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Drumming is an obsession for Dennis Maberry, who started banging away on a drum set 25 years ago. For years, he played with rock bands until he couldn't maintain a semblance of a normal life. He settled down, married, and got a job. Then, nine years ago, during a visit to Seattle's World Percussion Festival, he was introduced to the art of hand drumming -- and immediately fell in love.
Maberry began making annual trips to the Seattle event, where he attended hand-drumming workshops and classes. But when he went looking for workshops or drum circles in Springfield, he came up empty. So three years ago, Maberry started holding drumming workshops. His first were offered at Heartland Peace Center; then, the director of community education at Lincoln Land Community College invited Maberry to offer workshops. There, he's taught African and Middle Eastern drumming.
In the winter of 2001, Maberry took Sharon Graf's drum class at UIS. Encouraged by Graf, Maberry took over the class in the fall of 2002. He wrote the curriculum, and the class focused on rhythms and drum techniques. Recently, Maberry taught the class with Doug Marshall, a faculty member.
Maberry hosts a monthly drum circle at the university, and founded the World Percussion ensemble there. He's involved in other projects as well. Two years ago, he started writing a book and he's recording drums for Carlinville musician Rod Lingo. He's also recorded with Springfield musician Joel Hinckle. He and Tom Irwin (yes, our Tom Irwin) are also making plans to record together. Maberry released his first CD in 2000 and is currently recording for his second release due out this year.
Maberry's not the only local drummer with a different beat. Two women's groups, EarthBeat andJourneys, also meet regularly -- and invite women into their circle.
Six years ago, Peggy Patty, Phyllis Lau, and Ramona Nafus (now deceased) formed EarthBeat, an all-women drumming circle. "The three of us enjoyed drumming, and were looking for [other women] to drum with," Patty says. Patty, Lau, and Nafus began teaching drumming workshops to show that workshops could be done in a non-threatening way. They taught the basics -- different rhythms and drumming techniques -- and talked about different drums. "Women would come saying they could never do this, and would leave the workshops saying, 'I can do this,' " Patty says.
The group offers a comfortable, non-threatening place where women can come and get in touch with their body's rhythms. No prior experience is necessary. "All you have to have is a heartbeat," Patty says.
Journeys was founded in 1994 by Kay Earley and Rena Bailey, who wanted to offer wellness classes that incorporate different approaches to relaxation, including drumming. In 1998, the two women began doing drum circles, taking novices and leading them through a one-and-a-half hour drum circle that works with the spirit of the drum. "We create a rhythm together," Earley says. "We don't teach specific techniques."
Feeling Stressed? Try Drumming by Melanie Crain (UIS People - University of Illinois Springfield):
Some students at UIS have found a great way to escape the pressures of school work, have some fun, express their musical talents, and simply relax. Every Wednesday night you can find them participating in the World Percussion Ensemble, a music class that focuses on the rhythms and sounds of the hand drum.
The class is actually split into two different sections, each concentrating on a different aspect of drumming. The first section taught my DOug Marshall, runs from 4 to 5 p.m. and is titled "World Percussion Rhythms". THe music selected for these students consist mostly of basic African and Middle Eastern rhythms. During this class, students warm up with a simple beath that everyone plays together. Next each student is assigned a different rhythm to play and finally all of the different sounds are brought together into a fantastic end product.
The second section is called "Rhythm Concepts" and is taught by Dennis Maberry. In this class the focus is more on breaking down different rhythms and learning how they all come together. While in this section the instructor also breaks down the different rhythms for the students to play, the pieces are selected are a little more difficult and more time is spent learning the concepts behind the music as well as various techniques.
Both students and instructors had a variety of answers to the question "What's your favorite part of the classes?" Amber a sophmore, said that the classes are "fun, easy going, and it's something to get away from studying". Natalie also a sophmore, described the class as a "great way to relieve stress".
Maberry agreed that playing the drums can be a wonderful stress reliever, and noted that drumming is beginning to be used in health care facilities to treat many types of diseases, such as cancer, heart attacks, and strokes. Maberry has actually been trained in a program called HealthRHYTHMS, which is used in hospitals, nursing homes, addiction centers, and other health facilities.
Maberry, who has been playing drums for a number of years, describes his passion for drumming and just how soothing it can be "When you're playing music and the groove is jsut right, there 's a feeling that's hard to describe. It might sound silly, but you could almost describe it as magical, blissful. Time is suspended and you just feel like you're connected with everyone involved in the rhythm" | http://rhythmspirit.com/articles |
Hi, I am Sally the Katimavik volunteer at Inn from the Cold this semester. During my time at the Inn, I am working to support the Communications and Events team as well as providing support around shelter wherever I can. Being from Ontario, I had no idea about the Inn until I got to Calgary and it has been an incredible learning experience so far. One of the projects I assisted on was the event Circles of Hope which happened this Tuesday at Winsport. All I have to say is – wow – what a day and what an incredible community! The work that is happening in Calgary, Alberta, and Canada to help children and families is truly incredible and I am feeling very proud to be a part of it all.
The event was opened by Natalie Noble, Director of Research and Development at the Calgary Drop-In Centre and emcee for the conference.
Amanda St. Laurent, the Director of Programs at the Inn, set the tone for the day and reminded everyone in the room that there have been shockingly high numbers of children and families experiencing homelessness in 2018, and it takes action from the entire community to counteract this.
Our first speaker was Steve Wigglesworth, principal at Catherine Nichols Gunn School. He shared his well-earned insight on how best to approach children who are struggling, and the importance of letting them lead the conversation about how to achieve their own success. His energy set the stage for the rest of the day and got everyone thinking about how they could act in small ways to become the hero that every child looks up to.
Next to present was Tapisa Killibuk, our very own Manager of Indigenous Relations here at the Inn. She spoke about the effects of intergenerational trauma, and how she and her family have been personally affected by residential schools. Her story about overcoming those obstacles and learning to be proud of her Indigenous heritage was both incredibly emotional and empowering.
Allan Donsky talked with us about finding the hero inside all of us, and how to help children see that they can be their own superhero. He gave us tools to nudge children away from negative thinking and towards empowering thoughts and actions. He also spoke on the advantages of leaning into our uncomfortable emotions and using them as a guide toward bettering ourselves and our lives, and how to teach children to do the same.
Our first keynote speaker was Sarah Austin, a lifelong advocate for children’s rights around the world. She shared with us her story of how she came to realize that she wanted to be a hero for children everywhere, of how she worked for eight long years to pass a law at the UN that allows children to file complaints against their governments, and what she and her organization, the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre, are doing to help kids now and in the future.
Lunch was served as the snow kept falling outside, making the conference hall feel all the warmer and inviting. Guests had the chance to visit the booths of various other organizations and learn more about the resources available in Calgary. These organizations included the Youth Justice Society, McMan Youth Family and Community Services Association, AHS Youth Substance Use and Mental Health, City of Calgary Youth Employment Centre, LEAD/Calgary Afterschool Program, CARYA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Children’s Cottage, Wood’s Homes, and Youth Central. Guests also had the opportunity to write a postcard to themselves about how they are going to continue to be a hero for themselves and for the children in their lives. These postcards will be mailed to them at a later date to remind them of their commitment and give them an emotional boost when they need it.
After lunch, we were treated to an energizing and engaging performance from Movement with a Message. The group, led by Connie Jakab, shared multiple raps and spoken word pieces centering on the feelings of isolation and helplessness a child without strong adult supports might experience. Their creativity got the crowd excited and ready for the rest of the speakers that followed.
Tammy Schamuhn was our second keynote speaker of the day and had some very interesting and valuable information to share. She talked about her work with children who have been through adverse childhood experiences, and the way that those experiences physically change the way the child’s brain works. She explained how empathy is the best way to create healthy neural pathways in a child’s brain, and that forming strong, supportive relationships with them really is the answer to helping them grow up into happy and healthy adults.
Our next speaker was Phil Carlton, who spoke to the importance of supporting children in their first five years of life to set them up to develop the skills and tools they need to become happy adults. He told a personal story that highlighted how having strong, healthy familial support can significantly diffuse stress in times of crisis, and thus how critical it is to help young people from those bonds.
Garret Smith challenged our idea of what a warrior is by sharing his own perception of the word from when he was young versus how he interprets it now. As opposed to just someone who fights, he describes a warrior as someone who stands up for and supports those who need it. He explained how residential schools tore apart Indigenous families who already knew how to care for each other and raise their own children. Garret has transformed his peaceful protest on the lawn of the Calgary Courts Centre into a place of healing open to everyone and anyone who may need it.
The final speaker of the day was our own Louise Gallagher, Interim Executive Director at the Inn. She shared a personal story to highlight the need for trust and understanding between children and their caregivers and encouraged everyone to find the magnificence within themselves. She reminded us that we all have the capacity to become heroes, we just need to allow ourselves to step into the role.
We closed the day with a drum circle led by Circles of Rhythm. Everyone grabbed a drum and the lights dimmed to a relaxing half-light. We began with a heartbeat rhythm, flowed into a harmonious but experimental beat, and ended with a cacophonous and exciting finale. When the drumming was finished, everyone shared one word they had on their mind at the end of the day. Here are just a few that were said:
Gratitude
Support
Hope
Inspiration
Future
Family
Warmth
And truly, it was a day filled with all of those things. Thanks to everyone who came out, speakers and guests alike, for making Circles of Hope the incredible event that it was!
We will be announcing the theme and pre-sale for Circles of Hope 2019 in early 2019.
Check out the Circles of Hope gallery here: https://www.facebook.com/innfromthecold/posts/2174109532622742
Or watch the recap video here: | https://innfromthecold.org/circles-hope-2018-recap/ |
Helga is a passionate expert in enhancing connections and development. She is convinced that these two are inseparably linked together and that Drum Circles are one of the best examples of this. Since her early days as a Social Worker, she has supported individuals and groups in coping with life's challenges like mental illness, early motherhood, trauma and change. With her background of a comprehensive education in Music Therapy, Systemic Counselling/Therapy, Systemic Health Coaching and Drum Circle Facilitation, she has built an integrated business as a Drum Circle Facilitator, Trainer, Coach and Counsellor.
She now supports individuals through times of change and decision making and facilitates workshops for creating successful and healthy collaborations and communities.
Helga offers Drum Circles in all kinds of settings from Open Community Drum Circles to Team Building with a variety of specific focuses. She works with groups from 5 to 500. Helga serves the DCF community as a mentor and by offering programs to guide other facilitators to develop their true and authentic personality as a facilitator. | https://remo.com/team/member/helga-reihl/bio/ |
Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is an important and necessary part of all pupils’ education.
At Servite, we use a planned programme of learning in partnership with JIGSAW through which children acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives – now and in the future. Our curriculum develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. Jigsaw brings together PSHE Education, emotional literacy, mindfulness, social skills and spiritual development. We have a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme (Puzzle) at the same time. This enables each Puzzle to start with an introductory assembly, generating a whole school focus for adults and children alike.
The Jigsaw PSHE relationship and sex education units of work aim to give children their entitlement to information about relationships, puberty and human reproduction, appropriate to their ages and stages of development. This work is treated in a matter-of-fact and sensitive manner to allay embarrassment and fear and helps children to cope with change, including puberty and to learn about families, friendships and healthy relationships.
Our PSHE curriculum, supplements our statutory RSE curriculum.
