC, 2007). MICCA s ongoing analysis of this dynamic database is intended to provide an indication of the extent to which this potential is being realized. This report looks into what is happening globally in terms of AFOLU mitigation projects and visualizes the data for ongoing projects according to region, project type and scheme, year of registration and, as of this analysis, credit volumes. This allows us to build a clear picture of the state of the AFOLU mitigation projects. Based on this overview, the report concludes with some observations and recommendations. Data collection The AFOLU MP database draws its data from various sources that can be divided into two broad categories: crediting scheme registries and third party databases. The original data was retrieved from these different databases in August The update that this paper deals with covers the period between September 2011 and January The registries of individual crediting schemes provide direct access to the official data on each project. Most of the data in the AFOLU MP database comes from these registries. The third party databases are (like the AFOLU MP database) compilations of data from other sources, such as EcoAgriculture Partners, the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the Forest Carbon Portal. These databases have been included as they give access to projects that would otherwise have been overlooked because they have not yet been formally registered with certification schemes. Their inclusion improves our understanding of what is happening on the ground. 2 A fibrous by product from cane sugar production. 5
12 To ensure the best possible comparability of data, pipeline projects (i.e. projects awaiting registration with a crediting scheme) have not been included. Projects that have applied for registration with more than one crediting scheme 3 have been labelled according to the first scheme they registered with, unless transition to the second scheme is specified as a progression in the project document, in which case the project is listed under the latter. Several carbon accounting standards, such as VCS, do not include any additional social or environmental criteria. Additional certification for these co benefits can be received through some standards, such as for example the CCBA. Some of the International Small Group and Tree Planting Program (TIST) projects have now also been registered as VCS projects. In the AFOLU MP project database transacted credits are always registered under the credit issuing standard. However, some projects are listed under TIST and CCBA when they were not registered under any additional accounting standard. A new data source, the ACR, has been added to the AFOLU MP database, which increases the number of registries in the AFOLU MP database to 13. For this analysis, publicly available databases and some additional data sources (for the full list see Annex I) have been used. MICCA is aware that some projects that fall within the scope of the database have been missed. Furthermore, projects carried out in Europe, especially for purely commercial purposes, have been excluded from the analysis in this report. Unfortunately, some projects not registered with the crediting schemes or databases considered in this analysis have undoubtedly also been overlooked. We were able to include third party reports and databases from EcoAgriculture Partners (Shames & Scherr, 2010), the Africa BioCarbon Projects database from ICRAF (Wambui et al, 2009) and the Forest Carbon Portal (ForestCarbon Portal, 2012). This has reduced the number of overlooked projects. The various databases use different data formats and are therefore not always directly comparable. Specifically, data on emission reductions and carbon stock increases have been registered in different formats. The historical data on the amount of credits sold has been made available by some databases, such as CAR and CCX, but not the estimates of total reduction prospects for their projects. As this report focuses more on highlighting the future potential of projects, the historical data has not been included. Due to these limitations in data availability, the conclusions that can be reached on the basis of the AFOLU MP database are somewhat limited. Conducting a narrower causality analysis, for example, is a delicate matter. However, the compiled data is solid enough to enable a broad characterisation of global mitigation activities, especially in developing countries. 3 This applies to CCX projects switching to the CAR. 6
13 Categorization To the extent possible, the characteristics of a project (type, former land use, etc.; see Annex II) are categorized in the database according to the definitions used by the projects themselves. When a source does not share the categorization adopted by the database, the projects characteristics are classified according to best judgement. When it was not possible to attain reasonably certain information for some specific characteristics of some projects, the fields in question are labelled unknown. Number of projects as a measure In the 2010 paper, the number of projects, as opposed to project size in terms of projected emissions reductions, was used as the key measure of activity. It was understood that this gives only a partial image, because a one hectare project would carry the same weight in the analysis as an hectare project, thus favouring smaller projects over larger ones. Nevertheless, this method of organizing data provides an insight into how widely the knowledge and institutional capacity for developing projects have spread and how the individual projects characteristics change over time. In using the number of projects as an indicator of activity, the 2010 study tested the dissemination of knowledge and capacity development to implement projects, rather than their intended impacts on atmospheric carbon concentration. Given that the data available on projected emission reductions and stock increases remains incomplete, this study also uses the number of projects as its key foundation for analysis. However, in the interest of putting the AFOLU MP database to wider use, this paper will also consider those projects that provide sufficient data on estimated emissions reductions by quantity, region, project type and crediting scheme. New: analysis of project size by projected emissions reductions As mentioned above, calculating data from the AFOLU MP database according to emissions size is problematic, which is why this aspect of the report is secondary to the principle analysis that focuses on the number of projects. To accommodate differences in project reporting styles, the database collects emission reduction estimates under two categories. In one category, 329 projects (59 percent) listed estimates for total expected GHG reduction in operational lifetime, totalling kilotonnes (kt) of CO 2 equivalent. A sometimes overlapping but not identical category of 259 projects (45 percent) listed its estimates as maximum expected annual GHG reduction measured in kt of CO 2 equivalent. To be able to calculate these figures properly, estimates for the 329 projects that listed projections for total expected GHG reduction in operational lifetime (kt of CO 2 equivalent) needed to be converted to a comparable unit (projects run from anything between 5 and 100 years). The average expected GHG reductions per annum were considered as the most useful unit. Since not all of these projects indicated the duration of the project s lifespan, however, only 228 of these projects (40 percent) could be used to provide annual averages. Once the entries for total expected GHG reductions over the project s operational lifetime were converted to annual averages, the second dataset ( maximum expected annual GHG reduction measured in kt of CO 2 equivalent ) could be considered when only maximum annual estimates were 7 | 29,988 | 11,222 | 0.000089 |
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Title: Hierarchical amino acid utilization and its influence on fermentation dynamics: rifamycin B fermentation using Amycolatopsis mediterranei S699, a case study Authors: BAPAT, PM DAS, D SOHONI, SV WANGIKAR, PP Keywords: saccharomyces-cerevisiae escherichia-coli aspergillus-nidulans nitrogen regulation complex media l-serine permease transport growth metabolism Issue Date: 2006 Publisher: BIOMED CENTRAL LTD Citation: MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES, 5(), - Abstract: Background: Industrial fermentation typically uses complex nitrogen substrates which consist of mixture of amino acids. The uptake of amino acids is known to be mediated by several amino acid transporters with certain preferences. However, models to predict this preferential uptake are not available. We present the stoichiometry for the utilization of amino acids as a sole carbon and nitrogen substrate or along with glucose as an additional carbon source. In the former case, the excess nitrogen provided by the amino acids is excreted by the organism in the form of ammonia. We have developed a cybernetic model to predict the sequence and kinetics of uptake of amino acids. The model is based on the assumption that the growth on a specific substrate is dependent on key enzyme(s) responsible for the uptake and assimilation of the substrates. These enzymes may be regulated by mechanisms of nitrogen catabolite repression. The model hypothesizes that the organism is an optimal strategist and invests resources for the uptake of a substrate that are proportional to the returns. Results: Stoichiometric coefficients and kinetic parameters of the model were estimated experimentally for Amycolatopsis mediterranei S699, a rifamycin B overproducer. The model was then used to predict the uptake kinetics in a medium containing cas amino acids. In contrast to the other amino acids, the uptake of proline was not affected by the carbon or nitrogen catabolite repression in this strain. The model accurately predicted simultaneous uptake of amino acids at low cas concentrations and sequential uptake at high cas concentrations. The simulated profile of the key enzymes implies the presence of specific transporters for small groups of amino acids. Conclusion: The work demonstrates utility of the cybernetic model in predicting the sequence and kinetics of amino acid uptake in a case study involving Amycolatopsis mediterranei, an industrially important organism. This work also throws some light on amino acid transporters and their regulation in A. mediterranei. Further, cybernetic model based experimental strategy unravels formation and utilization of ammonia as well as its inhibitory role during amino acid uptake. Our results have implications for model based optimization and monitoring of other industrial fermentation processes involving complex nitrogen substrate. URI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1475-2859-5-32 http://dspace.library.iitb.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10054/5124 http://hdl.handle.net/10054/5124 ISSN: 1475-2859 Appears in Collections: Article
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warc | 201704 | Other Contributors:Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture.
Advisor:J. Meejin Yoon.
Department:Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture.
Publisher:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date Issued:2012
Abstract:
Due to budget issues, the Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal has been left exposed to the arid desert environment since its construction in the 1970s. As a result, 5% of the amount of water diverted from the Colorado River is lost to evaporation and seepage from the exposed aqueduct and Lake Pleasant reservoir. This amount of loss is equivalent to the amount of water required to supply 75,000 households annually. With increasing pressures on the Central Arizona canal, we should restrategize and reinvest in this infrastructure in order to prevent further inefficiencies and further loss of water. The objective of this thesis aims to engage architecture with water infrastructure in order to transform the canal into a water-efficient repository and recreational venue while recuperating the amount of water loss from the canal. Through the act of hybridization, a regional amenity is created, serving as support for the water infrastructure as well as creating spatial experience of water collection. A series of architectural interventions along the canal serve as nodes for rainwater collection. These nodes function as public spas that combine the act of swimming with the act of collecting and cleansing water in order to create spatial experience and awareness of the issues of water.
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Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2012.; Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 144-145). | 1,749 | 865 | 0.001163 |
warc | 201704 | http://hdl.handle.net/1893/1592
Appears in Collections: Faculty of Social Sciences Journal Articles Peer Review Status: Refereed Title: The cultural and political context of the lives of people with dementia in Kerala, India Authors: McCabe, Louise Contact Email: l.f.m.mccabe@stir.ac.uk Keywords: culture
demographic change
service development
dementia
Issue Date: Feb-2006 Publisher: Sage Publications Citation: McCabe L (2006) The cultural and political context of the lives of people with dementia in Kerala, India, Dementia, 5 (1), pp. 117-136. Abstract: This article draws on available literature and empirical data to discuss the experiences of people with dementia in Kerala, India. India is currently undergoing considerable demographic change. The state of Kerala in the south-west of the country is demographically advanced in comparison with other parts of India and as such is experiencing demographic change and modernization ahead of other parts of the country. The proportion and numbers of older people in Kerala are increasing, which in turn is leading to a higher prevalence of dementia. This article reviews existing literature to describe the context for people with dementia in Kerala. It also draws on empirical data to further illustrate and explore their experiences. People with dementia in Kerala are disadvantaged, as the process of modernization is breaking down traditional forms of care ahead of any significant service provision to replace them. Recent development of services in Kerala aims to provide quality care for people with dementia to counteract these demographic changes. Type: Journal Article URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/1592 DOI Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1471301206059758 Rights: The publisher does not allow this work to be made publicly available in this Repository. Please use the Request a Copy feature at the foot of the Repository record to request a copy directly from the author; you can only request a copy if you wish to use this work for your own research or private study. Affiliation: Dementia Knowledge Exchange
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warc | 201704 | By Laura Schaefer, entrepreneur.com, 10-06-2014
There’s something addictive about entrepreneurship. Successful business owners can emerge after several stints on the startup roller coaster, including some previous outings that did not result in wins.
Still, entrepreneurs who eventually succeed often find value in their flops. “Failure humbles you,” Fubu founder Daymond John shared via a voice message
.It “also tests you and makes you sure you are cut out for the responsibilities of being an entrepreneur," he added, noting failure is "a clear report card on what you did right and what you did wrong.”
Some who may fail are "people who start off with a large amount of money," said John, who is also an investor on ABC’s
Shark Tank. "They believe the money itself is going to create the business, and they don’t have any proof of concept, meaning any actual customers or sales."
Who does the Shark think are the entrepreneurs destined to succeed? "The ones that have a long history in the business or the market so they’ve made a lot of mistakes or they’ve seen a lot of mistakes and have a network to rely on."
Also well positioned are "those that have mentors who do not have an investment or interest in the business who can give them the right guidance when they’re about to go off track," he said.
The entrepreneurs who meet success can be "those that, by grit, have created some type of following," John added. "They didn’t just throw a bunch of money out there. They sold something. They went back to the customer, resold it, and/or fixed the product and now have a perfect product."
The startup world is one space where practice can make perfect. Here's a roundup of wisdom from some lesser-known entrepreneurs who’ve persevered and their take on what sets a current success apart from past, er, "learning experiences."
Pursue a passion.The critical difference, for some entrepreneurs, is passion. “My failed businesses sounded like good ideas at first, but the big difference was that I was always thinking about my successful businesses when I woke up and went to bed,” Tom Corson-Knowles, founder of TCK Publishing in Bloomington, Ind., shared by email. Focus the enterprise.“I've been in business for nearly 20 years, and the key thing I've learned is be focused,” wrote Rich Dale, CEO of Belfast-based Flowlens, by email. When he began his web design and development company in Northern Ireland, the staff "tried to be 'all things, to all people' and take any client opportunity that came along.”
A new business owner should figure out where the company's strengths lie and not to succumb to scope creep, according to Dale. “If an opportunity does not fit your strategy,” he wrote, “you can say no without remorse, knowing that it will not slow you down. Being focused has allowed us to accelerate the growth of our business, and as a result reap the rewards.”
Tackle problems you understand.Yarin Kessler, founder of PDF Buddy, a New York City company providing an online PDF editor, noted by email that he had tried to launch previous startups before meeting with success. “The best business ideas are the ones that tackle the pain points you have personal experience with,” he wrote, adding that making assumptions about others' needs, especially in unfamiliar industries, is not a recipe for success.
Kessler's prior business attempts tackled areas he wasn’t well versed in. "They all failed because the problem set was too foreign, which meant I wasn’t addressing the right issues,” he wrote.
Take the airplane test.Sam Rosen, the CEO and founder of MakeSpace, a New York City startup that offers storage container pods, shared that his current enterprise has raised more money than a prior venture. “One of the biggest reasons why I stopped working on SpeakerGram was because my business partner and I were literally sick of one another by the end," he wrote by email.
Rosen currently uses an "airplane test" for employees: “Could I jump on a cross-country flight with the prospective partner?" And then "turn around immediately and take the next flight back, and not get sick of them?" he wrote. "Would we have enough to talk about the whole way? Not only can Rosen see how candidates deal with stressful situations, he credited this approach with helping him select two business partners and build a team of nearly 30 employees for MakeSpace, which has received venture capital backing.
Be committed.Some entrepreneurs gain momentum after taking concrete steps like leasing an office. “The minute I got an office space, it was a game changer,” wrote Tena Lynn Pettis, founder of marketing firm Tenacious Edge, based in St. Paul, Minn. “I had to pay for something; I had a lease and there was no turning back. I was in this whole entrepreneur thing for the long haul! Since then I have a handful of employees and we just moved into a larger space this past month.” Maintain a learning mind-set.A common regret of leaders of failed startups is their loyalty to a product or service that isn’t connecting with users. “I launched my first business at the age of 22 and since then have founded three more,” wrote Violette de Ayala, founder of Femfessionals, a company offering a business-networking service for women that is based in Miami.
“Be flexible with the business model and services you offer," she added. "You will most likely have to modify features, pricing and quite possibly the one item you thought would be the ‘hot ticket.’ Listen to your clients.”
Regardless of the type of business, “love what you do,” John advised. “Surround yourself with a team of advisors [who] have the same agenda. Do homework. Research every single thing that you are doing. Take affordable next steps. Take a step forward, learn and then repeat.”
Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/234562 | 6,074 | 2,951 | 0.000354 |
warc | 201704 | There are many different ways you can remodel or renovate your bathroom. Some of these things are somewhat minor – you can replace your pedestal sink with a vanity, for example, or add some extra storage. But then there are larger bathroom renovations. These large...
If you have the space and love luxuriating in a hot bath, you may want to remove your old, standard sized bathtub and put in a larger Jacuzzi tub. These larger bathtubs are great for tall people or those who find standard tubs too uncomfortable or cramped. While they...
Why would you want to renovate your bathroom? After all, it’s one of the rooms you do not really spend that much time in, nor is it a room where your guests spend that much time. However, you do want your bathroom to look nice and be functional, so it may need a...
Many people want to renovate their bathrooms, but they are held back by one major thing: the cost. While doing some minor remodeling can be done for fairly cheap (such as putting in a vanity), doing a major renovation is costly. However, if you have the time, you can...
Get A Price
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Request your FREE copy of the Bath Crest Beautiful Bath & Shower Solutions brochure. | 1,214 | 655 | 0.00155 |
warc | 201704 | Broadsides Advertising Public Speeches on Woman Suffrage, 1915–1916
The Equal Suffrage League of Virginia (ESL) was founded in 1909 in Richmond. when eighteen women met at the home of Anne Clay Crenshaw. Lila Meade Valentine, a Richmond native, became the first president of the ESL. Valentine believed that an electorate that included women would be more supportive of democratic issues such as equal educational opportunities and health care reform. Along with Valentine, the league's others members included several prestigious women, among them Ellen Glasgow, Mary Johnston, Adéle Clark, Nora Houston, and Dr. Katherine Waller Barrett. During the first year about 120 women joined. The league sought to win women the right to vote as a democratic right of tax-paying citizens, which women were. Although independence had been won in 1776, women were still not equal citizens nearly a century and a half later. By denying women the right to vote, they argued, America was stuck in pre-Revolution days of taxation without representation.
The League joined forces with the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and organized a campaign to inform Virginia residents about the issue of woman suffrage. The League started an education campaign that included passing out literature on city streets, visiting women's colleges, and addressing Virginia residents at town meetings, union meetings, and state conferences. The ESL went on to become Virginia's largest and most influential woman suffrage organization.
The ESL faced organized resistance in the form of the Virginia Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage, founded in 1912. Much of the antisuffragist rhetoric placed women's role within the home and often focused on the idea of separate spheres for women and men. Antisuffragists argued that men's role was in the public sphere whereas women belonged in the private sphere or the home and that if women stepped outside of their designated sphere than the family unit would ultimately suffer. Suffragists who rejected this social norm appeared truly revolutionary for their time. The suffrage movement brought women into the public sphere where they exercised democratic rights such as speaking in public on behalf of woman's rights.
Among them, Elizabeth Dabney “Lizzie” Langhorne Lewis broke free from social norms, and spoke in public, campaigning for a woman's right to vote. Langhorne was born in Botetourt County but later moved with her family to Lynchburg. In 1873 she married John H. Lewis, an attorney. Her grandniece, Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, viscountess Astor, who in 1919 became the first woman to be seated as a member of Parliament, recalled that her aunt had “a well-reasoned mind, curious about all new ideas, accepting nothing until she was convinced.” For a woman of her time, Lewis was very political and became a popular speaker on behalf of woman suffrage and improved working conditions for women.
Despite the ESL's being one of the most influential suffrage leagues in the nation, the Virginia General Assembly defeated woman suffrage resolutions three times between 1912 and 1916 and refused to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment after Congress submitted it to the states in 1919. Shortly after the Nineteenth Amendment was passed, the ESL disbanded on November 8, 1920, and two days later reorganized as the League of Women Voters of Virginia, a state chapter within the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization, that still exists today.
Questions
1. Who was the first President of the ESL?
2. What arguments did the ESL make for woman suffrage? 3. What arguments did antisuffragists make? 4. How was Elizabeth Dabney Langhorne different from other women of her generation? Further Discussion
1. Why is Elizabeth Dabney Langhorne listed as “Mrs. John H. Lewis”? What does this tell us about women's role in American society?
2. Elizabeth Dabney Langhorne was an excellent public speaker. Why is good public speaking such an important factor in the success or failure of a cause? What have been some of the most important speeches delivered by women in American history? Links Suggested Reading
Graham, Sara Hunter. “Woman Suffrage in Virginia: The Equal Suffrage League and Pressure Group Politics, 1909–1920.”
Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 101, no. 2 (April 1993): 227–250. | 4,419 | 2,134 | 0.000477 |
warc | 201704 | Serious Games challenging us to play a better education
Via: ARGuing –
Alternate Reality Game for Education
ARGuing is an innovative project that addresses two fundamental needs in European education in a totally new manner:
How to bridge the widening technological gap between educators and their students How to motivate students to understand the benefits of learning languages at a level that impacts on their existing personal and social lives.
Meanwhile their teachers and educators are still looking to use either pre-Internet or the Web in ways that are already dated and bear no relation to the technology level of their students.
Existing motivators used in language learning, utilize situations to develop oral or written skills such as role-play situations within the classroom, but these situations do not generally relate to students’ real world and in particular do not attempt to use the power of technology.
The ARGuing Project
The project consists of an Alternate Reality Game (ARG), which works as a communication context for international, multilingual, peer student communities that have to solve the puzzle by working as a massively, multiplayer, collaborative group, in multiple languages.
ARGuing for Multilingual Motivation in Web 2.0 is funded by the European Union under the
Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP). Project Results
They have now completed the ARGuing project pilot with the ARG “The Tower of Babel” and have made available a video on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd4rKnRSZY8, which includes some statistics and comments from teachers.
The project team will be presenting the academic papers on the project at the forthcoming European Association for Games in Education Conference in October in Graz, Austria.
Please visit their website for further documentation.
About the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) - A Single Umbrella For Education And Training Programs
The European Commission has integrated its various educational and training initiatives under a single umbrella, the Lifelong Learning Programme. With a significant budget of nearly €7 billion for 2007 to 2013, the program replaces previous education, vocational training and e-Learning programs, which ended in 2006.
The LLP provides funding for all stages of lifelong learning; for activities at school, at college, at university, in the workplace and in the community.
The LLP is made up of several different programs offering a variety of opportunities. There are four sub-programs focusing on different stages of education and training and continuing previous programs:
Comenius for schools Erasmus for higher education Leonardo da Vinci for vocational education and training Grundtvig for adult education languages, information and communication technologies, effective dissemination and exploitation of project results.
Aiming for a geographical reach beyond Europe's borders, the Jean Monnet program stimulates teaching, reflection and debate on the European integration process at higher education institutions worldwide.
Targets
Quantified targets have been set for the four sub programs:
Comenius should involve at least three million pupils in joint educational activities, over the period of the program Erasmus should reach the total of three million individual participants in student mobility actions since the program began. Leonardo da Vinci should increase placements in enterprises to 80,000 per year by the end of the program Grundtvig should support the mobility of 7,000 individuals involved in adult education per year by 2013 | 3,613 | 1,720 | 0.000589 |
warc | 201704 | Goats/ Boer goat with weak hip joints Question
QUESTION: Our little kid was born three days ago. He has had some improvement in his muscle and joints in his front legs but he is still dragging his hips and back legs. I don't know for sure if and how to wrap this area in vet wrap or if he is lacking selenium which I never heard of until I read this post. I would apperciate any help with this problem
ANSWER: Is he eating okay then, if he is not moving well? Do you have him in the house and on a bottle currently? Does he have other siblings that were born with him? Is he the runt? Did his mom receive selenium/E/D supplement 4 weeks prior to kidding? Did he need assistance in being kidded?
If he had multiple siblings or another big sibling who took up a lot of space then his symptoms could be from being "squished" in the uterus and may get better with time. If you need to pull him he could have been injured from that - a spinal issue. But, he could be simply selenium deficient - I do not use Bo-Se injectable as it does not have vitamin D in it, which is an important part of the selenium and E working together. I use human selenium mineral (over the counter) giving one 200 mcg tablet at his age - crush the tablet and dissolve in a little hot water and to that add half the oil from a 1000 IU vitamin E capsule and half the oil from an 800 IU vitamin D capsule, mix well, cool and give orally. Dosing is giving now and repeat in 2 days and repeat in 10 days. As an aside, I use selenium/E/D mix on all my goats, but there are different dosages for different ages of goats.
Let me know the answers to my above questions if you can - thanks much - Donna
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I hope you get this. First of all thank-you for the rapid response to my question. The little goat is eating very well he is still with his mother and sister. He is not the runt actually he is the larger of the two. Yes my son had to give him a little help being born but he can sort of use his back legs but it seems to be in his hips. When he was born his front legs were very weak but they came out of it and are quite strong now. As for the selenium I never heard of it being a problem so no we did not give any to the dam. I have since had another kid who is also weak in the hips who didn't have to be pulled. If you can help me get on the right track with this problem it would be great. Also we live in Kansas. Thanks
Answer
Thanks for the update. I would definitely start with the selenium treatment. Selenium deficiency can hit a herd or just a few goats and then cause major issues, not only with kidding and kids, but with reproduction and growth. If the issue is selenium deficiency, you should see results within 2 to 3 days of the second dose. Selenium needs are different for each goat. Some goats only need a small amount of selenium which they get through their hay/forage and mineral licks whereas other goats need the extra supplementation. The selenium dosing above will not hurt the goats - I would give the newest little one the same dosage as above.
Was the same buck used for both these breedings? If so, it can also be a genetic fault that has come up.
Hope this helps - let me know. | 3,231 | 1,620 | 0.00062 |
warc | 201704 | Busby, J S and Zhang, H (2008)
The pathogen construct in risk analysis. International Journal of Project Management, 39 (3). pp. 86-96. Abstract
Project risk analysis has traditionally emphasized the analysis of external threats. Here we argue that internal decisions and structures are more fundamental, because they determine which external events pose risks to project management. A “pathogen” metaphor is used to understand these internal sources of risk, in an analysis of failure in two sets of projects that lie on the border between the private and public sectors. This analysis goes beyond earlier work on organizational pathogens by treating them as subjective interpretations, not objective conditions. The study suggests that the more insidious risks to which a project is exposed involve different project members holding contradictory beliefs about what is pathogenic and what is protective.
Actions (login required) | 945 | 549 | 0.001851 |
warc | 201704 | Wang, Manyi (2012)
Application of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for in vitro investigation of meniscus and cartilage degeneration in the knee. PhD thesis, University of Leeds.
Text
PhD_Thesis_MWang_final_draft.pdf
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales.
Download (4Mb)
Abstract
Damage to the meniscus and articular cartilage in the knee can lead to loss of function and compromise joint stability. This has led to the development of in vitro models to investigate the biomechanics and biotribological response of cartilage and menisci. In high-volume laboratory studies of cartilage tribology, it is important to measure cartilage loss after experiments. In order to understand the relationship between the structure and function of the meniscus in health and disease, it is essential to interrogate the internal structural components of the meniscus. The aims of this project were to optimise protocols for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of menisci and articular cartilage in the knee in order to gain an increased understanding of their structure, and to detect and quantify morphological changes. A novel porcine medial knee model was developed for creation of physiological cartilage damage using a friction simulator. The cartilage damage models were subject to in vitro MRI quantification at both 9.4 Tesla and 3.0 Tesla for the first time. The two customised MRI-based wear quantification methods were validated using Pycnometer measurements. In addition, a novel approach was developed at 9.4T MRI to non-destructively investigate intrameniscal architecture and damage. Cartilage defect models were successfully created on the femoral condyle and tibia after friction simulator tests. The follow-up MRI investigation demonstrated the capability of MRI to assess cartilage defects using laboratory and clinical systems. At both of 9.4T and 3.0T, the two quantification methods were in excellent agreement with each other and with Pycnometer measurements. An optimised 10-hour 3D scan at 9.4T could clearly demonstrate 3D intrameniscal architecture. The MRI quantification protocols showed promise for the non-destructive examination and quantification of cartilage defects in a large range of animal/human tissues after biomechanical/biotribological experiments. MRI at ultra-high-field strength also showed promise for the non-destructive examination of the intrameniscal structure in a 3D manner. The proof of concept measurements presented in this study illustrates the potential of non-destructive 3D MRI microscopy to bring a unique contribution to the field of functional cartilage/meniscus biomechanics and biotribology.
Item Type: Thesis (PhD) Academic Units: The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering (Leeds) > School of Mechanical Engineering (Leeds) Depositing User: Repository Administrator Date Deposited: 22 Oct 2012 09:07 Last Modified: 08 Aug 2013 08:50 URI: http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/2875 | 3,007 | 1,421 | 0.000706 |
warc | 201704 | It doesn’t matter if it’s your boyfriend, your best friend, or your parents, to love unconditionally is to trust and to cherish. If you truly love a person, you have to trust them enough to make decisions for themselves and run their own life, while at the same time be there no matter the cost. Every moment and every action must be treasured – even if they embarrass you in public, acknowledge that it’s who they are. If you can’t do that much, then you do not unconditionally love them, and you need to stop and ask yourself how you can change that for the better of the relationship. If it’s someone like your mom or your best friend of seven years, then you might want to take some tips and learn how to love unconditionally – but you don’t have to love everyone unconditionally – you don’t have to love everyone at all. Still, the world would be a much happier place if everyone would do these few simple things. There would be less drama, less catfights, and a lot more relationships to go around.
Trust.
Now I know that the word
“trust” has been engraved into everyones minds as a sort of a verb, meaning “ to believe that another person will never hurt you”, or even,“a sort of understanding in a relationship.” But trust is a lot more than that. While it’s important to know that your boyfriend is honest and truly faithful, it’s equally as important to know that you can trust them with their own life. If he decides to confront his best friend about what happened last weekend and you think it should be left alone, try gently suggesting so instead of saying something like, “that’s a stupid idea” or threatening to get involved. As much as you are part of it, it’s his life, and no one wants another person thrashing his decisions.
Cherish.
Cherish EVERYTHING about your special person. Even if she has bad days. Even if her living space is a wreck. Even if her family is nuts. Because even though you may pretend like these things don’t bother you now, it will only be harder to get out of the relationship the longer you wait. So either get out now, or learn to love these things that are a part of your special person without judgment.
Avoid Judgment.
We are human, and the first thing we do when we look at a person is make our own decisions about their life. Scenario: you overheard your best friend on her phone yelling and arguing with her mom. You immediately roll your eyes and make some snarky comment (out loud or in your head) even though you did the same thing yesterday. Try sympathizing instead. You don’t have to say anything at all in a situation like this. Just realize that everybody argues with their mom once in awhile, and it’s nothing to overanalyze. You don’t know what was happening on the other end of the line, and you don’t know what arguments have preceded that.
IF your friend wants your help, then give your advice without scrutinizing her for yelling. She’s still your friend, and she’s still great for all the reasons you first fell in love with her. Love her without judgment. Love her unconditionally.
No Competition
Always be happy for your partner’s accomplishments. True love is never a competition. Your partner got a raise and you still work in the fast food industry? Your best friend just got engaged and you’re having boyfriend struggles? Be happy for them, knowing that they still support you. Just because you’re having a bad day, doesn’t mean that the person you love can’t understand that, and you are on your way to loving unconditionally.
What do you think? These are just four tips, but no two people love the same way. The way that YOU are loved is likely the way that you will love others. But think of these things before you say something judgmental or unfair to someone you love! They just might help you. | 3,956 | 1,792 | 0.000585 |
warc | 201704 | Technical
y speaking, this phenomenon
is alled 'Trichoptilosis' and is the logitudinal splitting of the hair fibre
. It is the cause of the stripping of the protective cuticle
from the ends of a hair
shaft, often as a result of over-processing. This could be through chemical trauma
, such as bleaching
or repeated dying. It could also be the result of physical trauma
, such as brushing your hair while it is still wet
or letting it get loose
and lash about in windy environments, especially
warm
windy environments. It more commonly happens to brittle hair while suffering from other hair shaft defects such as bamboo hair
(trichorrhexis invaginata), monilethrix, trichothiodystrophy, Netherton's syndrome, and pili torti.
Usually the shaft may split two or three ways, and the split may range from some mm to 3 cm. more severe damage however, induces more severe splitting. Splits may run many cm long in very weathered hair.
On some occasions, the hair splitting may occur towards the middle of the hair shaft due to cuticle stripping but are held by one strand at the shaft.
There is no way of replacing the cuticle form the hair once it is removed. There are certain treatments that involve gluing the hair, but these don't last long and don't work too well. the best way to remove split ends is to cut the hair - sometimes drastic cuts need to be made, since the line of damage in the shaft might run longer than one imagines and the splits will reappear in a matter of days. But they will not go on their own and delaying the trimming will only make the situation worse, since the split is likely to lengthen.
Finally in the case of the dreaded Trichoptilosis, prevention is defintely better than cure. So if you are completely vain (like moi), avoid getting your hair wet with salt water and sunbathing, use only a wide toothed comb while combing as-yet-wet hair, do not sit in cars with windows open in hot weather and never ever use rubber bands to tie your hair up - use only soft-material-covered scrunchies. | 2,040 | 1,051 | 0.00096 |
warc | 201704 | Total fitness goes beyond exercising in a health club with expensive weights and cardio machines. In order to actually see results and get to the level of fitness that you are aiming for, it will take patience, knowledge, body strength, and most importantly, persistence. The following tips will help you on Read more
Do you want a lovely, cute and good-looking face? Are you tired of you and your face because of those shadows and wrinkles? Do you want that your face should be unforgotten to others? Definitely your answer to the entire above question would be in affirmative. Since impression counts and your face is the Read more
With the development of science and medicines, there are many ways that are claiming to cause wrinkle reduction as well as its prevention. But not everybody will have same reaction towards what the technology is presenting to them. There are effective ways to counter the problem without having to spend too Read more
Aging is a natural sequence of life, yet many of us cant face it gracefully. Grey hair, sagging skin and ugly wrinkles are by products of the aging process. Every one of us hates wrinkles and wish they would never occur, but aging and wrinkled skin are inevitable. As despairing as it sounds there are Read more
The condition of our skin tells a lot about who we are. If it is not that elastic or as thinner as before, then you may already have wrinkled skin. The question now is, can we prevent it? A lot of experts believe that we are only delaying the inevitable. There have been advances in […] | 1,561 | 831 | 0.001212 |
warc | 201704 | Secondly, we suddenly had a huge debt in the form of a mortgage. There is nothing like knowing that the bank will happily take your home away from you to bring your finances into sharp focus. Given that cases of beer at the shop generally start at around $35 and that an equivalent case of home brew can be made for as little as $12 it’s a fairly obvious choice.
