source stringclasses 1
value | snapshot stringclasses 3
values | text stringlengths 264 621k | size_before_bytes int64 269 624k | size_after_bytes int64 185 235k | compression_ratio float64 0 0.01 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
warc | 201704 | Huzzah! for Local Government Open Data, Transparency, Community Indicators and Citizen Journalism
To date, we have been the most viewed proposal by far (2x more than the second most viewed!!! Hooray!) and are in the top five of highest rated (have also been at #1 or #2, depending. Hooray!). Thanks to all of you for your interest and support.
There is much to recommend this KNC approach, not the least of which being able to attract some 2,500 proposals seeking a piece of the 2010 $5 million potential grant awards. Our proposal extends SD’s basic structWSF and conStruct Drupal frameworks to provide a
ata d ppliance and a etwork (DAN) to support citizen journalists with data and analysis at the local, community level. n
None of our rankings, of course, guarantees anything. But, we also feel good about how the market is looking at these frameworks. We have recently been awarded some pretty exciting and related contracts. Any and all of these initiatives will continue to contribute to the open source Citizen DAN vision.
And, what might that vision be? Well, after some weeks away from it, I read again our online submission to the Knight News Challenge. I have to say: It ain’t too bad! (Plus many supporting goodies and details.)
So, I repeat in its entirety below, the KNC questions and our formal responses. This information from our original submittal is unchanged, except to add some live links where they could not be submitted as such before. (BTW, the bold headers are the KNC questions.) Eventual winners are slated to be announced around mid-June. We’re keeping our fingers crossed, but we are pursuing this initiative in any case.
Describe your project:
Citizen DAN is an open source framework to leverage relevant local data for citizen journalists. It is a:
Appliance for filtering and analyzing data specific to local community indicators Means to visualize local data over time or by neighborhood Meeting place for the public to upload and share local data and information Web data portal that can be individually tailored by any local community Node in a global network of communities across which to compare indicators of community well-being.
Good decisions and good journalism require good information. Starting with pre-loaded government data, Citizen DAN provides any citizen the framework to learn and compare local statistics and data with other similar communities. This helps to promote the grist for citizen journalism; it is also a vehicle for discovery and learning across the community.
Citizen DAN comes pre-packaged with all necessary deployment components and documentation, including local data from government sources. It includes facilities for direct upload of additional local data in formats from spreadsheets to standard databases. Many standard converters are included with the basic package.
Citizen DAN may be implemented by local governments or by community advocacy groups. When deployed, using its clear documentation, sponsors may choose whether or what portions of local data are exposed to the broader Citizen DAN network. Data exposed on the network is automatically available to any other network community for comparison and analysis purposes.
This data appliance and network (DAN) is multi-lingual. It will be tested in three cities in Canada and the US, showing its multi-lingual capabilities in English, Spanish and French.
How will your project improve the way news and information are delivered to geographic communities?
With Citizen DAN, anyone with Web access can now get, slice, and dice information about how their community is doing and how it compares to other communities. We have learned from Web 2.0 and user-generated content that once exposed, useful information can be taken and analyzed in valuable and unanticipated ways.
The trick is to get information that already exists. Citizen journalists of the past may not have either known:
Where to find relevant information, or How to ‘slice-and-dice’ that information to extract meaningful nuggets.
By removing these hurdles, Citizen DAN improves the ways information is delivered to communities and provides the framework for sifting through it to extract meaning.
How is your idea innovative? (new or different from what already exists)
Government public data in electronic tabular form or as published listings or tables in local newspapers has been available for some time. While meeting strict ‘disclosure’ requirements, this information has neither been readily analyzable nor actionable.
The meaning of information lies in its interpretation and analysis.
Citizen DAN is innovative because it:
Is a platform for accessing and exposing available community data Provides powerful Web-based tools for drilling down and mining data Changes the gamevia public-provided data, and Packages Citizen DAN in a Web framework that is available to any local citizen and requires no expertise other than clicking links. What experience do you or your organization have to successfully develop this project?
Structured Dynamics has already developed and released as open-source code structWSF and conStruct , the basic foundations to this proposal. structWSF provides the network and dataset “backbone” to this proposal; conStruct provides the Drupal portal and Web site framework.
To this foundation we add proven experience and knowledge of datasets and how to access them, as well as tools and converters for how to stage them for standard public use. A key expertise of Structured Dynamics is the conversion of virtually any legacy data format into interoperable canonical forms.
These are important challenges, which require experience in the semantics of data and mapping from varied forms into useful and common frameworks. Structured Dynamics has codified its expertise in these areas into the software underlying Citizen DAN.
Structured Dynamics’ principals are also multi-lingual, with language-neutral architectures and code. The company’s principals are also some of the most prominent bloggers and writers in the semantic Web. We are acknowledged as attentive to documentation and communication.
Finally, Structured Dynamics’ principals have more than a decade of track record in successful data access and mining, and software and venture development.
To this strong basis, we have preliminary city commitments for deploying this project in the United States (English and Spanish) and Canada (French and English).
What unmet need does your proposal answer?
ThisWeKnow offers local Census data, but no community or publishing aspects. Data sharing is in DataSF and DataMine (NYC), but they lack collaboration, community networks and comparisons, or powerful data visualization or mapping.
Citizen DAN is a turnkey platform for any size community to create, publish, search, browse, slice-and-dice, visualize or compare indicators of community well-being. Its use makes the Web more locally focused. With it, researchers, watchdog groups, reporters, local officials and interested citizens can now discover hard data for ‘new news’ or fact-check mainstream media.
What tasks/benchmarks need to be accomplished to develop your project and by when will you complete them?
There are two releases with feedback. Each task summary, listing of task hours (hr) and duration in months (mo), in rough sequence order with overlaps, is:
Dataset Prep/Staging: identify, load and stage baseline datasets; provide means for aggregating data at different levels; 420 hr; 2.5 mo Refine Data Input Facility: feature to upload other external data, incl direct from local sources; XML, spreadsheet, JSON forms; dataset metadata; 280 hr; 3 mo Add Data Visualization Component: Flex mapping/data visualization (charts, graphs) using any slice-and-dice; 390 hr; 3 mo Make Multi-linguality Changes: English, French, Spanish versions; 220 hr; 2 mo Refine User Interface: update existing interface in faceted browse; filter; search; record create, manage and update; imports; exports; and user access rights; 380 hr; 3 mo Standard Citizen DAN Ontologies: the coherent schema for the data; 140 hr; 3 mo Create Central Portal: distribution and promotion site for project; 120 hr; 2 mo Deploy/Test First Release: release by end of Mo 5 @ 3 test sites; 300 hr; 4 mo Revise Based on Feedback: bug fixing and 4 mo testing/feedback, then revision #2; 420 hr Package/Document: component packaging for easier installs; increased documentation; 310 hr; 2 mo Marketing/Awareness: see next question; 240 hr; 12 mo Project Management: standard PM/interact with test communities, partners; 220 hr; 12 mo.
See attached task details.
What will you have changed by the end of your project? "Information is the currency of democracy." Thomas Jefferson(n.b.)
We intuitively understand that an informed citizenry is a healthy polity. At the global level and in 250 languages, we see how Wikipedia, matched with the Internet and inexpensive laptops, is bringing unforeseen information and enrichment to all. Across the board, we are seeing the democratization of information.
But very little of this revolution has percolated to the local level.
Only in the past decade or so have we seen free, electronic access to national Census data. We still see local data only published in print or not available at all, limiting both awareness but more importantly understanding and analysis. Data locked up in municipal computers or available but not expressed via crowdsourcing is as good as non-existent.
Though many citizens at the local level are not numeric, intuition has to tell us that the absense of empirical, local data hurts our ability to understand, reason and debate our local circumstances. Are we doing better or worse than yesterday? Than in comparison with our peers? Under what measures does this have meaning about community well being?
The purpose of the Citizen DAN project is to create an appliance — in the same sense of refrigerators keeping our food from spoiling — by which any citizen can crack open and expose relevant data at the local level. Citizen DAN is about enrichening our local information and keeping our communities healthy.
How will you measure progress and ultimately success?
We will measure the progress of the project by the number of communities and local organizations that use the Citizen DAN platform to create and publish community data. Subsidiary measures include the number of:
Individual users across all installations Users contributing uploaded datasets Contributed datasets Contributed applications based on the platform Interconnected sites in the network Different Citizen DAN networks Substantive articles and blog posts on Citizen DAN Mentions of ‘Citizen DAN’ (and local naming or variants, which will be tracked) in news articles Contributed blog posts on the central Citizen DAN portal Software package downloads, and Google citations and hits on ‘Citizen DAN’ (and prominent variants).
These measures, plus active sites with profiles of each, will be monitored and tracked on the central Citizen DAN portal.
‘Ultimate success’ is related to the general growth in transparent government at the local level. Growth in Citizen DAN-related measures on a year-over-year basis or in relation to Gov2.0 would indicate success.
Do you see any risk in the development of your project?
There is no technical risk to this proposal, but there are risks in scope, awareness and acceptance. Our system has been operational for one year for relevant use cases; all components have been integrated, debugged, and put into production.
Scope risks relate to how much data the Citizen DAN platform is loaded with, and how much functionality is included. We balance the data question by using common public datasets for baseline data, then add features for localities to “crowdsource” their own supplementary data. We balance the functionality question by limiting new development to data visualization/mapping and to upload functions (per above), and then to refine what already exists.
Awareness risks arise from a crowded attention space. We can overcome this in two ways. The first is to satisfy users at our test sites. That will result in good recommendations to help seed a snowball effect. The second way is to use social media and our existing Web outlets aggressively. We have been building awareness for our own properties in steady, inch-by-inch measures. While a notable few Web efforts may go viral, the process is not predictable. Steady, constant focus is our preferred recipe.
Acceptance risk is intimately linked with awareness and use. If we can satisfy each Citizen DAN community, then new datasets, new functionality and new awareness will naturally arise. More users and more contributions through the network effect are the best way to broad acceptance.
What is your marketing plan? How will people learn about what you are doing?
Marketing and awareness efforts will include our use of social media, dedicated Web sites, support from test communities, and outreach to relevant community Web sites.
Our own blogs are popular in the semantic Web and structured data space (~3K uniques daily); we have published two posts on Citizen DAN and will continue to do so with more frequency once the effort gets underway.
We will create a central portal (http://citizen-dan.org) based on the project software (akin to our other project sites). The model for this apps and deployments clearinghouse is CrimeReports.com. Using social aspects and crowdsourcing, the site will encourage sharing and best practices amongst the growing number of Citizen DAN communities.
We will blog and post announcements for key releases and milestones on relevant external Web sites including various Gov 2.0 sites, Community Indicators Consortium, GovLoop, Knight News Challenge, the Sunlight Foundation, and so forth. In addition, we will collate and track individual community efforts (maintained on the central Citizen DAN site) and make specific outreach to community data sites (such as DataSF or DataMine at NYC.gov). We will use Twitter (#CitizenDAN, etc) and the social networks of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Meetup to promote Citizen DAN activity.
We will interact with advocates of citizen journalism, and engage civic organizations, media, and government officials (esp in our three test communities) to refine our marketing plan.
Is this a one-time experiment or do you think it will continue after the grant?
Citizen DAN is not an experiment. It is a working framework that gives any locality and its citizenry the means to assemble, share and compare measures of its community well-being with other communities. These indicators, in turn, provide substance and grist for greater advocacy and writing and blogging (“journalism”) at the local level.
Granted, there are unknowns: How many localities will adopt the Citizen DAN appliance? How essential will its data be to local advocacy and news? How active will each Citizen DAN installation be in attracting contributions and local data?
We submit the better way to frame the question is the degree of adoption, as opposed to will it work.
Web-based changes in our society and social interaction are leading to the democratization of information, access to it, and channels for expression. Whether ultimately successful in the specific form proposed herein, Citizen DAN and its open source software and frameworks will surely be adopted in one form or another — to one degree or another — in the unassailable trend toward local government transparency and citizen involvement.
In short, Yes: We believe Citizen DAN will continue long after the grant.
If it is to be self-sustainable, what is the plan for making that happen?
Our plan begins with the nature of Citizen DAN as software and framework. Sustainability is a question of whether the appliance itself is useful, and how users choose to leverage it.
Mediawiki, the software behind Wikipedia, is an analog. Mediawiki is an enabling infrastructure. Some sites using it are not successful; others wildly so. Success has required the combination of a good appliance with topicality and good management. The same is true for Citizen DAN.
Our plan thus begins with Citizen DAN as a useful appliance, as free open source with great documentation and prominent initial use cases. Our plan continues with our commitment to the local citizen marketplace.
We are developing Citizen DAN because of current trends. We foresee many hundreds of communities adopting the system. Most will be able to do so on their own. Some others may require modifications or assistance. Our self-interest is to ensure a high level of adoption.
An era of citizen engagement is unfolding at the local level, fueled by Web technologies and growing comfort with crowdsourcing and social networks. Meanwhile, local government constraints and pressures for transparency are unleashing locked-up data. These forces will create new opportunities for data literacy by the public, that will itself bring new understanding and improvements in governance and budgeting. We plan on Citizen DAN and its offspring to be one of the catalysts for those changes. | 17,366 | 7,374 | 0.000137 |
warc | 201704 | Transforming Multichannel Content Distribution Date:Wednesday, September 24 Time: 1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT
Creating, approving, and distributing promotional content is one of the greatest challenges in commercial life science. With multiple external partners and disconnected systems supporting a highly iterative process, it is slow and costly to deliver new content through all communications channels. Because content updates and withdrawals take longer, it also poses a greater compliance risk. To eliminate these pitfalls, many organizations are transforming their end-to-end processes by bringing content management and multichannel distribution together in the cloud.
This webinar will discuss how to:
1. Improve the speed and efficiency of multichannel distribution
2. Reduce compliance risk across all channels with real-time content updates, withdrawals and expiry
3. Reduce cost throughout the end-to-end content-management process
Speaker:
Paul Shawah, Vice President, Product Marketing
Sponsored by: | 1,022 | 588 | 0.001717 |
warc | 201704 | Now I have read and heard of people working the angles, so to speak, to maximize their benefits. Like min-maxers in a mumorpuger. I've also read and heard of folks who were outright engaged in fraud to get a lot more than they should have. However, I have seen people that the various safety net programs saved from not only a loss of nutrition and shelter. But also a loss of hope and lost potential for a better future. I've also learned what happens to regimes that do not care enough for their populace. Even the relatively minor percentage that may honestly delude themselves into thinking that they are inherently owed something, or believe everything is anyone's fault but their own, matters. We have learned, at great cost, what happens when we place ourselves to far above our fellow man. If we do not care about them. Then they will have little to no reason to care about us. If the price we must pay to help as many as we can with food, medicine, and hope, when they need it. Especially for the children. Is for those selfish enough to place themselves above their fellow man, sometimes taking advantage of it? Then that is a price I have, and will, continue to help pay. The world has changed and will continue too. As FDR once put it: So, it is less a matter of whether I think it is fair or not and more a matter of whether I think helping my fellow man is right or not. Does that answer your question?Security was attained in the earlier days through the interdependence of members of families upon each other and of the families within a small community upon each other. The complexities of great communities and of organized industry make less real these simple means of security. Therefore, we are compelled to employ the active interest of the Nation as a whole through government in order to encourage a greater security for each individual who composes it... This seeking for a greater measure of welfare and happiness does not indicate a change in values. It is rather a return to values lost in the course of our economic development and expansion... Last edited by SirRobin; 2012-11-15 at 07:24 AM. Reason: Wording Sir Robin, the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot. Who had nearly fought the Dragon of Angnor. Who had almost stood up to the vicious Chicken of Bristol. And who had personally wet himself, at the Battle of Badon Hill. Its not realistic and not going to happen. People that are signing the petition with hopes or beliefs that it will happen are naive. It is more symbolic. People are angry and are reaching out to the government to react in the most direct way they can, they want answers. It makes them feel like their voices are heard, no big deal. What is really sad is there are some very important issues being petitioned which will most likely be overshadowed by these. And as far as I know the biggest response to a petition given by the White House was about the White House brew recipe....yeah, really good job there guys. Thats a good point but in all fairness, from my experience, most blue states have higher local and sin (thinking NY and Cali here) taxes as well as toll roads, which most Red States do not have. Personally I view that as punishing their working class, mostly middle class population; especially toll roads. Think about it, who has to travel everyday? People getting back and forth to work? Same for taxes, those receiving "assistance" don't pay taxes on assisted goods like food, who does? Middle class working America right? Kinda Ironic, IMO which states are the Blue (for the working class) states and which ones are Red (for the top 2%); talk about hypocrisy.However State Aid covers a lot of different things to include Hi-ways, Farm subsidies, and a large host of social programs. States like California can pay for them selves but many Red States need federal aid to pay for what they have. The point is that the Red states claim welfare costs the country too much but then take more money from the government than the blue states. It's the hypocrisy that people in the blue states are pointing out.[COLOR="red"] Last edited by Vago; 2012-11-15 at 03:56 AM. We Petition the Obama Administration To...require any musical arrangement with a cowbell instrument must increase the intensity of cowbell by at least 25% What do you guys think? “A fool is not a person who does not know something. Rather, a fool is a person who is given information but who chooses to ignore what he is given based on how he wants things to be, rather than how things are." General Off-Topic Forum Moderator Would you consider their benefits "excessive" considering they are eating better than your own family? Im not saying abolish them, im saying more restrictions that makes real money worth more than an ebt card when i get lunch. Honestly it just pisses me off that they get a free sub and i have to pay for mine. Id get double meat and cheese too if i could afford it Last edited by chadwix; 2012-11-15 at 04:54 AM. Are reforms needed? Of course they are. Just about anything can be improved. However, like with Obamacare, the alternative was to do pretty much nothing. Better an imperfect world than no world at all, so to speak. Last edited by SirRobin; 2012-11-15 at 05:15 AM. Sir Robin, the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot. Who had nearly fought the Dragon of Angnor. Who had almost stood up to the vicious Chicken of Bristol. And who had personally wet himself, at the Battle of Badon Hill. When Republicans lose, Democrats cry. The complainers are called non-America, or non-patriotic. When Democrats win, Republicans cry. The complainers are called whiners. The difference is that the complainers call themselves patriots and say, naturally, the county is in immediate danger of falling apart. Get over it, Republicans. Obama won and your party's xenophobic race-baiting strategies don't work any longer. Sucks for you. Maybe you shouldn't be so insane and you'll get non-white-christian-older-men's votes. Last edited by KrazyK923; 2012-11-15 at 05:16 AM. Who is angry? I am finding the right-wing freak out fucking hilarious at the moment. Grove Norquist calling Romney a "poopy head" and Karl Rove throwing a hissy fit election night live on Faux News took the cake. If they leave than they can take some of the debt that the entire world owes everyone. Let's see them survive after one month after separation. Last edited by Shadowbayne; 2012-11-15 at 06:20 AM. Blizzard removed my subscription from WoD's features, it'll be added sometime later. And thus I give you: MALE contraception! | 6,577 | 3,140 | 0.000319 |
warc | 201704 | When the Kraft-Heinz merger was announced, there was a lot of speculation about how the newly merged company would work to make some of its products healthier. The merger is not official yet, but Kraft has already chosen to take one of its most-loved products in a healthier direction. By 2016, Original Kraft Macaroni & Cheese will no longer be made with preservatives and synthetic colors, according to the Chicago Tribune.
There are two reasons I feel positive about this change. The first is that the millions of children (and adults) who eat Kraft Macaroni & Cheese will no longer be ingesting the dyes Yellow Nos. 5 and 6. Removing the artificial dyes from Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, or any processed food, does not turn it into a healthy food, but it does take the product in a better direction. Although the FDA says food dyes are fine, the European Parliament requires products that contain synthetic food colors to carry warning labels that say “consumption may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
The artificial dyes in Kraft’s Macaroni & Cheese were one of the reasons I stopped buying that product for my family. After a taste test of other brands, we said bye-bye to the blue box and started buying Back to Nature’s Organic Macaroni & Cheese instead.
The second reason I like the change is that Kraft actively sought consumer input on the change. This is a very different picture of the value that Kraft puts on consumers than the picture painted in 2013 when Kraft removed the artificial dyes from some of its novelty shape macaroni & cheese products but not the original version.
At that time, Kraft denied the decision was in response to a Change.org petition asking the company to remove artificial dyes. It seemed to me that in denying a consumer petition had anything to do with the change, Kraft was telling consumers it didn’t care about their input.
But, according to the Chicago Tribune, Kraft has been working on changing its formula for Original Macaroni & Cheese for the past three years — all with consumer input. Kraft’s vice president of marketing for meals, Triona Schmelter, said company officials have been listening to what consumers, and parents in particular, have been saying.
Kraft met with families in their homes, while grocery shopping, and as they cooked and ate to get a better sense of consumer preferences. While people say they want improved nutrition, such as more protein, calcium and whole grains, "the one thing they are most adamant about," Schmelter said, is "they absolutely don't want us to change the taste." Related on MNN: | 2,651 | 1,287 | 0.000791 |
warc | 201704 | A dorm outfitted with composting toilets and kitchen cabinets made from recycled fence-posts is bringing new meaning to the concept of living “green” at college.
The EcoDorm, home to 36 undergraduates at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, N.C., was designed to be sustainable from top to bottom, or in this case, from its rainwater-collection system to a permaculture garden.
Residents – who have sworn off hair dryers and gravitate toward acoustic music – see “an integration between their actions and their values,” Margo Flood, the executive director of Warren Wilson’s Environmental Leadership Center, told
The New York Times Magazine.
Across the country, colleges have been looking to become more sustainable and more than 600 schools have already pledged to become carbon neutral. Nationwide, some 90 dorms are LEED certified, but EcoDorm is one of two dorms that have LEED’s platinum rating.
At Warren Wilson, a liberal arts school with fewer than 1,000 students, the sustainability drive came from the student body. The EcoDorm concept was hatched a decade ago by two undergraduates; a planning committee initially suggested building materials like corncobs or straw bales.
Although the architects, Samsel Architects, nixed those ideas, they came up with other creative solutions: Wood siding was taken from trees on campus that were suffering from a pine-beetle infestation, and rainwater is collected in an old railway tanker car and pumped back into the house to flush the low-flow toilets. There are two composting toilets and students shovel wood chips into them after each use.
All in all, the dorm uses nearly two-thirds less electricity than a similar-sized conventional building would.
But even the most sustainable homes need follow-through from its occupants. And in the case of EcoDorm, students live by their words. Most also take advantage of the dorm’s permaculture garden, planting and harvesting artichokes, figs and other fruits and veggies. “I didn’t have to worry about paper towels being wasted or feeling bad about drying my clothes outside,” senior Jeremy Lekich, who oversees the garden, said. “Basically, it has made my life easier.” | 2,247 | 1,198 | 0.000866 |
warc | 201704 | My son was born last year. Luckily, we had no trouble with the big latch on. I savored every moment of bonding with him as he nursed. Three months after his birth, I returned to work. And then the trouble began. I grudgingly adopted my Medela Pump in Style. But the little one didn’t want anything to do with the bottles of “expressed” milk. Fearing a hunger strike, my husband, mother and father experimented with droppers and spoons – anything that would keep the boy nourished till mommy came home. Meanwhile, at work, I learned to accept my new mechanical relationship with tedious breast shields and a droning pump. Needless to say, breastfeeding was on my mind – all the time!
Today, a year into being a breastfeeding, working mother, I consider myself fortunate. I was able to take paid time off after my child was born and establish breastfeeding with him. I was blessed with the support of a family who helped me transition back to work after maternity leave. My workplace was more than accommodating. I was provided with a clean, private space as well as breaks to pump as many times as I needed to. And on days when my family had exhausted all options to feed the baby boy, my husband and father were able to bring my son to my workplace so that I could nurse him.
As they say, it takes a village. And successful breastfeeding needs the whole package. The place where a woman gives birth, child care options, family/community support, and the workplace – all influence how the breastfeeding relationship is established and how long it lasts.
Statistics show that nearly 75% of new mothers in the United States are choosing to breastfeed. However, too many nursing mothers are being forced to cut breastfeeding short (or not start at all). Why? The biggest reason is the need to return to work soon after childbirth. And when they are at work, nursing moms often find their workplace lacking in support to sustain breastfeeding.
My family and friends in India are often surprised when I tell them that the US has no maternity leave policy. It is a sad fact that the US lags far behind the rest of the worldwhen it comes to family-friendly workplace policies such as paid parental leave. Research shows that breastfeeding rates increase when women have longer maternity leave. And having access to paid leave definitely helps. A study on California’s Paid Family Leave program shows that use of the paid leave not only benefits a new mother’s ability to start breastfeeding, but also doubled the duration of breastfeeding for nursing moms.
Only two states – California and New Jersey – currently have established paid family leave programs. But the movement for paid leave is growing. Hopefully, more state and local governments will step up to support new parents where Federal laws are lacking.
And we have made some progress in protecting nursing mothers in the workplace. The Federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 helped establish a national workplace standard to ensure nursing mothers have the time and place to pump breastmilk. The new law and diligent efforts of breastfeeding advocates to educate employers about the business case for lactation accommodation policiesmakes me optimistic that more nursing mothers will continue breastfeeding after they return to work.
*************** Vibhuti Mehra is the Communications & Development Director at the Labor Project for Working Families. | 3,466 | 1,673 | 0.000608 |
warc | 201704 | When Jack Dorsey posted the first tweet in 2006, I doubt even he knew how much of an impact on the world this would have. Where the platform goes next is anyone’s guess, especially in light of recent stories that the word limit may be raised to over 10,000. Questions about a stagnating user base and the right revenue model are plaguing the social network’s future prospects.
Marketers and brands have also undoubtedly been affected forever by the rise of Twitter. On a superficial level this ranges from campaign considerations built around the 140 word limit to the hashtag, which have all undeniably become a part of a marketer’s daily job.
However, on a much more profound level, Twitter has also played a critical role in the rise of influencer marketing in the last number of years. In a world where ad blocking is costing the publishing industry nearly £15.5 billion in lost revenue, influencer marketing is increasingly seen as a way to circumvent this problem, especially with some campaigns generating at a 6:1 return on investment.
Twitter must focus on content creation and influencers
The full value of every pound earned on Twitter isn’t actually realised on Twitter’s yearly income statement. There is an increasing trend towards brands harnessing the power of influencer marketing to share a message to an audience – using influencers to share content means that a brand doesn’t have to grow and sustain its own audience on Twitter. The payments made to these influencers by brands are payments Twitter could and should have a part in, but currently doesn’t.
To remedy this, I think Twitter should invest heavily in the content creation and influencer space to take a bigger share of the money being spent indirectly on its platform. The benefits to the users in seeing a mix of paid promoted posts and native amplification of brands will create a much better user experience.
Campaigns such as Felix Baumgartner’s Space Jump in 2015 show how effective influencer marketing is. It helped Red Bull increase sales by over 13 per cent after dominating social media for just a few days. The conversation started with the Red Bull ambassadors and fans, and soon everyone was talking about it. Red Bull really didn’t have to say much.
Twitter facts and figures. *Jack Dorsey, Twitter CEO – posted the first tweet – “just setting up my twttr”*320m active monthly users in total.*254m active monthly users outside the US.*15m UK Twitter users.*Katy Perry is Twitter’s most popular user with 84.2m followers followed by Justin Bieber (76.9m) and Taylor Swift (72.6m).*First Hashtag, August 2007 – designer Chris Messina becomes the first person to use a hashtag on Twitter – “how do you feel about using # for group. As in #barcamp msg?”*Fastest to one million followers Followers – Caitlyn Jenner.*83 per cent of world leaders use it.*Verified Accounts belong mainly to journalists and sports stars. Kirsty Sharman is head of global operations at social media influencer company Webfluential. She is the author of How To Write Your First Influencer Marketing Strategy. Webfluential is launching a new free Twitter Calculator showing how much can be earned per tweet. | 3,289 | 1,656 | 0.000626 |
warc | 201704 | Triathlon
What sets triathletes apart from other endurance sportsmen is the difference in energy provision during their three events. Running and cycling demand a lot more systemic energy provision, while swimming requires continuous power output. Cycling requires more force generation, and running is hardest on the joints. The body of a triathlete is attuned to endurance, but has to be more durable than that of a long distance runner or cyclist. Ubiquinol helps to support mitochondrial biogenesis, and allows sufficient systemic energy provision. Beta-Alanine also improves time to exhaustion during cycling and swimming. Cal+Mag are two minerals that prevent cramping and dehydration. Isotonic Sports Drink is excellent to replenish fluid during the course of training or contest. Mass Gainer provides a high energy boost combined with quality protein for optimal recovery, glycogen supercompensation, muscle preservation and repair after long events.
€24.99
Regular Price: €55.99
Now only: €44.80
€11.99
Regular Price: €9.99
Now only: €8.99
Price From: €19.00 | 1,112 | 624 | 0.00167 |
warc | 201704 | +1-415-315-9853
info@mywordsolution.com
Home >> Basic Finance
Identify a particular stock and then find at least two different sources on the web that find out that stock's beta. Present your results in response to this problem and see if you can identify at least two reasons why the betas might be different
Basic Finance, Finance
Finance Assignment Create a 1,050-word report, and include the following: • Explain the relationship between risk and return • Identify an example of risk and return. • Explain which is more risky bonds or common stocks. ...
1. When a longitudinal design reveals a change in behavior over time, why can we not conclude that the change is due to development? 2. What are generational effects, and why do they sometimes create a problem in cross-s ...
1. What is the secondary mortgage market? List three reasons why it is important. 2. What were the three principal activities of FNMA under its 1954 charter? What is its principal function now? 3. Name two ways that FNMA ...
El Dorado Storage has the following projections for Year 1 of a capital budgeting project. Sales: $128,226 Fixed costs and selling, general and administrative expenses $12,951 Depreciation Expense $26,260 Tax Rate 35% Ca ...
1. What are derivatives? 2. What is the difference between hedging and speculating? 3. Why might a corn farmer want to hedge against volatile corn prices? 4. Would derivatives markets be better off if the only people buy ...
What rate of return do investors require on General Electric (ticker: U:GE) common stock? Use the annual dividends per share reported for the last fi ve years to determine the compound annual growth rate in dividends. As ...
What is meant by break even drivers? Identify two important drivers affecting the amount of revenues needed for ventures to break even Explain
Investigators studying the mass transfer from single spheres recommended the generalized equation As discussed in section 30.1, the value of 2 can be derived theoretically by considering the molecular diffusion from a sp ...
1. What is the functional aggregation paradigm and why is it important? 2. Compare and contrast the three stages of functional aggregation. 3. Discuss the three challenges logistics faces as it manages on a process, rath ...
1. May personal financial statements be prepared only for an individual? Comment. 2. What is the basic personal financial statement? 3. Is a statement of changes in net worth required when presenting personal financial s ...
Start excelling in your Courses,
Get help with Assignment
Write us your full requirement for evaluation and you will receive response within 20 minutes turnaround time.
SECTION ONE (a) In an Atwood Machine, suppose two objects of unequal mass are hung vertically over a frictionless
Part 1: You work in HR for a company that operates a factory manufacturing fiberglass. There are several hundred empl
DETAILS ON ADVANCED ACCOUNTING PAPER This paper is intended for students to apply the theoretical knowledge around ac
Create a provider database and related reports and queries to capture contact information for potential PC component pro
Describe what you learned about the impact of economic, social, and demographic trends affecting the US labor environmen
© Copyright 2013-14 mywordsolution.com All rights reserved | 3,365 | 1,772 | 0.000572 |
warc | 201704 | Transparency is long overdue. Why not let the doctors speak or provide rationale for return to play decisions?
Once again we have another concussion controversy involving a quarterback. Last season we had Case Keenum. In the NFL opener, Cam Newton became the national focus. Now we have the Alex Smith situation.
The Chiefs QB’s head hit the turf, lacerating his ear, and had to be helped up by Spencer Ware (who ironically later suffered his own concussion) and a referee. Smith passed a concussion test and was returned to the game. The QB later suffered a second blow to the head on the turf and was then deemed to have a concussion.
I am not suggesting that the Chiefs or any doctor did anything wrong here. I am saying the optics of the situation are not good when a wobbly QB is allowed to stay in the game.
The latest concussion controversy deserves explanation. Credit head coach Andy Reid for trying to address it post game (even though he erroneously said Smith passed both concussion tests). However, when pressed, coaches always use the “I am not a doctor” line and say I just followed the doctor recommendations.
Why not let the medical staff speak or at least release a statement? Of course the player would have to grant permission, but perhaps that would clear up the misperceptions. Maybe the physician, knowing he would have to publicly defend his decision, causes a further pause before a player is cleared.
I don’t believe in conspiracy theories. Certainly the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) who lives in Indianapolis was not incentivized to keep Smith in the game to help the Chiefs beat his hometown Colts. I believe the doctors are doing their best with an inexact science of diagnosing concussions. I have been there and know what a difficult job it is. It is impossible to get every “play/no play” decision correct, like it is impossible to expect a referee to get every call right. My point is why not let the public know about the process and what the doctor’s thinking was? Even the referee has to answer a pool reporter’s questions post game.
I am curious as to what the referees were thinking on this first hit. The umpire was one of two people there to help hold Smith up and referees are also charged with player health. I would also love to hear the UNC’s side of the story. Did the UNC see a wobbly Smith? Was he provided with the video replays? What lead him to clear the player? Even if a player passes concussion tests, visual evidence of a balance issue is enough to rule a player out.
The NFL has been accused of conspiracy and denial in the concussion crisis. Why not shed that image and allow some transparency in the current head injury decisions? Not allowing for comment just makes the situation look worse.
MMMD 1: Good injury week
Overall Week 8 seemed to be the least injuries for 2016, yet there were still plenty. The year to date has seen a slightly higher rate than average with 40 ACL tears and 32 Achilles ruptures.
Lets hope we don’t get Monday morning bad news. Or as seems to be the pattern this year, Wednesday bad news like we did for Adrian Peterson, Dez Bryant, C.J. Anderson and others.
MMMD 2: Two stars trying to return
Ben Roethlisberger and Terrell Suggs are both coming off injury and a bye week to face off in a big divisional game. Big Ben will be three weeks after a knee scope. Suggs suffered a biceps tendon tear.
There are varying reports of stitches and whether Roethlisberger will be ready. Medically, expect him to play. The sutures are in the skin, not the meniscus; therefore, will be removed and is a non-issue. Suggs is forgoing surgical repair to play through what may be his final season in the NFL.
MMMD 3: All meniscus tears not the same
Earlier this season we covered the difference between the Adrian Peterson and Big Ben meniscus tears. Now we have additional examples.
C.J. Anderson had his meniscus repaired, which means six weeks of rest and minimum three months of recovery. Michael Bennett’s return timeline after his cartilage trim procedure is set at 2-3 weeks. Trimming meniscus is like mowing the lawn where you can play football immediately after, while repairing is like laying down new sod where you need to keep of the grass to let the roots grow in.
MMMD 4: Time to worry for Jamaal Charles
Swelling when increasing activity after an ACL surgery is not unusual. When it does not go away for several weeks, the effusion becomes a concern.
Charles is now seeking a second opinion. Hopefully, rest, time, compression, medication and draining the knee will be enough. I hope there is no need for a post-ACL knee scope.
MMMD 5: Worst injury of the season
Texans right tackle Derek Newton ruptured both of his patella tendons last Monday. Even though there was a report of successful surgery to repair both tendons, he has a long path to return to the NFL. Three players have torn both patella tendons at the same time: Wendell Davis, Gary Baxter and Greg Childs. None of the three returned to their pre-injury levels of play. Hopefully, Newton can be the first.
The road game presented several difficulties. First, Newton did not have access to pain medicine immediately as the visiting team is not allowed to bring narcotic medication per federal laws and the home team medication supply is limited. Second, the 300+ pound lineman was essentially wheelchair bound and could not fly home with the team but instead needed special medical transport.
MMMD 6: Injury rundown
Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was knocked over on the sidelines and rushed to the hospital. Fortunately rumors of a broken leg were inaccurate and he passed all tests and was released.
Four players were concussed during the Chiefs at Colts game: Alex Smith, Spencer Ware, Joe Reitz and Vontae Davis. Statistically expect at least two of the four to miss next week’s game.
Jacquizz Rodgers injured his left foot but video was not clear as he was in a pile and the mechanism or severity could not be seen.
Ty Montgomery has a kidney-related ailment. It is unclear what type or how long he might miss.
Martellus Bennett continues to deal with a high ankle sprain. He injured it in Week 5 and still caught three touchdown catches. Here is hoping the bye week gives him a chance to fully heal.
Barry Church fractured his right forearm, the same side that he broke causing him to miss the last game of 2015. He likely will undergo plating surgery and return in 4-6 weeks.
Morris Claiborne has a significant groin injury. Sometimes one can play through or the Cowboys could make the decision to fix it now to be back by the end of season/playoffs.
By video, Charles Clay suffered a left shoulder AC joint sprain but returned to the game.
Sean Smith appeared to subluxation/dislocate his left shoulder. If he torn his labrum, that could mean surgery or trying to play with a brace as Charles Woodson did last year for the Raiders.
Duke Ihenacho suffered a scary hit in London. After a substantial time on the ground, was able to walk off under his own power.
Vontaze Burfict’s knee injury does not appear to be serious. By video, he suffered a contusion to the muscles in back of his left knee and he did return to the game. Meanwhile, Burfict inadvertently hit Rey Maualuga’s left arm but there was no fracture and he ultimately continued as well.
Russell Wilson was able to play through his pec, knee and ankle injury but not well enough to come away with victory.
Tyran Mathieu left the game with an unspecified shoulder injury. Hopefully the follow up news will be good.
Sammy Watkins is out of his boot. That certainly is a good sign but only a first step to return and there is no medical certainty that he can come off IR when eligible in a month.
MMMD 7: ProFootballDoc scorecard
By video, I did not expect Geno Smith to tear his ACL. Demarcus Ware did return after ulna plating surgery and even had a strip sack fumble with his right arm that was reversed. Lamar Miller played with what has been confirmed as a deltoid contusion. Antonio Brown’s hip contusion is confirmed to be progressing well for this Sunday and will not miss time. Duke Ihenacho, Vontaze Burfict and Rey Maualuga injuries are all less significant than originally feared. Derek Newton was confirmed with bilateral patella tendon ruptures.
Counting the missed ACL tear lowers the previous 89-4 (94.7%) record to 96-5 (95.0%).
Happy Halloween to everyone! | 8,534 | 4,083 | 0.000248 |
warc | 201704 | Are you a “Success Superstar?” Success can be defined in many ways. One definition is “the achievement of one’s goals.” Your goal last year might have been to be included in the list of Top 200 Loan Originators for 2013. Did you accomplish that goal? Or maybe it was to lose 10 pounds, gain 10 new referral partners, or even spend more time with your family and read more books.
To achieve your goals, you need discipline. And one of the most important disciplines of goal achievement is that of regular monitoring of your progress which forces you to see the truth and the consequences of your daily choices.
You may have taken the time and energy to write your goals along with a plan for achievement of those goals. However, without implementation of the plan, it will be for nothing. It is the discipline of monitoring the plan that will make the difference in both your work and in your life.
Goals can be defined as the ongoing pursuit of a dream or “dreams with a deadline.” Have you heard of the S.M.A.R.T. method of establishing goals? This means your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. But an important part of setting goals is discovering the answers to following questions:
• Why is reaching this goal important to me?
• What are the benefits of reaching this goal?
• What are the skills or knowledge required to reach this goal?
• What specific plan of action will it take to reach this goal?
• What is the deadline or date of completion?
The goals you set should be yours and should be linked to your mission and purpose—your why. Your strategy will be the action plans you implement to accomplish these goals on a day-to-day basis that will take your life to the level of success you have envisioned.
Each week, preferably on the same day, set aside a time to reflect and review your vision and your plan for accomplishment of these goals. This forces you to answer honestly the question, “What did I accomplish last week?” And then the other question, “What will I accomplish this coming week?” If you do not have it plugged into your weekly calendar, it just will not happen. It is during these times of reflection that you can “check up and check off” what you have accomplished and what still needs to be done to achieve your goals.
I love leather journals in which to write my goals and dreams and plans. A separate page is created for each goal that I intend to accomplish for the year. After the goal is written, I identify why this goal is important to me. I write a vision statement of what my life would look like if this goal was achieved. And then I leave several pages blank behind this goal. By doing this, I have plenty of space to write out in detail the answer to the question “So, how am I doing?” I record my successes, the goals I have accomplished, areas that need improvements and areas that were not touched.
This journal records my progress, not only with my business, but with my life. For example, I have set a goal for this year to read 100 books. I keep a list of the books I have read and each week as I record my progress, I can determine if I am on track to accomplish that goal.
Are you on track to be a Success Superstar this year? Set those goals, monitor the progress and you will be!
Louise Thaxton is a producing branch manager for Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp., with satellite offices across Louisiana. She can be reached at 866-960-9115 or lgthaxton@fairwaymc.com. | 3,581 | 1,692 | 0.000612 |
warc | 201704 | Is the conservative movement rooted in self-evident truths that reflect the enduring nature and purpose of human beings? If the answer is yes, then our next steps are clear. We have a responsibility to remain true to these founding principles, show that our ideas lift all, and ground Americans in what makes us “indivisible.”
1. Our principles are rooted in reality and deeply entwined with human flourishing. To abandon them would be to acquiesce to nihilism. Marriage reduces the probability of child poverty by 80 percent. Work-based welfare recognizes that personal responsibility is essential to human dignity. Free enterprise allows individuals to use gifts cooperatively, innovating in ways that advance human welfare. A strong national defense contributes to peace by deterring bellicose nations.
2. Exit polls show a great deal of lopsidedness by demographic group. That may lead campaign strategists to cut their losses with a particular group, but conservatives cannot settle for walking away. Background and experience mean various demographic groups will have different first impressions of our first principles, but that doesn’t remove our responsibility to appeal to their best intentions and best interests. The single mother on welfare may reflexively accept liberal policies. But if we believe, as we profess, that long-term government dependency does not do justice to her dignity, we ought to be able to explain that in a way that allows her to aspire to a better future—particularly when it comes to her children.
Anyone who thinks that’s not possible should consider how low-income parents have clamored for school choice when they’re trapped in unsafe and failing government-monopoly schools. Meanwhile, the continuation of onerous policies may cause some to reevaluate longtime inclinations: The HHS mandate, representing an existential threat to Catholic and other faith-based institutions, could lead to questioning the centralized health-care policy that bred the beast. Conservative health-care alternatives provide better hope for the poor, and we need to be clear about that.
3. Campaign scare tactics and gimmickry were remarkably effective this cycle. They took us backward on women’s dignity and divided us. Inoculation against such pandering, infantilizing, and divisiveness requires grounding in first principles—what some have called worldview training. That’s a dinner-table, church-foyer agenda that should begin this week.
Politics isn’t just about election season; it is the way we order our lives together. Politics is the way we figure out how to meet everyday needs, solve problems and sort out our differences. It’s about harmonizing diverse interests and building consensus about what’s worth pursuing as a society. We work out issues in all kinds of forums — from family room to boardroom to congressional hearing room, each with its own authority structure, each exercising a variety of roles and responsibilities.
Forming Americans with those sensibilities is a task that should keep us busy enough; we don’t have time for finger-pointing.
—
Jennifer A. Marshall is director of the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation and author of the book “Now and Not Yet: Making Sense of Single Life in the Twenty-First Century.” | 3,395 | 1,768 | 0.000582 |
warc | 201704 | It is time to return to my Budgeting and Saving for a Dream Series. If you haven't yet, check out part 1, part 2 and part 3.
So far we have talked about setting goals and setting a budget. Now it's time to talk about ways to actually start saving money, so that you have enough left over to put in a savings account. I started by writing a post on all the ways you could save and quickly realized that the post was going to be far too long for anyone to read in one sitting. So for the next couple of weeks I will have a series of posts lined up with tips on ways to save on everything from housing to entertainment.
As you read this week I would like everyone to remember to start small. Just pick a few new things that you don't already do. Once they become a normal part of you daily routine, gradually make a few more changes. We started off small as well, and over time we have reached a point where we are now able to save over 60% of our income.
So for this week we are going to start with tips on how to save on one of the most expensive items on most peoples' budget:
Housing
We currently spend nearly 20% of our income on rent. If you have a mortgage you almost certainly spend a large portion of your budget on direct housing costs as well. Here are a few ideas that you might consider to save costs.