Overall Aims
Our PSHE curriculum
- promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society
- prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life
- promotes British values
Included in our PSHE curriculum are aspects of Relationship and Sex Education. This area of the subject aims to
- enable young people to understand and respect their bodies, and be able to cope with the changes puberty brings, without fear or confusion
- help young people develop positive and healthy relationships appropriate to their age, development etc. (respect for self and others)
- support young people to have positive self-esteem and body image, and to understand the influences and pressures around them
- empower them to be safe and safeguarded
Half Termly Themes (Puzzles)
Being Me in My World covers a wide range of topics, including a sense of belonging, welcoming others and being part of a school community, a wider community, and a global community; it also looks at children’s rights and responsibilities, working and socialising with others, and pupil voice.
Celebrating Difference focuses on similarities and differences and teaches about diversity, such as disability, racism, power, friendships, and conflict; children learn to accept everyone’s right to ‘difference’, and most year groups explore the concept of ‘normal’; bullying – what it is and what it isn’t, including cyber and homophobic bullying – is an important aspect of this Puzzle.
Dreams and Goals aims to help children think about their hopes and dreams, their goals for success, what personal strengths are, and how to overcome challenges, via teamwork skills and tasks. There is also a focus on enterprise and fundraising. Children learn about experiencing and managing feelings of pride, ambition, disappointment, success; and they get to share their aspirations, the dreams and goals of others in different cultures/countries, and their dreams for the world.
Healthy Me covers two main areas of health: Emotional health (relaxation, being safe, friendships, mental health skills, body image, relationships with food, managing stress) and Physical health (eating a balanced diet, physical activity, rest and relaxation, keeping clean, drugs and alcohol, being safe, first aid) in order for children to learn that health is a very broad topic.
Relationships has a wide focus, looking at diverse topics such as families, friendships, pets and animals, and love and loss. A vital part of this Puzzle is about safeguarding and keeping children safe; this links to cyber safety and social networking, as well as attraction and assertiveness; children learn how to deal with conflict, their own strengths and self-esteem. They have the chance to explore roles and responsibilities in families, and look at stereotypes. All Jigsaw lessons are delivered in an age- and stage-appropriate way so that they meet children’s needs.
Changing Me deals with change of many types, from growing from young to old, becoming a teenager, assertiveness, self-respect and safeguarding. Self and body image, puberty, attraction and accepting change are diverse subjects for children to explore. Each year group thinks about looking ahead, moving year groups or the transition to secondary school. Life cycles and how babies are made and grow are treated sensitively and are designed to meet children’s needs. All year groups learn about how people and bodies change. This Puzzle links with the Science curriculum when teaching children about life cycles, babies and puberty.
You can find further details about JIGSAW in this guide for parents.
Pupil Circles
At Servite, the children meet every Friday afternoon in our 'Pupil Circles'.
The mixed-age circle groups involve all the children from Year 1 to 6, with each group containing three or four children from each year group. The circles are facilitated by a class teacher or member of the leadership team and these teachers rotate once a half-term in order to work with different groups of children.
The circles help to break down the hierarchies that exist within the school and make each child aware that their opinion is important and valued by the school, whether they are the Head Boy in Year 6 or a child that has just started in Year 1.
It also gives every child the right to be heard and feel the value of their contribution. The circles are led by the Year 6 children within them – these children are responsible for leading the conversation, making notes on what each circle has discussed each week and ensuring that all the children in the circle are involved. This builds excellent leadership skills within our Year 6
Each pupil circle begins with a ‘sticky question’, which the group discusses. The aim is to celebrate the idea that people think differently about things, that it’s OK to disagree and interesting to see why other people think what they think.
The Pupil Circles really strengthen the bonds in our school community. They allow children from each year to speak with those younger and older than themselves, building bonds and making friendships they otherwise may not make. The circles also allow every teacher to talk to and know something about all the children in the school – an extremely valuable opportunity for both. | https://serviteprimaryschool.co.uk/Curriculum/Personal-Social-and-Health-Education-PSHE/ |
DENVER, Colo. — The 11th annual Beltania Retreat, set to be hosted May 17-20, 2018, will differ from the previous ten Beltania gatherings. In the past, Beltania had a dual identity, as a music festival and a Pagan gathering. It will now have one identity – a retreat for deep spiritual work.Over the years, Beltania has grown from a one-day event to a four-day event. It draws a relatively even number of males and females, shared Beltania’s executive director Joy Burton. People of Color make up about 10 percent of attendees, and another 20 to 25 percent of attendees identify as LGBTA+. About 2 to 3 percent of attendees do not identify as male or female, she noted. Children and youth make up between 10 to 15 percent of attendees.
Several key factors have driven the organizers to move the event toward a retreat, Burton told The Wild Hunt in an interview. These factors can be roughly grouped into four categories. First, the all-volunteer staff was finding it increasingly difficult to manage the gathering. It was becoming unsustainable. Secondly, Colorado weather in May is very unpredictable, making outdoor events challenging. Thirdly, a non-spiritual party atmosphere was developing, which threatened safety. Fourthly, staff and participants wanted to engage in that deeper religious work.
Sustainability
According to Burton past attendance has ranged from 400 to 500. The staff has now capped attendance at 250.
Burton said attendees had complained that too many things were happening at once. They felt rushed. Trying to accommodate everyone was beginning to overwhelm the all-volunteer staff.
Organizers have now limited the number of events that can occur at the same time to no more than three.
Burton estimated that, in the past, she had spent 500 hour per year working without pay on Beltania, roughly 24 percent of a full time job. She is also raising three children and working.
“My spiritual journey has led me to seek greater balance, to value my time and gifts, to have healthy boundaries, and not to give more than I can afford.”
Burton continued, “It’s been quite a challenge for me personally to come to the place where I can be OK with not making everyone happy.”
Colorado weather
The event site is hilly, but not mountainous. It lies 7,000 feet above sea level. This makes for wild weather, even in May. Burton said, “One day it could be 10 degrees and the next 90 degrees. It could snow, hail, or have 50-mile per hour winds.”
While organizers and attendees value the outdoor experience, the staff has to manage this unpredictability. They cannot move some of the outdoor activities, such as sweat lodges, indoors if bad weather should hit.
In some cases, there were attendees, who failed to bring clothes for cold weather. When eight inches of snow fell one year, the staff had to call an ambulance to take care of someone with hypothermia.
Under the new rules, every outdoor location will have an indoor backup location. Tents do not fare well in severe weather. Staff has now reduced the number of spaces available for tent camping. While some tent space will still be available, most lodging will be in cabins or yurts.
A growing party atmosphere
Burton described a growing problem: “The party atmosphere was starting to grow. We had areas that were off-limits to kids.”
While Beltania has had an expectation of sobriety at all events, that was starting to change. Burton described this change: “Over time, some people were not maintaining sobriety at rituals, workshops, and, especially, at late night drum circles. It also became evident that use of illegal drugs was escalating.”
She noted that some attendees “were just hanging out getting drunk and high.” The new rules require a clean and sober environment throughout Beltania. This retreat does allow medical marijuana.
The excessive use of drugs and alcohol raises serious safety issues. In general, Burton questioned these safety issues at all Pagan gatherings.
She related a personal experience that happened years ago at an unnamed U.S. Pagan gathering. “I went arm-in-arm with my husband to a drum circle. Somebody who was drunk came up to me and grabbed my breast, without asking. I felt assaulted.”
Burton said that she believes that this happens over and over again at Pagan festivals throughout the US. She stressed the importance of developing consent culture.
According to Burton, no sexual assaults have occurred at Beltania. One year, staff did have to remove two people from festival, and the two were barred them from returning. This issue involved in that case, she said, was “sexually inappropriate behavior towards underage” attendees.
Deeper spiritual work
As she noted, the staff and attendees wanted to experience a deeper level of spiritual and religious work. One way that they will do that is through the incorporation of structured drum circles.
Generally, drum circles can be rather free form. To work on a deeper spiritual level, Beltania will now host these structured drum circles, called Alchemical Drum Circles, which have a set time and space in order to deepen the experience.
The defined beginning and ending ceremonies structure the time. Flags or other markers structure the space into a series of concentric circles. Each circle contains specific activities. The innermost circle contains dancing and more intense activity. As the circles move outward, the intensity of the activity decreases.
Not everything is changing at the popular Colorado event. The 11th Beltania will still have the Maypole dance and a labyrinth walk. Selena Fox will be leading workshops and rituals. Jhenah Telyndru and Michael Heartsong will also be there leading their workshops.
Burton described the upcoming changes as being pro-active before significant problems occurred. She has three criteria for judging the success of these changes. First, the event would have to align with Beltania’s mission. Second, Beltania would have to be safe. Third, the most vulnerable community members would have to feel welcomed. | https://wildhunt.org/2018/01/change-comes-to-colorado-festival-beltania.html |
From slowing the decline in fatal brain disease, to generating a sense of oneness with one another and the universe, drumming’s physical and spiritual health benefits may be as old as time itself.
Drumming is as fundamentalform of human expression as speaking, and likely emerged long before humans even developed the capability of using the lips, tongue and vocal organs as instruments of communication.
To understand the transformative power of drumming you really must experience it, which is something I have had the great pleasure of doing now for twenty years. Below is one of the circles I helped organize in Naples Florida back in 2008, which may give you a taste of how spontaneous and immensely creative a thing it is (I’m the long haired ‘hippie’ with the gray tank top drumming like a primate in the background).
Anyone who has participated in a drum circle, or who has borne witness to one with an open and curious mind, knows that the rhythmic entrainment of the senses[i] and the anonymous though highly intimate sense of community generated that follows immersion in one, harkens back to a time long gone, where tribal consciousness preempted that of self-contained, ego-centric individuals, and where a direct and simultaneous experience of deep transcendence and immanence was not an extraordinarily rare occurrence as it is today.
This experience is so hard-wired into our biological, social and spiritual DNA that even preschool children as young as 2.5 years appear to be born with the ability to synchronize body movements to external acoustic beats when presented in a social context, revealing that drumming is an inborn capability and archetypal social activity.[ii]
Even Bugs Know How To Drum
But drumming is not a distinctively human technology. The use of percussion as a form of musicality, communication, and social organization,[iii] is believed to stretch as far back as 8 million years ago to the last common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees and humans living somewhere in the forests of Africa.[iv]
For instance, recent research on the drumming behavior of macaque monkeys indicates that the brain regions preferentially activated by drumming sounds or by vocalizations overlap in caudal auditory cortex and amygdala, which suggests “a common origin of primate vocal and nonvocal communication systems and support the notion of a gestural origin of speech and music.”[v]
Interestingly, percussive sound-making (drumming) can be observed in certain species of birds, rodents and insects. [vi] Of course you know about the woodpecker’s characteristic pecking, but did you know that mice often drum with their feet in particular locations within their burrow, both for territorial displays and to sound alarms against predators? Did you know that termites use vibrational drumming signals to communicate within the hive? For instance, soldiers threatened with attack drum their heads against tunnels to transmit signals along subterranean galleries, warning workers and other soldiers to respond accordingly.[viii] See the video below for an example of termite drumming.