The conclusions
After getting started I started to realize the full scope and flexibility of what you can do with a fairly basic homebrew kit.
If you’re not happy with the way your brew turns out, you just adjust the recipe. Adjusting the type and amount of sugar or the amount of hops can have dramatic affects on the end product and finding out which recipe you like best is, to my mind, the whole point of doing it in the first place.
Of course these are not the only adjustments you can make. But finding out the secrets of the perfect brew for yourself is half the fun.
Moving forward, The Equipment, Brewing and Bottling pages go through the equipment you need and how to get started while the Brewing Tips page gives you some pointers on how to improve your brew. After that, it’s up to you. Experiment, have fun and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Beer is good, enjoy it! | 1,265 | 708 | 0.001437 |
warc | 201704 | Sermon for Sunday, 15th November 2009 (Second Sunday before Advent/Proper 28/Pentecost 24)Nov 11th, 2009 | By Ian Poulton | Category: Sermons
For the sermon for the second Sunday in advent click here – Google seems to be misdirecting searches.
“Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”
Mark 13:8
In school days, we were regularly treated to sermons on the need to repent or burn in Hell. Sometimes there would be tracts explaining what would befall those who did not believe as the writer did; on one occasion, there were even comic books warning that we were in the Last Times and setting out in detail what was going to happen. There was much emphasis on the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation and claims that when the EEC, as the European Union then was, reached ten members, a prophecy would be fulfilled and the End would come. In 1981 Greece joined, to make the number ten, and nothing happened.
What undermined much of what was preached was their exhortation to read the Bible for ourselves. Even to a non-believer, like myself in those days, it was apparent that they were so selective in the verses they chose, that their claims could not be taken seriously. If you read only the passages that suit you, then you can claim almost anything. One classmate used to cite Genesis Chapter 6:4 as evidence of aliens having invaded the Earth. Troublingly, he may well have believed himself.
It was more than just the eccentric use of Bible verses that was a problem; they would present Christianity in such a way that Jesus disappeared completely. There was no sense of the man from Nazareth in their harangues about being saved.
Jesus said, “Watch out that no one deceives you,” and the words that followed in Mark Chapter 13 would have been seized upon by those who preached at us. Yet, Jesus warns against such speculations in that same chapter, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert!”
Recoiling from the extremes of Protestant fundamentalism, there is always the danger of swinging to the other extreme; to abandon all belief, to discount anything in the Gospel story that smacks of the supernatural, to say anything that is inexplicable didn’t happen because it doesn’t fit with our knowledge of the world. “Watch out that no one deceives you,” applies as much to those who would dismiss everything as to those who would claim to believe everything.
A mailing came on Wednesday from a group called the Open Christianity Network, a group whose definition of what it means to be a ‘Christian’ is so vague as to be meaningless. Their website says:
“No-one is required to agree with any statements of beliefs or to fulfil any degree of religious practice. We hope that, instead, they will enjoy searching, exploring and sharing together, and growing in the honest and healthy faith that is right for them”.
Discount the divinity of Jesus, as they do, and what are you left with? A deluded teacher who told some nice stories? Certainly not much more. Why not be honest and describe oneself as an atheist, or an agnostic, rather than claiming to be Christian while rubbishing everything taught through the centuries?
“Watch out that no one deceives you”, says Jesus to his followers. Those followers are not the Jewish zealots, the fundamentalists who believed that God would conform to their ideas; but nor are they a group of liberals who say it doesn’t matter what one believes. They are drawn from the ranks of ordinary people, the religious and the irreligious.
Isn’t it odd, that if the ’open Christians’ are right, the opponents of the early Church didn’t say the Christian stuff was all nonsense? Isn’t it odd that they didn’t find witnesses to contradict all the claims? Isn’t it odd that they didn’t simply produce a body?
Isn’t it odd, if they are right, that Peter became the leader of the Jesus movement? Look at what happens when the Christian movement begins – the leader is not the one most people would have chosen. Peter was a big, coarse man, not the most obvious candidate to lead a religious movement in the learned and cosmopolitan environment of Jerusalem. There is no trace in the Gospels that he was a man of great subtlety or was a brilliant intellectual. Peter is not the man who would have been chosen by most recruitment agencies, but he is the man who announces that Jesus is risen from the dead. Isn’t it odd that Peter would die for something that he had made up, for that is what is being claimed?
And what about James? James, the brother of the Jesus appears not only in Scripture but in the writings of the Jewish historian, Josephus. Josephus lived from 38-100 A.D. and regarded Christianity with contempt, but here is how his book Antiquities records James, Ananus, the high priest, ‘assembled the sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others. And when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned’.
James had been leader of the church in Jerusalem, coming to prominence as early as AD 36, he died in AD 62. The Christian Gospels show James as critical towards his brother. James was outside of Jesus’ circle of friends, he was known to be hostile to what Jesus was teaching, yet something happens which completely turns him around. Would James have changed the way he did if the claims about Jesus were not true?
What about Saul of Tarsus? A very serious, very devout Jew, he appears in the history of the church as the one who persecutes Christians. He is sent to put down the Christian movement, to wipe it out. He goes to Damascus on a mission to stop the Christians and he experiences a sudden change of heart. How can we explain his behaviour, except in terms of a very deep and very intense religious experience? Something happened to this opponent of Christ that turned him into the foremost supporter.
Perhaps the response would be to dismiss all of them, but why then claim to believe anything? If the Christian story had nothing supernatural, nothing inexplicable, it would have been discredited within a few years and would have gone the way of the false messiahs against whom Jesus warns..
“Watch out that no one deceives you”, and we need to guard against a right-wing who seize upon particular Bible texts and ignore others, and a left-wing that throws everything aside.
Ultimately, our faith rests not upon any theological tradition, but upon Jesus himself. Our faith is about a person, not about a religion. Do we believe him? Do we believe in him?
“Watch out that no one deceives you”. | 6,892 | 3,174 | 0.000325 |
warc | 201704 | “Marriage is a right not an obligation. Forced marriage is another form of violence against women which is unacceptable in our society today,” says FRA Director Morten Kjaerum. “ The EU and its Member States should support victims of forced marriage and act to ensure everyone has the right to choose who and when to marry.”
The paper identifies a trend to criminalise forced marriage in the EU, as seven Member States have now made forced marriage a crime. However, it also acknowledges that criminalisation is only a partial solution, as enforcing this law is often problematic.
It describes civil laws that can help prevent forced marriage and support victims. These include mechanisms to ensure free consent to marry is given, safeguards for marriage for those who are under 18, as well as opportunities to annul a forced marriage.
For non-EU nationals, the threat of losing EU residency should not be used by spouses to enforce marriage. Member States should also not use unproven forced marriage as a reason to limit family reunification involving non-EU nationals.
The EU has taken a strong stand in combating forced marriage internationally, beyond its borders. However, by acceding to the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, the EU would ensure forced marriage is tackled in a harmonised manner across the region.
The paper also points to the lack of reliable data on forced marriage, which makes it difficult to gauge the extent of the problem. Unofficial figures of women approaching support centres for advice, from studies referred to in the paper, suggest the real figures may be much higher than official statistics suggest.
Examples of promising practices by authorities and NGOs that aim to support victims, and potential victims, are also referred to in the paper. These include a diverse range of activities, such as accessible support services, as well as awareness raising and educational initiatives, training and campaigns that also tackle prevention.
Forced marriage appears to predominately affect young women. Boys and men can also be affected but this tends to be less common, ranging from 5-8% of all forced marriages in Germany to 18% in the UK.
This works complements FRA’s wider work on the many other forms of violence against women. The findings are based on desk research carried out in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. To read the paper, see: Addressing forced marriage in the EU: legal provisions and promising practices. | 2,586 | 1,255 | 0.000809 |
warc | 201704 | Analysts from Wells Fargo, note that today’s Producer Price Index (PPI) report showed higher-than-expected numbers, but the overall trend remains soft. Key Quotes: “PPI for final demand rose 0.1 percent in January. While the overall trend remains soft, weakness is moderating. Energy continues to weigh on the headline, but a pickup in services inflation was broadly based.” “Ex-food, energy and trade services—our preferred measure of PPI—rose 0.2 percent and is up 0.8 percent from a year ago. “The general softness in input prices suggests that weak inflation will persist in the coming months as businesses have little need to raise selling prices, in our view, to maintain margins.” For more information, read our latest forex news. | 779 | 471 | 0.002244 |
warc | 201704 | Golf Course Management magazine is dedicated to advancing the golf course superintendent profession and helping GCSAA members achieve career success.
Issue link: http://gcmdigital.gcsaa.org/i/95639
research the 20.6 units/square centimeter treatment appli- cation was discontinued. Laccase treatments were applied as a 1.35-ounce (40-milliliter) solution for each of the different activity levels, and the con- trol was applied as 1.35 ounces of distilled water. Guaiacol was applied as 0.34 ounce (10 millili- ters) of solution. Laccase activity assay The laccase enzyme used in the experiment was from Trametes versicolor, a white rot fun- gus (Sigma-Aldrich). The activity of laccase was quantified by a colorimetric assay using a UV/ VIS-spectrophotometer. The amount of laccase that causes an absorbance change at 468 nanome- ters at a rate of 1.0 unit/minute in 3.4 milliliters of 1 millimolar 2,6-dimethoxyphenol in citrate- phosphate buffer at pH 3.8 corresponds to one activity unit (9). Measurements Parameters used to determine the effective- ness of treatments were total organic matter con- tent for a depth of 0-2 inches (0-5 centimeters), saturated hydraulic conductivity, organic layer thickness, extractive-free acid-soluble lignin, acid-insoluble lignin and total lignin content after two months of treatment application. Total lignin content was obtained by addition of acid- soluble and acid-insoluble lignin contents. When sampled after nine months of treatment, organic layer thickness was subdivided into thatch layer thickness and mat layer thickness, while total organic matter content was subdivided into 0 to 1-inch (0- to 2.5-centimeter) depth and 1- to 2-inch (2.5-5 centimeters) depth to more accurately reflect the effectiveness of laccase on thatch layer thickness and organic matter reduc- tion in thatch layer. Organic matter content Two soil cores (0.78 inch [2.0 centimeters] in diameter) were dried in an oven at 212± 9 F (100±5 C) for 48 hours, weighed and ashed in a muffle furnace at 1,112±18 F (600±10 C) for 24 hours and weighed again. Total organic matter content was the difference in the two readings; percent total organic matter was calculated. Saturated hydraulic conductivity Intact cores 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diam- eter and 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) long were col- lected in the brass cylinders from the center of each pot using a soil corer. The saturated hydrau- lic conductivity of the cores was measured. December 2012 GCM 85 Cores were removed from pots and then tested for saturated hydraulic conductivity. Photos by Rashmi Singh The organic layer, thatch layer and mat layer of each pot were measured at seven different locations and averaged. v v | 2,736 | 1,296 | 0.000778 |
warc | 201704 | One goal of the Healthy People 2010 program is to reduce health disparities across different segments of the population. Diagnosis and treatment of sentence comprehension deficits in patients with aphasia is one area where disparities continue to exist even though this topic is of great theoretical importance. The current research on this topic, however, lacks specific recommendations on how to train sentence comprehension skills in patients with aphasia and to what extent generalization of comprehension skills occurs across sentences of similar syntactic structure and across different comprehension tasks. The goal of the project is to develop an effective, theoretically sound, treatment for sentence comprehension deficits in patients with aphasia following stroke. Our approach to developing effective therapies for these deficits will be guided by results in linguistics, psycholinguistics, and aphasiology. This project consists of two distinct phases: Phase 1: Specific Plans and Milestones for R21 (Year 1) In the first (R21) phase of the project, which will last one year, we will develop two effective therapies for syntactic comprehension deficits - one based on picture matching and one based on object enactment. Milestones will be measures of the effectiveness of these therapies. In this year, we will also develop the optimal treatment prescription (frequency and duration of therapy sessions) and the stimuli to be utilized for training and generalization. Phase 2: R33 (Years 2-5) in the second (R33) phase of the project, we will investigate the wider clinical utility of the treatment developed in Phase 1. We will address the critical issues of rate of acquisition of treated items, generalization to untrained items, maintenance of performance after termination of treatment, transfer to everyday comprehension tasks, and optimal patient selection for training. The expected outcome of this phase is a novel treatment approach whose clinical utility is well characterized and that can be used by clinicians with appropriate patients with aphasia.
This project is relevant because it will address the important issue of language recovery following a theoretically based sentence comprehension treatment for patients with aphasia. The ability to understand sentences is often affected in aphasia and impairs comprehension of sentences in which syntax determines aspects of meaning such as thematic roles. We will first develop two new methods of treatment and, in the second phase of the research, determine how successfully training one structure generalizes to others, how it leads to savings in further treatments, how it affects passage comprehension, and how long it lasts. The result is expected to be an effective and efficient training protocol that can be used to treat deficits in syntactically based comprehension people with aphasia. | 2,875 | 1,247 | 0.000803 |
warc | 201704 | According to the weirdly huge text on the Census Bureau’s website, the fastest-growing state in the country in 2011 was North Dakota, which grew at a rate of 2.17 percent. The second fastest-growing state was the District of Columbia, which is not a state.
Your top ten in growth by percent and population:
You’ll notice that the growth in North Dakota was substantially higher than any other state. That’s for three reasons. First, because it had a smaller population to begin with. The state’s population in 2011 was about 684,000; if it were a city, it would be the 19th largest (and by far the least dense). Second, that great tourism ad from January.
The third reason is one we’ve talked about before: the fracking boom.
It’s impossible to argue that fracking doesn’t create jobs. A recent study in Michigan suggested that hydraulic fracturing of natural gas and oil created 38,000 direct or indirect jobs in Michigan this year. People have been pouring into North Dakota, relatively speaking — some 15,000 new residents over 12 months. What is also impossible to dispute is that this has shifted North Dakota culturally, but that’s a debate for a different day. We do, however, encourage everyone to keep arguing about what the fracking boom means environmentally.
I would take this population data with a grain of salt, however. It was released a day before winter starts, a time of year for which North Dakota is not known as an ideal destination. Though if we frack enough oil, winters will be perfectly pleasant in a few decades. Maybe that’s another reason for the population spike: real estate speculators.
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warc | 201704 | Environmental action 2.0 Data driven User generated Free to use
Somebody needs to do this.
Litter on land enters our watershed, some of it gets washed out to the ocean the rest stays in our rivers and lakes entering our food chain and killing our natural environment. When we integrate data collection with pollution mitigation we can leave the environment clean today and provide data for the solutions of the future.
Our Activities : in the field and in the lab
Removal and inventory of Aquatic Litter
Surveillance and removal of litter in rivers, streams and lakes. Detailed data on the accumulation rate and type of litter in our freshwater resources. Locations in California and Switzerland.
Development of DIY open source tools
Once the data is organized we can use it to look for solutions and develop tools for individuals or groups that want to improve the environment.
We are currently collaborating with the "Hackuarium" and "Biodesign for the Real World" to develop DIY sensors and protocols to evaluate litter/pollution mitigation strategies in Switzerland. | 1,084 | 598 | 0.001694 |
warc | 201704 | Winter and RA: Surviving the Cold
Weather is a common trigger for RA flares, with cold temperatures being high on the list of what can increase pain. Those of us who also live with fibromyalgia can experience a double whammy of pain. Winter this year seems to be flexing its muscles on a weekly basis. Snowstorms, ice storms, flash freezing, a polar vortex—the news is full of winter weather stories. For those of us living with RA, this kind of weather can make each day a struggle.
What can you do to cope? I’ve spent the last few months dealing with higher pain levels than usual. In addition to the usual increase in pain, stiffness and fatigue I feel every winter, I’ve had a few other issues that have made life more interesting. There was an excruciating back spasm that lasted weeks and is still not quite healed, then a pinched nerve in one shoulder that causes jolts of pain into my thumb every time I use the computer, as well as triggering TMJ symptoms.
Alas, I’m not the only one who’s having a tough winter. All my friends with RA and fibromyalgia are coping with higher pain levels and getting through the days on will power. Short of moving to Fiji, there’s not much we can do about the weather. But there are ways to make winter more bearable.
Coping with pain
First, stay warm. Being warm keeps your body from tensing up, which can aggravate your pain levels. The key to being warm in the winter is to dress in several layers because heat gets trapped between each layer. Start with thermal underwear, add a pair of corduroy pants and a wool or fleece sweater, as well as wool socks. If you know a knitter, ask them to make you a pair. Add heat whenever you can. Last year, a good friend gave me a heated blanket, which has been a godsend, both for me and my cat. A heated mattress cover is also a terrific idea, as is embracing your inner Scandinavian and buying yourself a down comforter. If you have pets or children, let them sleep in your bed—they add heat!
Take your pain meds. This is no time to exercise your stiff upper lip and soldier on. Staying ahead of the pain is a race and never more so than in the winter. Take your pain meds on a regular schedule, even if you aren’t in a lot of pain. Having pain medication in your body all the time will make it less likely that you have intense bouts of pain. Be good to yourself. When your pain levels are higher and the trip to Flare City shorter, cut down on your to-do list and neutralize your guilt instinct. Stress has a definite impact on chronic pain, so try to reduce stress whenever you can. Remember that there are no “shoulds” when you’re in survival mode. Pace yourself and work within your limits, even if it means you don’t get everything done. Do what you absolutely have to do, leave the rest for another (warmer) day. Dealing with depression
Winter is not just about increased levels of pain; it can also be a challenging time emotionally. Dealing with more pain and the misery of winter weather can be a drain on your energy. Think about what you can do to increase or maintain your energy levels, get plenty of rest and pace yourself. Listen to your body—it will tell you what it needs. Hibernation may not be practical, but getting more rest is always a good idea, as is eating good, hearty foods and indulging in undemanding television and books.
If you find yourself more irritable, cranky or sad during the winter months, you may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). During the dark months of the year, the lack of light can affect the chemistry in your body, causing you to experience depression in the winter. Light therapy can be tremendously helpful. This involves spending a set time a day sitting in front of a light box that mimics outdoor light. Choosing the right light box for you can take a bit of research, but it can be a good investment. Talk to your doctor
If you continue to have a tough time coping with pain, talk to your doctor. Your rheumatologist may be able to help you with a prescription for a low dose of prednisone, a systemic steroid shot or perhaps you need better pain management. Having less pain can have an incredible impact on your mood. If your feelings of depression persist, make an appointment to see your family doctor to talk about antidepressants. There is no shame in getting a bit of help when so many parts of winter work against you. Do whatever you can to make it easier.
Lene Andersen is the author of Your Life with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Tools for Managing Treatment, Side Effects and Pain . Her new book is 7 Facets: A Meditation on Pain . Her personal blog is The Seated View . | 4,702 | 2,299 | 0.000442 |
warc | 201704 | Baxter, Same Company That Unleashed Tainted Avian Flu Vaccines, Recalls 300,000 Flu Vaccines for Serious Adverse Reactions
'Baxter Healthcare Corp. has announced it is recalling roughly 300,000 doses of its Preflucel influenza vaccine due to what it says is an excessive number of adverse events. Baxter is the same drug company that was caught inserting Avian Flu Virus into flu vaccines back in 2009.
The UK's Daily Mail reports that a high number of individuals injected with an apparently tainted batch of Preflucel have been reporting side effects like fatigue, muscle pain, and headaches. The vaccine, which was crafted specifically for those with egg allergies, has only been in use since March when it was first approved for use in the UK.'
Read more...
'A Vancouver doctor who has been using a ritual hallucinogenic tea to help addicts has been ordered by Health Canada to stop or face criminal prosecution.
Dr. Gabor Maté received a letter in the mail from Health Canada on Monday, warning him to stop using ayahuasca because it is considered a controlled substance and requires proper authorization.
Maté says he has tried helping up to 150 addicts with the traditional Amazonian medicine for about two years. His work is featured in the documentary, The Jungle Prescription, airing on CBC’s
The Nature of Thingson Thursday night.
“I wish it was otherwise because I have seen how I can help people with this and now it is going to be much longer to seek approval if we even get it,” Maté said in a telephone interview from Vancouver.
Ayahuasca is a psychedelic drink derived from a woody vine that grows in the Amazon basin. It has been used for centuries as a source of medicine by local shamans.'
Read more ...
'When one Australian woman decided to lead the charge against Gardasil maker Merck after experiencing serious adverse reactions, she soon found another 7 Victorian women with similar intentions and experiences. Naomi Snell, a resident of Melbourne, Australia, suffered an auto-immune and neurological attack after being injected with the HPV shot Gardasil. After reading about a Sydney neurologist who exposed Gardasil as a potential cause of MS-like symptoms, Snell realized that Gardasil could be behind her recent health ailments.'
Read more...
'Please read this CAREFULLY. Also, please pass this on to everyone you know. STOP TAKING anything containing this ingredient.
It has been linked to increased hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in brain) among women ages 18-49 in the three days after starting use of medication.
Problems were not found in men, but the FDA recommended that everyone (even children) seek alternative medicine.
The following medications contain Phenylpropanolamine:
Acutrim Diet Gum Appetite Suppressant
Acutrim Plus Dietary Supplements
Acutrim Maximum Strength Appetite Control
Alka-Seltzer Plus Children’s Cold Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold medicine (cherry or or ange)
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine Original...'
List continues HERE
'The following is excerpted from
Doctors Are More Harmful Than Germs: How Surgery Can Be Hazardous to Your Health -- And What to Do About It, published by North Atlantic Books.
Hippocrates and Paracelsus, whom doctors hail as pioneers in the field, both practiced medicine more closely aligned with homeopathy than with modern, scientific medicine. Samuel Hahnemann, considered the father of homeopathy, tested his medicines on volunteers. (This was the first "evidence-based" medicine.) Hahnemann's research into each remedy's effectiveness helped to spread the popularity of homeopathy around the world.
By 1900, homeopathy was a relatively old medical tradition. In the United States at that time, 43 percent of medical schools taught homeopathy, including one of the best schools in the world. Homeopathic formulations could be purchased through the Sears catalog by individuals who wished to care for their own health.'
Read more...
' “A few weeks ago, I learned of a relatively new blog about food industry deception, but with an interesting twist. The blog’s author is Bruce Bradley, who spent over 15 years as a food marketer at companies like General Mills, Pillsbury, and Nabisco. He has since, in his words, “become more educated about the risks and environmental impact of eating processed foods,” and is now a CSA enthusiast.'
Read more...
'Steven Katz, founder of Debtorboards.com, recently explained to Mother Jones how he's evaded paying $80,000 in credit card debt. His Web site informs debtors of ways they can fight back against the banks; everything from filing suit against collection agencies to shielding your assets from seizure—and it has more than 10,000 members. A woman recently posted a video to YouTube (which thus far has over 500,000 views) calling for a debtor's revolution.
“Had you left me alone I would have continued to make my payments in good faith,” she says, but the hike in her interest rate to 30 percent has changed her mind.
DEBTORS REVOLT BEGINS NOW!
“There is power in numbers,” she notes, and that's where the idea of an organized strike comes in. One person can be hounded, harassed, and scared into submission, but when enough of them work together, could the banks be pressed into backing down?'
Read more...
'Big Pharma and the FDA have known for years that some asthma drugs can cause asthma deaths, especially in children and African Americans.
Big Pharma has been accused of selling drugs that are so dangerous they cause death and drugs that cause the exact conditions they're supposed to treat. The popular asthma drugs Symbicort, Advair Diskus, Serevent Diskus, Dulera and Foradil do both and actually warn on their labels that they cause an increased "risk of death from asthma problems."'
Read more...
'Chances are, that stuff sittng in the plastic bear in your pantry doesn't technically qualify as honey. The FDA requires honey to have microscopic particles of pollen, which allow the honey to be traced to its source so regulators can be sure it comes from safe origins. But nearly all of the honey that's sold commercially in the U.S. has been filtered to get rid of that pollen. It could basically come from anywhere. And that means it's not honey, according to the FDA's definition.'
Read more...
'Together Let’s Demand GMO Labeling Now!
Most Americans agree we have a right to know what’s in our food, and a right to choose safe, healthy food for our families and ourselves. And yet 80% of the packaged foods in America contain Genetically Engineered ingredients that have not been proven safe, and are not labeled!'
Read more...
'In his paper ‘Why in the World Are They Spraying?‘, journalist Michael Murphy floats the idea that chemtrails are sprayed in order to manipulate the weather derivatives market.
He posted the story at TheIntelHub.com on Oct. 11, 2011. It ran alongside my article ‘ Chemtrails Exposed‘.
He may not be too far off the mark as my humble investigation leads me to many questionable situations, strange bedfellows and none other than those legends of corruption and waste, Enron. The thoroughly disgraced and vilified corporation was one of the founders of the market.
Would you put it past Enron? '
Read more...
.
'Remember two years ago when every news show featured hysterical reports about the so-called H1N1 pandemic and how the supposed killer flu was striking down healthy kids? True, many previously healthy children became critically ill, developing severe pneumonia and respiratory failure. And some tragically died after being diagnosed with H1N1. But was that really the accurate explanation of what caused their death?
According to the largest nationwide investigation to date of the flu in children who became critically ill, scientists from Children's Hospital Boston have found another reason to explain the severity of the youngsters illness. It turns out that it most likely wasn't H1N1 alone that caused healthy children to become so ill many died.
Instead, these kids were unknowingly infected with something else. That additional infection, the superbug known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), spiked the risk for flu-related deaths 8-fold in children who were otherwise believed to be totally healthy before they became ill.'
Read more...
By Dr. Mercola
'You may recognize Jim Navarro from the documentary film Cut Poison Burn, which I recently posted
.You can watch the entire film for free. If you haven't seen it yet, I urge you to take the time to view it now.
Jim is the father of Thomas Navarro, who at the age of four was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer. The family ended up in a protracted battle against the medical monopoly after objecting to the conventional treatment, choosing instead to seek out less invasive, less damaging, and less life threatening approaches. However, the medical system's response was swift and callous.
In fact, in the months that followed Thomas' diagnosis, the family went into hiding to keep their son away from the authorities who threatened to take him into custody, charging Jim and Donna Navarro with child abuse and neglect.
The Navarro's wanted to use Dr. Burzynski's non-toxic, highly successful antineoplaston treatment instead of conventional chemotherapy and radiation. However, the FDA went to great lengths to prevent Thomas from receiving the therapy, and only after extensive legal wrangling, great expense, and being forced to submit to conventional treatment first did the family finally receive approval to use Dr. Burzynski. Unfortunately, at that point it was too late. The damage from the chemo was too great, and he lost his battle with cancer at the tender age of six. His death certificate states the cause of death as:
'Respiratory failure due to chronic toxicity of chemotherapy' ' Readmore...
'You may think there is enough disease in the world already, and that no one would want to add to the diseases that we humans must deal with. But there is a powerful industry in our society that is working overtime to invent illnesses and to convince us we are suffering from them.
This effort is known as "disease mongering," a term introduced by health-science writer Lynn Payer in her 1992 book
Disease-Mongers: How Doctors, Drug Companies, and Insurers Are Making You Feel Sick. Payer defined disease mongering as "trying to convince essentially well people that they are sick, or slightly sick people that they are very ill."
This strategy has also been called "the corporate construction of disease" by Ray Moynihan, Iona Heath and David Henry in the
British Medical Journal. "There's a lot of money to be made from telling healthy people they're sick," they say. "Pharmaceutical companies are actively involved in sponsoring the definition of diseases and promoting them to both prescribers and consumers." '
Read more...
'Do you spend time reinforcing good health habits with your child? There are a variety of messages sent to children from many sources about health. Many of these messages contain false information, so it is important to help your child understand the reasons why.
Food manufacturers, for example, label foods they sell as “healthy”, “natural“, “trans fat free”, “whole grains” or “low-fat“. Do these claims make foods healthy? Although the pressure to buy these products is always there, it’s important to realize that our children’s health begins with us. If we don’t go beyond store bought foods and educate ourselves about what will keep our children healthy during the formative, developmental years, it will have negative effects for the rest of their lives.'
Read more...
'Chronic illness in our children keeps mounting—while the authorities wear blinders, clap their hands over their ears, and chant, “It’s safe it’s safe it’s safe it’s safe…” as if saying it often enough, loudly enough, and with the right inflection of condescension makes it so.
With the hubris typical of conventional medicine’s scientists, they are already describing it as safe, though it has yet to go through any safety testing. Human serum albumin (HSA) has many medical uses, including treatment for serious burns, hemorraghic shock, hypoproteinemia, ascites (edema) in advanced liver cirrhosis, and as an excipient (carrier) in vaccines.'
Read more...
'What does the 4 billion a year, blockbuster Alzheimer’s drug donepezil (trade name Aricept) have in common with insecticides, chemical weapons and venom?
Quite a lot more than consumers taking them have been lead to believe. As a member of the chemical class known as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors donepezil interferes with the cholinesterase enzyme, preventing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from breaking down, resulting in an increase in both its levels and duration of action.
While this can result in a temporary increase in memory, there is currently no definitive proof that use of donepezil or other similar agents slows the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, 21% of patients on this medication discontinue within 12 months due to serious adverse side effects.'
Read more... | 13,403 | 6,461 | 0.000159 |
warc | 201704 | No matter what purpose you decide to follow the work of the reproductive system of your body, you definitely have to take the construction of temperature curves, teach them to read and analyze.If you properly will build schedule of the basal body temperature, then a few months later on the basis of the displayed values in it, you will already be able to evaluate the work of the organism, will know whether there is you have ovulated and when the most favorable time to fertilize an egg.This knowledge should help both when planning pregnancy and to prevent unwanted conception.
Explanation basal body temperature chart has its own peculiarities, and to learn how to accurately determine the date of ovulation and the estimated time of the onset of menstruation, you take some time, but you should be familiar with the general rules for constructing such graphs and analysis.
If you know all the nuances of the measurement, it is time to figure out how the figures obtained should be analyzed.So, under normal ov
According to rules established by WHO, the graph line of ovulation should be carried out when a result of the last 3 measurements were obtained figures are higher than the previous 6. So, above the highest value of 6 is held the middle line, and the following 3 indicatorsmust be 0.1 - 0.2 ° C above this line.At first it may seem that the transcript of the schedule of basal temperature and determination of ovulation rather complicated process, but it is usually at the first look at the schedule becomes clear.If you were able to draw a center line and a line of ovulation, then further work with the curve should not cause difficulties.
Normally, the difference between the averages of the first and the second phase should be more than 0.4 C, and the length of the period after ovulation to be about 12-16 days, or it may indicate hormonal problems.It is also desirable that, after release of the egg temperatures throughout the second phase kept about 37 C, and fell only to the beginning of the critical days.If your schedule is not complied with these conditions, the competent basal body temperature chart transcript can show that you have some problems, even if ovulation, according to the figures obtained, and passes.
If you're just starting to take measurements and the first cycle of anovulatory turned out, do not worry, but the measure is to continue.One or two cycles per year without release of the egg - this is quite normal, but if it does not exist for several months in a row, it requires a mandatory doctor's advice.In this case, decoding graph of basal temperature should be combined with other studies: the analysis on hormones, holding ultrasound, manual palpation of the pelvic organs. | 2,739 | 1,325 | 0.000758 |
warc | 201704 | What is life without raw chocolate? Seriously. I saw this cute card the other day and thought – YES – this is truth. (click the image to enlarge).
My love for raw chocolate may seem a little intense – I’m OK with that.
Raw chocolate is made from unprocessed cacao, usually some form of natural sweetener…and sometimes other fun ingredients get thrown in too. Raw chocolate contains antioxidants and essential minerals, and may invoke feelings of happiness and love. 🙂 It rocks my life.
Anyway, when I arrived in London a week ago, I thought “should’ve brought some raw chocolate with me.” Little did I know there’s
heaps of raw chocolate to be had in the UK! Here are 3 tasty brands that had me buzzing with elation:
Conscious Chocolate is based in Kent, England. Founder Emma Jackman says,
“I was making raw chocolate in friends’ kitchens, rolling truffles at festivals, selling unwrapped bars at Borough Market, and finally, dragging suitcases of chocolates to shops all over the UK. I just wanted to give people real chocolate, chocolate that everyone and anyone could eat, healthy chocolate that tastes amazing. And because I hadn’t found any chocolate that was all of those things, I decided to start making it myself…” Love that.
They have lots of different flavors, but I tried the plain one:
Cacao powder, cacao butter, agave nectar, coconut butter, carob powder, cinnamon and Himalayan salt. Good stuff! Found it at Whole Foods.
The name says it all, right? How could I not try it? These cute little bars are packed with fun healthy treats — goji berries, blueberries, coconut –– even probiotics! Crazy. Plus, they sweeten with coconut sugar, which I personally prefer to agave nectar. I loved the acai/blueberry bar. Of the company’s beginnings, they say, “a person’s dabblings with cocoa beans can only go so long before the desire to make a chocolate bar becomes too loud to ignore.“ Amen. This one was also available at Whole Foods.