Photo by James R Gray at freerangestock.com 1. Own a Mortage-Free House- In an ideal world you would own a small house mortgage-free so that you aren't paying rent or interest. However, most people don't have that kind of money lying around to just go out and buy a house, so you usually have to at least take a few years to reach this point...but it is a good goal to work towards, and the faster the better! If you already have a mortgage, focus on paying it off faster. Perhaps switch to bi-weekly rather than monthly payments, and try to always pay off a little extra with each check. As always I would recommend reading Mortgage Free!: Innovative Strategies for Debt-Free Home Ownership. Our Story:This is our ultimate goal...but we won't get there until at least 2018... Read about how we plan to reach this goal here and follow our progress here. 2. Be Willing to Downsize-Do you really need a 3 bedroom, 3 bath house? Over time Americans have come to believe that they need larger and larger houses to be happy. However larger houses not only cost more money to buy, but also take more investment in upkeep and utilities. We also tend to feel the need to fill larger houses with more stuff. You may not want to go to this extreme, but check out the Tiny House Blog for inspiration to go smaller. (And then just think about all the time you could save without having to clean those extra rooms.) Our Story:Perhaps my perspective will change, but over the last few moves we have lived in progressively smaller spaces. We started out in an almost 795 sq. ft. apartment and now we are now down to a 565 sq. ft. apartment. As we start a family we will probably want a little more space, but I don't want much bigger... I really hate cleaning as it is!
Photo by Adamophoto at freerangestock.com 3. Embrace DIY-You could certainly do more harm than good if you start doing your own plumbing or electrical work without any background knowledge, but over time these types of skills will certainly pay off. Whether it is taking care of simple maintenance yourself, finding a good deal on a fixer-upper, or maybe even building your own house, there could be many opportunities to save if you have the required skills. So consider taking a few classes at the local community college, getting some hands on experience by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, or finding a mentor to teach you. And then once you get started, take the time to do the job right the first time, ask questions, and remember that having the right tool will usually pay off in time. Cultivate Simple had a great episode on home improvement a few weeks ago. Our Story:We are slowly working on building up our skills, but this is one that we will probably continue to develop for many years... One of our goals for this year is to really start working on this area. Nathan plans to use some of his remaining AmeriCorps Educational Award to take some classes and I am hoping to begin volunteering with Habitat for Humanity's Women's Build program. 4. Consider Apartment Living- If you have to rent, you should try to find the cheapest rent for the shortest time possible, until you have the money to buy. This usually means living in an apartment. Our Story:We have lived in several apartments over the years, and I will admit that sometimes they can be somewhat soul-sucking (especially the larger corporate complexes), but keep looking! There are certainly nice ones available. We were admittedly lucky, but I am loving living in our apartment at Kailash Ecovillage. The rent is reasonable and the community is awesome!
Living in your landlord's yard can have it's perks... such as abundant garden space! 5. Consider Non-Traditional Living Arrangements- These options usually require a little more flexibility (and sometimes hassle/sacrifice) but they can also yield huge savings. Try renting a room, mother-in-law studio, or guest house. Consider roommates, or renting out extra space. Take a live-in nanny job. You could even concider living in an RV for awhile like this family. Or maybe even find a caretaking opportunity through the Caretaker Gazette. Our Story:Before moving to Kailash we tried living in a mother-in-law studio behind our landlord's house. It worked out pretty well (especially since we were able to have a lovely garden that year), but ultimately the rent was too high even there...
Do you have any ways that you have cut your housing costs? Be sure to share your tips in the comments!
While many of these suggestions require some flexibility in your living arrangements, (which are certainly easier before you start a family, etc.), be sure to visit again on Wednesday for some suggestions that will be helpful no matter where you are in your life. Coming up next.... how to save on: Utilities.
While many of these suggestions require some flexibility in your living arrangements, (which are certainly easier before you start a family, etc.), be sure to visit again on Wednesday for some suggestions that will be helpful no matter where you are in your life. Coming up next.... how to save on: Utilities.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any of the products linked in this post I will receive a small commission. Purchasing these products through one of the links in this post will not cost you any additional money and the money earned through affiliate links is used to cover the costs of maintaining this blog. Rest assured that I only link to products that I have used and recommend.
(This post was shared at the Homestead Barn Hop, Natural Living Monday, Mostly Homemade Mondays, the Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Tuesday Greens, Tuesdays with a Twist, the Down Home Hop, Simple Lives Thursday, the Home Acre Hop, Old Fashioned Fridays, 104 Homestead Hop, and the Maple Hill Hop) | 7,146 | 3,211 | 0.000312 |
warc | 201704 | Be Clear
When I say be clear, I mean be clear in what you say and what you do. This sounds easier than it is. You must be sure that your actions, your body language, your tone of voice, and your words all send the same message. Are you as clear as you can be in your communications? You can rate yourself or ask those you love and trust. A good negotiator is an excellent communicator and understands how others think, feel, and function. But first, you must start by analyzing yourself.
Here are some tips for being clear:
Know your purpose in speaking and cut the mumbo-jumbo. Keep all your commitments. If you say that you are going to get back to someone at 10 a.m., be sure that you get back to them at 10 a.m. 14 Part I: Preparing to Negotiate In the rush of the workday, we often shortchange ourselves and others on clarity. When you say one thing and do another, you may confuse people. Good communicators are consistent communicators.
When you become sensitive to being clear, you can start helping others. You can tactfully bring the tangent people back to the point of the conversation and subtly curb the interrupters. When you meet people who are unprepared, you can educate them and bring them up to speed. As you master the six skills, you model them for others on your team and often to those on the other side of the table. And the negotiation goes all the better for it.
Push the pause button
Everyone has a pause button - a little device inside our heads that helps us maintain emotional distance in a negotiation. Some use it more than others. Others don't use it all. The pause button can take many forms - it can be a break during a heated negotiation, or it can be a moment of silence when you don't agree with someone's argument.
When you use your pause button during a negotiation, you prevent yourself from saying things you may later regret. Your pause button also allows you a moment of reflection. When you don't use your pause button, you may jump into a deal too quickly because you didn't spend enough time thinking about your words and actions. Never let your emotions take control of your actions.
Figure out in advance what sets you off. Identify your hot buttons. When you know what upsets you, talk about it with others on your team so you and they are ready if this kind of situation arises. We all have hot buttons, so we may as well deal with them upfront. If a negotiation looks to be headed south and talks are at a standstill, don't panic. Use your pause button. Think about the steps that got you to this point. Instead of making outlandish demands or angrily storming out of the negotiating room, take a breather and suggest meeting at a later time. | 2,704 | 1,293 | 0.000776 |
warc | 201704 | By Susha Cheriyedath, MSc
Immunophenotyping is a test used to identify cells on the basis of the types of markers or antigens present on the cell’s surface, nucleus, or cytoplasm. This technique helps identify the lineage of cells using antibodies that detect markers or antigens on the cells, hence the “immuno-” prefix.
While some antigens are found only on one type of cell, others are found on different types. This process is widely used to diagnose different types of lymphoma and leukemia by comparing normal cells and cancer cells. It has become a common technique for the identification and classification of acute leukemias, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Uses of Immunophenotyping
Immunophenotyping is widely used for the following reasons:
To differentiate between:
Acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemia
B and T cell lymphoid neoplasms such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma
Reactive and neoplastic expansions of lymphocytes
Predicting prognosis in lymphoma
Identification of lymphocyte subsets
Immunophenotyping Tests
Two types of tests are used in immunophenotyping:
Flow cytometry
Immunocytochemistry
The choice of test is based on the type of sample:
Fluid suspensions (sample): flow cytometry (test method)
Cells on slides (sample): immunocytochemistry (test method)
Here’s a brief overview of the two types of test methods:
Flow Cytometry
In flow cytometry, the sample may range from blood, fluids in the body cavity (such as peritoneal or pleural fluids), bone marrow, or solid tissues in liquid media. Flow cytometry is generally used to determine cell lineage in leukemia and lymphoma.
Flow lymphoma is used in the case of lymphoid neoplasms or when a lymphoid origin is suspected on the basis of cell morphology after staining. This technique helps in prognostication and is also used to differentiate between neoplastic and reactive expansions of lymphocytes.
Flow leukemia can be used in the case of an extensive range of leukemias that could be myeloid or lymphoid.
Immunocytochemistry
This technique involves immunostaining of smears of fluids from body cavities or aspirates of tissues. It can be used for identifying the lineage of the cell in smears of tissues with suspected lymphoma or histocytic sarcoma.
This technique also helps identify or confirm the cell of origin in non-hematopoietic neoplasia. Immunocytochemistry is, however, limited by the quality and number of smears as one antibody is applied to one smear.
The results of flow cytometry or immunocytochemistry should always be interpreted along with the available medical history, clinical signs, imaging findings, and pathologic results of individual cases.
Immunophenotyping in AML
Immunophenotyping is widely used to identify and classify AML. Immunophenotype is a key parameter that is very valuable in predicting response to treatment as well as survival rates.
Several studies have identified a relationship between AML prognosis and antigens such as CD7, CD9, CD11b, CD13, CD14, CD15, CD33, CD34, and CD56, though some other studies report conflicting results.
Although the World Health Organization classification of AML takes into account immunophenotypic features, the criteria for the same in monocytic AML is not clearly defined.
According to the European Group for the Immunological Classification of Leukemias (EGIL), AML can be immunologically defined by the expression of atleast two of the following myeloid markers:
CD13
CD33
CDw65
CD117
Myeloperoxidase
Based on this classification, one study researched the prognostic significance of various immunophenotypic subgroups in 177 adult AML patients. The results of this study were compared with other clinical and biological features. None of the tested antigens were linked to treatment outcome.
Patients with full expression of panmyeloid phenotype expressed all five myeloid markers, had a higher complete remission rate, and were significantly different in overall and disease-free survival than those whose expressed <5 of the myeloid markers. Leukemic myeloblasts expressed many leukocyte differentiation antigens, thus reflecting association with myeloid lineage and maturation level.
References
Further Reading
Last Updated: Jul 21, 2016 | 4,290 | 1,893 | 0.000536 |
warc | 201704 | Sometime in the middle of the 15th century, a well-to-do merchant from London buried more than 6,700 gold and silver coins on a sloping hillside in Surrey. He was fleeing the War of the Roses and no doubt planned to return during better times. But he never did. The coins lay undisturbed until one September evening in 1990 when local resident Roger Mintey stumbled across them with a metal detector and dug them up. Named the Reigate Hoard, Mintey's find—much of which now sits in the British Museum—earned him roughly $350,000, enough to quit his job with a small manufacturer and spend more time pursuing lost treasure.
But digging up the past is a contentious matter in Britain. In many European countries, people wielding metal detectors face tough regulations. In the U.K., however, officials introduced a voluntary scheme in 1997 encouraging hobbyists to report their discoveries (except for those falling under the definition of treasure, including hoards like Mintey's, which they are required to report)—but allowing them to keep what they find, or receive a reward. Last year, a stash far more impressive than Mintey's was uncovered in a field outside Birmingham. Called the Staffordshire Hoard, it consists of more than 1,500 gold and silver objects from the seventh century and was valued at more than $4.5 million. While local museums scramble to raise enough money to keep the hoard off the open market, it sits in limbo, owned by the Crown but facing claims by the landowner and the metal detectorist who found it.
The find marks the latest battleground in the increasingly heated clash between the country's 10,000–20,000 metal detectorists and the archeologists determined to protect its artifacts. "We've got a lot of enemies," says Mintey, who heads up his local metal-detecting club, which urges members to avoid known archeological sites and obtain permission from landowners before searching their property. Supporters say the voluntary scheme stems the loss of valuable information about artifacts that would have otherwise gone unrecorded; since 1997, it's logged more than 450,000 items. "Archeologists had to embrace [us]," says Trevor Austin, who heads the National Council for Metal Detecting. "Otherwise they would not get any finds into their museums." At the same time, conscientious detectorists have been overshadowed by a ruthless breed known as "nighthawks" who venture onto protected locations under cover of darkness and have been known to attack those who try to stop them.
Detractors argue that metal detectorists are damaging the archeological record. "Every single country except Great Britain is condemning it," says archeologist Paul Barford, an outspoken critic. Furthermore, detectorists don't report everything; Heritage Action, a group campaigning against the scheme, estimates that nearly 3 million items have slipped through the cracks over the past decade.
The debate centers on the larger question of who owns the past. "There's been a slow move over the centuries that precious old things belong to us all," says Cambridge University archeologist Christopher Chippindale. But in Britain at least, the lure of buried treasure could change all that. | 3,238 | 1,694 | 0.000597 |
warc | 201704 | Indian-based IT Security and Audit Training Systems Assurance Institute (SAI) expands its training offerings to include American-based ecfirst.com’s Certified Security Compliance Specialist™ (CSCS™) Program. As more Indian enterprises conduct business online and with business-critical information being made accessible, there will be a greater number of cases of corporate espionage and information leakage. The new CSCS™ instructor-led program makes available job-role based continuing education focused on information security and regulatory compliance.
Organizations today are challenged with both securing the digital assets and the information infrastructure as well as achieving full compliance with legislations and standards. Financial, ITES-BPO, software, healthcare and other verticals based service providers are required to constantly monitor the changing dynamics of their infrastructure to mitigate risks and vulnerabilities. With the Indian companies becoming part of the global supply chain and global competition, CIO’s need to have a clear sense of vision and clarity towards compliance.
Compliance with international legislations such as Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), Indian IT Act, GLB, FISMA, HIPAA and security standards such as the ISO 17799:2005 and COBIT are becoming a norm today or are being demanded by clients. The primary goal of adherence to any of the regulations and standards is to improve productivity and reinforce customer confidence and allow companies to have the “competitive edge”.
“We are excited to partner with ecfirst.com as the CSCS™ is a unique program of its type in the compliance and security industries. This program is a huge step forward in creating visibility for the compliance profession and we invite the security, auditing and compliance community to take the step with us,” said SAI Director, Sameer Saxena.
The CSCS™ credential is a job-role based designation. This program is designed to enable professionals to understand, prioritize and ultimately assist organizations achieve compliance with information security-based regulations.
The CSCS™ Program will be held in Mumbai and Bangalore in November and later introduced in other metros. As students participate in this two-day instructor-led program and pass the online exam, they are eligible for 16 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) units. SAI brings to India the CSCS™ Program at Rs 24,000 (with exam) compared to its original fee of US $2100.
About ecfirst.com
ecfirst.com is a fast-growing privately held organization based in Des Moines, Iowa. It was recognized as an Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Privately Held Business in the USA in 2004 – in its first year of eligibility. Further, ecfirst.com programs are exclusively endorsed for its training solutions by the American Hospital Association (AHA).
ecfirst.com has a well established consulting, training and certification practice focused on enabling organizations to address information security requirements related to regulatory compliance. ecfirst.com clients include U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army. U.S. Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Deloitte & Touche, IBM, HP, Wells Fargo and hundreds of other organizations that include state agencies, hospitals, and consulting companies.
About Systems Assurance Institute
Systems Assurance Institute (sai-india.com) has been founded by a group of professionals with a background in IT Security and Audit training. The Institute has been created to cater to the shortage in information security and audit specialists, the escalating complexity of technology and the business need of companies to outsource non-core business activities. Our mission is to provide the best possible training experience for students.
The course portfolio includes vendor, vendor-neutral and professional certifications covering all major areas of information security and audit, thereby creating a point of difference. The key to our training programs is the years of practical consulting experience solving business problems using the technology that we teach. It is this combination of our teaching and consulting skills that differentiates Systems Assurance Institute from other training providers. | 4,296 | 2,020 | 0.000505 |
warc | 201704 | Gravy Trains- Where Are They Now?In a recent Gallup Poll survey, nearly 1/3 of American workers report being “completely satisfied” with the amount of money they earn, the highest percentage recorded as “satisfied” in two decades. 43% believe they are underpaid and only 4% would say they are overpaid. Of course, with this week’s unemployment claim hike, it is no surprise satisfaction ratings are high. The Itch You Just Can’t ScratchThe biggest, and most unfortunate, news of the week comes from Thursday’s announcement of new jobless claims hitting 500,000. So what needs to occur in order to avoid entering double-dip territory? According to Washington Postwriter Frank Ahrens, “Economists say that the weekly claims number needs to get into the low 400,000s and stay there before employers will start hiring new workers and bringing back laid-off ones. Indeed, the economy needs to add 125,000 jobs each month merely to keep up with population growth.” Foreclosures Rise, Gov’t FaltersA New York Timeseditorial calls the government’s response to high foreclosure rates falling short of expectations. The Administration’s main program that pays lenders to modify bad loans has not seen the anticipated success. So far, only 398,198 loans have been permanently modified while it is estimated that 1.9 million people will lose their home this year. With the launching of new state-based programs, the Administration hopes to better serve, and save, unemployed or underwater homeowners. Image: via, economix.blogs.nytimes.com | 1,589 | 911 | 0.001142 |
warc | 201704 | Dietitians and nutritionists make a difference in the lives of people every day.
We offer two majors:
Dietetics combines the required classroom learning and supervised practice into a four year plus one summer program. We are only one of about 50 coordinated programs in the entire U.S.
Community nutrition combines classroom learning with a shorter supervised experience of 180 hours. Graduates are eligible to become licensed in North Dakota.
Graduates in both majors practice around the U.S. and the world.
Mission
The mission of the Department of Nutrition & Dietetics is to prepare entry-level nutrition professionals who improve the quality of health of people through the promotion of healthy food choices and optimal nutrition. We do this through exceptional teaching, research and outreach. | 807 | 467 | 0.002163 |
warc | 201704 | they're essential for human growth and development, but not naturally produced by the body. EFA's are important for the production of prostaglandins, which are hormone-like transmitters that help regulate fat metabolism, inflammatory response, hormones, as well as the cardiovascular, immune, and central nervous system.
Flax oil is taken from the seeds of the flax plant. It contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is the precursor fatty acid for the omega-3 series. In order for the body to use ALA, it must be converted into EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), two nutrients that are constituents in many cells and are particularly abundant in brain and retina tissue, nerve relay stations (synapses), adrenal glands and sex glands. NSI High Lignan Flax Oil is one-hundred percent organic and provides 20 percent lignans per each tablespoon serving. Lignans are a type of fiber, as well as a type of phytoestrogen, which are hormone-like molecules from plants that may have antioxidant properties and contribute to healthy bone growth and cardiovascular function. While NSI® High Lignan Flax oil is delicious drizzled on pasta, vegetables, potatoes, popcorn, rice and other grains, it's not recommended for high-temperature cooking.
Product: Organic High Lignan Flax Oil Liquid
Brand: Nutraceutical Sciences Institute (More Products)
Size: 16 fl oz
Dosage: 1 tablespoon daily
Retail: $18.99 | 1,433 | 821 | 0.001229 |
warc | 201704 | The statement from the official, Hussein al-Shahristani, said the central government had cautioned Exxon against pursuing oil deals in Kurdistan. The government considers such agreements to be illegal until long-awaited rules can be worked that would divide revenues among Iraq’s fractious regions.
Mr. Shahristani’s office issued its statement after Exxon, whose headquarters are in Irving, Tex., became the first major international oil company to sign a contract in Kurdistan.
Exxon declined to comment, but officials in Kurdistan confirmed that a contract had been signed on Oct. 18. On Sunday, the regional energy minister, Ashti Hawrami, told reporters at an oil conference in Erbil, the Kurdish capital, that Exxon had been awarded six exploration blocks.
With the deal, Exxon is wading into a dispute that has dogged Iraq since the American invasion in 2003. Oil is the source of Iraq’s wealth, and the American invasion threw control of the country’s rich reserves into question, worsening the longstanding enmity between the Kurds and other Iraqis. President George W. Bush’s administration considered Iraq’s passage of an oil law to split revenues a crucial benchmark to long-term peace.
The legal argument against any deal remains unsettled. Iraq’s Constitution allows regions to strike their own oil deals, but the central government says there is no law that spells out how that can happen.
Many smaller oil companies, including American producers like Marathon and Hunt, have signed contracts with the Kurdistan regional government. But the larger companies had held back to ensure that they retain deals in the south.
Michael Klare, a professor at Hampshire College and an authority on the Iraqi oil industry, speculated that Exxon might be betting that Iraq would not follow through on its threats of punishment, recognizing that the company’s investment elsewhere was critical to the country’s economic revival.
“Both Exxon and the Iraqis understand that Iraq has no hope of reaching its lofty goals of higher oil output without Exxon’s involvement,” Professor Klare said. “Threats to punish the company for investing in the Kurdish area are hollow.”
Critics said oil companies that made deals with Kurdistan after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s government were pursuing development in a manner that heightened ethnic tensions between Arabs and Kurds and had done little to contribute to economic stability.
For now, at least, the Iraqi government appears to be taking a strongly worded stance whose details are somewhat vague. “The Iraqi government will deal with any company that violates the law the same way it dealt with similar companies before,” Mr. Shahristani’s statement said on Saturday.
In the past, the government has excluded oil companies active in Kurdistan from new auctions elsewhere. It was unclear whether the statement implied any threat to revoke Exxon’s existing contracts, which would be significant. A spokesman for Mr. Shahristani declined to elaborate.
Beyond the ripples that oil deals send through Iraqi’s fragile politics, they are important for bringing oil to world markets, but only if relations between the oil companies and the government are smooth enough to allow investment.
The State Department and the military have sought to tamp down antagonism between Kurdistan and the central government for years, and American troops have died trying to keep the peace along that internal border. With the American withdrawal imminent, concerns are mounting that ethnic tensions could again threaten stability.
Under a 2009 contract, Exxon is leading a consortium developing one of Iraq’s largest oil fields outside Basra near the Persian Gulf.
Under that agreement, Exxon and its partners agreed to invest $50 billion over seven years to increase output by about two million barrels of oil a day there, at West Qurna Phase 1, bringing more oil to the market than the United States now produces in the Gulf of Mexico. Margins, though, are low. Kurdistan, however, offered more lucrative production-sharing agreements, allowing the company to earn a larger share of revenues and to count more of the crude on its books, which helps lift share prices.Continue reading the main story | 4,351 | 2,070 | 0.000497 |
warc | 201704 | I walked into the commercial gym yesterday after a long day of work excited to begin my workout. After warming up I proceeded to the squat rack to start my resistance training workout. I unfortunately ran into a bit of a roadblock. I was planning on starting with some Back Squats but there was a young man in the power rack performing barbell biceps curls with horrible form (a definite no-no!).
Body for Life is more of a bodybuilding routine although it doesn’t use an excessive number of sets. You work your upper body twice and your lower body once during the first week. The second week, you work your lower body twice and your upper body once. You continue to alternate each week. This keeps you from overtraining.
The raised heel provided stability and prevented damage to any of the lower extremities. But what about enhancing the performance? The weightlifting shoes not only have a raised heel but also have a hard sole which helps with lifting the weights. A hard, incompressible sole prevents the force which is produced to lift the weight from being dissipated against the floor. A shoe with a soft sole, like sneakers, not only prevent the force which is produced by the lifter from being used to lift the weight, but also make the base of the lifters body very shaky.
Medicine Balls are a great tool depending upon your fitness goals and your current training level. For an athlete in search of sports performance enhancement, Medicine Balls are a great tool because they can be accelerated in a rapid fashion through many planes of motion. If general fitness is your goal, you can perform many traditional gym exercises with a Medicine Ball as well. Medicine balls come in all shapes, sizes, weights, and colors. Be sure that the ball you pick suits your needs. By the way, these are also great for outdoor workouts on a sunny day!
Powerlifting is a strength sport that involves three lifts – the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Powerlifters usually perform multiple heavy sets of low repetitions, focusing on strength and power as opposed to size. These three lifts are all good for wrestling. But, doing only those three lifts may not meet all of your needs. And, focusing only on heavy weights and low reps may not be best if done exclusively.
One bonus tip to increase your ability jump higher in basketball is stretching. Stretching relaxes and improve the circulation of your muscles. Stretching is going to help you improve your verticals by leaps and bounds and move you closer to dunk a basketball.
Some people swear by bodyweight training. Combine that with a weighted vest and you have yourself a tough workout plan. Others claim that barbells and dumbbells are better. Some say that resistance is resistance and it doesn’t really matter.
That sounds odd, as a benefit for a loss of fat. However, a verdict minutes and think about what happens when the form is to be. It is true that you quit. Well, this May seem obvious, but if you are training too early, you lose ability, a key for training in this case the promotion of fat loss. In general, the technique must be in the absence of fatigue. And I fully agree with…95% of the time. When I recruit weightlifter, I have something very interesting. I have some of my best lifts (remember the Olympic weightlifting, the style is very, very technical), if I was sometimes, the tired. I mean, I feel that I am not even a truck I’m trying to lift.
Pavel states, “if you look at the training of the strongest people in the world, be it weightlifters, powerlifters, strongmen, whatever, there’s one universal truth. They always lift heavy, in terms of percentage of one rep max, they always keep their repetitions low, and they never, ever train to failure.” His workout promises strength without bulk.
After the grand tour it was time to sit down and sign the papers that allowed me to be a privliged member of Fit N’ Fun. I began to tell the lady a little about my background and my profession and she began to panic. “Excuse me sir I need to go to the restroom,” she replied as I was telling her about my work in the industry. A few minutes later a man approached me and informed me that the employee I had been speaking with was sick and would not be able to continue talking with me. He informed me he was the manager and he would be able to help me with anything I needed. I let the manager know that the sales tactics used by his employee were very mis leading and this facility was not equipped with the tools or staff to train anyone that was serious about fitness.
One of the things I try to do in life is to be continually improve, to be better at the end of the day when compared to the beginning. This applies very much as a fitness professional. I want to constantly improve so that my clients get better and better results, more and more consistently.
My workouts, were almost all leg and hip based at the time, as I was training for the sport of weightlifting shoes. Squats, deadlifts, pulls, more squats of different variations were all part of a day’s workout.
Crossfit gear is pretty easy to find online. Just type it into a popular search engine and bam, you have several sites offering a lot of similar products. However, you need to find reviews on the equipment, so you know the equipment is quality and will last a long time. So make sure you either type reviews into the search engine as well, or ask people who have bought similar equipment.
Stepping back from the suggestions above you see that fitness at any level is the same transition; challenge-work-reward. That “challenge” is the thing that forces you to get out of your comfort zone. What you will see is when you do get out of your comfort zone the reward makes you really happy you did. This realization will change you into the kind of person that looks for new challenges. You become the kind of person who is always growing and developing in and outside of the gym. This outlook will change your life. | 6,051 | 2,824 | 0.000359 |
warc | 201704 | What does my future look like? Participants in OHSU internship programs explore future health and biomedical research careers
There's nothing like hands-on experience to influence a career choice. The OHSU Summer Equity Research Program and the Ted R. Lilley Cancer Continuing Umbrella of Research Education (CURE) Program give up-and-coming health care professionals and biomedical researchers invaluable experience in the labs of OHSU faculty members to prepare them for future careers in biomedicine.
The 2012 cohort from both the CURE and Equity programs celebrated their accomplishments during a scientific research poster session and awards ceremony Aug. 10. The OHSU Center for Diversity & Inclusion administers both programs.
Brian Druker, M.D., director of the Knight Cancer Institute, was at the ceremony in the BICC gallery to help celebrate with the Ted R. Lilley family, the five 2012 CURE interns and their mentors. Dr. Druker noted a decade of success for the CURE program, which has seen 97 percent of its participants go on to enroll in four-year college programs.
Allison Fryer, Ph.D., associate dean for graduate studies, helped welcome the Equity program participants, congratulating them on being chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants. This year, 190 students vied for the 16 slots in the graduate studies, dentistry or medicine tracks. "This program has grown phenomenally over the years," she said.
The CURE program is for high school students from economically disadvantaged populations to learn about cancer-focused science while stimulating their interest in biomedical research and health careers.
The Equity program is targeted at students who have faced and overcome significant economic or social disadvantages. Over the course of eight to 10 weeks, students work with School of Medicine and School of Dentistry faculty and graduate students in a research setting. They conduct their own research project, participate in weekly seminars and meetings, give an oral presentation on their research and receive mentoring appropriate to their career goals from OHSU faculty.
The Equity program is supported by the Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, the Portland Alcohol Research Center and the Office of Science Education Opportunities. The CURE program is supported by the Ted R. Lilley Foundation and the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. For more information, visit the Center for Diversity & Inclusion's website.
Pictured top: The 2012 cohort of Equity and CURE program participants Pictured middle: Janell Payano Sosa, left, with Allison Fryer, Ph.D., associate dean for graduate studies. Sosa is a University of Maryland student who participated in the Equity program with mentor Suzanne Mitchell, Ph.D. Pictured bottom: Merhawi Mehari, a California State East Bay student, explains his research to an attendee. Mehari participated in the Equity program with mentor Owen McCarty, Ph.D. | 2,938 | 1,380 | 0.000728 |
warc | 201704 | 10. Freedom to Choose your Veterinarian Pet health insurance policies are same as the health insurance policies for people. There are many different policies and every policy has their own different rules. Ensure that your pet insurance policy includes your vet as a provider or gives you the freedom to choose your vet as a provider in your policy. 9. Provides ...
10. Repair all the Cracks in Your House Bugs can enter even from the very small or almost invisible cracks or holes in the house. Make sure you repair and fix all the crack or holes in your house to get rid of bugs. You can make use of mortar or cement to fill the cracks. 9. Seal all the Doors Sealing the doors is very important to keep your house bug free. ...
10. You can be Your Own Boss This is the best advantage of being a freelancer. No one will be bullying you and controlling you. You can make your own decisions independently. You can work in your own ways. You can plan your own projects and then take your client’s approval. 9. Flexibility of Time Being a freelancer, it is possible for you to work according ...
10. Enjoy Every Moment Dogs are very enthusiastic and enjoy every moment. They love moving around and playing. They are always happy and busy even without computers or mobiles. Dogs teach us to live our life without the help of any kind of entertainment. 9. Never Waste Your Food Dogs are seen to eat everything they are given. It does not waste its food. Often, ...
10. Get the Car Maintenance Done Most of the drivers are not aware of the tire inflation pressure of the car. Make sure to check the tire pressure before you leave for the road trip. Inaccurate pressure can affect the stability of the car. Get the servicing and maintenance of your car done before the road trip. 9. Take Special Care about the Driver’s Safety ...
10. Time or Season for Migration Birds usually migrate during spring and fall, but there are some birds that also migrate 365 days in a year. The time of migration depends on many aspects like the distance of migration, travel speed of the birds, the climactic conditions, bird species, the route of migration, etc. 9. Birds Increase their Weight before Migration Migrating ...
10. Heckler and Koch HK MG4 MG 43 Machine Gun This is a lightweight gun that has a caliber of 5.56mm. It was originally designed by a company named Heckler and Koch in Germany. This gun is a perfect killer because it never misses the target. It is capable to shoot the maximum possible number of series in a minute. 9. Heckler and Koch HK416 Assault Rifle This ...
10. If Your Friend Is Bossy Friendship is all about the bonding between equals. In a friendship, no one dominates, and no one has the right to be a listener all the time. If you find your friend as a person who dominates you, makes the final decisions, stands in front as the leader or manages to win arguments between friends, then make that person out as a black ...
10. Hydrate Yourself Summer is the time when you need to drink plenty of water, as there are chances of being dehydrated. The body will lose plenty of water as a result of the scorching sun’s unbearable heat. If you do not drink plenty of water, you may experience fatigue as well as urinary problems. Hence it is advisable to consume at least 7 to 8 glasses ...
10. Financial Benefit There are many things around us that we may not require or use any further, and we might just discard it in the garbage. Such things can be recycled to get financial benefits. Aluminum items are higher income generating items in our garbage. Recycling aluminum items alone can recover more than the cost of collecting and processing the garbage. 9. ... | 3,699 | 1,775 | 0.000567 |
warc | 201704 | A Practical Coffee Maker Buying Guide
Set your budget. How much are you willing to spend for a coffee maker? Setting a budget and following it is a great way of avoiding overspending.
There are features that are convenient and nice to have, yes; however, these features are just gravy or icing on the cake that just increases the cost of the machine.
Important features are the various capabilities of a coffee maker that best serve your needs and make the coffee maker all the more worthwhile to have.
Let’s start with the basic, yet important features. How many cups of coffee do you need in a single brew?
Another important feature that you might need in a coffee maker is a built-in water filter. If you live in an area that has hard water, you might need a coffee maker that has a built-in water filter.
A water filter not only prevents mineral deposits from accumulating in the machine; thus extending its lifespan, but it also filters out all the impurities in the water before it is used for brewing, which improves the taste of the coffee.
Another feature worth taking note of is the permanent coffee filter. While a permanent coffee filter can be bought separately, it can be crucial for you, especially if you don’t want to be bothered with stocking up on disposable paper filters.
In the long run, using a permanent filter can save you money in the long run, since a well-maintained stainless steel or gold tone filter can last for years.
Do you have enough countertop space? This is a crucial step, which is usually overlooked by most people.
Coffee makers, especially 10 and 12-cup coffee makers have large water reservoirs that make them quite tall, wide, and/or deep.
And sadly, some people make the mistake of buying a coffee maker that either occupies too much countertop space, or in worse cases, couldn’t fit on the counter at all since it can’t fit in the space between the kitchen counter and the cupboards.
Coffee Maker buying guide rule 4 -review and evaluate
Start looking at the more popular brands for a coffee maker that has all the things (price, important features, and dimensions) that you’re looking for.
Start looking at popular coffee maker brands such as Mr. Coffee, Black & Decker, Braun, Krups, and Cuisinart, among others and find out which coffee makers has all the various characteristics that you’re looking for and list them down in your buying list.
Finally, take the time to read and compare expert and customer reviews about the coffee makers in your list before you make your final decision.
Expert and customer coffee maker reviews exist for a reason, and that is to give you valuable information on not just the features, but also on the performance of the coffee makers that you’re planning to buy.
If you find that expert reviews are too technical or too nitpicky for your tastes, then read customer reviews. Customer reviews are written by other coffee drinkers like you, who took the time to write down their personal experiences, complaints, praises, and their overall evaluation on the performance of the particular coffee makers that you’re planning to buy.
You’d be surprised at how much you will learn about a particular coffee maker just by reading customer reviews, which you’d otherwise find out through personal experience.
And if you bought a coffee maker that doesn’t perform up to your expectations, you’d regret not reading the reviews about it.
Expert and customer reviews (such as this coffee maker buying guide) can give you valuable information, which will ultimately help you make your final decision and buy your coffee maker from a reputable online store or from a coffee wholesale distributor. | 3,748 | 1,629 | 0.000628 |
warc | 201704 | Estimating nitrogen efficiency of swine lagoon liquid applied to field crops using continuously variable irrigation
Abstract (Summary)COBB, CHESTER RAY. Estimating nitrogen efficiency of swine lagoon liquid applied to field crops using continuously variable irrigation. (Under the direction of Robert L. Mikkelsen). Application of anaerobic swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) lagoon liquid onto cropland by irrigation is a common method of waste disposal and treatment. Currently, the application rate of swine lagoon liquid is based on the N concentration of the lagoon liquid and the N required by the receiver crop to obtain a realistic yield. In North Carolina, only 50% of the total N in the swine lagoon liquid applied by irrigation is considered available for plant use during the first year after application. Uncertainty exists as to whether this coefficient accurately predicts the amount of plant-available N. Therefore, research was conducted in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina to determine the efficiency of N uptake by corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max Merrill) receiving swine lagoon liquid through irrigation. The line-source sprinkler irrigation method was used to provide a continuous variable N rate, ranging from 0 to 290 kg N ha-1, across the field during 1999 and 2000. Ammonia volatilization losses ranged from 6 to 22% during irrigation. Crop yield and grain N recovered were affected more by the amount of liquid than N applied in 1999. Nitrogen recovered in grain in 1999 was < 15% for both corn and soybean at 168 kg N ha-1 of either swine lagoon liquid or NH4NO3. In 2000 at the 168 kg N ha-1 rate, grain N removal by corn, nonnodulating soybean, and nodulating soybean was 28, 25, and 39% from swine lagoon liquid and 45, 31, and 56% from NH4NO3. Based on yields and grain N removed by corn and nonnodulating soybean in 2000, N from applied swine lagoon liquid, accounting for N losses during irrigation, was about 70% as effective as NH4NO3. Symbiotic N2 fixation by the soybean was reduced by 60% when applied N reached 175 kg N ha-1 for both NH4NO3 and swine lagoon liquid. While nodulating soybean removed more grain N than did either corn or nonnodulating soybean in 2000, soil inorganic N concentrations at the end of the growing season were higher for the nodulating soybean. Therefore, it is not conclusive if soybean would be a better receiver crop than corn for swine lagoon liquid. Based on the results of this study, using the 50% available N coefficient of the lagoon liquid comes close to predicting plant-available N when N losses during irrigation are around 25%. Nitrogen losses during irrigation can significantly affect plantavailable N when applied N is based on the N concentrations of the lagoon liquid.
Bibliographical Information:
Advisor:
School Location:USA - North Carolina
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:north carolina state university
ISBN:
Date of Publication: | 2,944 | 1,304 | 0.000769 |
warc | 201704 | Around 250 staff took part in the strike and a march through Brussels demanding better governance of the EPO, according to the EPO staff union, SUEPO. A delegation met with officials from European Internal Markets Commissioner Charlie McCreevy's office the next day to outline their concerns.
The protesters claim that the EPO is forcing them to grant patents that are not of good enough quality so that the EPO can receive patent registration fees from them. They claim the result is a potentially disastrous lowering of patent quality.
The staff objections mirror those from opponents of the patent system in Europe and the US and opponents to any extension of patents to cover software. A common argument from those opponents is that examiners are not strict enough in policing patent quality.
EPO staff have argued that national patent offices, whose directors sit on the governing body of the EPO and which share 50% of EPO revenues, are pressurising the organisation into generating patent revenues where no patents should be awarded.
"A conflict of interest has therefore existed since the founding of the EPO … the eagerness of the national patent offices to get more money out of the EPO has led the EPO management to squeeze more and more patent grants from the staff," said Sylvie Jacobs of the Union Syndicale Federale, to which SUEPO is affiliated at the Brussels march. "In the EPO, it ruins the professional pride of the examiners and other EPO staff who thus find it more and more difficult to meet the quality level imposed by patent law and expected by industry and the public."
Jacobs said that the consequences of the problems are severe.
"Lowering quality standards while increasing the EPO’s output, or sharing core tasks with less qualified national patent offices, have … disastrous effects," she said. "In a situation where many of the granted intellectual property monopoly rights worldwide would be unjustified, and the scope of those monopolies would be blurred, large companies would end up in dominant positions on markets through the sheer number of intellectual property rights and their economic power."
"These rights can easily be misused to put smaller entities under pressure and stifle rather than promote innovation. We have been warned by the evolution of the American patent system that has provoked much headache and dispute on the other side of the Atlantic. Ultimately, the European consumer will pay the bill for such a distortion of competition," she said.
Last week's action was not the first time that staff had expressed their opposition to the way the EPO is managed. They staged a demonstration and a strike last year over similar issues, and in 2006 held protests demanding enough time to make sure that patents were of a high enough quality.
The staff complaints were addressed to EPO president Alison Brimelow and its council president Roland Grossenbacher.
"Ms Brimelow, Mr Grossenbacher: stop decentralising EPO tasks, stop ruining the quality of granted patents, stop distorting the system away from the interests of real innovators towards the interests of the most aggressive international players and perhaps a few Anglophone patent attorneys, stop opposing the Lisbon agenda, stop frustrating the EPO staff," said Jacobs. "Become aware of your real task: serve the European consumers, universities, SMEs and all real innovators, gear the EPO to the EU, support and facilitate the introduction of the community patent, allow your staff to proudly serve Europe and its citizens." | 3,578 | 1,721 | 0.000588 |
warc | 201704 | Doind a Research Project Pay Green I Essay
Length: 16 pages Sources: 20 Subject: Business Type: Essay Paper: #62337538 Excerpt from Essay :
doind a research project pay green?
I collected an articles .
In order to be able to comprehend how being green pays off, one must concentrate on the relationship between employing environmental attitudes and economic performance at a company level. Being green is especially important in the present and there is a wide range of domains that people have addressed when concerning the concept. "Some studies have shown that students who go to green schools have higher test scores, get sick less often and are healthier and happier" (Boys' Life 12). This makes it possible for someone to understand that profits associated with being green do not only involve financial aspects, as they are also likely to reflect positively on individuals when regarding matters from a series of other perspectives.
While this concept is surely important, people should not only focus on profits when trying to devise strategies of being green. Michael Porter's theory regarding "Resource-Based View" presents an intriguing view concerning how companies can use differentiation strategies with the purpose of providing their products with unique features. Even with the fact that it might provide marketing specialists with a series of issues during the first steps of a project, the Resource-Based View does not limit the choices that companies have with regard to the industry's structure. "Rather, it considers competitive advantage as resulting from the capabilities of firms to acquire and manage resources, such as technical capabilities, ownership of intellectual property, brand leadership, financial capabilities, and organizational structure and culture -- all of which can be deployed to serve the goal of creating competitive advantage around environmental innovation" (Orsato 129). Competitive advantage is thus a direct result of employing green strategies, as companies that take on this approach are likely to develop more competitive products and are probable to influence the masses to express particular interest in their overall business.
Brand reputation is a particularly important concept when discussing how being green pays off. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill is certainly one of the worst environmental disasters in all of history and it enabled society to understand the gravity related with failing to take proper measures with the purpose of protecting the natural world. The fact that the company did not publicly get involved in protecting the environment before this incident happened made it difficult for it to recover and significantly damaged its reputation.
In contrast to ExxonMobil, BP actually got involved in devising methods to preserve the environment prior to dealing some of the worst blows in all of history to it. Even with the fact that the company is responsible for the worst case of environmental pollution that has ever happened (the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill), the incident was seen with different eyes when comparing it to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. "Thanks to its positive eco-reputation, the company was given extra leeway" (Esty & Winston 141). They understood that it would be beneficial for them to invest in being seen as environmentalists and eventually profited from the enterprise.
Brand reputation is also indirectly responsible for bringing larger profits to a company and employing an environmental attitude is thus likely to increase a firm's value. Having a higher brand value is equivalent to having market power. Companies with market power "command higher prices, sell more, and develop closer relationships with customers and employees" (Esty & Winston 141).
The meaning of getting involved
One means to increasing environmental stability is represented by the reduction of the carbon print. In other words, emphasis is placed on the reduction of the carbon consumed with the scope of decreasing the negative environmental impact onto the environment. Within Australia, this endeavor has been approached at multiple levels, one notable effort being represented by the creation and implementation of a carbon tax. At this level then, the focus falls on the assessment of the tax and its short- and long-term impacts on the tourism and hospitality industry.
The first talks about the introduction of a carbon tax in Australia commenced years ago, but it was not until 2012 that the tax was actually implemented. The introduction of the tax in the country was explained by the fact that the Australia is the highest polluter among the developed countries; this conclusion was reached through the assessment and comparison of the carbon emissions per head of inhabitant and it was found that the Australian population polluted mostly.
The measure of introducing a carbon tax forces the Australian corporations, namely 300 of the worst polluting firms, to pay a $24 levy per tone of greenhouse gas produced. This levy sum is expected to increase each year, up until 2016, when a, ETS is projected to be implemented. The emission trading scheme would be devised in full accordance with the pollution cap and standards to be enforced by that day (Clean Energy Future 2012).
The measure was well supported by the environmental institutions and green supporters in the country, yet it is highly criticized by the political opposition. In fact, the opposition argues that, if and when, they come to role in the country, one of their first measures would be represented by the elimination of the carbon tax (BBC 2012).
The Australian example concerning introducing a carbon tax in order to regulate emissions perfectly exemplifies the strategies that a country would need to take so as for it to embark on a journey to reaching carbon neutrality. It is practically as if the Australian authorities want to make people realize that pollution is largely owed to people's activities and that it is essential for them to do something about it. Although it is difficult for it to achieve carbon neutrality in the near future, it is likely that such strategies pave the road to this objective.
A series of companies have recently turned their attention toward employing green attitudes, both in an attempt to save the world and in order to have the masses appreciate their thinking. Green marketing has come to be an important tool differentiating between successful companies and companies that gradually lose terrain as a result of their failure to act in accordance with laws imposed by the rest of the world.
According to Grace Dagher and Omar Itani (2012), companies need to focus on four Ps in order for them to experience financial benefits as a result of going green.
Products are one of the most important concepts in a company and in order for society to appreciate them they have to be environmentally friendly and even to provide solutions to environmental damage.
Price can be regulated by introducing a series of products that have varied levels of environmental friendliness, so as for more people to be able to get involved in saving the environment.
Place is an important factor, as companies need to promote online selling and to concentrate on providing distribution channels that have a very low negative effect on the environment.
Promotion is also significant in assisting a company that adopts environmental attitudes experience financial benefits. "Companies must use specific green marketing tools such as eco0lable and special sales promotions anxious for their corporate social responsibility)" (Dagher & Itani, 2012).
In order to be able to earn profits while putting across environmental attitudes, a company needs to be familiarized with green consumers. A green consumer is reluctant to purchase products that are damaging for people, animals, or for the environment as a whole. Products that require too much energy and produce very little benefits or that cause excessive waste are also likely to be avoided by green consumers (Dagher & Itani, 2012).