Percussion: Sound Waves Carry Epigenetic, Biologically Meaningful Information
Even more amazing is the fact that wasps appear to use antennal drumming to alter the caste development or phenotype of their larvae. Conventional thinking has held for quite some time that differential nutrition alone accounted for why one larvae develops into a non-reproductive worker and one into a reproductive female (gyne). This is not the case, according to a 2011 study:
“But nutrition level alone cannot explain how the first few females to be produced in a colony develop rapidly yet have small body sizes and worker phenotypes. Here, we provide evidence that a mechanical signal biases caste toward a worker phenotype. In Polistes fuscatus, the signal takes the form of antennal drumming (AD), wherein a female trills her antennae synchronously on the rims of nest cells while feeding prey-liquid to larvae. The frequency of AD occurrence is high early in the colony cycle, when larvae destined to become workers are being reared, and low late in the cycle, when gynes are being reared. Subjecting gyne-destined brood to simulated AD-frequency vibrations caused them to emerge as adults with reduced fat stores, a worker trait. This suggests that AD influences the larval developmental trajectory by inhibiting a physiological element that is necessary to trigger diapause, a gyne trait.” [vii]
This finding indicates that the acoustic signals produced through drumming within certain species carry biologically meaningful information (literally: ‘to put form into’) that operate epigenetically (i.e. working outside or above the genome to effect gene expression).
This raises the question: is there ancient, biologically and psychospiritually meaningful information contained within drum patterns passed down to us from our distant ancestors? Could some of these rhythms contain epigenetic information that affect both the structure (conformation) and function of biomolecules and biologically meaningful energetic/information patterns in our body? If so, this would mean these ancient patterns of sound could be considered “epigenetic inheritance systems” as relevant to DNA expression as methyl donors like folate and betaine and not unlike grandmother’s recipe (recipe literally means “medical prescription” in French) for chicken soup that still adds the perfect set of chemistries and information specific to your body to help you overcome the common cold or bring you back from fatigue.
We do have some compelling evidence from human clinical and observational studies on the power of drumming to affect positive change both physically and psychologically, seemingly indicating the answer to our question about the biological role of acoustic information in modulating micro and macro physiological processes in a meaningful way is YES.
Naples drum circle joins the African cultural festival performance in Fort Myers, 2008
6 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Drumming
Drumming has been proven in human clinical research to do the following six things:
- Reduce Blood Pressure, Anxiety/Stress: A 2014 study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine enrolled both middle-aged experienced drummers and a younger novice group in a 40-minute djembe drumming sessions. Their blood pressure, blood lactate and stress and anxiety levels were taken before and after the sessions. Also, their heart rate was monitored at 5 second intervals throughout the sessions. As a result of the trial, all participants saw a drop in stress and anxiety. Systolic blood pressure dropped in the older population postdrumming.
- Increase Brain White Matter & Executive Cognitive Function: A 2014 study published in the Journal of Huntington’s Disease found that two months of drumming intervention in Huntington’s patients (considered an irreversible, lethal neurodegenerative disease) resulted in “improvements in executive function and changes in white matter microstructure, notably in the genu of the corpus callosum that connects prefrontal cortices of both hemispheres.”[ix] The study authors concluded that the pilot study provided novel preliminary evidence that drumming (or related targeted behavioral stimulation) may result in “cognitive enhancement and improvements in callosal white matter microstructure.”
- Reduced Pain: A 2012 study published in Evolutionary Psychology found that active performance of music (singing, dancing and drumming) triggered endorphin release (measured by post-activity increases in pain tolerance) whereas merely listening to music did not. The researchers hypothesized that this may contribute to community bonding in activities involving dance and music-making.[x
- Reduce Stress (Cortisol/DHEA ratio), Increase Immunity: A 2001 study published in Alternative Therapies and Health Medicine enrolled 111 age- and sex- matched subjects (55 men and 56 women; mean age 30.4 years) and found that drumming “increased dehydroepiandrosterone-to-cortisol ratios, increased natural killer cell activity, and increased lymphokine-activated killer cell activity without alteration in plasma interleukin 2 or interferon-gamma, or in the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory II.”[xi]
- Transcendent (Re-Creational) Experiences: A 2004 study published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis revealed that drumming enables participants to go into deeper hypnotic states,[xii] and another 2014 study poublished in PLoS found that when combined with shamanistic instruction, drumming enables participants to experience decreased heartrate and dreamlike experiences consistent with transcendental experiences.[xiii]
- Socio-Emotional Disorders: A powerful 2001 study published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that low-income children who enrolled in a 12-week group drumming intervention saw multiple domains of social-emotional behavior improve significantly, from anxiety to attention, from oppositional to post-traumatic disorders.[xiiii]
Taking into account the beneficial evolutionary role that drumming likely performed in human history and prehistory, as well as the new scientific research confirming its psychosocial and physiological health benefits, we hope that it will be increasingly looked at as a positive medical, social and psychospiritual intervention. Considering the term recreation in its root etymological sense: re-creation, drumming may enable us to both tap into the root sense of our identity in the drumming-mediated experience of being joyous, connected and connecting, creative beings, as well as find a way to engage the process of becoming, transformation and re-creation that is also a hallmark feature of being alive and well in this amazing, ever-changing universe of ours.
New to drumming and want to try it?
Fortunately, drum circles have sprouted up in thousands of locations around the country spontaneously, and almost all of them are free. You will find them attended by all ages, all walks of life and all experience levels. The best way to find one is google the name of your area and “drum circle” and see what comes up. Also, there is an online directory that lists drum circles around the country: http://www.drumcircles.net/circlelist.html
You can also find a drum online through sites like Djembe Drums & Skins. For the record, I have no affiliate relationship with Shorty Palmer or his site, but only know him as a humble master craftsman and the source for all the drums I own today.
REFERENCES
[i] Shinya Fujii, Catherine Y Wan. The Role of Rhythm in Speech and Language Rehabilitation: The SEP Hypothesis. Front Hum Neurosci. 2014 ;8:777. Epub 2014 Oct 13. PMID: 25352796
[ii] Sebastian Kirschner, Michael Tomasello. Joint drumming: social context facilitates synchronization in preschool children. J Exp Child Psychol. 2009 Mar;102(3):299-314. Epub 2008 Sep 12. PMID: 18789454
[iii] Magdalena Babiszewska, Anne Marijke Schel, Claudia Wilke, Katie E Slocombe. Social, contextual, and individual factors affecting the occurrence and acoustic structure of drumming bouts in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Am J Phys Anthropol. 2015 Jan ;156(1):125-34. Epub 2014 Oct 18. PMID: 25327570
[iv] W Tecumseh Fitch. Four principles of bio-musicology. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2015 Mar 19 ;370(1664):20140091. PMID: 25646514
[v] Ryan Remedios, Nikos K Logothetis, Christoph Kayser. Monkey drumming reveals common networks for perceiving vocal and nonvocal communication sounds. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Oct 20;106(42):18010-5. Epub 2009 Oct 1. PMID: 19805199
[vi] W Tecumseh Fitch. Four principles of bio-musicology. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2015 Mar 19 ;370(1664):20140091. PMID: 25646514
[vii] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4321132/#RSTB20140091C80
[viii] Felix A Hager, Wolfgang H Kirchner. Directional vibration sensing in the termite Macrotermes natalensis. J Exp Biol. 2014 Jul 15 ;217(Pt 14):2526-30. PMID: 25031457
[ix] Claudia Metzler-Baddeley, Jaime Cantera, Elizabeth Coulthard, Anne Rosser, Derek K Jones, Roland J Baddeley. Improved Executive Function and Callosal White Matter Microstructure after Rhythm Exercise in Huntington’s Disease. J Huntingtons Dis. 2014 ;3(3):273-83. PMID:25300331
[x] R I M Dunbar, Kostas Kaskatis, Ian MacDonald, Vinnie Barra. Performance of music elevates pain threshold and positive affect: implications for the evolutionary function of music.Evol Psychol. 2012 ;10(4):688-702. Epub 2012 Oct 22. PMID: 23089077
[xi] B B Bittman, L S Berk, D L Felten, J Westengard, O C Simonton, J Pappas, M Ninehouser.Composite effects of group drumming music therapy on modulation of neuroendocrine-immune parameters in normal subjects. Altern Ther Health Med. 2001 Jan;7(1):38-47. PMID:11191041
[xii] R L Maurer, V K Kumar, L Woodside, R J Pekala. Phenomenological experience in response to monotonous drumming and hypnotizability. Mult Scler. 2004 Aug;10(4):417-24. PMID:9385724
[xiii] Bruno Gingras, Gerald Pohler, W Tecumseh Fitch. Exploring shamanic journeying: repetitive drumming with shamanic instructions induces specific subjective experiences but no larger cortisol decrease than instrumental meditation music. PLoS One. 2014 ;9(7):e102103. Epub 2014 Jul 7. PMID: 24999623
.[xiiii]Ping Ho, Jennie C I Tsao, Lian Bloch, Lonnie K Zeltzer. The impact of group drumming on social-emotional behavior in low-income children. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.2011 ;2011:250708. Epub 2011 Feb 13. PMID: 21660091
© August 17, 2018 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter. | http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/6-ways-drumming-heals-body-mind-and-soul/ |
For decades C++ developers have built software around OOP concepts that ultimately didn’t deliver - we didn’t see the promises of code reuse, maintenance or simplicity fulfilled, and performance suffers significantly. Data-oriented design can be a better paradigm in fields where C++ is most important - game development, high-performance computing, and real-time systems.
The talk will briefly introduce data-oriented design and focus on practical real-world examples of applying DoD where previously OOP constructs were widely employed.
Examples will be shown from modern web browsers. They are overwhelmingly written in C++ with OOP - that’s why most of them are slow and memory hungry. In the talk I’ll draw parallels between the design of systems in Chrome and their counterparts in the HTML renderer Hummingbird. As we’ll see, Hummingbird is multiple times faster because it ditches OOP for good in all performance-critical areas.
We will see how real-world C++ OOP systems can be re-designed in a C++ data-oriented way for better performance, scalability, maintainability and testability. | https://codedive.pl/index/speaker/name/stoyan-nikolov |
A Philosophy of Software Design is written by John Ousterhout and published on July 26, 2021 by Yaknyam Press.
What is inside
A Philosophy of Software Design explores best practices for code organization and decomposition, as well as common pitfalls to avoid in large projects where maintainability is a major concern.
A Philosophy of Software Design is a relatively short book that can be read in 1-2 sessions.
What is Good
Strong first half with nice articulated ideas on:
- Complexity nature
- Deep/shallow modules
- Modularity
- Dependency decompositions practices
It makes a successful attempt to generalize abstraction concepts and primitives without making them language-specific, and gives code samples for different languages
It also features engaging examples and idioms, such as “tornado developer” and “classitis”
What Can Be Better
The second half of A Philosophy of Software Design is quite basic, with a heavy focus on comments (4 out of 20 parts) and naming (3 out of 20 parts).
Sections on performance and trends only touch the surface of the topic.
While the book offers some generic and basic tips, overall it falls short in providing more advanced or nuanced advice.
The discussion of Agile versus Waterfall is very basic and biased towards Agile, lacking deeper analysis or examples to support its claims.
The biggest gap between my expectations and the reality of A Philosophy of Software Design was the disconnect between its title and the actual content. While the book covers important topics such as abstractions, modules, code style, and naming, it primarily focuses on a narrow subset of programming issues rather than providing a comprehensive exploration of software design philosophy.
Who Will Find It Useful
- Developers seeking best practices for code style and organization.
- Junior developers without much experience in enterprise-level development. | https://smyachenkov.com/posts/book-review-a-philosophy-of-software-design/ |
In this second ‘Agility and Structural Modularity‘ post we explore the importance of OSGi™; the central role that OSGi plays in realising Java™ structural modularity and the natural synergy between OSGi and the aims of popular Agile methodologies.