Check out the message I found in mine! SO GOOD:
From founder Ma Prem Soham:
“ Every flavour represents a different quality of the highest potential of human nature. Messages are wrapped within each chocolate, subtly reminding us to reconnect to the qualities which already lie within us.” So flipping cool. I really enjoyed the “Innocence” flavor: cacao butter, coconut butter, coconut palm sugar, Himalayan salt, raspberry powder. I found these chocolates at the Portobello Wholefoods health food store in Notting Hill, but it looks like you can order them direct too.
Clearly, raw chocolate is rocking the UK. Get some.
What’s your favorite raw chocolate brand? Let me know in the comments!
Do you love health, nutrition and wellness? Check out the Institute for Integrative Nutrition! | 2,891 | 1,509 | 0.000701 |
warc | 201704 | The seeds of whole grains have three distinctive components called the endosperm, germ and bran. When these are intact, whole grains offer you higher nutrient value. Foods that derive from whole grains, such as pasta, have this same effect, while refined grains do not. The refining process takes away part of the bran, germ or endosperm, which devalues the nutrient content. If you are on the fence whether to switch to whole-grain pasta or not, let its multiple benefits make your decision for you.
Lasting Energy
Carbohydrates are known as macronutrients, which the body needs in high amounts. They function to give you energy and support the brain and nervous system. Simple carbs occur naturally in milk, milk derivatives and fruits, but they are also prominent in cakes, cookies, candy, sweet drinks and sugary cereals. When consumed, simple carbs give you a fast spike of energy, but it wears off quickly. White pasta is technically a complex carb, but it is refined and starchy. This makes it act like a simple carb in the body. Consistent intake of simple carbs can promote weight gain and hinder weight loss efforts. Complex carbs, on the other hand, are digested at a slow pace and give you lasting energy levels. Whole-grain pasta is a good source of complex carbs. The recommended daily intake of carbs is 130 grams. A 2-ounce serving of whole-grain angel hair pasta has 41 grams of carbs.
Improved Digestive Health
Fiber is a nondigestible form of carbohydrate that brings numerous benefits to the body. It comes in the form of soluble or insoluble. Insoluble fiber is the type found in whole grains and derivatives like pasta. This type creates softer stool that is easier to pass through the digestive system, which, in turn, prevents constipation and reduces the risk of developing intestinal conditions like diverticulosis. Diverticulosis is a painful condition where small pouches on the intestinal wall become inflamed. Whole-grain pasta generally has at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. In contrast, regular pasta generally has 2 grams or less. The recommended amount of fiber per day is 30 to 38 grams for men and 21 to 25 grams for women. Oat bran is a form of soluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol and stabilizes blood sugar levels. Look for oat bran pasta in your local grocery store to reap these benefits as well.
Muscle Recovery and Tissue Repair
Protein is another macronutrient that has different responsibilities in the body than carbs. It helps repair cells and tissue, rebuilds muscle and strengthens hair, nails and skin. The recommended amount of protein per day is 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men. Whole-grain pasta has a moderate amount of protein, and a higher amount than regular pasta. Two ounces of penne for example, contains 6 grams. Regular pasta generally has half this amount or less.
Improved Functional Capacity
Iron is important for oxygen transportation to the muscles and rest of the body. This, in turn, gives you the ability to do daily functions optimally. Iron also helps with immune function and neurotransmitter production in the brain. Meats and fish tend to have a high amount of this mineral, but whole grains have moderate amounts as well. Whole-grain spaghetti has 8 percent of the recommended daily value in 2 ounces. Have your pasta with turkey or lean beef meatballs to add more iron to your meal. Spinach also has a moderate amount of iron, and would pair well as a side salad with your meal.
Stronger Bones and Immunity
Whole-grain pasta contains generous amounts of phosphorus, manganese, magnesium and selenium, while refined pasta has only negligible amounts. Each one of these minerals has a specific function in the system. Phosphorus, which is stored in the bones, helps with energy production, reduces muscle soreness from intense workouts and aids cell and tissue repair. Manganese helps with sex hormone production, blood clotting and it also contributes to strong connective tissue. Magnesium is essential for heart rhythm, strong bones, nerve function and blood sugar regulation. Selenium is an antioxidant that boosts immunity and promotes thyroid function.
Photo Credits whole wheat pasta on spoon image by samantha grandy from Fotolia.com | 4,251 | 1,951 | 0.000514 |
warc | 201704 | Its been a routine for women to dust their private parts, underwear and sanitary napkins with talcum powder. It is a practice associated with cleanliness and freshness.
Some people may sprinkle on powder after showering and never think much of it. But recent court cases have shined a spotlight on the possible link between women’s regular use of talcum powder on their genitals and an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Talcum powder is made from talc, a mineral made up mainly of the elements magnesium, silicon, and oxygen.
As a powder, it absorbs moisture well and helps cut down on friction, making it useful for keeping skin dry and helping to prevent rashes.
It is widely used in cosmetic products such as baby powder and adult body and facial powders, as well as in a number of other consumer products.
It has been suggested that talcum powder might cause cancer in the ovaries if the powder particles (applied to the genital area or on sanitary napkins, diaphragms, or condoms) were to travel through the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes to the ovary.
For any individual woman, if there is an increased risk, the overall increase is likely to very be small. Still, talc is widely used in many products, so it is important to determine if the increased risk is real.
Source: Cancer.Org, | 1,321 | 720 | 0.001404 |
warc | 201704 | Many people have suffered broken bones. My claim to fame is the historic number of breaks that I have had in and around my ankles. Several years ago, I broke my fifth metatarsal in two places. When the cast was finally removed one of the clean breaks had not healed. The orthopedic doctor suggested adding screws. This did not sound good; I had already been down that road and could not bear the thought of another surgery I hadn’t the slightest idea of how to handle my dilemma until a friend suggested I call Hippocrates. I talked to the Director, Brian Clement, who strongly advised that I get on a bone-building, living food, vegan diet. Additionally he directed me to use magnets to help the bones heal faster. While all of this was helpful, it was several months and my ankle still had not completely healed. After much contemplation, I realized that I needed to attend the Life-Change Program, even though my economic situation was not conducive to doing so at the time. I called back and spoke to Brian and told him I needed to come but that I could not afford it. He rapidly responded by saying "you cannot afford not to come!" He was right! During my stay I focused on electro-magnetic therapy therapeutic movement, and a very strong adherence to the diet including green drinks and wheatgrass. After the three—week program, my situation had totally changed and the x—rays showed that the bone had healed completely Shortly after this, I was dancing at a local fair in my home town of Key West where I ran into my orthopedic doctor. He looked at me with disbelief, surprised at what he was seeing. He asked what I had done to correct my problem and I told him that Hippocrates had not only changed my bones, but had changed my whole life. I have been back two times since and now plan on spending more time at Hippocrates. I have traveled all over the world in search of wonders. Yet, after my experience at Hippocrates, I realize that there is a whole world of wonders with people from every corner of the globe right in West Palm Beach. I can now honestly say that when you change your life with the 3-Week Program, your life will change forever. | 2,177 | 1,128 | 0.000894 |
warc | 201704 | IBM’s 1 billion dollar acquisition will allow Watson supercomputer to ‘see’
INDUSTRY NEWS 11 August 2015
IBM has announced plans to acquire the medical imaging group Merge Healthcare for $1 billion in order to boost the capacity of its Watson supercomputer.
The new group will be integrated into IBM’s Watson Health platform, which analyses massive amounts of personal health data to help medical professionals improve treatment.
Watson is the first commercially available cognitive computing platform. The system, delivered through the cloud, analyses high volumes of data, understands complex questions posed in natural language, and proposes evidence-based answers.
The planned acquisition of Merge Healthcare strengthens IBM’s strategy to add rich image analytics with deep learning to the Watson Health platform, in effect, advancing Watson beyond natural language and giving it the ability to ‘see’, the company said in a statement.
In April 2015, the company launched IBM Watson Health and the Watson Health Cloud platform. The platform was created to help improve the ability of doctors, researchers and insurers to innovate by surfacing new insights from the massive amount of personal health data being created daily.
Medical images are the largest and fastest-growing data source in the healthcare industry and perhaps the world – IBM researchers estimate that they account for at least 90 per cent of all medical data today.
However, certain challenges can inhibit the efficient use of this data. For example, the sheer volume of medical images can be overwhelming even for the most advanced medical specialists – radiologists in an emergency room can be presented with thousands of images per day, according to the IBM statement. In addition, tools to help clinicians extract insights from medical images are limited, requiring most data to be analysed manually.
The Watson Health Platform will be used to analyse and cross-reference medical images against a deep trove of lab results, electronic health records, genomic tests, clinical studies and other health data — which IBM estimates represent 315 billion data points and 90 million unique records.
Medical professionals will be able to compare new medical images with a patient’s image history as well as populations of similar patients to detect changes and anomalies. Insights generated by Watson could then help healthcare providers in fields including radiology, cardiology, orthopaedics and ophthalmology to pursue more personalised approaches to diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients.
‘As Watson evolves, we are tackling more complex and meaningful problems by constantly evaluating bigger and more challenging data sets,’ explained IBM vice president John Kelly. ‘Medical images are some of the most complicated data sets imaginable, and there is perhaps no more important area in which researchers can apply machine learning and cognitive computing.’
Under terms of the transaction, Merge shareholders would receive $7.13 per share in cash, for a total transaction value of $1 billion. The closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory review, Merge shareholder approval, and other customary closing conditions, and is anticipated to occur later this year.
Further information Source: IBM’s 1 billion dollar acquisition will allow Watson supercomputer to ‘see’
Via: Google Alert for Deep Learning | 3,495 | 1,645 | 0.000627 |
warc | 201704 | Known in horticultural circles as the "queen of flowering vines,” clematis (Clematis spp.) should be above having tiny black beetles chewing on their delicate leaves and beetle larvae feasting on their delicate roots. Such indignities come with the sun-loving vines’ territory in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 11. Because black vine weevils feed in darkness or beneath the soil, you may not notice their damage until your clematis is close to death.
Identification
Viewed from the side, vine weevils' heads and downward-curving snouts resemble elephants. Measuring 1/2 inch long, the hard-shelled, dark-brown to black pests have fused fore wings. Each night, they crawl from their hiding places in soil debris to chew notches in the leaves. When disturbed, they simply drop to the ground.
Life Cycle
During their three to four weeks of feeding, each adult lays up to 500 eggs. After dropping to the soil, each egg yields a C-shaped, brown-headed white larva. The larvae burrow into the soil, feed on clematis roots and remain underground through the next year. When the soil warms in spring, they emerge as pupated, pregnant adults to repeat the process.
Leaf Damage
Adult weevils feed along clematis leaf edges, eating their way toward -- but never reaching -- the centers. By the time the leaves have noticeable notches, the pests have typically laid eggs and larvae may be present in the soil. The unsightly leaf notches pose much less of a threat to the vine than what takes place when the larvae find its roots.
Root Damage
Newly hatched weevil larvae begin feeding on the tiny feeder roots that collect soil moisture and nutrients for distribution throughout your clematis. Older larvae move to -- and sometimes girdle -- the larger roots. Unless you've already found notched leaves on your vine, you might not associate its stunted growth and yellow or discolored foliage with weevil root damage. If your infested clematis survives the winter but fails to leaf out in spring, it may be beyond help.
Controlling Adult Weevils
Eliminating adult weevils before they lay eggs is critical. As the soil warms and the adults emerge in spring, begin monitoring your clematis. Check it with a flashlight after dark or drape a piece of folded burlap around its base and carefully lift the folds in the morning to search for the pests. If they're present, they'll drop to the soil and play dead when you shake the vine or burlap. When they do, crush them or drop them in a bucket of soapy water.
Controlling Weevil Larvae
To control the larvae without resorting to chemical insecticides, use Steinernema feltiae or Heterorhabditis bacteriophora nematodes -- microscopic wormlike organisms -- available through plant catalogs or online retailers. When the soil’s top 5 inches register a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, clear the area around your clematis of debris and water it well. Wait until sunset to apply the UV-sensitive nematodes to the soil. Wet the area a second time, keeping it moist over the next week. After working their way down to the larvae, the nematodes burrow and dissolve the weevil larvae with bacterial secretions before consuming them. When working with nematodes, always follow the label's directions. You can often simply add them to your watering can.
Fine Gardening: Genus Clematis Illinois Natural History Survey: Black Vine Weevil University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources: Black Vine Weevil: An Increasing Problem In California Nurseries University of Rhode Island: Black Vine Weevil Cornell University Cooperative Extension Oakland County: Black Vine Weevil Pacific Bulb Society: Vine Weevil Washington State University Extension: Beneficial Nematodes Photo Credits Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Getty Images | 3,828 | 1,908 | 0.000528 |
warc | 201704 | Bad news: Yeah, France is probably falling back into recession posted at 8:01 pm on November 21, 2013 by Erika Johnsen
Their triumphant return to positive economic (if only just) earlier this year was met with plenty of self-congratulatory optimism on which Socialist President Hollande’s government proclaimed they were fairly confident they’d be able to build, but interestingly enough, it seems that their high-tax, high-regulatory regime is in fact preventing them from making any additional progress (weird, right?). Earlier this week, we learned that the euro economy grew by “less than expected” at a mere 0.1 percent, while France’s economy contracted by a tenth of a point. Now, more bad news in the form of slackened businesses activity and weakened consumer confidence across the zone in general and in
certain places especially:
Hopes that the euro zone could be emerging from years of torpor suffered another setback on Thursday when an indicator of economic activity in the region slipped unexpectedly and suggested that France could be sliding back into recession.
The indicator, a survey of purchasing managers published by the research firm Markit, fell to 51.5 in November from 51.9 in October, according to preliminary data, as the decline in France offset further improvement in Germany. Economists had expected the composite index for the euro zone, which tracks both manufacturing and service sectors, to rise to 52, according to Barclays.
A reading above 50 is considered a sign that the euro zone economy is growing. But the index for France fell to 48.5 in November from 50.5 in October, the latest sign of shrinkage in the French economy…
Over all, the survey data suggested that, even though the euro zone as a whole pulled out of recession in the second quarter of this year, the recovery lacks momentum and is vulnerable to shocks, such as a sag in demand from China and other emerging markets.
“Any improvements were largely confined to Germany,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit. “France, on the other hand, showed further signs of being the ‘sick man of Europe.’ ”
Seeing as how France’s is the second-largest economy in the eurozone, it would be tough for the bloc to overcome France’s faltering ‘recovery,’ but it isn’t like the rest of the eurozone is doing too hot, either. Much of the bloc is struggling beneath the weight of their ongoing fiscal and economic woes, and the folly of the rigid regulations that exacerbates them, too:
A lost generation of jobless youth in the eurozone could tear the single currency apart if nothing is done to address chronic levels of unemployment, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has warned. …
John Lipsky, who served as acting managing director of the International Monetary Fund during the height of the Greek crisis in 2011, said the problem was likely to get worse before it got better.
Mr Lipsky, who contributed to the WEF report, said rigid labour laws meant existing workers were offered more attractive employment rights than their younger counterparts.
“We all know it’s true that if it’s easier to dismiss a worker when things don’t work out, that makes you more willing to take a chance on hiring somebody,” he said.
“I myself have had the experience of finding that restrictive practices make you very reluctant to take on the burden of an employee unless you’re absolutely sure that you can sustain them.”
Related Posts: | 3,567 | 1,817 | 0.000574 |
warc | 201704 | Inspire others to be green
When I arranged to meet Trewin Restorick, I did not expect to be interviewing him in an extravagantly teak-panelled room in the heart of Lincoln’s Inn, the home of some of London’s most highly paid lawyers. But this, it turns out, is where Global Action Plan UK – the organisation Trewin founded and directs – rents its offices from the Furnishing Trade Benevolent Association. The lavish hardwood surroundings are especially incongruous given that, GAP exists to tackle environmental destruction. It works by educating individuals and spurring them into action.
Trewin seems equally surprised to be here, not because of the teak panels but because he is self-effacing enough that he can’t quite believe I am interested in what he has to say. But this is a man who’s got thousands of school children, office workers and ordinary citizens to reduce their environmental impact over the past fifteen years. I think it’s worth finding something out about anyone who can achieve that.
GAP works to provide people with the information they need to become civically engaged. They run a variety of structure programmes: “Ecoteams” bring together groups of households to work out what they can do to reduce their domestic environmental impact; “Environmental Champions” help people to set targets and improve workplace environmental performance; and “Action at School” focuses on bringing environmental education into the curriculum.
“We advise the Ghandi philosophy of every long journey starts with a small step,” Trewin says. “Look at your lifestyle and make whatever changes are feasible and practical for you to make. When you start to meet obstacles like lack of public transport or lack of decent labelling, then start voicing those frustrations in a political context.”
Trewin discovered his passion early on. Student activism led him into a first job on recycling schemes in Devon – “I met some really inspiring people who were running practical initiatives and giving local employment” – and he used that experience to get a job at Friends of the Earth. But he found himself and his employer growing apart. “Back then, Friends of the Earth was very much about looking at solutions as well as campaigning – the velvet glove around the iron fist. But they’ve taken the velvet glove away now, they’re very much a campaigning organisation, and that’s not where I come from at all”
In 1993 Trewin decided to leave the security of Friends of the Earth so that he could spend his time motivating people to take personal action on the environment. He accepted the job, for “virtually no money”, of setting up Global Action Plan in the UK following its successful foundation in the US three years earlier. Since 1993 nearly 200 schools, about 100 businesses and 2500 households have been involved in GAP UK’s projects. “We try not to be ‘thou shalt’-ish, because that doesn’t really work.” Instead, they teach people about the issues so that they can work out themselves how to set targets and achieve them.
By its nature, individual action yields incremental results, and Trewin admits to getting frustrated by the slow pace of progress: “I know we achieve change but it’s changes on the margin.” Is campaigning for legislative change not the way forward after all, then? “You have to remember that legislation isn’t enough if you don’t also have education. If you brought in legislation which made everybody’s home fantastically energy efficient, but you don’t educate people, they might still go out and buy a great big SUV. I think we need an engaged and articulate electorate, so that their level of education about the issues can keep pace with legislative change.”
Trewin clearly doesn’t believe in quick fixes. But the frustrations he encounters when contemplating the long journey ahead are outweighed by the immense personal satisfaction of inspiring people to make small steps. “Seeing an organisation grow, and working with a group of really nice people in a very positive and friendly atmosphere is incredibly rewarding. As is meeting people who’ve done something and feel really good about it, and who realise that environmentalism is not that cranky and strange after all.”
When I got home, I searched the internet for the Ghandi quote Trewin had used and discovered he was actually quoting the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. Beneath it happened to be another piece of wisdom from Lao Tzu, which seemed to me to sum up Trewin’s approach perfectly: “A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” | 4,877 | 2,348 | 0.00045 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract P203: ICV Angiotensin-(1-7) Decreased TNF-α and Increased IL-10 in the Hypothalamus of (mRen2)27 Transgenic Hypertensive Rats Abstract
Hypertensive rats subjected to chronic intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] presented attenuation of arterial hypertension, improvement the baroreflex sensitivity and restoration of cardiac autonomic tonus. In the present study we evaluated whether chronic increase in Ang-(1-7) in the brain modulates inflammatory mediators in the hypothalamus of the transgenic hypertensive rats that present overexpression of renin [(mRen2)27; TGR]. Sprague Dawley (SD) and TGR were subjected to 14 days of ICV infusion of Ang-(1-7) (200 ng/h) or 0.9% sterile saline (0.5 μl/h) through osmotic mini-pumps. The animals were euthanized by decapitation and the hypothalamus was quickly removed and frozen on dry ice. Cytokine levels were evaluated through Elisa assay and enzymes of RAS were measured by fluorimetric assays. As expected, levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1α, IL-6 and TNF-α) were increased in TGR (48 ± 3.5 pg/mg, 61 ± 2.7 pg/mg, 76 ± 4.3 pg/mg, respectively) as compared to SD rats (23 ± 1.8 pg/mg, 38 ± 3.4 pg/mg, 39 ± 3.5 pg/mg, respectively), while IL-10 was not altered. Interestingly, ICV infusion of Ang-(1-7) reduced levels of TNF-α (48 ± 3.4 pg/mg vs 76 ± 4.3 pg/mg in untreated TGR) and increased the levels of IL-10 (32 ± 2.6 pg/mg vs 19 ± 1.2 pg/mg in untreated TGR), without affecting IL-1α or IL-6 levels. No difference was found in ACE activity in plasma, on the other hand, the increased ACE activity in the hypothalamus of TGR (207 ± 25.5 nmoles His-Leu/ min/ mg of protein vs 173 ± 13.0 nmoles His-Leu/ min/ mg of protein, in SD rats) was significantly reduced (134 ± 7.9 nmoles His-Leu/ min/ mg of protein) by ICV infusion of Ang-(1-7). These data show that long term increase in Ang-(1-7) levels in the brain modulates inflammatory mediators in the hypothalamus, suggesting a possible additional mechanism for Ang-(1-7) antihypertensive action in the central nervous system.
Author Disclosures:
L.M. Kangussu:None. M.L. Oliveira:None. R.A. Santos:None. M.J. Campagnole-Santos:None. © 2015 by American Heart Association, Inc. | 2,335 | 1,143 | 0.000916 |
warc | 201704 | I typically refrain from using my finance blog as a bully pulpit, but in this case I simply must suggest reading a 10K word essay on gun control because it is so damned good.
An Opinion on Gun Control by Larry Correia
Some choice quotes:
The average number of people shot in a mass shooting event when the shooter is stopped by law enforcement: 14. The average number of people shot in a mass shooting event when the shooter is stopped by civilians: 2.5. The reason is simple. The armed civilians are there when it started.
The author is an advocate of having teachers permitted to carry a concealed weapon:
Then they’ll say that this is impossible, and give me all sorts of terrible worst case scenarios about all of the horrors that will happen with a gun in the classroom… No problem, because this has happened before. In fact, my state laws allow for somebody with a concealed weapons permit to carry a gun in a school right now. Yes. Utah has armed teachers. We have for several years now.
On Gun Free Zones:
I testified before the Utah State Legislature about the University of Utah’s gun ban the day after the Trolley Square shooting in Salt Lake City. Another disaffected loser scumbag started shooting up this mall. He killed several innocent people before he was engaged by an off duty police officer who just happened to be there shopping. The off duty Ogden cop pinned down the shooter until two officers from the SLCPD came up from behind and killed the shooter. (turned out one of them was a customer of mine) I sent one of my employees down to Trolley Square to take a picture of the shopping center’s front doors. I then showed the picture to the legislators. One of the rules was NO GUNS ALLOWED.
The man that attacked the midnight showing of Batman didn’t attack just any theater. There were like ten to choose from. He didn’t attack the closest. It wasn’t about biggest or smallest. He attacked the one that was posted NO GUNS ALLOWED.
There were four mass killing attempts this week. Only one made the news because it helped the agreed upon media narrative.
Oregon. NOT a gun free zone. Shooter confronted by permit holder. Shooter commits suicide. Only a few casualties. Texas. NOT a gun free zone. Shooter killed immediately by off duty cop. Only a few casualties. Connecticut. GUN FREE ZONE. Shooters kills until the police arrive. Suicide. 26 dead. China. GUN FREE COUNTRY. A guy with a KNIFE stabs 22 children.
And here is the nail in the coffin for Gun Free Zones. Over the last fifty years, with only one single exception (Gabby Giffords), every single mass shooting event with more than four casualties has taken place in a place where guns were supposedly not allowed.
On Gun Control Laws:
The left side of the political spectrum loves it some gun control. Gun control is historically extremely unpopular in red state and purple state America, and thus very hard to pass bit stuff, but there’s a century’s accumulation of lots and lots of small ones. There have been a handful of major federal laws passed in the United States relating to guns, but the majority of really strict gun control has primarily been enacted in liberal dominated urban areas. There are over 20,000 gun laws on the books, and I have no idea how many pages of regulations from the BATF related to the production and selling of them. I’ve found that the average American is extremely uneducated about what gun laws already exist, what they actually do, and even fundamental terminology, so I’m going to go through many of the things I’ve seen argued about over the last few days and elaborate on them one by one.
On banning high capacity magazines:
Finally, let’s look at the logistical ramifications of another magazine ban. The AWB banned the production of all magazines over ten rounds except those marked for military or law enforcement use, and it was a felony to possess those.
Over the ten years of the ban, we never ran out. Not even close. Magazines are cheap and basic. Most of them are pieces of sheet metal with some wire. That’s it. Magazines are considered disposable so most gun people accumulate a ton of them. All it did was make magazines more expensive, ticked off law abiding citizens, and didn’t so much as inconvenience a single criminal.
Meanwhile, bad guys didn’t run out either. And if they did, like I said, they are cheap and basic, so you just get or make more. If you can cook meth, you can make a functioning magazine. My old company designed a rifle magazine once, and I’m no engineer. I paid a CAD guy, spent $20,000 and churned out several thousand 20 round Saiga .308 mags. This could’ve been done out of my garage.
Ten years. No difference. Meanwhile, we had bad guys turning up all the time committing crimes, and guess what was marked on the mags found in their guns? MILITARY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT USE ONLY. Because once again, if you’re already breaking a bunch of laws, they can only hang you once. Criminals simply don’t care.
There is much more to this article… You must read the rest of it.
An Opinion on Gun Control by Larry Correia
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warc | 201704 | Diagnosis Code H40.40X0 Information for Medical Professionals
The diagnosis code H40.40X0 is grouped in the following Diagnostic Related Group(s) (MS-DRG v33.0)
Synonyms
Glaucoma associated with ocular inflammation Glaucomatocyclitic crisis Intraocular lens associated postoperative inflammation Postoperative uveitis Uveitic glaucoma Uveitis-hyphema-glaucoma syndrome Information for Patients
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can damage the eye's optic nerve. It is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. It usually happens when the fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises, damaging the optic nerve. Often there are no symptoms at first. Without treatment, people with glaucoma will slowly lose their peripheral, or side vision. They seem to be looking through a tunnel. Over time, straight-ahead vision may decrease until no vision remains.
A comprehensive eye exam can tell if you have glaucoma. People at risk should get eye exams at least every two years. They include
African Americans over age 40 People over age 60, especially Mexican Americans People with a family history of glaucoma
There is no cure, but glaucoma can usually be controlled. Early treatment can help protect your eyes against vision loss. Treatments usually include prescription eyedrops and/or surgery.
NIH: National Eye Institute
Glaucoma Ophthalmoscopy Standard ophthalmic exam Tonometry
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warc | 201704 | APPEAL from the Circuit Court of Cook County; the Hon. ROBERT
MEIER, III, Judge, presiding.
MR. JUSTICE DIERINGER DELIVERED THE OPINION OF THE COURT:
This is an appeal from a judgment entered by the Circuit Court of Cook County. After a bench trial the defendant was convicted of reckless homicide and leaving the scene of an accident. He was sentenced to a term of from 1 to 2 years on each charge, the charge, the sentences to run concurrently.
The issues presented on appeal are (1) whether the defendant was properly informed of his constitutional rights and knowingly and intelligently waived said rights; (2) whether the defendant was proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt; (3) whether the indictment for the offense of leaving the scene of an accident was defective for failure to allege a mental state; and (4) whether Illinois Revised Statutes 1969, chapter 95 1/2, §§ 11-401(b) and (d) and 11-403, violate the defendant's constitutional right against self-incrimination.
At the trial of this cause, Mr. Ray Joiner testified that on November 28, 1969, he was walking east on Marquette Road toward Aberdeen on the north side of the street when, from a distance of 75 to 100 feet, he heard a noise that sounded like a collision. At this moment the witness looked up and saw an automobile leave the curb and return to the street. The witness observed the car travel 15 feet and again drive on the curb and return to the street. The car then traveled another 20 feet when it again went onto the curb and struck a tree. The driver of the car slumped over the wheel for a few seconds, restarted the car, and continued west on Marquette in a zigzag pattern. The witness then looked down and saw the victim, Mr. Willie Johnson, lying on the street. The witness once again observed the automobile, which made a U-turn and came back east on Marquette toward Aberdeen. The witness hailed the driver to stop, but the car drove on with the driver slumped behind the wheel.
Police Officer Robert Janus testified he was flagged down by Mr. Joiner. The officer observed skid marks and scuff marks on the curb and street. He also found a metallic ring lying in the street next to the curb, which appeared to have been broken off something.
Police Officer Edward Arnswald of the hit-and-run division testified he and fellow officers conducted a search for the hit-and-run car. Officer Arnswald subsequently spotted a car parked along the street two blocks from Aberdeen and Marquette which fit the description of the hit-and-run car. The left rear tail lens was missing from the car; there was an indentation on the hood and roof; and the hood ornament on the right front side was broken and had some cloth wrapped around it. Officer Arnswald compared the metal ring located on the left side of the car with the ring found at the scene of the hit-and-run, and testified they were the same size. The cloth found on the right front side of the car and the jacket worn by the victim at the time he was killed were sent to the police crime lab. The lab report concluded the fabric from the car and the victim's coat were from the same weave fabric.
The defendant was arrested in a tavern on December 3, 1969. He was taken to the hit-and-run police offices where Officer Arnswald warned the defendant "he didn't have to answer any question about an accident and that if he did say anything about the accident, he had a right to an attorney, that if he did say anything, it could be used against him at some future criminal proceeding." Officer Arnswald further advised the defendant he should obtain the advice of an attorney, and if he did not have enough money to obtain one, the State would provide an attorney for him. The defendant indicated he understood his rights. At trial counsel for the defendant objected to Officer Arnswald's testimony on the ground the defendant did not know or comprehend the nature of the officer's warning, and did not knowingly waive his rights under Miranda. The objection was overruled by the court. Officer Arnswald then testified further the defendant stated he was on Halsted at 69th Street on November 28, 1969, when he heard a "thump" on his car. He got out, saw no damage, and drove on. The defendant denied he was at Aberdeen and Marquette.
At the conclusion of the trial, the defendant was found guilty of reckless homicide and leaving the scene of an accident. He was sentenced to concurrent terms of from 1 to 2 years in the Illinois State Penitentiary.
The defendant first contends his oral and written statements to the police were obtained absent constitutionally required warnings and absent a valid and knowing waiver of said rights. The defendant relies primarily on the decision in Miranda v. Arizona (1966), 384 U.S. 436, wherein the Supreme Court held that when an individual is taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom, "he must be warned prior to any questioning that he has a right to remain silent, that anything he says can be used against him in a court of law, that he has the right to the presence of an attorney, and that if he cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed for him prior to any questioning if he so desires." The defendant argues the warnings given him in the instant case were devoid of any mention of defendant's right to have an attorney present at the interrogation, and thus were insufficient to satisfy the Miranda requirements. The defendant further contends he did not knowingly and intelligently waive his rights under Miranda. Defendant argues that at the time of his arrest he was intoxicated and did not comprehend the nature of the warning given him by the police. He cites the decision in People v. Roy (1971), 49 Ill.2d 113, wherein the Illinois Supreme Court held where arresting officers related the defendant appeared intoxicated and was unsteady following arrest, the defendant's statements were inadmissible since it was not shown the defendant had knowingly waived his right to counsel and right to remain silent.
• 1-3 We believe the defendant was properly informed of his constitutional rights and knowingly and intelligently waived said rights. The warning by Officer Arnswald that the defendant should obtain the advice of an attorney was given immediately after the officer told the defendant that if he said anything it could be used against him at some future criminal proceeding. These warnings clearly conveyed the idea to the defendant that he had a right to an attorney present during interrogation. The officer did not have to warn the defendant of this right with the included phrase "present during interrogation," because the law does not require specific words to be repeated every time to an arrested person in order to comply with Miranda. In People v. Townsend (1972), 6 Ill. App.3d 873, 877, this court held:
"The words of Miranda, however, do not constitute a ritualistic formula which must be uttered without deviation to be effective. Rather words which convey the substance of the warnings and the required information are sufficient."
After being advised of his rights, the defendant was asked if he understood the warnings. He answered he did understand, and then elected to volunteer statements to the police. Officer Arnswald testified that based on his conversation and observation of the defendant, it was his opinion the defendant was sober at the time the statements were made. In People v. Noonan (1972), 5 Ill. App.3d 1109, 1111, the defendant contended he was intoxicated at the time of his interrogation, but the interrogation officers testified the defendant was sober. In affirming the defendant's conviction, the appellate court stated:
"The warnings given the defendant complied with the constitutional requirements set out in Miranda v. Arizona (1967), 384 U.S. 436. Whether he understood and waived them was a factual question, the answer to which depended upon the acceptance or rejection of defendant's testimony or that of the police officers. The credibility and weight to be given to the testimony of witnesses is a matter to be determined by the trial judge. His determination will not be reversed unless it appears to be palpably erroneous."
In the instant case, the defendant fully understood his rights and knowingly waived them when he volunteered statements to the police. He cannot now claim ... | 8,401 | 3,454 | 0.000291 |
warc | 201704 | Note: This message is displayed if (1) your browser is not standards-compliant or (2) you have you disabled CSS. Read our Policies for more information.
There are many myths and misconceptions about refugees. An important fact to remember is that refugees have entered the country legally after having undergone a stringent application and screening process. Also, keep in mind the definition of a refugee is any person who is unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of their country of nationality or habitual residence because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. Now to dispel some myths…
• MYTH: Refugees Do Not Pay Taxes. FACT: Refugees are subject to the same employment, property, sales, and other taxes as any U.S. citizen. Refugees cannot vote, however.