A great deal of companies has taken advantage of the fact that government support green attitudes and have started environmental programs meant to reduce their amount of emissions. "The 2009 economic stimulus package allocated billions of dollars to energy and environmental projects" (Vernon, 2009). Many firms actually fail to understand the fact that they can basically keep their profits and make even more as the government is providing them with funds needed for them to go green. This practically works as a 'help yourself while helping others' strategy. Companies are provided with finances required for them to go green and they upgrade their status at the same time. These firms virtually have to invest little to no finances in going green, taking into account that the authorities provide them with everything they need in order to be recognized for their environmental attitudes (Vernon, 2009).
Individuals are generally inclined to express confidence with regard to companies who adopt environmental attitudes, as these firms are perceived as being 'good'. "When firms' initiatives contribute positively to society, people acquire trust, feel protected, and ultimately buy firms' products, thereby improving companies' economic results" (Giovanni 272). This makes it possible for someone to understand how environmentalism can be particularly profitable, as individuals are inclined to express interest in firms that apparently want to help the world.
3. Carbon neutrality is a significantly notable trend in recent years and it… | 9,662 | 4,177 | 0.000241 |
warc | 201704 | According to a sizzling report by The Hindu eleven spy agencies including the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) are involved in surveillance operations of the entire Internet population of India – which according to latest stats stand at around 160 million.
The paper has claimed that the Lawful Intercept and Monitoring (LIM) systems setup by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) without the knowledge of ISPs and these are used to carry out wide-ranging surveillance activities through ‘keyword’, ‘keyphrase’, bases searches. The report also went onto claim that the system can also carry out ‘text searches’, ‘check some search’, ‘serial scanning’, ‘wildcard search’ among other forms of scanning. Spooks are carrying out national level monitoring using the above mentioned tactics of emails, Internet traffic, Skype and other such online activities of Indian users.
Telecom operators in India are required to deploy their own LIM system, which would enable them to intercept calls by the government – but that too only after due authorization is checked for in compliance with Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act and Rule 419(A) of the IT Rules. Now when it comes to interception and monitoring of Internet traffic, the LIM systems are deployed directly by the government at international gateways under control of handful of large ISPs. Smaller regional and state level ISPs do not have any control over these LIMs and neither do the large ISPs as it’s only the government which holds 100 percent control of these systems.
If we go back in time, back in 2006 Government had chalked safeguards that would govern monitoring Internet traffic under which ISPs were required to have “designated nodal officers.” These offices would have nodal officers who will be in charge of communicating and receiving the “intimations for interceptions.” The officers are, according to the safeguards, required to meet with government officials and “seek confirmation regarding their (interception orders) authenticity every 15 days.” However, The Hindu claims that the safeguards are not being followed as most of the ISPs neither have LIM systems installed nor do they have “functional nodal officers.”
The paper went onto claim that ISP-level mandatory check for authenticity is absent in most parts and the government has unchecked access to Internet traffic of all Indians. As the government controls the Internet LIMs, it directly sends out commands and filters information it needs from the Internet pipe at the international gateways.
Previously there have been reports of government deploying Central Monitoring System through which it will have unrestricted access, a single window view if we may, to each byte of information that follows across the telecom network in India. Different agencies of the government like the National Investigation Agency as well as tax authorities will have also access to communication data of citizens of India. | 3,108 | 1,456 | 0.000715 |
warc | 201704 | Back & Neck Pain Treatment
Back and neck pain are among the most common ailments we experience in our lives. Fortunately, there are effective, non-invasive treatments to provide relief for most patients.
Most back and neck pain is caused by mechanical issues involving muscle strains, joints, discs or a combination of the three. It may also be caused by a more serious condition, such as arthritis, degenerative disc disease or sciatica.
How Physiomed Can Help
Physiomed’s team of health experts will assess your posture, range of motion and strength, ask you a series of questions to define the type of pain you’re experiencing, and perform a series of tests to determine what’s causing your pain.
Treatment for back and neck pain may include chiropractic care, physiotherapy, clinical conditioning exercise therapy, acupuncture and massage therapy, as well as patient education. Most back pain can be prevented by keeping the back muscles flexible and strong, improving posture, avoiding unnecessary strain and learning to bend and lift correctly.
Is back or neck pain getting in the way of doing the things you like to do? Book an appointment today.
back
Welcome Message from our CEO
Click the video to enlarge
Request more Info FEATURED POSTView All
Jan
2017
Preventing Injury While Shoveling Snow...
Winter can bring heavy snowfall, which requires residents to repeatedly shovel snow…read more
Jan
2017
3 Exercises You’ll Actually Want To Do This Wint...
The cold weather season makes it difficult for you to maintain your…read more
Dec
2016
New Year’s Resolutions...
70% of all New Year’s Resolutions involve health related goals, however a…read more | 1,726 | 942 | 0.001106 |
warc | 201704 | John Barlow at Physician Assisted Dying public meeting in Pincher Creek Josh Davis On Thursday April 7 Foothills MP John Barlow hosted a public meeting facilitated by David Green regarding the issue of Physician Assisted Dying at the Pincher Creek Community Hall, which over 30 people attended. It was one of a series of similar meetings held in Alberta and across Canada. “Legislation on doctor assisted dying will happen. That is the Supreme Court’s directive to us as the House of Commons,” said Barlow. “I know some of you here tonight want to speak out against having doctor assisted dying at all. I understand that, I sympathize with that, but again I have to make clear that this is going to happen.” Barlow explained that the federal government has asked for two extensions on this issue already. Legislation must be passed on physician assisted dying by June 6, 2016, in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling made in February of last year. The Supreme Court’s February 6 2015 ruling declared section 14 and 241(b) of the Criminal Code null and void. This opened the door to physician assisted death for any competent adult person who clearly consents to termination of their life, and has a grievous and irremediable medical condition that causes intolerable and enduring suffering, including disabilities. However, the 21 recommendations put together by the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying go two steps further by including recommendations specifically protecting assisted dying in cases of psychiatric issues, and suggesting that youth can be declared “mature minors” and be granted access to assisted death with no regard for the wishes of their parents.
The committee’s document states that the terms relating to medical assistance in dying do not require further statutory definition. The committee recommends a two stage legislative process, with the first stage applying to competent adult persons 18 years or older, to be followed by a second stage applying to competent mature minors, to be put in place no later than three years after the first stage has come into force. The committee also recommends that the Government of Canada immediately commit to facilitating a study on the moral, medical, and legal issues surrounding mature minors.
One issue of key importance to rural communities is that a request for medical assistance in dying can only be carried out if two physicians who are independent of one another have determined that the person meets the eligibility criteria for physician assisted dying. While this second opinion serves as a safeguard, it also poses a problem in small towns like Pincher Creek. Physicians in rural communities are often not independent of each other, forcing those seeking assisted death to travel to other communities, and speak to doctors who don’t know them.
“There’s many cases where patients in question will have days left to live, at most, and will be in no state to travel whatsoever,” said Pincher Creek Associate Clinic Physician Dr. Tobias Gelber, who was present at the meeting. “In a situation where there’s only one physician that’s going to be a huge problem for that patient to find access. Secondly, when there’s only one clinic in town, you’re not going to find independent physicians.”
Another key issue is the future of palliative care. “There’s a lot of concern from palliative care and health professionals that doctor assisted dying would be the end of palliative care. But what we have said is that we need to ensure that palliative care is not only protected, but that it’s better funded, and that there’s more awareness," said Barlow, who added that the issue is much broader than just dealing with those who would be in palliative care, due to the nature of the recommendations.
Barlow said he opposes the recommendation that Doctors must provide effective referrals. ”That is probably one of the biggest concerns with these recommendations. We had four or five physicians in Okotoks last night. All of them voiced some very strong concerns with this recommendation.” Barlow said he will try to remove this recommendation. “We must have protection in there for physicians on decisions of conscience.” He also stated they must be free from reprimand. “The issue with this is even if we were to remove it, and we will work very hard to remove this recommendation, is that the College of Physicians & Surgeons has this as their code of ethics. So even if we were to remove this, we must also lobby the College of Physicians and Surgeons to remove it from their code of ethics.”
Barlow explained that while this will be legislated federally, each province would come up with their own system to provide the service. “The model that’s being discussed with Alberta Health Services would be a navigator. So it’d be out of the hands of family physicians, which would answer a lot of our questions on the rural side. What would happen is if a patient was interested in doctor assisted dying, rather than going to their family physician, or their local doctor in their community, they would go online, or call a 1-800 number, and get this navigator. The navigator would be a team of medical doctors, mental health professionals, nurses, psychiatrists, and they would walk them through the process, give them options, and see if this is something they would really want to do. That seems to be a compromise that may work.”
Not everybody is in agreement on a navigator as the best solution. “As a palliative care professional, as much as other health professionals feel that’s a good idea, I don’t know if I agree with having it out of the hands of local providers,” said Associate Clinic doctor Kristine Woodley. “I think we, in rural communities, provide really good care to our community, and to take that out of their hands and into the hands of strangers, and people that aren’t familiar with them… I don’t know that that’s a good idea.” She said it would be different if it was just an option.
One recommendation states that that the government of Canada work with the provinces and territories and their medical regulatory bodies to ensure that the process to regulate medical assistance in dying does not include a prior review and approval process. This means following the extensions granted on this legislation, if anybody does want doctor assisted dying, they can currently apply to the Supreme Court to request permission. This makes sense, since the Supreme Court wants to make sure the legislation is done in a timely fashion.
One possible concern is that the legislation may be pushed forward before effective safeguards can be developed. The recommendation that mature minors be granted physician assisted death is particularly relevant here. “Mature minor” with relation to medical issues refers to the doctrine that unemancipated minors may possess the maturity to choose or reject health treatments. In Canada youth of 16 or 17 years of age are assumed to be mature minors. Following a 2009 ruling by the Supreme Court, children may make life and death decisions about their medical treatment. This decision annulled laws restricting capacity determinations to those aged 16 and older. This means that any youth 15 or younger may be permitted a hearing, though historically few judges grant this autonomy to youth under 13 years of age.
Psychiatric issues are raised several times in the Special Joint Committee’s document. This could allow those with depression or schizophrenia to seek out assisted suicide, provided they can find two doctors that believe the psychological pain their condition causes is irremediable, and cause intolerable and enduring suffering. The document also notes that “irremediable” does not require the patient to undertake treatments that are unacceptable to them. This means a depressed patient could choose assisted dying over medication as a treatment option, provided they can show that their emotional distress is intolerable to them.
Since there was a little bit of confusion, Dr Gelber explained differences between assisted suicide and euthanasia. "Physician assisted dying is a overarching term. Physician assisted suicide is one branch of that where a physician would write a a prescription of something, yet to be determined, where the patient could take it in their own environment to end their own life, as opposed to a physician actually committing the act, which is commonly referred to as euthanasia."
Another question raised by the crowd was whether or not somebody could seek assessments repeatedly. Unclear is what happens once a person has approached a doctor and has been found ineligible, specifically whether or not they will be able to continue seeking doctors in order to be found eligible for assisted death.
Barlow said that support drops from 82% in favour of assisted death to 35% when the stipulations of the recommendations are considered. In an interview following the presentation, he raised questions about the definitions. “What is irremediable? What is intolerable? I think those make it very grey, and very open to interpretation. And I think that's something that we have to be aware of." Barlow said that he would be very surprised if the legislation was actually passed by June 6, and that they may be asking for another extension. "This is not something that we should be rushing through parliament. This is something that we should be taking time with, and make sure that we do it right."
Related (more recent) story:MP John Barlow on tabling of Doctor Assisted Dying legislation | 9,830 | 4,105 | 0.00025 |
warc | 201704 | Mobile data acquisition gains a bigger role on the plant floor In this era of the mandatory data trail, it's a stern fact of life that almost everything involved in routine plant operations - from product quality to equipment efficiency to the safety and serviceability of environmental controls - must be consistently monitored. More importantly, the drive toward reliability-centered maintenance coupled with inevitable staff reductions throughout the plant ...
In this era of the mandatory data trail, it's a stern fact of life that almost everything involved in routine plant operations - from product quality to equipment efficiency to the safety and serviceability of environmental controls - must be consistently monitored. More importantly, the drive toward reliability-centered maintenance coupled with inevitable staff reductions throughout the plant has necessitated more efficient tools to better manage today's Lean Maintenance programs. The increased demands for consistent quality and responsible traceability of results have created the need for portable, accurate and cost-effective off-line data acquisition in virtually all plant domains.
There are always those central machines, processes and energies whose every push, pull and ampere must be measured, pre-analyzed, recorded, post-analyzed and exhaustively reported. There also are many other operations, including periodic performance audits and environmental monitoring, for which repetitive "online" data acquisition strategies are costly overkill. Such operations have to do not so much with testing the actual production process and its results, but with vital maintenance and troubleshooting of the machinery and conditions that directly support it.
Here's where a portable data collector comes into play. Using a general-purpose, high-speed portable data collector to handle only short-term test and measurement needs means not having to dedicate a more elaborate installation or extend an existing computer-controlled network to do the job. It also means that a technician can be deployed to collect data for follow-up PC analysis by a more senior engineer at a later time.
Portable data collector capabilities
A good portable data collector is more than a pretty voltmeter; it's a data acquisition instrument. If this portable instrument is equipped with a live touch screen graphic display and annunciation, it can allow the operator to size up the entire test or process at a glance and troubleshoot as required on the spot. At the same time, it can sample and store scaled measurement data, either automatically (at a regular time interval) or by exception on detection of any specified trigger event, including a limit violation or digital input. Internal cross-channel math calculations can be set up to display and monitor additional process variables such as horsepower, efficiency and corrected flow - plus signal max/min and average values.
An adaptable portable data collector can acquire and digitize a wide range of physical or electrical measurement signals found on the plant floor - from low-level thermocouple (millivolt) signals to preconditioned and amplified 0-10-Vdc industrial signals (for pressure, displacement, torque, load, flow and speed) to industry-standard 4-20-mA signals from process instrumentation to high-level (120-240 Vac) power inputs wired to compressors, pumps and motors. It can also accept the on/off logic signals for relay and contact closures that are controlled by industrial PLC and sequencing devices, as well as pulse inputs from quadrature encoders, pickups and other frequency-generating devices.
Finished data can be both viewed in real time and offloaded to a PC for subsequent processing, display and analysis. Important selection criteria for a portable data collector instrument include the number and type of required analog/digital channels; sampling frequency (the rate at which analog signals are acquired and converted to digital values); and the accuracy and precision (resolution) of finished measurement readings.
Scope and limitations
It's important to recognize the proper scope of the portable data collector and its basic limitations. It is by no means intended to replace a SCADA or process control system involving direct PC/PLC control, or the kind of relatively fixed external data acquisition chassis installation found on the production line or in test cells. The portable data collector is by its very nature a complementary tool, used for both forensic and preventive work, alongside a larger built-in system.
Normally battery-powered, it isn't capable of supplying excitation to connected transducers. And being a hand-held device with a small footprint, it can accommodate only a fixed number of inputs. The portable data collector is neither a data processor nor a data transmitter. Communications functions are usually (and intentionally) kept to a minimum, because data records are logged to a standard CF memory card in a simple and universally compatible ASCII text format.
Remember that the portable data collector is designed to fulfill a twofold task. By continuously furnishing reliable finished real-time measurements, it enables the operator to immediately evaluate the measured process and, if necessary, make any required adjustments. By also recording such measurements using any of a number of useful logging modes - including the taking of data values that existed just prior to a triggering event - it makes them easily available for later processing, trend analysis and report generation.
Portable data collector applications
Maintenance and troubleshooting is a primary application. This includes not only routine preventive or emergency equipment service, but also monitoring the daily or intermittent performance of plant systems for energy, heating and cooling, exhaust, material handling and so on. Fault recording (event monitoring of problematic machine or process parameters for detailed post-analysis) is an important aspect of troubleshooting, as is trend analysis for off-line SPC/SQC. A service technician can, for example, quickly set up the unit with appropriate parameters and trigger limits to perform the high-speed sampling necessary to detect a subtle timing or signal amplitude fault.
A portable data collector can also prove its worth in periodic process tuning operations, such as checking vibration, calibration, setpoints, process flow, servo/control-loop timing and actuation, machine settings and benchmarking. The basic portability of the portable data collector is of great advantage in many remote-site testing and field service applications, including hard-to-reach locations and even onboard vehicle performance logging.
For example, energy surveys in motors, appliances and HVAC equipment are a natural for the portable data collector, because electrical consumption can be easily measured and compared to performance standards. In the case of benchmarking or troubleshooting an installed compressor/refrigeration system, the portable data collector can readily monitor the input power ac signals and, using its limit-sensitive triggers, detect and capture adverse voltage sags or swells. At the same time, it can perform temperature profiling of the system, thereby monitoring its control parameters and cooling efficiencies. Because of the speed of acquisition and minimal latency among input parameters, the portable data collector can handle other critical parameters such as compressor vibration, refrigerant pressure and open/closed switch status. It can then plot recovery profiles for predictive maintenance and improved system control.
In a nutshell
The portable data collector makes possible significant instrumentation consolidation and simplification because a single modular multiple-sensor device with visual feedback can now effectively replace a whole collection of meters, indicators, recorders and cable sets. It offers the obvious convenience of easy conveyance, interconnection, setup and use. Data accessibility results from the use of removable memory cards and a simple text format that permits direct importation of data by third-party programs without the need for special drivers or version-dependent operating systems. Its flexibility of graphical data presentation - which typically includes multiple live readouts, status spreadsheets, bar graphs, trend charts, scope traces and DFT analysis - along with its ability to calculate additional performance variables optimizes the operator's interpretation of results and, thus, the dependability of any subsequent control actions.
As the urgency for overall plant data acquisition intensifies, the mobile off-line unit moves into place. The portable data collector is increasingly recognized as a reliable low-cost data acquisition instrument. The expanding role of simple-to-use portable instrumentation on the outskirts of plant operations rightly counterbalances the implementation of ever more complex centralized computer-directed systems for long-term data acquisition and control.
The Bottom Line...
A portable data collector can handle short-term test and measurement without cluttering an existing network.
An adaptable portable data collector can acquire and digitize a wide range of measurement signals found on the plant floor.
Maintenance and troubleshooting is a primary application.
<table ID = 'id3001863-0-table' CELLSPACING = '0' CELLPADDING = '2' WIDTH = '100%' BORDER = '0'><tbody ID = 'id3002027-0-tbody'><tr ID = 'id3003149-0-tr'><td ID = 'id3001870-0-td' CLASS = 'table' STYLE = 'background-color: #EEEEEE'> Author Information</td></tr><tr ID = 'id3003032-3-tr'><td ID = 'id3003034-3-td' CLASS = 'table'> Matt Vagedes is general manager of Dayton, OH-based Daytronic Corp.</td></tr></tbody></table> Power plant to upgrade equipment
American Electric Power will upgrade its digital turbine control systems at the Cook Nuclear Plant. Multiple products from Invensys Process Systems will work together in a fast-track implementation for main turbine and feed water pump turbine controls project.
Invensys Process Systems will supply AEP with Triconex electronic control systems for its main turbines and feed water pump turbines on both units at the Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgman, MI. Software from SimSci-Esscor will simulate the Triconex digital controllers and will be added to Cook's existing plant simulator. Invensys will also supply Wonderware InTouch human machine interface (HMI) software and IndustrialSQL Server plant historian, as well as start-up and training services to support the Invensys products. Mechanical interfaces and installation will be supplied by others.
Datastream expands presence in Russia
Datastream Systems, Inc. expanded its market presence to include Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) through local offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Serving the growing demand for asset performance management, Datastream formed partnerships with several leading integrators for services and support in Russia and the CIS that will serve as the company's sales channel into these markets. Local resources will manage product localization and marketing, as well as training and integrator certification across the region. To date, Datastream has more than 30 customers in Russia, including Gazprom, Total and Avon.
"Having a local, Russian language asset management solution with local support is a significant milestone," said Alex Kondratuk, head of the Russian integration and distribution operations known as Datastream Solutions CIS. "This will generate new opportunities for asset management in Russia and the CIS countries. The Datastream 7i solution is an internationally recognized product with robust functionality that will provide an outstanding platform for our expansion efforts."
"The Russia/CIS region is home to mature oil and gas, aluminum and energy production operations, as well as large and growing transportation and government sectors," said Datastream CEO Larry Blackwell.
ABB Automation World 2006 returns to Houston
ABB Automation World Users Conference and Exhibition will be May 9-12, 2006 at the Hilton Americas in Houston. The event attracted more than 1,700 attendees in 2005. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in user and ABB-presented technical sessions that discuss practical applications of existing and new technologies.
ABB's largest Americas region customer event is designed for automation users in engineering, mill, plant and general management, in a number of industries such as Chemical, Oil & Gas, Consumer & Pharmaceutical, Metals, Mining and Minerals, Pulp & Paper, Utilities and others. Attendees participate in informative technical sessions presented by their peers and ABB technical experts, share problem-solving approaches and visit the event's hands-on exhibit. Further information will be available at
Events & Awards Magazine Archives Oil & Gas Engineering Supplements Salary Survey Blogs Digital Reports Annual Salary Survey
Before the calendar turned, 2016 already had the makings of a pivotal year for manufacturing, and for the world.
There were the big events for the year, including the United States as Partner Country at Hannover Messe in April and the 2016 International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago in September. There's also the matter of the U.S. presidential elections in November, which promise to shape policy in manufacturing for years to come.
But the year started with global economic turmoil, as a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing triggered a worldwide stock hiccup that sent values plummeting. The continued plunge in world oil prices has resulted in a slowdown in exploration and, by extension, the manufacture of exploration equipment.
Read more: 2015 Salary Survey | 13,868 | 5,990 | 0.000168 |
warc | 201704 | As one of the few American freelancers in the Philippines, I thought it was my duty to get down there and work. I got myself onto a C-130 military cargo plane and flew from Manila to Zamboanga, crowded into the hull with 150 soldiers leaning on their rifles. When we landed, I hitched a ride in the back of a rumbling military jeep and was dropped off at the hotel where some local journalists were waiting in the lobby.
“We’re going to the frontline tomorrow morning. Want to come?”
I went to Zamboanga with the idea of covering the refugee situation, and I did not have a flak jacket or a helmet. “Neither do we,” one reporter said. So I went.
This was my first war reporting experience, and it was also my most unsellable story.
It certainly wasn’t because the events weren’t newsworthy. We drove towards the fire, against the wave of people escaping on foot and in trucks. I recorded audio of people screaming as they ran down the street and took photos of the squalor in the evacuation centers. When I got back to my hotel room, the emails from my editors were all some version of this line: “I don’t think the events in Zamboanga have reached an international level. I’ll pass.”
Here’s what I did wrong. I completely misjudged the difference between an international story and a national story. Many times, the biggest story in your country will have zero interest to Americans, in the same way the biggest story in America may get little interest in another country. The siege in Zamboanga probably didn’t appeal to editors abroad because it was too complicated, and it didn’t explain much about Filipino culture in relation to America. The story was about a regional treaty and political infighting between the two main Muslim groups in Mindanao. Does that mean much to you? Probably not.
I don’t have much competition for work in the Philippines, but outside of the country, my story was competing for airtime and print margins against the war in Syria and any number of other global conflicts editors had already decided not to cover. Before getting on the C-130, I checked to see if the
New York Times was covering the siege—they were, but the stringer here was monitoring it from Manila. He’d left the footwork to the wires, something I could have done too.
An editor at an international desk recently told me he was after stories with a tight focus, that took one step back from the breaking news and had significance to other parts of the world. I’ve also learned to look for an angle with a direct link to America, usually by way of an American character, that can build on a larger theme that already has traction in the U.S.
I probably should not have gone down to Zamboanga before I had a commitment from an editor, but I could have kept pitching the story until someone accepted it. After four days, I cut my losses and took a C-130 back to Manila, crouched on the airplane floor, leaning against the white coffin of an army ranger who’d been shot in the head.
When a magnitude 8.2-earthquake hit the central Philippines a few weeks later, I didn’t go. I offered to do a spot report instead from the comfort of my untouched apartment in Manila.
Three weeks after that, Typhoon Haiyan hit the country. It was the largest hurricane ever to make landfall, killing at least 6,300 people and leaving millions homeless. As the typhoon was barreling towards the Philippines, it was already global news. The eye of the storm did not pass over Manila, which meant I had electricity and terrible (but functional) cell service. I monitored news on local radio, filed multiple spots and did interviews with American outlets.
Once the storm passed, I made my way to Tacloban, the hardest-hit city in the area. When I first called the military for a C-130 ride, they told me the airport wasn’t fit for landing because bodies were still floating down the runway. I eventually flew to a city on an adjacent island, took a ferry to the destroyed area and went overland in an ambulance with the curtains drawn, filing two-ways and spot reports when cell service allowed, and borrowing satellite phones from better-appointed reporters when reception disappeared.
The reporting conditions were incredibly tough—I slept on a wooden board in a squatter settlement for the first two nights—but it didn’t take much to cast a story in a way that mattered. It all mattered, for a while. Eventually, I had to find different ways to get people to care. About two weeks after the storm, I pitched a story about gathering the dead. An editor in America wondered: “Are we a bit past that point? I’m willing to be convinced otherwise, but let me know what you think.”
I could have convinced her otherwise. We were still seeing and smelling dead bodies every day, but I understood her position. Far away in America, the experience wasn’t raw anymore, and I could see why another straight story about people dying during the storm could seem repetitive. So, I tried to tell it differently. I ended up filing a story about a woman rebuilding her house, in the same spot where her children died, so she would have a place to stay while she spent her days turning over debris, searching for their corpses.
Jason Strother, a freelancer friend from the U.S. who has been reporting from South Korea for seven years, told me: “If you’re pitching a story from overseas, you need to explain how this subject more broadly explains the country you’re in and touches on points that readers can relate to.” You’re often explaining something to an audience for the first time, and I’ve found that what may seem like an old or very general story to local reporters, for an international audience, becomes brand new.
I’ve also been advised repeatedly to search for universal themes or American activity. It also helps to keep an audience member in mind—a housewife in Des Moines, for example. And if you’re a freelancer, reporting from overseas is mostly a features game; it’s silly to compete with the wires, who are great at what they do, and staff reporters who analyze news from desks. You have to leverage your physical presence with field reporting, which, for me, is the best kind.
“In the end, it comes down to the whims of the editor,” Strother added. “The writer really has to know what kinds of stories the outlet is interested in and how to tell it in a voice that matches the overall tone of the publication.” Building a relationship with an editor is important to all journalists, but when working abroad, it has unique value. Editors probably don’t know your country, but when they know they can trust you, you get more assignments.
The way you tell stories about Mexico, Syria, France or Tajikistan to an American audience depends on understanding many moving parts on the ground of a particular nation. But the most valuable piece of advice I’ve gotten, and I’ve heard this from several people, is that it’s your country. It’s up to you to make them care.
First published in The Freelancer: http://contently.net/2014/05/28/stories/making-them-care-how-to-sell-an-international-story-to-an-american-audience/ Aurora Almendral is a reporter and radio producer. Usually from New York, she is currently based in Manila. More articles from Aurora Almendral: Food In 2 Worlds™ Podcast: First Comes Filipino Immigration Then A Jollibee Restaurant April 3, 2013 Is Jollibee a symbol of American culinary imperialism or a proud emblem of Filipino business success? Swimming With The Sharks July 24, 2013 A very fin way to snorkel in Cebu Motherland: The Fil-Am And A Filipino Public School August 1, 2013 Aurora Almendral profiles John Navarra, a Detroit Fil-Am who now teaches in the Philippines, in Motherland: a series on what the Philippines looks like through the eyes of those who’ve come back home to live there. Motherland: A Startup Of High Kalibrr September 4, 2013 Young Fil-Am entrepreneur “goes home” to change the slow, cumbersome business process outsourcing hiring system. Motherland: Rovaira Dasig – You Can Go Home Again November 6, 2013 For some young expats, returning to the Philippines is a career path. Motherland: Sweating The Small Stuff February 24, 2014 A French-born balikbayan and his friend fight corruption one fixer at a time. | 8,516 | 4,022 | 0.000257 |
warc | 201704 | By TJ Acena, PQ Monthly
While that headline might not be the most shocking revelation, especially to bisexuals, turns out there have been relatively few studies of bisexuality. The New York Times recently did a feature called “The Scientific Quest to Prove Bisexuality Exists” and there were a lot of interesting facts to take away from the article:
–A report by the Williams Institute found that “among adults who identify as L.G.B., bisexuals compromise a slight majority.”
–3.1% of Americans identify as bisexual where as 2.5% of American identify as gay or lesbian
–A Pew Research Survey found that only 28% of self-identified bisexuals are open about their bisexual identity. And overall, bisexuals are less likely “to view their sexual orientation as important to their overall identity” than gays or lesbians.
–The American Institute of Bisexuality (A.I.B.) found that “compared with their exclusively homosexual and heterosexual counterparts, bisexuals have reported higher rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, victimization by violence, suicidal ideation, and sexual-health concerns.”
It seems the tradeoff for experiencing the pleasure of both sexes comes with double the potential problems you might face; Biphobia exists from the straight
and gay communities. Bisexuals have been perceived as ‘indecisive’ or ‘promiscuous’ by society, conservative people have shunned them for breaking from heteronormative behavior, gays and lesbians sometimes view bisexuals as ‘fence sitters’ and have viewed them as ‘untrustworthy’ as partners, and bisexuality is often viewed as ‘phase’ people go through. To tell someone that their identity isn’t valid is a pretty horrible thing to do, and I think gays and lesbians should know better.
But like I said before, science has proved that bisexuality is real. How exactly? Well it involves attaching electrodes to genitals and measuring pupil dilation as subjects are subjected to pornographic images. Turns out there are people who are stimulated by images of men and women. Good job scientists! But as bisexual activist Robyn Ochs points out:
“It’s about other sensory inputs too. And it’s about our emotional response. Sexuality is so complex and I worry that valuable funding dollars are going to studies that don’t really tell is all that much about bisexuality.”
The NYT article ends up pondering questions about ‘identity’ vs. ‘behavior’, which seems to miss Ochs’ point.
Speaking of this research methodology, I’d like to point your attention to a blog post on Autostraddle entitled ‘The Journalistic Quest to Write An Accurate Story About Bisexuality’, which really examines the NYT article. Autostraddle points out that the New York Times gives a lot of coverage to the researcher Michael Baily, who previously did a study on bisexuality was based around his belief that bisexuality is not a real sexual orientation, and did not include any bisexuals that study. Additionally the article focuses on heavily on bisexual men, when bisexual women have very different experiences. As an example they bring up recent story by Jezebel that found that almost half of bisexual women have been raped. Half.
Obviously we’re heading into some complex terrain as we really dig into the bisexual experience. Definitely more complex than I have the credentials or time to discuss. You should definitely read both articles, especially you realize (like I did) that I don’t really know very much about bisexuality. I’ll leave you with the end of the Autostraddle article, which I think gets to the point nicely:
Hopefully this conversation, inaccuracies and all, can be the final word in the discussion of whether bisexuals can be proven to exist: they do. Maybe if everyone can agree about that, we can move on to the next step: letting actual bisexuals speak about their experiences and their community, and taking them seriously when they do. | 4,106 | 1,948 | 0.000541 |
warc | 201704 | Let’s give some praise to the good government geeks
Especially in an election year, federal employees make a tempting target. They are, in the popular imagining, entitled and entrenched, unresponsive to the public for whom they work and uninterested in anything but collecting a paycheck and a cushy pension. You never hear the phrase “bureaucrats in Washington” in a sentence that ends on a positive note.
The antidote to this unwarranted and corrosive derision arrives every year in the form of the Partnership for Public Service and its Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals. Better known as the Sammies, the awards recognize the best of America’s public servants -- people you’ve never heard of, who never expected you’d hear of them, but who work long hours for less pay than they could receive in the private sector, to make this a better country and to keep its citizens healthier, safer and more prosperous.
They tend — sorry folks — to be more than a bit nerdy and even more obsessive. The Sammies are Oscars for good government geeks.
Like Paul McGann, Jean Moody-Williams and Dennis Wagner at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the 2016 Federal Employees of the Year. They launched a program to decrease hospital-acquired infections and other conditions by 40 percent and to lower hospital readmissions by 20 percent, bringing together doctors, nurses, hospitals and patients to achieve systemic change. Over four years, their efforts resulted in an estimated 2.1 million fewer patients harmed, 87,000 lives saved and almost $20 billion in cost savings.
Like Justice Department lawyers Thomas Mariani, Steven O’Rourke and Sarah Himmelhoch, winners of the 2016 Homeland Security and Law Enforcement Medal. They secured a record-breaking $20.8 billion settlement with BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that dumped almost 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
Like Kathleen Hogan, winner of the 2016 Career Achievement Medal, who pioneered initiatives such as the Energy Star efficiency certification program. And the FBI’s Kirk Yeager, the bolo tie-wearing chief explosives scientist at the FBI and winner of the 2016 National Security and International Affairs Medal, who has been called into nearly every major bombing investigation in recent years, from Brussels to Boston to Times Square.
And Jaques Reifman, a Brazilian-born nuclear engineer who, as a senior Army research scientist, led a team on a 10-year quest to develop a portable battlefield computer system to detect uncontrolled hemorrhaging in wounded soldiers. Using pattern-recognition algorithms to interpret vital signs, Reifman’s project, which won him and his team the 2016 Science and Environment Medal, helps identify those with internal bleeding who need transfusions and immediate evacuation.
I had the privilege of serving on the selection committee for this year’s awards, and the task of choosing among the various finalists turned out to be harder than anticipated: So many worthy contenders had done such impressive work.
Two themes were particularly striking in listening to the honorees’ remarks at the awards ceremony Tuesday night. One was the gratitude toward family for putting up with the late nights and missed events. As the FBI’s Yeager noted, “’Hey, guess what, I’m going to Gaza tomorrow’-that tries anyone’s patience.”
Another was the emphasis on the team over the individual. Achieving big change, whether in the public or private sector, is not an individual sport.
In an age when “cynicism sells,” as White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough noted at the ceremony, the awards serve as “a reminder of why we got into public service in the first place.”
For the rest of us, they offer a reminder that the faceless bureaucrats have faces, and families, and a fierce dedication to the public good that the rest of us too often take for granted, if not ignore altogether.
Ruth Marcus Columnist | 4,066 | 2,122 | 0.000487 |
warc | 201704 | Cleaning Up Responsibly
Environmental cleanup of a contaminated site poses many serious challenges. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection ordered a company to conduct a $350 million remediation of a former chlor-alkali facility. This meant difficult and potentially dangerous evacuation of closed and capped sludge landfills and the transport of enormous quantities of mercury-contaminated soil over hundreds of miles. Looking for a better solution, the company turned to Preti Flaherty’s Environmental Law Group.
Turning a mountain into a mole hill
Preti Flaherty appealed the widely publicized DEP decision to the state’s citizen Board of Environmental Protection.
Given the history of the site and the scope and scale of the proposed remedy, we knew there would be significant public attention focused on the proceeding. Working closely with our client and their public relations team, we integrated a full-scale community relations effort into our litigation plan to ensure that the local community understood and supported the remedial alternative being proposed by our client in the BEP proceeding. The aim was to alleviate concern by maintaining an open line of communication with the public. Our team regularly kept town officials and opinion leaders fully informed about the process and the plan being developed before the BEP.
A win for everyone
The approach succeeded. The BEP's decision, issued after nine days of hearings involving more than 25 witnesses, significantly altered the original DEP plan, reducing the cost by more than $100 million. By aligning our litigation strategy and client’s interests with the town’s interests, and leveraging local support, we transformed a major disadvantage before the BEP into one of our greatest assets. | 1,797 | 936 | 0.001085 |
warc | 201704 | Total has approved a €1 billion modernization project for its Antwerp production facilities, the company’s largest European refining and petrochemical platform. Total says the decision is in line with the Group’s strategy of focusing its investment on its large integrated platforms to position them among the most competitive of the industry.
Total is one of the largest integrated oil and gas companies in the world, with activities in more than 130 countries. The Group has three production facilities in the port area of Antwerp that form an integrated refining and petrochemical platform. The platform produces various petroleum products, such as fuel oil, gasoline, LPG, diesel and jet fuel, as well as base chemicals including olefins, C4 fractions and aromatics, some of which are used to manufacture polymers like high-density polyethylene.
“The approval of this upgrade plan is a milestone for the further development of the Antwerp facilities into one of the most profitable platform of the refining and chemicals business of Total” comments Patrick Pouyanné, president, Total Refining & Chemicals.
Follow the market
With this investment, Total says it demonstrates its commitment to remaining a competitive industry leader in Europe and its ability to adapt to market trends by reducing its production capacities and emphasizing higher value-added products that meet the most stringent environmental standards.
Two major projects will be implemented in the near future:
A new refinery upgrading complex, consisting of a solvent de-asphalting unit and a mild hydro-cracking unit, will start up in early 2016. Intended primarily to convert heavy fuel oil into de-sulphurized diesel and ultra-low sulfur heating oil, the planned complex responds to the shift in demand toward products with a lower environmental impact.
New and old
A new plant will convert low-value refinery fuel gases into low-cost petrochemical feedstock, replacing expensive oil-based naphtha. By further enhancing the integration between the platform’s refining and petrochemical units, this project will increase the competitiveness of the latter. The facility is scheduled to start up in early 2017.
In the framework of this modernization plan, two existing production facilities will be shut down, as they are no longer competitive in the world economic environment, Total says. The smallest and oldest steam cracker, currently idled for lack of markets, will be permanently stopped and dismantled. The smallest and oldest polyethylene production line will be closed at the end of 2014, once an investment in other polyethylene lines to produce a new range of innovative polymers has been completed.
The Antwerp platform’s workforce will remain unchanged at around 1,700 people. | 2,814 | 1,358 | 0.00075 |
warc | 201704 | New York, NY (PRWEB) November 12, 2012
Dry eye is one of the most common reasons for which people visit their eye doctor. A person may not know that dry eye is their diagnosis, but rather they may schedule an appointment because they are experiencing redness, burning, a sandy-gritty irritation, discomfort, tired eyes or intermittent blurry vision. The prevalence of dry eye has increased dramatically over the last three decades in part due to an increase in contact lens wear, air travel, air pollution and our ever increasing use of technology (computers, tablets, etc.).
Jacqueline W. Muller, M.D., a New York City ophthalmologist who specializes in both dry eye and laser vision correction, recently evaluated her patients using a new technology from Tearlab. The Tearlab Osmolarity System measures the osmolarity of the eye’s tear film; this is important as tear hyperosmolarity is central to all forms of dry eye. In addition, a difference in inter-eye (the difference between the two eyes) osmolarity is the hallmark of tear film instability.
“Dry eye is a chronic, progressive condition. Having an objective tool to aid in its diagnosis and management would be extremely beneficial to my patients,” Dr. Muller said.
Tear hyperosmolarity can be used, not only to diagnose dry eye, but also to monitor the efficacy of its treatment. Dr. Muller explains “it’s analogous to measuring a person’s cholesterol level. Once high cholesterol is diagnosed, therapy can be implemented and, on a going forward basis, the person’s cholesterol level can be monitored and treatment adjusted accordingly.” To have an objective tool to diagnose dry eye, quantify its severity and help monitor the efficacy of specific dry eye treatments, would be invaluable.
Another cohort of patients who could potentially benefit from this technology are those people who have dry eye and are interested in pursuing laser vision correction. Many people with dry eye can no longer comfortably wear contact lenses and would prefer not to wear eyeglasses; these people therefore look toward laser vision correction (LASIK, LASEK, PRK, etc.).
Approximately 85% of people who opt for laser vision correction have some form of dry eye. Dr. Muller explains: “It’s a skewed patient population that is self-selecting in that these are often people who dislike wearing eyeglasses and therefore have been wearing their contact lens most of their waking hours. Then, as their dry eye progressively worsens, they can no longer comfortably wear their contact lenses. This is especially true for people who spend many hours in front of a computer, an activity that is particularly drying for one’s eyes.”
The good news is that having pre-existing dry eye does not preclude a person from having a successful laser vision correction procedure. “As long as an individual is appropriately evaluated pre-operatively, and their dry eye is properly diagnosed and treated prior to, and following, their laser vision correction, everything should go beautifully. Tear Osmolarity testing could be extremely helpful in this group of patients.”
Dr. Muller looks forward to working with this new technology further in an effort to better elucidate its clinical applications and usefulness.
Jacqueline W. Muller, MD is a Cornell, Harvard and Yale educated and trained board certified ophthalmologist whose New York City practice focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of Dry Eye and in Laser Vision Correction (LASIK, LASEK, PRK , refractive surgery). She has been featured on the Today show because of her expertise. She holds an attending staff appointment at The NY Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and a teaching appointment at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Muller is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Medical Strollers of New York City. She is a Weill Cornell Medical College Alumni Association Board Member and a founding participant of the Nantucket Project. More information on laser vision correction and dry eye can be found at http://www.laser-eye-surgery.com and http://www.dryeyespecialist.com. | 4,178 | 1,919 | 0.000531 |
warc | 201704 | “We expect an increase in the number of homes for sale as we move into the spring and summer selling seasons due to the healthy increase in sale prices over the past year and generally improved economic conditions in the region.” - Herb Tousle
Twin Cities, MN (PRWEB) May 06, 2014
Home buyers in the Twin Cities are pleased to find new real estate listings up in the spring market creating new buying power. For the week ending April 26, homebuyers are loving the fact that real estate listings see a crucial 26.5 percent increase, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors (MAAR).
"Some home buyers simply can't find what they want given too few listings to choose from. As weather continue to prompt a flourish of newly budded greenery with lawns thickening into spring turf, Minneapolis real estate buyers are shopping," says Jenna Thuening, owner of Home Destination. "Your neighbor puts their home up for sale and it’s sold in two hours; higher prices homes are selling the quickest. Experts believe it’s because homes for sale are in short supply, and demand is rising."
In a May 1 post titled A New Source Of Shadow Inventory, Mark Fleming of CoreLogic says, "If you’re looking for more inventory and home sales, look no further than to the existing homeowners hanging back in the shadows. The shadow inventory now likely includes a large number of homeowners who would sell their homes and subsequently buy a new one, but they are less likely to participate because they have a below-market mortgage rate."
Buyers crept out of sight after housing's tumble, being very hesitant about buying a new home. The most telling tale of inventory in the Twin Cities comes within the luxury home market, starting at about 685 homes for sale in Spring 2010 and roaring to 2,090 at the moment within 18 designated communities. Currently, there are 369 luxury homes listed for sale in Maple Grove, MN alone ($500,000 to $4,000,000), according to Minneapolis Local Market Updates.
Nationally, luxury homes with a high price tag are selling at double their historical price points while the fewer middle-class homes for sale are selling, signally that the housing recovery highlights our increasing wealth divide. "It is more challenging to decipher just why; perhaps it is more a reflection of how the banks are lending. Those with money are more often given a mortgage readily. The same factors driving the income stagnation in the middle are driving the income momentum at the top, commented said Sam Khater, deputy chief economist at Irvine, California-based CoreLogic Inc.”
Home purchases ranging over $1 million or more rose 7.8 percent in March from a year earlier, according to data released last week by the National Association of Realtors. Transactions for $250,000 or less, which represent almost two-thirds of the market, plunged 12 percent in the period as house hunters found few available homes in that price range.
"Twin Cities markets offer home buyers many options from downtown housing hot spots to the outer rim of the metro's suburbs. Twin Cities real estate is a valuable addition to any Twin Cities residential investor's financial portfolio as well as a place to live," adds Thuening. "So those with backing, buying a home here is definitely a great opportunity."
Home Destination is a 15 year veteran residential Twin Cities Realtor who helps homeowners through the process of selling a home. For a complementary Minneapolis real estate seller's consultation, call 612-396-7832. From first-time homebuyers to helping wealthy retirees find a grand home, Jenna Thuening is equally passionate to service each buyer. | 3,698 | 1,844 | 0.00055 |
warc | 201704 | Previous Section Index Home Page
Mr. David Tredinnick (Bosworth):
I regard it as a great honour to be able to introduce this debate on the issues surrounding complementary and alternative medicine, based on the findings of the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee's recent report.
When I last addressed the subject, the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham),
If we were in Beijing or Hong Kong, we would have much to celebrate, as it is the Chinese new year today. Many across the world would say that this is a most auspicious day to debate this House of Lords report, paper no. 123. Soon after my election, I wrote a paper, as treasurer of the parliamentary group for alternative and complementary medicine, in which I argued that complementary and alternative medicine should be integrated into mainstream health care. At the time, that was thought to be a somewhat revolutionary approach.
Over the intervening years, such medicine has grown in people's estimation. The demand for it has increased dramatically in the United Kingdom; one in five people now use complementary and alternative medicine and the budget for treatments is approximately £350 million per annum.
Perhaps it is not so surprising that, recently, 160 Members of Parliament signed early-day motion 3 in my name, which broadly supported the findings of the Select Committee. When I was collecting the signatures, approximately a third of all colleagues said to me that they had direct experience of complementary and alternative medicine.
Therapies such as osteopathy and chiropractic, which were once treated with disdain by the orthodox medical profession, are now regulated by Acts of Parliament and considered almost mainstream by the orthodox profession.