But we are already Modular!
Most developers appreciate that applications should be modular. However, whereas the need for logical modularity was rapidly embraced in the early years of Object Orientated programming (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_Patterns), it has taken significantly longer for the software industry to appreciate the importance of structural modularity; especially the fundamental importance of structural modularity with respect to increasing application maintainability and controlling / reducing environmental complexity.
Just a Bunch of JARs
In Java Application Architecture, Kirk Knoernschild explores structural modularity and develops a set of best practice structural design patterns. As Knoernschild explains, no modularity framework is required to develop in a modular fashion; for Java the JAR is sufficient.
Indeed, it is not uncommon for ‘Agile’ development teams to break an application into a number of smaller JAR’s as the code-base grows. As JAR artifacts increase in size, they are broken down into collections of smaller JAR’s. From a code perspective, especially if Knoernschild’s structural design patterns have been followed, one would correctly conclude that – at one structural layer – the application is modular.
But is it ‘Agile’ ?
From the perspective of the team that created the application, and who are subsequently responsible for its on-going maintenance, the application is more Agile. The team understand the dependencies and the impact of change. However, this knowledge is not explicitly associated with the components. Should team members leave the company, the application and the business are immediately compromised. Also, for a third party (e.g. a different team within the same organisation), the application may as well have remained a monolithic code-base.
While the application has one layer of structural modularity – it is not self-describing. The metadata that describes the inter-relationship between the components is absent; the resultant business system is intrinsically fragile.
What about Maven?
Maven artifacts (Project Object Model – POM) also express dependencies between components. These dependencies are expressed in-terms of the component names.
A Maven based modular application can be simply assembled by any third party. However, as we already know from the first post in this series, the value of name based dependencies is severely limited. As the dependencies between the components are not expressed in terms of Requirements and Capabilities, third parties are unable to deduce why the dependencies exist and what might be substitutable.
It is debatable whether Maven makes any additional tangible contribution to our goal of application Agility.
The need for OSGi
As Knoernschild demonstrates in his book Java Application Architecture, once structural modularity is achieved, it is trivially easy to move to OSGi – the modularity standard for Java.
Not only does OSGi help us enforce structural modularity, it provides the necessary metadata to ensure that the Modular Structures we create are also Agile structures.
OSGi expresses dependencies in terms of Requirements and Capabilities. It is therefore immediately apparent to a third party which components may be interchanged. As OSGi also uses semantic versioning, it is immediately apparent to a third party whether a change to a component is potentially a breaking change.
OSGi also has a key part to play with respect to structural hierarchy.
At one end of the modularity spectrum we have Service Oriented Architectures, at the other end of the spectrum we have Java Packages and Classes. However, as explained by Knoernschild, essential layers are missing between these two extremes.
Figure 1: Structural Hierarchy: The Missing Middle (Kirk Knoernschild – 2012).
The problem, this missing middle, is directly addressed by OSGi.
Figure 2: Structural Hierarchy: OSGi Services and Bundles
As explained by Knoernschild the modularity layers provided by OSGi address a number of critical considerations:
- Code Re-Use: Via the concept of the OSGi Bundle, OSGi enables code re-use.
- Unit of Intra / Inter Process Re-Use: OSGi Services are light-weight Services that are able to dynamically find and bind to each other. OSGi Services may be collocated within the same JVM, or via use of an implementation of OSGi’s remote service specification, distributed across JVM’s separated by a network. Coarse grained business applications may be composed from a number of finer grained OSGi Services.
- Unit of Deployment: OSGi bundles provide the basis for a natural unit of deployment, update & patch.
- Unit of Composition: OSGi bundles and Services are essential elements in the composition hierarchy.
Hence OSGi bundles and services, backed by OSGi Alliance’s open specifications, provide Java with essential – and previously missing – layers of structural modularity. In principle, OSGi technologies enable Java based business systems to be ‘Agile – All the Way Down!’.
As we will now see, the OSGi structures (bundles and services) map well to, and help enable, popular Agile Methodologies.
Embracing Agile
The Agile Movement focuses on the ‘Processes’ required to achieve Agile product development and delivery. While a spectrum of Lean & Agile methodologies exist, each tends to be; a variant of, a blend of, or an extension to, the two best known methodologies; namely Scrum and Kanban – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_software_development.
To be effective each of these approaches requires some degree of structural modularity.
Scrum
Customers change their minds. Scrum acknowledges the existence of ‘requirement churn’ and adopts an empirical (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empirical) approach to software delivery. Accepting that the problem cannot be fully understood or defined up front. Scrum’s focus is instead on maximising the team’s ability to deliver quickly and respond to emerging requirements.
Scrum is an iterative and incremental process, with the ‘Sprint’ being the basic unit of development. Each Sprint is a “time-boxed” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeboxing) effort, i.e. it is restricted to a specific duration. The duration is fixed in advance for each Sprint and is normally between one week and one month. A Sprint is preceded by a planning meeting, where the tasks for the Sprint are identified and an estimated commitment for the Sprint goal is made. This is followed by a review or retrospective meeting, where the progress is reviewed and lessons for the next Sprint are identified.
During each Sprint, the team creates finished portions of a product. The set of features that go into a Sprint come from the product backlog, which is an ordered list of requirements (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requirement).
Scrum attempts to encourage the creation of self-organizing teams, typically by co-location of all team members, and verbal communication between all team members.
Kanban
‘Kanban’ originates from the Japanese word “signboard” and traces back to Toyota, the Japanese automobile manufacturer in the late 1940’s ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanban ). Kanban encourages teams to have a shared understanding of work, workflow, process, and risk; so enabling the team to build a shared comprehension of a problems and suggest improvements which can be agreed by consensus.
From the perspective of structural modularity, Kanban’s focus on work-in-progress (WIP), limited pull and feedback are probably the most interesting aspects of the methodology:
- Work-In-Process (WIP) should be limited at each step of a multi-stage workflow. Work items are “pulled” to the next stage only when there is sufficient capacity within the local WIP limit.
- The flow of work through each workflow stage is monitored, measured and reported. By actively managing ‘flow’, the positive or negative impact of continuous, incremental and evolutionary changes to a System can be evaluated.
Hence Kanban encourages small continuous, incremental and evolutionary changes. As the degree of structural modularity increases, pull based flow rates also increase while each smaller artifact spends correspondingly less time in a WIP state.
An Agile Maturity Model
Both Scrum and Kanban’s objectives become easier to realize as the level of structural modularity increases. Fashioned after the Capability Maturity Model (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capability_Maturity_Model – which allows organisations or projects to measure the improvements on a software development process), the Modularity Maturity Model is an attempt to describe how far along the modularity path an organisation or project might be; this proposed by Dr Graham Charters at the OSGi Community Event 2011. We now extend this concept further, mapping an organisation’s level of Modularity Maturity to its Agility.
Keeping in step with the Modularity Maturity Model we refer to the following six levels.
Ad Hoc – No formal modularity exists. Dependencies are unknown. Java applications have no, or limited, structure. In such environments it is likely that Agile Management Processes will fail to realise business objectives.
Modules – Instead of classes (or JARs of classes), named modules are used with explicit versioning. Dependencies are expressed in terms of module identity (including version). Maven, Ivy and RPM are examples of modularity solutions where dependencies are managed by versioned identities. Organizations will usually have some form of artifact repository; however the value is compromised by the fact that the artifacts are not self-describing in terms of their Capabilities and Requirements.
This level of modularity is perhaps typical for many of today’s in-house development teams. Agile processes such are Scrum are possible, and do deliver some business benefit. However ultimately the effectiveness & scalability of the Scrum management processes remain limited by deficiencies in structural modularity; for example Requirements and Capabilities between the Modules usually being verbally communicated. The ability to realize Continuous Integration (CI) is again limited by ill-defined structural dependencies.
Modularity – Module identity is not the same as true modularity. As we’ve seen Module dependencies should be expressed via contracts (i.e. Capabilities and Requirements), not via artifact names. At this point, dependency resolution of Capabilities and Requirements becomes the basis of a dynamic software construction mechanism. At this level of structural modularity dependencies will also be semantically versioned.
With the adoption of a modularity framework like OSGi the scalability issues associated with the Scrum process are addressed. By enforcing encapsulation and defining dependencies in terms of Capabilities and Requirements, OSGi enables many small development teams to efficiently work independently and in parallel. The efficiency of Scrum management processes correspondingly increases. Sprints can be clearly associated with one or more well defined structural entities i.e. development or refactoring of OSGi bundles. Meanwhile Semantic versioning enables the impact of refactoring is efficiently communicated across team boundaries. As the OSGi bundle provides strong modularity and isolation, parallel teams can safely Sprint on different structural areas of the same application.
Services – Services-based collaboration hides the construction details of services from the users of those services; so allowing clients to be decoupled from the implementations of the providers. Hence, Services encourage loose-coupling. OSGi Services‘ dynamic find and bind behaviours directly enable loose-coupling, enabling the dynamic formation, or assembly of, composite applications. Perhaps of greater import, Services are the basis upon which runtime Agility may be realised; including rapid enhancements to business functionality, or automatic adaption to environmental changes.
Having achieved this level of structural modularity an organization may simply and naturally apply Kanban principles and achieve the objective of Continuous Integration.
Devolution – Artifact ownership is devolved to modularity-aware repositories which encourage collaboration and enable governance. Assets may selected on their stated Capabilities. Advantages include:
- Greater awareness of existing modules
- Reduced duplication and increased quality
- Collaboration and empowerment
- Quality and operational control
As software artifacts are described in terms of a coherent set of Requirements and Capabilities, developers can communicate changes (breaking and non-breaking) to third parties through the use of semantic versioning. Devolution allows development teams to rapidly find third-party artifacts that meet their Requirements. Hence Devolution enables significantly flexibility with respect to how artifacts are created, allowing distributed parties to interact in a more effective and efficient manner. Artifacts may be produced by other teams within the same organization, or consumed from external third parties. The Devolution stage promotes code re-use and efficient, low risk, out-sourcing, crowd-sourcing, in-sources of the artifact creation process.
Dynamism – This level builds upon Modularity, Services & Devolution and is the culminatation of our Agile journey.
- Business applications are rapidly assembled from modular components.
- As strong structural modularity is enforced (isolation by the OSGi bundle boundary), components may be efficiently and effectively created and maintained by a number of small – on-shore, near-shore or off-shore developement teams.
- As each application is self-describing, even the most sophisticated of business systems is simple to understand, to maintain, to enhance.
- As semantic versioning is used; the impact of change is efficiently communicated to all interested parties, including Governance & Change Control processes.
- Software fixes may be hot-deployed into production – without the need to restart the business system.
- Application capabilities may be rapidly extended applied, also without needing to restart the business system.
Finally, as the dynamic assembly process is aware of the Capabilities of the hosting runtime environment, application structure and behavior may automatically adapt to location; allowing transparent deployment and optimization for public Cloud or traditional private datacentre environments.
Figure 3: Modularity Maturity Model
An organization’s Modularisation Migration strategy will be defined by the approach taken to traversing these Modularity levels. Mosts organizations will have already moved from an initial Ad- Hoc phase to Modules. Meanwhile organizations that value a high degree of Agility will wish to reach the endpoint; i.e. Dynamism. Each organisation may traverse from Modules to Dynamism via several paths; adapting migration strategy as necessary.