•
MYTH: Refugees Take Jobs From U.S. Workers. FACT: Recent evidence by the U.S. Labor Department says "NO" to this myth. Refugees are not provided any special treatment when obtaining employment. They must apply and compete for jobs the same as any citizen. Refugees often enter economic sectors currently unable to supply adequate numbers of native workers. Refugees and immigrants also create jobs for U.S. workers because they have a high propensity to start new businesses. Refugees have been a major force in contributing to the urban renewal of several major U.S. cities. • MYTH: Refugees Receive Special Money From the U.S. Government to Purchase Homes, Cars, and Other Items. FACT: The U.S. Government does not provide refugees with money when they arrive in the U.S., however, there are minimal benefits available for emergency situations and the medically needy. The refugee must apply for these benefits and meet income and resource standards to qualify for any assistance. • MYTH: Refugees come to the U.S. for Economic Reasons. FACT: Refugees are individuals or families who have come to the U.S. because they were forced to flee their homeland, many times with little or no belongings, leaving family and friends behind and are unable to return. • MYTH: The United States Is The Only Country To Accept Refugees. • MYTH: Refugees Do Not Contribute or Participate In Society. FACT: Refugees contribute a great deal to this country through the sharing of their talents, skills, cultures and customs. History indicates that some of our most significant contributors to the U.S. have been refugees and immigrants. And, as noted previously, refugees do pay taxes. • MYTH: Refugees Represent a Health Hazard to the American Public. FACT: There are refugees who have health problems which are a result of the lack of medical care that existed in their country of origin or due to problems they encountered during their flight from persecution. Most health problems are addressed by health care services in first-asylum camps and in refugee processing centers before refugees are admitted to the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) closely monitors all admissions and prevents the admission of certain persons with health conditions identified as hazardous to the public. | 3,258 | 1,571 | 0.000646 |
warc | 201704 | January 06, 2015 - 5:00 AM
TORONTO - It's official — flu season is in full swing in many parts of Canada.
Health authorities were warning all fall that this could be a bad flu season, because of the type of virus that is most commonly infecting people and the fact that this year's flu vaccine doesn't offer optimum protection against it.
Other viruses are circulating too, adding to the general confusion about what influenza actually is and how much of the illness being seen at the moment is due to flu viruses.
We asked some experts to explain what they are seeing this flu season:
Question: Is this year worse than other recent years?
This seems to be shaping up to be a pretty active influenza season.
It started early, with a lot of virus around in December.
Flu seasons that start to pick up before Christmas can take off, because the multi-generational mixing at family gatherings is a perfect way for influenza to transmit from toddlers and tykes to grandmas and grandpas — and mums and dads as well.
But when flu peaks over the holidays, a few factors can combine to make it seem like there is a lot of it around.
Family doctors may work reduced hours, so people who do seek medical care may turn to hospital emergency departments. Or people who get sick when they are away from home visiting family may have to go to an emergency room because they don't have a local doctor.
Hospitals operate with reduced staffing levels over the holidays — doctors and nurses want time off too — so it doesn't take much to stress the system, suggests infectious diseases expert Dr. Allison McGeer.
McGeer, who heads infection control at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, says so far this year influenza rates seem to be on a par with last year's, though the season peaked a little later in 2013-14.
The numbers are worse than two years ago, but better than three seasons ago in terms of hospital admissions for influenza thus far, she says.
"So yeah, it's a busy year."
Question: Is there something different about this flu season? Isn't there a virus circulating that isn't in the flu vaccine?
Almost all the influenza illness in Canada to date this year has been caused by a family of influenza A viruses called H3N2. When those viruses dominate, doctors expect a severe flu season. For reasons that aren't fully understood, H3N2 viruses are really hard on the elderly.
The flu shot has an H3N2 component in it; it does every year. But when experts met last February to select the strains for this year's flu shot, a particular type of H3N2 was dominant. Since then, new varieties have emerged and they are different enough from the vaccine virus that it is assumed the flu shot will only offer modest protection against them.
Even in the best years, flu vaccine doesn't offer complete protection. Some people who get a shot will still get sick. In a year like this one, when there is a mismatch between the circulating viruses and the vaccine virus, you would expect to see more infections in vaccinated people.
But that's not the biggest driver of flu infections this year. After all, most people in Canada don't get a flu shot. Most years fewer than one in three people are vaccinated against flu.
For the unvaccinated, the changes in the H3N2 viruses mean they too are more likely to get sick this year. The antibodies their immune systems would have generated after previous bouts of influenza won't protect as well against the new viruses.
In fact, the unvaccinated people actually make up the bulk of what influenza expert Dr. Danuta Skowronski describes as "a tidal wave" of flu activity the medical system is seeing this year.
Question: So a vaccine mismatch doesn't mean these viruses are more dangerous?
In a word, no.
H3N2 viruses are especially hard on a vulnerable portion of the population, older adults. And the ones circulating now are different enough that more people may be at risk of getting infected.
But the viruses aren't inherently more dangerous.
Question: How do I know if I have the flu?
Most people who contract influenza don't get sick enough to need medical care. And most of those who do see a doctor are not actually tested — the diagnosis is made based on symptoms.
It can be easy to mistake an infection caused by one of the multitude of other cold-causing respiratory viruses for influenza.
But there are some classic symptoms that can help you figure out if what you have is influenza, says Skowronski, who is with the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control.
For starters, flu comes on abruptly.
"You go from feeling well to feeling like death warmed over within a few hours," Skowronski explains.
Most people who have influenza will have a fever, which is part of the immune system's response to infection. Senior citizens may not, because their immune systems are not as effective as they were when they were younger.
Muscle aches and lethargy are also classic features of influenza.
"With other things like rhinovirus, you kind of feel under the weather. You've got a runny nose or a sore throat or congestion. But you can push on with your day," Skowronski says.
"With influenza you feel completely depleted. You feel really like the energy has been sucked out of you. And you need to take to bed."
Question: If I don't have flu, what do I have?
Lots of viruses cause what medicine refers to as ILI — influenza-like illnesses. Rhinoviruses, which are the most common cause of colds. Parainfluenza viruses. Adenoviruses. Some coronaviruses. And respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV.
Winter is also peak season for these bugs. And right now, there is a lot of rhinovirus and RSV activity, says Dr. Doug Sider, medical director for communicable disease prevention and control at Public Health Ontario.
Sider says this co-circulation of viruses can make things confusing for the public.
"If you're under four (years of age) and you've got ILI, you've got probably a one-in-four, one-in-three chance that it's influenza versus one of the other respiratory viruses," he says.
"So I think this is a real challenging season. Because as you can imagine, there's all sorts of mixed conclusions from this."
Question: If I have the flu, what should I do?
You probably won't have much choice. The only place you'll want to be is in bed.
Skowronski prescribes rest and rehydration, to replace the fluids you lose through sweating out the fever. Most people will come through a bout of flu without any problems and without the need for medical help, she says.
"It's miserable illness. It's nasty.... But they're going to recover fully without any intervention. They should stay home so they're not clogging the medical care system for those who actually truly do need it — which are the high risks (groups)."
Give yourself time to recover, she says. And taking yourself out of circulation contributes to limiting the spread of influenza viruses.
People with flu are most infectious when they have the most symptoms. If you are sneezing and coughing at work or on public transit at that point, the people sharing those spaces with you won't appreciate the fact you are trying to soldier through your illness.
The period of contagiousness lasts for about five days after the peak of symptoms, she says.
"That's why we say: 'Fever and cough, take the week off.'"
Question: When should I seek care? How do I know if my child or my elderly parent's infection requires a doctor's care?
Flu can be life threatening, with the very young and the elderly more at risk of severe illness than young adults.
Anyone who has a high fever that won't abate or is having difficulty breathing should get medical care.
"Those are hallmark signs you need help. Never should you ignore difficulty breathing," Skowronski says.
With young children, she says parents should trust their gut instincts.
"If the child has high fever, doesn't seem to be turning the corner, isn't eating or feeding, then they may want to get that child seen as well. Because the very young are more susceptible to more severe outcomes."
With the elderly, a severe flu infection may initially be harder to spot, because fever may not be present. Look for someone who is having trouble bouncing back, who isn't eating or drinking fluids much.
"It may be a slow case of 'the dwindles' you might call it," Skowronski suggests.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2015 | 8,475 | 3,790 | 0.000268 |
warc | 201704 | Sigh. Yet another oil spill has ravaged America’s great outdoors. As recovery crews work tirelessly along the Yellowstone River to clean up the mess caused by ExxonMobil’s damaged pipeline, a BP pipeline in Alaska burst during maintenance testing, sending some 4,000 gallons of methanol and oily water onto the Alaskan Tundra. Reports say that the leak has frustrated the oil giant as they’re still trying to rebuild their reputation after the Gulf oil spill, but the only people who should be frustrated are Americans. Hasn’t enough of our environment already been ravaged by our country’s dependence on oil? It’s high time our politicians took renewable energy way more seriously.
BP reported on Monday that a pipeline in its 30,000 barrels per day oil field in Lisburne, Alaska sprung a leak during testing. The pipeline is currently closed for maintenance. The Alaskan Department of Environmental Conservation said that the spill amounted to about 2,100 to 4,200 gallons, which flowed over 4,960 sq. ft. of gravel pad and about 2,040 sq. ft. of wet and aquatic tundra. According to Reuters, BP has a history of leaks in its Alaskan field, including on this same line.
Immediate efforts focus on recovery. The DEC said that BP must clean up the spill before the fall freeze over, but the on-site coordinator also stressed that he does not think the clean-up will take long. The pipeline cannot be excavated and examined for the cause of failure until the spill is cleaned.
Compared to the Gulf disaster caused by BP, which spilled 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico last summer, this oil spill is miniscule. But still, every oil spill that occurs, no matter how big or small, hurts the planet and goes to show that little good can come from a reliance on oil. This is the third oil spill on American soil
this month. When will enough be enough?
Via Reuters | 1,910 | 1,024 | 0.000996 |
warc | 201704 | Yael Maguire, the engineering director at Facebook‘s Connectivity Lab, has revealed further details about the social media giant’s plans to expand internet access to communities worldwide. In order to achieve global connectivity, the company has been discussing using drones, or planes as they prefer to call them, that will constantly circle in the skies. In conversation with Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore, Maguire stated the planes would be “roughly the size of a commercial aircraft, like a 747.” As astounding as that revelation is on its own, it also raises regulatory questions. Not only are there unresolved issues around launching and airspace controls, but with an anticipated need for thousands of planes, the company says it is impractical for one person to control only one plane at a time as current legislation requires.
Maguire states that two thirds of the world’s population lacks internet access. Facebook and its partners Internet.org have turned to the idea of using drones to achieve worldwide internet coverage after assessing some of the problems with using satellites. But the use of drones brings its own set of issues. As Maguire said, “In order for us to fly these planes — unmanned planes that have to fly for months, or perhaps years at a time — we actually have to fly above the weather, above all airspace. That’s between 60,000 and 90,000 feet. Routinely, planes don’t fly there, and certainly not drones.” The drones would also have to be solar powered in order to be able to fly continuously without refueling.
While Facebook anticipates the planes will be the size of 747s, they intend to make them much lighter. Maguire says a current prototype is the length of “about six or seven Priuses, but is the weight of four of the tires of a Prius.” With the project aimed at increasing internet access in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the angle of the sun over the countries the drones service will also impact the design of a solar-powered unit.
In addition to the prototype designers, the Facebook Connectivity Lab has a team devoted to policy issues for the project. The company believes one person could and would have to manage up to 100 planes, but current regulations only allow one person to manage a single drone. Maguire said of the logistics, “We can’t have one person per plane if we want to figure out how to connect the world.” Other regulatory issues to be ironed out include the legality of beaming internet connectivity to remote and regional communities in sovereign countries, as well as the fact that the airspace above 60,000 feet is not currently regulated at all. The team aims to at least get one drone in the air for a test flight in 2015, hopefully in U.S. airspace. Roll out for worldwide coverage is planned for three to five years’ time.
Screengrabs from Internet.org via YouTube | 2,953 | 1,422 | 0.000726 |
warc | 201704 | Individuals in search of financial freedom often consider the start of their own business. However, there is a reason that a majority of new businesses fail within the first year. Starting a new business involves an inordinate amount of hard work, and even a great idea and effort alone cannot guarantee your business will be a success.
In fact, given the amount of perks that come with a normal job, you may end up earning more sticking with your existing job. While it may seem glamorous now, here are 5 reasons why you shouldn’t start your own business:
1. Most Businesses Fail
Yes, you have a great idea. You’ve done all the necessary research, and talked to your loved ones. However, so has every other start-up business that has ultimately failed. Maybe it wasn’t marketed correctly. It’s possible the idea was mimicked by a competitor who had more resources to make it work.
Or perhaps the idea was simply ahead of its time. Maybe there were logistical issues, or a problem with funding. However, the math doesn’t lie. Regardless of what your business is, you are fighting an uphill battle. It is statistically unlikely that your business will succeed.
2. Stress
Even if your business is looking like it might survive, it may very well kill you in the process. Your current career may have its stresses, but ultimately as long as you don’t get fired, it’s unlikely that you will run into any serious problems. On the contrary, at your new business you will be forced to work more hours than you have ever worked before.
Your evenings and weekends will no longer serve as breaks from work, but an opportunity to get an edge on your competitors. Which will only lead to more stress and more anguish.
3. No Time
The business will consume your entire life. There won’t be less time from friends and family, there will be no time at all. Worse yet, it will be difficult to see just how far your relationships have degraded, as your only thoughts will be toward your business, as everything crumbles around you.
To devote anything less but your full attention may result in the business failing. So while you think there may be time after your business is successful, the damage you cause to your loved ones may be irreparable.
4. You’ll Delegate Instead of Work
If you like doing a particular craft, you won’t be doing it when you own your business. You’ll be delegating all of the responsibility to others. In other words, if you enjoy programming code, don’t start a software company. If you enjoy freelance writing, don’t start a copy-writing business. You’ll be too busy managing your team to do any of the actual work.
This means organizing your staff and researching how to manage them effectively. It means managing egos and figuring out who does what best.
5. Cleaning Up
Everything that the company does will reflect on your brand, from the advertising to the customer service. As the owner, you will want your fingerprints over ever aspect of the business. Everything that gets released will first need your approval. This can take up an inordinate amount of time as well.
However, delegating this responsibility to others may lead to something slipping by that you’re not entire comfortable with. Ultimately, you will have to learn to balance what you can delegate and what you can manage on your own.
Conclusion
We are not here to break your dreams, take the following info as you will. Running your own business is much harder than it looks, so be prepared to get your hands dirty. This article was written by Jamie Richards. Jamie is a writer for public and employers liability insurance an online resource for business owners.
We hope you enjoyed this showcase! We would love to hear your opinion and feedback, so please don’t hesitate to comment below. For more inspirational articles don’t forget to subscribe to the RSS-feed and follow
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warc | 201704 | 3 Valentine’s Day Tips That Will Make Your Skin & Stomach Fall in Love
It’s that time of year again…when your favorite neighborhood convenient store haunts you with never-ending isles of chocolate-covered, heartfelt, romantic,
everything. This is either your sweetest dream or your worst nightmare—but it doesn’t have to be your worst nightmare. Whether you’re happily single or happily taken, love yourself and the skin you are in this Valentine’s Day. There’s no reason to be bogged down by the haunting sweets, or feel pressured to look flawless, because we have three skin care tricks just in time for your special day. These Valentine’s Day tips will be sure to make both your skin and stomach fall in love! 1. Embrace Your Natural Beauty
It’s completely normal to want to impress that special somebody, and we are all guilty of this. A staple cliché holds true—less is more. Practices such as caking on makeup and all different brands of skincare products can be damaging to your skin. This can be easily avoided by embracing your natural beauty.
Products That Will Give You the Best Natural and Nourishing Valentine’s Day Experience
By using all natural products, your skin will have a healthy glow. Face masks are an example of this. They are not only perfect for a girl’s night in this Valentine’s Day, but they’re also great for your skin. Depending on the mask, face masks have the ability to clean out dirt and oil from your pores, soften the complexion of your skin, and leave you feeling exfoliated and rejuvenated.
Try a
Rose Mask to experience a day at the spa in the comfort of your own home. If you love a dozen roses, you’ll love the aroma of this face mask. Pamper yourself in the scent of beautiful flowers, and show off your natural radiance. Because let’s face it, you deserve it. Rosehip Seed Oil is also a Valentine’s Day solution to feel naturally beautiful. It’s a 100% pure certified and organic oil that will make your skin feel luscious and revitalized—AKA ready for a perfect date night where your sweetheart will be enamored by your beauty. 2. Indulge in Dark Chocolate
A common myth that surrounds beauty and skincare is that chocolate causes acne. But just like not all love is the same, not all chocolate is either! This Valentine’s Day, instead of binging on delicious milk chocolate and the sugary goodness of chocolate candies, consider substituting your cravings with a healthier alternative that may surprise you—dark chocolate.
Why Dark Chocolate?
Dark chocolate has a multitude of health benefits for your body and your skin. Dark chocolate contains Flavonoids, a type of antioxidant found in the cacao bean, and also contains caffeine that stimulates the skin. When dark coco is incorporated into a healthy lifestyle, it does more than satisfy your cravings, but also helps improve the appearance of your skin. This alternative provides you with the best of both worlds. No one should ever feel guilty for indulging in a sweet sensation. Whether it’s plain dark chocolate or chocolate covered fruit, your skin and stomach will feel much healthier. Use dark chocolate as a way to tackle your sweet tooth this Valentine’s Day.
3. Unwind & Relax With Massage Oils, Aromatherapy & Red Wine
Nothing screams “romantic” more than getting a sensual massage on Valentine’s Day. Now you can get one without leaving your bedroom by applying all-natural oils. With an oil as lovely as this
Coconut one, you’ll feel like you just walked out of a spa. This particular oil cannot be used for cooking, but it is a multi-purpose oil that moisturizes, hydrates, and refreshes your skin. There’s 101 uses for Coconut Oil (literally).
If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, try another oil that has multiple full-body benefits. You can also incorporate
Argan Oil into your skin care regimen and Valentine’s Day plans.
Kick off your massage with an
Aromatherapy Oil Diffuser that will help you unwind and relax, and finish off your night with a glass of red wine. Wine lovers rejoice! Red wine contains a high-level concentration of antioxidants that are beneficial to the appearance of your skin and have been known to reduce the appearance of aging too. Getting an adequate amount of sleep at the end of the night will make you feel refreshed and look better, too. For lips ready to pucker up and kiss, consider using a lip balm or lip scrub to moisturize your lips. This is especially vital for chilly weather conditions. Soothing lip balms keep them crack-free, gentle and soft. Here’s a DIY recipe you’ll fall head-over-heels for that incorporates chocolate and sensual oils. DIY Homemade Chocolate Coconut Sugar Scrub
For a homemade lip scrub you’ll want to eat, try this
Chocolate Coconut Sugar Scrub: Ingredients:
♥ 1 cup of loosely packed Brown Sugar
♥ 1/2 cup Coconut Oil (in solid form)
♥ 1/3 cup Almond Oil
♥ 2 tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder
♥ A few drops of Coconut Extract or Essential Oil
♥ A large bowl
♥ Spoon
♥ Optional: Mason jar(s)
Directions:
♥ Add all ingredients into a large bowl and mix together until evenly combined. There should be no chunks remaining.
Tip: It’s easier to break down the coconut oil if you mix with the back of a spoon or with a similar utensil.
♥ If desired, you can top the scrub off with white or dark chocolate chips for an aesthetically pleasing flare before packaging.
♥ For cute gift ideas for your single ladies on Valentine’s Day, you can transfer the scrub into decorative mini mason jars and incorporate your own creativity.
♥ Usage: Simply rub it over your skin and wash off!
Don’t forget this is just used as a lip scrub, not a facial scrub.
♥ As long as you are using this once a week or every other, it should be kept at room temperature.
With these three tips in mind, remember to treat yourself with dark chocolate, wine, a massage and some aromatherapy to unwind and enjoy this special day. Embrace your natural beauty, and always remember to let your biggest love this Valentine's Day be the one for yourself and the skin you are in! | 6,314 | 2,931 | 0.000358 |
warc | 201704 | It’s a sunny Saturday and downtown Pensacola is bustling. People—young, old, black, white, families with babies in strollers, couples holding hands—are leisurely moving up and down Palafox Street.
The day started early with football fans rooting in Seville Quarter for Norte Dame and the Naval Academy as the teams kicked off in Dublin, Ireland. The Palafox Market cranked up at 8 a.m. drawing a different, more eclectic crowd to downtown that strolled through tents of handcrafts, artwork, produce and baked goods.
By 3 p.m. the sports bars, New York Nick’s, Helen Back and World of Beer, are packed with patrons watching Florida, Florida State, Southern Mississippi and Georgia play their season openers. People are at the bar in Nick’s hoping a table will free up before the big games kickoff—Clemson versus Auburn, Michigan versus Alabama.
Across the street, Hopjacks is feeding baseball fans that will soon catch the Seville trolley to Maritime Park and watch the Blue Wahoos finish up their inaugural season before yet another sellout crowd.
The activity adds validation to Better Pensacola Forum/Pensacola Young Professionals’ latest Quality of Life survey that showed that 52 percent of county residents and a whopping 89 percent of those living inside the Pensacola city limits believe our community is headed in the right direction.
While there is a gap between the confidence levels for residents about the directions of the city and county, the percentages for both are impressive considering how the national polls are so much more negative.
Only 28 percent of likely U.S. voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to the Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, August 26.
“There is a national pessimism,” said Jim Hizer, Greater Pensacola Chamber CEO, over lunch at New York Nick’s. “In this sluggish national recovery, the contrast for Pensacola and Escambia County is remarkable.”
Step Back Five Years
That wasn’t always the case. Five years ago, the only restaurant on South Palafox open on Saturday afternoons was New York Nick’s. There were no Hopjacks, Tin Cow, Nacho Daddy’s, Leisure Club or World of Beers. The Palafox Market was in its first summer.
The Community Maritime Park Associates board was deciding between two developer groups to build the maritime park that had been approved by referendum two years earlier. The actual construction wouldn’t begin until two years later.
The Pensacola City Council was considering a charter commission to review its charter that had been in place since 1930. A year later, that commission would recommend a strong-mayor form of government that Pensacola voters approved by referendum, setting the stage for Ashton Hayward to be elected the first strong mayor in 2010.
The results of the first survey in 2008, which was conducted by the national polling firm Mason-Dixon Polling Research, showed only 22 percent in Escambia and 23 percent in Pensacola believed the community was on the right track.
Pensacola businessman Quint Studer, former Pensacola Mayor Jerry Maygarden, bank president Carol Carlan and financial adviser John Hosman were the four members of the non-profit Better Pensacola Forum (BPF) that commissioned the study.
When the IN interviewed Maygarden in 2008, the BPF executive director said, “These results border on despair.”
Mason-Dixon Polling Research had conducted similar polls for other communities. Larry Harris, principal of the company, said he never had seen lower overall satisfaction scores. He told the IN that the only communities where he had found similar low ratings were in the Rust Belt.
“The survey finds that you have an anxious and dissatisfied community and electorate,” said Harris in a 2008 telephone interview. “I do this kind of work all over the country and yes, you’ll get low ratings in areas in the Rust Belt, but they have leadership to meet the challenges.”
When Mason-Dixon asked about the economy and whether residents thought it would improve, deteriorate or stay the same in the next five years, the vast majority said it was going to stay the same or deteriorate.
“We asked why,” said Harris. “Seventy-plus percent of the people said leadership.”
The voters showed their concerns about leadership at the polls that year, voting out Sheriff Ron McNesby, County Commissioner Mike Whitehead, ECUA Board Member Logan Fink, and Councilmen Jack Nobles, Marty Donovan and Mike DeSorbo.
Filling Leadership Void
The City of Pensacola got strong, accountable leadership when Ashton Hayward was sworn into office in January 2011. The Mason-Dixon polls since then show that Pensacola residents believe he is leading the city in the right direction. The mayor’s approval rating has steadily increased, from 70 percent in 2011 to 76 percent this year.
Nearly nine out of 10 voters have confidence in the leadership and vision of city officials and 71 percent believe the new charter will improve the city.
John Peacock, who pushed in 2008 for the charter commission, believes the high approval ratings are due to the mayor being directly responsible to the voters.
“Mayor Hayward has done a great job,” said Peacock, over beers in his Baylen Street loft. “He has laid out a vision for Pensacola and is operating to accomplish that vision. Voters understand and appreciate accountability.”
Peacock and his wife recently moved from the Marcus Pointe area to downtown Pensacola. “We wanted to be a part of a vibrant and growing community,” he said. “That is happening in the city. The survey results validate that people feel comfortable with someone in charge that is accountable to the citizens.”
When pollster Larry Harris looked at the results for the first survey, he remarked that another reason for the low initial ratings was the lack of any tangible results for people.
“What you have in Escambia and Pensacola is a circular firing squad,” said Harris. “You’ve got a lot of good people working on committees and dedicating a lot of time and energy to issues, only to be shot down when they go to the powers that be.”
Mayor Ashton Hayward believes that he and the city council have changed that paradigm. He points to the improvements made to the final design of the Maritime Park; a beautiful pond between the stadium and Main Street and a first-class amphitheater; landscaping along A Street and Bayfront Parkway and the demolition and removal of the dilapidated Blount Middle School.
“We’ve taken the ball and run with it,” said Mayor Hayward. “These projects make people feel good about Pensacola.”
Hayward believes there is a new optimistic attitude. “People may not always like the leader, but they do like results,” said the mayor. “We are growing our city in the right way, with smart projects, and the city council deserves credit for passing the legislation to get it done.”
Andy Terhaar, who will be the new city councilman for District 3, has spent much of the past few weeks knocking on doors in his area. He agrees with the survey and the mayor.
“Pensacola has begun to pick up momentum over the past two years and I think the city residents are beginning to see that,” said Terhaar. “There is a lot of optimism in Pensacola right now.”
The Halo Effect
There is a halo effect for the county, at least among city residents. Pensacola voters’ have greater optimism for the county’s future direction with 76 percent saying the county is headed in the right direction. Those who live outside the city limits are less confident about both the county and city—rating 47 percent and 46 percent, respectively.
John Peacock believes it’s the structure of county government that may be a factor in the lower confidence rating. “In the county you get to vote for one commissioner,” said Peacock. “That means four people that you can’t vote for can alter your taxes and services without consequence. That is un-American.”
He thinks that the county lacks the accountability that the strong mayor gives city voters. “There is no clear plan in the county,” he said. “For the county to succeed there needs to be some direct accountability to the citizens. People will then lead the community forward.”
County Commissioner Grover Robinson disagrees. He says that the county has a plan and despite tough budgetary times is executing it. The problem is that it may take a few more years before citizens feel the positive impact of those decisions. He also blames the lack of coverage by the daily newspaper.
“We’re doing great things, handling difficult, significant budget issues and get little recognition for it,” said Commissioner Robinson. “The problem is that some of what we’ve done won’t fully be felt until five or six years from now.”
Fellow Commissioner Gene Valentino thinks the county is still battling perception issues that stem from ten years ago when W.D. Childers and three other county commissioners were indicted and removed from office.
“County residents have been conditioned and disappointed by more than a decade of bad behavior by its leaders,” said Commissioner Valentino. “They are more cautious than most, but that is changing. They never thought we would open the sports complex on Bauer Road or four-lane State Road 292, but we have.”
However Robinson, whose district is 60 percent inside the city limit, is grateful for the high confidence rating from city voters and isn’t resentful of Hayward’s accolades.
“It’s good that those constituents that live in the city believe we’re doing a good job,” he said. “The fact any elected official is seen in a favorable light is good for all of us. The county has changed dramatically since the W.D. Childers days, but that stigma still remains.”
Tangible Results Improve Perceptions
The high ratings for the City of Pensacola, Mayor Hayward and Escambia County are good for economic development, according to Chamber CEO Jim Hizer. The area finally has the tangible results that were lacking five years ago.
“The sense is our best days are ahead of us, which means that it’s more likely would-be and current investors are to invest or reinvest in this community,” said Hizer. “People feel good about the community. There is clearly optimism about the metropolitan area, particularly the City of Pensacola.”
Hizer believes that the Maritime Park, which opened in April, has contributed significantly to the optimism.
“The Community Maritime Park is clearly a quality of life enhancer,” he said. “It makes this area more attractive to those who live here now and to prospective investors.”
There are only 30 Major League Baseball affiliated Double A baseball teams. According to the chamber CEO, potential investors now see Pensacola as being on par with Jacksonville, Fla., Mobile, Ala., and Birmingham, Ala., which also have Double A teams.
“The symbolism of the park is invaluable and sends an important message about our community,” said Hizer. “We’ve had significant renovation and redevelopment in downtown Pensacola over the past few years, plus the demolition of ECUA’s Main Street facility. All show that we’re a community in transition and on the move.”
Economy and Jobs Matter
Since the very first Quality of Life survey, the economy and jobs have ranked as the top issues facing the area with over half of the residents in the city (51 percent) and county (58 percent) ranking them number one.
Holly Black, age 23, moved from Philadelphia, to Pensacola three years ago. “I saw the beach and fell in love,” said the World of Beer bartender.
She first moved to the west side, then Gulf Breeze and now lives in East Hill. “Pensacola is definitely moving in the right direction,” said Black, “but jobs are difficult to find. You are either in the service industry, in the military or a doctor or lawyer.”
Commissioner Robinson believes the county is making progress on the issue.
“We have positioned the county much better for economic development,” he told the IN. “We are looking at increasing the franchise fee for utilities to fund economic development. We need the funds to have an opportunity to compete for businesses, especially with Airbus building a huge facility in Mobile, Ala.”
Commissioner Valentino said that now more than ever he is optimistic about the economic development efforts. He said, “I’ve never been happier with the relationship between the city and county.”
He contends that today’s economic development initiative isn’t that different from the one he proposed three years ago and he still believes an independent authority may be needed.
“However, everyone is working well together,” he said, “and we’re moving in the right direction.”
Valentino is leaving for Berlin, Germany with chamber officials to talk with subcontractors for the new Airbus facility being built in Mobile, Ala.
“The air show there is the host for the 100-plus subcontractors in the Airbus supply chain network,” he said. “Airbus has mandated that these sub-contractors locate in a 100-mile radius around the Mobile plant. My mission is to bring forward over $50-million of funding strategies to several of them.”
Lumon May and Jerome Watson agree that jobs are important. May recently won the Democratic primary for County Commission, District 3 with 69 percent of the vote. Watson, a retired deputy school superintendent, is one of his campaign managers.
They want to make sure that the residents are adequately trained for the jobs the county, city and chamber are bringing to Pensacola. Sitting over cups of gumbo and fish sandwiches at The Oar House, the two shared their views garnered from months of campaigning inside and outside the city limits.
“It does us no good to bring jobs to our area that our people don’t have the training to perform,” said Watson. “If our schools, particularly our vocational schools, aren’t training our youth for the jobs needed, then we are only going to be importing more people to our area and not helping those already living here.”
Education was second on the list of concerns with scores of 16 percent for county and 11 percent for city residents.
“Good education is tied closely to economic development,” said May, who helped organize the jobs fairs for the stadium workers for the Blue Wahoos’ home games and helped the city hire its parking attendants for the Wahoo games. “Our neighborhoods will remain blighted and impoverished unless we can improve our schools and help people find jobs with livable wages.”
The chamber’s Vision 2015 has a goal of creating 3,000 jobs in this community. Hizer is confident that they will exceed that number. But what are the steps that can be taken to propel this area over the next 20 years?
The chamber has launched the process to create a two-county strategic marketing plan, an initiative that some of the most successful communities have being doing for the past 30 to 50 years, according to Hizer.
“It’s the next evolution of Vision 2015,” said the chamber CEO. “We have to decide what steps to take today that will ultimately move our community forward in the long-term.”
He believes that 3,000 jobs will be old news very soon. “What we will be focusing on is how to make this community economically viable for our children and grandchildren,” he said. “We need to develop a plan and determine the incremental steps to get us where we want to go.”
The Future is Now
The Pensacola Young Professionals are bullish on Pensacola and they believe that the survey reflects that those outside the under-40 age bracket agree.
“We see tangible results and we want more of it,” said Rachael Gillette, PYP’s director. “We’ve bought into the strong mayor and see what is happening—improvements in the neighborhoods, at the airport and along the waterfront—and we want to be a part of it.”
For PYP, the talk about the potential of Pensacola has become tiresome.
“We believe in this city and what is happening now,” said Gillette. “The potential is now, not five years from now.”
PYP is optimistic about Pensacola and Gillette believes that the majority of Pensacola and Escambia County residents agree.
“Things are good now and we want to make them even better.”
—————————————————————————————
Quality of Life Survey Process
The Better Pensacola Forum was formed by Quint and Rishy Studer in 2008 to gauge the attitudes of Escambia County and Pensacola voters toward local issues, expectations, leadership and plans for the future. The survey was intended to be a tool for policymakers to choose wisely and as an independent measurement for accountability.
Mason-Dixon Polling and Research has conducted the survey every year since 2008. The cost for the 2012 survey is $25,000, which the Studers donated. Mason-Dixon conducts across-the-country voter surveys for news media, advocacy groups and other organizations. Its media clients include over 250 local television affiliates and over 100 daily newspapers.
In March 2011, Better Pensacola Forum formed an alliance with Pensacola Young Professionals that agreed to takeover the annual Quality of Life surveys. The PYP
Economic Development and Governmental Affairs committees oversee the survey.