Dr. Peter Brand (Isle of Wight):
Does the hon. Gentleman accept that many Members signed the early-day motion because it urged the House to look at the House of Lords report, which is quite specific about some of the values--and, indeed, some of the non-proven aspects about alternative medicine? The hon. Gentleman must be very careful not to attribute motives to people supporting the motion. Members of Parliament signed to support the House of Lords report, and not necessarily the hon. Gentleman's views.
Mr. Tredinnick
: I did say that the motion was broadly supportive of the report, and I did not go as far as to say that those who signed supported my views. The motion urged the Government to take notice of the report and it was supported across the House. I expect that the hon. Gentleman will expand on that later if he so desires.
As the longstanding treasurer of the all-party group on complementary and alternative medicine, I support the findings of the Select Committee and I congratulate their Lordships on having worked so long and hard to produce this report. It marks the defining moment in the use of complementary health care in this country.
The report makes five key recommendations, on: regulation; professional training and education; research; the information required by the public; and the delivery of complementary medicine in the national health service. The key objective of the Government, following the publication of the report, should be further integration of complementary and alternative medicine into the NHS.
The first group is the so-called big five, which are already and increasingly provided on the national health service. These five--acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homeopathy and osteopathy--are professionally organised disciplines with their own diagnostic approach and scientific evidence of effectiveness. Osteopathy and chiropractic are now regulated by Acts of Parliament and I was a member of the Committees--in previous Parliaments--that scrutinised the Bills concerned. Homeopathic doctors are regulated as doctors.
The report stated that regulation by statute might be appropriate for therapies such as acupuncture and herbal medicine and for the non-doctor homeopaths in the future. I would not disagree. For both, pre-existing voluntary regulation is in place and there is a credible
The second group are, as the report puts it, the therapies most often used to complement conventional medicine. Some are already provided on the NHS, but more work is needed on regulatory structures and to increase confidence and provision. They are: the Alexander technique; aromatherapy; Bach flower remedies; bodywork therapies; counselling for stress; healing; hypnotherapy; maharishi ayurvedic medicine; meditation; nutritional medicine; reflexology; shiatsu; and yoga.
Western doctors learn Chinese medicine and go on to treat using Chinese medicines. There is one such doctor in my constituency and I have met others practising in London. I cannot understand how it can be said that the evidence is not available. Professor Mei, the chairman of the Chinese medical institute and register, is trying to explain to the Medicines Control Agency how the safety mechanisms of Chinese medicine work. There is a fundamental problem of misunderstanding the classification of group 3. I suggest to the Minister that the evidence base exists, but that an interface with the western regulatory structure is required.
I referred to ayurvedic medicine and that is also in group 3a, despite the fact that maharishi ayurvedic is in group 2. Again, these should be in group 1. They should be available because the Indian system of ayurvedic medicine has been around for 3,000 years. At the time of Homer, the ancient Greeks travelled across land to India. I once said that they went round the Cape, but I am not sure that they were capable of doing that in those days. However, they certainly went to India and learned Chinese medicine. Eighty per cent. of the population of India and Sri Lanka use Chinese medicine, and recently the first ayurvedic hospital was opened in the United Kingdom. We cannot say that there is no evidence; the problem is that we are unable to interpret it.
It was said that for group 3b--other alternative disciplines--there was no evidence. That may be the case and it is another argument for Government help to obtain better evidence. All the therapies are valid; I have experience of them all. One of the first is listed as crystal therapy. Crystals seem to work crystal radio sets. If that energy can create a radio signal, it is likely to be able to do other things. It has long been held that crystals have energies that contribute to health and well being. Many therapists who massage use crystals under their massage beds. They may not tell their patients, but they believe that the crystals enhance the energies that they are using to help to repair the body.
There is also a British Dowsing Association; I have been with those involved in the west country and watched them at work. Dowsing can be used to find water. At Charing Cross station, there are illustrations of mediaeval woodcuts that illustrate dowsing. We should not dismiss it.
Iridology is a newer science involving looking into the eyes to discover medical problems. I recently attended an exhibition at which an iridologist, who was a qualified medical practitioner, asked 20 members of the audience to go up on stage. He looked into the eyes of each person and told them what their main medical complaints were. Seventy per cent. of them said that he had got it right. I went on to the stage and he got it broadly right for me; I have problems with muscles and tendons. I talked to him about his work. He said that the advantage of iridology was that he could look into someone's eyes and tell them which internal organs were not functioning properly. Not only that, he could tell them, for example, whether it was the right or left kidney. Why go for expensive endoscopies and goodness knows what else? If there is a failing in the modern health service, it is that we rely too much on expensive equipment. The Minister is trying to balance his budget. A little basic research on doctors who use iridology will show that they find a cheaper way to treat people.
Kinesiology has to do with muscle testing. If anyone holds something poisonous, such as carbolic, and then sees whether their arm has any strength, they will find that their muscles have little; if they hold an apple, which
The final topic is so-called radionics, which is difficult for science to test using current conditions. In layman's terms, black box radionics involves the transmission of a signal that sends a healing process to someone remotely. I was talking to someone yesterday whose teenage children were in the far east; both had contracted a foot problem and had sores that would not heal. One child had nothing to do with radionics, while the other was given radionics treatment. The latter was healed, but the former had to go to Australia for treatment.
The Minister's mind should not be closed to such treatments. He should be aware that other treatments that are not the subject of the report are over the horizon, and are concerned with, for example, sick building syndrome. That is linked to the Chinese art of Feng Shui, which seeks to achieve well being through the modification of layout and orientation of workplaces. Feng Shui is concerned about "cutting Chi". I shall not talk about that today, but it is often used when a building is misplaced and is alleged to send bad energies that can cause problems in another building.
I referred to the Chinese new year. That is not set arbitrarily; the Chinese believe that, on a certain date, the energies in the sky above are very poisitve better. I was interested to find a report in a newspaper last month that stated that science has worked out that pregnancy, hangovers and visits to one's GP may be affected by the awesome power of the moon. The article stated:
I said that those in group 1--osteopaths, chiropractors, homeopaths, those who practise herbal medicine and acupuncturists--should immediately become more uniformly available throughout the United Kingdom. That is essential, and the Minister can achieve it right away. He needs to address the difficulties of efficacy with group 2 that are highlighted in the report. The problem is that too many organisations represent complementary and alternative medicine; there are about 150 in Britain.
When professional organisations within an individual therapy or profession join forces or work more closely together, quicker developments in self-regulatory structures, improved standards of training and greater recognition follow; that has happened for example, in acupuncture, aromatherapy, healing, herbal medicine and homeopathy. With not a lot of money, the Minister can help such groups to join together, especially aromatherapy and hypnotherapy, which have done well. There is great scope for the Government to intervene.
The report also recommended that in order to protect the public, professions with more than one regulatory body should make a concerted effort to bring the various bodies together and to develop a clear professional structure. A minority in the complementary movement say that there should be one regulatory badge for all approved complementary practitioners. That is not the way forward. It would be more satisfactory for each discipline to develop its own regulatory structure. Nothing that encompasses every discipline will have the credibility that it needs.
The report also deals with training for health care professionals. It proposes better training for doctors in CAM disciplines and highlights the need for other statutorily regulated health care professionals to develop clear guidelines. That is important and I hope that the Minister will refer to it. Another issue is the availability of information about CAM. There is a clear need for more effective guidance for the public about what works and what is not safe in CAM. We need a central register of information and, as the report states, central resources should be directed either through the Government or in partnership with a neutral body.
Research and development is a major topic that is covered by the report. We need to create measures that effectively evaluate the benefits experienced by users of complementary therapies and consider different ways to test them. The normal method of double-blind trials is not necessarily the best way to check their effectiveness. As highlighted in the report, one thing is certain; there is not enough research. Time and time again, complementary therapists say, "We haven't got the time to produce trials. We are up against it making a living, so how can we offer the convincing proof that is required? We get on with our job: we teach people and heal them." The Government should set up proper trials, such as that which was set up recently at Glasgow university into the effectiveness of homeopathy in treating allergies. That scientific trial found that, on average, the homeopathic patients were 22 per cent. better and the placebo group were 2.5 per cent. better. The report refers to the need to distinguish between placebo effects and medicines, and this is a good example of how that can be done. It is the kind of research that we need.
The report also recommended a central mechanism for co-ordinating and advising on CAM research and for making available research and training opportunities with resourcing from the Government. The Minister may wish to respond. There is a recommendation that the NHS, the directorate and the Medicines Research Council should pump-prime this area with dedicated research funding to develop a few centres of excellence for conducting CAM research on appropriate disciplines.
Centres of excellence will make a huge difference; look at the science park at Cambridge, for example. If we put experts together, they will produce something very special. This will not cost the Government a lot of money; in fact, it is one of the best opportunities for any Government, as I argued with the last Government. It is such a cheap way of getting new health care into the system. If we can get the assurances of efficiency that we need in some of the other disciplines that are in
The last point that I want to cover is delivery in the national health service, which I have to say is patchy or non-existent. I spoke to Leicestershire health authority yesterday; it has a policy of not intervening, which, generally speaking, is the policy of the Department. I have been in three Parliaments and I have never found advisers to the Department of Health to be particularly sympathetic to complementary medicine. The Minister should look around and see who can advise him on creating a health service that does not discriminate in the provision of those disciplines in group one.
The primary care system has failed to expand the delivery of complementary and alternative medicine. Since GP fundholding was abolished, the amount of provision of complementary health care in the NHS has fallen and I have sent letters to the Department about the failings. I received a letter from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic in August, saying that demand had fallen off due to the new primary care group arrangements. I received another letter, from Christchurch in Dorset, about the problems that those involved there are facing. The letter said:
I would like to finish by giving an illustration of how complementary and alternatives medicine can work in practice and how people use complementary medicine to best effect. Recently, a constituent wrote:
Then, I received the proper diagnosis and was told that I needed an operation, which would take a year on the NHS. I could go privately; anybody can if they have and want to spend the money. My constituent, who is on benefit, cannot afford to do so. I then went to my homeopathic doctor, who prescribed something that I think gave me relief. I have also used acupuncture, which stimulated the kidney and liver meridians to make sure that the flow of energy is better through the body to my hands. I have also used aromatherapy oils. I do not know which of those therapies has affected me; all I know is that I am better. I do not need an operation or to be a burden on the health service. I have done it all myself, and that is a good illustration of how complementary and alternative medicine works. Often, people like to move around therapies for treatment; some go to a healer, of whom there are around 20,000 in Britain.
The therapies in group 2 meet the Lords' criteria for being suitable for the NHS. There are 50,000 complementary therapists in the UK, and perhaps 10,000 health care professionals. Thirty thousand of those 50,000 therapists fall into the category of being suitable for the NHS. The Government should act now to make greater use of those therapists, who are an under-utilised resource. The therapists could provide comfort and relief to millions of people and bring about considerable cost savings to the Government. I rest my case.
Dr. Peter Brand (Isle of Wight):
I congratulate the hon. Member for Bosworth (Mr. Tredinnick) on securing the debate, and on highlighting the valuable contribution made by the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology. As he pointed out, we may not be dealing with a mainstream medical activity, but we are certainly dealing with a mainstream commercial and patient activity; a turnover of some £350 million and 50,000 therapists are significant.
I supported the hon. Gentleman's early-day motion because the House of Lords clearly recognised that there was a need to evaluate what was going on within the market, and to draw up some criteria, if only for consumer protection. As a conventionally trained allopathic doctor, I am aware that there is a great deal of uncertainty in medicine. Many conventional therapies are first brought out on the basis of a theory. Hopefully, the evidence follows. Certainly within my clinical lifetime, effective drugs have been introduced. However, the theory of how drugs work has probably changed three or four times in 10 years. Therefore, one must not necessarily say that because we do not understand a process, it has no value.
One has to protect people and be rigorous in the evaluation of the process, potential side-effects and outcomes in so far as one can. I have problems with the hon. Member for Bosworth's claim that the evidence is there, but we do not understand it. Scientific evaluation is exactly the same whether we are talking about the effects of food, aromatherapy or anti-cancer medication. We look at what we do to someone and the outcome, test that against another group of people who are not having that intervention and look at the results to see whether one group fairs better than another.
I have a problem, too, with the description of iridology as a new science; it is a new practice, but it cannot be called a science until it has been evaluated. One does not want to pick holes, but I also have problems with kinesiology and the idea that holding carbolic does something to one's muscles. I will have to change my soap, as I did not realise that carbolic could have such a dangerous effect on my well being.
The issue is serious, however. The House of Lords has done us a great service in considering the various complementary therapies and making an attempt to classify those that, although we may not understand them, are shown to be of value and--more important--not to do harm, and those about which we are uncertain. It is important that the consumer and patient are protected in this bewildering market. I have a problem with the enthusiastic proponents of alternative medicine because they seem to turn it into a quasi-religion. One has to accept a belief system and an entire philosophy before accepting treatment from a particular regime. That puts tremendous pressure on vulnerable people whose symptoms have not been relieved by traditional medical intervention.
I am not saying that we should never treat people because we cannot find an origin for their pain or misery, or that we should use only treatments that have gone through the double-blind trial procedures. One can often improve the patient's sense of well being through alternative methods, which has a tremendous effect on the disease process. Dr. Balint showed clearly that the placebo effect could be important, and every doctor would recognise that a doctor--in him or herself--has a placebo effect that may be powerful, either positively or negatively.
We should not close our minds to the opportunities presented by alternative medicine, but we should temper that with a degree of science. Scepticism is the wrong word; I believe that we should temper it with a degree of care for patients and consumers, for whom the Government and Members of Parliament have a responsibility.
Research is important. I do not accept that alternative practitioners can use the excuse that they are too busy to evaluate what they do. If one sets oneself up as a professional in a therapeutic regime, one has a professional duty to evaluate what one does and consider the outcomes. It cannot be acceptable to claim that one is too busy to do that. There should be a mechanism by which those evaluations are supported and published, so that a peer review can take place and they can be tested.
When a new drug comes out, one is always told that it is the best thing since sliced bread. A doctor can examine the clinical trials, but his experience with the first six patients on whom he uses the drug will determine whether he will continue to use it. We are all a bit like that. We need the science base, under the research base, to inform our gut feeling, because we
I want to refer briefly to the problems of access to these therapies through the national health service. The hon. Member for Bosworth said that fundholding had reduced access to complementary therapies. That is not my experience.
In my experience, fundholding created a blossoming of access to alternative medicine, for three reasons. First, the interventions on the whole were not harmful. Doctors are always minded that their first duty is not to do harm. Secondly, patients liked being referred to alternative practitioners. Thirdly, the interventions were, on the whole, very cheap. That may be a cynical point, but it is certainly advantageous to make significant savings on a prescribing budget by sending patients to a homeopathic practitioner or an acupuncturist, provided that one is not denying those patients more appropriate treatment.
Some of the more ideologically motivated complementary practitioners deliberately stand in the way of conventional medicine and significant treatment, believing that people must commit themselves to their philosophy of medical care. That is dangerous. Faith healers can also be dangerous in that way. There was a vicar in my village who did not believe in medicine; according to him, all cancers were caused by lack of faith, and church attendance was the solution to everyone's problems. When he tried to stop his mother-in-law taking her heart medication, I felt that I had to intervene. I was not sure whether he had done that because he did not like his mother-in-law, but I thought that his faith was being pushed on to a third individual, which was totally inappropriate. One sometimes sees instances of that; it shows that there is a need to protect the public from undue enthusiasts for such therapies.
Will the Minister do some work on the availability of complementary medicine since the establishment of primary care groups and trusts? In my own primary care group, we have reduced the access to complementary therapy. In my practice, we had access to an excellent acupuncturist and a homoeopathist, and found it valuable. The audits that we did on their interventions showed that they were helpful in about 30 per cent. of cases and extremely helpful in the 5 per cent. of cases that had not been helped by anything else. As I said, it was safe and cost-effective.
Our fundholding practice worked as a multi-fund, rather than an individual practice making individual decisions. We developed a menu from which individual fundholders could pick what they thought was most appropriate for their patients. Some patient groups therefore had access to alternative therapies; others did not because some doctors and patients were more
Largely as a result of Government pressure, primary care groups now follow the doctrine of giving everyone equal access to every intervention, which has resulted in some people--depending on the membership of the groups making commissioning decisions--saying that the majority of GPs do not believe that therapies such as acupuncture or homeopathy have a place and that it would be inequitable for anyone to have access to them. That is not a positive way forward. It is more reasonable to have a fairly wide menu of interventions and then allow individual practitioners, in discussion with patients, to decide what is best for a particular patient within a particular practice.
If a GP has strong feelings that no one should be referred outside the conventional envelope, patients may still have access to the alternatives if they feel strongly that that is what they want. Will the Minister reflect on whether his laudable attempt to make access to medical intervention equitable around the country will stifle some of the more imaginative approaches that were taken in the past?
Some complementary medicines play a similar role to counselling and psychotherapy; they are a supportive mechanism, and if they make people feel better and are not disproportionately expensive, that is excellent. It is ridiculous that we have had to sack our acupuncturist, but can still obtain acupuncture by sending people to a consultant anaesthetist in a pain clinic--which is considerably more expensive than treatment from an in-house practitioner who was popular with our patient group.
The report is helpful and shows a way forward. The box system is extremely helpful. It is for those who think that they have been placed in the wrong group to make the case to become more part of the mainstream. I am also glad that recommendations have been made on professional accountability and insurance. I began practising medicine at a time when one could be struck off for referring someone to a non-medically qualified practitioner, on the grounds that we should not dabble with such people as osteopaths and chiropractors but should refer patients only to what were seen as subsidiary disciplines such as physiotherapy. I am very glad that that attitude has disappeared and that we now recognise professional expertise outside the strictly medical circle. We have an approach of teamwork, centred around the patient.
It is important to set up a system that enables alternative practitioners who want to join that team to take responsibility and to accept liability for their actions. The disciplines in group 1 have taken that on board, which is why the House of Lords found them much easier to deal with than those in group 3, who rely more on faith than on evidence.
Mrs. Caroline Spelman (Meriden):
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (Mr. Tredinnick) on securing the debate. It is good to have an opportunity to debate the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology report on complementary and alternative medicine.
I pay tribute to the Select Committee's work; the report is comprehensive and most informative to those of us who are not familiar with the range of alternative and complementary therapies. I cannot comment on the efficacy of the diverse range of therapies and I would not attempt to do so. The Select Committee was the best forum in which to attempt the difficult task of categorising the different therapies.
The question that was paramount in the Select Committee's work was how best to protect the public. Anyone who visits a complementary therapist places himself or herself in a position of trust, in the same way as someone who visits a conventional practitioner does. It is a one-to-one relationship in which the patient's problem is discussed in privacy and with a degree of confidentiality, which people expect the therapist to respect. Recommendations are made and a solution may be suggested or treatment practised during that therapy session. We must seriously consider whether more protection should be afforded to people visiting the blossoming range of alternative therapists.
It is interesting that 40 per cent. of general practitioners refer their patients to practitioners of alternative and complementary therapies. I am not surprised by the statistic given by my hon. Friend that one third of Members of Parliament have direct, personal experience of alternative and complementary medicines. The public are prepared to pay individually to receive treatments in the belief that they will address their problems. Alternative and complementary medicine is expanding and playing a more important role, as the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Dr. Brand) explained, and conventional practitioners are having to get their heads round the way in which these different medicines may work together with conventional medicine.
What can be done to protect the public is a topical question. Last night, there was a debate on the Floor of the House about the dreadful events that led to the murders of the patients of Dr. Shipman. God forbid that there should be a repetition of a Shipman situation, even on a minor scale, in alternative and complementary medicine. Some safeguards must be put in place.
We made an attempt to afford the public better protection during proceedings on the Care Standards Act 2000. My hon. Friends and I tabled a new clause, which would have enabled the Care Standards Commission to regulate complementary medicine by requiring it to maintain a register of alternative therapists. It would have given the Secretary of State important powers to protect the public in respect of the description of services, claims made in respect of services, and techniques that might be employed. Our constructive proposal was rebuffed on the grounds that, as the Select Committee was undertaking an inquiry, it was not an appropriate moment to seize the legislation and make such a provision. We were told that we should wait to find out what came out of that inquiry and react accordingly.
We have all now read the Select Committee's report, which contains several recommendations. Do the Government accept that regulation of complementary and alternative medicine is necessary? If so, which of the two routes that the Select Committee considered under the Health Act 1999--a single body representing the entire profession applying for statutory regulation by
The reason given for not responding at the time to the Select Committee's questions on that point was that one of the two options--the new health professions council--was subject to consultation. The consultation is now over, and the Department will have received all responses by the beginning of November at the latest. Did those responses raise questions about incorporating alternative and complementary medicine under the umbrella of the new health professions council, and if so, what is the Minister's view of those questions?
The Select Committee report also recommends that national studies should be commissioned to obtain more detailed quantitative information about the extent of complementary and alternative medicine in use in the United Kingdom. Our debate has revealed that, as legislators, we are operating in the dark on the matter. We are not sure how many practitioners are involved and where they are. The Government have a responsibility to keep tabs on developments in the blossoming field of alternative medicine. I should be interested to know whether they accept the recommendation that such studies should be undertaken.
We do not yet know the outcome of the consultation, but one of my anxieties about the Government's proposal to create a new health professions council relates to the slightly untidy arrangements that will result. Some of the professions allied to medicine are already regulated by statutory arrangements; indeed, osteopaths have their own Act. That has led to not a little local jealousy from some of the other professions, which are worried that, as they will not have a similar legislative basis for their regulation, they will suffer as a result of inferior regulatory arrangements. That problem is difficult to avoid, as the existing legislation is already in place. A problem might arise if one of the routes recommended by the Select Committee were taken. A range of alternative and complementary therapies are available. Will some be regulated by statutory order while others come under the umbrella of the health professions council? That presents some difficulty, and I should be genuinely interested to hear how the Minister suggests that we proceed, given those diverse arrangements.
The Department of Health plays an important role in signalling to the conventional medical community the areas in which research should be conducted. The Government send signals to research councils about areas of prioritisation that they would like to see pursued. Should the Department of Health send similar signals to research councils about promoting more of a research culture in complementary and alternative medicine?
What plans do the Government have for regulating the professions allied to medicine, either by statutory means or by the health professions council route? Does the Minister accept that regulating areas of conventional medicine would help to lay an important pathway for the recognition of qualifications and training in the new therapies? That would also enhance
The Select Committee report on complementary and alternative medicine focused on the diversity of therapists and their skills and how they might be regulated, but it did not touch on the products used, which are an important part of the therapy. A homeopath might make use of very different products from those prescribed by the hon. Member for Isle of Wight, with his depth of experience. That is an important area.
The Minister is sure to be aware that the United Kingdom is currently in a difficult position. A new European directive to control products used by alternative and complementary therapists regards some of the well-established products sold in health food shops, such as vitamins and herbal remedies, as medicines. Practitioners are concerned that remedies hitherto widely used by the public might be restricted if subject to the kind of directives envisaged at a European level. Medicines should be vigorously tested--I am sure that we would all agree that the public should not be placed at risk because of a medicine that had been inadequately tested--but many remedies have been in use for many years.
Testing is an expensive process, and new, novel medicines often fall at the first fence because a company has insufficient resources to have them tested. The position of a number of established remedies may be precarious if they are caught in a rigorous new medicines directive. I know that a number of practitioners of complementary and alternative medicines would be interested to hear the Government's view on the proposed new directive.
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr. John Hutton)
: I start by warmly congratulating the hon. Member for Bosworth (Mr. Tredinnick) on raising the subject of alternative and complementary medicines today. I congratulate him also on the depth of his knowledge of the subject, which is probably unrivalled in the House. My hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Health, the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) has rightly praised the hon. Gentleman for his tireless devotion to those subjects. I should also like to pay tribute to his commitment to his cause.
The hon. Gentleman made an interesting reference to the impact that the full moon can sometimes have on our lives. I have no idea whether there is a full moon today or whether it has had any influence on our debate,
I compliment also the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Dr. Brand) on his thoughtful comments. He posed the issue in terms of public safety. I do not think that this is just about public safety; it goes much wider than that. I agree that public safety issues are important, but there is another issue to which he rightly referred. NHS doctors and patients must have the widest possible choice of available remedies. We must also ensure that NHS resources are used effectively. We must not just balance important issues of public safety; we must do all those things simultaneously. That is a difficult balancing act, as I am sure that the hon. Member for Bosworth would be the first to concede.
We are quite clear about the priorities on which we should focus at the moment. When we came into office, the NHS was under-doctored and under-nursed. Too many health care services were being delivered in Victorian buildings. Those are our priorities, in addition to dealing with the top clinical priorities that the NHS faces; the big killers such as cancer and coronary heart disease, where our survival rates are simply not acceptable and where more work has to be done to improve services.
A difficult set of choices has to be made by Governments of whatever party. We have tried to set out through the NHS plan and all our other work the key priorities behind our commitment to modernise and reform the NHS and to increase its capacity to meet the needs of our complex society in the 21st century. I want to refer to how alternative and complementary medicine can play a part in that in my response to the hon. Member for Bosworth's detailed and thought-provoking comments.
The hon. Member for Isle of Wight expressed his support for the Government's efforts to promote greater consistency of NHS provision across England. That is an important focus for our work, but he is wrong to conclude from his example that GPs were being required to fit themselves into a straitjacket of policy that would narrow the options available to them. That is not what we are doing.
Dr. Brand
: I do not think that that is the perception of some of the primary care groups and primary care trusts on the ground. There is a risk of losing diversity of choice for the sake of equity of access.
Mr. Hutton
: I strongly believe that we can avoid, and have avoided, making that trade-off. We have always made it clear in relation to the reforms that we made to primary care that we want to level up the provision of services. The hon. Gentleman gave an example from his own practice. He said that access to complementary medicine had been narrowed down. I do not dispute that for a second, but that is a choice that he and his colleagues made locally--[ Interruption.] The hon. Gentleman may want to correct me, but we believe that our reforms to primary care will improve the delivery of services. Our reforms will end--I must tell the hon. Member for Bosworth--the totally unacceptable state of affairs created by GP fundholding. Far from increasing choice, it effectively narrowed it for many patients. We are determined to put right that wholly unacceptable change to the NHS.
The hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) asked about professional regulation and research and asked what signal the Department would send to the complementary alternative sector about the importance of research. I have a simple message; research is very important. A strong, research-based culture would be beneficial to complementary and alternative medicine, and we would welcome it; as would, I am sure, the hon. Member for Bosworth.
Debate has rightly focused on the House of Lords report into complementary and alternative medicines. The report represents the first-ever comprehensive inquiry into complementary medicine in the United Kingdom by any parliamentary Select Committee. Written evidence was submitted by 180 individuals and organisations, 46 of whom were subsequently called to give oral evidence. That testifies to the thoroughness with which the Committee approached its task. My hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health also appeared before the Committee towards the end of its deliberations.
We are debating the issue today before the Government have published our response to their Lordships' report. The hon. Member for Bosworth will accept that I cannot anticipate the Government's full response here, although it will be published in the near future. The response will, of course, be published and presented to Parliament as a command paper. In the normal run of events, there would be a debate in the Lords, but that is a matter for the Committee itself to determine.
In recent years, we have seen increased public interest in and use of complementary medicine. It is a thriving feature of the private health care sector. Some forms of complementary medicine are also provided in the NHS on the basis of clinical need, usually as an adjunct to orthodox treatment and sometimes practised by members of the orthodox health professions. The Government are aware that many people have found complementary medicine helpful and that it has some powerful advocates, including some from the world of orthodox medicine.
Today's debate has touched on the main themes in the report--regulation, training, research, information and NHS use. Reference has also been made to how the report has introduced some structure to the world of complementary and alternative medicine by classifying therapies into three primary groups.
The first group embraces what the Committee refers to as the "principal disciplines"; osteopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, herbal medicine and homeopathy. The second contains the therapies most often used to complement conventional medicine, such as aromatherapy, massage and reflexology. The third consists of disciplines that, in the view of the Committee, adopt a philosophical approach very different to the scientific principles of conventional medicine. Some of these are long-established, traditional forms of health care, such as traditional Chinese and ayurvedic medicine. Others are therapies that the Committee viewed as lacking a credible evidence base, such as crystal therapy and iridology--both mentioned by the hon. Member for Bosworth.
Among other things, the structure and definitions in the report provide a useful template for developing the regulation of complementary and alternative medicine therapies. As the report has suggested, some therapies have reached the stage where they ought seriously to consider preparing for regulation on a statutory basis. Other therapies need to progress to the point where they have their own recognisable voluntary regulatory bodies. In time, some of them may also become suitable candidates for some form of statutory regulation. One thing is sure. If complementary and alternative medicine is to be recognised as a respected member of the caring professions, it must put in place a proper regulatory framework that will raise standards and protect patients.
In giving evidence to the Committee in October, my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health said that effective regulation of complementary and alternative medicine practitioners was important to ensure proper protection and support for patients. She also made clear the Government's view that without effective regulation, it was hard to promote greater uptake of complementary medicine in the NHS.
The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Liam Donaldson, who also gave evidence to the Committee, made it clear that he thought it important that as professions formed themselves into recognisable professional bodies, they were brought forward into the right statutory framework.
In this respect, Department of Health officials have already held exploratory meetings with representatives of the two professions that the Committee considered could be early candidates for statutory regulation; herbalism and acupuncture. These discussions have focused on the steps that each profession needs to take in preparation for statutory regulations.
The scope and nature of any future statutory regulation of these professions needs to be discussed more widely and there will need to be full consultation. Among other things, consultation could explore the feasibility of including aspects of the practice of traditional Chinese medicine, ayurveda and other forms of traditional medicine based on herbs in the arrangements made to regulate herbalists as a whole. This could offer a way forward to some of the disciplines, which the Committee has chosen to categorise as group 3 therapies.
In relation to other professions, we have stated our support for the work being done by the Foundation for Integrated Medicine to help establish and improve voluntary, regulatory schemes. The foundation will be holding a conference next week, to which it has invited a wide range of regulatory and professional bodies from complementary medicine. The aim of this conference is to encourage constructive debate about taking forward the recommendations in the report. An open forum of this sort will give the various professional groups an
We do not, of course, view complementary and alternative medicine in isolation. We are currently working hard to raise standards across the NHS and the private sector in patient-centred care, in better equipped, better trained and better regulated professions. The higher standards that we are setting for the NHS will provide a yardstick against which complementary and alternative medicine should be measuring itself, whether it is practised in the private sector or the NHS and whether it is provided by doctors and nurses or by complementary medicine therapists.
Regulation of products is important and the hon. Member for Meriden referred to this. Following extensive consultation with UK interest groups, we are now working with our partners in Europe on proposals for a directive in traditional medicines. The aim is to provide a framework for the effective regulation of traditional herbal remedies, balancing public safety and consumer choice. The hon. Lady will be aware that the Commission has produced a first draft of that directive and the Medicines Control Agency has produced some initial responses. I am very happy to let the hon. Lady see the response of the Medicines Control Agency; it may be in the Library.
There is significant concern in the UK at the moment about the way in which these issues are being dealt with. There are about 500 licensed herbal medicines available on the UK market and many more are sold under section 12 exemptions. The difficulty with the existing arrangements is that whereas the normal licensing arrangement provides strong protection for the public, they have been perceived by some as limiting public choice. The section 12 herbal exemptions offer the public greater choice, but do not always provide adequate protection. There is every opportunity that this work can be taken forward successfully with our colleagues in Europe and that is the best place for this type of work to be done.
An important function of professional regulation is setting standards for training and education. I accept that there is a lot of work to be done in this area in training health care practitioners who aspire to practise complementary medicine and providing more undergraduate doctors and nurses with some familiarisation with complementary medicine. The important thing will be for the professional bodies involved to set clear standards and to work closely together in doing so.
We will continue to encourage complementary medicine regulatory bodies to set clear and consistent professional standards for their registrants and to work with education and training institutions to ensure that these institutions offer qualifications that meet these standards. As I said, there is much work to be done. Officials from the Department have discussed the report's recommendations with the Department of Education and Employment, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Quality Assurance
Mr. Tredinnick
: The Minister said earlier that there would be a Government response in the very near future. Does that mean this month or next month? It would be reassuring to hear that it did. I have not yet heard him say anything about the issuing of guidance to health authorities on complementary and alternative medicine, so perhaps he could address that point. Does he intend to set up a register of practitioners?
Hon. Members have talked about the need for more research into complementary and alternative medicine. Complementary medicine needs better research, not just more research. The most popular therapies, at least, need to be underpinned by more definitive, high-quality research evidence. Everyone recognises that it will take time to produce such evidence, but opportunities exist for researchers to train in the techniques that they will require and the academic expertise is beginning to come together to help to co-ordinate research efforts. My Department welcomes applications to fund complementary medicine research projects, provided that they offer a clear link to one of the NHS priority areas.
In the meantime, I fully accept that information on complementary and alternative medicine, such as it is, needs to be carefully synthesised and made available in a much more user-friendly way both to the wider public and to health professionals. The provision of better information for patients is a key feature of the NHS plan, and work is in hand to include complementary medicine in the information that will be made available more widely to the public.
Better information on complementary medicine will be in patients' interests twice over. First, it will help them to decide which therapies could be appropriate for them and where to go for treatment. Secondly, it will inform them of the professional standards to expect. When the public expect and demand high standards of complementary medicine practitioners, the complementary medicine professions will have even more incentive to put high standards in place and to live up to them.
We have given the Foundation for Integrated Medicine a grant to create a database of information, which will enable it to advise anyone who wants more information on regulatory bodies and the codes of conduct that they follow. Regulatory bodies must be the repository of more detailed information about registered practitioners, the appropriateness of their treatments, likely costs and complaints procedures. Information on the nature of treatments is also available from a wide range of other reputable sources. NHS Direct will be able to expand the information that it provides when authoritative evidence of safety and effectiveness becomes available and proper regulatory systems are in place.
The hon. Gentleman was anxious for me to talk about NHS provision. Complementary medicine can, and often does, play a part in treating NHS patients. An informal survey carried out on behalf of the Department of Health a year ago found that 58 per cent. of primary care groups were providing patients with access to some form of complementary medicine. We continue to keep a watchful eye on the extent to which primary care groups make complementary medicine services available.
As part of an on-going work programme, we have commissioned Sheffield university's medical care research unit to undertake a detailed study into the impact that primary care groups have had on access to complementary medicine through NHS primary care. The study will be completed at the end of 2001 and will help to inform our future policy.
We have collaborated with others to produce a basic information pack for primary care groups on complementary medicine. The pack was built on the results of the informal survey previously carried out for the Department of Health and focused on the therapies that that study had shown to be most commonly encountered in primary care; chiropractic, osteopathy, acupuncture, homeopathy and aromatherapy. As well as offering information about the nature of each therapy and the conditions that were most likely to benefit from them, the pack discussed the regulatory status of practitioners and provided sources of further information. Several examples were included of how those therapies had been adopted in primary care.
We circulated that pack to primary care groups and sent a shorter companion booklet to all GPs in England in July. The feedback that we received suggested that many people found it helpful. As my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health mentioned to the House of Lords Select Committee, we hope to produce a new version of the pack for patients.
Mr. Hutton
: I agree with the hon. Lady, and that was the point made by my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health in her evidence to the Committee; popularity is never enough, and there has to be an evidence base of effectiveness. Towards the end of this year, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence will be publishing evidence-based guidance to the NHS on supportive and palliative care for cancer patients. The guidance will aim to improve patients' experience of cancer care and, in doing so, improve the quality of life for all those affected by cancer.
The hon. Member for Bosworth might be interested to know that one of the issues that NICE is considering, as it prepares its guidance, is the potential benefit that cancer patients derive from complementary services. As I said earlier, if complementary medicine aspires to be equal with other forms of NHS treatment, it must meet the same standards. It must be clear and realistic about the contributions that it can make, and it should work in an integrated way with other forms of treatment. Effective regulation of practitioners is important, as is an appropriate evidence base for the treatments that they offer.
The report sets an authoritative agenda for change. Some of the complementary and alternative medicine professions have begun making the improvements that they need to secure a more lasting place in public affections. They must now drive forward these changes more decisively, and the professions that have still to put those changes in hand must do so more urgently.
Mr. Hutton
: I am glad that the hon. Gentleman reminded me of that. I think that it will be published in the next few weeks, although I cannot go much further than that, other than to say that the Government certainly welcome the report and will be setting out a full response in the near future.
Next Section
Index Home Page | 54,974 | 20,151 | 0.00005 |
warc | 201704 | Future of communal relations in India
-- By Asghar Ali Engineer
What is the future of communal relations in India? What will be the likely scenario in coming 30 years? This is an important question. Is India doomed as a secular democracy? Or does India’s future lie in secular democracy? Will the Hindutva forces gain or loose? There are different answers to these questions, which is quite natural. In complex social and political problems there are no easy answers. To get some probable answers one has to get at the root of the problem. India, it is important to note, has been a multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-lingual society for centuries. Forces of tolerance have always been strong in its soil. Besides others Emperors Ashoka and Akbar have been great symbols of tolerance and openness to other religions. Throughout medieval ages, one hardly finds instances of inter-communal clashes though among religious priesthood there was bigotry and sectarianism. This bigotry and sectarianism as exposed by poets like Kabir. However, the Sufi and Bhakti movements acted as bridge builders. They effectively countered the narrow mindedness of priestly class and spread love and humanism. The Sufi and Bhakti saints were more spiritual than religious in ritualistic sense. Their whole emphasis was on love, peace and harmony. They had their roots among common people, poor and of lowly origin. They kept their distance from rulers and ruling classes. It is important to note that it is clash of interests, which brings about unrest and communal tensions in society, not clash of religions. Religions do not clash; it is vested interests, which do. In medieval ages religious communities were not politically organised, they were distinctly different yet not hostile to each other as they did not cater to political needs. It is with the event of colonialism on one hand, and, subsequent parliamentary democracy that led to politicisation of religion and religious communities. Thus inter-religious clashes are in fact, inter-political clashes. Different political parties carve out their vote-banks among different religious communities and target some community, in order to emerge as champion of ones own community. In fact, they are champions of their own political interests, rather than community’s interests. In India such communal division occurred mainly due to colonial machinations. It ultimately led to division of our motherland. This political vivisection became a running sore for people of India, particularly for those of majority community as they saw Muslims as responsible for division of the country. Muslims as a community were not responsible for division but only a section of upper class Muslim elite in collaboration with British colonial power brought about this division. In fact common Muslims are really suffering today on account of this division. The right wing Hindu politicians exploited the issue of partition to the hilt with an eye to Hindu votes and often incited communal violence. This violence intensified during the decade of eighties in post-independence India. Most of the major riots in independent India took place during 1980 to 1992-93. There are number of reasons for this. By the time we saw dawn of eighties about 40 years had passed since India became independent. The democratic processes intensified and brought more democratic awareness among the minorities and weaker sections of India and they got better organised by then to demand their due share in power. The upper caste Hindus felt that in coming years they will have to yield more and more share of power to minorities and low caste Hindus (dalits) and hence the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), mainly representing the political and economic interests of upper caste Hindu elite, raised alarm and began propaganda blast against minorities and dalits and led to heightened inter-communal and inter-caste tensions. The BJP used Ram Temple controversy as a powerful symbol to mobilise Hindu votes and ultimately rode to power in 1999 and remained in power until 2004. The Sangh Parivar (which includes Rashtriya Seva Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and BJP) tried to weaken secularism and Hinduise Indian plot during their rule. It was during the BJP rule (both at the Centre as well as in Gujarat state) that Gujarat carnage took place in 2002, which officially 1000 and unofficially 2000 Muslims were brutally killed. Thus inter-religious violence achieved its climax during the BJP rule, which bases its politics on hatred of minority communities. It was during the BJP rule that attacks against miniscule minority of Christians also began. An Australian Christian priest James Staines, working for lepers among tribals in a distant village of Orissa in Eastern India was burnt to death along with his two young children. Many other Christian priests and nuns were also attacked or murdered. This was the darkest period of secular India. But it is to be noted that people of India rejected the BJP rule because of its communal excesses and voted the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government led by the Congress to power in the elections of 2004. Thus the people of India once again proved that they are secular and tolerant and desire communal harmony and better inter-religious relations. Though one cannot see inter-communal relations in straight line as much depends on political dynamics in the country. However, on the whole, it can be said that common people of India are desirous of peaceful co-existence and do not appreciate communal turmoil in the country. The dark side of economic development is vast poverty-stricken underbelly of India. India is still at 137th place out of 139 countries surveyed as far as malnutrition and deaths caused by hunger are concerned. Such stark poverty cannot but have political implications. The ruling classes use caste and communal issues to divert attention from such horrific problems. Many politicians are tempted to resort to communal-based, instead of issue-based politics. The Gujarat carnage of 2002 took place precisely when the BJP Government was signing various international trade treaties and liberalising economy benefiting handful of economic elite. Thus in coming 30 years one cannot expect smooth inter-caste and inter-communal relations as the ruling classes would certainly tempted to employ emotional issues to catch votes of common people without solving their problems. This process of emotionalising and communalising politics is aided and abated by the media also, as media itself is controlled by political and economic elite. The Sangh Parivar has consolidated its base during six years of its rule and possesses disciplined cadre and thus possesses great capacity to communalise politics and provoke communal violence. But there are countervailing forces too which go in favour of more secularised democracy. The lower castes (dalits) though at times get used by upper caste Hindus and are swept off their feet by powerful emotional propaganda but on the whole tend to be anti-Sangh Parivar force. These dalits are main victims of upper caste elite politics and their leaders try to counter communal politics in order to keep their caste flock with them. The caste awareness is increasing with spread of education among dalits and with spread of democratic awareness. Though dalits and minorities are far behind in the field of education, yet more and more are getting educated and are becoming aware of their political rights. Greater the political awareness among dalits and OBCs (Other Backward Classes), more challenging it would be for communal politicians to manipulate religious and communal sentiments. Another factor is increasing globalisation, which in itself creates contradictory effects as far as communal situation is concerned. On one hand it intensifies urge for religious and cultural identities to face homogenising global processes and on the other, it opens up economic opportunities for educated middle classes and induces their out-migration thus reducing communal potentialities. It is also interesting to note that today there is increased awareness among Muslims in India to make a concerted effort to better their position through more education and better economic opportunities and avoid emotional issues which bring nothing but disaster for them. There were entangled in Ramjanambhoomi politics and suffered a great deal. Thus with few exceptions, Muslims are shedding their communal past, and preparing themselves for better future prospects. Also, communal forces are loosing credibility among people of India. They have no achievement to show except communal rhetoric and bloodshed. Before coming to power they claimed to be ‘clean’ and non-corrupt. However, now many corruption scandals are coming out in which their leaders were involved during their rule. On this count also, they have lost much ground. Thus in coming 30 years, it appears, communal forces will find it very difficult to regain their lost ground and communal politics will be weakened. However, much will depend on performance of secular forces also. Communal forces thrive more due to failure of secular forces than on account of their inherent strength. Communal forces gain strength only because secular forces fail to assert and perform. Communal forces, it appears, will loose ground and one will see greater urge among people for co-existence and harmonious leaving in coming thirty years. | 9,512 | 4,070 | 0.000246 |
warc | 201704 | I’m going to take an in-depth look at Betfair Trading and work out whether or not it really is as powerful as ‘Professional Traders” let on. I’m going to look at the basics of Betfair trading, some popular trading systems as well as the dangers of Betfair Trading.
Betfair Trading Basics
There is one simple core principle to Betfair Trading:
Back High, Lay Low
If you can back an outcome at high odds and then wait for the odds to drop to then lay the same outcome at lower odds then you can lock a profit in… 100%
For example, if you were lay Chelsea to win a football match at 2.4 with £20 and then the team they were playing scored. The odds might increase to 3.2. You could then back Chelsea to win with £15. This would lock a profit in of £5 regardless of the outcome. Chelsea could win, draw or lose and you would still see a profit of £5!
Popularised Betfair Trading Systems
Like the Martingale System is to staking plans, the following two trading systems are the most common and most recognised ways to trade the Betfair markets and most importantly, the football markets:
Back the Draw – This is a trading system that involves backing the draw at the current market price and then waiting for the game to commence. After a set period of time (and a lack of goals), the trader would then lay the draw at a lower price as the odds drop to then ‘green up’ and lock a profit in on that particular football match.
Lay the Favourite – Similar to the previous system, this involves laying the favourite before the match and then waiting for the game to start. Again, after a set period of time (and once again, a lack of goals), the trader would back the favourite once the odds have increased by x.xx to ‘green up’ and secure a profit no matter what the outcome.
There are of course several trading systems and hundreds of variations to these systems that involve fall backs and complex staking plans.