- To achieve maximum benefit as soon as possible; an organization may choose to move directly to Modularity by refactor the existing code base into OSGi bundles. The benefits of Devolution and Services naturally follow. This is also the obvious strategy for new greenfield applications.
- For legacy applications an alternative may be to pursue a Services first approach; first expressing coarse grained software components as OSGi Services; then driving code level modularity (i.e. OSGi bundles) on a Service by Service basis. This approach may be easier to initiate within large organizations with extensive legacy environments.
- Finally, one might move first to limited Devolution by adoption OSGi metadata for existing artifacts. Adoption of Requirements and Capabilities, and the use of semantic versioning, will clarify the existing structure and impact of change to third parties. While structural modularity has not increased, the move to Devolution positions the organisation for subsequent migration to the Modularity and Services levels.
A diverse set of choices and the ability to pursue these choices as appropriate, is exactly what one would hope for, expect from, an increasingly Agile environment! | https://adaptevolve.paremus.com/?p=1335 |
I agree that a robot should have the attributes maintainable, reliable and effective. Changing old code can be tiring, while completely starting from scratch all the time isn't viable. But what is the solution? How can those attributes be achieved?
That is the point. However, the answer will not be a single solution, rather, it will be a discipline. And to make writing code following that discipline easier (and those disobey it harder), my plan is to create an open source framework for robot development, which should give newcomers a higher starting point for modern (and scalable) robot development.
I feel everyone, deliberately or not, creating his own robot development framework for medium to large scale robot. However, not all of them are aware of "the right way". E.g. Nene is created in "tower style", and his newer bot Mint switched to "component style". ScalarBot is created in "component style" initially, but it's passing (and hardcoding) every event (from AdvancedRobot) directly to components, which contributed to the creation of gigantic components.
I think modularity is the most important part of those attributes, especially for maintainability and reliability. The most popular "component style" is well suited for medium-scale robots, but for large-scale robots, it's still not modularized enough. Prototyping bots often come in large size, as many similar functions are often implemented in parallel (and evaluated respectively later), greatly inflating the code. Then, to boost modularity, more generic event management system should be used for component management systems instead.
And I will post more details about the design of the open source robot development framework later. | https://robowiki.net/wiki/Talk:Xor/Essentials_of_Good_Prototyping_Robot |
The most import measure of Complexity is the financial cost associated with software maintenance: i.e., the cost required to change a System.
A number of independent studies concur that software maintenance accounts for ~80% of the total lifetime cost of a software system: e.g., Erlikh, L. (2000) determined that 80% of software costs are concerned with evolution of the software.
These costs typically break down into the following activities:
To provide a financial context, let’s apply this breakdown to some example project costs:
Given the increasing sophistication of modern software solutions, these figures almost certainly underestimate the total lifetime costs.
Here we are of course simply restating DARPA’s observation.
For an Organization with K Systems, the change related costs per period of time can be expressed as:
where
To minimize change costs we simply need to minimize this expression.
If we ignore the role of Modularity, what other approaches are available for managing Complexity? Possible approaches to reducing Operational costs (the proxy for Complexity) might include:
Traditional IT strategies usually include one or more elements of the above.
A no change strategy results in extremely fragile operational environments. When the inevitable unplanned environmental change occurs (i.e., resource failure or operational error), this event is much more likely to have a catastrophic effect: i.e., a Black Swan event.
Real world organizations, even those with static business models that require no new functionality, must still respond to security patches, fixes and accommodate environmentally forced changes.
Sometimes an approach to reduce complexity is to try and reduce the number of applications by consolidating functionality.
However, if we consider Glass’s law we can immediately see a problem. Consider three business services each composed of 4 functions, 3 of which are the same for each System;
System A (a,b,c,x), System B (a,b,c,y), System C (a,b,c,z)
The Complexity estimate for these three systems would then be:
System A (4
3.11
) + System B (4
3.11
) + System C (4
3.11
) =~ 224
Whereas the equivalent consolidated
System D (a,b,c,x,y,z) will have a complexity measure of
6
3.11
= 263.
In this example, while Operational Complexity decreases – managing 1 application instead of 3, Code Complexity (the much larger issue), remains essentially unchanged. The degree of functional overlap between Systems being consolidated may be greater than 75%, or one may argue that the exponential 3.11 is too high for your organization; however, the argument concerning the ineffectiveness of functional consolidation in reducing complexity still stands.
Also, note that Operational flexibility and resilience are reduced as the whole User population is now dependent upon the one monolithic application.
So this is perhaps not the desired outcome for a multi-million dollar application consolidation program?
Here we are simply handing over our Complexity problem to a 3rd party.
The 3rd party typically achieves a lower cost by preserving the status-quo and using cheaper engineering resources to implement change requests rather than re-engineering the applications to reduce complexity. As changes remain challenging the 3rd Party is incentivized to minimize these, and charge a premium for exceptions not covered in the contract.
These approaches move the Complexity problem from a physical platform to a virtual platform.
Virtualization has no-effect on application complexity and increases infrastructure complexity. Investment in Virtualization or Container strategies should only be justified on infrastructure costs savings through increased resource utilization. These cost saving calculations should also account for potentially significant increases in infrastructure complexity, which in turn can lead to increased Service outages.
The same argument applies to 3rd Party Cloud providers; moving an Application to a third party Cloud environment has no effect on the Application’s internal complexity. However, 3rd Party Cloud providers do shield you from the infrastructure complexity, although of course there costs associated with using them.
Finally, rather than trying to maintain an existing monolithic code base, this approach is to wholesale rewrite the application each time major changes are required.
This may be a valid strategy for small consumer apps or start-ups, but is increasingly not valid for sophisticated and long living business-critical applications and systems (e.g., Telco, Financial Services, or Industry 4.0) that require ongoing incremental enhancements to a complex inter-related ecosystem of Services.
Ironically, the more modular the overall software ecosystem, the simpler it becomes to rapidly rip-n-replace individual Modules.
If traditional strategies fail to address the fundamental problem of Application complexity, what about current application trends?
Do these help?
A limited modularity strategy may be pursued via the adoption of REST based Microservices.
By ‘limited’ we mean that large applications are broken down into a set of smaller deployable Services that communicate with each other via REST. However, in most cases, the internal implementation of each Microservice remains non-Modular. This is also an example of Forced Conformity / Reduced Diversity as all applications must use HTTP/REST to communicate.
Contrary to the consolidation example, we now break the Systems
System A (a,b,c,x),
System B (a,b,c,y),
System C (a,b,c,z) into the Microservices
µa,
µb,
µc,
µx,
µy,
µz.
These can then be re-combined into Composite Systems
A(µa, µb, µc, µx),
B(µa, µb, µc, µy),
C(µa, µb, µc, µz).
As discussed in Qualitative Measures, while code complexity is significantly reduced we have created Orchestration complexity as a by-product: see Complexity & Hierarchy.
REST/Container centric Microservice strategies generally lack standards-based mechanisms to manage this Orchestration complexity, and so the problem is exposed to Operations.
The Twelve-Factor methodology is a variant of the REST/Microservices trend.
The Twelve-Factor methodology encourages:
Like Microservices, the Twelve-Factor methodology is applicable to any application written in any programming language. However, just like Microservices, to achieve this language agnostic position, the Twelve-Factor App needs to specify a number of application design constraints which may or may not be acceptable.
While mentioning the benefits of modularity and dependency management the Twelve-Factor methodology is vague about how this should be achieved. Both heavyweight monoliths or highly modular Composite Systems like our enRoute Microservices example may be crafted to be “Twelve-Factor” compliant.
While the Twelve-Factor methodology does not address Application Complexity, like REST-based Microservices it may be one of a number of useful design patterns used within the context of a more all-encompassing Modularity strategy.
In a Serverless environment, developers create units of Application logic that are instantiated in third-party Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) compute offerings: i.e., databases, search indexes, queues, SMS messaging, email delivery, etc. While conceptually very similar to compute Grid offerings that were available over a decade ago the recent Serverless movement prefers to reference AWS Lambda as the inspiration.
FaaS is an example of a Hide Complexity strategy, as the developer’s concern is only the Application logic, with all software infrastructure provided as third-party Services.
Stated benefits of Serverless include:
Also, as FaaS is charged based on usage rather than pre-provisioned capacity, significant cost-savings (~90%) can be achieved relative to an equivalent number of provisioned cloud VM’s hosting the same services.
While the FaaS User is decoupled from the underlying runtime infrastructure provider; they are, of course, coupled to the Serverless framework via deployment descriptors: the runnable code needing an associated deployment descriptor (YAML/JSON) that describes all environmental dependencies and lifecycle for that framework. So while as a Developer or User you are not concerned about Orchestration or infrastructure complexity; these problems still exist for the FaaS Service Provider, and will likely bleed into the pricing structure downstream.
If your Application problem maps to a Serverless model; if resource usage is unpredictable and bursty; and if you are happy to hand off the required software infrastructure services to a third party, then the FaaS pricing model is attractive.
However, the following facts should also be remembered:
Finally, while a number of open source projects exist, there are currently no industry standards for defining dependencies or lifecycles; hence the User is coupled to a FaaS implementation, and a significant amount of Complexity is hidden within the FaaS Service which is managed by the FaaS provider in the traditional manner.
Proponents of REST-based Microservices, Twelve-Factor and Serverless also tend to be Polyglot advocates: arguing that runtime services can be written by developers using their favorite language of choice.
However, this is inconsistent with Forced Conformity / Reduced Diversity. From a maintenance perspective, an overly indulgent Polyglot strategy is a significant Organizational problem. Consider a Microservice processing pipeline consisting of Python, Go, Rust, C++ and Haskell Service components. Maintenance of this Service requires the Organization either:
It is also worth noting that the TIOBE Index for January 2018 yet again places Java as the industries leading programming language, a position broadly held since 2003: this is perhaps an indication that senior management in Organizations understand that unnecessary language diversity (unnecessary Complexity) is an excellent mechanism for generating explosive levels of runtime complexity (see CISQ Technical Debt Calculation), and of course future recruiting issues: i.e. vacancy for a developer – must have 5 years experience in all of the following – Python, Go, Rust, C++ and Haskell.
A common response to uncontrolled Operational Complexity is DevOps.
In the DevOps model, the Development teams are made responsible for all aspects of their Application; from code development to Production. The argument is that Developers can ‘deal’ with the Operational complexity; and direct access to Production Systems – without Operational barriers – allows the developer to deploy code, and recover from the errors caused by the deployment, more rapidly.
However, the DevOps model results in tight coupling between Development teams and the Operational Services for which they are now responsible. This tight-coupling introduces systemic Operational Risk: talented members of a Development team are more likely to leave the company, and in a DevOps centric environment, this immediately translates to an Operational risk to the business: The Wetware Crisis: the Dead Sea effect.
Complexity is a critical business problem. Complexity cannot be ignored, cannot be consolidated away, hidden by a third Party Cloud, or an outsource contract. Directly or indirectly the costs associated with Complexity will always re-emerge.
A Modularity first strategy is the only way that Complexity can be addressed, and highly maintainable, economically sustainable software systems delivered.
As explained in the Agility and Modularity: Two Sides of the Same Coin OSGi white paper, senior management are familiar with the concepts of modularity and dependencies when in the context of Organizational management structures. Recognizing this, the Modularity Maturity Model was proposed by Dr. Graham Charters at the OSGi Community Event in 2011, as a way of helping management assess how far down the modularity path their organization or project is. It is named after the Capability Maturity Model, which allows organizations or projects to measure their improvements on a software development process.