“The process is really year round,” said Rachael Gillette, PYP director. “We rolled out the 2011 survey at a big event last August, primarily because we wanted to announce PYP’s partnership with Better Pensacola Forum.”
For the next four or five months, PYP published white papers and produced webisodes on the 2011 survey results. In April and May, the survey questions were reviewed and turned over to Mason-Dixon.
“The main questions have stayed consistent since 2008,” said Gillette. “The vast majority has not changed.”
Mason-Dixon conducted a telephone poll of 800 registered voters from July 25-28. Larry Harris, the Mason-Dixon principal that has managed all five surveys, has told the IN that the sample fairly reflects the demographics of the county with an error margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
“It’s the integrity of the survey that is critical,” said Chip Henderson of Emagination Unlimited, which is helping publicize the survey. “Other surveys for cities our size usually sample about 300 people, which is considered by experts to be a statistical, reliable sample. The Quality of Life survey goes way beyond that and polls 800 people.”
Gillette added, “When PYP accepted the partnership with the Better Pensacola Forum and agreed to manage the survey, we wanted to keep the study objective. We have seen its value, because you can’t change what you don’t measure.”
Henderson does believe that those who do a good job of communicating what they are doing may do better on the survey, but there are limits to press releases and marketing campaigns.
“Perception is reality,” said the advertising executive, “but one’s personal experiences temper that perception. A marketing campaign that conflicts with personal experiences isn’t effective.”
Both Gillette and Henderson believe that the Quality of Life survey has kept its objectivity. “There is no hidden agenda. This survey is about as objective as it can be. The numbers are the numbers, which makes this an integrity-filled process,” said Henderson.
“The survey is a legitimate benchmark.”
The 2012 Quality of Life Survey can be found online at pensacolayp.com. | 20,403 | 8,282 | 0.000128 |
warc | 201704 | Tamil school aid: Whither the millions?
The government has promised millions to upgrade Tamil schools, but one pertinent question remains.KUALA LUMPUR: The government has promised millions of ringgit to upgrade Tamil schools in the country but one question still remains.
Would the millions really be spent on the reconstruction of these schools or would it go to crony contractors; or be channeled back to the government?
The lack of transparency in releasing the funds had raised heckles from non-governmental organisations, who wanted a system to streamline funds to ensure it reached the “target” group fast.
Commenting on this, Malaysian Consumer Advisory Association (MCAA) president G Varatharajoo said apart from the Public Works Department (JKR), the Education Ministry and MIC were also to be blamed for the “improper” administration of the RM100 million set aside as special allocation for Tamil schools under the 2012 Budget announced by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also finance minister, last year.
He said the Finance Ministry had yet to release the money to the affected Tamil schools because the Education Ministry was in the final stages of approving over 230 Tamil schools identified to receive the aid.
FMT learnt that all qualified Tamil schools were divided into three categories — relocation, additional building and upgrading of existing infrastructures.
According to documents furnished to FMT, about RM40 million had been allocated to 16 schools under the relocation plan, 20 schools stood to get RM38.3 million for additional buildings while another 173 schools would receive RM18 million for infrastructure upgrade.
Varatharajoo said although the Malaysian Indian community welcomed the government’s assistance with open arms, it was concerned over the delay in disbursing these funds and the estimated cost quoted by the JKR.
“The estimated cost set by the JKR is really absurd… for example JKR has fixed RM1.5 million for an additional building with six classrooms. This means each classroom costs around RM250,000 which is really too much,” he said.
“When we checked with a few private contractors, we found that a classroom will only cost between RM70,000 and RM75,000. So it is clear that the JKR quoted prices that have been ‘jacked-up’ three fold than the actual cost,” he added.
He said going by these estimates, in actual fact the government would only complete work amounting to RM33 million out of the RM100 million set aside under the 2012 Budget.
“This is because the relevant authorities especially JKR has quoted three-fold prices. While work will be done for RM35 million, the remainder of the allocation will either go back to the government or into the pockets of contractors or cronies given the contracts,” he added.
Set up board of governors
Negeri Sembilan Tamil School Board of Governors (LPS) coordinator R Sathiaseelan felt that the government should channel funds to a particular school’s board of governors instead of allowing JKR to deal directly with appointed contractors.
“LPS is the best way to channel the money. The board consists of representatives from the Education Ministry, the schools’ parent-teachers association, former students, the public and the headmaster or headmistress. They will know how to spend the money wisely,” he added.
He said efforts were underway to form a board of governors in all Tamil schools as they could act as the conduit between the government and the school.
“As the Negeri Sembilan coordinator, I visited all the Tamil schools in the state and received good response from parents and the public on this suggestion,” he added.
He also lashed out at MIC, touted to be the largest Indian based political party in the country, as it did not favour the setting-up of the board of governors in Tamil schools nationwide.
“With the LPS set-up, MIC feels it would lose its grip on Tamil schools as the government would be dealing directly with the LPS and not through MIC,” he added.
He said the Education Act stated that a school’s LPS would be the authority when it came to matters relating to the infrastructure of a school.
There was also a need Najib to clarify his claim recently that RM440million had been spent on Tamil schools from 2008 to 2012.
The prime minister must reveal details of how the money was spent and which school benefited from the huge allocation. | 4,516 | 2,051 | 0.000504 |
warc | 201704 | آیا مدیران حساب کاربری کلیدی بر روی عملکرد تجاری بیش از حد تمرکز می کنند؟بکارگیری نقشه برداری شناختی
کد مقاله سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی ترجمه فارسی تعداد کلمات 21546 2013 9 صفحه PDF سفارش دهید محاسبه نشده Publisher : Elsevier - Science Direct (الزویر - ساینس دایرکت) Journal : Journal of Business Research, Volume 66, Issue 9, September 2013, Pages 1559–1567 چکیده انگلیسی
Key account management programs have priority in the banking sector, conditioned by the drive to achieve competitive advantage while securing customer loyalty. Employees must manage these programs with demonstrated relationship- and ethics‐based attributes, and devote themselves fully to customers of strategic importance. By studying the thoughts of these key account managers, this research seeks to gain an enhanced understanding of how key account management programs operate in the banking sector and where account managers' focus lies. The cognitive mapping technique used makes possible the capture of key account managers' thinking and allows the representation of their ideas in the form of a network of concepts. Data answers to spontaneous, open-ended questions and recording the output in systematic exploration grids. Findings conform worries of managers that key account management focuses mainly on behavioral performance, followed by in-role, extra-role and results-based performance at the cost of return on investment objectives.
مقدمه انگلیسی
The intangible nature of a service obligates the customer to base his or her decision on various aspects linked to the service offer such as personal contact and/or physical environment (Ivens, 2004; Nguyen & Leblanc, 2002). In the context of service marketing, relationship behavior plays a dominant role and management of the latter appears to have a decisive impact on the success of the organization providing the service or services. The service environment thus requires management tools that differ from those used in traditional goods marketing situations. This phenomenon explains why the philosophy of relationship marketing contributes so handsomely to the expansion of customer relationship management in the service sector, more particularly in the banking sector, with a view to creating value (Berry, 2002). However, in addition to being complex, the adoption of a relationship‐based approach supposes added investment in time, human resources, training and money, which explains why financial institutions do their utmost upstream to ensure profitability and return on investment. Indeed, from a purely financial standpoint, a bank cannot allow itself to treat all customers in accordance with a relationship-based approach. In addition, given perceptions respecting the types of more or less complex services considered, sensitivity to transfer costs and individual customer personalities, some customers tend to adopt more transaction-based behavior and are not necessarily willing to commit to a long-term relationship (Perrien and Ricard, 1994). Hence, since the early 1990s, many banks have instituted key account management (KAM) programs based on a pre-selection of customers deemed of strategic importance, the object being to offer these customers specific, more personalized treatment and services and, more importantly, to develop a performance-oriented customer relationship management strategy while increasing sales (Brehmer and Rehme, 2009, Dussart and Nantel, 2007 and Hughes et al., 2005). A KAM program is the “introduction by a provider of a relationship-based approach through the use of specific relationship or organizational resources” (Ivens and Pardo, 2004, p. 5). Indeed, the “KAM is a way of having one single salesperson, or a sales team, responsible for a major account” (Brehmer and Rehme, 2009, p. 963). In a KAM program, contact personnel play a major role. They manage the customer relationship and determine the probability of ongoing exchange between the parties into the future. They deliver the promises made by the company, create an image and sell company services. They impact the creation and maintenance of a relationship of trust between the company and the customer. During a service meeting, salespersons exercise the greatest impact over the customer while showcasing the service organization's performance (Durif et al., 2007 and Zupancic, 2008). Accordingly, the manner in which contact personnel are trained, managed and compensated has a decisive impact on the success of a given KAM program. Although KAM programs enjoy widespread popularity, few academic and managerial studies have chosen to focus on them, especially KAM programs in the financial services sector, and none have considered the role played by contact personnel in this type of program (Hughes, Foss, Stone, & Cheverton, 2005; Ivens & Pardo, 2007). This research seeks to gain an enhanced understanding of how KAM programs function in the banking sector by studying the role of contact personnel. Cognitive mapping is a helpful management tool little employed in marketing that will help to attain this end. This technique makes possible the capture of manager thinking and mindset on specific subjects, in schematic form that, in turn, allows for the representation of ideas in the form of a network of concepts (Cossette, 2004). This paper first explains the reasons why the relationship-based approach is of strategic importance in the financial services sector. Second, this article presents the specifics of KAM programs. Third, with the aid of cognitive mapping applied to the financial services sector, the authors analyze KAM implementation. Lastly, findings provide managerial advice designed to assist banks in implementing KAM programs, which perform from both the economic and social standpoints. 1.1. Relationship marketing, a strategic imperative in banking services management Today, given ever-increasing market competitiveness, financial institutions may still enjoy the luxury of being able to win over new customers, but fewer and fewer can afford to shed customers (Berry, 2002). A relationship marketing approach based on ongoing personal relations with customers therefore appears particularly well suited to a sector characterized by a high level of risk and long term purchases, with respect to which the relationship factor is central to service delivery. Indeed, compared to other industries, the financial services sector is well poised to reap the benefits of a relationship-based approach, given that a significant share of customers seek to establish relations with their account manager, who serves as the direct link between the customer and the service (Barnes & Howlett, 1998). In fact, service satisfaction derives largely from the relationship-based interaction between the contact or frontline employee and the customer (Berry & Parasuraman, 1993). However, the appeal of the relationship-based approach owes much to the anticipated benefits for both financial institutions and customers (Table 1).The characteristics specific to the services offered nonetheless entail a higher level of perceived risk for the customer than for more tangible products. A recent survey conducted by Option Consommateurs speaks volumes about the variability and quality of services offered by financial advisors in Québec, Canada. According to their study, whether in relation to customer knowledge (e.g., collection of information pertaining to the customer's finances and family situation, risk tolerance) or the formulation of clear, comprehensive and appropriate recommendations, only 8 advisors out of 39 (about 20%) of those employed with financial institutions, investment companies and insurance companies performed faultlessly. In conclusion, the survey points to consistently poor customer service and rampant incompetence owing to flawed data collection techniques, erroneous information and obscure, inappropriate recommendations. For example, many omit to query customers about their debt load or provide incorrect information. As a consequence, contact personnel have a crucial role to play in reducing the perceived level of risk in the financial services sector. The account manager is the direct link between the customer and the service. The customer views the account manager as responsible for the poor quality of services rendered, which reflects in equal measure on the financial institution that he or she represents. The customer is the one who, by word of mouth, spreads positive or negative information about his or her account manager to potential customers. It goes without saying that when negative in substance, this information can have damaging consequences on the performance of the financial institution (Palmatier, Dant, Grewal, & Evans, 2007). 1.2. KAM in the banking sector; a selective relationship-based approach KAM programs assume that each organization's customer portfolio comprises of a number of key customers. The company considers these established customers as key accounts because they possess certain strategic characteristics. For example, they may be ripe with sales opportunities (Brehmer & Rehme, 2009), and thus deserving of preferential or special treatment (Piercy & Lane, 2006). In the case of corporate customers, selection criteria include business volume, technological advance, international presence, industry reputation, and so on. For individual customers, criteria include assets, property holdings, salary, profession and development potential. A KAM program can, in the proper sense, be considered as one of the means by which a service provider introduces a relationship-based approach into a marketing strategy; the object being to reach out to certain customers by treating them in a more individualized manner. For many organizations, KAM programs extend beyond the confines of simple sales strategy and tend rather towards veritable partnerships with major accounts. This type of relationship-based program nonetheless seeks mainly to fulfill profitability objectives and to create value for companies (Hughes et al., 2005). In the case of the financial services sector, this approach has become a priority conditioned by the drive to achieve competitive advantage and to satisfy complex financial needs, while securing customer loyalty. The difficulty, in the case of the financial services sector, in gaining competitive advantage lies in the fact that despite the high number of products and services launched each year, these are easily replicated by the competition (Grönroos, 2004; Perrien & Ricard, 1994). Astute recommendations by account managers can therefore make all the difference in terms of customer perception of service quality. Similarly, the complexity of financial needs expressed by customers requires an in-depth knowledge of these needs to be able to meet attendant customer expectations. Contact personnel must therefore be fully and properly trained. Since these factors together help build a climate of trust between customers and account managers, the outcome can take the form of enhanced loyalty by customers of strategic importance and increased profitability for the financial institution (Ivens & Pardo, 2004). The central element of any bank's KAM program thus remains close proximity between the account manager who represents the organization – often a key account manager – and the customer. This manager circulates information internally about customer service experiences, acts as an external representative of the organization and intervenes directly with customers, including those who become veritable co-producers of the service (Ferguson, Paulin, & Bergeron, 2005). The KAM contributes first and foremost to service excellence by delivering the services based on the promises made by the bank, by creating a favorable image for the bank, by extending themselves to satisfy certain customers, by promoting the bank's products and services and lastly, by providing better service than the competition (Bettencourt & Brown, 1997). The successful implementation of KAM programs in financial institutions depends essentially on the strategic choice of qualified key account managers with superior relationship skills. Bank officials must also clearly define the role and boundaries of the key account manager by identifying what his or her role does or does not entail, and what is acceptable in terms of behavior based on generally accepted standards and rules of conduct. For Piercy and Lane (2006), a dilemma stems from the manager's role being divided among the information shared across organizational ranks, the level of trust respecting fellow colleagues, the principle of honoring the promises made to the customer, and the hidden incentives conducive to non-ethical, illicit behavior implicit in the key account management model. This factor is also evidenced in the work of Durif and Perrien (2008) on account manager role integrity where the authors demonstrate the extremely complex and multidimensional role of the account manager. The financial institution, with input from the board of directors, begins by establishing the account manager's mandate and accountability particulars. Next, the institution takes action as required to ensure a high level of relationship efficiency between the account manager and internal support personnel, the aim being to achieve maximum performance with respect to customer expectations. These notions justify the research-based interest in focusing on key account manager thinking and mindset in the financial services sector.
نتیجه گیری انگلیسی
At present, key account managers in financial institutions appear to have a performance-based strategic vision. However, given the ethical risks linked to the nature of KAM, banks would be well advised to standardize ethics in the strategic processes of the relationship-based approach with a view to instituting ethical, responsible KAM. This study focuses on the case of a specific key customer account manager, and demonstrates the need to make allowance for the ethical aspects of strategic account management; financial institutions appear to have no generalized culture of ethics in place at this level. It is nonetheless critical that KAM be based on a set of moral and ethical principles designed to operate as mechanisms for building trust and commitment between customers and key account managers (Gatfaoui, 2007), and ultimately relationship capital (Vézina & Messier, 2005). What Murphy, Laczniak and Wood (2007) refer to as the ethical bases of relationship marketing appears to be vital to the success of the relationship-based approach in banks in general and KAM in particular. Therefore, financial institutions must seek to render KAM programs profitable and rigorously select key customer account managers with demonstrated ethical and relationship-based attributes. Cognitive mapping can assist in identifying requisite attributes not only during the traditional recruiting process but also during key customer account manager proficiency training that is already in place within the ranks of many banking institutions. 6.1. Academic and managerial contributions Using the original cognitive mapping tool detailed here, KAM can be seen to exert a determining influence from both the academic and managerial points of view. Vital for organizations (Zupancic, 2008), KAM is one of the most significant marketing trends of the past several decades. This paper makes a number of relevant contributions. Firstly, results provide for an enhanced understanding of the specifics of KAM programs used by numerous service organizations, banks in particular. Secondly, the research contributes to the personal and professional development of managers in terms of relationship-based practices and ethical behavior. Thirdly, this study brings to light the ethical considerations that exercise an impact on the success of business relationships. Fourthly, the findings provide leads and advice designed to assist financial institutions in implementing performance-oriented KAM programs which are both economically and socially viable. Lastly, this paper details the attributes of a managerial tool (i.e., cognitive mapping) suitable for use in recruiting and training key account managers, as well as identifying requisite KAM traits to ensure that these managers perform well both socially and financially in their role. 6.2. Limits and future direction This study is not without certain limitations. Firstly, the article bases findings on a single case analysis involving a key account manager working in the banking sector. Replicating this study with a number of key account managers would be interesting and make possible a comparison of their cognitive maps. Secondly, the research focuses solely on the seller. Inclusion of the buyer side of the exchange would doubtless prove of interest. | 18,020 | 7,010 | 0.000152 |
warc | 201704 | I feel compelled to continue the discussion of content and its management in view of the WikiLeaks dump. A real concern of mine – and this is totally from a business-IT management/content point-of-view, it is not meant as a political statement – is a high-profile government spokesman’s comments today in a very high-profile news venue. He stated that the United States did not have to fear a guy who plunked down $35 for a web presence, with a laptop. You can Google to identify the spokesman and his exact comments if you wish – for our discussion here, it is merely a springboard… a recognition of a lagging appreciation for the accelerating environment and any content’s vulnerability within.
On the contrary, a web presence (actually, mere internet connectivity) a laptop, and a modicum of ability, are all that it takes today to create real damage. At some point, absent imaginative protections, someone is going to take an entire power plant offline – or worse – with a laptop and internet connectivity. As stated in I.T. WARS: Greater power is coming to smaller and smaller groups; even to the individual. As the size of any group is reduced – with attendant
increase of power – counter-protections, debated actions, and measures of control diminish, and potentials for harm increase.
A BTW tenet: In the realm of risk, unmanaged possibilities become probabilities.
As to content and control, I believe that small and medium business must have well-articulated and documented content management (CM) policies in place, with defined measures of protection. Large business will be amending and constantly evolving their policies. In fact, a triumvirate of policies should serve the organization,
all organizations, well:
Content Management – Acceptable Use – Security
Let’s save the overall Security Policy ‘till later – it’s an overarching umbrella that includes physical assets as well. All of these policies and plans can refer to one another, particularly to specific reinforcing parts. For now, let’s briefly discuss
Content Management vs. Acceptable Use: Sooner or later, every organization is going to have some measure of policy for content’s management, and that measure will likely increase as time goes by. It is important to note here what a CM policy is, and what it is not – or at least in my view, what it should be, and should not be.
It is for leveraging content, exposing and reducing specific liabilities, and for taking action on content in an administrative sense: enabling access, use and leverage; reporting on; archiving; and destroying. It is not the central policy regarding definitions and expectations of appropriate use, and regarding actions taken in circumstances of willful abuse of content. Content management measures certainly do help to identify and expose abuse (as well as limit it); however, the definitions of acceptable use, abuse, and measures regarding them, will be contained in the organization’s Acceptable Use Policy.
Jumping ahead slightly, this Acceptable Use Policy details appropriate use of
all business resources, tools, and assets – including information (content). Your CM policy can point to the Acceptable Use Policy (or contain extracts from it) regarding things such as the improper access, accumulation, dissemination, removal, and destruction of information. But again, content management helps us to identify and leverage content toward a positive purpose; helps to limit liability and exposure; and to take administrative action on content.
In the next days, we’ll continue the discussion, and articulate the “mechanical” components of a CM system, in order to set policy.
NP: Spencer Davis Group, Gimme Some Lovin’ (LP), original vinyl, Odeon. | 3,853 | 1,816 | 0.000571 |
warc | 201704 | I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? (No, not plastics.)
I’ve been checking in with CIOs and analysts, following up on our annual IT salary and career survey to get the real-time read on IT budgets and IT hiring for 2010 and heard a variation on the jobless recovery theme:
Elasticity.
Actually, the word came from Jack Santos, a former CIO and research fellow at Burton Group Inc. (soon to be Gartner Inc.). Santos was focused mainly on the sharpened interest from his clients in elastic computing models like cloud services for email and cloud platforms for software development. The notion of investing millions of dollars from IT budgets in up-front capital for solutions that might not show a benefit until much later — or, worse, become irrelevant in a volatile economy — doesn’t sit well with CFOs these days .
“If the company suddenly sees an increase or significant decrease in business, you’re stuck with those sunk costs,” Santos said. Better to “pay by the drink.”
But paying by the drink is not just a big theme for computing, as the Great Recession continues to grate on budgets. The topic of elasticity also came up over and over on the subject of IT hiring in 2010. Many of the CIOs I talked to — both those who had suffered deep cuts to staff and those who did not — indicated they’re using the pay-by-the drink model for humans, too. If business picks up and some of those delayed projects are put into motion, they plan to fill in with consultants or staffing services.
That doesn’t surprise Jerry Luftman, who directs the information systems program at the Howe School of Technology Management at Stevens Institute of Technology. “It looks like spending on internal staff will go down, but spending on outsourcing will go up,” he said, referring to findings from the SIM IT survey of CIOs he conducts annually for the Society for Information Management.
And, Luftman added, if companies do hire, many of them will choose the “rent-to-buy” route, offered by those IT outsourcing vendors, rather than go out and recruit people on their own.
Is your enterprise organization incorporating elasticity into its IT hiring or budgeting? | 2,271 | 1,208 | 0.000864 |
warc | 201704 | I truly believe we are all super heroes. As a kid it is easy to imagine you can fly like
Superman®, climb buildings like Spiderman® and even disappear as Sue, the invisible woman of the fantastic 4.
Somehow imagining is easy as a kid but it is also easily forgotten as an adult, life has its own way of making us pay more attention to “real” things and we are somehow trained to believe we are not able to do certain things instead of being train to do the unthinkable.
Change happens and before you know it you are wearing blinders and focusing on very specific things also with a very specific set of tools, nothing out of the box is allowed and anything out of view means uncertainty and uncertainty means –no go-, fear.
Did you know most of the kids who are nowadays attending elementary school will become professionals on tasks, jobs and enterprises we know nothing about yet, actually they don’t even exist, yes, they’ll have to invent them as they grow up, that’s the kind of uncertainty they’ll be facing, no more picking out of the basic three (Doctor, Engineer, Accountant) now they’ll have personalized careers, even more than we can see today at the universities.
After all, how would you be able to invent something when you were trained to think inside the box? How will you be able to erase the “IM” from the word “impossible” and make a business out of it? The answer is, facing uncertainty.
Uncertainty is the real enemy, the real challenge, change is not, change happens so often that is kind of unavoidable, we age and even when we try not to move we are already making a decision, so changing is not an option, change is the only way, we are all changing, all the time, till we die. Uncertainty instead is a different story, since most of the time our decisions are being made to assure certainty, looking forward to keep us inside our comfort zone and making that extra effort to avoid that awful, weird feeling of having uncertainty about what is next, about what is going to happen, about taking that leap of faith towards a new reality.
On my own experience, facing uncertainty is the main difference between being successful and just living an ordinary life, between CEO’s, CFO’s, great managers, entrepreneurs and on the other hand, lifetime frontline employees, ability to deal with uncertainty is the difference between dreamers who wake up to fulfill their dreams and dreamers who are just that, nothing but eternal dreamers who prefer the comfort of letting someone else decide for them.
Dealing with uncertainty is one of the keys to success in life and in the corporate arena helping your people deal with uncertainty gives you that edge when dealing with change management.
Actually in change management everything is about uncertainty, if there’s no uncertainty, there’s no big change around and if there’s no big change around, there’s no big improvement being made and where there’s no big improvement there’s no big money either. Therefore, we can say uncertainty and our ability to deal with it are directly linked to profit.
Let’s face it, the more you help and prepare your people to deal with uncertainty, the better the possibilities of bringing more money into everyone’s pockets, so we better start exercising that “uncertainty muscle” and make a super power out of it, we are all potential super heroes and we even better we can decide which super power to have, so instead of flying like Superman® or climbing like Spiderman, I pick facing uncertainty courageously and smartly.
I love the feeling of a big change about to be made, that moment when you just decide what to do next and move forward to embrace your future, I love helping other people become who they really are instead of playing the safe game which I consider the most dangerous game of them all,
I help good change happen®
Jaime Leal www.jaimeleal.com | 4,020 | 1,806 | 0.000576 |
warc | 201704 | Dr Jonathan Dine Wirtschafter, professor of ophthalmology, neurology, and neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) died on August 9, 2004, at the age of 69 owing to complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Dr Wirtschafter was known for his great ability to balance his passion for neuro-ophthalmology and his love of friends and family.
Jonathan Dine Wirtschafter, MD
Dr Wirtschafter grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Reed College, Portland, Ore, in 1956. He attended Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass, where he received his MD degree in 1960 and this was followed by a master's degree in physiology from Linfield College, McMinnville, Ore, in 1963. He then completed residencies in neurology at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland in 1963, followed by an ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, Md, in 1966. This was followed by a fellowship at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. He was board certified in both ophthalmology and neurology.
Following his residencies and fellowship, Dr Wirtschafter was recruited to start a residency training program in ophthalmology and serve as the first chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky, Louisville. There he was known for his stewardship of the department and for his dedication to bringing quality eye care to all areas of Kentucky.
In 1977, Dr Wirtschafter joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Ophthalmology, where he held the Frank E. Burch Chair. Dr Wirtschafter became an early pioneer in the treatment of patients with facial spasm disorders. He participated in the early trials of botulinum toxin injections and subsequently developed the use of the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin hydrochloride as a chemomyectomy agent. His range of research interests varied from the mathematical formula for astigmatism caused by pterygia to the pathophysiology of papilledema. Later in his career he became interested in diseases of muscle and worked tirelessly up until his death with his long-time collaborative research partner, Linda McLoon, PhD, to define the role of muscle satellite cells.
Dr Wirtschafter was the first president of the Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation. He was involved in the beginning of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society and served as its president from 1996 through 1998. He will be remembered for his ability to encourage broader participation in this society, particularly for women neuro-ophthalmologists. He was also active in the establishment of standards for fellowship training in neuro-ophthalmology.
Dr Wirtschafter was a passionate teacher of medical students, residents, and fellows. On 4 separate occasions, he received the Resident's Award for Best Teacher of the year. Many of his publications were coauthored by his students, who were inspired to become involved in research owing to his infectious enthusiasm. Many students will remember his long clinics lasting until 8 o’clock at night or later while Dr Wirtschafter reviewed patients' medical histories and discussed the latest journal articles. In honor of his great commitment to teaching, a lectureship has been established in his honor at the University of Minnesota.
Not only was Dr Wirtschafter a great clinician, teacher, and researcher, he was an extraordinary human being. He had an incredible appetite for the world and all of its beauty. He enjoyed all of the connections and puzzles to be solved both within neuro-ophthalmology and in the world at large. He was a great friend to many, a marvelous listener, and truly interested in our professional and nonprofessional lives.
One of my greatest honors was to be able to study under Jonathan as a resident and fellow and join him as a colleague. However, what I will remember most was the tremendous dignity, elegance, and even humor he showed when faced with a most difficult disease that took him from us far too prematurely. Jonathan will be dearly missed by his wife and inspiration of 44 years, Carol, his 5 remarkable children, Joshua, Jacob, Benjamin, David, and Brooke, their partners, his 10 grandchildren, and all of his friends and colleagues.
Correspondence: Dr Harrison, MMC 493, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (aharrison@umn.edu).
Harrison AR. Jonathan Dine Wirtschafter, MD (1935-2004). Arch Ophthalmol. 2006;124(7):1070. doi:10.1001/archopht.124.7.1070
© 2017 | 4,483 | 2,177 | 0.000462 |
warc | 201704 | Home A-Z Publications South African Journal of Higher Education Previous Issues Volume 15, Issue 3, 2001 South African Journal of Higher Education - Volume 15, Issue 3, 2001 Volumes & issues Volume 15, Issue 3, 2001 Does the national plan effectively address the critical issues facing higher education? : guest editorialAuthor J.D. JansenSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 5 –9 (2001)More Less Author A.C. BawaSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 10 –16 (2001)More Less
The South African university system is facing a crisis as the new policy period unfolds. This crisis stems from factors which are particular to South Africa and others which are due to the transformatory pressures on the nature of universities globally which are a result of salient changes to the processes of knowledge generation and dissemination. This article argues that the resolution of this crisis requires the establishment of a process that is led by the higher education sector that would lead to the development of a social contract between itself and the people of South Africa. It is argued further that this approach differs in very fundamental ways from the policy process that has been engaged since 1994.
Author L. CzerniewiczSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 17 –23 (2001)More Less
Reflections on learning online - the hype and the reality. This article describes a UCT academic's experiences of a twelve week course on networked teaching and learning run entirely online through a British university. She reflects on her experiences of isolation, the difficulties to do with lack of a sense of audience and the challenges of creating an appropriate online persona. She queries the deterministic claims in the literature regarding the intrinsic nature of online learning environments and collaboration. She argues that there has been a misinterpretation of theories of learner-centred approaches which have lead to insufficient structure in the course as well as the downplaying of expert knowledge. She concludes that sophisticated kinds of instructional design are required to provide an appropriate framework for learners for a course of this kind.
Author N. DlaminiSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 24 –31 (2001)More Less
South Africa experiences a great need for science, engineering and technology skills. As a counter strategy to the growing skills need local government, industries and universities have entered Industry-University Partnership Programme (IUPP) agreements following the example of international counterparts. Currently a few such programmes exist in the South African context. The organisation of these programmes has however proven to be a difficult and challenging task. This article purposes to propose a model for organising industry-university partnership programmes for viability. The proposed model draws on the work of Stafford Beer in his Viable System Model (Clemson 1984). The research paradigm stems from the fields of cybernetics and system thinking. The IUPP concept is in line with the societal shift of power (the ability to maintain control over use and allocation of crucial life-sustaining resources) from control over land and resources to knowledge, technological competence and human innovation (IFR 1998).
Accounting for change : the micropolitics of university restructuring. Part three : global pressures, local responsesSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 32 –38 (2001)More Less
In this third and final article on ``the micropolitics of university restructuring'', the links are drawn between globalisation pressures on the third world state and the ways in which higher education institutions are affected in the same ways by the state and globalisation, given the very different histories, capacities and ideologies of universities even within the same country. But the case study of the University of Durban Westville (UDW) also demonstrates that the quality of organisational leadership is a critical variable not only in shaping institutional micropolitics but in affecting the capacity of universities to respond to the relentless demands of the state under conditions of globalisation.
Author L. KajeeSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 39 –45 (2001)More Less
This article examines the issue of language policy and practice in higher education institutions, by observing the impact of interventionist strategies such as the language policy at the ML Sultan Technikon, which is situated in Durban, KwaZulu Natal. The language issue is assessed against the backdrop of multilingualism and the official 11-language policy, as entrenched in the Constitution. Despite the national call for multilingualism, the medium of instruction at the Technikon, as at most tertiary institutions in South Africa, is English. This article examines recent language debates in the country, then discusses the implementation of the Technikon's language policy. The conclusion is that despite the hegemonic role played by English, attempts must be made to encourage multilingualism or regional bilingualism, or else pay the price of further marginalising the African languages.
Author S. NarseeSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 46 –52 (2001)More Less
To acquire literacy is much more than to psychologically and mechanically dominate reading and writing techniques. Acquiring literacy does not involve memorising sentences, words or syllables, lifeless objects unconnected to an existential universe ± but rather an attitude of creation and recreation, a self-transformation producing a stance of intervention in one's context. The words of Paulo Freire illuminate a view of literacy that is purposeful, contextual and transformative. It places the learner rather than the teacher or the text at the centre of the literacy process and it defines this process as more than the skills associated with reading and writing per se. Literacy is understood as a creative activity through which learners can begin to analyse and interpret their own lived experiences, make connections between those experiences and those of others. In this sense literacy is intimately connected to language itself, grounded in the historical and cultural background of the learner, and centred in the personal and social construction of meaning. The author offers a more culturally sensitive view of literacy practices as they vary from one context to another. One cannot pretend that cultural and ideological assumptions are neutral and universal. Educators should suspend judgement as to what constitutes literacy among their students, until they are able to understand what it means to the students themselves and from which social contexts reading and writing derive their meaning. Literacy must not be seen as simply a neutral skill, practiced in the same manner all over the world. The ideological model of Prinsloo and Breier (1996), recognise that educational and policy decisions have to be based on prior judgements regarding what type of literacy to impart to students in a culturally and linguistically diverse environment and why. It must be pointed out that unlike most countries in the world where English second language students are usually in the minority, in South Africa they form the large majority. It is in this context that this article has been written. INTRODUCTION
Author R.P. NgcongoSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 53 –57 (2001)More Less
This article discusses different models of supervision and promotion of Masters', Doctoral and PhD students. It argues that leadership is inherent in and underpins any model of supervision or promotion of students. The article advances a view that supervision and promotion of the said students should be transformative leadership. This approach to supervision or promotion of students suggests enabling them to develop as researchers and contributors to university goals of teaching, research and community service. The involvement of students in these goals is seen as additional and related to their primary task of pursuing their degrees. Furthermore, the article posits that supervision as transformative leadership requires a vision from supervisors and promoters, which upholds students' ongoing growth as researchers and contributors to university goals which have been mentioned. The article concludes by making a few recommendations regarding how university staff can be supported in the practice of supervision as transformative leadership.