The Dangers of Betfair Trading
It’s all sound rather promising, I know, but that doesn’t mean it is without dangers. There are in fact a variety of problems with Betfair Trading which I have listed below:
Harder than it Sounds – The concept is simple but it’s easier said than done. It’s not a simple case of trading on every match in any league whenever you want for easy money. You have to analyse the matches. You have to look for the perfect trading situation. There are a variety of ways this can be done such as looking for clear favourites that you do not deem clear favourites. The odds will be noticeably low and you can therefore lay with a low liability and increase your chance of being able to green up with a back bet. Saturation – Something sometraders complain about is saturation. With more and more people trading on the Betfair markets, the prices are being dragged down which causes profits to also be dragged down. The more people who trade, the lower the amount of movement in the market. One way to combat this is to trade in the less popular markets. Don’t stick to the English Premier League for example. Experience Required – Not necessarily a danger but something to certainly bare in mind: Experience! The more you get, the easier you will find trading opportunities.
Of course, you can apply those dangers to a range of betting styles BUT I am simply making it clear that although Trading on Betfair sounds promising and has it’s perks, it does come with some problems.
So there you have it, a brief look at Betfair Trading, how it is done, some well-known systems and the dangers of it. | 3,660 | 1,660 | 0.000626 |
warc | 201704 | Leaders in Northern Ireland’s business community will discuss workplace diversity as a key tool in retaining and returning talent to the region at an event on 20 May.
Part of LGBT Awareness Week 2016, the Diversity Champions NI event titled
‘Business Rainbows. Better Together’ will examine if the changing landscape of diversity could attract back LGBT people who may have pursued careers in other regions.
Chaired by Fidelma Carolan, Equality Commissioner, speakers will include Catherine Vaughan, Head of EY LGBT Network, and representatives from local employers that have gained recognition from the Rainbow Project’s Diversity Champions NI programme for robust equality and diversity policies and practices. In preparation for the event the Rainbow Project have published a survey asking if perceptions of LGBT inclusivity in the workplace have improved over the last decade and identify any underpinning factors. People wishing to express their view can respond to the twitter poll @DChampions or click here.
John O’Doherty, Director of the Rainbow Project said “As Northern Ireland seeks to compete in the global economy we must ensure our best talent is at the forefront of that effort. This event will discuss if people feel the diversity landscape has improved, and if that can be used to attract LGBT people back who may have moved to other cities they perceived as more welcoming or cosmopolitan when making career decisions.”
Diversity Champions NI was developed by the Rainbow Project in consultation with employers and government agencies including Allen & Overy, Belfast City Council, Department for Employment and Learning, Ernst & Young, Lloyds Banking, Pinsent Masons, Public Health Agency and PwC.
The programme sets out sets out voluntary standards that organisations of all sizes can aim for if they wish to be viewed as inclusive and safe workplaces for people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
Paul Gillen, Employment Partner at Pinsent Masons said, “As the top ranked law firm (No. 5) listed in the Stonewall Index, Pinsent Masons has long been recognised for the value we place upon diversity in the workplace. In the past Northern Ireland may not have seemed a welcoming environment for LGBT people to pursue rewarding and fulfilled careers. They may have chosen to move elsewhere, to major international cities such as London. I believe that context is changing and the work of inclusivity programmes such as Diversity Champions could be instrumental in ending and indeed reversing this ‘Rainbow brain drain’ of talent.”
The Diversity Champions NI event takes place at 4-6pm in Pinsent Masons, The Soloist, Lanyon Place, Belfast and is free to attend. To register your attendance email harriet@rainbow-project.org or call 028 9031 9030.
ENDS Notes to Editors
For further information please contact John Hart, john.hart@pinsentmasons.com 028 90 894 934
Quotes from other organisations taking part in the event are included below.
We encourage employers to go beyond compliance with the law and have seen some great examples of good practice, with organisations reaping the rewards of diversity. Advising employers on equality issues and helping them make their workplaces more inclusive is a major area of work for the Commission. We have a wealth of guidance and information on our website and provide training on equality issues as well as direct advice and guidance on a one to one basis.” – Fidelma Carolan, Commissioner with the Equality Commission
As the first Health and Social Care organisation in Northern Ireland to be recognised as a Diversity Champion, we are delighted to be able to share our learning and learn from other organisations involved in the programme. An event such as this provides the opportunity to celebrate collectively and highlight the importance of diversity in our workplaces.” – Mary Black, Assistant Director of Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement, Public Health Agency
“We know that our approach to diversity is a big factor for people who work for us or are considering a career with us. Offering supportive and inclusive working environments across all departments is an important part of our business strategy and means talented people at each level of our firm can make a full contribution. The value and strength of the diverse talent pool available in Northern Ireland, was a factor in Allen & Overy’s decision to establish its global support centre in Belfast. It is important for our colleagues to know that they are valued and can ‘be themselves’ at work regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Diversity Champions partnership is just one of the ways we’re promoting inclusion in the workplace.” – Barry McCrory, Chair of the LGBT network at Allen & Overy
To ‘respect each other, be fair, promote equality and good relations- by improving access to our services, valuing diversity, ensuring that everyone shares in the city’s successes and tackling discrimination in all its forms’ is one of Belfast City Council’s core values and it underpins everything the Council does in term of its workplace. Increasing diversity and inclusion in organisations is not about “doing the right thing” – it is essential to our success. – Belfast City Council | 5,424 | 2,460 | 0.000419 |
warc | 201704 | Thursday, October 14, 2010
Buying a home used to be a major milestone in life and thought of as one of, if not the best investment for a family. Today, Americans aren’t quite as sure.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that just 52% of adults say buying a home is the best investment families can make, down from 60% last month and 73% in February 2009. (To see survey question wording, click here).
Thirty-one percent (31%) say that buying a house is not the best investment for families, and 17% are not sure.
Fifty-eight percent (58%) of adults who own their home agree that a home is the best investment. Among non-homeowners, just 37% agree.
Adults over 40 tend to believe more that buying a house is the best investment, while adults under 40 are not as sure.
Married adults are more likely than unmarried adults to say buying a house is the best investment for a family. Higher income adults are also more likely to agree than lower income adults.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 7-8, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.Rasmussen subscribers can log in to read the rest of this article.
ORBecome a member and get full access to all articles and polls starting at $4.95/month.
Rasmussen Reports is a media company specializing in the collection, publication and distribution of public opinion information.
We conduct public opinion polls on a variety of topics to inform our audience on events in the news and other topics of interest. To ensure editorial control and independence, we pay for the polls ourselves and generate revenue through the sale of subscriptions, sponsorships, and advertising. Nightly polling on politics, business and lifestyle topics provides the content to update the Rasmussen Reports web site many times each day. If it's in the news, it's in our polls. Additionally, the data drives a daily update newsletter and various media outlets across the country.
Some information, including the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll and commentaries are available for free to the general public. Subscriptions are available for $4.95 a month or 34.95 a year that provide subscribers with exclusive access to more than 20 stories per week on upcoming elections, consumer confidence, and issues that affect us all. For those who are really into the numbers, Platinum Members can review demographic crosstabs and a full history of our data.
To learn more about our methodology, click here. | 2,668 | 1,313 | 0.000767 |
warc | 201704 | Narciso said allatonce saidWhile you may see them eat a lot of junk food, it is likely that if they are in great shape with a good body that overall they are eating a proper amount of calories and that they are getting enough proteins, etc., that they need. Especially if they are working out a lot. There is also a difference between 30 mins on the elliptical at the gym and an intense sport (in my mind). In the end, what they are doing works for them and do what works for you. Don't look at someone eating junk food and getting jealous, there is more to the story and eating junk food is never really good for you anyway. I spent nearly 24 hours a day with this one dude college. Literally crap is all he ate. Never worked out a day in his life. Lean and ripped. Those guys do exist.
Yes, well, that's good genetics for you. I ate healthy food growing up, and institutional food in college and in the army, which was basically healthy. Since then, for the past 35 years, I've basically eaten fast food (burgers, grinders, pizza, etc.), because of its convenience. I ate all I wanted. Not so healthy. I had a job which kept me physically fit for many years, so I didn't gain weight.
Due to a ruptured disc about 6 years ago, I had to change to a sedentary job. Now, I gain weight at the drop of a hat, due to less exercise, bad diet, and the slowed metabolism that comes with aging.
The chickens have come home to roost. | 1,428 | 773 | 0.001298 |
warc | 201704 | November 1 2012 Bindweed – Convolvulus arvensis
Bindweed is quite a pretty flower but most gardeners and farmers consider it an intrusive and noxious weed. It often will take over an entire lawn if left unchecked.
A member of the Morning Glory family, Bindweed comes in many shades of pink as well as white. Habitat preference is undisturbed waste ground and roadside fields.
The Convolvulaceae, known commonly as the bindweed or morning glory family, is a group of about 60 genera and more than 1,650 species of mostly herbaceous vines, but also trees, shrubs and herbs.
They can be recognized by their funnel-shaped radially symmetrical corolla; the floral formula for the family has 5 sepals, 5 fused petals, 5 epipetalous stamens (stamens fused to the petals), and a 2 part syncarpous and superior gynoecium. The stem of these plants is usually winding, hence its Latin name (convolvere = to wind). The leaves are simple and alternate, without stipules. The fruit can be a capsule, berry, or nut, all containing only two seeds per one locule (one ovule/ovary).
The leaves and starchy tuberous roots of some species are used as foodstuffs (e.g. sweet potato and water spinach), and the seeds are exploited for their medicinal value as purgatives. Some species contain ergoline alkaloids that are likely responsible for the use of these species as ingredients in psychedelic drugs (e.g. ololiuhqui). The presence of ergolines in some species of this family is due to infection by fungi related to the ergot fungi of the genus Claviceps. A recent study of the Convolvulaceae species, Ipomoea asarifolia, and its associated fungi showed that the presence of a fungus, identified by DNA sequencing of 18s and ITS ribosomal DNA and phylogenetic analysis to be closely related to fungi in the family Clavicipitaceae, was always associated with the presence of ergoline alkaloids in the plant. The identified fungus appears to be a seed-transmitted obligate biotroph growing epiphytically on its host.
1 This finding strongly suggests that the unique presence of ergoline alkaloids in some species of the family Convolvulaceae is due to symbiosis with clavicipitaceous fungi. Moreover, another group of compounds, loline alkaloids, commonly produced by some members of the clavicipitaceous fungi (genus Neotyphodium), has been identified in a Convolvulaceae species, but the origin of the loline alkaloids in this species is unknown.
Members of the family are well known as showy garden plants (e.g. morning glory) and as troublesome weeds (e.g. bindweed).
From Wikipedia
Taken: June 29 2010
Elora Gorge – Elora, Ontario
Nikon D300S | 2,651 | 1,332 | 0.000757 |
warc | 201704 | Rediff India Abroad Home | All the sections
The Rediff Special / Shankerprasad S Bhatt
When grief weighs us down...
December 12, 2007
There are many instances of grief in family life, such as the death of a partner or a family member or a friend. When we experience something that causes us shock and sadness, we may feel the urge to withdraw. We may feel remaining withdrawn will keep us protected from the world.
During these times, it is important to reach out to those trusted and precious people who care about us the most. Such people can console us, give us proper advice and the confidence to deal with our problems. Despite our best efforts to go on with life, we never know when someone else's experience or perspective can give us additional information or the consolation we need.
To solve our problems, the universe speaks to us through many channels; when we open ourselves to others to receive its messages, we also receive nurturing care from a loving partner, other family members and close friends.
Grief is part of the human experience; sharing our vulnerability is what creates truly close bonds in relationships. Opening ourselves up to our family members and close friends gets to the core of our being, past all of our defenses and prejudices.
When life seems to crack the outer shell of our world, we are both raw and fresh at the same time. It is then that we discover who is truly willing to walk with us. We also see that some of those sent to us might not be the persons we expected. Regardless, we learn to trust in the universe, in others, in our own strength and resilience, and in the wisdom of life. This is the time when we can judge who our people are.
Sharing grief allows us to ease our burden, as someone else helps us carry it. This helps us process our inner thoughts and feelings through the filter of a trusted and beloved partner. Remember, not sharing your feelings denies your loved ones the opportunity to feel for you and console you. By sharing our hopes and fears, joys and pains with another person -- like a family member or a friend -- we accept the universe's gifts of wisdom, loving care, consolation and moral support.
Here are some important steps to deal with grief:
The experience of grief is similar to recovering from a serious illness or disease; some days will be darker, some brighter. You need to recognise your limits and separate the things that must be done. Don't worry about keeping up with your usual schedule. If you have to cancel or reschedule your commitments, adjust accordingly.
Grief can cloud your judgment and make it difficult to see beyond the pain you're feeling at the moment. Impulsive decisions -- to move or change jobs, for example -- can have far-reaching implications for which you may be unprepared. If you must make an important decision, discuss your options with someone you trust.
Pain held inside is like pus in a wound -- it needs to come out for you to heal. When friends ask how they can help, ask them to just be with you and listen. Tell them how important it is for you to be able to express what you're thinking and feeling. If you think you need more than the support of your friends, consider a professional counsellor.
Writing is another excellent way to express your feelings. Try keeping a journal or writing letters (whether you send them or not). When words won't come, artistic outlets like painting or sculpting can help you to communicate what is in your heart and soul. Creative expression can bring clarity to the turmoil and give you insight into feelings you weren't aware of.
Preserve your memories in ways that are comforting and meaningful. Enlarge and frame a favourite photo of your loved one. Contributing time or money to your loved one's favourite cause or charity is a noble way to honour his/ her memory. Before my wife Ranjan passed away June 6, 2000, she told me to donate money to install computers in one or more schools at my town Umreth, in Gujarat. I did what she said. Now, more than 2,000 students from Jubilee School, where I studied, are learning/ have learnt how to use the computer. By fulfilling her wish, my soul got a lot of consolation.
The Rediff Specials | 4,217 | 2,072 | 0.000485 |
warc | 201704 | April 26, 2010 Skeleton Key For Cancer Metastasis
Cancer cells need all three of their cytoskeletons"”actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments"”to metastasize, according to a study published online on April 26 in the Journal of Cell Biology.
A cancer cell in an epithelial layer is trapped unless it can force through the basement membrane, which cordons off the tissue. Tumor cells start to dissolve the basement membrane with enzymes that build up within extensions called invadopodia. How the different components of the cytoskeleton collaborate to spring the cell remains unclear. To find out, Danijela Vignjevic and colleagues (Institut Curie) followed cancer cells as they started their breakout.They found that a tumor cell escapes in three stages. First, stumpy protrusions dig into the basement membrane. These structures then elongate into "mature" invadopodia. Finally, the rest of the cell follows. In culture, crawling cells produce extensions that carry either bundles of actin or an actin mesh. In the cancer cells, both forms of actin were necessary for invadopodia to form and grow. However, microtubules and intermediate filaments were only essential for invadopodia to lengthen.
The researchers suggest a model for this initial step of metastasis. Growing actin bundles push out a protrusion, which the actin mesh stabilizes as it elongates. Only if the invadopodium stretches beyond 5 microns do microtubules and intermediate filaments get involved. Microtubules most likely elongate the invadopodium by delivering materials such as enzymes to the tip. Intermediate filaments, meanwhile, may brace the growing extension.
Schoumacher, M., et al. 2010. J. Cell Biol. doi:10.1083/jcb.200909113.
---
Image Caption: An actin-rich invadopodium pushes through the basement membrane (red, left), allowing the tumor cell to follow (right). Credit: Schoumacher, M., et al. 2010. J. Cell Biol. doi:10.1083/jcb.200909113.
---
On the Net: | 1,976 | 975 | 0.001038 |
warc | 201704 | The most high-profile tragedies have included the killings of at least 23 cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay in January, four rail workers in Tebay, Cumbria, the following month, and nine people in the explosion at ICL Plastics in Glasgow in May. Horrifically, none of these three incidents was an “accident”, something that could not have been prevented. In each case ample warning had been provided by an event of similar magnitude. In the cases of Tebay and Morecambe Bay, there had been recent near misses reported to the relevant regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), that were, fatalities aside, virtually identical. In the case of ICL Plastics, appalling standards of safety at the plant were well known to workers and, again, the HSE. All of those deaths, just like most of the hundreds of routine deaths of people seeking a living through work every year, were entirely preventable (see “Death at work: the hidden carnage” below). Surely, then, the case for reinvigorating the safety agenda in the UK workplace is undeniable? Yet far from being invigorated, safety protection, long fought for by working men and women since the dawn of the industrial revolution, is being quietly corroded.
It is by no means original to say that New Labour is worse than the Tories. Often this is accurate; often it misses some of the subtle differences between Labour’s brand of neo-liberalism and Thatcher’s. But there are no subtle differences evident in New Labour’s health and safety sell-out. Even Thatcher backed away from dismantling the health and safety protection system in the 1980s; not so New Labour. Currently, the HSE is facing a cut of at least 10 per cent in funding by 2006. Inspection and prosecution rates by the executive, already at an absurdly low level and falling, will decline even further. There has been no movement on a corporate killing bill, pressure for which has its origins in a 1996 Law Commission document published when the Tories were in power (see “Government prevarication over corporate killing legislation”). And there has been no safety bill to extend safety representatives’ rights and expand penalties for health and safety crimes, despite a promise made in the 2002 Queen’s Speech. Indeed, the government is moving closer to a business agenda than most business associations ever dreamed it would.
Health and safety policy in this country – on paper at least – is governed by a principle of tripartite consultation between trade unions, employers and the HSE. The basic but false assumption, always challenged by trades unions, is that on matters of health and safety at work there is a “natural identity of interests” between employers and employees. This is an assumption that obscures the fact that workplace safety is always balanced against profit. The Health and Safety Commission (HSC), the body that decides the policy the HSE is responsible for administering, was left untouched by 18 years of Tory rule. In its preoccupation with reaching “consensus”, however, it has hardly been a champion of workers’ interests. As Alan Dalton, the lifelong safety and environmental campaigner who died earlier this year, so cogently documented, the commission’s unwillingness to eradicate hazards such as asbestos meant that consensus quite literally kills. But even if business interests held sway in the HSC, trade unions were at least included somewhere in the decision-making process. Not anymore.
The “radical” new strategy set out in the HSC’s latest policy document has been greeted enthusiastically by employer organisations, chiefly because it threatens to reverse many of the concessions won by trade unionists over the past 30 years. The document formally breaks with the HSC’s commitment to expand the role of safety representatives. It represents the most explicit statement to date in favour of a “voluntary” health and safety regime, a regime in which prosecution for health and safety breaches will be replaced by a system of advice and consultation. Rather than enforcing safety law, the HSE will be expected to adopt a new service for businesses, who will be provided “effective support free from the fear of enforcement”. The more sinister hidden policy idea is a system of twin-track enforcement that will grant some employers complete exemption from inspection if they behave well. The HSE calls this “earned autonomy”.
Most of the research on systems of earned autonomy implemented in other countries concludes that safety records are made worse rather than better under this type of system. At the same time, unless there are regular inspections or a highly organised workforce, there is no way of knowing whether an employer is “behaving well” or not. Even when it comes to serious injuries and deaths at work we have no idea who the employers with the best record are, since many deaths and injuries are either not reported or recorded (see “Death at work: the hidden carnage”). The earned-autonomy strategy will undermine health and safety inspectors’ ability to punish law-breaking firms, and will marginalise trade union involvement in health and safety – something that has always been acknowledged as the most important factor in reducing death and injury at work. It is believed that some initial experiments with the earned-autonomy system are now being put in place, without any trade union consultation, at arch anti-union firm Marks & Spencer.
July’s conference of the Hazards Campaign in Manchester made clear the degree of trade unionists’ anger about the government’s retreat from enforcement. The annual conference provides a forum for rank and file trade union safety representatives. Jane Kennedy, the government’s seventh minister for health and safety since 1997, was roundly booed and heckled when she outlined the government’s new strategy.
Only seven years previously, Labour’s current chairman Ian McCartney told trade unionists that when it comes to health and safety they were “pushing at an open door” and that all of the Hazards Campaign’s demands for safety rights would be granted. Now it looks like that door has been firmly slammed shut. Little wonder that many delegates at Hazards 2004 talked of ending their political links with New Labour.
And yet it is not as if the Hazards Campaign is making unreasonable demands. A Work and Pensions Select Committee report published shortly after the Hazards conference expressed almost complete support for the campaign’s safety charter, and noted: “It is inspection, backed by enforcement, that is most effective in motivating duty holders to comply with their responsibilities under health and safety law. We therefore recommend that the HSE should not proceed with the proposal to shift resources from inspection and enforcement to fund an increase in education, information and advice.”
The committee recommended: a bill on corporate killing; legislation that would give workplace safety representatives sweeping new powers, including the power to issue employers with enforcement notices; tougher penalties for safety offences; and new safety duties on directors. It also demanded sufficient resources to ensure substantial increases in inspections and prosecutions. Indeed, it is doubtful whether any select committee in recent memory has produced a document that corresponds so closely to the demands of the trade union movement and which contradicts government policy so starkly.
The HSC and the government’s commitment to voluntarism will be challenged from within the workplace and by the Hazards Campaign. We know that the best guarantors of safer workplaces are active, union-appointed safety representatives. We also know that managements that injure workers are also those most likely to damage the health of the local population and the local environment. And in this regard Alan Dalton was ahead of the game: he was at the vanguard of those within the Hazards Campaign who saw the urgent need to develop links between worker and environmental safety and health.
Now, perhaps more than ever before, we need to follow his example and link campaigns for worker and public protection in a way that would challenge a creeping business-led consensus that poses new and fatal dangers to the health of both workers and communities.
Yasmin Gunaratnam reflects on John Berger’s gut solidarity with the stranger
Charlie Clarke and Heather Mendick discuss how to work through the tensions within Momentum
As man-made global warming gets closer to the tipping point, Andrew Simms finds reasons to be positive about averting catastrophic climate change
In this extract from his new book
The Candidate, Alex Nunns tells the inside story of how Jeremy Corbyn scraped onto the Labour leadership ballot in 2015
Graham Jones proposes a framework for a diverse movement to flourish
Musician Eliane Correa reflects on the fading revolution
Trump's victory is another sign of the failure of the centre-left's narrative on climate change. A new message is needed, and new politicians to deliver it, writes Alex Randall
Siobhán McGuirk says the question we are too afraid to ask is simple - what kind of society leads to Donald Trump as President?
The battle lines are clear. Democracy is in peril and the left must take itself seriously electorally and politically. Ruth Potts speaks to Gary Younge, who was based in Muncie, Indiana, for the US election, about the implications of Donald Trump’s victory
We need a society built on openness, community and equality to truly defeat everything that trump stands for, writes Nick Dearden.
Utopia: Work less play more
A shorter working week would benefit everyone, writes Madeleine Ellis-Petersen
Short story: Syrenka
A short story by Kirsten Irving
Utopia: Industrial Workers Taking the Wheel
Hilary Wainwright reflects on an attempt by British workers to produce a democratically determined alternative plan for their industry – and its lessons for today
Mum’s Colombian mine protest comes to London
Anne Harris reports on one woman’s fight against a multinational coal giant
Bike courier Maggie Dewhurst takes on the gig economy… and wins
We spoke to Mags about why she’s ‘biting the hand that feeds her’
Utopia: Daring to dream
Imagining a better world is the first step towards creating one. Ruth Potts introduces our special utopian issue
Utopia: Room for all
Nadhira Halim and Andy Edwards report on the range of creative responses to the housing crisis that are providing secure, affordable housing across the UK
A better Brexit
The left should not tail-end the establishment Bremoaners, argues Michael Calderbank
News from movements around the world
Compiled by James O’Nions
Podemos: In the Name of the People
'The emergence as a potential party of government is testament both to the richness of Spanish radical culture and the inventiveness of activists such as Errejón' - Jacob Mukherjee reviews Errejón and Mouffe's latest release
Survival Shake! – creative ways to resist the system
Social justice campaigner Sakina Sheikh describes a project to embolden young people through the arts
‘We don’t want to be an afterthought’: inside Momentum Kids
If Momentum is going to meet the challenge of being fully inclusive, a space must be provided for parents, mothers, carers, grandparents and children, write Jessie Hoskin and Natasha Josette
The Kurdish revolution – a report from Rojava
Peter Loo is supporting revolutionary social change in Northern Syria.
How to make your own media
Lorna Stephenson and Adam Cantwell-Corn on running a local media co-op
Book Review: The EU: an Obituary
Tim Holmes takes a look at John Gillingham's polemical history of the EU
Book Review: The End of Jewish Modernity
Author Daniel Lazar reviews Enzo Traverso's The End of Jewish Modernity
Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants
Ida-Sofie Picard introduces Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants – as told to Jenny Nelson
Book review: Angry White People: Coming Face to Face With the British Far-Right
Hilary Aked gets close up with the British far right in Hsiao-Hung Pai's latest release
University should not be a debt factory
Sheldon Ridley spoke to students taking part in their first national demonstration.
Book Review: The Day the Music Died – a Memoir
Sheila Rowbotham reviews the memoirs of BBC director and producer, Tony Garnett.
Power Games: A Political History
Malcolm Maclean reviews Jules Boykoff's Power Games: A Political History
Book Review: Sex, Needs and Queer Culture: from liberation to the post-gay
Aiming to re-evaluate the radicalism and efficacy of queer counterculture and rebellion - April Park takes us through David Alderson's new work.
A book review every day until Christmas at Red Pepper
Red Pepper will be publishing a new book review each day until Christmas
Book Review: Corbyn: The Strange Rebirth of Radical Politics
'In spite of the odds Corbyn is still standing' - Alex Doherty reviews Seymour's analysis of the rise of Corbyn
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation
'A small manifesto for black liberation through socialist revolution' - Graham Campbell reviews Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor's 'From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation'
The Fashion Revolution: Turn to the left
Bryony Moore profiles Stitched Up, a non-profit group reimagining the future of fashion
The abolition of Art History A-Level will exacerbate social inequality
This is a massive blow to the rights of ordinary kids to have the same opportunities as their more privileged peers. Danielle Child reports.
Mass civil disobedience in Sudan
A three-day general strike has brought Sudan to a stand still as people mobilise against the government and inequality. Jenny Nelson writes.
Mustang film review: Three fingers to Erdogan
Laura Nicholson reviews Mustang, Deniz Gamze Erguven’s unashamedly feminist film critique of Turkey’s creeping conservatism
What if the workers were in control?
Hilary Wainwright reflects on an attempt by British workers to produce a democratically determined alternative plan for their industry | 14,442 | 6,648 | 0.000155 |
warc | 201704 | While the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, which, according to one of its designers, will prevent financial crises in the future, didn’t even mention the primary instigators of the subprime mortgage catastrophe, Washington is now finally wondering what to do about the government-sponsored enterprises known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Together, these benevolent institutions either provided or purchased half of all subprime mortgages in the United States—in just a few years. They were created to provide affordable housing for low income families and racial minorities. The unintended consequence of their actions was an exponential spike in housing prices during the first decade of this century; a bubble that started to collapse in 2007 and nearly tumbled in the entire financial industry the next year.
Banks were bailed out during the crisis. Fannie and Freddie were nationalized. The White House missed a deadline at the end of January for telling Congress what it wants to do with the companies.
The New York Times reports that the administration will present a report as early as Friday, listing options without stating a preference.
The preference is perfectly clear. Fannie and Freddie should never have existed to begin with. It is not the government’s job to provide “affordable housing.” It is not the government’s job to interfere in the housing market at all.
Fannie and Freddie cannot go back to the ambiguous semiprivate status that they had before the meltdown. That was part of the problem! Because private banks assumed that Fannie and Freddie would be bailed out by the government (as they were) in the event of a crisis, they took on far more risk than they otherwise could have.
There is no reason to let Fannie and Freddie continue to exist in anything but a private capacity. Their assets should be auctioned among private firms. Not ever again should the United States Government pretend to be a mortgage provider. The country’s economy is still in recession today because it once did. | 2,061 | 1,043 | 0.000979 |
warc | 201704 | U.S. Department of State Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 1999 - Iceland
Publisher United States Department of State Publication Date 9 September 1999 Cite as
United States Department of State,
U.S. Department of State Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 1999 - Iceland, 9 September 1999, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a88834.html [accessed 23 January 2017]
Comments The Annual Report to Congress on International Religious Freedom describes the status of religious freedom in each foreign country, and government policies violating religious belief and practices of groups, religious denominations and individuals, and U.S. policies to promote religious freedom around the world. It is submitted in compliance with P.L. 105-292 (105th Congress) and is cited as the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Section I. Freedom of Religion
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government respects this right in practice. The official state religion is Lutheranism. Each year the state church receives a tax payment from each member age 16 years and over (184,050 persons). Icelanders are assumed to be members of the state church unless they specifically opt out. If they opt out, they are permitted (but not required) to cite another religious preference. If they state another religious preference, they can earmark their tax payment for their favored denomination or sect. The number of persons in this category totaled 14,396. However, salaries of state church ministers are paid by the State, whereas other ministers' salaries are not. Persons who choose not to belong to any specific, organized religious group pay their religion tax to a secular institution the University of Iceland.
Religious organizations other than the state church must be recognized and registered as such by the Ministry of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs to receive the per capita tax funds. The established requirements of the Government for recognition of religious organizations are based on Law No. 18 of 1975. The Ministry of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs handles applications for recognition. It relies upon the professional advice of theologians and social scientists to determine the bona fides of requests for recognition. According to an official at the Ministry, there have been instances in which persons have tried to obtain recognition of a religious organization simply to receive the tax income/benefits.
About 90 percent of the population are registered as members of the state Lutheran church. A large proportion of these persons do not practice their faith actively. The majority of the state church's registered adherents use traditional Lutheran rituals to mark events such as baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals. Of Christians who practice their faith actively, the majority are members of other Christian groups or organizations. There are also religions, such as Judaism, which have been practiced in the country for years but have never requested official recognition. In official statistics these religions are listed as "other and non-specified." Churches and religious organizations other than the state church which are formally recognized by the Government are registered at the Statistical Bureau National Register of Persons. As of January 1, 1999, there were a total of 21 such organizations.
According to the National Register of Persons, as of December 1, 1998, of a total population age 16 and over of 206,701, membership in religious organizations was as follows: state Lutheran Church 184,050; Lutheran Free Churches (3) 7,614; Reykjavik Free Church 3,896; Reykjavik Independent Church 1,453; Hafnarfjordur Free Church 2,265; Roman Catholic Church 2,592; Seventh-Day Adventists 557; Pentecostal Assembly 1,001; Sjonarhaed Congregation 34; Jehovah's Witnesses-443; Baha'i community-325; Ash Faith Society 285; The Cross-374; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 104; The Way, Free Church 466; The Rock-Christian Community 58; Buddhist Association of Iceland-293; Kefas-Christian Community 38; First Baptist Church 3; Muslim Association 70; The Iceland Christ Church-85; The Church of Evangelism 33; The Believers'Fellowship 21; other and not specified 3,427; and outside religious organizations 4,828. This last category encompasses persons who have willingly and voluntarily excluded themselves from any religious organization whatsoever.
There were no reports of incidents in which the Government restricted organized religions in establishing places of worship. However, in one incident, the Buddhist Association of Iceland was refused a license to construct a place of worship by the municipality in question for environmental reasons. (The selected area is a breeding ground for some protected bird species.)
According to statistics provided by the immigration authorities, the number of foreigners receiving a residence permit has increased significantly during the last 2 or 3 years. In direct relation with the increased number of foreigners (itinerant workers, immigrants, and refugees), the number of religious organizations has increased since such foreigners often practice faiths different than those of citizens born in the country.
The Government is passive rather than proactive in promoting interfaith understanding. The Government does not sponsor programs or official church-Government councils to coordinate interfaith dialog.
The Government requires instruction in religion and ethics based on Christianity in public elementary schools, according to the Law on Elementary Schools No. 66 of 1995. Although there had been a debate whether this instruction should be "Christian" or "religious" instruction, the traditionalist view prevailed. Virtually all schools are public schools, with a few exceptions such as the only Roman Catholic parochial school, which is located in Reykjavik where the vast majority of the country's small Roman Catholic community reside. All schools are subject to Law No. 66 with respect to the compulsory curriculum. However, the precise content of this instruction can vary; religious instruction at the Catholic school follows Catholic rather than Lutheran teachings.
Students can be exempted from Christianity classes. According to Law No. 66, the Minister of Education has the formal authority to exempt pupils from instruction in compulsory subjects such as Christianity. In practice, individual school authorities issue exemptions informally. There is no obligation for school authorities to offer other religious or secular instruction in place of Christianity classes.
Educational material on different religions is part of the compulsory syllabus in secondary school. In addition, since religion is a component of culture, pupils learn about religions other than Christianity in history and social science classes as well. The curriculum is not rigid and teachers often are given wide latitude in the classroom. Some place greater emphasis on ethical and philosophical issues rather than on religious instruction per se.
There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by the report.
There were no reports of religious detainees or prisoners.
There were no reports of the forced religious conversion of minor U.S. citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from the United States, or of the Government's refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.
Section II. Societal Attitudes
Relations between religious groups generally are amicable. If members of religious minorities face discrimination, it is more indirect in nature, taking the form of prejudice and lack of interfaith or intercultural understanding.
During the last decade there has been increased awareness of other religious groups. Informal interfaith meetings have occurred. Two local human rights organizations were established during the period covered by this report. Diversity Enriches was established on December 10, 1998. Its board members include government officials, journalists and academics; it aims at assisting "new residents" of the country. The Human Rights Association of Immigrants and their Families was founded on June 12, 1999. These organizations are a reflection of the increased attention being given to the status of new immigrants and their religious beliefs.
Section III. U.S. Government Policy
The U.S. Embassy discusses religious freedom issues with the Government in the overall context of the promotion of human rights. | 8,876 | 3,782 | 0.000265 |
warc | 201704 | CHEYENNE — Microbes are continually converting hydrocarbon deposits in the Powder River Basin to natural gas, and if managed properly, can help turn coal-bed methane into a renewable energy source, researchers said Tuesday.
Luca Technologies Inc., based in Denver, Colo., said laboratory evidence indicates that anaerobic microbes, or bacteria that live in the absence of oxygen, are turning the coals of northeast Wyoming into methane.
The company has termed sites of the microbial conversion of coals, organic shales, or oil “geobioreactors,” and believes careful management may offer a long-term solution to U.S. energy needs.
Adblock
“Our research on native coal, water and microbial samples from the (Powder River Basin) has determined that PRB coals can produce natural gas in real time,” said Robert Pfeiffer, Luca’s president and chief executive officer.
“This finding suggests that the gas in the PRB need not be an ancient remnant of microbial activity, as generally believed, but instead is being actively created today.”
Luca scientists say that methane production can be increased or decreased by altering the microbes’ access to water or nutrients, or that production can be halted entirely by exposing the organisms to oxygen or heat sterilization.
“This finding holds the potential of turning what is today thought to be a finite energy resource into a renewable source of natural gas that could potentially go on for hundreds of years,” Pfeiffer said.
Maximizing recovery of methane from microbial conversion will require amending current operating practices as well as reviewing the legal and regulatory framework of energy development, he said.
The company is discussing its findings with Wyoming and federal agencies, as well as with major energy companies working in the Powder River Basin.
Copyright © 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | 2,015 | 1,045 | 0.000992 |
warc | 201704 | Here you go, Roger followers. Comes now some truth for you to digest, as to getting after those weathy fatcats you so detest. Have fun. UB The ObamaCare Bailouts Hidden treasures for public unions and well-connected corporations. by John Hayward 04/01/2011 Back when ObamaCare was being shoved down America’s throat, Nancy Pelosi assured us we needed to pass it to “find out what’s in it.” The House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Republican Fred Upton of Michigan, just found something else that was hidden in it: “a $5 billion bailout fund for state governments, Fortune 500 companies, and Hollywood unions that is rapidly going bankrupt after doling out half a billion dollars much more quickly than anticipated.” That five billion in funding, by the way, is roughly the same as the amount allocated to the high-risk pool for people with pre-existing conditions – ostensibly the major reason we detonated ObamaCare and destroyed the American health insurance system. It’s going to end up costing taxpayers a lot more than $5 billion, because “so far, fewer than 5 percent of the organizations ‘approved’ to participate in the program have received funds.” The bailout fund is formally known as the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. It’s a federal subsidy to “employers and unions that provide health coverage to early retirees.” According to the committee’s analysis, “The ERRP reimburses the employer 80 percent of the actual cost of an early retiree’s health expenses between $15,000 and $90,000,” based on “qualified claims beginning on or after June 1, 2010.” The Energy and Commerce report notes that “Like many provisions and accounting gimmicks in the health care law, it has largely escaped public scrutiny because of the sheer volume of programs and spending crammed into the law without scrutiny or Congressional oversight.” In other words, nobody has really paid much attention to where the money went. Naturally, a lot of that crazy unsupervised money ended up in the hands of public unions. Over one thirdof the $535 million spent in 2010 went to five public union benefit and pension plans, in California, New Jersey, Georgia, Kentucky, and Texas. 56% of all funds distributed in 2010 went to government organizations. Over five thousand entities have been approved for EERP bailouts, and 47% of them are government organizations. In the private sector, the committee tactfully notes that ERRP money is going to “companies that do not appear to need the financial assistance of the federal government,” including “Fortune 500 companies with billions of dollars in revenue and Hollywood unions.” The Energy and Commerce Committee concludes, “It is inappropriate that a bill sold to the American people as health care legislation would contain a sweetheart deal for unions and Hollywood, and it is grossly inefficient that in troubling economic times the American taxpayer would be asked to subsidize the health care costs of massive corporations.” Along with the billion-dollar windfall for AARP, this is another example of how the primary function of socialist programs is making well-connected people rich… at the expense of average Americans, who are told they have a moral duty to fork over their tax money and be satisfied with a reduced standard of living. | 3,442 | 1,712 | 0.000611 |
warc | 201704 | It is no secret that the present system of law is in crisis. The judiciary legislates from the bench. The executive branch disregards laws it does not wish to enforce. The legislative branch enacts massive laws with accompanying regulations. Above all, there is no standard against which to measure law or insure accountability. Law becomes whatever fallible humans deem it to be. What is judged wrong at one time becomes right at another.
In response to this perspective, it is refreshing to read a definition of law that is rational and firm. This definition reads: “Law in the proper sense is right reason in harmony with nature. It is spread through the whole human community, unchanging and eternal, calling people to their duty by its commands and deterring them from wrongdoing by its prohibitions…There will not be one such law in Rome and another in Athens, one now and another in the future, but all peoples at all times will be embraced by a single and eternal and unchangeable law; and there will be, as it were, one lord and master of us all—the God who is the author, proposer, and interpreter of that law.”
Such a definition clearly grasps a common human nature rooted in reason. It logically concludes that a rational and benevolent God must be the originator of this law since it could not create itself. The definition’s crisp and solid foundation is a refreshing contrast to the different, vague and relative notions of law that exist today.
Who is the author of this definition? Some liberals might guess it to be intolerant fundamentalists or perhaps a medieval philosopher like Saint Thomas Acquinas. The reference to God and Rome might lead to speculation about some early Fathers of the Church.
However the author is none of these. Rather the definition dates from the very time when elementary notions of law were first being developed. It comes from before Christ and at the time of the Romans. The famous orator, Cicero, was the author of this definition. He grasped the notion that all human beings participate in a natural order that can be understood by reason. He grasped that all humans are bound by common moral standards that are the same, then, now and forever. He logically deduced that this legal order must have one God as its originator.
What is missing today is the idea of law as “right reason in harmony with nature.” Relativism has destroyed the notion of right reason since today the only absolute truth is the contradictory affirmation that there is no absolute truth. Modern philosophy has destroyed the idea of an unchangeable human nature since today one can supposedly define one’s own nature. The present secular culture wrongly denies that God has any role in history or in law.
Law will only return to order when Cicero’s true and refreshing definition of law is restored. Until then, legal chaos will reign.
(The citation from Cicero is taken from The Republic III: xxii (renumbered III: 33) trans. Niall Rudd, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1998, pp. 68-69.)
Related Articles: We Must Resist the Temptation to Secession | 3,130 | 1,532 | 0.000664 |
warc | 201704 | Home Internet of Things Aerospace Apparel Energy Defense Health Care Logistics Manufacturing Retail
What RFID Can Learn from IT Systems Management
The RFID world has a lot to learn from what works and what doesn't in the world of systems management specifically in these three areas: monitoring, correlation and root cause analysis, and event management.
Jul 18, 2005—
This article was originally published by RFID Update.
July 18, 2005—People often scratch their heads when they learn of my two areas of research focus: RFID technology and IT Governance. On the surface, they seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum and I could probably write a whole separate column about how my background has brought the two together. Fortunately, I will spare you those gory details and focus on how the RFID world has much to learn from IT, specifically the people and technology responsible for IT Systems Management.
Does this sound familiar?
An item is supposed to be moved from location A to location C through location B. The item makes it to location B but sits there, resulting in a missed commitment to location C causing lost revenue or higher costs because you have to send the item again. Am I talking about a Consumer Goods company shipping to Wal-Mart? Actually no, I was referring to an application (location C) that was requesting data from a database (location A) that traveled through a message queue (location B). The parallels between the movement of goods through a physical supply chain and the movement of packets through a network are striking. As a result, the RFID world has a lot to learn from what works and what doesn't in the world of systems management specifically in these three areas:
Beware the Christmas Tree Effect
A common phrase in the IT management world is called "the Christmas tree effect" which results when all the events throughout the infrastructure show up on an event console (with red, yellow, and green indicators). This information overload essentially paralyzes the IT organization because they don't know which events to address first or whether individual events are causing outright downtime or just performance degradation. Emerging IT best practices, often labeled Business Service Management, adds a business context to events to help filter the alerts and prioritize response. The potential for the Christmas tree effect is very high in RFID as well so it is critical for RFID deployments to apply business context at each part of the distributed infrastructure so that the information delivered to employees is actionable.
Login and post your comment!
Signup for an account now to access all of the features of RFIDJournal.com!
PREMIUM CONTENT
SEND IT YOUR WAY
RFID JOURNAL EVENTS
ASK THE EXPERTS
Simply enter a question for our experts.
ARTICLES
INDUSTRIES ►
TOPICS ►
PREMIUM CONTENT | 2,881 | 1,477 | 0.000688 |
warc | 201704 | Misdiagnosis of Aneurysm, intracranial berry, 8 Aneurysm, intracranial berry, 8: Medical Mistakes
Related medical mistakes may include:
Aneurysm, intracranial berry, 8: Undiagnosed Conditions
Commonly undiagnosed conditions in related areas may include:
Common Misdiagnoses and Aneurysm, intracranial berry, 8 Heart attacks can be undiagnosed: Although the most severe symptoms of heart attack are hard to miss,there are varying degrees of severity.It is altogether too common for people to die from undiagnosed heart attack, or from delaying too longto call for emergency help.The prognosis for treatment is far better for patients treated in the early stages of a heart attack.The most common misdiagnoses include heartburn, or other less severe causes of chest pain.See the introduction to heart attack and the symptoms of heart attack.
Heart attacks can be overdiagnosed: Although many people die from heart attacks, there are alsomany cases where people fear that they have a heart attack, but actually have something milder.Some of the conditions which may be causes of chest pain, causing fear of a heart attack, includingan anxiety attack, heartburn, and so on.See the causes of chest pain and the symptoms of heart attack.
Rare heart condition often undiagnosed: The rare heart condition called long QT syndrome can lead to episodes of palpitationsand rapid heartbeat.In rare cases, this undiagnosed condition can be fatal.It should be considered for any unexplained heart rhythm abnormality.
Undiagnosed stroke leads to misdiagnosed aphasia: BBC News UK reported on a man whohad been institutionalized and treated for mental illnessbecause he suffered from sudden inability to speak.This was initially misdiagnosed as a "nervous breakdown" and other mental conditions.He was later diagnosed as having had a stroke, and suffering from aphasia (inability to speak),a well-known complication of stroke (or other brain conditions).
Heart attack can be over-diagnosed: Although heart attack is often undiagnosed,leading to fatality, it can also be over-diagnosed.People become concerned that a condition is a heart attack,whereas there are various less dangerous possibilities.After all, there are numerous causes of chest pain.Some of the common conditions where a person may become concernedabout a possible heart attack include a panic attack (which often hasboth chest pain and difficulty breathing), and heartburn/reflux type conditions.Nevertheless, chest pain itself can be a potentially life-threatening symptoms,and needs immediate professional attention.
Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's diseaseis often over-diagnosed.Patients tend to assume that any memory loss or forgetulness symptom might be Alzheimer's,whereas there are many other less severe possibilities.Some level of memory decline is normal with aging,and even a slight loss of acuity may be noticed in the 30's and 40's.Other conditions can also lead a person to show greater forgetfulness.For example, depression and depressive disorders can cause a person tohave reduced concentration and thereby poorer memory retention.
Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is fora patient to show mental decline to dementia.Whereas this can, of course, occur due to various medical conditions,such as a stroke or Alzheimer's disease,it can also occur from a side effect or interaction between multiple drugsthat the elderly patient may be taking.There are also various other possible causes of dementia.