Note that the following terminology is implementation agnostic, in that, it can be applied to any modularity model. The following is also intended as a guide rather than being prescriptive.
No formal modularity exists. Dependencies are unknown. Applications have no, or limited, structure. Agile processes are likely to fail as application code bases are monolithic and highly coupled. Testing is challenging as changes propagate unchecked, causing unintentional side effects. Governance and change management are costly and acknowledged to be high-level operational risks.
Named modules are used with explicit versioning. Dependencies are expressed in terms of module identity (including version). Maven, Ivy, and RPM are examples of modularity solutions where dependencies are managed by versioned identities. Artifact repositories are used; however, their value is compromised as the artifacts are not self-describing. Agile processes are possible and do deliver some business benefit. However, the ability to realize Continuous Integration (CI) is limited by ill-defined dependencies. Governance and change management are not addressed. Testing is still failure-prone. Indeed, the testing process is now the dominant bottleneck in the agile release process. Governance and change management remain costly and continue to be high-level operational risks.
Module dependencies are now expressed via contracts (i.e., capabilities and requirements). Dependency resolution becomes the basis of software construction. Dependencies are semantically versioned, enabling the impact of change to be communicated. By enforcing strong isolation and defining dependencies in terms of capabilities and requirements, modularity enables many small development teams to efficiently work independently and in parallel. The efficiency of Scrum and Kanban management processes correspondingly increases. Sprints are now associated with one or more well-defined structural entities; i.e., the development or refactoring of OSGi bundles. Semantic versioning enables the impact of refactoring to be contained and efficiently communicated across team boundaries. Via strong modularity and isolation, parallel teams can safely sprint on different structural areas of the same application. Strong isolation and semantic versioning enable efficient/robust unit testing. Governance and change management are now demonstrably much lower operational risks.
Services-based collaboration hides the construction details of services from the users of those services, so allowing clients to be decoupled from the implementations of the providers. Services lay the foundation for runtime loose coupling. The dynamic find and bind behaviors in the OSGi service model directly enable loose coupling by enabling the dynamic formation of composite applications. All local and distributed service dependencies are automatically managed. The change of perspective from code to OSGi μServices increases developer and business agility yet further: new business systems being rapidly composed from the appropriate set of pre-existing OSGi μServices.
Artifact ownership is devolved to modularity-aware repositories, which encourage collaboration and enable governance. Assets may be selected on their stated capabilities. Advantages include:
As software artifacts are described in terms of a coherent set of requirements and capabilities, developers can communicate changes (breaking and non-breaking) to third parties through the use of semantic versioning. Devolution allows development teams to rapidly find third-party artifacts that meet their requirements. From a business perspective, devolution enables significant flexibility with respect to how artifacts are created, allowing distributed parties to interact in a more effective and efficient manner. Artifacts may be produced by other teams within the same organization or consumed from external third parties. The Devolution stage promotes code re-use and increases the effectiveness of offshoring/nearshoring or the use of third-party, OSS or crowd-sourced software components. This, in turn, directly leads to significant and sustained reductions in operational cost.
Dynamism is the culmination of the organization’s Modularity journey: this built upon Modularity, Services, and Devolution.
Each Organization’s modularization migration strategy (i.e., the route to traverse these modularity levels) will be dictated by which characteristics are of most immediate business value to the Organization. Most Organizations have moved from the initial Ad-Hoc phase to Modules. Services, in the guise of ‘Microservices’ are currently popular, however, few Organizations have implemented true Modularity or Devolution. Organizations that value a high degree of Agility and/or Adaptive Automation will wish to reach the Dynamism endpoint as soon as possible.
Complexity is the primary issue that affects the economic sustainability of software systems. As detailed in Design Rules, Volume 1 The Power of Modularity, modularity makes complexity manageable. Therefore a coherent strategy for modularity, based on open industry standards, must be our start point.
This modularity first strategy must define how to describe dependencies and lifecycles for all entities, at all structural layers, of each Composite System: from the fine-grained artifacts created by component developers to the distributed Composite System run by Operations; enabling all layers of the runtime environment to be automatically Assembled/Orchestrated.
It is important to note that such a modularity first strategy does not exclude REST-based Microservices, use of Cloud, a Twelve-Factor App approach, or the use of Function-as-a-Service (FaaS). Rather a modularity first strategy is an enabler for maintainable versions of all of the these; while also ensuring that these design decisions can be changed at a later point in time in response to changing Business requirements.
Today, OSGi/Java is the only modularity/language combination powerful enough to address the Complexity Crisis and the longevity challenge described by DARPA. The OSGi Working Group is also exploring the generalization of the OSGi Dependency Management and Service Registry concepts, to bring these benefits to other popular languages. | https://www.osgi.org/resources/complexity-modularity-and-business/ |
Identifying Metrics For Measuring Maintainability Of Models Defined in SystemWeaver
Sammanfattning: Software maintenance forms a crucial activity of any viable software system. Sometimes it becomes the most expensive and time-consuming phase in the life cycle ofthe software product. Software maintainability on the other hand, measures howeasy it is for a software product to be modified. Since software products are growingfast and are becoming more sophisticated over time, measuring the maintainabilityduring early stages of the development process, such as the phase of designing models, will be vital for reducing costs and improving quality of later stages. Our Studyfocused on studying software models presented in SystemWeaver, one of the systemsthat utilises models extensively for a wide range of industrial purposes. We analysedthe structures of the models collected and used their revision history to obtain moreknowledge and define situations reflecting some of the maintenance issues that thedevelopers faced during their development activities. Many of the defined situationswere confirmed later by interviewing experts in the collected data. The confirmedsituations, named patterns, were used to validate a set of maintainability metricswhich were extracted from literature and other research. The correlation tests forvalidating the mentioned metrics showed promising results and proved that metricscan be good candidates for measuring the maintainability of models. The resultsof this study included (1) a prove that struggles during the development processescan be recognised by inspecting some occurring patterns. (2) metrics can be usedto measure the maintainability of models such as the set of metrics we provided atthe final chapter of this report. | https://www.uppsatser.se/uppsats/bc1d5878e7/ |
As explained by Taleb in AntiFragile,”9 predictive and prescriptive processes stand a high chance of failure as the large number of rigid interdependencies mean that Black Swan events, which are by their nature unpredictable, are much more likely.
However, as is hopefully now apparent, the very same arguments apply to rigid monolithic software! Structural modularity is the foundation upon which application agility is realized, and the value of OSGi in enabling popular agile processes will be the subject of this section.
At its core, Scrum is a pragmatic methodology that acknowledges that things change in unforeseen and unforeseeable ways. Scrum acknowledges the existence of requirement churn, and adopts an empirical12 approach to software delivery, accepting that the problem cannot be fully understood or even defined up front. Scrum’s focus is instead on maximizing the team’s ability to deliver quickly and respond to emerging requirements.
Scrum is an iterative and incremental process, with the “sprint” being the basic unit of development. Each sprint is a “time-boxed”13 effort, meaning that it is restricted to a specific duration. The duration is fixed in advance for each sprint and is normally between one week and one month. The tasks and estimated commitment for a sprint are identified in a planning meeting. A review, or retrospective, meeting follows the sprint to review progress and identify lessons for the next sprint.
During each sprint, the team creates finished portions of a product. The set of features that go into a sprint come from the product backlog, which is an ordered list of requirements.
It is hopefully self-evident that applying Scrum to a large monolithic code base is difficult. Conversely, as will be shown, Scrum concepts map well to a highly modular code base comprised of many self-describing, strongly isolated OSGi bundles.
Kanban originates from the Japanese word “signboard” and traces back to Toyota, the Japanese automobile manufacturer, in the late 1940s.14 Kanban encourages teams to have a shared understanding of work, workflow, process, and risk, enabling the team to build a shared comprehension of problems and suggest improvements, which can be agreed by consensus.
Work-In-Progress (WIP) should be limited at each step of a multi-stage workflow. Work items are “pulled” to the next stage only when there is sufficient capacity within the local WIP limit.
The flow of work through each stage of the workflow is monitored, measured and reported. By actively managing flow, the positive or negative impact of continuous, incremental and evolutionary changes to a system can be evaluated.
Kanban encourages small, continuous, incremental and evolutionary changes.
Kanban concepts map naturally to a highly modular code base comprised of many self-describing, strongly isolated artifacts; specifically, the Kanban WIP process idea maps directly to the subset of OSGi bundles that are being actively worked upon. Hence, Kanban pull-based flow rates can be mapped to OSGi bundles’ change/release rates. And as the degree of structural modularity increases, as the OSGi bundles become more fine-grain, the Kanban pull -based flow rates naturally increase, with each smaller OSGi bundle spending correspondingly less time in a WIP state.
Fashioned after the Capability Maturity Model,15 which allows organizations or projects to measure their improvements on a software development process, the Modularity Maturity Model16 is an attempt to describe how far along the modularity path an organization or project might be. As is now argued, this, in turn, will directly dictate the level of agility that might be reasonably expected.
Keeping in step with the Capability Maturity Model we refer to the following six levels.
Level 1: Ad Hoc – No formal modularity exists. Dependencies are unknown. Applications have no, or limited, structure. Agile processes are likely to fail as application code bases are monolithic and highly coupled. Testing is challenging as changes propagate unchecked, causing unintentional side effects. Governance and change management are costly and acknowledged to be high-level operational risks.
Level 2: Modules – Named modules are used with explicit versioning. Dependencies are expressed in terms of module identity (including version). Maven, Ivy and RPM are examples of modularity solutions where dependencies are managed by versioned identities. Artifact repositories are used; however, their value is compromised as the artifacts are not self-describing. Agile processes are possible and do deliver some business benefit. However, the ability to realize Continuous Integration (CI) is limited by ill-defined dependencies. Governance and change management are not addressed. Testing is still failure-prone. Indeed, the testing process is now the dominant bottleneck in the agile release process. Governance and change management remain costly and continue to be high-level operational risks.
Level 3: Modularity – Module dependencies are now expressed via contracts (i.e. capabilities and requirements). Dependency resolution becomes the basis of software construction. Dependencies are semantically versioned, enabling the impact of change to be communicated. By enforcing strong isolation and defining dependencies in terms of capabilities and requirements, modularity enables many small development teams to efficiently work independently and in parallel. The efficiency of Scrum and Kanban management processes correspondingly increases. Sprints are now associated with one or more well-defined structural entities; i.e. the development or refactoring of OSGi bundles. Semantic versioning enables the impact of refactoring to be contained and efficiently communicated across team boundaries. Via strong modularity and isolation, parallel teams can safely sprint on different structural areas of the same application. Strong isolation and semantic versioning enable efficient/robust unit testing. Governance and change management are now demonstrably much lower operational risks.
Level 4: Services – Services-based collaboration hides the construction details of services from the users of those services, so allowing clients to be decoupled from the implementations of the providers. Services lay the foundation for runtime loose coupling. The dynamic find and bind behaviors in the OSGi service model directly enable loose coupling by enabling the dynamic formation of composite applications. All local and distributed service dependencies are automatically managed. The change of perspective from code to OSGi µServices increases developer and business agility yet further: new business systems being rapidly composed from the appropriate set of pre-existing OSGi µServices.