Source: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 58 –65 (2001)More Less
This article proposes a research incentive tool that hopes to address two challenges that face technikon research namely, low research capacity and inadequate incentive schemes given the research climate and realities at technikons. The contention is that technikons require an incubation period in which a sustainable research environment can be established for them to participate meaningfully in research. This period should combine effective management, a nurturing environment and stringent quality improvement. The Research Performance Index (RPI), adapted from a former technikon, Curtin University of Technology, is proposed as a tool with the potential to contribute towards such a nurturing environment. Unlike the SAPSE system which rewards limited categories of research output, it rewards not only a wide range of research outputs but also research-related professional activities. The RPI will be implemented at Technikon Southern Africa (TSA) from 2001. It is proposed that if cautiously implemented, it can contribute towards building a sustainable research culture at technikons.
Author J. ParasSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 66 –73 (2001)More Less
The mathematics education community has recently submitted a proposal to the Council of Education Ministers about the crisis in Mathematics Education in South Africa. The purpose of the submission was to both outline and define the crisis and to make suggestions regarding the role of both National and Provincial governments in addressing the crisis (Amesa News 2000). This article suggests that there is a similar crisis at the tertiary level where students are failing mathematics. For example, in UDW ± this article is about WHY students are failing Mathematics Education one in the School of Educational Studies at the University of Durban-Westville. The article also provides a rationale of the study, the method used in collecting and analysing the data, some of the main findings and recommendations for teacher education institutions in South Africa.
Source: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 74 –81 (2001)More Less
The South African Higher Education system is in a state of rapid flux. Various factors are rendering education vulnerable to destructive influences. It has become imperative for academic managers to ensure that academic staff function productively. Management information systems which will generate correct information as to amongst others, academic workload, has become a necessity. It is important to be able to accurately measure input and output of academics, as this will have a direct bearing on the management of their performance. Six principles should be incorporated in a system of appraising workload and performance, viz validity; reliability; transparency; adaptability; acknowledgement of performance and negotiation of mutually agreed tasks and outcomes. Workload determination and indicators of performance quality would make up the basis for a comprehensive and logical performance management system for higher education.
Academic programme co-operation in South African higher education : imperatives, challenges and threadsSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 82 –91 (2001)More Less
Since 1994 policy documents and initiatives such as the NCHE document (NCHE Report 1996), the White Paper (RSA DoE 1997), the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997, the National and Institutional Planning Framework 1998, proposed not only regional co-operation between various higher and further education institutions but also the need for academic programme co-operation between institutions whether on a regional or interregional basis. The rationale behind this initiative is to encourage the development of regional partnerships as means for, amongst others, to reduce the overlap and duplication of existing programme provision in certain regions and to enhance the articulation of programmes and mobility of learners between institutions as described by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) (RSA 1998). But even more critically, regional programme collaboration could be one way of transcending the current divides in the higher and further education system, and could become a "harbin ger of new institutional and organisational forms" (RSA DoE 1997:18). The purpose of this article is to furnish insight into the rationale, challenges and quandaries of academic programme co-operation and to describe, as a case study, the progress made by an initiative to develop and implement an interinstitutional Masters' programme in higher and further education studies.
Can postpositivist research in environmental education engender ethical notions within higher education?Source: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 92 –101 (2001)More Less
In this article we contend that postpositivist research in environmental education can contribute towards promoting ethical activity within higher education. We argue that postpositivist inquiry breaks with utilitarian and uncritical assumptions about research in environmental education and also creates unconfined spaces for ethical notions such as truth-telling and sincerity, freedom of thought, clarity of meaning, non-arbitrariness, a sense of relevance and respect for people and evidence. Drawing on recent case study research in environmental education involving higher education institutions, we show that ethical notions of postpositivist research can engender self-determination, trust and respectful collaboration among diverse people.
The efficacy of form-focused instruction on the syntactic accuracy of second language students of English at the University of Port ElizabethAuthor D. AyliffSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 102 –110 (2001)More Less
This article explores whether a short one semester course in form-focused instruction helps improve the syntactic accuracy in the written work of second language students of English at the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE). The article describes research which combines quantitative and qualitative methodology. The collection of data and the statistical analysis of its results rely on quantitative methodology, while the rationale for its conception and framework rests on the application of a qualitative interpretation of the relevant literature on second language acquisition and error analysis. The results of the experimental group of advanced L2 English students who underwent a one semester course in form-focused instruction in English are compared to a control group.
Author W.D. CoetzeeSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 111 –118 (2001)More Less
This article focuses on some features of typographic layout and design and the possible impact of typography on comprehensibility and reader preferences. Reference is made to works by several authorities on the matter who deal with these issues and also to surveys of reader preference and reader performance conducted in various parts of the world. Some of the findings from these surveys are compared with the outcome of a local survey among in-service teachers studying at a distance whose first language is not English. Reader preference for specified typographical aspects of page layout and design was investigated in this survey, including font type, font size, headings, line justification and margin width.
Source: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 119 –130 (2001)More Less
The factor structure of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) was investigated for Afrikaans and English-speaking first-year university students. Five factors were extracted and rotated to oblique simple structure for both groups. Four of the five factors were satisfactorily replicated. The fifth factor appeared to be a methodological artefact and was loaded by items that need to be reverse scored. Second-order factor analyses revealed a single higher-order construct underlying responses to the SDLRS items for both groups. This construct is presumed to reflect readiness for self-directed learning. A factor extension analysis showed that the majority of the individual items relate satisfactorily to the higher-order construct measured by the SDLRS. It is recommended that until more information on the meaning and validity of the first-order factors is obtained, interpretations of SDLRS scores should be done at the higher-order level.
An investigation into the perceptions of academic staff on quality assurance in teaching and learning at selected South African universitiesSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 131 –141 (2001)More Less
During the last decade South African higher education has undergone various changes in terms of new policies and legislation, an increasing diverse student population, participating governance structures, declining enrolment figures and different modes of programme delivery. Apart from adjusting to these changing circumstances higher education has to compete in a competitive global and national environment where students have a variety of institutions and delivery modes to choose from, although only one pool of potential students exists. In this competitive environment academics are forced to demonstrate the quality of what they are doing and consider the effectiveness thereof. Academics also have different views regarding a quality assurance system. Some view it as a form of managerial control, while others feel such a system can ensure improvement. This study was therefore initiated to investigate how South African academics perceive the implementation of a quality assurance system that is initiated by government.
Die verband tussen matriekprestasie en eerstejaarprestasie vir opeenvolgende innames aan dieselfde universiteitSource: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 142 –149 (2001)More Less
Die korrelasie tussen matrieksimboolpunttotaal (MST) en die gemiddelde kurrikulumpersentasiepunt (GKMP) is vir verskillende opeenvolgende eerstejaar-innames van wit mans, wit vroue, swart mans en swart vroue aan dieselfde universiteit in die negentigerjare bereken, sowel voÂoÂr enige aanpassings in GKMP, as naÂaanpassings vir verskille in puntoekenningstandaarde en kursuslading. Die onderhawige korrelasies was deurgaans hoeÈr vir wit as vir swart studente en in die meeste gevalle hoeÈr vir mans as vir vroue. Soos op grond van 'n makliker bereikbare MST-afkappunt en die opheffing van die semesterpuntvereiste as toelating tot eksamens verwag kon word, was daar 'n toename in die onderhawige korrelasies vir wit studente. Die korrelasies vir swart studente het die meeste baat gevind by aanpassings vir kursuslading terwyl die korrelasies vir wit studente die meeste voordeel getrek het uit aanpassings vir punttoekenningstandaarde.
Source: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 150 –153 (2001)More Less
Black students' failure to complete the psycho-educational test battery that is administered traditionally to all first-year registrants at some historically white universities not only tends to impede admissions research, but also may augur ill for students' optimal integration into university life. The results of a study in which only archival data were available for test participants and test evaders, are reported. The test particpants tended to perform better academically, both at high school and at university, than did the test evaders. On average they were younger than the test evaders and they tended to register in the science faculties rather than in the social sciences and humanities. By definition, further explorations of psychological explanations for these findings are precluded by the unavailability of test data for test evaders.
Source: South African Journal of Higher Education 15, pp 154 –161 (2001)More Less
With technikons becoming universities of technologies, the emphasis is now on their ability to effectively offer research degrees, eg master's degrees and doctorates. Some of these institutions are not well developed in terms of research supervision. It is even more difficult, but also very necessary, for a distance education institution to offer such support at its regional centres. A project on postgraduate research supervision was completed, that looked at: . The assessment of decentralised research support centres at a distance institution of higher learning. The supervisor's perspective of the research supervision process in a distance learning institution. The findings of these two papers revealed that there is limited research expertise and limited research infrastructure at the institution's regional centres. These centres rely heavily on research expertise and infrastructure at the central campus. The research further shows that students lack research knowledge and skills, which has led to some academic departments devising research support strategies such as the development of research guides and courses, proposal development workshops, the development of research committees, promotion of co-supervision and peer evaluation, and the decentralising of research supervision. In conclusion, both these studies suggest that research support and supervision are in an embryonic stage within the institution. However, the following initiatives have been established: the development of a research support course for postgraduate learners and supervisors, the establishment of a departmental or sub-group research committee, and the realignment of procedures and policies for senate approval of research proposals. | 22,436 | 8,445 | 0.000119 |
warc | 201704 | Abstract
Background: To develop strategies for prevention and early treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV) anal and penile cancer, a better understanding of related sexual behavior risk factors is needed.
Goal: The goal of this study was to establish the prevalence of anal and coronal sulcus HPV in a group of men who have sex with men participating in a Dutch gay-cohort study, to identify risk factors associated with HPV infection in this group, and to investigate the presence of identical HPV types in couples with stable relationships.
Study Design: A cross-sectional study of 241 HIV-negative and 17 HIV-positive men who have sex with men visiting the sexually transmitted disease clinic of the Erasmus MC for a regular and scheduled examination. Participants underwent a routine venereological examination including HIV serologic analysis, and swabs were taken from the coronal sulcus and anus for HPV DNA testing. All subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire on sexual risk behavior.
Results: HPV DNA was detected at the coronal sulcus in 23.5% of the HIV-positive men and in 15.8% of the HIV-negative men (
P = 0.492). In anal specimens, HPV DNA was detected in 64.7% of the HIV-positive men and 32.8% of the HIV-negative men ( P = 0.015). High-risk HPV types ( P = 0.007) and 2 or more different HPV genotypes ( P = 0.006) were seen more often in anal specimens of HIV-positive persons than in specimens of HIV-negative persons. A factor possibly associated with the presence of anal HPV infection was a concomitant anal infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, gonococci, or herpes simplex virus ( P = 0.059). In only 16.7% of HPV-positive steady couples, both companions showed the presence of one or more identical HPV genotypes.
Conclusion: In this study, anal HPV DNA was detected more often than HPV DNA at the coronal sulcus. HIV positivity was associated with a higher prevalence of high-risk, but not with low-risk HPV types, at the anus. No association was found between HIV positivity and presence of high-risk HPV at the coronal sulcus. No sexual behavioral determinants for the presence of HPV could be identified. Concomitant anal infection with
C trachomatis, gonococci, or herpes simplex virus may be associated with HPV infection. In the majority of steady couples, partners were infected with different HPV types.
In Brief
This study of men who have sex with men participating in a Dutch gay cohort showed that concomitant anal infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, gonococci, or herpes simplex virus may be associated with anorectal human papillomavirus infection.
Author Information
From the *Department of Dermatology and Venereology,
†Department of Virology, and ‡Institute of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Reprint requests: Eric M. van der Snoek, MD, Erasmus MC, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: e.vandersnoek@erasmusmc.nl
Received December 20, 2002,
revised February 19, 2003, and accepted February 21, 2003.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are the most common sexually transmitted viral infections and have a steadily increasing prevalence.
1 Genital warts or condylomata acuminata, one of the clinical manifestations of anogenital HPV infection, are predominantly associated with HPV types 6 and 11 and are estimated to affect about 1% of the sexually active population in the United States and Western Europe. 2,3 The estimated prevalence of subclinical and latent HPV infection in sexually active women and men ranges from 10% to 46%. Only 1% of all persons infected with HPV will have visible genital warts. 4
HPV is a double-stranded DNA virus. To date, more than 100 genotypes of HPV have been characterized. At least 35 of these genotypes have a predilection for the anogenital tract.
5 The virus infects the basal layer of the epithelium and increases cell proliferation and viral replication in fully differentiated keratinocytes. The arising papillomas are usually benign, but can progress to dysplasia or neoplasia in a small percentage of cases. The latter primarily occurs in case of infection with so-called high-risk types of HPV, particularly types 16 and 18. 6 The viral regulatory genes E6 and E7 inactivate the tumor-suppressor protein p53 and retinoblastoma (pRb) protein, which renders cellular DNA susceptible to carcinogenic effects of mutagens and increases the risk of malignant transformation. 7
In almost all cervical cancers, HPV DNA (mostly HPV-16) has been identified.
5,8 The yearly incidence of anal cancer in the United States among both men and women in the general population is approximately one tenth that of cervical cancer. In men who have sex with men (MSM) with a history of receptive anal intercourse, the incidence of anal cancer was estimated to be at least 44 times higher, namely 35 per 100,000 per year. 5 The incidence of anal cancer among HIV-positive men may be about twice that of HIV-negative men. In a population-based study linking AIDS and cancer registries, the risk of anal cancer among persons with AIDS was 84 times greater than that in the general population. 9,10 Daling et al. 11 stated that a history of condylomata acuminata carried a relative risk of 27 for the development of anal cancer and anal sexual intercourse carried a relative risk of 50. According to Carter et al., 12 HPV-16 seropositivity is associated with a sixfold increased prevalence of anal cancer in men.
Because anal condylomata acuminata are more common than penile warts in MSM, most studies on HPV in this group have focused only on anal warts and HPV infection.
9 However, 75% to 100% of patients with penile intraepithelial neoplasia have high-risk HPV DNA types, mostly HPV-16, whereas up to 50% of persons with invasive penile cancers test positive for HPV DNA. 3,13,14 Penile cancer is most often of the squamous cell type and is less common in the United States and Western Europe than anal cancer, with a yearly incidence of 0.3 to 1.0 per 100,000.
To the best of our best knowledge, there are no epidemiologic data on the possible association between HPV infection and penile cancer in (HIV-positive) homosexual and bisexual men. We consider information on the prevalence of HPV infection at the coronal sulcus important, because of the assumed relation with penile cancer.
13,14 However, there are no longitudinal studies on HPV-related penile disease in gay men. Therefore, we performed a cross-sectional study in a Dutch cohort of MSM to establish the prevalence of both anal and coronal sulcus HPV infection and to identify sexual behavior risk factors related to the presence of HPV infection. The presence of identical HPV genotypes in steady couples was also investigated. To develop strategies for prevention and early treatment of HPV-associated high-grade anal squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), a better understanding of sexual behavior risk factors is needed. 15 Methods
Study Population and Study Design
The study was performed at the sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic of the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Beginning in February of 1999, we recruited MSM to participate in the Rotterdam Gay-Cohort study. Homosexual and bisexual STD clinic attendees were informed about the opportunity to take part in the study. In addition, men visiting gay bars and saunas in Rotterdam were asked to participate in the study. To enroll a diverse group of men, trained volunteers visited so-called meeting places, where gay men have (anonymous) sexual encounters. Advertisements were published in newspapers and gay periodicals. The last participant was enrolled in February of 2000. Cohort participants were tested for STDs and HIV every 6 months for a period of 3 years. HPV specimens were taken only during the third visit. Therefore, the data reported in this article only concern the third visit of the cohort participants.
Data Collection and Questionnaires
Demographic and sexual behavioral data were collected. These included ethnic background, age, educational qualification, sexual orientation, number of sexual partners during the last 6 months, practice of anal intercourse, intravenous drug use, participation in prostitution, and earlier diagnoses of STD, including HIV infection. Additional data regarding age of first sexual experience, estimated number of lifetime sexual partners, and condom use were collected with self-administered questionnaires. Participants were asked if they had a steady sex partner for longer than 6 months; partners who answered this question positively were recorded as steady couples.
Venereological Examination
At enrollment and at each semiannual visit, all participants underwent a standardized venereological examination as described previously.
16 In HIV-positive men, blood samples were taken for a CD4+ lymphocyte count. HPV DNA Sample Collection
Between January of 2000 and August of 2001, specimens for assessment of HPV DNA were collected from all participants using a dry swab (Medical Wire & Equipment Co. (Bath) Ltd., Corsham, Wiltshire, United Kingdom) with sampling the coronal sulcus and the anal area.
17 In this study, we chose to sample the coronal sulcus for HPV. According to Holmes et al., 18 condylomata acuminata in men first appear on the frenulum and coronal sulcus because the area is liable to trauma during intercourse, allowing entry of an infecting agent. The swabs were immediately placed into standard collecting tubes without transport medium and sent to the Department of Virology for further processing. Detection and Typing of HPV DNA
In 119 of the 258 men (46.1%), HPV DNA testing was performed by using a specific HPV-type detection polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, and 33, as described elsewhere.
19 Later on, the SPF reverse-hybridization line probe assay (LiPA) HPV PCR test, which detects 25 different HPV genotypes, was used in 139 of 258 males (53.9%). Kleter et al. showed that LiPA results were highly concordant with those of genotype-specific PCR tests. 20,21 The total nucleic acid DNA was extracted by using the total nucleic acid isolation kit on a MagnaPure LC system (Roche Applied Science, Penzberg, Germany). Statistical Methods
Data were compared to assess statistically significant differences in the prevalence of HPV related to sexual behavior parameters. Prevalence was calculated as the number of positive tests per 100 tested individuals. Logistic regression analyses were used to test differences between the HPV groups. In these analyses, HIV status was included as a covariable along with the sexual behavior parameters. We also tested whether HIV modified the effect of these sexual behavior parameters. The result of a test was considered significant if the
P value was less than 0.05. Results
Population Characteristics
A total of 258 men were enrolled in this study, including 17 HIV-positive men (group I) and 241 HIV-negative men (group II). Of the 17 HIV-positive men, 3 were detected during the third semiannual visit and had recently (less than 6 months) seroconverted. Fourteen subjects had tested positive for HIV before the study, within a median of 2 years (range, 1–9 years). Five HIV-positive men were on antiretroviral therapy. The median age of participants was 42.0 years (range, 29–59 years) in group I and 41.0 years (range, 19–76 years) in group II (
P = 0.772). In group I, 94.1% of participants were of Dutch descent, compared with 93.8% in group II, a difference that was not significant. In group I, 88.2% of men were homosexual and 11.8% were bisexual, whereas 89.1% of men in group II were homosexual and 10.9% were bisexual; this difference was not significant. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of educational qualification. No exact data were available regarding the circumcision status of the participants, but an estimated minority of less than 5% of these men were circumcised. Sexual Behavior Characteristics
Participants in group I had had more sexual partners during the last 6 months, with a median number of 15 (range, 2–78) compared with 8 partners (range, 0–140) in group II (
P = 0.031). Not unexpectedly, the men in group I also had had more lifetime sexual partners, with a median number of 400 compared with 100 in group II ( P = 0.001). In group I, no man had “never” had anal sex, whereas 15.5% of group II participants stated to have never practiced anal sex; however, this difference was not statistically significant. Data concerning condom use, which were collected using self-administered questionnaires, did not show significant differences between groups. Four of 16 men (25.0%) in group I and 48 of 204 men (23.5%) in group II said that they “always” used condoms during anal sex. No participants in group I and 13 of 204 men (6.4%) in group II participants said that they “never” used condoms.
No significant differences were found between groups regarding age at first sexual experience with a male partner and participation in prostitution or intravenous drug use (data not shown). Twenty-one steady couples participated in the current study, and none of these steady couples was mutually monogamous. Partners also had other sexual partners during the last 6 months, with a median number of 15 (range, 1–140).
Results of Venereological Examination
No differences regarding gonococcal, chlamydial, and herpes simplex virus infections, in the past or at the present visit, were found between the 2 groups. Reports of formerly diagnosed perianal and penile warts were similar in both groups. The median CD4+ lymphocyte count in HIV-positive men was 600 (range, 340–1,020). The median CD4+ count in the 5 HPV-negative men was 690 versus 490 in the 12 HPV-positive men, though this difference was not significant. CD4+ lymphocyte counts were not available for 3 of the 17 (17.6%) HIV-positive subjects.
HPV Detection
Table 1 summarizes the detection of HPV in anal specimens in this cohort. HPV DNA was detected in coronal sulcus specimens of 4 (23.5%) out of 17 HIV-positive men and in 38 (15.8%) out of 241 HIV-negative men (
P = not significant [NS]). In anal specimens, HPV DNA was detected in 11 (64.7%) out of 17 HIV-positive men and in 79 (32.8%) out of 241 HIV-negative men ( P = 0.015). In HIV-positive men, HPV-16 was the most frequently HPV subtype detected in both anal and coronal sulcus specimens, and was found in 5 (29.4%) and 2 (11.8%) of these patients in the respective samples. In HIV-negative men, HPV-6 was the most frequently detected HPV subtype, and was detected 30 times (12.4%) in anal specimens and 12 times (5.0%) in coronal sulcus specimens.
In anal specimens, two or more different types of HPV were more often found in HIV-positive men than in HIV-negative men; namely, six times (54.5%) versus 23 times (29.1%;
P = 0.006). With regard to coronal sulcus specimens, multiple HPV types were found once (25.0%) in the HIV-positive men versus eight times (21.1%) in HIV-negative men ( P = NS). Only high-risk HPV types were found in the anal specimens of seven HIV-positive men (41.2%) and in 32 (13.3%) of the HIV-negative men ( P = 0.007). In coronal sulcus specimens, only high-risk types were found in three HIV-positive men (17.6%) and in 19 (7.9%) of the HIV-negative men ( P = NS). HPV-16 was detected more often in both coronal and anal specimens in HIV-positive men ( P = 0.023). The simultaneous presence of only high-risk HPV genotypes in coronal sulcus and anal specimens was found three times (17.6%) in HIV-positive men versus five times (2.1%) in HIV-negative men ( P = 0.011).
In those specimens tested with the SPF LiPA HPV PCR test, HPV-52 was most frequently detected in anal specimens, and was detected in 16 of 139 (11.5%) patients. Anal HPV-52 was more often found in the nine HIV-positive men than in the 130 HIV-negative men; namely, 6 times (66.7%) versus 10 times (7.7%;
P < 0.0005). HPV-68 was seen in 13 (9.4%) of all anal specimens: three times in HIV-positive men (33.3%) and 10 times in HIV-negative men (7.7%; P = 0.039). In coronal sulcus specimens, both HPV-68 and HPV-70 were most often found by using the LiPA test; this method detected these HPV subtypes in 6.5% of all men. HPV-68 was seen more often (three times) in HIV-positive men, i.e. (33.3%, P = 0.013).
In 18 of the 21 steady couples (85.7%), at least one partner was HPV positive. In 3 of these 18 couples (16.7%), both partners shared the same type of HPV infection. Seventeen of the 18 couples (94.4%) were discordant in terms of at least one HPV type.
The effect of risk factors, adjusted for HIV-infection status, on HPV types 6 to 33 in coronal sulcus and anal specimens is shown in Tables 2 and 3. Having a concomitant chlamydial, gonococcal, or herpetic infection may be a risk factor for having a positive anal HPV test result (
P = 0.059). No other risk factors could be identified.
No relation was found between HPV risk and the variables Dutch descent, educational qualification, number of sex partners during the last 6 months, history of chlamydial, gonococcal, or herpetic anorectal infection, penile warts at present visit, or having had no anal sex during the last 6 months (data not shown in Tables 2 and 3). After including an interaction term between the risk factors and HIV infection in the model, no significant effect-modifying role of HIV could be found for all the explanatory variables listed in Tables 2 and 3, possibly because the number of HIV-positive participants in this study was small.
Discussion
In this study, we examined risk factors for the detection of coronal sulcus and anal HPV infections a Dutch cohort of MSM. Unlike most other studies, we also focused on coronal sulcus HPV infection, because of the assumed relation between HPV infection and penile cancer. In our study, HIV positivity was associated with a higher prevalence of anal high-risk HPV types, but not low-risk types. No association was found between the HIV serostatus and the prevalence of high-risk or low-risk coronal sulcus HPV infection. A limitation of this study is the small number of HIV-positive participants.
Factors associated with the presence of coronal sulcus HPV infection were not found. Possible risk factors associated with the presence of anal HPV infection could be a concomitant anal infection with
Chlamydia trachomatis, gonococci, or herpes simplex virus. No sexual behavior determinants for the presence of HPV could be found.
Other studies also found an association between HIV-positivity and a higher prevalence of anal high-risk HPV types.
9,22,23 In some studies, a relation between CD4+ counts lower than 200 × 10 6/l and high-risk HPV was detected as well. 9,22,23 However, other studies did not confirm this finding. 24,25 It is unclear why we did not find an association between HIV serostatus and prevalence of high-risk coronal sulcus HPV. Van Doornum et al. 26 found more HPV-infections in swabs taken from the urethra than from the coronal sulcus in heterosexual men. In that study, which enrolled 65 Dutch heterosexual men with at least five heterosexual partners in the last 6 months, the presence of HPV DNA in coronal sulcus specimens was only 3%, whereas 17% of the urethral samples tested positive for HPV DNA. 26 Possibly swabs taken from the coronal sulcus often fail to detect prevalent HPV infections, perhaps because of penile hygienic measures. No exact data were available about the circumcision status of our study participants. In uncircumcised men, the maceration from epithelial debris and glandular secretions could possibly give rise to a more prevalent HPV infection or HPV persistence. An estimated number of less than 5% of men in this study were circumcised. A higher “natural” susceptibility of the anal skin and more frequently occurring trauma caused by receptive anal sex could explain the higher prevalence of HPV types at the anus. Mucoid anal discharge and moisture are easily retained within the natal cleft, and might be a reason for HPV persistence at the anal epithelium.
The concomitant presence of HIV and other STDs, some of which cause skin and/or mucosal defects (e.g., syphilis and genital herpes), has been described previously.
9,15,27,28 Mucosal defects may explain the higher prevalence of HPV in MSM with concomitant rectal STDs, as found in this study.
A number of studies have examined factors associated with the detection of anal HPV infection in MSM. These studies showed high rates of HPV infection among those who had practiced receptive anal intercourse and had a large number of (lifetime) sexual partners. There also is an association between a high prevalence of anal HPV infection and trauma of the anal epithelium, younger age, rectal drug use, history of laxative use, hepatitis B infection, positive
C trachomatis serologic result, history of gonorrhea, history of rectal discharge, anal fissures or fistulas, and smoking. 9,15,29
In this study, the factors type of anal sex practiced, age at first sexual experience with a male partner, and estimated number of (lifetime) sexual partners were not associated with the detection of anal HPV, contrary to results of other studies.
10,16 A recent study on the prevalence and determinants of genital HPV in heterosexual men could not detect an association of penile HPV infection and the factor age at first sexual intercourse. Also, no association was found between penile HPV infection and number of sexual partners. 29
Risks factors for penile cancer are penile tear, being uncircumcised, difficulty in retracting foreskin, more than 30 lifetime sexual partners, condylomata acuminata, lichen sclerosus of the glans penis, smoking, ultraviolet A photograph chemotherapy, and smegma.
14
The simultaneous presence of identical HPV types in steady couples was rarely seen. The majority (94.7%) of prevalent HPV types were not shared by both partners. The simultaneous presence of identical HPV types in steady couples is remarkably low. Rapid clearance, high numbers of sexual partners other then their steady partner, inadequate collection of specimens and HPV-induced type-specific immunity could perhaps explain this finding. To get a better idea of clearance and persistence rates, all individuals participating in this study will be retested for the presence of HPV DNA after 1.5 years, during their sixth semiannual visit.
Concomitant anal infection with
C trachomatis, gonococci or herpes simplex virus might have been associated with anorectal HPV infection in this group. References
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2. Syrjänen SM, Krogh Gvon, Syrjänen KJ. Anal condyloma in men. 1. Histopathological and virological assessment. Genitourin Med 1989; 65: 216–224.
3. Dillner J, Meijer CJLM, Krogh G von et al. Epidemiology of human papillomavirus infection. Scand J Urol Nephrol Suppl 2000; 205: 194–200.
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© Copyright 2003 American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association
29. Franceschi S, Castellsagué X, Dal Maso L, et al. Prevalence and determinants of human papillomavirus genital infection in men. Br J Cancer 2000; 86: 705–711. | 28,311 | 10,608 | 0.000096 |
warc | 201704 | IgA Nephropathy is one kidney disorder that may cause a series of symptoms and complications. To fight against kidney disorder, patients are suggested to do some exercise. Swimming is one gentle exercise loved by many people. Is it suitable for IgA Nephropathy patients?
Swimming can help build and strengthen tissues, because it is beneficial to boost energy for the body and prompt patients’ immune system.
For patients with IgA Nephropathy, their kidney disease is due to immune disorder. To prevent kidney disease from further damage, patients are suggested to take steroids or immunosuppressants. Although these medicines can help deal with this disease, it may cause some side effects including weakening immune system. Then, they are at a high risk of infections, cold, fever, chill, and so on.
Swimming is one exercise that can help boost patients’ immune system, so it is able to prevent the onset of problems the above mentioned. However, urinary tract infections and hematuria are also common symptoms of IgA Nephropathy. If patients are suffering from one of these two problems, they are suggested to stop their swimming exercise plan. In severe cases, they should have more rest in bed.
In addition to swimming, walking, yoga, jogging, Taichi,
Qigong, etc, are also beneficial for patients with IgA Nephropathy. These choices of exercise can help boost patients’ overall health condition. If they want to treat their kidney disease very well, they should take some therapies to reverse their kidney damage and stop inflammatory reactions within kidneys effectively. Immunotherapy is just one therapy focusing on treating immune disorder and rebuilding kidney filtration membrane. When the pathogenic factors are removed, patients’ IgA Nephropathy can be managed very well.
To make sure you can swim safely and beneficially, you can have a detailed talk with doctor online. | 1,913 | 900 | 0.001128 |
warc | 201704 | What is LivingDance™? LivingDance™ works with natural forms of movement that are intrinsic to the art of dance: breath, muscle connection, shape, beat, etc. These relate directly to how we feel about ourselves, how we function, and how we relate to others. By combining the creative and the kinesthetic, LivingDance attends to personal and professional growth. LivingDance combines kinesthetic sensing, Somato-Respiratory Integration™, improvisational dance, authentic movement, and music to: reduce stress tap emotions and sensations that people ordinarily avoid improve relationships with others build self-confidence define boundaries be assertive or intimate without losing one's sense of self create charisma break through creative blocks remain present express oneself authentically through dance, movement, music, writing, and art making synthesizes current knowledge of human development, creativity, dance, counseling, and the body-mind connection. People of all ages and sizes benefit. Neither dance training nor talent is required. LivingDance
Most people had the skills
LivingDance works with before they went to kindergarten. How they got lost varies. LivingDance provides opportunities to reclaim these hidden or lost ways of being in the world. Moreover, everyone can do so at a pace that suits them best.
Dr. Danielle Fraenkel developed
LivingDance after she witnessed the powerful effect creative movement and kinesthetic sensing had on individuals with eating disorders. As she worked, she found specific relationships among natural elements of dance/movement such as breath, muscle connection, shape, pulse, and a range of psychological processes. Using these natural elements, she saw how these body-based parameters and creative dance generated awareness, presence, and identity development. With this in mind, Dr. Fraenkel integrated principles drawn from dance/movement therapy, the Kestenberg Movement Profile, Dr. Donald Epstein's concept of Somato-Respiratory Integration™, theories of identity development, and creative dance. The ultimate result: LivingDance~LivingMusic. Applications & Methods LivingDance methods can be applied to a variety of settings counselor-client teacher-student doctor-patient
Clinicians report
being more aware of the nonverbal communication in their sessions and more comfortable incorporating nonverbal approaches into their work
LivingDance methods have also been applied to
families business interactions presentations performance anxiety creative blocks eating disorders mental illness.
It is as useful for people who feel awkward in their bodies as it is for skilled movers such as dancers and athletes.
Parents describe positive changes in their parenting skills
Educators and student teachers recount taking better control of their classes, being more willing to take creative risks in lesson planning, and feeling better able to understand the impact of boundaries in the classroom.
Attorneys describe feeling more confident and articulate during courtroom hearings.
Nurses report incorporating elements of
LivingDance into their interventions and being better able to express their concerns to the doctors in charge.
Artists report breaking through long term creative blocks.
Methods include improvisation, kinesthetic sensing, authentic movement, somato-respiratory integration, and embodied imagery.
LivingMusic is the latest addition to the LivingDance process. Jeffrey Mehr, MA, plays keyboard and synthesizers. His empathic musical expression relates directly to the process, either as a link to a specific dancer or dancers, or as an extension of the task at hand. Registration (workshops, intensives, professional training)
To register, use our contact form.