Tremor need not be Parkinson's disease: There is the tendency to believe thatany tremor symptom, or shakiness, means Parkinson's disease.The reality is that there are various possibilities, such as benign essential tremor,which is mostly harmless.see the various causes of tremor and misdiagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Blood pressure cuffs misdiagnose hypertension in children: One known misdiagnosis issuewith hyperension, arises in relation to the simple equipment used to test blood pressure.The "cuff" around the arm to measure blood pressure can simply be too small to accuratelytest a child's blood pressure.This can lead to an incorrect diagnosis of a child with hypertension.The problem even has a name unofficially: "small cuff syndrome".See misdiagnosis of hypertension.
Mild traumatic brain injury often remains undiagnosed: Although the symptomsof severe brain injury are hard to miss,it is less clear for milder injuries, or even those causing a mild concussion diagnosis.The condition goes by the name of "mild traumatic brain injury" (MTBI).MTBI symptoms can be mild, and can continue for days or weeks after the injury.See the symptoms of MTBI or misdiagnosis of MTBI.
MTBI misdiagnosed as balance problem: When a person has symptomssuch as vertigo or dizziness, a diagnosis of brain injury may go overlooked.This is particularly true of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), for which thesymptoms are typically mild. The symptoms has also relate to a relativelymild brain injury (e.g. fall), that could have occurred days or even weeks ago.Vestibular dysfunction, causing vertigo-like symptoms, is a common complicationof mild brain injury.See causes of dizziness, causes of vertigo, or misdiagnosis of MTBI.
Rare diseases misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease: A rare geneticdisorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease for men in their 50's.The disease Fragile X disorder can show only mild symptoms in the early years,and Parkinsons-like symptoms around age 50.See misdiagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Brain pressure condition often misdiagnosed as dementia: A conditionthat results from an excessive pressure of CSF within the brain is often misdiagnosed.It may be misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease or dementia (such as Alzheimer's disease).The condition is called "Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus" (NPH) and is caused by havingtoo much CSF, i.e. too much "fluid on the brain".One study suggested that 1 in 20 diagnoses of dementia or Parkinson's disease were actually NPH.See misdiagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or misdiagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Post-concussive brain injury often misdiagnosed: A study found that soldiers who hadsuffered a concussive injury in battle often were misdiagnosed on their return.A variety of symptoms can occur in post-concussion syndrome and these were not being correctlyattributed to their concussion injury.See introduction to concussion.
Children with migraine often misdiagnosed: A migraine often fails to becorrectly diagnosed in pediatric patients.These patients are not the typical migraine sufferers, but migraines can also occur in children.See misdiagnosis of migraine or introduction to migraine.
Hypertension misdiagnosis common in children: Hypertension is oftenmisdiagnosed in adults (see misdiagnosis of hypertension), but its misdiagnosis is even more likely in children.Some of the symptoms of hypertension that can be overlooked include chest pain, headaches, abdominal pain, etc.See symptoms of hypertension or misdiagnosis of hypertension.
Vitamin B12 deficiency under-diagnosed: The condition of Vitamin B12 deficiencyis a possible misdiagnosis of various conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (see symptoms of multiple sclerosis).See symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency or misdiagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Aneurysm, intracranial berry, 8: Rare Types
Rare types of medical disorders and diseases in related medical areas:
Brain & Neurological Disorders: Rare Types: Chronic Major Diseases -- Rare Types: Senior Health: rare types of diseases: more rare diseases...» General Misdiagnosis Articles
Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.
About misdiagnosis:
When checking for a misdiagnosis of Aneurysm, intracranial berry, 8or confirming a diagnosis of Aneurysm, intracranial berry, 8,it is useful to consider what othermedical conditions might be possible misdiagnoses or other alternative conditions relevant to diagnosis.These alternate diagnoses of Aneurysm, intracranial berry, 8 may already havebeen considered by your doctor or may need to be considered as possiblealternative diagnoses or candidates for misdiagnosis of Aneurysm, intracranial berry, 8.For a general overview of misdiagnosis issues for all diseases, see Overview of Misdiagnosis. | 8,357 | 3,268 | 0.000308 |
warc | 201704 | Delivering a brand strategy for an internet age is a significant challenge when companies and their reputations can seemingly rise and fall in months, if not days.
Robot has decades of experience in brand building and management and has evolved a service for the new media age. This encompasses traditional skills and disciplines allied to a new set of services that recognise the way in which consumers engage with brands, and how quickly that can change.
Our brand service includes: Brand workshops:Identifying the core values and brand proposition. Value proposition development:Articulating the core values of an organisation or product and aligning that with the perceptions and needs of the audience. Brand roll out:Creating brand toolkits to influence a whole organisation and its touchpoints. Reputation management:Online brand tracking, customer satisfaction indexing and social media monitoring are just some of the ways we are able to understand customer perception. | 981 | 547 | 0.001836 |
warc | 201704 | Following my column last week on the new Anti-Poverty Task Force, a reader pushed back. "You say, 'We know what caused our poverty crisis,'" he wrote. Please share. "I'm one of the few that needs to be enlightened to what you imply as common knowledge."
First, there's the change in the kinds of jobs people can get. Once upon a time, even people with limited skills and education could get a job in industry that paid good wages. That's not the case now. And jobs in areas like the service sector often pay poorly.
This has contributed to poverty everywhere, not just in inner-city neighborhoods. But when many of the residents of an individual neighborhood are poor, that neighborhood is likely to be burdened by crime, unemployment, health problems, weak social networks. Concentrating those problems in a single neighborhood compounds them. And it breeds more poverty.
Young people growing up in impoverished, segregated neighborhoods are less likely to have jobs available to them as teenagers. They have fewer positive adult role models, less peer pressure to study, to show up and do well in school.
And in a city like Rochester, where poverty is so extensive that the majority of students in nearly every school are poor, teaching is an entirely different challenge than in schools where most children have educated, relatively affluent parents.
It's easy to say that poor people can pick themselves up and get a good job. And it's easy to blame parents and teachers for children's poor performance. But the neighborhood itself - the concentration of its problems - has an effect on its residents.
"Poverty anywhere and in any amount is a problem," notes a December study by City Observatory, "but concentrated poverty is often intractable and self-reinforcing."
That is exactly what has happened in Rochester, and the City Observatory study provides the statistics. In 1970, 2,693 residents of the city and close-in suburbs lived in census tracts with a high poverty level. In 2010, that number had grown to 37,670.
In 1970, two Rochester census tracts had a high poverty level. In 2010, there were 39.
The trend rarely reverses itself by itself. Nationally, the City Observatory study found, not only did the number of high-poverty census tracts triple between 1970 and 2010, but two-thirds of those that were high-poverty areas in 1970 remained high-poverty areas in 2010.
A big contributor, of course, has been sprawl, with middle and upper-income families moving out of the city, taking their taxes, their school-age children, spending power, community involvement, and support for neighborhood businesses, schools, and churches with them.
As I wrote last week, Rochester is embarking on yet another big anti-poverty initiative, with great hope and enthusiasm. But we've been down this road before. And things have gotten worse.
The reason: we haven't addressed the causes - the concentration of poverty, the low wages. We keep pretending that we can fix the problem without addressing the causes. We can't.
And if this new initiative, this new RochesterAnti-Poverty Task Force, doesn't address the causes? I wouldn't bet onits success.
Many of us are mourning the loss of David Carr, a star in contemporary journalism who died Thursday night from complications of lung cancer.
David was media columnist for the New York Times, but he was much, much more. Times Publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. called him "one of the most gifted journalists who has ever worked at The New York Times." He was an astonishingly strong reporter and writer - "an irreplaceable talent," Sulzberger said.
In person as well as in his writing, he was bright, perceptive, and as Sulzberger wrote, "full of life and energy, funny, loyal, and lovable."
And he was tough, beating both a horrifying cocaine addiction and Hodgkin's lymphoma. But in photographs over the past year or so, he was painfully thin and gaunt. Cancer wasn't finished with him. And after participating in a panel discussion Thursday, the Times report said, he returned to the Times newsroom and collapsed near his desk.
Before hitting journalism's Big Time, David had been a star in the world of alternative journalism, serving as editor of Washington City Paper, and he maintained his ties to our alt-media association, coming back to our conferences as a speaker.
He was hard working, dedicated, intensely ethical, fiercely devoted to the profession of journalism and in love with it. In those gatherings of alt-news media people from around the country, he chastised us, cajoled us, and inspired us, reminding us of what we're supposed to be about.
At one point last Friday, David's death was the second-most e-mailed story on the Times website, and the site has been flooded with tributes to him, not only from journalists but also from average readers. Alt weeklies and other media have run their own tributes. I'd like to think he'd be pleased - not so much by the praise being heaped on him but that the tributes showed how much readers respected the kind of journalism he cared so much about.
"David was our champion," Times film critic AO Scott said in his own tribute, "the best we had and also the one who would go out into the world every week to make the case for what we do."
There's a big hole in a lot of hearts right now. | 5,342 | 2,584 | 0.00039 |
warc | 201704 | Young Adults Testify Against Abstinence-Only Sex Education
In the last week, a congressional committee began -- finally! -- taking a real look at government-funded abstinence-only sex "education" programs which all of us who pay taxes in the U.S. have watched billions of our collective dollars be wasted on. For those of us who work we in comprehensive sex ed (many of whom work for a pittance because we can't get funding due to the ab-only mandates), some of which often includes cleaning up after the mess of abstinence-only problems, that waste is often felt even more profoundly. This week, this committee called on public health experts and some awesome young adults to testify and inform the issue with real experience, sound data and a clearer understanding of why abstinence-only education programs are not just not helpful, but can do some real harm. A couple of your peers have been doing excellent work in these House hearings to speak against abstinence-only sex education and make the need clear for accurate, comprehensive and inclusive sex education.
What did the secularized abstinence-only program for students in my school district look like? Well, it was taught by the same pastor who officiated at my religious purity pledge ceremony. Many of the students were already having sex and needed information to protect their health. But our teacher only mentioned condoms to talk lengthily, and inaccurately, about their alleged "ineffectiveness," explaining in graphic detail, and with even more graphic pictures, the sexually transmitted diseases students could get if we trusted our health to a “flimsy piece of latex.”
...But back in my high school class, where we were all too intimidated or embarrassed to ask for clarification, it seemed as if sex with a condom was equivalent to sex without one. Our teacher also touched on the ills of masturbation and warned against the dangers of homosexual sex.
One demonstration our teacher used left little doubt as to our worth as a future spouse or partner if we were to engage in sex before marriage. He would routinely pull an often squirming and reluctant, and always female, volunteer onto the stage, take out a toothbrush that looked like it had been used to scrub toilets and ask if she would brush her teeth with it. When she predictably refused, he pulled out another toothbrush, this one pristine in its original box, and asked her if she would brush her teeth with that one. When she answered in the affirmative, he turned to the assembly and said, “If you have sex before marriage, you are a dirty toothbrush.”
Max Siegel, an HIV-positive 23-year-old who acquired the virus from his first sexual experience, and who now works with the AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families, blogged about it at Reproductive Health Reality Check
here. From that blog:
More individuals have this virus now than ever before in history. Most children born with HIV no longer die; they grow into adolescence and adulthood. Within and outside of marriage, these young people must know how to prevent transmission of HIV to their sexual partners and how to protect themselves. Instead, abstinence-only disparages HIV-positive youth by suggesting they are dirty, dying, and unfit for love.
While most abstinence-only programs are more extensive than the class I experienced, they rely on similarly exclusive and stigmatizing messages that lack basic information about sexual health. What I experienced is a routine example of the messages of abstinence-only that children across still experience today. These programs ignore lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, who are at high risk for HIV, and use government dollars to condemn them. They also compromise young women's safety by portraying sexually active females as scarred and untrustworthy. From a healthcare perspective, it's essential that scrutiny of these programs focuses on the consequences of abstinence-only's condemnation of young people.
Some of you voice to us the frustration and anger you feel about these programs, both in the purposeful misinformation found in them and in the way they privilege certain types of people and certain types of sex, while disenfranchising and demeaning others. When you do that, we've heard some of you say sometimes that for all of your upset, you don't feel like your particular voice could be meaningful or effective.
So, I wanted to be sure that you got a look at two young people who have made clear this week that that's just rubbish, and that your voices, especially on this particular issue, are not only exceptionally meaningful but deeply important to have heard. You may not have the opportunity to speak at a hearing like this, but you can certainly write letters to your school boards, your congresspeople, your communities, organize peer outreach boards to talk to adults about this, actively challenge teachers and classmates in schools where you are getting inaccurate or discriminatory sex education or find other original ways to provide the perspectives which everyone who has anything to say or do on this topic very much needs to hear. | 5,163 | 2,470 | 0.000408 |
warc | 201704 | Preschool Readiness: 9 Playful Ways to Build Early Math Skills
When your little one heads to preschool, he'll be engaging in daily preschool math activities that include learning numbers, practicing counting, creating and learning shapes, and working with the calendar. Preschoolers will learn to count, learn what a number is, learn about shapes and patterns, measure, sort, categorize, and compare objects. In addition, playing with puzzles, building toys, blocks, and games helps your preschooler practice and build math skills as they count, manipulate objects, and work with different shapes, spaces, and sizes.
Since my boys were small, I've tried to incorporate math concepts and math language into our everyday conversations, play, and routines. As we all know, understanding numbers and mathematical concepts is critical for kids to succeed in school and in life. So, I've tried to integrate thinking and talking about numbers, geometry, measurements, money, and a myriad of other math concepts into our family life on a regular basis. Here are some simple ways you can show your preschooler that math is everywhere and create playful math moments in everything you do! 1. Count in a fun and active way: Count steps as you climb them, count as your child jumps, count objects as you buy them in a store, count snack items as you add them to your child's snack plate. Count everything. Here are a few ways to slip math into a walk around the block! 2. Play games that build math skills. Playing with dice, counting spaces on a game board, and playing card games all tap into early math thinking. Try Chutes and Ladders, Hi Ho Cherry-O (a favorite of mine when I was a kid – and a favorite of my boys when they were small!), Go Fish, and Count Your Chickens. All are perfect games for preschoolers. 3. Provide your preschooler with plenty of free play opportunities to use building materials and crafts. Let your little one play with blocks, straws, sticks, and other objects and building and craft materials to make shapes and create color or shape patterns. Ask him simple questions about what he is making and building. Help him to see patterns. Ask him, "How many blocks did it take to build that tower?" Show him how to "measure" the height of a tower by counting the number of blocks. "It's 12 blocks high!" Compare two towers side by side and ask, "Which one is higher?" 4. Sorting fun: Ask kids to sort objects into different shapes and color groups. Use household items, toys, buttons, etc. "Let's find all of the objects that are blue and put them in the basket. Let's group all of the objects that are square." "Let's put all the toy cars in this bin and all the toy mini-figures in this bin. Which bin has more?" Give little ones lots of opportunities to look at, find, and sort objects based on different attributes – shape, color, size, type, etc. 5. Make shape collages: Make collages or books of objects that are different shapes and colors. Example: "My Circle Book" – cut out pictures of things that are circular and put one on each page and name it. 6. Make number books: Make your own counting book. Each page can have a number and that number of objects. Use drawings, photographs, magazine clippings, or actual objects (buttons, small toys, etc.). 7. Cook together: Making a meal or even a batch of cookies or banana bread together shows kids that we use math to cook. As you measure individual ingredients, talk out loud to your child about what and how you are measuring, show him what the quantities look like, and get him actively involved. Example: "This recipe calls for 2 eggs. Can you get 2 eggs out of the carton? Let's crack and add them to the bowl. We also need 1 and a half cups of milk. Let's measure that amount in this measuring cup. First let's find the 1-cup mark…now let's find/add another half." As you talk through the recipe, show him the markers and measures and let him pour and stir – and of course a lick of the spoon at the end is a must! 8. Build math into everyday conversations: For preschoolers, it might include asking questions or making statements like: • How much do you think these apples weigh? Let's weigh them together. • Which of these two containers do you think will fit more of the pasta noodles? • I love all of the different shapes in that painting / picture. Can you help me find all of the circles? Rectangles? Squares? • Let's look at the calendar and see what day it is today. Oh, look, it is Friday, September 19th . How many days are in each week? Let's count. In September? Let's count them. • Let's divide up the cookies so each of us gets an equal amount. Can you help me? • Who is taller – you or your brother? Let's measure to find out. • How many LEGO bricks do we need to put together to build a tower as tall as you? As me? • Can you help me count the pennies in our penny jar? Let's put them into groups of 10 together. • How many more goldfish crackers do you have than me? • Let's count how many blue and red cars we pass while driving? How many are blue? How many are red? What color had more cars on the road while we drove? 9. Read number and counting books together: Find books that offer little ones opportunities to count along in the pages of the book. Exposure to books with numbers helps your preschooler build number recognition and counting skills – and it's fun to cuddle and count together! Some favorites include: • I Spy Little Numbers by Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo • Ten Little Fish by Audrey Wood • Ten Tiny Toes by Caroline Jayne Church • Zin! Zin! A Violin! by Lloyd Moss • How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? by Jane Yolen Here are some more activities that incorporate math into everyday fun: Shape-based Art Activity Grocery Store Math Math in the Car Counting Towers Building Activity Bead Counting Craft Activity How do you build math talk and play into your everyday routines with your little one? We'd love to know. Share your ideas with us on the Scholastic Parents Facebook page and let's continue the conversation! | 6,162 | 2,780 | 0.000367 |
warc | 201704 | Services on Demand Journal Article Indicators Related links Share Revista de Saúde Pública On-line version ISSN 1518-8787 Print version ISSN 0034-8910 Abstract
BARRETO, Sueli Marlene Visentini; COSTA, João Carlos da and GONCALVES, Arthur Lopes.
Research on syphilis and toxoplasmosis antibodies in new-born children in a Ribeirão Preto hospital, S.Paulo, Brazil. Rev. Saúde Pública [online]. 1987, vol.21, n.1, pp.55-63. ISSN 1518-8787. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89101987000100009.
Tests were performed for the determination of IgM levels (by simple radial immunodiffusion) and antibodies for syphilis (FTA-ABS-IgG and IgM, VDRL and Wassermann (W)) and toxoplasmosis (indirect immunofluorescence IgG (IFI-IgG) and IgM (IFI-IgM)) in 408 new-borns (NB) sera at the University Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, USP, selected at random from July 1 to October 9, 1981. Only 3 NB showed greater than normal values of IgM levels in serum, but no clinical or laboratory diagnosis of congenital syphilis or toxoplasmosis was made for them. Two hundred and 91 infants (71.3%) were IFI-IgG positive for toxoplasmosis and none IFI-IgM, before or after chromatography. No clinical diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis was made during the period studied. The rheumatoid factor (RF) was determined in order to exclude false-positive results for antibodies of the IgM class. All possible false-negative sera to IFI-IgM and IFI-IgG positive for toxoplasmosis were treated by gel chromatography. Only one positive serum for RF was treated with heat-aggregated gamma-globulin before being tested for the presence of IgM antibodies. Sevem percent of the NB (28) were positive to at least one of the tests for syphilis. FTA-ABS-IgG was positive in 89.3% of them, VDRL in 67.8% and W in 60.7%. Only one serum sample was positive for FTA-ABS-IgM. The concordance of positivity between FTA-ABS-IgG and VDRL was 60.7%; 53.6% between FTA-ABS-IgG and W and 60% between VDRL and W. The syphilis-positive sera were compared with the data in the medical records of the respective NB and their mothers. It was shown that among the 28 NB with positive tests for syphilis only 5 3.5 % of them were detected at birth, 3.6% had negative serology and no data were available for 42.9%. Clinical and/or serological follow-up disclosed that 2 NB evolved with signs of congenital syphilis, 2 were suspected to have syphilis, and were treated but control serology ruled out this possibility, and no data were available for 24. A new screening strategy for this disease and the introduction of the FTA-ABS-IgG test for a more extensive selection of congenital syphilis is suggested.
Keywords : Syphilis, congenital [diagnosis]; Toxoplasmosis, congenital [diagnosis]; Wasserman reaction; Fluorescent antibody technic; Gell diffusion test; IgG [analysis]; IgM [analysis]. | 2,896 | 1,448 | 0.000701 |
warc | 201704 | The age-old debate over the notice period schools should be given before an Ofsted is getting in the way of the vital debate about the structure and function of inspection.
The Ofsted notice period has slowly been diminishing for years. It used to be weeks, and then it was days, and most recently hours – or one afternoon to be precise.
Now the inspectorate is trialling no-notice routine inspections. It is to carry out these unannounced raids throughout the academic year – with 40 due to take place during a two-week window this month.
Of course, inspectors have already the power to swoop unannounced if they have cause for concern, but this new trial is for Section 5 routine visits.
It is all in reaction to the Trojan Horse revelations – that Islamist groups had attempted to take over the governing boards of schools in Birmingham and bring undue influence to bear on their day-to-day running.
Chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said this week: “I’m currently giving thought to whether Ofsted should move to more routine no-notice inspections as part of our wider education inspection reforms, which we will be consulting on later this year.”
But let’s make one thing clear: if half a day’s notice was felt by Ofsted to be the right structure for inspection before the Trojan Horse, then it should still be considered as such.
What I mean is, I believe that the fear and scandal revealed by the Trojan Horse affair is being used as an excuse by Ofsted, backed by ministers, to introduce no-notice inspections.
Headteachers are concerned and I can completely understand why – being “treated like naughty children” is how the Association of School and College Leaders described it. I tend to agree. It is insulting to professional educationalists; it shows no respect and smacks of a complete lack of trust.
Ofsted perhaps fears that an afternoon is too much time – time enough for a school to act to skew the real picture? I hardly think so.
From a practical point of view it seems bizarre, too. It’s likely that many of these inspections will by necessity now take place without the head, or key members of the leadership team.
Or they will take place while said personnel conduct a “mad dash” back from whichever conference or engagement they are attending; visions of headteachers hailing cabs and shouting “John Smith’s High School and step on it!”
On the other hand, schools live their lives nowadays in a permanent state of “inspection readiness”. They only have half a day as it is, and so everything is Ofsted-proofed well in advance – it has to be. And throughout the year there are regular updates to key data and development plans, hours of planning all just in case the inspector calls.
So I can’t really think what difference having no notice at all will make. Schools will still be ready.
However, while we are discussing all of the above, what we are not doing is discussing the inspection regime as a whole. We are not discussing its punitive effect on the schools system. Indeed if the aforementioned attempts to skew the real picture of a school are a common occurrence then surely it is only the result of an overly pressurised and punitive inspection regime?
We are also not discussing the stress and mental health problems that inspection has caused and continues to cause for many school leaders, or the inordinate amount of time that is spent ticking Ofsted’s boxes rather than focusing on the children – and the filtering down of this pressure onto teachers and school staff.
We could avoid all of this nonsense by simply having a system that trusts highly qualified and professional staff to work with the many high quality school inspectors out there constructively and positively to continue the on-going improvement journey of our education system.
Inspection, I fear, is a necessary evil. However, we need to dramatically reform how we go about it. We need a system of intelligent accountability (to steal the SSAT’s phrase – see their Redesigning Schooling campaign) and trust has to be at the heart of this – professionals working alongside one another with a common goal, not inspectors pitted against school leaders in what often boils down to a battle of wits, if not a battle of data analysis.
This has to be our aim for school inspection, because our aspirations for a collaborative, world-class education system will never be realised by reliance on punitive accountability measures that attempt to threaten the system into improvement. | 4,637 | 2,198 | 0.000471 |
warc | 201704 | Tripsacum dactyloides
Eastern Gamagrass
Item #: 2011
Category: Grasses
Habit: Perennial
Height: 3-4'
Planting Rates: Rangeland 12 lbs per acre Lawn & Garden Dpak per 10 sf 1 lb per 200 sf
Price: Dpak - $9.00 1-9 lbs - $17.95 per lb 10-49 lbs - $17.50 per lb 50+ lbs - $17.10 per lb
SOIL TYPE
SUNLIGHT
Soil Moisture
Sand
Loam
Clay
Caliche
Full
Partial
Dappled
Shade
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Medium Moist
Description
Also called 'icecream grass' by ranchers because livestock like it so much. High in protein. This relative of corn makes tall, dense thickets when it finds the right conditions to grow, and can be useful as a boundary between one part of your landscape and another. When we lived in North Texas, we used it along the western border of our vegetable garden, in a low place where it enjoyed the extra moisture and poor drainage. The blooms and seeds are very interesting, and wildlife loves the plant as a whole! In tamer landscapes, you'll want to cut back the old leaves before the new ones start to appear in the Spring. But, be careful to check for butterfly eggs and pupae before you dispose of the old leaves and stems. Eastern Gamagrass is a larval food of choice for the Bunchgrass Skipper butterfly.
Also available in Live Roots direct from our farm!
Eastern gamagrass, a relative of corn, seedhead (above) The Natives are Friendly
by Znobia Wootan
As I look up the South Llano River, I marvel at the gold and yellow lining the banks. In just two years without any grazing pressure, volunteers of Eastern Gamagrass now line the bank on my side of the river. Eastern Gamagrass, Tripsacum dactyloides, grows from eastern U.S. coast into Iowa, Kansas, Colorado and south to Mexico. Bill has seen it on rivers south of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. This perennial, warm-season grass grows in a wide range of conditions from sun to part shade and medium to moist soils. Having deep roots, often reaching down 20 feet, helps Gamagrass live during times of drought. Tuff-rooted corms at the surface act as anchors in conjunction with dense, long leaf blades during times of flooding. Eastern Gamagrass is now controlling extensive erosion found along steep cut-banks on my side of the river. As the grass thickens and spreads, the steep banks will become even more stable in future years.
Eastern Gamagrass can easily out-survive many non-native grasses in times of drought, whether as a rangeland grass, food source for wildlife, or used in landscapes. It is one of the most productive and nutritious hay producing grasses known to planet Earth. Some ranchers are now using it for hay production in the organic beef market. Since it has no known pests and grows abundantly without fertilizers, this translates into not using petro-based forms of fertility or pesticides. Cattle find this grass irresistible. It was mostly grazed to extinction before proper range management practices were discovered. I still question whether we have yet established proper grazing management strategies to fully appreciate low-input, sustainable, native prairies which once abounded our nation. It all boils down to understanding ‘carrying capacity’.
As a landscape plant, Eastern Gamagrass is useful to stand alone as a focal interest point, in free-form colonies, or buffer-screens like pampas grass. This tall thick clump grass is usually 2-3 ft high with wide blades. The dense foliage provides much needed cover and habitat for birds and small mammals and is a larval food source for many species of butterflies and the rare moth amphipoea erepta. Bill has a patch around his frog pond that attracts dragonflies. Eastern Gamagrass is an ancestor to our present day annual food staple called corn. Upon close observation, the interesting 4-5 foot height seed stems offer amazing resemblances to silks and tassels found on corn. When ripe, Eastern Gama produces single lines of large, hard, yellowish corn kernels stacked end to end. As you can imagine turkey, quail, dove and deer love them. Eastern Gamagrass is a native that adds sustainability, diversity and enjoyment to any landscape. | 4,121 | 2,127 | 0.000475 |
warc | 201704 | Management and Information Technology
Take Charge with a Degree in Management from St. Francis College
Be part of a team or lead the team, you'll learn the tools you need for success in the business world at St. Francis College.Gain the tools you need to succeed in a company or start your own.
With a new Minor in Entrepreneurship and concentrations in areas including:
Risk Management, Marketing, and E-Commerce
you decide which direction your Management degree will take you.
Our students take on individual and group projects tackling real world business situations, while experts from the public and private sector continually come to campus to share their thoughts and help establish a solid network for your future career.As a Management major, you will explore current techniques for the management and operation of small and large business organizations, international companies, government agencies, and non-profit institutions. You will develop the ability to interpret business data and create effective solutions to business problems using computer applications and quantitative techniques.
Information Technology Majors learn about computing systems design, programming, databases, operating systems, project management, security, computer forensics, web design, multimedia, decision support systems and network administration.
Many of our students have had internships at major organizations such as:
Microsoft MTV Citigroup and Pfizer.
Our graduates have gone on to become applications software developers, multimedia specialists, web designers and developers, financial analysts, network engineers, and much more.
Mission
The Management and Information Technology Department offers two majors – Management and Information Technology and a graduate certificate program in Project Management. The Department’s mission is to have its graduates successfully enter the business and IT world and to be prepared to advance in their chosen careers. The Department recognizes that the two disciplines are linked and therefore provides opportunities for each major to discover the synergies that can derived from each major’s curriculum.To compete in the global economy, Management majors must understand basic management concepts and be able to think critically, write clearly, speak effectively and analyze logically. As a result, the Management and Information Technology Department’s mission is to prepare students to participate in the global economy by complementing the core foundation in the liberal arts achieved by all St. Francis College graduates with a solid foundation in the core elements of management – accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, project management, information systems, operations research management and risk management – and then allowing them to specialize in a discipline of their choice.
Valedictorian Christine Muraco '17, Commencement Speaker Evelyn Wolfe, Interim President Timothy Houlihan and the Winter Commencement Class of 2017 made for an amazing day January 9, 2017 as they rang in the new year with almost 100 new graduates of St. Francis College.
It is with great sorrow that St. Francis College announces the passing of President Brendan J. Dugan, a graduate of the College class of 1968 on December 18, 2016. He was 69.
The St. Francis College Center for Entrepreneurship welcomed Tanya Van Court, Founder and CEO of iSow (www.isow.com), on December 1, 2017 to talk to students about elevator pitches.
Twice as many Terriers donated four times more money for Terrier Tuesday this year than last, raising more than $115,000 on a day when St. Francis College asks the community to give back.
The St. Francis College Center for Entrepreneurship welcomed alumnus Michel MacIntyre '97, US Head of Business Banking at HSBC and Henry Han, Director and Regional Head of China Desk at HSBC for a talk on How to Leverage Business Opportunities a U.S. Based Entrepreneur in China on November 28, 2016.
Goals Provide students with a strong foundation in the core areas of business – marketing, finance, human resources, operations research management, information technology and project management - that will prepare them for a career in an ever-changing global business environment and/or the pursuit of a graduate education. Develop students’ managerial, relationship management and leadership skills through collaborative work. Provide students with an appreciation of the importance information technology has on an organization and how business applies and adapts to new technologies. Prepare students to be responsible professionals who are aware of the ethical, legal and societal issues in which business operates. Objectives
Students majoring in management:
Will be able to analyze business situations and demonstrate a working knowledge of business planning processes, concepts, methods, and strategies. Will know how to apply basic business concepts in finance, human resources management, IT, marketing, operations and project management to solve business problems. Will understand the basic concepts of finance and be able to apply them to financial planning situations. Will be able to articulate how to manage human resources in a global and diverse business world. Will be able to identify, illustrate and apply core marketing terms, concepts and processes and explain how marketing creates value for customers and companies. Will be able to analyze, evaluate and classify information from a variety of sources to determine its relevance to understanding significant opportunities and challenges. Will be able to collect, organize, and draw inferences from various types of data and interpret results to support effective managerial decision making. Will be able to demonstrate the use of IT as an aide for decision-making in modern organizations. Will be able to explain how the financial, IT, human resources, marketing, operations and project management functions in a company are integrated. Will be able to formulate alternatives and select a solution when making a business decision. Will be able to prepare a strategic plan. Will be able to integrate ethical thinking into all aspects of business decision making. Will be able to work effectively in groups and demonstrate leadership skills. Will be able to present their ideas, decisions and/or conclusions on business issues in a clear manner. Goals Provide students with the foundational theoretical knowledge, and integrated IT and business skills necessary for a successful career and graduate-level work in an ever-changing, global environment Provide students with the knowledge, skills, and understanding of design, analysis, and implementation aspects of computer systems, and computer communications and networking Prepare students to design, implement, and evaluate a computer-based system, process, component, or program to meet user requirements Prepare students to evaluate current and emerging technologies and understand the impact that information technology has on organizations Provide students with opportunities to work in teams in order to develop managerial and leadership skills Prepare students to be responsible IT professionals who are aware of ethical, legal and societal issues Objectives
Upon completion of the IT program, students will be able to:
Discuss the significance and impact of information technology in personal, organizational, and societal contexts Demonstrate the foundational knowledge and skills which will enable students to enter and advance in the IT profession and graduate-level work Demonstrate an understanding of, and critically evaluate the appropriate use of, the methodologies and techniques associated with traditional System Development Life Cycle (SDLC), the Agile Development Life Cycle (ADLC), Rapid Application Development (RAD), and Joint Application Development (JAD) Analyze how companies strategically use and integrate technology into their business to gain competitive advantage Work effectively in teams St. Francis College Programs of Study 95 Apply analytical and problem solving methodologies to quantitative and qualitative problems Demonstrate the elements of programming, logical and physical design principles, and data modeling techniques Examine professional ethics in light of legal, organizational and societal responsibilities Communicate effectively with a range of audiences Learn about Courses and Program Requirements in the Course Catalogue | 8,519 | 3,449 | 0.000292 |
warc | 201704 | Switzerland, also known as the Swiss Federation is one of the federal republics in Europe. If you are planning on moving here, you have made a great decision. This country is located between several prominent countries in Western-Central Europe. There is plenty to see and do by living here. Germany is on the Northern side, France is to the West, Italy is on the South and Austria is to the East. h. This beautiful country is ranked one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of both financial and nonfinancial equities. This is what makes it such a central finance center. Having a Swiss bank account is known as a huge status symbol around the world.
1 Moving to Switzerland 2 The Currency in Switzerland 3 Begin the Process Before You Move if Possible 4 Using Bank Cards in Europe 5 Picking a Bank in Switzerland 6 Switzerland National Institutions 7 International Banking 8 Banking With Big Bucks in Switzerland 9 Getting Your Account set up Before You Move to Switzerland 10 Documentation for opening a Swiss bank account abroad or Before You Move 11 You Have Moved, Now What? 12 The Paperwork and Documents Required to Set up Your Bank Account in Switzerland 13 Fees and Other Normal Charges Moving to Switzerland
If you need a Bank Account in Switzerland, this article will teach you how to accomplish your goal. Achieving this will help you get your finances in order and be able to cash your paycheck, make purchases online, pay employees if you own a business, earn interest on your money as well as several other financial activities. Switzerland has the most famous banks in the world and is known for keeping large sums of money for prominent people. There are hundreds of banks to choose from in the country. Some are large corporate banks while others are smaller local ones. It is the largest offshore financial center in the world. The FBC or Federal Banking Commission sets the rules and regulations that govern these institutions. They are known for being leaders in the field as far as customer service and the privacy of its clients. You will learn how to get a Bank account in Switzerland for standard banking activities for the average citizen.
The Currency in Switzerland
Switzerland does not use the Euro as their currency of choice because they did not join the European Union. They are one of the select few European countries that hasn’t converted yet. Euros are accepted in certain locations but most payments made in Switzerland must be made in Swiss francs. They do accept Euros for toll booths, at airports and on the railway as those are activities where getting to a currency exchange center are not always possible.
Begin the Process Before You Move if Possible
If you have just moved to the country, you should get a Swiss bank account as soon as possible. if you can, try to get your bank account set up before you move. It can be difficult to get a residence in Switzerland if you don’t have a bank account. A great feature that most Swiss banks offer is getting your own account manager. This way you can contact someone directly by phone or email if you have any questions or run into any issues.
Using Bank Cards in Europe
Like the majority of Europe, bank card use is widely used in Switzerland. Some of the more rural areas still have shops and boutiques that still are cash only businesses. They prefer a more traditional way of life than relying on credit and bank cards.
Picking a Bank in Switzerland
In the country of Switzerland, there are two major kinds of banks that provide financial services and everyday kind of banking. They are known as cantonal banks and National Institutions. There are also numerous banks that are private institutions as well as investment banks. These in general do not usually deal with the day to day banking and spending that the average individual does. If you want detailed information on the Swiss banking system, you can look into the SBA or Swiss Bankers Association.
Switzerland National Institutions National institutions operate around the country in Switzerland. Some of the biggest Swiss banks are: UBS Credit Suisse Raiffeisen Swiss post office or Post Finance which have regular banking services and great rates International Banking
It is common knowledge that many people open a bank account in Switzerland every day. They are huge on an international level and it is the number one country in the world for storing large sums of money discreetly. You would think that finding an everyday ordinary bank would be easy, on the contrary, finding an international bank to do standard banking is not as easy as it sounds. There are not a lot of branches for basic banking activities like checking, savings, direct deposits and debit card usage. In general, it is not likely that you will be allowed to switch from a Non-Swiss international bank to a Swiss banking branch. The Association of Foreign Banks in Switzerland or AFBS, controls all foreign banks and branches.
Banking With Big Bucks in Switzerland
The more known international Swiss banks deal in primarily wealth management with foreign clientele who wish to keep their funds in a private and secure location. These are generally private banks and investment institutions. Opening a Swiss bank account in one of these places requires an extremely large deposit.
Getting Your Account set up Before You Move to Switzerland
If you are interested in opening a bank account in Switzerland before you move there or as an international customer, you should be aware that it can be difficult. It is not as easy as it used to be. The issue that you may run into if you try to open an account before you have your immigration papers is that basic services are not available in other countries. You can however correspond with the bank of your choice through the mail if you follow all of the bank’s regulations. Contact the bank that you are interested in doing business with and request one of their out of the area application packages. They will send a list of the documents that you will need and expect to do all business through the post office rather than on the internet.
Documentation for opening a Swiss bank account abroad or Before You Move
in order to open a bank account in Switzerland, you must prove who you are through standard forms of identification as well as your address. They may also ask you some questions about your past and history of employment. These are questions that are normally asked. It is a lot of paperwork and having a notary sign it is often required. There are a few ways that you can do this in Switzerland.
Get an Apostille stamp Go in person to the bank you want to join Take a trip to a correspondent bank picked by the Swiss bank you are joining You Have Moved, Now What?
In the biggest cities in Switzerland, most banks have an English speaking teller on staff from Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. These are typical banking hours and when you want to visit after you have moved. No appointment is needed. Once you are here and have your proper immigration papers and proof of residence, you are in a position to make it a quick and easy trip. What is not quick however, is activating the account. They can take from a week to a month to become fully active. Your debit card and any credit cards can come anytime from a week to ten days after your account is activated. Where your original funds came from will also be checked over. You can request a card called a Carte Maestro, a Swiss debit card that can be used almost anywhere in the country. It is also used to take cash out at ATM’s. Credit cards are issued a little differently. You put a deposit down for double or three times as much as the monthly credit limit. You will not get it retuned until all bills in collections have been paid in full and the card is cancelled.
The Paperwork and Documents Required to Set up Your Bank Account in Switzerland
All banks, regardless of where you are in the world, you can assume that you will be asked for certain documents that verify your identity, where you live, and a bill that is from within the last 90 days. if you don’t have an address yet, you may need to invest a significant amount of money to prove your level of reliability or have references from your place of work.
Fees and Other Normal Charges
A monthly fee or a CHF 2-10 is expected for a standard account and it may be up to CHF 30 for an account with more features. This is included in the fees for debit and credit cards. A waiver is sometimes issued if you have a large amount of money deposited in the account or have a savings account with a large deposit amount at the same bank. If you have a mortgage with them or agree to paperless billing these terms may also qualify you for a waiver of fees. You can expect yearly fees for your debit and credit cards of around CHF 30. New customers are required to put a deposit in the bank that is one to two times the credit limit that you are allowed to qualify for a credit card. This is to prove that you can afford the credit card and why the Swiss have such low levels of debt within the country. You do earn interest on that money however. You may also be charged for taking out money with your debit card from ATM’s outside of your network. Some charge a fixed fee regardless of where you withdrawal the money. If you need a cash advance, the fee is usually around 2-4 percent. Paying your bills or transferring to another bank in Switzerland, may also incur charges. a Swiss bank account will help you greatly when you move to the country. It is wise to understand all of the fees and charges before you move so that there are no surprises. | 9,715 | 4,025 | 0.00025 |
warc | 201704 | Acetone is the organic compound with the formula (CH3)2CO. This colorless, mobile, flammable liquid is the simplest example of the ketones. Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory. More than 3 million tonnes are produced annually, mainly as a precursor to polymers.[2] Familiar household uses of acetone are as the active ingredient in nail polish remover and as paint thinner and sanitary cleaner/nail polish remover base. It is a common building block in organic chemistry. | 596 | 372 | 0.002697 |
warc | 201704 | Home > National News > Article
The issue of gay adoption in Tasmania has rekindled debate on whether or not children need a female and a male parent, writes Bettina Arndt.
GAY rights should not include the right to adopt children. That is the message the Tasmanian Government has been hearing since the state's Attorney-General, Judy Jackson, last year proposed new legislation allowing same-sex couples to adopt.
Since then, the Government has found that two-thirds of 400 individual and 900 duplicate submissions sent to the Law Reform Institute's inquiry opposed the proposal and MPs have been showered with correspondence expressing similar sentiments, and Jackson has backed down. Late in March she announced she may not even legislate on the issue.
Two years ago the Carr Government introduced legislation on adoption reform, but it has not addressed the issue of adoptions by same-sex couples. Ditto in Victoria, where last year 43 acts were amended to include same-sex partners but adoption remained restricted to heterosexuals. Western Australia is the only state that has bitten the bullet, having last year passed legislation legalising gay adoption. The Tasmanian Government understands similar proposals are mooted in South Australia and Queensland.
The issue remains controversial and rightly so, says Jacqueline Prichard, a clinical psychologist working in disability services for the Tasmanian Government. Prichard, with her husband, Jeremy, a PhD student at the University of Tasmania law school, has made a submission challenging the assumption promoted by the commission - that there is good evidence that children fare as well with same-sex parents as they do in other families.
Australians have been told often that research shows these children are thriving. A Sydney University law lecturer, Jenni Millbank, wrote in the
Herald early this year: "Nearly three decades of research has consistently yielded the same results: the children of lesbians and gay men are in no way disadvantaged or badly affected."
During the debate on access for lesbian women to IVF, there were media stories, often quoting Millbank, making the same claim. It is a claim also repeated in family law cases involving gay couples. Chief Justice Alistair Nicholson referred to Millbank when he proclaimed in 1996 that sexual orientation is irrelevant in disputes about children.
Dr Ruth McNair, a Victorian GP and member of the Victorian ministerial advisory committee on gay and lesbian health, has a similar conclusion: "Having looked at the international reviews, it seems children raised by gay and lesbian parents do just as well as children in heterosexual families."
But the Prichards say the evidence is not there, quoting recent overseas publications which have concluded the research on homosexual parenting is biased, methodologically flawed and inconclusive. "There is insufficient evidence to support the view that children adopted by same-sex parents will not suffer adverse consequences," the Prichards said in their submission to the Law Reform Institute.
Jeremy Prichard argues that a government has a duty of care towards the children for whom it chooses adoptive parents. "Thus, in a sense, an 'onus of proof' lies upon the state to prove these children will experience no adverse consequences by changing the law to allow same-parents to adopt them," he says. What's wrong with the research? Well, just about everything, according to the recent analyses quoted by the Prichards. The sample sizes were small, there were not enough controls for confounding variables, missing or inadequate comparison groups, non-random samples and unreliable or invalid measurements.
American researchers Robert Lerner and Althea Nagai, experts in the field of quantitative analysis, evaluated 49 studies on homosexual parenting - studies often used to "prove" that a child is not adversely affected by gay parenting. All 49 studies were found to have at least one major flaw.
Lerner and Nagai, who published their 2001 analysis in a paper entitled
No Basis: What the Studies Don't Tell Us about Same-Sex Parenting, conclude: "The methods used ... are so flawed that these studies prove nothing ... the studies on which such claims are based are all gravely deficient ...Therefore they should not be used in legal cases to make any arguments about homosexual versus heterosexual parenting."
This conclusion was shared by Professor Lyn Wardle, who criticised the same-sex parenting research in a 1997 article in the University of Illinois Law Review. After examining the use of this research in US legal cases, Wardle argues that until concerns about the current "badly flawed" research are dispelled, "it would not be rational to adopt a public policy endorsing or legitimating homosexual parenting".
Last year a British sociologist, Patricia Morgan, weighed in with her own analysis,
Children as Trophies - Examining the Evidence on Same-Sex Parenting. Morgan criticises the research for often including only very young children, which precludes any possibility of picking up long-term effects. She says many of the children spend their formative years in heterosexual families before the homosexual family is formed, which makes findings difficult to interpret.
The few studies which track children to adulthood are also flawed, according to Morgan. She criticises Fiona Tasker and Susan Golombok's work published in
Growing Up in a Lesbian Family for comparing children of lesbian women who have PhDs with those of poorly educated lone parents and for downplaying negative effects such as teasing by peers.
Morgan says is it is astonishing that "gushing personal testimonies" by lesbian parents should be "reverentially accepted by public bodies, academics and research institutes who would immediately laugh away the use of similar materials as evidence elsewhere".
Gay lobby groups have responded by pointing out that Lerner and Nagia work for the Marriage Law Project, a legal initiative operated by the Washington-based Catholic University and Morgan's book is published by a British Christian institute. They use the link to religious organisations to allege that the criticisms stem from conservative anti-gay bigotry.