As software artifacts are described in terms of a coherent set of requirements and capabilities, developers can communicate changes (breaking and non-breaking) to third parties through the use of semantic versioning. Devolution allows development teams to rapidly find third-party artifacts that meet their requirements. From a business perspective, devolution enables significant flexibility with respect to how artifacts are created, allowing distributed parties to interact in a more effective and efficient manner. Artifacts may be produced by other teams within the same organization or consumed from external third parties. The Devolution stage promotes code re-use and increases the effectiveness of offshoring/near shoring or the use of third-party, OSS or crowd-sourced software components. This, in turn, directly leads to significant and sustained reductions in operational cost.
Level 6: Dynamism – This final level builds upon Modularity, Services and Devolution, and is the culmination of the organization’s modularity/agility journey.
Business applications are rapidly assembled from modular components. As strong structural modularity is enforced (i.e. isolation enforced by the OSGi bundle boundary), components may be efficiently and effectively created and maintained by a number of alternate providers (onshore, nearshore, offshore, OSS, third party).
As each application is self-describing, even the most sophisticated of business systems is simple to understand, to maintain and to enhance.
As semantic versioning is used, the impact of change is efficiently communicated to all interested parties, including governance and change control processes.
Software fixes may be rapidly deployed into production.
The capabilities of existing applications may be rapidly extended.
As the dynamic assembly process is aware of the capabilities of the hosting runtime environment, application structure and behavior may automatically adapt to location, allowing transparent deployment and optimization for public cloud or traditional private data center environments.
An organization’s modularization migration strategy will be defined by the approach taken to traversing these modularity levels. Most organizations will have already moved from an initial Ad Hoc phase to Modules. Meanwhile, organizations that value a high degree of agility will wish to reach the Dynamism endpoint as soon as possible.
As shown, each organization may traverse from Modules to Dynamism via several paths, adapting migration strategy as necessary.
To achieve maximum benefit as soon as possible, an organization may choose to move directly to Modularityby refactoring the existing code base into OSGi bundles. The benefits of Devolutionand Servicesnaturally follow. This is also the obvious strategy for new greenfield applications.
For legacy applications, an alternative may be to pursue a Servicesfirst approach; first expressing coarse-grained software components as OSGi services; then driving code level modularity (i.e. OSGi bundles) on a service by service This approach may be easier to initiate within large organizations with extensive legacy environments.
It should be noted that the ability to pursue multiple alternative options is in itself a key indicator of an increasingly agile environment!
As the level of structural modularity increases through adoption of OSGi, both Scrum and Kanban processes become correspondingly more efficient and effective.
16 An initial version of a Modularity Maturity Model; this proposed by Dr. Graham Charters at the OSGi Community Event 2011. The version in this paper has been adapted to emphasize Agility aspects. | https://www.osgi.org/developer/white-papers/agility-and-modularity-two-sides-of-the-same-coin/agilitymodularity4/ |
Java platform provides a system for developing application software and deploying it in a cross-platform computing environment. Java is used in a variety of computing platforms from embedded devices and mobile ...
In this blog, we will discuss in detail about the best practices to follow while coding Java based applications. The pitfall of a large application is maintaining a huge code base with hundreds of dependencies ...
This blog aims to give an overview of MyBatis and Hibernate. Before we talk about Mybatis and Hibernate. It might be better to talk about Object Relational Mapping as a concept first. Object-Relational Mappi...
In the Spring framework, the core container module provides essential functionality. The BeanFactory is a primary component of the core container and the Inversion of Control (IoC) pattern is applied by BeanFa...
In Spring, the concept of Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP) is similar to modularity in Object Oriented Programming (OOP). In OOP’s, a key unit of modularity is the object, but in AOP it is aspect. ... | https://www.perfomatix.com/tag/java/ |
The increasing demand for quicker continuous software deliveries urges the need for test automation also within the scientific environments found at the European Space Agency (ESA).
This talk will introduce you to the Automated Regression Testing (ART) Framework developed for and used at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) for verification and validation of Monitoring and Control Software (MCS). It will discuss an approach of extending an existing, proprietary testing environment seamless with capabilities of simulating user interactions and performing automated functional validation against the GUI of the MCS components. Multiple studies have also elaborate efficient concepts for Test Design, reaching a high level of modularity, maintainability, reusability and a clear separation of test flow and test data. While recent development is concentrating on managing a high level of software variants, reference systems and test plans.
Continuous Integration techniques have been applied extensively throughout all activities from different points of view. On the one hand, etamax is acting as Industry providing an independent software product (here: the enhanced test environment) to the agency, which allows to automate processes to a level of continuous delivery. On the other hand, we are providing services on-side at the Ground Segment Reference Facility (GSRF), facing the limits of and resistance to aspects of automating everything, caused by the specific working environment.
Berend Semke is working for etamax space GmbH, a medium sized company with approx. 60 employees in Braunschweig and Darmstadt.
While he is he coordinating technology-driven activities on software development and verification & validation in Braunschweig as Head of Software Development, he also accounts software-development related activities in the space domain, “that lives in the Ground Segment” as Head of Ground Segment Software and site manager Darmstadt.
He is performing these tasks with a strong technological background based on nearly 15 years of project experience, gained in all possible roles of the Software Development Process for renowned customers like Siemens, VW and the European Space Agency (ESA). | http://www.qs-tag.de/index.php?id=5325 |
and, of course,
Maintainability
synonyms and on the right images related to the word
Maintainability
.
Definition of Maintainability
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Meaning of Maintainability from
wikipedia
- In engineering,
maintainability
is the ease with
which
a
product
can be
maintained
in
order
to:
correct
defects
or
their
cause,
Repair
or
replace
faulty...
- In free and open
source
software, a
software
maintainer
or
package
maintainer
is
usually
one or more
people
who
build
source
code into a
binary
package...
-
Maintain
is a song by Palestinian-Canadian
rapper
Belly,
featuring
vocals
from
fellow
Canadian
rapper
and
labelmate
Nav. It was
released
on 6
April
2018...
-
Maintaining
is a 2007-2009
comic
strip
by
cartoonist
Nate Cr****more. Cr****more is a two-time
winner
of the
Scripps
College
Cartoonist
of the Year and...
-
serviceability
(RAS), also
known
as reliability, availability, and
maintainability
(RAM), is a
computer
hardware
engineering
term
involving
reliability...
- In horology, a
maintaining
power
is a
mechanism
for
keeping
a
clock
or
watch
going
while
it is
being
wound. The
weight
drive
used by
Christiaan
Huygens...
-
Pereira
Maintains
(Italian:
Sostiene
Pereira) is a 1994
novel
by the
Italian
writer
Antonio
Tabucchi. It is also
known
as
Pereira
Declares
and Declares...
- RAMS is an
acronym
for Reliability, Availability,
Maintainability
, and Safety,
commonly
used in
engineering
to
characterize
a
product
or system: Reliability...
-
interchangeability
interoperability
[Erl]
learnability
localizability
maintainability
manageability
mobility
modifiability
modularity
observability
operability...
-
Maintenance
may
refer
to:
Maintenance
of an
organism
Maintenance
respiration
Alimony, also
called
maintenance
in
British
English
Champerty
and maintenance...
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Property Finder is the leading digital real estate platform in the Middle East and North Africa region. A UAE-born startup, Property Finder expanded its operations to Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt over the years. Recently, it acquired a significant stake in Zingat in Turkey. The company is one of the largest technology start-ups in the region and on a journey to becoming a Unicorn. We are aspiring to create a lighthouse technology company which will have a lasting impact in the entire tech ecosystem in our geography.
Responsibilities
- Brainstorm with Product Managers, Designers and Frontend Engineers to conceptualize and build new features for the applications;
- Produce high-quality results by leading or contributing heavily to large cross-functional projects that have a significant impact on the business;
- Actively own features, systems or parts of the projects and define their long-term health, while also improving the health of surrounding structures;
- Developing front-end website architecture;
- Designing user interactions on web pages;
- Mentor and guide other more junior engineers;
- Taking active part in improve engineering standards, tooling, and processes.
Requirements
- Advanced OOP knowledge (Object Oriented Programming);
- Ability to architect solutions outside of a framework;
- Expert knowledge of React is a must;
- Exposure to Design patterns & Software Architecture;
- Have a good experience in backend technology like NodeJS;
- Ability to learn & apply company coding standards & processes;
- You write understandable, testable code with an eye towards maintainability;
- Experience in CSS architecture patterns (BEM, CSS Modules etc.);
- Experience in cloud platforms AWS, is a plus;
- Experience with Agile/Scrum is needed;
- Good debugging skills. | https://boards.greenhouse.io/propertyfinder/jobs/5069654003 |
This is where the rubber meets the road. RTC’s software teams develop the code per the code development plan. The code is written to the software requirements in the language specified in the software development plan. The code could be part of the main application, a board support package, drivers, or firmware. Once the code is written it is compiled and initial correctness evaluation is performed. Every line of code is analyzed for testability. Once the software functionality is stable then it is taken to the hardware platform to ensure it works on the target. Solid software development techniques are used for maintainability regardless of your industry.
• Process oriented
• Structures definition
• Task definition
• Module creation
• Algorithm implementation
• Language dependent code generation
• Initial timing analysis
• Initial code testing, debugging, and analysis
Our software development team works hand in hand with you to ensure your vision is working as expected. With RTC you always have experts on hand assisting you.
All review artifacts are saved for later auditing and delivered to our clients for any regulatory certification processes. | https://real-time-consulting.com/code-development/ |
Dependencies between program elements can reflect the architecture, design, and implementation of a software project. According a industry report, intra- and inter-module dependencies can be a significant source of latent threats to software maintainability in long-term software development, especially when the software has millions of lines of code. This thesis introduces the design and implementation of an accurate and scalable analysis tool that extracts code dependencies from large C/C++ software projects. The tool analyzes both symbol-level and module-level dependencies of a software system and provides an utilization-based dependency model. The accurate dependencies generated by the tool can be provided as the input to other software analysis suits; the results along can help developers identify potential underutilized and inconsistent dependencies in the software. Such information points to potential refactoring opportunities and assists developers with large-scale refactoring tasks. | https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/handle/10012/7875 |
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Speech and music activity detection (SMAD) is a long-studied problem and has been included in the Music Information Retrieval Evaluation eXchange (MIREX) competition for several years. Like other Music Information Retrieval (MIR) tasks, the most recent improvements to SMAD rely on data-driven approaches [12, 5, 2, 4, 3, 7]. However, due to copyright issues, many of these systems were trained on private datasets which impeded the reproducibility of the results (e.g., the radio datasets used in and ). Although several publicly available datasets have been proposed for training or evaluation of SMAD systems, as shown in Table 2, they suffer from several drawbacks. GTZAN , MUSAN , SSMSC and Muspeak only have non-overlapping speech or music segments. OpenBMAT and ORF TV only support music labels, while the original AVASpeech dataset only has speech labels. In the real-world where speech and music co-occur regularly, these datasets might not be suitable training sources.
To solve the data limitation problem, we proposed a supplementary dataset, AVASpeech-SMAD. The dataset is the extension of the AVASpeech dataset proposed by Chaudhuri et al. . The original AVASpeech dataset only contains speech activities and we extended it by manually labelling the music activities. We expect our proposed dataset to be used for training or evaluation of future SMAD systems. The dataset is open-sourced on the Github repository: https://github.com/biboamy/AVASpeech_Music_Labels
The statistics of the dataset are shown in Table 2. Compared to other publicly available datasets, ours is the only one containing overlapping speech and music frame labels. The dataset includes a variety of content, languages, genres and production quality. The audio data, labels, and annotation process are discussed in the following sections.