If you want to participate in a three day intensive
LivingDance workshop or a 5 day training course to learn how to lead LivingDance sessions send e-mail to kinectionsinfo@kinections.com
For more information visit the following pages:
LivingDance~LivingMusic in Corfu, Greece. LivingDance~LivingMusic in Costa Rica. Kinections℠ Calendar | 4,116 | 1,913 | 0.000529 |
warc | 201704 | Is cooking family meals that one chore that you have begun to dread? Don't let cooking exasperate you! The following piece includes several terrific ideas that will remove any anxiety you have about preparing meals. Make mealtime a source of enjoyment, not exasperation.
You should know a few things before you cook anything on a skewer. If using skewers made of steel or metal, avoid ones with rounded surfaces and try ones with square or beveled designs.
Try going to a library or buying a cook book if you are wanting to cook different foods. Try different recipes until you come up with something that works for you.
It is extremely important to prepare your ingredients before you begin cooking your meal for a group. Gather all of your ingredients well in advance. Prepare everything you need for cooking ahead of time; don't forget the utensils! Having everything ready will take some of the stress off and increase the chances of your success.
If using oil in your cooking, pour it in the pan in an area away from the food. By the time the oil reaches the food it has been heated up and is ready to roll. Doing so will give your cooking the best possible flavor.
Every cook needs access to a set of sharp knives. Make sure your knife is not dull when you are cutting something, this is very dangerous. If you use a dull knife you will need to exert more force to get the job done and run the risk of cutting yourself, whereas with a sharpened knife you can do your prep work easier and quicker.
Soaking raw potatoes for 30 minutes prior to frying will produce the crispiest French fries. A cold water soak helps the potatoes stand up to the rigors of deep fat frying.
Once in awhile, burgers stick to the cooking surface making it nearly impossible to get them off in one piece. Try brushing the grill using vegetable oil prior to cooking so you can avoid sticking.
Preparing healthy vegetables can be easy if you choose to saute them in chicken broth. Not only does it lessen the amount of cooking oil needed as per a traditional saute, the broth adds an extra dimension of flavor to the vegetables. This is a wonderful way to cook, and enjoy, your vegetables.
To prep a pumpkin for cooking, set the pumpkin upright, and then cleave it down the center, effectively cutting it into two halves. Place them on individual baking sheets, cut side down. Put a little water on the sheet and then bake the pumpkin halves for about an hour at 350 degrees.
Try different liquids in recipes calling for water or milk to add some new flavors to your meals. Broth is a great substitute for water, and milk adds delicious flavor and extra nutrition to soups and stews. Other dairy products such as buttermilk or sour cream can be used in place of milk. Using different liquids is an easy way to make an old dish more interesting and more nutritious.
Don't cook with wines that you don't enjoy drinking. Using a wine that you are not familiar with in your food can cause you not to like the flavor that's produced. When in doubt, use a wine designed for cooking.
If you're overwhelmed with dinner prep for the family, try to do some food prep the night prior. You can cut your vegetables, prepare sauces, soup contents an many other things in the evening before you lay down for bed. You'll be less stressed when cooking the following day.
Be sure to save your leftover turkey after Thanksgiving dinner as opposed to pitching it. Try cutting them up, storing them in a container that is airtight, and then place them in the freezer. Turkey remains fresh up to three weeks after being frozen.
Before preparing any sort of dish, you must ensure that your utensils are clean. If there is any food left on the dish after you wash it, it could contaminate the next dish you use it in. Another concern is the potential cost to your health, as you could possibly be exposed to bacteria.
Cooking for your family can become overwhelming and tedious over time, that's a fact. Luckily, you can do a number of things to make cooking simpler. You can take a deep breath and relax when you plan your family's next meal. | 4,116 | 1,970 | 0.00051 |
warc | 201704 | Mesothelioma is a rare type 0f cancer that has devel0ped thr0ugh the exp0sure 0f asbest0s. The lining 0f the vari0us 0rgans like lungs, heart, abd0men and 0ther regi0ns are affected by this disease. Every year ar0und 3000 pe0ple are rep0rted t0 have Mesothelioma. The rate 0f Mesothelioma infected pe0ple is increasing c0nstantly every year. Mesothelioma may take several years t0 devel0p in a pers0n wh0 has been exp0sed t0 asbest0s.
Milli0ns 0f d0llars can be awarded as the best c0mpensati0n t0 a pers0n wh0 has devel0ped Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma lawsuit inv0lves many regulati0ns and pr0cedures t0 receive the c0mpensati0n. A well specialized lawyer wh0 deals with the Mesothelioma case type can help y0u t0 receive a fair c0mpensati0n. There are vari0us law firms wh0 0ffer y0u the best service in receiving a maximum c0mpensati0n.
The 0bservati0ns that 0ne must kn0w bef0re c0nsulting an att0rney are the entire track rec0rd and the success rate 0f the lawyer regarding Mesothelioma, the time taken t0 prepare and filing the case, time taken in y0ur case t0 g0 t0 the trial, additi0nal services 0ffered fr0m the lawyer?s firm like living trust preparati0n and pr0bate services, and the use 0f expert and scientific res0urces f0r the validity 0f y0ur case - which includes the asbest0s identificati0n, w0rksite exp0sure experts, and scientific and medical experts.
An0ther fact0r inv0lved bef0re selecting a law firm is t0 kn0w the pr0spective firms certificati0n with the applicable State Bar Ass0ciati0n. Ensure that the firm d0es n0t have any criminal rec0rds. Kn0w whether the firm has n0 indicati0n in any particular discipline pr0vided fr0m the State Bar licensing auth0rity. Speaking with the past cust0mers will give y0u c0mplete inf0rmati0n 0f the firm; they kn0w whether the service they deliver is satisfact0ry.
Mesothelioma litigati0n c0mpensates the pe0ple wh0 have devel0ped it thr0ugh the exp0sure 0f asbest0s due t0 s0me irresp0nsible firms 0r the distribut0rs 0f asbest0s. Hiring the right lawyer can help y0u in getting the right c0mpensati0n. An asbest0s att0rney can be c0nsulted f0r further litigati0n if the pers0n is adversely affected with Mesothelioma.
There are vari0us t0p law firms that are available. F0r example, the state 0f New Y0rk has C00ney and C0nway, Simm0ns C00per LLC, Lewis and Sch0lnick, and 0thers. Several t0p law firms that are well specialized in Mesothelioma are als0 available in 0ther states. They will strive t0 pr0vide excellent service with maximum c0mpensati0n. | 2,527 | 1,161 | 0.000864 |
warc | 201704 | As concern over the depletion of and environmental consequences over the uses of fossil fuels has grown, nuclear power has enjoyed a rebirth in interest. However, a nuclear renaissance is still fraught with concerns over proliferation, potential depletion of currently economically recoverable uranium supplies, short-term environmental contamination from accidents, and long-term environmental contamination from radioactive wastes. Spent nuclear fuel processing provides an option that increases the amount of energy that can be obtained from uranium supplies while also decreasing long-lived nuclear wastes. However, these benefits come at an increased risk of proliferation of nuclear weapons materials, particularly plutonium.
Nuclear fission creates a host of products, including precipitates containing elements such as rubidium, cesium, palladium, and gold; volatiles such as certain isotopes of xenon and bromine; and oxides containing heavy metals such as cerium and promethium that remain dissolved in the fissile fuel. [1] These products are of concern because they must be separated, transported, and stored as long as they are radioactive to avoid environmental contamination. Separation of these products from the nuclear fuel is also of importance since the once these have been removed from the fuel, the fuel can be reused in a reactor, thus removing more of the energy from the original uranium source. This additional energy recovery can be substantial-up to 25% more of the energy can be recovered from the resource. [2] Nuclear fuel reprocessing is this separation that allows for better storage and disposal of products in addition to improved energy recovery.
The still usable fissile materials are separated from the waste products through series of transformations. First, the lighter fission products are evaporated off and then deposited in glasses for later sequestration in deep underground repositories. [3] The remaining products are then treated through solvent extraction. One of the most prevalent such extraction processes is the Purex process, which involves nitrate ions and organic phosphates. [4] These complex molecules are then treated with water to to produce uranium oxides or mixed oxides (MOX). These oxides can then be placed back in reactors to obtain continue fission to provide more electric power.
This ability to separate plutonium and uranium from fission products raises the prospect that reprocessing could be used to divert nuclear material from peaceful electricity uses to dangerous weapons. In particular, the wide-spread Purex treatment method allows for the separation of pure plutonium from the other fission products. However, the plutonium produced by processing resulting in MOX contains too high of percentages of Pu-240, an isotope that discourages its use in weapons. [6]
Chemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fission material both reduces radioactive waste and increases the utilization of the energy present in the original resource. Though proliferation is a concern, properly managed cycles produce plutonium containing isotopes that discourage the creation of weapons from the separated fissile materials.
© Thomas Parise. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] H. Kleykamp, "The Chemical State of the Fission
Products in Oxide Fuels," J. Nucl. Mat.
131, 221 (1985).
[2] "Spent Fuel Processing Options," International Atomic Energy Agency, TECDOC 1587, August 2008.
[3] C. Madic
et al.,
"Separation of Long-Lived Radionuclides From High Active Nuclear Waste,"
C. R. Physique, 3, 797 (2002).
[4] J.E. Birkitt
et al., "Recent Developments
in the Purex Process for Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing: Complexant Based
Striping for Uranium/Plutonium Separation," Chimia 59, 898
(2005).
[5] R.J. Taylor
et al., "The Applications of
Formo- and Aceto-Hydroxamic Acids in Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing," J.
Alloys and Compounds, 271-273, 534 (1998).
[6] B. Pellaud, "Proliferation Aspects of Plutonium
Recycling," C. R. Physique,
3, 1067 (2002). | 4,237 | 2,011 | 0.000502 |
warc | 201704 | I taught kindergarten for 16 years and was a district k-1 strategist for 2. I have a masters degree in curriculum and instruction from Dallas Baptist and a doctorate in early childhood studies with a minor in curriculum and instruction from the University of North Texas. I am currently working for Dallas ISD as a prek instructional specialist.
I recently found this idea on Pinterest, but had to modify it a bit to meet the needs of our standards. The original idea came from First Grade Wow. A group of teachers and I were brainstorming how to modify it this afternoon to meet our needs and this is what we came up with.
I would not use this lesson as an introductory lesson to area. The play-doh lesson I shared in the making length comparisons post is better suited for introducing the concept.
As with any lesson, I would do this first as a whole group model. In advance, draw lines on posterboard to create large squared graph paper. You will need 2 sheets of posterboard like this. On the first piece of posterboard, color in some of the squares to make an animal. Drawn and color in a different animal on the second piece of posterboard.
Explain to students that they are going to draw animals and then compare them to find out whose animal has more area. Have students tell you what this means and how you will compare the two animals to find out which one has more area.
Model for students how to do the activity below. Then have students work with a partner to complete it on their own.
During your model make sure to review the definition of area, more space, less space, and the same space. You can print 1 inch sheets of graph paper here.
Pair students up. Have each child draw an animal and color it in on their grid paper.
Have students partner share what they need to do to compare their animals to see which one has more area. Call on students to share out their ideas with the class. Have one student cut up their animal into squares.
Then have students work together to lay the cut up squares on top of the animal that was not cut up. Students can simply lay the squares down or glue them down so they will stay.
Guide students through filling out the recording sheet. Have them share their animals with the group and explain which animal has more area, which has less area, or which has the same area. Then have them explain how they know.
Debbie Clement from Rainbows Within Reach recently asked me to do a guest post on another blog she contributes to PreK + K Sharing. In trying to stay in line with the other posts on the blog, I decided to write about teaching young children to draw and why it is so important. To learn more about how I taught my students to draw and to find out how it connected over to their writing, check out my guest post Teaching Children to Draw.
I found these fun caterpillars this week. Love them!! I am not exactly sure how these were created, but I can tell that paper squares were glued down to the egg carton and then painted over. They paper squares have a paper mache affect. I am sure they had to wait for the glue on the squares to dry before painting. Pipecleaners were added to make antenna.
Based on the book Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin, Jr.
I found these books while looking at different websites. They are also too cute!! Find out more about making them from Dutch Kids Crafts.
The kindergartners in my district have been learning about and observing ladybugs. Here is what one campus put together as a kindergarten friendly research unit. This idea could be easily adapted for other animals, insects, or themes.
The kids worked in small groups and rotated through stations. Each station takes about 15-20 minutes. The campus I observed had students do all of the stations in one day. When I used to do ladybug research with my students, I spread the station rotations out over several days or a week.
At this station, students manipulated plastic ladybug lifecycle pieces and recreated the ladybug lifecycle on a paper plate.
At this station, students labeled the parts of the ladybug.
At this station, students used hard drying clay to make ladybugs. When the ladybugs are dry, students will paint them.
At this station, students drew pictures of a ladybug's habitat.
At this station, students look at and read books about ladybugs. Then they rate the books they looked at and read.
At this station, students went to PebbleGo.com and read a book about ladybugs and filled out a fun fact sheet about them.
In Texas, our standards expect kindergartners to make direct comparisons using length, area, and capacity. They do not expect students to measure objects using non-standard units of measure. This is a huge misconception among our teachers because typically they use nonstandard units of measure to have kids make comparisons and skip the steps involved in simply having the kids make direct comparisons using actual objects.
I taught a lesson this week that helped a teacher see why making direct comparisons and asking the right questions are so important to a young child's understanding of measurement. While this teacher thought her students had a good understanding of length because they were able to measure and compare using non-standard units of measure, she saw that they really did not understand what the word length meant, how having common baselines is important, and how one object was not necessarily longer than other just because you moved the position of it.
You can download the complete lesson plan, vocabulary, and key understandings here. I read a book, generated some discussion about length and making comparisons, modeled what I wanted them to do, then had them explore comparing length using play-doh.
I had students compare the length of play-doh snakes. They learned what length means, what a baseline is, and how to compare objects using longer than, shorter than, and the same as. It is important that we not only teach young children what these words mean but that we also have them put these meanings into their own words and use them when explaining their thinking.
I bought the Play-doh Mega Pack from Walmart for $19.99. It has 36 cans of different colored play-doh in it. I let students choose their own color, but asked that they choose a color different from their partner.
My lesson plan includes exploring length and area in one lesson. I found that this was too much. I ended up separating them into two different lessons.
Congratulations Mary from Adventures in Kindergarten!! You are the winner of Learning Resources' HearALL Assessment Recorder!! I will send your contact information to them and your prize should be in the mail to you shortly!! Thanks again to all of you who entered!!
For all of you grant writers out there, Learning Resources is offering you the chance to win a portable and interactive now!Board. Check out all of the details here. You can apply for the grant online through May 22, 2012.
We are always looking for ways to teach our students that they have value and that they can do anything with hard work and practice. We also want our students to learn that when the work gets hard they should persevere, not give up.
Recently, I had the fortune of connecting up with Jason Rago a first grade teacher and the author of Ryan the Spy and: The Superhero Secret. Jason's book Ryan the Spy is perfect for teaching our students these lessons.
We spend so much time during the day teaching our students academic skills that we sometimes forget to stop and include mini-lessons on character traits and behavior. We work to model these things for our students all day everyday, but sometimes it is nice to have a book character that kids can relate to, follow, and learn from.
Ryan the Superhero is the first book in the series. Jason hopes to write more stories about Ryan, making him a meaningful series character that teaches young children unique and valuable life lessons. You can learn more about Jason and his spy character Ryan on his website RyanTheSpy.com and you can purchase your own copy of the book Ryan the Spy here.
A few weeks ago I was thinking about a lesson I was going to teach to a group of kindergartners on firemen and fire safety. I wanted to do something different than your basic lesson on what a fireman does because I knew the firemen were coming for a visit and they would be talking about that.
With the help of my fireman friend, Tim, this is what I came up with....
I started the lesson with the book Big Frank's Fire Truck. This is a great book for showing students all of the different types of things a fireman can do on a 24 hour shift. It talks about how many hours a fireman works on a shift, the different types of trucks that can be at a station, what the station might have, what happens when tones sound and a call comes in, what fireman do while they are not out on emergency calls, and about their uniforms. Out of all of the books on firemen that I have read, this is one of my favorites.
After reading and discussing the book, Tim brought in all of his gear to show the kids. He talked about each piece of his uniform and why it was so important to the job of being a fireman. The kids learned about where he keeps his tools on his uniform, why his helmet is red, how he uses his air tank, special safety features on his uniform pieces, and where he keeps his gear when he is not on a call.
After Tim was done talking with the kids about all of the parts of his uniform, why each part was important, and how his gear was different than the coats, gloves, and boots they had in their own closets, he suited up and let the kids label him.
He put one piece of his gear on at a time while the kids recalled what he needed, what it was called, and why it was important or how it was used. As he added each piece of gear, the kids labeled it. They loved this!!
After he was all suited up he showed the kids how firemen enter homes and buildings that are on fire. Then we talked about fire safety- what to do if their house is on fire and when to call 911.
I followed up the labeling activity with a brace map. This brace map is in Spanish because I was in a dual language classroom. As we put the map together, I had the kids recall the parts of a fireman's uniform and why they are important. As we added each piece to the brace map, we pretended to put that piece of gear on.
The kids loved this lesson! They learned a lot about what a fireman does, fire safety, and the special gear a fireman has to wear when he is on the job. | 10,562 | 4,473 | 0.000225 |
warc | 201704 | Sunday, January 20, 2013
One of the best parts of the American Taxpayer Relief Tax Act of 2012 (ATRA) was that it made the portability provision permanent. According to Forbes, "Starting for deaths in 2011, and now going forward, they can carry over the estate tax exemption of the spouse who died most recently and add it their own." Under the current unified credit, this means that a married couple transfer a total $10.5 together tax-free. In addition, the portability provision has not detracted from the marital deduction, so spouses can still transfer property both during the couple's life and at death without incurring any tax. For couples wishing to take advantage of the portability provision, timing is key. The executor of the decedent's estate must file an estate tax return, even if the decedent will likely not incur an estate tax. The return will be due 9 months after the death of the decedent. There is the possibility of an extension.
The question arises as to whether a person can still transfer a portion of a deceased spouse's exemption without the taxpayer filing the necessary estate tax return because they simply forgot or their attorney was not aware of the portability option. Some experts on this claim that the taxpayer is simply out of luck because the deadline to file the estate tax return was May 1, 2012. A taxpayer could file a 9100 relief, which provides forgiveness for late elections. Unfortunately, it is expensive and basically requires that the professional adviser admit fault. This is not available for the portability election because it has a deadline and 9100 relief is not available in those instances. The only hope is that the IRS might make an exception because its the first year. For attorneys and financial advisors, mistakes like this could be problematic for a client; therefore, it is important for both to inform their clients of the changes in the law to prevent problems like the ones above.
See Deborah L. Jacobs, The Deadline Every Married Person (And Financial Advisor) Needs To Know About, Forbes, Jan. 17, 2013.
Special thanks to
Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/trusts_estates_prof/2013/01/deadlines-every-married-person-needs-to-know.html | 2,315 | 1,192 | 0.000843 |
warc | 201704 | In an effort to meet our growing population, Auraria Library seeks to raise private funds. There are many ways to give a tax-deductible gift to the Auraria Library including cash, credit card, stock, pledge, matching gift, gift-in-kind, or planned gifts. For more information, please contact Cynthia Hashert, Interim Library Director.
Funding Opportunities Director's Opportunity Fund
The Director’s Opportunity Fund provides unrestricted funds for innovative projects and other Library needs. Contributions support organizational responsiveness to emerging ‘greatest needs’ on the unique tri-institutional Auraria campus. Recent initiatives replaced outdated computers, initiated a laptop program, and increased collaborative furniture.
These investments directly advance students’ success in completing assignments, exploring ideas, and achieving dreams.
Construction and Renovation Fund
Auraria Library's Renovation Campaign makes possible a physical and intellectual space designed to spark imagination and exploration on campus and beyond. The past decade has seen two developments that challenge planners to think of the Library as serving a much broader educational role now and in the future. First, rapid changes in technology, especially the growth of the Web, have made it possible to discover information in virtual, as well as physical, space. As a consequence, time formerly spent searching for authoritative sources can now be invested in evaluating and interpreting resources.
Secondly, in response to the exponential increase in both the rate and volume of knowledge creation, changes in higher education now emphasize critical thinking and collaborative learning. Therefore, social spaces for informal learning and groupwork is now recognized as essential to contemporary teaching and learning processes. In response to both these factors, the Auraria Library is currently undergoing a multi-phase renovation. Phase One addressed the priorities identified in a 2009 student need assessment, including collaborative study spaces and upgraded electrical and wifi capacity. In addition, healthy food and beverage café options, informal social meeting places, and new restroom facilities were constructed. Fund raising continues, with the aim of further remodeling this downtown landmark to better advance contemporary teaching, learning, and research activities. | 2,410 | 1,235 | 0.000821 |
warc | 201704 | Jesus commanded His disciples to “Go!” and establish His Kingdom, a calling that continues to challenge every believer today. We are so thankful you’ve joined your heart with us to reach the world with God’s love. Our ability to touch a world in need of spiritual and physical life has been advanced by global media, a multitude of dedicated mission workers and concerned co-laborers in Christ like you.
LIFE TODAY presents a daily opportunity to share the Gospel and also share mission opportunities around the world – this year seeing the work of the Kingdom advanced in 44 nations! It has also been a special year for Betty and me as we celebrated 50 years of love for each other and labor together in ministry. And in that time we have been blessed by so many friends and supporters of LIFE Outreach International who are the key to all that has been accomplished and will be done in the future. It is our joy to present this 2012 Annual Report and show how the contributions of LIFE’s friends help put “love in action” and make a difference in the lives of so many. One of the great joys of life is learning to give, to bless and to help others in need. Giving is our way of sharing the heart of a loving, giving Father who works through us as we yield our lives to Him. It’s truly a blessing to know in so many areas around the world we can say, “LIFE is there because of you.” James and Betty Robison
Founders, LIFE Outreach International
James and Betty, along with their inspirational guests, reach a billion people around the world via broadcast television, cable and satellite transmission. The Gospel is shared every day as the cornerstone to a life of faith and the prayer ministry answers up to 50,000 calls a month from those seeking encouragement, spiritual guidance and prayer.
Sharing Christ in
word and deed.
This is our 24th year of Mission Feeding, and we currently feed 420,000 children in five nations of Africa. This outreach has helped save the lives of 11 million children and continues to be a “promise of life” to children without a source of food. The nutritious soup provides fortified minerals and vitamins and is a first response effort to ward off malnutrition.
Feeding the hungry.
Another 500 wells will become life sourcesby providing clean water for communities around the world. Clean water is the vital first step to a better, healthier future. Since 2000 the Water for LIFE outreach has helped drill and establish 3,754 wells, most capable of serving up to 1,000 villagers.
Giving clean water.
LIFE Centers are established to create life-long solutions for areas in need. While most are full-time orphanages, others are used as community churches and training centers, food factories or medical clinics. Twelve LIFE Centers are staffed by full-time mission workers and currently located in Albania, Angola, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, India, Mozambique, Romania, Rwanda, Thailand and two in Ukraine.
Helping the orphans.
The targeting of children and young women for forced labor and prostitution is a global problem. This ministry seeks to reach, rescue and restore girls in Thailand, Cambodia, India and 10 other nations. Many of our LIFE Centers can provide shelter for at-risk children, and educational awareness campaigns are a key part of this outreach in all areas where it serves.
Rescuing for life.
Again this year, support from friends of LIFE will make it possible to distribute 200,000 pairs of shoes to impoverished children. Now in its sixth year, the Christmas Shoe Project has given away 1.2 million pairs of shoes in dozens of nations around the world. New shoes for children who have never owned a pair become a prized possession and provide comfort and protection for their feet all year.
Blessing the children.
An Overview of Ministry Stewardship
LIFE Outreach International is a Christian organization dedicated to sharing the transforming truth of God’s love in word and deed. The ministry encourages the support of missions and relief programs in areas of need throughout the world. Utilizing the tremendous potential of broadcast media to fulfill the mission, LIFE Outreach inspires believers to share the promise of life and hope with others.
This part of LIFE Outreach’s expenses includes, but is not limited to, constituent letters and newsletters. Over 35% of this allocation is television airtime and production devoted to sharing areas of need and reports related to fundraising through media.
Expenses include, but are not limited to, staff salaries, employee health insurance, building needs and general office expenses.
LIFE Outreach International maintains a high standard of financial responsibility and accountability. The organization strives to keep all costs to a minimum, while maximizing the dollar in ministry and mission outreaches.
The ministry is governed by a seven-member Board of Trustees. In addition to James and Betty Robison, the remaining board members are non-family, independent businessmen who serve without compensation.
Board of Trustees:
James Robison, Chairman Betty Robison, Secretary Greg Almond, Businessman, Whitewright, TX John Ring, Businessman, Franklin, TN Tom Brandon, Attorney, Fort Worth, TX J.L. Shaver, Businessman, Azle, TX Terry Moore, Pastor of Sojourn Church, Carrollton, TX Daily operations are overseen by the executive staff: Jim Rogers Executive Vice President Bruce Jacobson Vice President of Media Joyce Gardiner Vice President of Administration 2012 Year-End Income & Expense Report
The ministry undergoes an extensive annual audit performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) with financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). A copy of this audit is available upon request. James Robison and the employees of LIFE Outreach International receive compensation, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, based upon independent wage and salary surveys. All contributions to the ministry and mission outreaches are important. Donations of any size are vital and will be used to their maximum purchasing power in North America and abroad.
LIFE Outreach International is a 20-year member of the Evangelical Council for Accountability (ECFA) and complies with their established standards of fundraising and administration practices. | 6,438 | 3,001 | 0.000339 |
warc | 201704 | RUDY ACEVEDO, Complainant
OSHKOSH CORPORATION, Respondent
An administrative law judge (ALJ) for the Equal Rights Division of the Department of Workforce Development issued a decision in this matter. A timely petition for review was filed.
The commission has considered the petition and the positions of the parties, and it has reviewed the evidence submitted to the ALJ. Based on its review, the commission agrees with the decision of the ALJ, and it adopts the findings and conclusion in that decision as its own.
The decision of the administrative law judge (copy attached) is affirmed.
Dated and Mailed
March 29, 2012
aceveru . rsd : 164 :
BY THE COMMISSION:
/s/ Robert Glaser, Chairperson
/s/ Ann L. Crump, Commissioner
/s/ Laurie R. McCallum, Commissioner
In his petition for commission review the complainant attempts to supplement the hearing record with factual assertions and exhibits that were not introduced at the hearing. The complainant also attempts to raise new allegations, such as age discrimination, that were not part of his original complaint and that were not heard by the administrative law judge. By law the commission is required to base its review solely upon the evidence that was presented at the hearing before the administrative law judge. It will, therefore, neither consider nor address those factual assertions and documents which the complainant could have submitted at the hearing, but has presented for the first time with his petition for review. Similarly, the commission will not consider additional allegations that are not part of the complaint and that were not addressed at the hearing. The sole issues before the commission are whether the complainant was discriminated against in the terms or conditions of his employment (i.e. harassed) and/or discharged based upon his race, and the commission's decision is limited to a review of the evidence adduced at the hearing as it pertains to those allegations. Based upon its independent review of the record, the commission agrees with the administrative law judge that the complainant failed to show probable cause to believe that he was discriminated against in the manner alleged.
The requirements to establish a case of race-based harassment were laid out in
Valentin v. Clear Lake Ambulance Service, ERD Case No. 8902551 (LIRC Feb. 26, 1992), in which the commission stated, in relevant part:
. . . an employer cannot be found responsible for racial or religious harassment unless it is carried out directly by the employer or, if carried out by co-employes, the employer knows or should reasonably know of it and fails to take reasonable action to prevent it.
Crear
v. LIRC, 114 Wis. 2d 537, 542, 339 N. W. 2d 350 (Ct. App. 1983). It is also well established as a matter of law that the occasional and sporadic use of racial slurs, albeit deplorable, may still not rise to the level of a violation of law.
See, Saltarikos v. Charter Wire Corp. (LIRC, July 31, 1989). . . .
In this case, the complainant alleges that he was harassed by co-workers. The respondent learned about the matter the same day, and then took reasonable and prompt steps to address the situation and prevent further such conduct. It cannot be seriously argued that the respondent's actions in counseling the individuals involved and suspending them for a week without pay, putting one of them on a three-month probation, notifying the complainant that the matter was taken care of and advising him that any repeated conduct should be reported, offering him an opportunity to transfer to a different facility, and giving the complainant three days off work with pay while it conducted its investigation did not constitute a reasonable attempt to address the objectionable conduct. It is hard to see what more the respondent could or should have done.
Moreover, the harassment to which the complainant was subjected fell short of creating a hostile or intolerable work environment for which the respondent could be held liable. The complainant alleged a single instance of race-based conduct which, while serious enough to warrant the respondent's intervention, was not aggravated or egregious, and was perpetrated by individuals with whom the complainant had gotten along in the past and who were sincerely apologetic about their conduct. Although it is clear from his petition that this matter has had a great emotional effect on the complainant, the fact remains that this case involves an isolated incident that was not severe and that was promptly and appropriately addressed by the employer. Under the circumstances, the commission can see no probable cause to believe that the complainant was discriminated against in the terms and conditions of his employment, as alleged.
With respect to the allegation that the complainant was discharged based upon his race, it seems clear from the record that the reason the complainant was discharged was that he missed three consecutive days of work without notice to the respondent. While in his petition the complainant contends that he called the respondent on March 26, 2008, to report his absence, but the respondent cut him off deliberately and did not record the phone call, the commission does not find that argument persuasive. The respondent credibly testified that it never received any contact from the complainant during his last three days of absence. Moreover, even accepting the complainant's assertion that he attempted to report an absence on March 26, but was cut off, the discharge letter instructed the complainant to tell the respondent if he had a legitimate reason for failing to provide notice of his absences, and the complainant did not do so. The record contains absolutely no evidence to suggest that the respondent's decision to discharge the complainant was based on anything other than its legitimate belief that he had failed to report an absence for three consecutive work days. Consequently, there is no probable cause to believe that the complainant was discharged because of his race.
NOTE:
In his petition the complainant requests a new hearing on the ground that the transcript of the original hearing is incomplete and inaccurate because certain portions of the testimony were inaudible. However, the fact that some portions of the digital recording are inaudible is not a circumstance requiring a new hearing. The hearing office was able to prepare a synopsis of the hearing, and the complainant has not shown that the synopsis contains material omissions or inaccuracies. Moreover, even if the complainant could have made such a showing, his remedy would have been to request the commission to prepare a transcript and to base its review upon the transcript rather than the synopsis.
See Wis. Admin. Code § LIRC 1.04(4). Dated and mailed
cc:
Attorney John Haase
[ Search ER Decisions ] - [ ER Decision Digest ] - [ ER Legal Resources ] - [ LIRC Home Page ] uploaded 2012/06/15 | 6,966 | 3,008 | 0.000334 |
warc | 201704 | The labor law posters comprise of some important points that constitute the fundamental rights of the employees of any business organization. To publish the important points in a poster is very important the complete the labor law poster. The poster will look incomplete without the important core points. The most important thing that should be mentioned in the labor law posters is the criteria of the minimum wages. The criteria of the minimum wages is decided according to the law of that country thus it is very important to mention the minimum wage criteria in the labor law posters.
There are various publishing companies available in the market that would be agreed easily to publish the labor law posters of your business organization. The labor law posters can be published on any kind of paper according to your need at budget. It is very important that all the important point must be visible on the labor law posters. To make a consult with the higher official is very important before publishing the labor law posters as it would also be very helpful to avoid the confusion from the minds of your employees. The labor law posters are very important to create awareness among the employees of an organization. The wages of the employees can vary according to the place, tips and the age of the workers. The act of the mental and physical harassment is also bee considered under the labor law posters. These labor law posters must set at the place where any one can easily view these posters. The discrimination done by any organization or the management of that organization would not be avoided. There are many laws under the labor law poster that can help the employer and the employee both. The laws made it very clear that the person found the guilty will not be avoided as some hard action would be surely taken against him. If you are confused on the matter of the labor law poster then you can take the help of the legal advisers. The experts and the experienced bloggers are also available online to guide you on the matter of the safety posters. | 2,070 | 847 | 0.001182 |
warc | 201704 | Learn 12 signs of
meningitis and maybe save a life
PEOPLE of all ages in the
Lisburn area are being urged to learn 12 signs and symptoms of
meningitis this Christmas as the winter brings with it an expected
increase in cases.
Staff at Meningitis Trust are preparing for their busiest time of
the year and their message to everybody is learn at least one
symptom for each of the 12 days of Christmas to help protect
yourself against meningitis.
Symptoms include fever,
headache, stiff neck, light aversion, drowsiness, joint pain,
vomiting, diarrhoea, fitting, rash, high-pitched cry and a bulging
fontanelle.
Symptoms can appear in any order and may not all appear at once.
Meningitis Trust chief executive Philip Kirby explained: "From now
until spring we traditionally see more cases of meningitis and
septicaemia. The symptoms can so easily look like other less
harmful conditions. Parents and individuals need to look for the
symptoms and monitor any changes in the patients' condition. Minutes
matter with meningitis."
Parents Emma and David Bryon are urging people of all ages to learn
symptoms.
After celebrating their first Christmas as parents their 10 month
old son Charlie contracted meningitis and died on New Year's Day.
David said: "Christmas is a time when families get together and we
are urging everybody to be aware that meningitis is a danger and can
kill in hours.