But charges of bias work both ways. It was a lesbian activist - a University of Virginia researcher, Charlotte J. Patterson - who wrote the policy statement when in 1995 the American Psychological Association came out in support of gay parenting. Other professional organisations followed, with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) last year using this body of research to endorse adoption by gay parents.
This has led to heated public brawling over the issue. "The AAP's policy statement is more of a commitment to disturbing social engineering than one to good policy based on sound research," said the Physicians Resource Council, demanding that the AAP withdraw its position statement. Citing the "fatal flaws" common to all research in the area, the council proclaimed: "The most one can conclude from the existing data is that more research of better quality is desperately needed. In the absence of conclusive evidence showing that parenting outcomes are the same between same-sex and heterosexual parents, the academy should remain silent."
Jacqueline Prichard agrees there is not enough evidence for any professional body to reach firm conclusions about the impact on children of growing up in lesbian families. "It is appalling that this research is so often presented as if it proves children are doing well in these families when we just don't know that. And the negative results which have emerged in the research are usually totally ignored."
She says she was motivated to get involved in this issue purely by "concern about the misrepresentation of research findings".
She mentions 1996 research by Dr Sotirios Sarantakos, a Charles Sturt sociology professor (published in the journal
Children Australia), which found children of homosexual couples perform less well at school than children with heterosexual parents - a result Sarantakos attributes to the stress of dealing with anti-gay prejudice. "It is difficult to accept that living in a family environment that is condemned by the community, in which homosexuals and their children are subjected to discrimination, disadvantage, negative criticism, humiliation, harassment, embarrassment, exclusion, hostility, injustice and media bashing, offers as good a place to grow as that of heterosexual relationships," he writes in his recent book Same-Sex Couples.
Sarantakos says that while not all children struggle with these problems, for others the situation is likely to reduce the child's sociability - as he found when he interviewed children of gay parents about their experiences.
"Yes, I never told anyone about it.. How could I, anyway ... tell them my father is a faggot and sleeps with another man. You know how kids are, they hate these kind of things and love to discover such stories to talk about for weeks ... I had to pretend and live in a different world when at school," one son of a gay father told him.
Sarantakos's research, which compared 58 children of same-sex couples with the same number in matched heterosexual families, found a far higher proportion of children in the same-sex families identified themselves as homosexual or were labelled as such by their parents. He found that result unsurprising because the gay family provides both factors likely to provide the genesis for homosexuality - environment plus genetic make-up.
A review of the literature on this issue by two University of Southern Californian sociologists, Judith Stacey and Timothy Biblarz, concludes there is evidence supporting Sanantakos's results but this is often downplayed by researchers for fear that it will increase prejudice against gay parents.
A Tasmania University law professor, Kate Warner, who co-wrote the Law Reform Institute issues paper, responds to criticism alleging bias by pointing out that the initial paper relied on summaries of the research, such as those of Millbank or Patterson, which appeared in refereed journals. "We've remedied that, now that we have had longer to look at it," she says, promising a more inclusive coverage in their final report, due for release on May 19.
Warner says the adoption issue will rarely involve an unrelated gay family adopting a child but rather adoption by the partner of the gay mother or father, sometimes following a planned pregnancy - a situation which simply provides more stability for the family.
In unrelated situations, now that birth mothers have a say in the choice of adoptive family, gays are unlikely to be chosen as evidenced by a submission to the institute by a Tasmanian Centacare adoption social worker, Philippa Chapman: she says that no birth mother has requested her child to be placed with same-sex parents.
But as Jeremy Prichard puts it, the issue is one of principle: "However few the actual numbers, the state must be confident that it has good evidence that change in policy will not endanger the welfare of any children."
Printer friendly version Email to a friend
GAY RIGHTS Age of consent for gay males will be cut to 16, says Labor Adopting the parent trap Also in National
Time to go, bishops tell G-G
Medicare plans fail to woo: poll
Beazley needs six votes to lead, say backers
Wage compromise ruffles employers
Euthanasia lobbyist to fight attempted murder charge
Consumers keep taking the tablets, despite recall
Into the big ring at last, after 156 disenfranchised years
Class of '03 least likely to receive youth allowance
Factions divide spoils of victory
Premier to award gong at glittering night, but no one knows why
Stay-home SARS rule branded as overkill
Appeal over murdered son
The big groan of home grown loans
By Crikey - the article that cost $25,000
Lord Mayor's pay hits $137,765
Gutnick loan of $5m was not for profit: Yeshiva rabbi
Death in jail followed junior bureaucrat's error
Taxis threaten to boycott airport
Australia rated great for mothers - even if their numbers are declining
Advice for the marrying mother - ditch your daughter
Financial test for builders planned
text | handheld (how to) membership | conditions | privacy
Copyright © 2003. The Sydney Morning Herald.
advertise | contact us | 12,428 | 5,751 | 0.000175 |
warc | 201704 | Cheminformatics
From health care to the environment, cheminformatics is central to the important issues of the 21st century.
Also known as chemoinformatics and chemical informatics, cheminformatics is used to improve our understanding of biological functions, develop life-saving drugs, and minimize chemicals’ environmental impact.
If you have a background in either chemistry or informatics/computer science with some knowledge—and interest—in the other, consider cheminformatics. You’ll use computers and databases to explore the representation and use of chemical structures, learning skills and techniques you can apply to drug discovery, chemistry, biology, toxicology, and environmental science.
As a student, you’ll conduct research that helps our faculty tackle the field’s biggest issues. A leader in cheminformatics research and education, our program has attracted funding from organizations like the National Institutes of Health and Eli Lilly, and we offer a variety of workshops, distance-education courses, and free educational materials—such as the Indiana Cheminformatics Education Portal—for professionals and students.
Degrees
Cheminformatics track of the Ph.D. in Informatics: Preparing students for careers in academia and industry | 1,301 | 689 | 0.001507 |
warc | 201704 | Associated Electric Cooperative
Type Regional and Municipal Cooperative Headquarters 2814 South Golden
Springfield, MO 65807
Area served IA, MO, OK Key people James J. Jura, CEO Industry Electric Producer and Distributor Products Electricity Revenue $908.9 million (2007) [1] Net income ▲ $20.9 million (2007) [1] Employees 640 (2006) Website AECI.org Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI) is owned by and provides wholesale power to six regional and 51 local electric cooperative systems in Missouri, northeast Oklahoma and southeast Iowa that serve roughly 850,000 customers. Contents Power portfolio
Out of its total 4,131 megawatts (MW) of electric generating capacity in 2005 (0.39% of the U.S. total), AECI got 56.5% from coal, 42.4% from natural gas, and 1.1% from oil. (In 2007-08, AECI brought 155 MW of wind power online; wind now contributes 3.6% of the company's generating capacity.) AECI owns power plants in Missouri and Oklahoma.
[2] Existing coal-fired power plants
Plant Name State County Year(s) Built Capacity 2007 CO 2 Emissions 2006 SO 2 Emissions New Madrid MO New Madrid 1972, 1977 1200 MW 7,647,000 tons 14,678 tons Thomas Hill MO Randolph 1966, 1969, 1982 1135 MW 8,348,000 tons 18,495 tons
In 2005, AECI's 2 major coal-fired power plants emitted 16.0 million tons of CO
2 and 33,000 tons of SO 2. Coal Plant on Hold
In 2005 ACEI proposed a 660 megawatt (MW) merchant utility coal plant, Norborne Baseload Plant, quietly acquiring property in the desired area early that year before residents learned of the planned plant in Carroll County, Missouri.
[5]
A draft Environmental Impact Statement was released in 2007.
[6]
A public hearing held on Nov. 13, 2007, saw numerous groups expressing opposition to the plant.
[7]
On March 3, 2008, ACEI announced that it was placing plans for the plant on hold. A company press release cited three factors for the decision:
"The Norborne project costs have significantly increased in less than three years and are now estimated at $2 billion due to worldwide demand for engineering, skilled labor, equipment and materials." "The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service, a traditional funding source for rural electric cooperatives, is currently unable to finance baseload generation for cooperatives. Although AECI’s AA credit rating is one of the strongest ratings among all electric utilities nationally, seeking private lending would further increase project costs." "There also is increasing uncertainty in the regulatory environment, and Congress continues to debate the environmental and economic impact of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, making the cost of reducing carbon dioxide from power plants unknown." [8]
The coop plans to pursue a combination of efficiency measures, wind power, and nuclear power.
[9] Contact details
Website: http://www.aeci.org/
Articles and Resources Sources 2007 Financial Highlights, AECI website, accessed July 2008. Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2005, Energy Information Administration, accessed April 2008. Environmental Integrity Project, Dirty Kilowatts: America’s Most Polluting Power Plants, July 2007. Dig Deeper, Carbon Monitoring for Action database, accessed June 2008. History - Issues, Concerned Citizens of Carroll County, accessed January 2008. Environmental Impact Statement, EIS Executive Summary, July 2007. (Pdf) "Missouri Can Do Better Than Coal", Missouri Sierra Club press release, November 13, 2007. "AECI suspends plans to build Norborne power plant" press release, March 3, 2008. "AECI suspends plans to build Norborne power plant" press release, March 3, 2008. | 3,691 | 1,910 | 0.000531 |
warc | 201704 | Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis said scrapping the tax would save the average Gilmore family $550 a year and create more local jobs.
She said the decision would also help "get the Budget under control'' to help fund infrastructure such as the replacement of the Nowra Bridge.
“Ever since I first became Liberal Candidate for Gilmore in 2012, I've been meeting with families, residents, and business owners across our region and the message has always been clear: scrap the tax,'' she said.
“The scrapping of this tax will save $200 on the average household electricity bill and around $70 on the average gas bill, and the Government’s consumer watchdog, the ACCC, has been given extra funding and powers to ensure that these savings are passed on to consumers.
“Scrapping the Carbon Tax will also take a cost burden off our local businesses. This will make it easier for them to compete and employ more people.
“One industry that’s been hit higher than most is farming. Over the last twelve months, I’ve met with dozens of our local farmers, talking about their skyrocketing electricity costs and their ridiculous refrigeration costs.
“The cost to re-gas the milk refrigeration systems of some of our local dairy farmers has gone from a few hundred to several thousand under the Carbon Tax alone. With the repeal of this toxic tax, this is one more saving that will help the bottom line our local dairy farmers’.
“Scrapping the Carbon Tax is just one part of our plan to build a stronger economy and create more jobs. It is also important we get the Budget under control, continue to reduce paperwork and build the infrastructure we need, like the replacement Nowra Bridge.
“There’s much more to do, but removing the world’s biggest Carbon Tax from the back of everyday small businesses and families is an important step in building a stronger economy,” Mrs Sudmalis said. | 1,945 | 972 | 0.001074 |
warc | 201704 | Meet? Has the president even read his Jobs Council’s report? If he has, his mild obsession with a job-destroying tax hike on small businesses would be even more disturbing. With the president playing defense for insulting every entrepreneur in America, he has labored to reassure the country his tax scheme would not hurt U.S. small businesses. The president would have you believe his tax hike is only hitting the likes of Warren Buffet and Justin Beiber. Truth be told, as his Jobs Council points out, it would mean a massive tax increase on the very businesses we need to lead us to recovery:
“About half of business income now accrues to pass-through entities such as S corporations and partnerships; although the income of such pass-through entities is subject to tax at the individual level, it is excluded from the corporate tax.” – the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness (
Road Map to Renewal, Page 47)
In other words: many small businesses file their taxes as individuals, not corporations. Yup – right there in their report. As the Jobs Council alludes to, a full 53 percent of small business income is taxed through the individual code. So what would the president’s tax increase on small businesses mean for our economy? An estimated 710,000 jobs destroyed. Put us down as opposed.
It’s well documented that the president is at odds with his hand-picked advisory group of job-creators. On everything from regulations to corporate tax reform to energy production, he has thrown cold water on their recommendations (which mirror GOP solutions). But with 8.2 percent unemployment, the president can’t continue to keep their ideas shoved in a locked drawer somewhere. The 191 days since he last met with the Jobs Council is far too long – maybe he can start by simply reading the report he asked them to produce. | 1,889 | 992 | 0.001039 |
warc | 201704 | Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm !
Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm !
Calmness show the mental wellness of any human, but in our environment I am not able to find the calm.......Is Calm is only an intellectual word?.......... but If I think about our glorious past then I found we are the citizen of most peaceful country, then think which comes to my mind then! Why we behave like wild beast? Why?
Is, this do to of STRESS, the answer is YES! But why stress is cause of CALMLESSNESS?
We are the cereals of 21th century and we only learnt winning race. Only Winning! All of us have seen the movie 3 Idiots and all you listen dialog "Sala pyada hone ke- liye 300 million sperm se race lagani padat- i hai" this line very true when we learn race from the fetus then it is very difficult to ignore......... cause of CALMLESSNESS.
Each and everyone is involve in making statu- s and baseless respect, trying to make his social respect on the basis of physical things; car, bank balance, house are the status symbol and this is also aspect by coming generation.
As all we know INDIA is one of biggest emerging economy power of the world, we are able to maintain our economy growth around 8% but we are not able to maintain joint family. Most of youngster want live in nuclear family and their happiness stand on grave of their parent happiness, there is no one to teach them right wrong, which cause rudeness in them which is again cause of CALMLESSNESS. The proper moral education was not given to the student by the school and college even today's school and colleges are the not knowledge temple but they are the training institute of IMMORAL activity, no one is concert about all this but everyone is involve in making status.
Increase in population play a vital role in the changing the attitude of human being, now we are 1.21 billion where birth rate is about 22.22 birth/1000 & death rate is 6.4 death/1000, all we see there is huge gap in birth rate and death rate which cause the imbalance in the atmosphere. It is impossible to satisfy everyone. Everyone want to live very good life with full of luxury but again matter is all about imbalance in the society, if everyone became CEO of the company then who will be watchman of the company from here unsatisfaction arise which is also cause of CALMLESSNESS.
If you go through the NEW PAPER, 70% of news is of crime. If we talk about Delhi RAPE is very common & easy crime which was done by young generation frequently this crime take place in city where more than 95 brothels & 1500 sex worker live at street named GB Road this is official data moreover you can found sex worker very easily in every part of Delhi and they cost Rs.100 to Lacks, if all this is available then Why? These rape cases are so frequent this shows the hidden beast in human who is still unsatisfied!
Few month ago when I read about Honor killing I am not able to understand what is this but when I go through the details of Honor Killing then I was shamed on 21st century where literacy rate is about 74%. Here we do all this.
This is the mental status of common man where is CALMNESS!
CALMNESS doesn't- come from education it is only the matter of value which is learn from our society day by day. Moral education is not a subject which was taught in class room this is subject which was taught by practice day by day in daily life.
Life Expectancy in India is around 70year but which type of life we want from us and for us!
This is most dangerous question which always hurt us because our future is not going to be bed of roses it will be harder then iron grams and if we continue with same attitude toward life it is very difficult to live happy.
Medical Phenomena- of CALMLESSNESS:-
The human body responds to stress with a powerful fight-or-flight reaction. Hormones surge through the body, causing the heart to pump faster and sending extra supplies of energy into the bloodstream. For much of human history, this emergency response system was useful: It enabled people to survive immediate physical threats like an attack from a wild animal. But today, the stress in most people’s lives comes from the more psychological and seemingly endless pressures of modern life. Daily challenges like a long commute or a difficult boss can turn on the stress hormones—and because these conditions don’t go away, the hormones don’t shut off. Instead of helping you survive, this kind of stress response can actually make you sick.
Tips to overcome!
1) Try to solve every issue day by day take expert view if situation is out of control.
2) Spend time with family and friends and try to enjoy with them.
3) Share your feeling with someone who is able to understand you.
4) Try relaxation techniques. Meditation, yoga, and tai chi can help slow your breathing and heart rate and focus your mind inward, away from whatever is causing you stress.
5) Exercise daily
6) Get plenty of sleep. When you’re well rested, you can approach stressful situations more calmly
7) Eat a healthy diet. Stress is tough enough on your body, so help it out by feeding it fresh fruits and vegetables and low-fat protein.
8) Laugh! Researchers are still investigating the precise effects of laughter on stress hormones, but some findings suggest that it has a stress-relief effect on heart rate, respiratory rate, and muscle tension. Your own research has probably convinced you that laughing makes you feel better.
9) Listen to Music and if you are sexually active then try to do it regularly.
Start beliv- ing in the God and his divine power it will make you Calm and give better and try to do your work effectively.
“Aum Bhoor Bhuvah swaha tat savitur varenyam bhargo deveasaya deemahi dhiyo yo naha pracho dhay” | 5,858 | 2,869 | 0.000353 |
warc | 201704 | Presented by SOCO’s Sponsor, Westerra Credit Union
Whether you are just starting out and you want to establish credit or you are trying to repair your credit, you may want to consider a getting a secured credit card.
A secured card is different from a normal credit card because you make a deposit into your savings account, which is held as collateral against your secured card. Your deposit will continue to earn dividends while it is held as collateral. This cash deposit/security is used to protect the financial institution in the event you are unable to make payments. If you default on your secured card, your savings will be used to pay off the loan. Also, if you are trying to build your credit and want to establish your independence (and don’t want your parents to co-sign for a credit card), a secured card is a good option. And, unlike prepaid debit cards, secured cards help you build your credit without the fees.
Although it is typically easier to obtain a secured credit card than a normal credit card, there are still some qualifications that you may need to meet. For example, at Westerra you need to be at least 18 to apply on your own and if you’re not 21, you will need to show proof of income. Your credit limit will be as low as $500 and as much as $2,500.
It’s also important to do your research on secured credit cards.
You’ll want to be sure to look for a card with no fees and stick with well-known financial brands.
Once you have your secured card, be sure to use it wisely since the issuing financial institution reports your account activity to the credit bureau. To prove you are financially responsible, you’ll want to be sure you make your payments on time (very important!) and not always be at your credit limit as it will have a negative impact on your credit score.
Typically it takes 6 to 12 months of responsible payment history to establish or rebuild credit. Then, you will be able to apply for an unsecured credit card – without pledging your savings as collateral.
Westerra Credit Union offers secured credit cards with no fees for members wanting to rebuild or establish their credit.
Simply stop by any Westerra branch or call 303-321-4209 and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
You may also be interested in: | 2,325 | 1,096 | 0.000933 |
warc | 201704 | Emotional abuse of children can be just as harmful as physical abuse, a new study finds.
Emotional abuse includes behaviours like intimidation, humiliation and rejection.
Around one-third of children around the world suffer emotional abuse, which is far more common than physical abuse.
Professor David Vachon, the study’s first author, said:
“…although people assume physical abuse is more harmful than other types of abuse, we found that they are associated with similar consequences.
These consequences are wide-ranging and include everything from anxiety and depression to rule-breaking and aggression.”
The researchers studied 2,300 children who attended a summer camp over 20 years.
The children were from low-income families and aged between 5 and 13-years-old.
The results overturned some common assumptions, Professor Vachon explained:
“We also tested other assumptions about child maltreatment, including the belief that each type of abuse has specific consequences, and the belief that the abuse has different consequences for boys and girls of different races.
We found that these assumptions might also be wrong.
In fact, it seems as though different types of child abuse have equivalent, broad, and universal effects.”
The research should help change how people think about child abuse, Professor Vachon said:
“One implication, is that effective treatments for maltreatment of any sort are likely to have comprehensive benefits.
Another implication is that prevention strategies should emphasize emotional abuse, a widespread cruelty that is far less punishable than other types of child maltreatment.
One plan is to examine the way abuse changes personality itself — does it change who we are?
The point is to go beyond symptoms and ask whether abuse changes the way we tend to think, feel, and act.”
The study was published in the journal
JAMA Psychiatry (Vachon et al., 2015).
Image credit: Vale | 1,978 | 980 | 0.001056 |
warc | 201704 | Snoqualmie Roofing Contractor & Gutter Company
The roof over your Snoqualmie home is one of the most important aspects of keeping your home properly weatherproofed. If your roof was improperly installed or is developing leaks, it may be time to contact a professional roofing contractor to provide you with a roof replacement estimate. At Star Roofing and Construction, we provide a high level of expertise on all of our roofing installation and repair jobs, so that we can ensure the highest level of quality.
Snoqualmie Roof Replacement
If it’s time to replace the roof over your Snoqualmie home, look no further than Star Roofing and Construction. Our certified and experienced roofing contractors are ready to help you design the right roof for your style and budget. Investing in a new roof can potentially save you money over time in terms of reduced heating and cooling costs. Protect your family, pets, and personal belongings by upgrading your old and worn out roofing system. We can help you choose from a large selection of shingle styles and colors to best suit your needs.
Snoqualmie Roof Repairs
When you’re looking to get to get the most use out of your Snoqualmie roofing system investment, we recommend having your roof regularly inspected for any leaks or other damage. Our certified roofing repair specialists will conduct a thorough roof inspection to determine the source of any leaks you may notice. At Star Roofing and Construction, we provide shingle replacement for all types of roofs, structural repair, and more.
Snoqualmie Gutters
Is your Snoqualmie home equipped with properly functioning gutters and gutter guards? If not, you might be putting your home at risk of significant structural damage. A gutter systems faciliates the flow of rainwater that collects on your roof. Rather than flooding your garden, property and foundation, the water is instead directed out and away from your home. With our Snoqualmie gutter guard services, we’ll conduct a thorough inspection of your existing gutter system. We can repair sections of gutter, install gutter guards, and provide you with recurring gutter system maintenance.
Zip Codes We Provide Roofing in Snoqualmie:
98065
What Clients Say About Our Snoqualmie Roofing Services:
Star Roofing and Construction, Inc. is Rated: 5 / 5
based on these 2 happy customer reviews.
“We were very pleased with their work. The roofing workers were very efficient and here on time. They did their work diligently and cleaned up nice. They took extra time to make sure they did everything right.”
“Installed TPO flat roof over 15 year torch-down roof on detached garage. The estimator and labor crew were very knowledgeable and explained available options and materials. The job was estimated and done within a week. Had trouble finding a contractor willing to work a small job.”
Recent Posts about Snoqualmie Roofing: Fix Your Roof Before Selling Your Seattle Home
When it comes time to sell your Seattle home, for whatever reason, there are a number of decisions that must take place before putting it on the market. One common project is to update and renovate certain parts of the home to make it more attractive to a potential buyer. One area that may get...Read More
Seattle Metal Roofing Facts
In the past metal roofs were not considered to be traditional roofing. However, they are gaining in popularity because of their features. Metal roofs are durable, very lightweight, maintenance free, fire retardant and energy efficient. Metal can be formed to imitate the appearance of almost any other style roofing. Metal roofs have a life expectancy...Read More | 3,680 | 1,735 | 0.000585 |
warc | 201704 | Q: I read your column about turntables and the relative insignificance of cartridges when purchasing a new turntable.
I find it interesting that magazines such as Stereophile, which you referenced, seem to find cartridges to be of utmost importance, and they glorify high-end cartridges that sell in the thousands of dollars. Of course, they spend nearly as much ink on the virtues of turntables and tone arms selling for unattainable prices. But I've seldom read in those magazines that cartridges are only the third, nearly insignificant, item in a trio of components.
You did say that one's first, cheap cartridge can be improved upon in the future. How soon should that be?
Most of the written concern about inexpensive cartridges is in their stylus wear, thus destroying those microscopic elements in vinyl grooves after hours of use, and in the vast musical improvement that cartridge replacement can accomplish. Is the sound improvement as vast as they say?
Thanks for your articles. They often seem to be contrary to suggestions that you have to spend a fortune to get good sound.
A: I like Stereophile and other high-end audio magazines and use them as a reference, but you need to look at the whole picture.
A lot of high-end audio is scams and silliness. For example, take cables, speaker wire and power cords. It has been proven 100 percent of the time — in every scientifically controlled test, done over decades — that differences don't exist between wires, as long as they aren't defective or mismatched for the task. Yet high-end audio magazines still write about these items as if they have magical properties.
Power cords are silliest of all. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of miles of wire between the power plant and the wall socket. How in the world is changing the last 3 feet between the wall and the component with a $1,000 power cord going to make a difference?
As you noted, a lot of the gear in the magazines is unattainable in terms of price. Most people are shocked to find out that you can spend $100,000 on a turntable or amplifier. It's like car magazines reviewing Ferraris. Few readers can afford them, but they love to see and read about them.
As for your questions about record-playing gear, the reason you don't read about the turntable being most important in the hierarchy is because it's an accepted fact among audiophiles by now. You wouldn't see expensive turntables for sale, otherwise. People would just buy a $1,000 turntable and put a $5,000 cartridge on it, rather than the other way around.
Cartridges that expensive are a waste in almost all cases. You hit diminishing returns pretty fast well before that, and a lot of expensive gear from small companies is outperformed by more modestly priced equipment produced by larger companies with bigger budgets for research and development, and quality control. I'll be writing more about this soon.
As for record wear, even a $49 Audio-Technica AT-95E has an elliptical stylus that will be kind to your records when properly installed and tracking at 1.5 grams or so. I can't imagine anyone with a decent turntable using any less than that.
Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get more recommendations and read past columns at www.soundadviceblog.com. | 3,296 | 1,638 | 0.000615 |
warc | 201704 | Breaking Down Big Papers
An Overview:
One common theme promoted by composition scholars is the importance of revision in the communication process. In his book Engaging Ideas John Bean describes an ideal process where a college student becomes aware of a problem or question, engages in a patient period of exploration and reflection, writes a rough first draft---perhaps with the aid of an informal idea map or outline, and then commits to a long process of reformulation and revision---often partaking in multiple drafts, an examination one’s audience and purpose, multiple visits to the library, formal outlines, and an engagement of outside readers. Only then should a student worry about sentence-level edits and proofreading (30-31). Unfortunately, this type of engagement can be rare among undergraduates, especially for those courses that don’t have a series of process-based deadlines to ensure students aren’t simply pulling all-nighters to complete that 15-page term paper. Last second efforts might allow for a quick proofreading job but are unlikely to engage in the type of research and revision processes that would allow students to present their best work. Such rush jobs can result in sloppy finished products that present a dull chronological summary, an under-explained “data dump”, or an unfocused general description of basic facts (23).
The following worksheet provides a step-by-step checklist that will help undergraduate students break down research papers in manageable chunks throughout the semester. It is designed in the hope that they will be able engage in a process full of exploration, revision, and good research and communication techniques, ultimately producing a focused, informative, and interesting read for their audience. It envisions a final product that is thesis-governed and part of an on-going academic conversation, but also the result of an organic process that allows for exploration, experimentation, questioning, and critical thinking along the way.
The Step-by-Step Process:
Give Yourself Target Due Dates and Check Off Each Task As Completed.
1) Think About a Few Ideas for the Paper. Jot down a few problems or questions that you would find interesting enough to research for two or three months. Look over your syllabus and see if there are any future readings and/or activities in the course that spark your interest.
Target Date: ______ Completed _______
2) Do a Few Free Writes to share with fellow students, the professor, or just to look over on your own to help you organize your thoughts.
Think about…..
* What problems have come to my attention through this course?
* Is there a hypothesis I want to test or an assumption I want to challenge?
* What research methods would I use? * Is the paper topic important and relevant to the course?
* Why do I find the topic interesting?
Target Date: ______ Completed ________
3) Visit Your Professors within the first month of classes. Such an initial meeting is a perfect opportunity to discuss research ideas and the writing process. You might compile a rough idea map following your discussion.
Target Date _______ Completed _____
4) Meet with Campus Research Staff. The library staff is ready to help you use dozens of databases that can guide your search for popular and scholarly sources and can direct you towards other gems like archive collections or datasets related to your research interests. They can also give you guidance on the types of sources you’ll need, how to use those sources, and how to independently take additional steps with your research.
Target Date _______ Completed _____
5) Complete Primary Research. This will take some time. Make sure to use a wide variety of scholarly and other reliable sources. Be sure to take good notes while reading through sources---this will be important when it is time to make citations. Use the works cited page of your best sources to branch out to new materials. Don’t forget to engage with course texts and think about how your project will build off of the on-going scholarly conversation on your topic. Be cognizant of other scholars' assumptions, research methods, and argumentation techniques.
Target Date _______ Completed _____
6) Create a Working Thesis and some sort of basic outline: Once you’ve completed your primary research you’ll probably have some idea about what you want to achieve with this paper and the argument that you are going to make. It makes sense at this point to get a working thesis down on paper, along with an initial outline or more formal idea map that explains how you will lay out your claims and evidence. It's OK if your working thesis or outline change later due to further research or revision; at this moment, these tools will provide much-needed structure as you compose your first draft.
Target Date _______ Completed _____
Note: How Do I Know If My Thesis Is Good? St. Lawrence’s Professor of Economics addressed this question recently in a column in the Washington Post:
“Whether your paper involves outside research or not, you need to have a thesis statement. Once you have an idea of what you want to say, and have some grasp of what others have said, you need to make your ideas more concrete by coming up with a thesis sentence(s). A thesis indicates the main argument of your paper. The point of any class paper is to persuade your reader that you have something to say that he or she should care about. A good thesis should be debatable, specific, and concise.”
7) Write the First Draft. Follow your informal outline or idea map, have your research notes accessible, and cite your sources as you go. Don’t worry if your first draft is a bit of a mess. As John Bean points out, the French word for first draft is brouillon, an apt description of what should be healthy, creative disorder at this point (19).
Target Date _______ Completed _____
8) Revision: The revision process is very different than proofreading (that will come later). Revision means thinking deeply about a paper’s objectives and overall aims and wrestling with 'big picture' or 'global-level' questions regarding your project.
You might ask yourself:
Are there parts of my paper that I need to reconceive?
Are there especially promising sections that beg for more development? Are there other portions that should be scaled back? Is the text appropriate for my intended audience? Am I using good evidence to back up my points? Do my claims fit with my thesis? Can I see myself in dialogue with other scholars in this field? Do I need to tweak or change my thesis? Have I avoided fallacies? Am I making a reasoned argument?
Important Notes: During the revision process you will end up writing at least one additional draft and perhaps more. Leave yourself plenty of time to reflect on your ideas and your communication plan during this time. This period is also an idea time to engage in peer review or use the Word Studio.
Target Date _______ Completed _____
9) Do Any Additional Research that proceeds from your revision process.
Target Date _______ Completed _____
10) More Revising: Professional writers often revise their work a half-dozen times or more. A second, shorter period of revision would be very helpful in making sure your adjustments worked.
Target Date _______ Completed _____
11) Ensure That Your Citations and Bibliography Are Complete: You always need to give credit to other people’s work, and citations demonstrate the credibility of your final product and provide a road map for your audience. If you have questions about this process, you can ask your professor, the library staff, or the Word Studio.
Target Date _______ Completed _____
12) Proofreading: Many typographical and grammatical errors will be addressed during the revision process, so you should leave formal proofreading to the end. I recommend reading your entire paper out loud (or use a computer program that can do this for you) to ensure that no errors have snuck through. You can also consult the Word Studio about any nagging grammatical or structural questions. Be aware the spellcheck won’t catch everything (e.g., misplaced homonyms)
Target Date _______ Completed _____
13) Submit the Assignment.
Due Date _____ Completed: ______
Next Steps: If you're looking to see a graphic representation of this division of labor throughout a hypothetical semester, please take a look at the Academic Support attachment titled, "Gantt for Big Papers". Gantt Charts can be extremely useful in helping one organize his or her time. They're easy to create on Microsoft Excel and anyone is welcome to drop by Whitman Annex 16 to receive help in setting one up or in using this worksheet as a whole.
Works Cited:
Bean, John. Engaging Ideas. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996.
Horwitz, Steven. "A Guide to Writing an Academic Paper". washingtonpost.com. The Answer Sheet Blog by Valerie Strauss. 20 Jan. 2012. Web.
Written by Matt McCluskey, Coordinator of Academic Support | 9,082 | 4,114 | 0.000247 |
warc | 201704 | Some people are terrified of snakes, even the harmless garter snakes that live in St. Paul.
The garter snake is common in Minnesota in both rural and urban areas. They don’t have teeth, and don’t attack people, they eat insects and slither away when people come close.
Garter snakes live in my garden, in the rhubarb. They like heat and need it to aid the digestion of food. On a warm fall day it is not unusual to see them sunning them selves along the foundation of my home or on the walk ways. On occasion I have seen them come out of hibernation during the winter to catch a few rays.
Every couple of years a snake gets inside the house. We get them out before the cat figures it out. They do not live in the house and since they can not climb in they usually get in through an open window in the basement. They prefer to live in the ground and are fond of compost heaps and wood piles and are plentiful along the river bluff in St. Paul in the residential areas. The soil on the bluff is warmer because of all the lime stone close to the surface.
Home shoppers should let their REALTORS know if they are afraid of snakes. Sellers are not required to disclose the presence of snakes outside the house. They are not required to disclose the existence of bees, bats or any other kind of wild life found out doors in most urban areas. For some home buyers their ability to enjoy their property is greatly diminished by the presence of these creatures. Read about ophidiphobia, fear of snakes.
Learn more about garter snakes from the University of Minnesota extension service web site. | 1,602 | 829 | 0.001219 |
warc | 201704 | Direction Determines Your Destination People may have the right intentions, but its the direction they’re going in life that determines their destination.
Life is a series of related decisions, and its not luck that gets you to where you want to be. What direction are you heading right now? Some paths can lead you far away from your original goals and dreams, while others keep you on track to realize them.
Take a quick inventory right now, are the decisions you are presently making going to realistically get you to your goal? Have you gotten off track, even just a little, recently? How can you now get back on track if you find you are in fact on an unplanned detour? For example: your finances for school are minimal, and debt is mounting, yet you havent bothered to find ways to cut back on expenses. Today, get back on track by making a list of monthly expenses. Now see where you can cut costs right off–it’s easy when you’re ruthless! Stick to your budget, no matter what.
Do you have cell phone and cable bills in another stratosphere? Check out cancelcable.com, see how you can save money watching your favorite programsfree. Instead of a contract phone, opt for a pay-as-you-go phone that costs around $15 to purchase and then add minutes when needed. This helps you control your talking/texting habit too. (Please dont talk/text while driving). Sure, the contract phone might not have all the latest bells and whistles, but right now you have to make drastic changes. Think of the future.
How about your job seeking approach, have you become discouraged? Dont let this economy steal your dreams. Begin to ramp up your search tactics by focusing on networking, reading the best resources on interviewing, resume, and cover letter writing. Log on to StudentMentor.org’s home page and get yourself a great mentor! They can help keep you on track, motivated and aimed in the right direction.
What direction are you moving in? Make the right decisions to get to the best destination.
©2010 | 2,038 | 1,076 | 0.000947 |
warc | 201704 | The term "American Exceptionalism" refers to the historical perception of the United States as an inherently idiosyncratic nation, because of its unique origins, national principles, historical evolution, distinguishing political and religious institutions. It is an ethnocentric idea that places the United States and the American people at a special place in the world by offering opportunity and hope for humanity and uniquely balancing public and private interests governed by constitutional ideals that are focused on personal and economic freedom. It is also seen as the presence of traits unique to the United States, such as the tradition of individualism, the failure of socialist parties, and high levels of religiosity. Some interpret the term to indicate a moral superiority of Americans, while others use it to refer to the American concept of itself as an exceptional ideal, which is not necessarily upheld by the people and government of the nation. Others claim "American exceptionalism" is common ethnocentrism and merely propaganda that justifies a chauvinistically America-centered view of the world. American exceptionalism also refers to some case of American uniqueness without implying that an innate superiority of Americans resulted in the development of that uniqueness. While uniqueness does not imply superiority, I do think that our privileged nation has established itself as a global force because of the power it has been able to assert and the reverence other nations have for the American way of life, which has made it superior in some senses. While American exceptionalism in some ways argues an innately distinctive and individual status, I believe it to be a prominence developed throughout the course of United States history, rooted in the original colonization by the Puritans, furthered by the American Revolution and immigration, and maintained in our political stability. Puritans were not only the founders of the nations as a whole, but the mother of... | 2,005 | 950 | 0.001056 |
warc | 201704 | Relevant offers
Record outbreak of Dutch elm disease in 200 trees at the former Kingseat Hospital isn't the only case of the deadly fungus in South Auckland.
Eleven elm trees at the Manukau Memorial Gardens are also in line for the chop after the disease was discovered there over summer.
The Manukau trees are all dead or dying, apart from one American elm which has so far escaped infection.
All are thought to be at least 35 years old and were found during an annual survey of the 16,000 elms on Auckland Council's database, council arboriculture adviser Simon Cook says.
The felled elms will be mulched and the material used in the memorial gardens.
The 200 trees at Kingseat have already been felled. The infection at the Spookers haunted attraction theme park is the largest outbreak since the disease was discovered in New Zealand in 1989.
It is spread by a bark beetle carrying fungal spores or through the transfer of diseased material.
So far it has been contained within the Auckland region but there has been a resurgence since a government-funded control programme was cut in 2006, Mr Cook says.
The "devastating" Kingseat outbreak heightens the risk the disease will soon be found in the Waikato, where elms are common in both urban and rural zones.
An arborist made the find while assessing the trees as part of the rezoning of the Kingseat property for housing, Mr Cook says.
The infection appears to have set in two to three years ago, allowing a "huge" number of beetles to reproduce and posing a major infection threat, although it's hoped the stand of trees was big enough for the beetles to stay put, he says.
Council staff helped the owner ensure the elms were cleared safely.
"Kingseat is a historic character site with elms initially planted in the 1930s. It's a shame that they will be losing such a significant number of trees," Mr Cook says.
"However this demonstrates just how devastating the disease really is."
Infected trees have also recently been found at parks in Bucklands Beach and Pakuranga and on private property in Drury.
"We've had so many diseased trees this year that we haven't been able to cope."
The council is removing affected trees on public land. Private property owners are legally required to remove infected trees themselves but the council is happy to help, he says.
Material should be mulched, buried or burnt immediately.
New cases will become evident in spring with elms either not coming into leaf or wilting rapidly after bud burst, Mr Cook says.
"Given the speed at which Dutch elm disease can spread, and the fact that it's nearly always fatal for affected trees, we're taking every precaution to ensure we remove the trees safely and contain the threat."
DUTCH ELM DISEASE - WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Dutch elm disease can infect any species of elm. It is usually spread by the bark beetle Scolytus multistriatus carrying fungal spores from tree to tree or through the transfer of diseased material. It can also spread between neighbouring trees when their roots fuse together. Once infected, the tree essentially kills itself as it plugs up channels to stop the fungus spreading. In the process, the tree blocks its uptake of water and nutrients. Wilting and death soon follow. Residents are asked to watch for dying or dead branches and trees as well as signs of wilting, curling or yellowing leaves especially during spring or summer. It is illegal to move elm material in and out of the Auckland area between the Bombay Hills and Albany or to sell elms at Auckland nurseries. Storage of elm wood - including for firewood - is forbidden under the Biosecurity Act 1993. Property owners are required by law to get rid of diseased trees and bury, mulch or burn the wood. To report an outbreak visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or call 301 0101. - Papakura Courier
Are our classrooms becoming overcrowded? | 3,890 | 1,916 | 0.000527 |
warc | 201704 | Guest post by Rohani Alexander: As a reading snob, I feel my book geek status is low when I catch up on Reading Is Bliss ( Karen note: aww, shucks but also - NOT TRUE!), because I often don't know the books mentioned, especially the newer ones. Being well read has involuntarily dropped far down my list of priorities. Sleep thieves, night guzzlers, humanity's great time wasters - whatever you want to call them, and by all means call them adorable biology projects - children rob parents of the time and energy to expand their intellectual horizons.
I don't know anyone with small kids who stays on top of current affairs and the latest must-reads, while remaining well-rested, well-nourished and well, sane. Don't get me wrong. I still manage to read books. It just takes a hell of a lot longer to finish them and the stakes if you sacrifice precious sleep for reading are higher.
Now I fear my powers of comprehension, expensively acquired at university, are being irreparably dimmed. With fellow Mummies recently, the discussion turned to movies due out. Someone mentioned Catching Fire. Someone else said they hadn't read The Hunger Games and had no idea about it, what was it about? Pause. "It's about revolution in a post-apocalyptic society," I ventured, relieved to have blagged the books off someone.
Finally, a real conversation I could contribute to! Then I noticed a sea of blank expressions. "It's about children killing children," someone else said. A collective "ooh, aah" of understanding arose, leaving me cowering in my Smug Boots and wondering if this is where I'm headed - sparing only enough mental wherewithal to recognise plot, not theme.
As with anything about parenting and children, suggesting that kiddy-wrangling costs you the brain power to adequately digest a book is bound to cause offence, controversy and argument. All I know is this - I read nothing like as much as I want to and pay a lot less attention to what I do read. Many Mummies might consider a couple of hours at the gym or even a trip to the bathroom
an impossibly blissful dream. Mine is to be locked in the house of a friend who happens to own a particularly heavenly couch, with a book. The non-reading hubby says he even considered giving this to me as a birthday present. alone
Do you think being parent has made you less of a bookworm? Where do you fit reading into your life? | 2,393 | 1,321 | 0.000761 |
warc | 201704 | Good morning and greetings, NBA western conference playoff fans. It’s been a big month for birthdays in the Gilbert family, as last Monday, both my son and brother celebrated with cake, candles and ice cream, along with pony rides and a little pin the tail on the MRI.
So to update my brother Brad’s knee reconstruction, his surgery was postponed until this week so they could do some more tests. But my youngest brother has maintained a positive attitude, unlike his oldest brother, who would be bemoaning his fate to anyone within the continental U.S or Hawaiian Islands.
He’s heard from many people concerning their thoughts on his current predicament. The consensus is that he’s lucky to be alive. My wife says he now has to figure out why he is alive after falling 800 feet down an Alaskan glacier.
I haven’t shared my opinion, as advice after injury is like medicine after death. Luckily, both Abe Lincoln and I agree that “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”
By all accounts, his future is still ahead of him, as this catastrophic knee injury won’t keep him down for long. Or as Kobe Bryant once said, “I’ve played with IVs before, during and after games. I’ve played with a broken hand, a sprained ankle, a torn shoulder, a severed lip and a knee the size of a softball. I don’t miss 15 games because of a toe injury that everybody knows wasn’t that serious in the first place.”
Kobe was referring to an injury to Shaquille O’Neal, who refused to comment on this story. He was too busy promoting his AriZona Beverage “Soda Shaq” line of cream sodas, which according to Charles Barkley, is “Spreading diabetes all across the world, as we speak. Got like 50 grams of sugar in one can of that cream soda.”
As it turns out, the Round Mound of Rebound was a bit off. A BevReview.com rundown of Soda Shaq noted that each 23.5-ounce can actually has 70.5 grams of sugar. Hey, who doesn’t love a drink boasting all-natural ingredients while containing just 1% juice? A big can for a big scam.
Or as the Center for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michale F. Jacobson put it, “Clearly, Shaq knows better. He has said he avoids soda himself, and worries about obesity and diabetes. But he’s now using his name, face, and reputation to make those health problems even bigger. It’s shameful hypocrisy, presumably motivated by money.”
It just goes to show when it comes to the Big Aristotle, it’s tough to separate a fool and his money.
Getting back to the birthday theme, Saturday was my father’s 97th birthday. That’s right. 97. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s nine decades plus seven years. Or to put it in simpler terms, that’s 5,244 weeks or approximately 35,405 days on the planet. Simply mindblowing.
My father is suffering from dementia, so his short term memory isn’t what it used to be. When I asked him a few months ago how old he was, he replied, “70.” He couldn’t even begin to fathom 97. When I asked him the same question on Friday, he couldn’t come up with an answer. Not even a guess.
America’s population of persons aged 90-and-older has almost tripled since 1980, reaching 1.9 million in 2010 and will continue to increase to more than 7.6 million over the next 40 years. People are living longer, but at what price?
There are a few advantages to being older. Basically, it’s that you can eat dinner at 4 pm. Someone once asked comedian George Burns what would he most appreciate getting for his 97th birthday. He replied, “A paternity suit.”
Birthdays are good for people, as statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest. But the golden years have not been good to my father. He has been robbed of most of the joy that made up his life, and the dementia has put an incredible amount of stress on my mother, who at 88 years young, is no spring chicken.
But each day, with a little help from the pharmaceutical world, she puts a smile on her face and loves him just the same, although their relationship has totally changed, as she’s now not a equal partner, but a caregiver. I would actually give her the title of a saint, because dealing with dementia is a 24 hour, seven day a week bitch.
But my father still has his one greatest joy, and that is my mother. She’s the gift that keeps on giving.
So for the woman who never breast fed me, in honor of my father’s 97th birthday, here’s a little joke for you. And thanks for never worrying.
A retirement village decided to hold a Singles Dance, at which this very sweet 90-year-old gentleman met a very sweet 90-year-old lady, and they danced and talked and laughed, and just hit it off great.
They continued to see each other for a while and enjoyed each other so much, and danced so well together, etc., that they decided to get married. On their wedding night, they went to bed and he reached over and took her hand and squeezed it, and she squeezed his hand back, and they went to sleep.
On the second night, when they went to bed, he reached over and squeezed her hand, and she squeezed his hand back, and they went to sleep. On the third night, he reached over and took her hand, and she said, “Not tonight, honey, I have a headache.”
So for today’s photo funhouse, we are leaving behind the glorious sunrises and sunsets of 2103 and turning the page to embrace the new year.
We are starting off with the sunrise from January 3, shot at the usual locations along West Cliff Drive, Lighthouse Point and Steamers Lane. It was a classic way to start off the 2014 festivities, as later in the day a gorgeous sunset stopped by to chat, which I will showcase next week.
Anytime I can capture a beautiful winter sunrise and sunset on the same day, I’m left with a feeling of fulfillment. At least until the next morning. So stay tuned.
On to some late night humor. “At the NCAA men’s basketball championship, President Clinton sat with President George W. Bush. In the second half, Bush tried to catch a foul ball.” –David Letterman “George W. Bush and Bill Clinton sat next to each other at the big game. Clinton congratulated UConn on its big win, while Bush gave Kentucky a ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner.” –Jimmy Fallon
“A man got a tattoo saying that Kentucky won the NCAA tournament this year even though they lost. The tattoo is right above his tattoo congratulating President Mitt Romney.” –Conan O’Brien “President Obama invited the U.S. Olympic team to the White House yesterday to congratulate them on their performance in Sochi. Of course it got awkward when Biden told the biathletes, ‘I won’t rest until all you guys can get married.’” –Jimmy Fallon
“McDonald’s announced that it has closed its three restaurants in Crimea because of the tension in the region. Then Putin said, ‘Is good to hear. Even I don’t have weapon as destructive as McRib.’” –Jimmy Fallon “The North Korean dictator is in the news again. He was re-elected with 100 percent of the vote. He said, “I haven’t been this happy since I scored 700,000 on the SAT exam.” – Conan O’Brien
“Happy Birthday to Hugh Hefner. He turned 88 years old today. His friends threw him a big party. They had a naked woman jump out of a giant bran muffin.” – Jimmy Fallon “A couple in Michigan is being sued for $2 million after they burned down their apartment complex while trying to cook a squirrel with a blowtorch. I’m not an accountant, but it SOUNDS like they might not have $2 million.” – Seth Meyers
“America’s biggest employer is Walmart, where the average wage is $8 dollars an hour. Meanwhile, Walmart’s owners are so absurdly rich that one of them, Alice Walton, spent over a billion dollars building an art museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. And she said about it, ‘For years I’ve been thinking about what we can do as a family that can really make a difference.’ How about giving your employees a raise, you deluded nitwit?” –Bill Maher
So that’s a wrap. We’ll catch you being the best shooter in the NBA by hitting mind-blowing threes at crunch time. Aloha, mahalo and later, Stephen Curry fans. | 8,522 | 4,150 | 0.000256 |
warc | 201704 | 15 Rules all Nannies Should Know.
Here is a list of general ground rules we think all nannies should know. The golden rule is don’t assume they know this. As a parent, it is worth taking a few minutes and running through the ground rules that are important to you, your family and that fit into your value system.
Nannies should never drink alcohol or smoke at the employer’s home or in the presence of children at any time.
Nannies should never smack a child.
Nannies should never help themselves to household goods without asking the employer first.
Nannies should not use TV as a source of entertainment during any time of the day unless the parents stipulate otherwise.
Nannies should never give the child any medicine without informing the parents first.
If a nanny wakes up feeling sick and is unable to come to work, a nanny should call at least an hour before she would normally start work to inform her employer so the employer can make a backup plan for the day.
If she is late for work she should inform her employer before or on the hour she should be starting work and not later.
A nanny should never feed a weaning baby anything other than what the mother has prescribed.
A nanny should always wash her hands as soon as she walks through the door and before she picks up the baby.
A nanny must always wear gloves when blood is present –either a wound on her hand or blood on the child.
A nanny should always inform the parents where she is, should she leave the house with the child i.e. in the form of a note or call if she is going for a walk, visiting a neighbour or going to a park.
Should a child fall ill, have a fever, be vomiting or have diarreah, the nanny should inform the parents immediately.
A nanny should never leave a child alone around water or alone in the house even for a few minutes i.e. to hang up the washing.
A nanny should never alter a child’s appearance ie cut a child’s hair or a baby nails without asking the mom first.
A nanny should never go outside with the child – i.e. garden or park without sunscreen, hat and liquids (juice, water, milk) especially in summer.
Give your nanny the confidence and knowledge to care for your child in a safe and loving environment. Send her on one of our wonderful nanny training courses and see the difference immediately. Enquire here! | 2,366 | 1,088 | 0.000939 |
warc | 201704 | Hyperhidrosis and Genetics
As far as we know now genetics plays a major role in the cause of hyperhidrosis. Numerous studies based on large numbers of cases have shown a genetic history in more than 50% of the patients with hyperhidrosis. This incidence alone is enough of an indication that the basis for this problem is a genetic one. Researchers in China have found the location of the gene that affects this problem. Unfortunately gene manipulation or gene treatment is still a long way from being able to be used as a therapeutic measure. Dr. Reisfeld has treated and interviewed thousands of hyperhidrosis patients over the years and seen this genetic pattern time and time again in more than half of his patients. Dr. Reisfeld is one of the most experienced and respected hyperhidrosis surgeons in the world.
It should be known that the 50% + incidence rate is likely to be higher because people tend to not share or ignore the issue within their family. Hyperhidrosis is embarrassing condition and not likely to be talked about. A patient may have an uncle, aunt, nephew, niece etc who is also suffering from the condition but never know it.
Most of the patients who report some family history will more frequently say it is from the mother’s side of the family. We conducted an informal poll on our website and the results support this statement.
Major advances have been made in genetic research but due to the benign nature of hyperhidrosis less efforts by drug companies or researchers are given to solve this issue.
See also: | 1,550 | 806 | 0.00125 |
warc | 201704 | Want to be happy? Following Luminita D. Saviuc’s 15 things you should give up to be happy can very well put you on track to an easier and happier life.
They were on the edge of divorce in their marriage, then he asked her one question every morning and during the second week her eyes welled up with tears
Also described as the world’s poorest president who donated much of his salary to charities & probably the only president who gave a hitchhiker a ride at side road in Uruguay.
I was at Starbucks last Saturday, waiting to meet a friend, and sitting right in front of me was a mum trying to teach her children to complete a set of homework. What happened next was even more shocking.
How was your last day of 2013? Did it end with spectacular fireworks display? For some, you are probably still waiting to usher in the new year. I hope you have had or are having a wonderful time with your loved ones on the last day of 2013.
Things or situations are inflexible at times … but we can be flexible with our choices or decisions. A lot of times we thought that we are incapable of change but the truth could be that we are bidding for more time. In other words, we procrastinate – as long as we do not have to change, we want everything to remain as they are. | 1,287 | 725 | 0.001409 |
warc | 201704 | Browse by Categories About Sz-wholesale FAQ Buy Wholesale from China- A Guide Tips to Buy Wholesale from China Things to Consider When Buying from China How to Ship From Shenzhen, China to the US? How To Select Promotional Gifts ? How to Calculate Shipping Cost? How to Place Orders Shipping Methods from China Branding & Logo Imprint Payment Methods OEM & ODM Services Ordering Samples Promotional Products Industry Stats sz-wholesale.com supports selected nonprofit organizations and educational institutions with free promotional products. Call us to find out if your organization qualifies for this program. 2 items found in wholesale
navigate compass 1 Recommend Promotional Products Knowledge Base Articles Wholesale Pens - Marking Its Way Up the Promotional LadderOne of the first things we must consider when choosing the right promotional product is its functionality. This is because people tend to use those things more often, which also reminds them more about the brand that you are trying to promote. And with this as a basic guideline in advertising, Wholesale Pens have always been an option for your giveaway. They come in different colours, designs, and materials that can suit any target market you have in mind. Types of Wholesale Pens Used for Promotional Purposes Roller ball pens. This is the most common type of pen most popular brands have. It offers precision in ink distribution, which makes it ideal for writing. These pens are usually given out to executives. Multi-function pens. This is the multi-coloured pen that is normally a four-in-one pen. This can be given out to students and office employees. Rubber gripped pen. Any kind of pen can have this feat Avoid Using Plastic Water BottlesWell you must know that the numbers you are going to see are reflecting the impact of modern habits of drinking water. Although these data may be somewhat questionable and contestable, sometimes if we change our attitude and behavior in consumption, that may lead to benefits for us. Now without wasting time let us look at the facts and numbers related to plastic water bottles. The plastic bottles take about seven centuries before they completely decompose Eighty percent of used plastic bottles are not recycled. Each year in the U.S. thirty eight million plastic bottles used for water go into trash without being recycled It takes ninety million gallons of oil to produce a billion plastic bottles On an average, American people consume one hundred sixty seven bottles of water a year. In Italy every year consumption on an average is of two hundred seventy liters of mineral water and soft drinks Doing Business With ChinaThe two most over-used buzzwords in business of the last ten to fifteen years are "China's Coming" and "The internet will change everything". Curiously, it's not very often that you hear both buzzwords used together - but why not ? Using the internet to do business with China has to be one of the smartest ideas around. First of all, China has some incredible advantages in terms of trade. It has easy access to raw materials and cheap labour. Its economic base is growing and there is very little that China can't produce. Secondly, it is a massive and growing market for all sorts of products and services and with an increasing taste for western brands. These facts alone make doing business with China a very interesting proposition, let alone the fact that your competitors are already thinking about how they can lower costs and/or expand sales by doing business with China. But there are a number of drawbacks to doing face to face business How to Source Wholesale ProductsIf you’re starting a retail business and looking for products to sell, you’ll need to find reliable wholesale suppliers. Sourcing wholesale products can be challenging, and there are certainly lots of pitfalls that business owners need to look out for. This serves as a guide with some helpful tips for finding the right wholesale product sources for your business in the US. Steps 1 Decide what you’re going to sell. There are many ways to go about this. You want to choose products that are going to sell well, but that the market isn’t completely flooded with. In that case, you would need to be ultra-competitive in order to get sales. Perhaps you make your own items to sell (like handmade jewelry or crafts), or you want to sell fashion accessories or clothing. To determine what kind of items are selling well, you’ll need to look at trends. If you’re opening up a physical store in your area, you’ll need to do some research into local Promotional Plastic Bags - What You Must Know Before Buying ThemPromotional plastic bags have become one of the top advertisement methods used to successfully promote a business or service in the most cost-effective manner. Whether they are plastic, fabric or paper, customized promotional bags are perfect for customers when they leave your stores, carrying merchandise and food products, attend tradeshows, and go to food fairs. If you do your research well, according to the trade group Film and Bag Federation, most people will grab plastic first. Economically and environmentally, plastic outweighs paper in many ways: R approximately 94% less waterborne wastes than paper. Consumes 40% less energy than paper. Produces 70% less atmospheric emissions than paper. Generate under 80% of solid waste. Standard and reusable plastic bags cost one cent to make while paper bags costs four cents, which makes them ideal for advertising purposes. Y | 5,562 | 2,649 | 0.00038 |
warc | 201704 | Cutting your child’s hair for the first time can be an emotional event. And not just for your little one, for momma too! Big scissors, loud noises and unfamiliar places can scare your child. While realizing your baby isn’t a baby any more or saying goodbye to curls can be nerve wracking for you. But no matter how stressful it may be, at some point, your little one needs a trim. This last week, it was Aden’s turn.
I’m absolutely in love with Aden’s curls so I was in no rush to get his hair cut, but his hair was growing…and it was growing fast! Thank God for my curly hair doctor Shai. Shai, who owns Capella Salon, is known as a curly hair guru. He’s the one that gave me my big chop when I decided to go natural, and I knew he would be perfect for Aden’s first haircut.
I was so proud of my Aden. He didn’t cry at all. He was a fidgety little one, so he sat on Daddy’s lap the whole time. But Shai handled him with ease and in the end Aden loved his cut so much. He was even eager to make another appointment. :) Shai, thank you for being so understanding!
The experience did make me think about ways to keep your little one put while getting their hair cut so the stylist doesn’t end up accidentally taking off more than intended. These 3 ideas should keep your kiddo still during the process. You can use these ideas for other “sit still” situations as well!
A designated toy – If you give your little one a toy during the cut they’ll be less likely to wiggle around. If you select one toy to use repeatedly with activities that they don’t particularly like, they will become more comfortable with the situation. We gave Aden a toy so he would stay distracted during his cut. This is also a great way to keep babies in place while changing diapers! Watch a video – Adam and I aren’t ones to sit Aden in front of a screen often, but in limited spurts I’m much more comfortable with it. Hair cuts can be botched with too much movement and as a mother, that’s the last thing you want to happen. If you can turn a show on your smartphone and let your little one focus on their favorite characters, your trip will go much quicker. Carry a comfort item – Keeping your child distracted with the two tricks above will help them to be still, but sometimes they need a little something extra. If they have a blanket or a doll they don’t let out of their sight, bring it with! Just the ease of knowing their security item is with them will calm their nerves and give them something to hold on to or focus on instead of being scared by the new noises and setting.
In the end, I considered the experience a success. Aden still has his curls and he wasn’t scared of the experience. And, yes, I kept his cut curls in a cute lil envelope to show him when he grows up. How could I not!? :)
How was your first cut experience with your kids?
Xx,
Tamera | 2,966 | 1,469 | 0.000711 |
warc | 201704 | With so much attention being paid to whether American automakers should get a bailout, Congress should not lose sight of essential legislation to extend unemployment benefits. Senate leaders have bundled together an auto industry rescue with the extension of unemployment benefits. But if it turns out that Democrats can't muster the votes needed for passage of a combined measure, the jobless benefits should be approved separately.
The benefits extension already passed the House in October by wide bipartisan margins. The bill would grant an added seven weeks of federal jobless benefits in all states and another 13 weeks in states with unemployment rates of at least 6 percent (Florida's unemployment rate was 6.6 percent in September). The measure's outcome in the Senate isn't assured, and President Bush has not signaled his support. But if these additional weeks are not granted, it is estimated that more than a million Americans will exhaust their benefits by the end of the year before finding another job.
Unemployment insurance, a program created during the Great Depression, provides a vital safety net for the country's displaced workers — think of it as a bailout for the rest of us, as opposed to Wall Street bankers, when facing hard times. With an average weekly jobless benefit of $293, no one's getting rich, but the payments offer workers a temporary financial bridge in a rocky economy. As we face down the barrel of a deep and difficult recession, a longer bridge is warranted.
In the 1970s, unemployment benefits were awarded for up to 65 weeks. But in the last 25 years, government programs designed to help people in times of financial stress have been winnowed down. The current maximum benefit is 39 weeks, and that is only because a federal 13-week extension was passed in June.
Another 13 weeks of benefits would increase the maximum to 52 weeks, a boost more than justified by the bleak jobs picture. In October, the unemployment rate hit 6.5 percent, and there are estimates that it could reach 8 percent or higher next year. Already we are in record territory. You have to look back 25 years to find a time when more people were receiving unemployment benefits, according to the progressive Center for American Progress.
From an economic stimulus perspective, the added benefits would also help stave off foreclosures — the very thing keeping the housing market from stabilizing. And jobless benefits are typically spent for living expenses, injecting money directly into the economy and potentially lessening the severity of a recession.
If Congress doesn't get too bogged down in partisan bickering over an auto industry rescue, it is possible that even this stalemated, lame-duck Congress can get this done. Then, in January, a new Congress can push for other stimulus measures that help average Americans, including more relief for homeowners facing foreclosure. | 2,919 | 1,444 | 0.000697 |
warc | 201704 | Digging of edges of shoulders into workpieces would be reduced or eliminated.
In a proposed improvement of tooling for friction stir welding, gimballed shoulders would supplant shoulders that, heretofore, have been fixedly aligned with pins. The proposal is especially relevant to self-reacting friction stir welding.
Some definitions of terms, recapitulated from related prior
NASA Tech Briefs articles, are prerequisite to a meaningful description of the proposed improvement. In friction stir welding, one uses a tool that includes (1) a rotating shoulder on top (or front) of the workpiece and (2) a pin that rotates with the shoulder and protrudes from the shoulder into the depth of the workpiece. In conventional friction stir welding, the main axial force exerted by the tool on the workpiece is reacted through a ridged backing anvil under (behind) the workpiece. When conventional friction stir welding is augmented with an autoadjustable pin-tool (APT) capability, the depth of penetration of the pin into the workpiece is varied in real time by a position- or force-control system that extends or retracts the pin as needed to obtain the desired effect.
In self-reacting (also known as selfreacted) friction stir welding as practiced heretofore, there are two shoulders: one on top (or front) and one on the bottom (or back) of the workpiece. In this case, a threaded shaft protrudes from the tip of the pin to beyond the back surface of the workpiece. The back shoulder is held axially in place against tension by a nut on the threaded shaft. Both shoulders rotate with the pin and remain aligned coaxially with the pin. The main axial force exerted on the workpiece by the tool and front shoulder is reacted through the back shoulder and the threaded shaft into the friction-stir-welding machine head, so that a backing anvil is no longer needed. A key transmits torque between the bottom shoulder and the threaded shaft, so that the bottom shoulder rotates with the shaft. This concludes the prerequisite definitions of terms.
One consequence of the fixed alignment of the shoulders with the pin is that if the thickness of the workpiece or the slope of either surface of the workpiece varies as the tool moves along the workpiece, then the leading or trailing edge(s) of one or both shoulder(s) tend to dig into the workpiece, generating excessive flashing along the weld. The proposed improvement would be a simple, relatively inexpensive means of preventing or reducing such digging. The gimballing of either or both shoulder(s) would enable the tool to better adapt to curvatures and other local variations in the slopes of workpiece surfaces, without need for a complex, expensive shoulder-angle control system.
The figure depicts a representative tool for self-reacting friction stir welding incorporating the proposed improvement. [In this case, the bottom shoulder (only) would be gimballed. Optionally, both shoulders or the top shoulder (only) could be gimballed.] The shaft would be terminated in a ball, from which indexing pins would protrude radially at angular intervals of 90° in a plane perpendicular to the pin/shaft axis. The indexing pins would define gimbal axes. The bottom shoulder would contain slots that would loosely engage the indexing pins. The configuration of the indexing pins and slots would be such that the bottom shoulder would be forced to rotate with the pin and shaft and the pins would hold the back (bottom) shoulder axially in place against tension, yet the looseness of the pin/slot engagement would allow limited rotation of the bottom shoulder about the gimbal axes to accommodate local variations in the slope of the lower surface of the workpiece.
This work was done by Robert Carter and Kirby Lawless of Marshall Space Flight Center. This invention is owned by NASA, and a patent application has been filed. For further information, contact Sammy Nabors, MSFC Commercialization Assistance Lead, at sammy. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Refer to MFS-32115-1. | 4,097 | 1,734 | 0.000579 |
warc | 201704 | You've all read the stories about the large number of projects that fail. Some reports say that half or more of all projects fail—perhaps as many as 80%! However, as you look at the projects in your company, would you really say that 80% of them are failures? Would even 50% be considered failures?
To answer the question of how many failed projects there are, you first need to understand the definition of a failed project. The concept that plays a key role is the idea of tolerances. If you estimate that a project will cost $230,000, is your project a failure if the actual cost is $230,500? You missed your budget, right? Yes, but this gets into the concept of tolerances. If you delivered within $500 on a $230,000 budget, your project was not a failure. In fact, you should be lifted on the group's shoulders and paraded around the company as a hero.
Your company needs to establish the tolerance level that it considers to be reasonable for projects. At some companies, for instance, the tolerance level is set at -10% to +10% of budget and schedule. If your budget was $230,000, this means you could have gone over-budget by $23,000 and still be considered successful. If you complete a nine month project within three weeks, that might be considered very successful as well. (Your original budget and deadline also are adjusted if you had approved scope change requests.)
So, what is a troubled project? Consider the following project characteristics as examples. These criteria would definitely be outside tolerances:
The project is trending 30% or more over its estimated budget The project is trending 30% or more over its estimated deadline (although this may not be as important if the budget is not also over by 30% or more). The project appears within tolerances, but only by deferring the completion of one or more major deliverables. The project appears within tolerances, but only by compromising on quality to the point that the value and integrity of the deliverable are called into question. The clients are extremely dissatisfied with the performance of the project team. If the clients had to do it again, they would not use the same project team. The client-project team relationship is dysfunctional. This could include situations such as the client and sponsor losing interest in the success of the project, major animosity between the project team and the client, deliberate sabotage by one party to make the other party look bad, etc.
The criteria for describing a troubled project in your organization may be different. However, the point is that you need to validate whether the project is just in "a little trouble" or whether there is a real disaster brewing. Before you go to the trouble of performing a project rescue, make sure the project is really in serious trouble. | 2,820 | 1,310 | 0.000767 |
warc | 201704 | On Wednesday at the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, a group of security analysts took on one of the most critical concerns when it comes to autonomous and connected cars: Hacking into them.
Moderated by Ron Plesco, principal and national lead at KPMG cyber investigations, the panel included Adam Meyers, vice president of intelligence at CrowdStrike, Danny Le, principal and automotive leader for KPMG cyber security services, and Doron Rotman, managing director and privacy service leader for IT audit and assurance at KPMG.
The group discussed what Plesco called the "internet of cars"—the kind of data connected and autonomous cars share, who owns it, and how it can be compromised.
Le works closely with different types of companies on security. "The reality of cybersecurity risks may not be as recognized as it should be throughout the entire product development and lifecycle," he said. "There should be security professionals as part of the process. Not an afterthought."
"The threat is very real," Le added. "Governments that have unlimited resources have been hacked. Huge tech companies have been hacked. Millions of email accounts compromised. Financial services and institutions have been hacked."
Meyers brought up some of the earliest automotive hacks, which happened in 2003 when vehicles became enabled with bluetooth—at the time, no form of security had been implemented. And then there was the more recent Tesla incident, when Chinese researchers at Tencent hacked into Tesla S via Wi-Fi, and were able to remotely operate the car.
Today, barriers for interacting with cars have lowered—"they have become more interactive, more like an open platform," said Meyers. That means there are increased vulnerabilities. Also, it's not just vehicles that are open to cyberattack—there are also sensor packages for vehicles, and voice command systems through platforms like Amazon's Alexa that create new vulnerabilities.
So why would a nation, or an individual actor, want to hack into a car's data? It's about money, said Le. "Social media passwords are worth more on the black market than an American Express card," he said.
How to prevent hacking? All panelists stressed a proactive approach. Meyers said he believes in a "ground up" strategy in security vehicles. Carmakers, he said, should be engaging with product security teams. Rotman also said he believes in "privacy by design." He brought up another important point: Considering the ethical uses of data. "You can not 'un-discover' findings," he said.
In addition to preventing hacking, the group talked about the value of the data a car collects.
"Data from the car is the new revenue," said Le. And who owns a car's data is a critical—and unanswered—question. Is it the car owner? The OEM? The individual? "Data is a currency that should be protected," Rotman said.
Meyers also addressed the growing complexity of the industry. "When we look at the new mobility sector, a lot of players are coming in," he said. "There's the powerful OEM, the tech companies, the regulators, and consumers."
"There's a tension in how fast this industry is going to mature," he added. "The user community may not want it as fast as you think. Tech wants to push forward. Regulators want to guide it." This tension, said Meyers, will likely lead to conflict. "It's important to pay attention to the regulators," he said. "They have public interest in mind. We need to talk to regulators and start to regulate ourselves rather than wait."
A cybersecurity breach would also have a major financial impact on the company hacked into. KPMG found that 82% would never buy from an automaker if the company experienced a vehicle hack. "The impact of hacking will go straight to the OEM," said Doron. "They have to pay attention, they have to manage the extended ecosystem."
Le again stressed the urgency of addressing cybersecurity.
"This is a real threat. This is public safety, it's family, it's our kids," he said. "We need to pay attention."
The 3 big takeaways for TechRepublic readers In the age of connected cars, the risk of security hacks is growing, according to a panel of security experts at NAIAS 2017. Hackers will most likely target personal information, like email addresses and social media passwords, which the experts say are more valuable than credit card information. New technology is bringing a host of new players, including the user community, the tech company, the OEM, and regulators, which is likely to bring tension over who "owns" the data. A hacking incident will most directly impact the OEM, and they must take care to protect security in order to protect the brand. KPMG research shows that 82% would never buy from an automaker if the company experienced a vehicle hack. Also see AI as co-pilot': The state of autonomous driving, from the auto world's headquarters in Detroit (TechRepublic) Waymo CEO John Krafcik wins 'Disruptor of the Year' Shift Award, for autonomous minivan, from Roadshow by CNET (TechRepublic) Our autonomous future: How driverless cars will be the first robots we learn to trust (TechRepublic) 7 autonomous vehicle partnerships that will shape the future (TechRepublic) Top 10 developments of 2016 in autonomous vehicles (TechRepublic) Autonomous driving levels 0 to 5: Understanding the differences (TechRepublic) Ford CEO promises autonomous vehicles for mass transit by 2021 (ZDNet) Photos: A list of the world's self-driving cars racing toward 2020 (TechRepublic) Disclosure
Hope Reese has nothing to disclose. She doesn't hold investments in the technology companies she covers.
Full Bio
Hope Reese is a Staff Writer for TechRepublic. She covers the intersection of technology and society, examining the people and ideas that transform how we live today. | 5,895 | 2,758 | 0.000369 |
warc | 201704 | Dynamic meteorology is the study of those motions of the atmosphere that are associated with weather and climate. The science of dynamic meteorology continues its rapid advance, and its scope has broadened considerably. There continue to be important new developments in the analysis and prediction of extratropical synoptic-scale systems. Important progress has been made in the understanding of mesoscale storms, in tropical dynamics, in the dynamics of climate, and in the dynamics of the middle atmosphere. An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology, Third Edition reflects the full scope of modern dynamic meteorology, while providing a coherent presentation of the fundamentals. The text emphasizes physical principles rather than mathematical elegance. * Presents a cogent explanation of the fundamentals of meteorology * Explains storm dynamics for weather-oriented meteorologists * Discusses climate dynamics and the implications posed for global change * Features a new chapter on mesoscale dynamics * Includes updated treatments of climate dynamics, tropical meteorology, middle atmosphere dynamics, and numerical prediction * Instructor's manual is available | 1,168 | 585 | 0.001712 |
warc | 201704 | The principles and practice of toxicology have contributed to protecting not only the individual at work or at home, but populations, communities, and our delicate terrestrial and aquatic environments as well. Toxicology: Principles and Practice in Public Health is the ideal text for a first course in toxicology for the public health student. In five sections, it offers an introduction to the field, as well as the basics of toxicology principles, chemical toxicity, ecotoxicology, and toxicology practice. The text is immediately readable for the student with little technical background. | 594 | 345 | 0.002908 |
warc | 201704 | Traffic congestion is the daily bane of almost all residents in Ho Chi Minh City, where more than six million motorbikes and half a million cars now have to fight for space on the streets.
Experts have for years urged the city to have a more radical rethink on how it should tackle the issue.
At a recent conference to discuss the future of the city late last month, many experts once again called for drastic measures to solve the traffic crisis, before it could cause irreparable damage.
"If public transport and non-motorized transport are not developed, the trend of motorization will increase, with all of its negative effects such as congestion, noise, air pollution and accidents," said Nate Chanchareon, managing director of PTV Asia-Pacific, a company that supplies software and consulting services for traffic and transportation.
Megacities will get less livable, and the economy will be hit, he said.
HCMC police have recorded 2,688 traffic accidents so far this year, with 528 people killed and 2,345 others injured.
Cycling and walking
Chanchareon said the increasing motorization will result in more traffic crashes and take away the space that otherwise could be use for business, shopping, residential and leisure purposes.
To bring back the balance, the city has to develop its public transport system and promote cycling and walking in one integrated transportation model, he said.
“A suitable adapted public transport network can reduce effectively motorized traffic, even if the population increases.”
The city has a population of 9 million, well on its way to become a megacity.
Speaking at the conference, organized by the Vietnamese-German University, Yosui Seki of the urban and transportation consultant ALMEC Corporation pointed out that the city's first metro line, which is under construction, needs to be developed for intermodal transport.
“In order to get a sufficient number of railway passengers, feeder bus services and intermodal facilities will definitely be necessary,” he said.
Seki said that those living in Thu Duc District and District 9 are relatively far and that accessibility to the city center will be tremendously improved by the train.
“However, intermodal facilities at respective stations should be designed for high volume of motorcycles,” he said. | 2,347 | 1,198 | 0.000852 |
warc | 201704 | Do Kaletra, Viread and Zerit cause Hydroxyzine PAM and Generic Paxil to become elevated? Your "nephew" :) needs to be put on it... How safe?
Oct 25, 2010
Hello my beloved "big brother". (I pray that it's ok with you. I ALWAYS wanted a BIG BROTHER as special and trust worthy as you!) I hope you are doing wonderfully always!!!!!Your nephew was recently prescribed generic PAXIL along with Hydroxyzine PAM for anxiety, depression disorder. He is on Kaletra, Zerit and Viread. Are there any contraindications for these combinations? He is, THANKS TO MY GOD and a fastidious, OCD, meticulous mother :) undetectable and a T-Cell count of almost 900. Thank you by the way, for your replying to my scare and your kind reassurance. I BELIEVE YOU (keep in mind I have OCD) but SCARED OUT OF MY MIND because, I completely understand that out of its perfect required environment, HIV cannot survive for a period of time, but my beloved Doctor, even with circumstances being, "right after relations", if my husband after touching me there (oh my gosh, now I am truly blushing!) and then touching let us say the bed post or door knob etc before washing his hands etc. and the boys come right in while I am taking a bath and touch the same area immediately and maybe touch their eyes, mouth, nose etc. can they not become infected? Wouldn't it then be via the mucous membranes that they could? I literally get sick over this. I anxiously await your reply and wish you a WONDERFUL DAY! Hugs and Kisses Always!!!!!
Response from Dr. Frascino
Hello "Little Brother" and "Nephew,"
As a general rule, if a physician other than your HIV specialist prescribes additional medicaments, it's always prudent to check with your HIV specialist physician to be sure there are no drug-drug interactions. I see no reason for concern for adding Paxil and hydroxyzine PAM to a regimen of Kaletra, Zerit and Viread. Your trio of antiretrovirals itself does have some drug-drug interactions that your HIV specialist should be aware of:
1. Viread increases blood levels of Videx.
2. Kaletra increases blood levels of Viread (therefore monitoring for Viread-related side effects is warranted).
3. When Kaletra and Videx are combined, it's recommended that Videx be taken one hour before or two hours after Kaletra.
Regarding your ongoing fears of second hand vaginal fluids on your husband's hands "right after relations" and his then touching bedposts, doorknobs, etc., this poses absolutely no risk to your kids! These fears remain completely unwarranted and totally irrational. If HIV were spread that easily, it would have wiped out the planet (beginning with everyone who has ever visited a strip club or had a lap dance). So no matter how worried (irrationally) you are or how many times you ask the same question, the answer remains the same: NO RISK!
Dr. Bob
Get Email Notifications When This Forum Updates or Subscribe With RSS
Q&A TERMS OF USE
This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.
Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.
Review our complete terms of use and copyright notice. | 3,578 | 1,890 | 0.000533 |
warc | 201704 | Droughts and heat across the United States have led to one of the worse harvesting seasons in recent memory, with some suggesting it could be as bad as the dust bowl of the Great Depression.
At AgWeb, an online community for farmers and those in the farming industry, the majority of commentators suggest that this year’s season is nothing short of Farmageddon:
7/10 – Lyon County, Iowa:Boy, did things change around here. After a wet May the rains shut off. Total of 8 tenths in June and none so far In July. 7/10 – Cass County, Mich.: The fields are dry and in need of rain like everywhere else. Fields being watered are running 24/7 and will be expensive at years end. Feels like the summer of 1988, all dry land corn will be considered a loss and the beans are not far behind the corn, but can hold up a little better at times, WE STILL NEED RAIN. 7/10 – Lincoln County, S.D.:Corn on corn or old alfalfa ground will be zero to 5 bushel. Corn-on-soybean ground maybe 50-80 BPA if it rains soon (at least it tasseled). Soybeans look ok, may still yield above crop insurance if it can rain. We lifted the KP out of the way and put in the grass chutes to start cutting corn silage! 7/10 – Wayne County, Ill.:I am a small farmer, but my crops in Wayne County, Ill., are the worst I have had sine 1952-53. Corn will be lucky to make 10 bu. and beans are going downhill. It’s been over 100 degrees for 11 straight days. Bad crop. 7/10 – Nobles County, Minn.:Our crops may look good from the road but are falling apart fast. No real rain to speak of since May. Last Thurs some in our county were lucky enough to catch a rain but very spotty. I got nothing. The USDA Good to Excellent is severely over rated in Minnesota. We will be the next state to have our conditions plummet. Don’t depend on Minnesota saving the day with their corn crop. It will be short here also. 7/10 – St. Francois County, Mo.:It has been very dry here since this time last year with very little snow or moisture during the winter. Everything was planted early and highs the last two weeks over 100 with little rain and dry to begin with, the corn is pretty much done. Gonna chop a lot for silage the rest will be less than 50 bu/acre if we are lucky. Beans may yield more than corn I’d we get some rain soon. 7/10 – Adams County, Neb.:Irrigated corn a bin buster. Dryland corn a bust. Irrigated beans look great 7/10 – Tama County, Iowa:In ’88 crop was maybe 20% below normal. Probably won’t have to harvest this one. No rain. 7/10 – Dodge County, Wis.:Worst corn that I have ever seen, 88 was excellent compared to this year. Wondering if I will even need combine this year. 7/10 – Boone County, Iowa:Our crops are under stress. This year compares to 1977. 7/10 – Harvey County, Kan.:Corn is almost burnt up! 7/10 – Stanton County, Neb.:Dryland corn is done! Some people in denial need to walk in field. Later corn tasseled and pollinating with no silks! No rain in seven days or low humidity 90 degrees and warmer by weekend. Yield range for corn on our farms…0 to 0 bpa. Soybeans…if it rains which is a big if may have some hope, not holding my breath!! 7/10 – Washington County, Ill.:This is my 50th year of grain farming, so I think that I can say that I’ve seen it all. This is worse than 1988-Much worse for corn. Beans could still be fair if it starts to rain soon. Sat.-Sun. rains totaled only 1/4 inch. 7/10 – Montgomery County, Ill.:This is worse than 1983 and 1988. Corn yield will be 30 to 40% of last year’s yield. The jury is still out on the beans. $10 corn is likely, because there will be so little of it relative to demand. Very sad… 7/9 – Evansville, Ind.:Planted corn on March 26th. No significant rain since 1st week of May. It has never been this dry this early. Pollen shed occurred prior to silk emergence due to excessive heat and dryness. As you can see in the pictures, some ears only have four or five kernels on them. Corn looks good from the road but some areas did not pollenate. If you are dry and hot, you should walk in your fields to verify what your yield will be and change your marketing plan accordingly. There is a good chance that later planted corn will have the same pollination issues in southwest Indiana!!! (Corn from Evansville, IN; image uploaded by farmer)
Michael Snyder writes that the corn is dying all over America:
All over America the corn is dying. If drought conditions persist in the middle part of the country, wheat and soybeans will be next. Weeks of intense heat combined with extraordinarily dry conditions have brought many U.S. corn farmers to the brink of total disaster. If there is not significant rainfall soon, many farmers will be financially ruined. This period of time is particularly important for corn because this is when pollination is supposed to happen. But the unprecedented heat and the extremely dry conditions are playing havoc with that process. With each passing day things get even worse. We have seen the price of a bushel of corn soar 41 percent since June 14th. That is an astounding rise. You may not eat much corn directly, but it is important to realize that corn or corn syrup is just about in everything these days. Just look at your food labels. In the United States today, approximately 75 percent of all processed foods contain corn. So a huge rise in the price of corn is going to be felt all over the supermarket. Corn is also widely used to feed livestock, and if this crisis continues we are going to see a significant rise in meat and dairy prices as well. Food prices in America have already been rising at a steady pace, and so this is definitely not welcome news.
Analysts suggest that the yields will be so low this year that the affect on grocery store food prices will be significant and will likely include rises for food products containing corn, soy and wheat. Cattle prices are likely to skyrocket as well because of rising feed prices.
Delivered by The Daily Sheeple
We encourage you to share and republish our reports, analyses, breaking news and videos (Click for details).
Contributed by Mac Slavo of The Daily Sheeple.
Mac Slavo is co-creator of The Daily Sheeple, an alternative media venue for breaking news, opinion, commentary and information. Mac is also the founder of the popular SHTFplan.com community oriented website which aims to help individuals understand and prepare for troubling times. Wake the Flock Up!
Mac Slavo is co-creator of The Daily Sheeple, an alternative media venue for breaking news, opinion, commentary and information. Mac is also the founder of the popular SHTFplan.com community oriented website which aims to help individuals understand and prepare for troubling times. Wake the Flock Up! | 6,854 | 3,184 | 0.000321 |
warc | 201704 | Break out the party hats and balloons. The Bank of Japan has taken the markets by surprise, lowering its policy interest rate to a range of zero to 0.1 per cent and vowing to leave it there until deflation is defeated.
As the old level was already 0.1 per cent, this is what analysts like to call a symbolic gesture of little real value.
It follows in a long line of tepid half-measures adopted by Japanese officials over the past 15 years to wipe out economy-killing deflation. Speaking of which, the deflation rate of at least 1.5 per cent means that real interest rates are comparable to those in the U.S. Which helps explain why the yen remains so strong and actually rose again today, even after the Japanese went to zero.
The BoJ also outlined slightly bolder quantitative easing plans, including a temporary fund to buy government bonds but also corporate debt, exchange-traded funds and Japanese REITs. The amount being set aside for such unusual intervention in the private-sector part of the market is a relatively paltry ¥1.5-trillion. But the stage is now set for a more aggressive Bank of Japan (that's not an adjective you typically see beside this central bank) to become a major market player if the economy keeps struggling just to tread water.
The real solution to the mess, outlined years ago for the Japanese by Ben Bernanke, of all people, is to print scads of money and re-inflate their economy. They should adopt a formal average inflation target and do whatever is necessary to achieve it. Which will mean spending trillions more than the BoJ currently contemplates.Report Typo/Error | 1,618 | 893 | 0.001127 |
warc | 201704 | Credit Suisse Group will cut an extra 1 billion Swiss francs ($1.1-billion U.S.) of costs, including axing more jobs, as part of efforts to bolster its profits and capital position.
Volatile financial markets, a dearth of deals and tighter regulations in the wake of the 2007-9 financial crisis are forcing investment banks to slash costs, and the euro zone debt crisis has pushed many to cut back even more.
The Swiss bank said on Thursday third-quarter net profit fell 63 per cent to 254 million francs, missing analysts’ average forecast of 370 million. The quarter was hit by 1.05 billion francs in charges, mainly linked to its own debt.
However, Credit Suisse stock rose 2.6 per cent after higher profits from the investment banking division, which benefited from a pickup in bond trading.
That unit offset Credit Suisse’s private banking business, where margins shrank and fresh funds won from wealthy clients missed the bank’s own targets by far.
The fixed-income recovery has already been noted by U.S. investment banks and could also boost European peers like Deutsche Bank <DBKGn.DE> and Barclays <BARC.L> when they report quarterly results next week.
Credit Suisse said it was targeting 4 billion francs in cost savings by 2015, up from a goal of 3 billion francs it set in July and an earlier figure of 2 billion.
The bank, which is already cutting 3,500 staff or 7 per cent of its work force, said job losses would be inevitable to achieve the extra savings, but did not say how many more staff would go.
It has already combined the separate operating platforms of its two main units – private banking and investment banking – and will increasingly shift information technology jobs to Poland and India as part of its cost saving drive, finance chief David Mathers told journalists.
Thursday’s measures helped quell criticism of Chief Executive Brady Dougan following a stinging rebuke of the bank by the Swiss National Bank in June following urgings from the SNB to quickly bolster its capital.
“We believe management is doing all the right things in terms of shrinking the investment bank ... (and) cutting costs,” said JP Morgan analyst Kian Abouhossein who rates Credit Suisse at “overweight” but prefers crosstown rival UBS AG.
At 1037 GMT, the bank’s shares were up 2.7 per cent at 21.90 francs, outpacing a 0.9 per cent rise in the STOXX Europe 600 bank index.
Credit Suisse’s renewed emphasis on costs comes as part of Mr. Dougan’s push to return the bank to making cash dividends, having offered this year’s payout in shares. The previous year it had given a choice of taking shares or cash.
The bank said it will go back to cash payouts in 2013, after its capital has hit a key 10 per cent level under stiffer Swiss requirements, from 8.2 per cent currently.
UBS, which reports quarterly results next Tuesday, is also expected to announce job cuts to protect profits as it withdraws from riskier investment banking areas which soak up large sums of capital.
Credit Suisse’s investment bank lifted revenue 66 per cent on the year, while costs edged 5 per cent higher, in large part due to provisions for mortgage lawsuits. The unit benefited from a surge in sales and trading of fixed-income products such as credit and securitized products.
Mr. Mathers said business trends in the first weeks of the fourth quarter were similar to the third.
Credit Suisse’s private bank didn’t fare as well as the investment bank, however. The unit’s revenue fell on the quarter and on the year, partly due to a traditional lull in client activity during the summer holiday months.
“The malaise continues” in the private bank, Kepler Capital Markets analyst Dirk Becker said. He rates the stock at “reduce”.Report Typo/Error | 3,862 | 1,900 | 0.000545 |
warc | 201704 | The bottom of your feet are powerful and directaccess points to internal organs in your body through what is known asmeridians in Chinese medicine. These meridians are pathways to each organwith your body. Some people say that meridians do not exist within the body orat the bottom of the feet. For those that understand Chinese medicine you mayknow that the meridian system is very closely correlated with the nervoussystem.
If you believe you have nerves and a nervoussystem, you believe you have meridians too, it’s basically the same thing whenyou interpret it and look at where the meridians are within the body. The bottom of the feet have many different nerveendings, approximately 7,000 (basically meridians) that directly link todifferent organs within the body.
They are very powerful electrical circuits withinthe body and are often dormant because we wear shoes and don’t get accupuncturedone to help the meridians or nerves in any way. This is why I recommendwalking outside barefoot! To stimulate those meridians on the bottom of yourfeet as well as to ground yourself with the earth’s negative ion field.
One of the coolest ways to open up theseelectrical pathways (meridians) and to help purify your internal organs withoutdoing anything internal (diet related) is to cut up onions or garlic and putthem in your socks (at the bottom part of your feet) while sleeping.
Onions and garlic are known air purifiers andwhen applied to the skin topically they kill germs and bacteria but also thephosphoric acid (the substance from onions that makes you cry when you cut themopen) enters the bloodstream it helps to purify the blood and kill any bacteriaor germs that may be festering waiting to give you the flu.
Some people go so far as to say to never reuse anonion because it will collect germs and bacteria and then you’re eating that. Iam not sure if this is true or not because it’s a percentage of people that sayit is, and some that say it isn’t! What I do know though is that the onions doage (oxidize, age from oxygen) on the layer that’s cut open and eating oxidizedfood isn’t the freshest and healthiest form of that food, so cutting that layeroff before you eat the onion may be smart to avoid eating germ or bacteriainfested layer of onion.
So it’s fairly simple, here are the two steps topurify your blood, and kill germs and bacteria.
Step 1: Cut UpOrganic Onions Into Slices (White or Red Onions)
You’ll want to use organic onions because theywill be free of pesticides and other chemicals you don’t want sitting on yourfeet and entering your bloodstream all night. You’ll just want to cut theonions into flat slices so that they can be applied to the bottom of yourentire foot (like a platform) so the bottom of your feet are immersed withonion while you sleep.
Step 2: PutThe Onions In Your Sock Under Your Foot (on the bottom) And Sleep!
As you sleepthe natural healing powers of the onion will go to work through your skin (trans-dermalapplication) purifying your blood and killing bacteria and germs as well asabsorbing toxins! It will also help to purify the air in your room.
You’ll benefit from the air purifying effects aswell! In England, during plagues they would chop up onions and leave them inthe room to purify the air and to help them not be susceptible to infections,the flu or anything that may harm them.
As you can see here in the picture below theorgans and systems within the body and their meridian connection points in thefoot.
Here are the benefits of cutting up an onion and putting it inyour sock (at the bottom) while you sleep…
1. Purify your blood: Phosphoric acid from the onions as it’sapplied and absorbed through trans-dermal means purifies the blood.
2. Kills bacteria, germs and pathogens: Onions (and garlic) havestrong anti-bacterial and anti-viral benefits!
3. Purify the air: This little chamber of smelly onion around yourfeet will purify the air and keep your feet smelling better and free of toxinsand chemicals pulling them out of your feet while you sleep.
If you found this information cool, useful or valuable please hitshare and let your friends on facebook benefit from this as well! | 4,253 | 1,922 | 0.000532 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.