"We wish everyone a peaceful Christmas but if someone falls ill
knowing the symptoms could save a life."
Nurses on the Meningitis Trust 24-hour helpline are available all
year round for information and support on 0845 6000 800.
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Print This Page | 1,677 | 903 | 0.001134 |
warc | 201704 | At least once in their lifetime, most of the women experience white chunky discharge, irritated, burning and itching that signifies a vaginal yeast infection. However, yeast infection is not a big problem, you only have to visit a pharmacy, take counter yeast infection and the problem is solved.
But, the OTC treatment does not work for many people, or it only works temporarily which means the yeast infection actually recurs within a several weeks or months. Here are some powerful ways to get at the root of the yeast infection for good if you are one of these unfortunate ones.
Symptoms of Vaginal Yeast Infection:
The most important thing is, “is it really yeast?” If the infection came back clear, then it would be perfect to repeat the lab test because sometimes mistakes are made, these tests are not fool proof.
Irritation, burning, itching, and discharge signify vaginal irritation. You should also look for another possible reason such as hormone imbalances, vaginal dryness, allergies to spermicides or latex condoms, food sensitivities, bacterial overgrowth and even allergies to semen.
If vaginal swabs showed symptoms improved with yeast treatment, but the infection came back, then next question is “why is your system so receptive to yeast?” However, there are some possible ways to explore with your doctor (naturopathic):
Reasons for Recurring Yeast Infection: Here are some important reasons for recurring vaginal yeast infection:
- Sexual transmitted reinfection
- Changes in your vaginal pH throughout your menstrual cycle - Anti-fungal resistance - Iron deficiency – Anemia - Use of vaginal hygiene products –like bubble bath and douches that alter the vaginal pH - A weakened immune system - Disordered glucose metabolism - Diabetes - Inadequate progesterone production - Antibiotics - Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and birth control pills - Pregnancy
A naturopathic physician will help you to restore healthy vaginal and digestive tract flora, balance hormones, improve the function of the immunity for lasting improvement from recurring yeast infection and correct iron deficiency.
Source: Cure Joy
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warc | 201704 | Deer Tick The black-legged tick, or deer tick, is known to transmit Lyme disease to humans and other animals. Being aware of the tick's ability to transmit the disease and taking precautions to prevent infection is a good strategy for preventing Lyme disease. Other species of ticks have not been shown to transmit the Lyme disease bacterium.
In the northeastern and northcentral United States, the black-legged tick (or deer tick,
Ixodes scapularis) transmits Lyme disease to humans and other animals. This transmission occurs when an infected tick bites a human or other animal and passes on the Borrelia burgdorferibacterium. This bacterium is responsible for Lyme disease and normally lives in mice, squirrels, and other small animals.
Deer ticks live for two years and have three feeding stages: larvae, nymph, and adult. When a young deer tick feeds on an infected animal, the tick takes the bacterium into its body along with the blood it consumes. The bacterium then lives in the tick's gut. If the insect feeds again, it can transmit the bacterium to its new host. Usually, the new host is another small rodent, but sometimes the new host is a human.
Most cases of human illness occur in the late spring and summer when the tiny deer tick nymphs are most active and human outdoor activity is greatest.
Although adult deer ticks often feed on deer, these animals do not become infected with Lyme disease. However, deer still play an important role in transporting ticks and maintaining tick populations.
In the Pacific coastal United States, Lyme disease is spread by the western black-legged tick (
Ixodes pacificus). Other tick species found in the United States have not been shown to transmit Borrelia burgdorferi. | 1,735 | 794 | 0.001266 |
warc | 201704 | The curriculum isn't the only thing that's green at Richmond's first planned charter school. The Patrick Henry School of Sciences and Art has been awarded a $471,800 federal grant that goes a long way toward greening the school's bank account.
Word of the grant, which came last week, means the school is nearing its critical first-year fundraising goal. The first installment of the three-year grant -- for $114,850 -- when added to the $30,000 in individual donations puts the school within about $30,000 of raising its target of $175,000.
“Obviously this grant takes us oh, so close,” says the school's board president, Deb Butterworth. “It won't take very much more to take us up over the top.”
The money, awarded through a federal grant specifically designed to aid charter school startup efforts, comes with specific earmarks, which include the first few months of salary needed to hire a principal for the school. Though staff salaries at the school, according to the school's contract with Richmond Public Schools, are paid primarily by the school system, a roughly three-month preparation period prior to the school's opening had until now remained unfunded, Butterworth says.
“It takes that worry off of our shoulders,” she says. “We know where the principal's salary is going to come from. This was created specifically for those kinds of startup costs.”
Butterworth says the school's board is on track to hire a principal early next year.
Additionally, the grant pays $21,000 toward necessary work to make the 87-year-old school building compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. That money covers the estimated $12,000 needed for a chair lift to provide access to upper floors, as well as various funds for signage, ramps and science lab fixtures.
Also included is money for teacher training, specifically to integrate the school's green curriculum into regular course materials.
In September, the school announced a separate $100,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Those funds don't apply to the overall school startup fundraising goal because they are earmarked specifically for green initiatives that compliment the school's curriculum. | 2,244 | 1,148 | 0.000891 |
warc | 201704 | In addition to the flat leather and fabric belts used in belt drives of the early 1900s, industry used hemp or wire rope running in grooved pulleys. These rope systems inspired development of the rubber V-belt, which first appeared in the 1920s. V-belts make use of a wedging action between belt and sheave, thereby developing high driving forces with considerably less belt tension than required by flat belts. This feature reduces loads on bearings. Also, V-belts inherently track better than flat belts and, thus, do not have to be aligned as carefully.
When V-belts first appeared, most applications were for large industrial drives typically requiring 10 to 15 belts between a single pair of shafts. Thus, belts for these industrial drives became known as "multiple" belts, and today they are referred to as "classical multiple" or "heavy-duty conventional" belts. V-belts and sheaves have been standardized, with letter designations running from A through E. These standard sizes are recognized worldwide.
Classical multiple V-belts offer the broadest range of power ratings and generally are the first type of belt drive considered. They are readily available from local distributors and engineered and rated for long, low-maintenance service. Their only drawback when compared with more modern designs is relatively high weight and space requirements. The belt, being of heavy construction, generates high centrifugal forces that place relatively low limits on top speed. Also, the thickness of the belt limits bend radius, thus requiring the need for relatively large sheaves. In practice, these constraints rarely are serious limitations.
Most manufacturers offer two lines of multiple classical belts. One is the "standard" classification based on a fabric-wrapped construction. The wrap provides a protective envelope that tends to prevent damage and prolong life. The other classification is the "premium" or nonwrapped construction. The advantage of this design is that for a given standard size, none of the cross section is allocated to a wrap; thus, the total section consists of working tensile material. This allows rating belts of nonwrapped construction at higher power, section for section.
The lack of wrap makes a belt more vulnerable to damage; therefore, wrapped construction can be thought of as a more conservative selection. In OEM applications, however, service conditions tend to be well defined, and drive systems normally undergo thorough analysis and rigorous testing. Thus, these applications tend to favor nonwrapped construction, where the higher power rating can be used safely by virtue of the thorough engineering applied to possible environmental effects on the belt.
Belts for in-plant use, in contrast, are normally selected according to simple catalog ratings or to fit existing sheaves. Little, if any, attention is given to life testing or environmental effects, so wrapped construction is recommended.
Belts of nonwrapped construction, sometimes called bandless or raw-edge belts, are made with cogs or molded notches on the underside. Cogged belts permit more severe bends, thus allowing operation over smaller pulleys. Belts of standard wrapped construction are not available cogged because the protective envelope is both difficult to manufacture in cog form and also prevents severe bends. Notched belts are more expensive than those having a flat base. However, because they have a higher load-carrying capacity and run on less-expensive, smaller-diameter pulleys, the drive may require fewer notched belts.
Classical V-belts are frequently used individually, particularly in A and B sizes, smallest of the five cross sections. The larger sections, C, D, and E, generally are not used in single-belt drives because of certain cost penalties and inefficiencies encountered when scaling drives upward. The economics are such that for equivalent ratings, multiple belt drives based on A or B sections usually cost less than single-belt drives with C, D, or E sections. | 4,036 | 1,851 | 0.000543 |
warc | 201704 | At the very least this is in the top five most important economic policies and yes it is from India:
D-day is 18 days away. On January 1, the Congress-led UPA government will start migrating the delivery of welfare services to a new architecture: straight into an individual’s bank account, verified by a unique identification (UID) number called Aadhaar.
It’s a soft launch. The first of the three stages will unravel in 43 districts where a large percentage of people have bank accounts and Aadhaars. Also, in the programmes earmarked for stage I, worth about Rs 20,000 crore, transfers to bank accounts is already happening; what will change is that they will now be linked to the Aadhaar number to reduce, if not eliminate, duplication.
The complexity of the exercise will increase manifold as more of India is covered in the other two stages, in April 2013 and April 2014. This will also increase as more programmes are added, especially food, oil, fertiliser and employment. In full flow, the money flowing through those pipes could go up to Rs 300,000 crore. So, is the government ready?
This will likely prove part of a much larger move to a reliance on cash transfers and conditional cash transfers. Eyescans will be used to create unique identification numbers for individuals and in theory 800 million people will be enrolled in this program over the next fifteen months. (Don’t count on that pace.) The government is easing the procedural barriers to creating bank accounts. I am mostly hopeful although I do worry about privacy issues, this kind of identification becoming a more generally used network, and government misuse of the information. | 1,679 | 906 | 0.001118 |
warc | 201704 | State of the arts in SA
The recent scandal surrounding South Africa’s participation in the Venice Biennale sets the scene for some hard questions that need to be asked about the arts in South Africa.
Not the usual questions of opaque decision making, lax administration, arbitrary planning, alleged corruption and nepotism, but bigger issues.
What is the role of government in art in South Africa? What value does our country and society place on art?
South Africa has been blessed disproportionately with spectacular talent, and yet on so many levels at home it remains a backwater. How do we explain this anomaly?
The reasons are political and economic.
Generally, there are two economic models that govern the arts. Where the arts are expected to recover their own costs, commercial work with little artistic merit often dominates. Where subsidy and government funding for the arts is generous, the arts often lapse into a different kind of mediocrity — that of self-indulgence and public insignificance.
Examples of both can be found in South Africa. Neither model should ever win the argument outright; a healthy tension should be maintained, but not one that strangles talent.
Unfortunately, South Africa’s mixed economy — an often nightmarish chimera of neo-liberal globalised capitalism and dirigiste, developmental state — has left the economy of the arts (and so much else in the country, such as the very energy of the economy — electricity) decommissioned, having fallen between these two stools.
Blind leading the blind
To put it simply, on the one hand the arts have been abandoned to the market economy; on the other hand, the present government funding model for the arts has many shortcomings.
On the political side, the biggest problem (in this critic’s view) is that with a few notable exceptions those in charge of the arts haven’t got a clue about the arts. Decisions are therefore based in ignorance. Other factors — ideological or personal connections — become instrumental.
The department of arts and culture (DAC) is often given over to sinecure positions and is a political dead end, whereas it should be vital and tied to the department of trade and industry and to foreign affairs, as happens elsewhere in the world.
The fact that there is no proper working relationship between the SABC and the DAC is bizarre and frankly scandalous despite the fine sentiments voiced by then Minister Pallo Jordan in 2007. Instead, the DAC’s annual report boastfully informs how it set up TV screens for the public to watch soccer.
Our arts bureaucrats are also well known for their junkets abroad where they “promote” South Africa, but are totally unproductive as far as I can establish. They tend to huddle instead of network.
The whole approach by government stems from the top-down legacy of the Mbeki years, which we still suffer under as a country, and not only in the arts.
Government favours “managers” who don’t know the industry. They waste their tenure flailing about trying to get up to speed. They hold absurd izimbizo where questions are not answered, advice never taken. Top management is also very unstable; the moment an official finally becomes known there is a change of guard to the next uninformed bureaucrat.
As one leading figure in the industry remarked, ask any of the top officials to name three South African playwrights or three of anything — leading artists, directors, choreographers, composers, dancers, fine artists — and they won’t be able to.
It is ironic then when government regularly expresses its immense pride in the international accolades achieved by South African artists it had never heard of before nor ever supported.
Unlike any other minister, the minister of arts and culture has only one job: to dole out cash to the best funding proposal writers, which one hastily adds are often a set apart from the best writers. He doesn’t have to set industry standards, license mineral rights, battle public sector unions, draw up educational curricula and so on. He dishes out money, or rather the promises of money.
The DAC seems to have now become a conservative heritage project, leaving funding for the active arts increasingly to the lottery to sort out, while scandalous decisions in the allocation of funds are par for the course at provincial level.
False starts, broken promises
Government should be concerned about “capacity building” and developing the industry, but as present structures stand, there doesn’t seem to be a natural fit between what the department ought to be doing and what it is set up to do.
It is bedevilled by too many reporting agencies, which have insufficient autonomy, and of which many are not core functions. Nor does it have the resources to service them properly (the department has a 28% vacancy rate). The result is a long list of dead end projects.
If it had any imagination, the DAC could be incentivising transformation; making interventions; leading with innovative policy; working with other departments to nurture and develop, deepen and enrich the arts; keeping those who have proved their worth afloat in difficult times.
The arts hold the potential to mop up large pools of educated but unemployed people prepared to work cheap. Almost nothing has been done on these fronts for 17 years. Now we have Mzansi’s Golden Economy plan for the arts on which the jury is still out.
In the DAC’s core activity of engaging in questionable expenditure and doling out money, it spends hundreds of millions on buildings (theatres, museums, etc) but with diminishing returns inside them.
A crucial body is the National Arts Council, which is meant to fund craft, theatre, dance, music, literature and the visual arts nationally has a piffling R49-million budget for this purpose (more is spent on Artscape in a year).
It is no exaggeration to say that for the vast majority of South African artists, the DAC is utterly irrelevant.
Communication with its constituency is poor. One common complaint is the loss of documents; I know of a recent case where a project had to resubmit its application file five times. The current minister may be suave and speak with elevated rhetoric, but that is not what people experience when attempting to engage with the department.
The timelines and budgeting are far too short for any serious projects, never mind for projects to engage with the world outside where international institutions plan four years in advance.
When funding finally does come through, the contract as one practitioner put it “isn’t worth the paper it is written on”. The DAC notoriously runs out of money. Nobody in their right mind is prepared to bridge finance on promissory letters from the DAC.
And what is the response of the arts community? They behave as if they are as powerless as babies. | 6,969 | 3,338 | 0.000307 |
warc | 201704 | What Is A Computer Network? Essay, Research Paper
What is a computer network? In simple terms, a computer network is a group of connected computers that allow the sharing of information and equipment. The most ordinary network is made up of two computers connected by some kind of cable in order to exchange information more quickly and efficiently. A standalone computer is very useful to many businesses, but without a network, those businesses would have to spend twice the amount of money then they would have to by having a network. A network allows many computers and peripheral devices such as printers and facsimile machines to be connected to each other. The two primary benefits of computer networking are sharing devices and data sharing.
There are two basic types of networks: peer-to-peer and server-based. On a peer-to-peer network, any computer can act as a server to share resources with other machines and as a client to access resources from other machines. On the other hand, server-based networks require a server computer whose job is to respond to requests for services or resources from clients elsewhere on the network. Server-based networks are used in many and most organizations today. Although there is much advantage to server-based networks such that it centralizes user accounts and eases maintenance with a lot less need for administration, there are some disadvantages as well. One of the greatest and most common disadvantages is server failure. When the server fails, the whole system is considered useless until the server is fixed. That may cut down productivity and rise expenses. As well, in order to cut down on server failure special-purpose server software and hardware and expert staff is required. This may also rise expenses, but in the long run it may turn out to be very profitable.
Before all this is said and done, a network layout in other words the topology of the network must be determined. The term topology not only refers to the physical layout but how the computers, cables and other resources communicate with each other. There are three basic types of topologies: bus, ring, and star. A bus topology consists of computers connected along a single cable segment. This cable segment is referred to as a backbone. A bus topology is the most common method for connecting computers. However there is one major drawback, a single cable break can terminate the whole network. This goes for the ring topology method as well. The ring topology networks are constructed when a cable, forming a circle connects all the computers to each other. The ring topology uses something called token passing. This is a method of sending data within the ring. When a computer sends a file for example, it travels through the ring until it reaches its destination point. Each computer is given an equal chance to send data; therefore none of the computers can occupy the network. But as everything else has a flaw, so does a ring topology network. The entire network will fail if one computer in the ring fails, unless it is in a dual-ring network, where the network can operate around a failure. At last, a star topology is used when a hub connects all the computers together. A hub is a central unit that is used to retransmit a signal, which is sent from one computer to another. If the hub fails, the network fails. Contrariwise, if one computer fails, it does not have an affect on the network. That is a vital advantage to the star topology.
The cables that connect all the computers together are frequently referred to as the networking media. There are many types of cables in the market today, but the three most commonly used are coaxial, fiber-optic and twisted-pair (TP) cable. Coaxial cable, coax for short, consists of two types: thin Ethernet (thinnet) and thick Ethernet (thicknet). There are many differences between thinnet and thicknet such as the maximum length of cable, bend radius, cost, etc. Over all, thinnet is a better choice out of the two. It is much more simple and flexible but shorter reach. Fiber-optic cable is an excellent networking media but very expensive as well. Fiber-optic cable eliminates any possibility of electronic eavesdropping, since no electric signals can ever pass though the cable. The maximum cable length is anywhere from 2 kilometers to 100 kilometers. Unlike coax thinnet and thicknet cables that have a maximum range of 185 to 500 meters respectively. Fiber-optic cable is very complicated to install, and is also very sensitive to strain and bending. In addition, there is also the cost factor that s been already mentioned. All of this combined makes it a poor choice when compared to other options, such as TP. There are two basic types of twisted-pair cable: unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and shielded twisted pair (STP). Even though the maximum length of a UTP segment is 100 meters, it is the most common structure of cabling as well the least expensive. It is very easy to install and it s not a subject to bend limitations.
As already mentioned, having a network is a time and money saver. And more and more organizations are entering The Wireless World. Wireless networking has grown very rapidly in the past few years, the well-known Internet for example. Having mentioned that, there probably isn t a need to explain how much the technology has advanced and how important computer networking is to this advancement. | 5,427 | 2,356 | 0.000425 |
warc | 201704 | Yesterday Idaho Governor Butch Otter released a scathing opinion accusing the press of a lack of civility and glossing over the facts when reporting on his proposed budget cuts this year. Quoting John Adams saying "facts are stubborn things," the opinon disputes claims that he wanted to cut funding for public schools and shut down seven state agencies.
But Governor Otter is trying to have it both ways.
In January, in an election year and facing "breathtaking" budget shortfalls, Otter attempted to veer back to his libertarian, government-shaking roots by proposing weaning some agencies off government funding. When those agencies turned out to be popular and his ideas widely criticized, even by traditionally very conservative editorial boards, he now says he really didn't mean it.
Otter's recently penned opinion lambastes media criticism of his budget plans, essentially claiming that he had no choice but to propose cutting public education budgets and denying that it was his intention to "shut down State parks and the Department of Parks and Recreation, Idaho Public Television, the Idaho Human Rights Commission, the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs, the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the State Independent Living Council."
He says that zeroing out these agency budgets over four years was an "effort to nudge those agencies toward the greater efficiency we need, or give them the chance to find alternative funding methods."
He continues:
It was not an artful process. That’s a fair criticism. However, I did not propose closing any parks or eliminating any agencies. I did not propose “a batch of half-baked plans to zero out small but politically popular state services.” [
Idaho Statesman] I did not ignore “hidden costs.” [ Spokesman-Review] My approach was not, “If it brings joy to people, government has no business doing it.” [ Boise Weekly] And I am not trying “to run parks or public TV on the cheap.” [ Idaho Statesman]
Facts
are stubborn things.
The governor would like to believe that criticism of his budget plan, including eliminating general fund revenue for popular state agencies, is unfounded but what did the governor expect people to believe when he said in his 2010 State of the State and Budget Address that his proposals for "sweeping changes" in State government were "meant to be permanent?"
Here is what he said then:
With that in mind, let me say again that the budget recommendations I bring you today are based on the fact that it is not State government’s money. It is the people’s money.
As a result, these recommendations are responsibly conservative.
They were developed with great care, deliberation and a full understanding of their consequences – real and perceived.
And they provide for a balanced budget, as our Idaho Constitution so wisely requires.
My recommendations include some sweeping changes to the way we do business in State government.
Those changes are meant to be permanent – based on a philosophy of government that recognizes our responsibility to individual Idahoans rather than to government itself.
I believe they represent what can and must be achieved within the realities we face, and to more closely align our government with its properly limited role.
He didn't say anything about "nudging" state agencies toward efficiencies as he now claims was his intention.
No. In fact he made his intentions quite clear.
There Otter is saying that some functions of current state government don't fit within his limited-government philosophy and should be realigned. Although he didn't explicitly state what agencies he believes fall outside that philosophy, he made it perfectly clear in his budget proposal—by phasing out their general fund revenue.
And he said that the decision to do so was "developed with great care, deliberation and a full understanding of their consequences." Only after being widely criticized for that decision does he concede that it was "not an artful process."
Facts
are stubborn things.
Here is what the governor wrote in his fiscal year 2011 budget highlights:
The Governor’s recommendation fully integrates several legislative priorities that his office plans to advance during the 2010 legislative session, including the beginning of a four-year phase out of General Fund support for:
Human Rights Commission State Independent Living Council Developmental Disabilities Council Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission Hispanic Commission Idaho Public Television
The Governor’s recommendation includes the elimination of the Department of Parks and Recreation, with park maintenance being transferred to the Department of Lands and the fees portion being transferred to the Department of Fish and Game. The combination will result in fiscal year savings of $10 million with ongoing savings of $7 million annual. The goal is to ensure the continued operation of Idaho parks for residence [sic] and visitors.
Governor Otter can state that he "did not propose ... eliminating any agencies" but it wouldn't be true. He did--explicitly when he recommended eliminating Parks and Rec and implicitly when he said those other six agencies weren't worthy of taxpayer funding by eliminating general fund support for them.
Governor Otter can be the ax-wielding, limited government budget cutter or he can be the amiable, efficiency seeking budget nudger. He can't be both.
Governor Otter can criticize the critics but facts are stubborn things and his criticism embarrassingly epitomizes "hoist with his own petard." | 5,709 | 2,505 | 0.000409 |
warc | 201704 | In order to have efficient workouts, your body needs to have enough testosterone. What if your T levels are running low, though? What can you do? OH NO! EVERYONE PANIC. No…wait…don’t panic. If your testosterone levels are getting low, you can fix it easily with the
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This increase in testosterone is also what is responsible for the libido increase with Endurotest. Having more sexual desire, as well as more endurance and energy helps you perform better in the bedroom. That can give you an edge when it comes to gettin’ a little freaky, because you’ll be able to deliver toe-curling performances that will leave your partner craving more. Sounds pretty great, yeah?
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Muscle Building Review search terms: how to use endurotest (1) | 3,137 | 1,514 | 0.000683 |
warc | 201704 | The Republican Party in the Age of Roosevelt
Sources of Anti-Government Conservatism in the United States
Publication Year: 2014
Elliot Rosen's
Hoover, Roosevelt, and the Brains Trustfocused on the transition from the Hoover administration to that of Roosevelt and the formulation ofthe early New Deal program. Roosevelt, the Great Depression, and the Economics of Recoveryemphasized long-term and structural recovery programs as well as the 1937–38recession. Rosen’s final book in the trilogy, The Republican Party in the Age ofRoosevelt, situates distrust of the federal government and the consequent transformationof the party. Domestic and foreign policies introduced by the Roosevelt administration createddivision between the parties. The Hoover doctrine, which sought to restrict the reach of independentagencies at the federal level in order to restore business confidence and investment, intended toreverse the New Deal and to curb the growth of federal functions.
In his new book, Elliot Rosen holds that economic thought regarding appropriate functions of the federal government has not changed since the Great Depression. The political debate is still being waged between advocates for direct intervention at the federal level and those for the Hoover ethic with its stress on individual responsibility. The question remains whether preservation of an unfettered marketplace and our liberties remain inseparable or whether enlarged governmental functions are required in an increasingly complex national and global environment. By offering a well-researched account of the antistatist and nationalist origins not only of the debate over legitimate federal functions but also of the modern Republican Party, this book affords insight into such contemporary political movements as the Tea Party.
Published by: University of Virginia Press
Title Page, Copyright Page Contents Preface
In a sense, this book had its inception during the Great Depression, when my father, a stitcher of fancy women’s shoes, became sporadically employed due to declining demand and the migration of such work to Italy. When he was employed occasionally as a piece worker, I...
Introduction
This book situates the genesis of the Tea Party movement in the Age of Roosevelt. It suggests that determination by Republican Party conservatives to undo major components of the New Deal originated with Herbert Hoover’s Ark of the Covenant (1934), resumed...
1: Herbert Hoover and the Ark of the Covenant
As the Democratic Party’s National Convention opened on June 28, 1932, Herbert Hoover broached the issue of his likely opponent with his press secretary, Theodore Joslin. “Do you think Roosevelt will be nominated?” the president inquired. Joslin assured...
2: Landon of Kansas: The GOP as Corporate Shell?
The 1936 campaign would lead to “a rendezvous with destiny,” Franklin D. Roosevelt predicted in his acceptance of the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency. The phrase seems, in retrospect, to apply to both major parties. The massive defeat suffered by...
3: Forging an Antistatist Consensus
The business-government partnership associated with early New Deal legislation faded with the fostering of the union movement under Section 7(a) of the National Industrial Recovery Act and subsequent passage of the Wagner Act. Republican Party financing...
4: The GOP and the Prelude to War
During the 1930s, the Republican Party divided between anti-interventionists and internationalists on America’s proper role in world affairs and, increasingly, on the specific issue of Hitler’s ambitions—what they were and what, if anything, should be done about...
5: Part y of the Bourbons
Neither the Great Depression nor the threat of a war in Europe prompted Herbert Hoover to revise his convictions. Preservation of the American System required repealing the New Deal and avoidance of Europe’s affairs. The New Deal, he intoned, had...
6: The Interloper
The Republican Party divided sharply in anticipation of Roosevelt’s pursuit of an unprecedented third term in 1940. A coalition of GOP internationalists favored a candidate who backed a policy of material assistance to the Allies despite the possibility that it might...
7: Republican Resurgence: Taft
Willkie’s 1940 campaign for the presidency and his subsequent persistence as party spokesman who pressed the issue of active participation by the United States in world affairs, however unwelcome by the party stalwarts, compelled the reconsideration...
8: Challenging Isolation:The Provocateur, the Patrician,and the Mediator
At the outset, Wendell Willkie’s decision to engage the Republican Party on the issue of foreign policy met with a rebuff. A substantial number of Republican legislators at the national level were isolationist—or later termed nationalists—and remained so...
9: Willkie’s Legacy and the GOP
Henry Stimson paved the way for Willkie internationalism when, as secretary of state, he questioned Hoover’s guarded response to Japan’s incursions into Manchuria. Willkie’s untimely death in October 1944 stilled his critique of Republican Party ideology as...
10: Sources of Modern Republican Party Ideology
As the 1944 Republican convention opened in Chicago, Turner Catledge of the New York Times confronted Vandenberg: Willkie, he had heard, nursed strong reservations about the platform’s stance on foreign policy. Vandenberg hedged, and Catledge pressed...
Notes Index
E-ISBN-13: 9780813935553
E-ISBN-10: 0813935555 Print-ISBN-13: 9780813935546 Print-ISBN-10: 0813935547
Page Count: 248
Illustrations: 8 b&w photos, 1 table Publication Year: 2014
OCLC Number: 875725526
MUSE Marc Record: Download for The Republican Party in the Age of Roosevelt | 5,872 | 2,758 | 0.000373 |
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The Law Offices Of Kevin J. Pitts Field sobriety exercises (also referred to as FSE's or roadside exercises) are optional in the State of Florida. The only negative consequence of not performing the field sobriety exercises is that the officer can say that you refused to perform the exercises. If mistakes (which will be discussed below) are made they might not even be able to do that. An officer must have reasonable suspicion of impairment to request field sobriety exercise. Reasonable suspicion is defined as more than a mere hunch. Reasonable suspicion is a less demanding standard than probable cause not only in the sense that reasonable suspicion can be established with information that is different in quantity or content than that required to establish probable cause, but also in the sense that reasonable suspicion can arise from information that is less reliable than that required to show probable cause. Reasonable suspicion, like probable cause, is dependent upon both the content of information possessed by police and its degree of reliability. Both factors-quantity and quality-are considered in the “totality of the circumstances-the whole picture,” that must be taken into account when evaluating whether there is reasonable suspicion. Baptiste v. State, 995 So. 2d 285, 291 (Fla. 2008), reh'g denied (Nov. 20, 2008) Should you take the Florida field sobriety exercises (FSE's)? One thing that is often forgotten in criminal law is that you do not have to explain yourself. You do not have to justify your actions. To prove a DUI the police must have a valid reason to stop you, reasonable suspicion of impairment, probable cause for arrest, read implied consent and then the breath test machine comes into play. If all these elements are satisfied they must prove your case beyond and to the exclusion of a reasonable doubt. If you refuse the Field Sobriety Exercises your license will not be suspended (implied consent only applies to the breath test). If you decline to perform the optional field sobriety exercises the only evidence the police will have is that you did not want to perform their gymnastics routine. Police are professionally trained to pick up on minute details in the exercises. If you perform the exercises the officer will document indicators of impairment. If the exercises are not on camera the jury will only have your word and the officer’s (in many instances two officers are present) to rely on. To defend yourself without a video you would have testify and subject yourself to cross examination. This is not to say that an excellent video does not do a tremendous amount of damage to the States case. The goal is generally to not be convicted of DUI and to not lose your license. No evidence will always achieve that goal. If you are focusing on the short term goal of not going to jail probably neither option is a good one.
The field sobriety exercises are highly technical and one missed step could be devastating to your case. The difference between using the tip of your finger and the pad of your finger could cause you to be arrested. By refusing the field sobriety exercises you give the police the least amount of evidence possible. If you decline the exercises the only evidence the cops may have is that you declined. If mistakes are made they might not even be able to do that. If the officer says that your license will be suspended if the field sobriet ecerises are not performed, if the officer lacked reasonable suspicion to request FSE's, a defacto arrest occurs and miranda is not read (this could limit the verbal portions but not physical portions unless the arrest was unconstitutional based on a lack of probable cause.) or a safe harbor is created.
Although the defendant was informed that the test would be brief and was noninvasive, she was not told of any adverse consequences of her refusal to take the test and was given the impression that the test was optional. Although a defendant's refusal to permit police to conduct a test may be admissible where the police have informed the defendant that the law requires compliance, “[w]here ... the authorities fail to tell the defendant that compliance is required and that noncompliance may have adverse consequences, a refusal to comply may be of dubious relevance.” 2 Clifford S. Fishman, Jones on Evidence, § 13:14, at 498 (7th ed.1994). Furthermore, unlike either of the defendants in Herring and Esperti, the defendant was not yet a suspect, had not been arrested, and was not in custody at the time she refused to take the test. In addition, the evidence presented to the trial court indicated that her decision to refuse was also motivated by a cautious desire to speak with her attorney beforehand, a desire that cannot be categorically classified as necessarily motivated by consciousness of guilt.Further, as in Herring, the trial court here was entitled to conclude on the facts that it “would be unfair where the police may have led the defendant to believe that he had a right to refuse” to allow the refusal to be used against her because her decision to refuse was “safe harbor.” Although neither Lallement nor McCann recalled explicitly telling Menna that the test was either compulsory or optional, McCann agreed that the nature of his questioning would have indicated to Menna that she had the option to refuse to take the test. Menna v. State, 846 So. 2d 502, 507 (Fla. 2003).
Reasonable Suspiscion For Field Sobriety Excercises Police officer had reasonable suspicion to warrant detention of defendant following stop, to initiate investigation for driving while under the influence (DUI); officer observed defendant traveling at a high rate of speed, pulled him over, smelled alcohol, and saw that defendant had bloodshot eyes. Origi v. State, 912 So. 2d 69 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2005).
Deputy Recca then observed that Ms. Scott had glassy red eyes, and he detected the odor of alcohol but not slurred speech. He asked if she had anything to drink and she replied that she had consumed two beers and a glass of wine after dinner. He asked her to perform field sobriety exercises and based on his observations, placed her under arrest for DUI. On cross-examination, he acknowledged he had not seen her vehicle weaving or crossing the lanes of traffic. The trial court granted Ms. Scott's Motion to Suppress, finding the “continued detention . . . after issuance of the citation was improper.” The trial court also found “no testimony was presented of any observations made by Deputy Recca that [Ms. Scott] was impaired by the alcohol she had consumed earlier and there was no reasonable suspicion to believe that [Ms. Scott] was engaged in criminal activity.” In Littlefield, an officer followed the driver, conducted a traffic stop for a malfunctioning tail light, and as in the instant case, smelled alcohol and observed that the driver's eyes were glassy and watery. He noticed no other signs of impairment or abnormal speech. The trial court found there was no reasonable suspicion to commence a DUI investigation and granted Littlefield's Motion to Suppress. State v. Scott, 48-2007-CT-113028-0 (FL 9 Cir. App. 2010). | 7,258 | 3,129 | 0.000323 |
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