The original dataset contains excerpts of -minute clips taken from YouTube videos with a total duration of . Each audio file is stereo and was sampled at with per sample. Due to copyright issues, we could not distribute the audio files from this dataset. Instead, we include the scripts for downloading and preprocessing the audio files in our GitHub repository.
The speech labels were derived as-is from the original AVASpeech while the new music labels were manually annotated. The statistics of the labels are shown in Table 1. The dataset covers a variety of cases. Some samples barely have any music while some contain mostly music. Some of them do not have any region with overlapping music and speech, while some have over of the regions containing both music and speech. The detailed statistics of each clip can be found in our GitHub repository.
The annotation process of the proposed dataset is shown in Fig. 1. The annotation process has four steps, namely music detection, first manual annotation check, cross-validate and second manual annotation check. Steps involving human annotators are highlighted in orange. Seven MIR students and researchers, all of whom are also musicians of varying experience levels, have volunteered as annotators. An internal algorithm is first used to pseudo-label the music regions. The annotators are then asked to manually annotate the regions with music activity, with the pseudo labels acting as a rough guide. Each annotators were assigned between to audio clips to annotate active music regions. Sonic Visualizer111https://www.sonicvisualiser.org, last accessed 04/30/2021 was used to mark the active regions and all annotators used headphones during the annotation process. To ensure the consistency of the labels and avoid ambiguity, the guideline for determining music versus speech is listed in GitHub repository.
After the annotations are completed, all the labels were cross-validated with the speech labels provided by original AVASpeech dataset. Since the original labels contain “Speech with music” and “Clean speech” classes, we can expect that the former contains music while the latter do not contains music. Any discrepancies between our labels and the original labels were algorithmically detected: the region that was labeled as music in the original labels but not in our labels, and the region that was labeled no music in the original labels but labeled as music in our labels. If the discrepancies are less than , we automatically modify the labels based on the original labels. However, if the discrepancies are greater than three seconds, we conducted a manual review of the regions. Each region is randomly assigned to additional two annotators and majority vote is considered to determine the final labels of the regions.
We choose two existing SOTA systems to evaluate on our proposed dataset. First is the CRNN-based detector proposed by . The method is trained on the combination of synthetic data and radio broadcast. The second system is the InaSpeechSegmentor proposed by . The segmentor has a CNN architecture and can split audio into homogeneous music, speech and noise region. The sed_eval toolbox is used to perform segment-level evaluation as used in the MIREX 2018 competition222https://www.music-ir.org/mirex/wiki/2018:Music_and/or_Speech_Detection, last accessed 04/30/2021. The result is shown in Table 3 for future reference.
In this work, we proposed a supplementary dataset for SMAD. The dataset not only contains overlapping speech and music frame labels, but also includes a variety of content. Based on our benchmark experiments, one of the SOTA systems achieved F1-scores (80% and 77 % for music and speech, respectively) that are slightly lower than the reported 85% for both music and speech on MIREX test sets in . This result suggests that our proposed dataset is able to present new challenges to the model and potentially complement the existing datasets (e.g., MIREX test sets) with diverse content and frame-level labels. We expect this dataset to serve as a new resource and reference for future SMAD research.
K. N. Watcharasupat and J. Lee acknowledge the support from the CN Yang Scholars Programme, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. We also gratefully acknowledge Professor Alexander Lerch and Music Informatics Group supported this research by providing a Titan X GPU for computing the experiment.
Exploring convolutional, recurrent, and hybrid deep neural networks for speech and music detection in a large audio dataset. Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing 2019 (1), pp. 1–18. Cited by: §1.
Music detection from broadcast contents using convolutional neural networks with a mel-scale kernel. Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing 2019 (1), pp. 1–12. Cited by: §1. | https://deepai.org/publication/avaspeech-smad-a-strongly-labelled-speech-and-music-activity-detection-dataset-with-label-co-occurrence |
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1. TamilSentiMix: We created a gold standard Tamil-English code-switched, sentiment-annotated corpus containing 15,744 comment posts from YouTube.
2. Devanagari Handwritten Character Dataset: This is an image database of Handwritten Devanagari characters. There are 46 classes of characters with 2000 examples each. The dataset is split into training set(85%) and testing set(15%).
3. chestnut – LARVIC: The research project presents this database, shows the images of chestnuts that will be processed to determine the presence or absence of defects
4. One-hundred plant species leaves data set: Sixteen samples of leaf each of one-hundred plant species. For each sample, a shape descriptor, fine scale margin and texture histogram are given.
5. Relative location of CT slices on axial axis: The dataset consists of 384 features extracted from CT images. The class variable is numeric and denotes the relative location of the CT slice on the axial axis of the human body.
6. Reuters RCV1 RCV2 Multilingual, Multiview Text Categorization Test collection: This test collection contains feature characteristics of documents originally written in five different languages and their translations, over a common set of 6 categories.
7. Artificial Characters: Dataset artificially generated by using first order theory which describes structure of ten capital letters of English alphabet
8. Demand Forecasting for a store: Contains data for a store from week 1 to week 146.
9. Sattriya_Dance_Single_Hand_Gestures Dataset: The Sattriya_Dance_Single_Hand_Gestures dataset contains 1450 images of 29 Sattriya dance single-hand gestures consisting 50 samples from each hasta.
10. Geographical Original of Music: Instances in this dataset contain audio features extracted from 1059 wave files. The task associated with the data is to predict the geographical origin of music.
11. Codon usage: DNA codon usage frequencies of a large sample of diverse biological organisms from different taxa
12. Firm-Teacher_Clave-Direction_Classification: The data are binary attack-point vectors and their clave-direction class(es) according to the partido-alto-based paradigm.
13. TV News Channel Commercial Detection Dataset: TV Commercials data set consists of standard audio-visual features of video shots extracted from 150 hours of TV news broadcast of 3 Indian and 2 international news channels ( 30 Hours each).
14. Diabetic Retinopathy Debrecen Data Set: This dataset contains features extracted from the Messidor image set to predict whether an image contains signs of diabetic retinopathy or not.
15. HIV-1 protease cleavage: The data contains lists of octamers (8 amino acids) and a flag (-1 or 1) depending on whether HIV-1 protease will cleave in the central position (between amino acids 4 and 5).
16. GitHub MUSAE: A social network of GitHub users with user-level attributes, connectivity data and a binary target variable.
17. UbiqLog (smartphone lifelogging): UbiqLog is the smartphone lifelogging tool that runs on the smartphone of 35 users for about 2 months.
18. Website Phishing:
19. KASANDR: KASANDR is a novel, publicly available collection for recommendation systems that records the behavior of customers of the European leader in e-Commerce advertising, Kelkoo.
20. Crowdsourced Mapping: Crowdsourced data from OpenStreetMap is used to automate the classification of satellite images into different land cover classes (impervious, farm, forest, grass, orchard, water).
21. APS Failure at Scania Trucks: The datasets' positive class consists of component failures for a specific component of the APS system. The negative class consists of trucks with failures for components not related to the APS.
22. Steel Plates Faults: A dataset of steel plates’ faults, classified into 7 different types.
The goal was to train machine learning for automatic pattern recognition.
23. Query Analytics Workloads Dataset: The data-set contains three (3) sets of range/radius query workloads from Gaussian distributions over a real dataset; Each query is associated with aggregate scalar values (count/sum/average).
24. Thyroid Disease: 10 separate databases from Garavan Institute
25. Cargo 2000 Freight Tracking and Tracing: Sanitized and anonymized Cargo 2000 (C2K) airfreight tracking and tracing events, covering five months of business execution (3,942 process instances, 7,932 transport legs, 56,082 activities).
26. UJI Pen Characters: Data consists of written characters in a UNIPEN-like format
27. UJI Pen Characters (Version 2): A pen-based database with more than 11k isolated handwritten characters
28. Online Handwritten Assamese Characters Dataset: This is a dataset of 8235 online handwritten assamese characters. The “online” process involves capturing of data as text is written on a digitizing tablet with an electronic pen.
29. Incident management process enriched event log: This event log was extracted from data gathered from the audit system of an instance of the ServiceNow platform used by an IT company and enriched with data loaded from a relational database.
30. NYSK: NYSK (New York v. Strauss-Kahn) is a collection of English news articles about the case relating to allegations of sexual assault against the former IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn (May 2011).
31. Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) Recognition Using Binary Sensors: This dataset comprises information regarding the ADLs performed by two users on a daily basis in their
own homes.
32. Pedestrian in Traffic Dataset: This data-set contains a number of pedestrian tracks recorded from a vehicle driving in a town in southern Germany. The data is particularly well-suited for multi-agent motion prediction tasks.
33. Indoor User Movement Prediction from RSS data: This dataset contains temporal data from a Wireless Sensor Network deployed in real-world office environments. The task is intended as real-life benchmark in the area of Ambient Assisted Living.
34. Activity Recognition system based on Multisensor data fusion (AReM): This dataset contains temporal data from a Wireless Sensor Network worn by an actor performing the activities: bending, cycling, lying down, sitting, standing, walking.
35. Geo-Magnetic field and WLAN dataset for indoor localisation from wristband and smartphone: A multisource and multivariate dataset for indoor localisation methods based on WLAN and Geo-Magnetic field fingerprinting
36. Taxi Service Trajectory - Prediction Challenge, ECML PKDD 2015: An accurate dataset describing trajectories performed by all the 442 taxis running in the city of Porto, in Portugal.
37. Youtube cookery channels viewers comments in Hinglish: The datasets are taken from top 2 Indian cooking channel named Nisha Madhulika channel and Kabita’s Kitchen channel.
The data set is in Hinglish Language.
38. Multimodal Damage Identification for Humanitarian Computing: 5879 captioned images (image and text) from social media related to damage during natural disasters/wars, and belong to 6 classes: Fires, Floods, Natural landscape, Infrastructural, Human, Non-damage.
39. Amazon Commerce reviews set: The dataset is used for authorship identification in online Writeprint which is a new research field of pattern recognition.
40. SMS Spam Collection: The SMS Spam Collection is a public set of SMS labeled messages that have been collected for mobile phone spam research.
41. Bar Crawl: Detecting Heavy Drinking: Accelerometer and transdermal alcohol content data from a college bar crawl. Used to predict heavy drinking episodes via mobile data.
42. BitcoinHeistRansomwareAddressDataset: BitcoinHeist datasets contains address features on the heterogeneous Bitcoin network to identify ransomware payments.
43. 3W dataset: The first realistic and public dataset with rare undesirable real events in oil wells.
44. Bar Crawl: Detecting Heavy Drinking: Accelerometer and transdermal alcohol content data from a college bar crawl. Used to predict heavy drinking episodes via mobile data.
45. Gas sensor array under dynamic gas mixtures: The data set contains the recordings of 16 chemical sensors exposed to two dynamic gas mixtures at varying concentrations. For each mixture, signals were acquired continuously during 12 hours.
46. Greenhouse Gas Observing Network: Design an observing network to monitor emissions of a greenhouse gas (GHG) in California given time series of synthetic observations and tracers from weather model simulations.
47. Appliances energy prediction: Experimental data used to create regression models of appliances energy use in a low energy building.
48. Air quality: Contains the responses of a gas multisensor device deployed on the field in an Italian city.
49. Dynamic Features of VirusShare Executables: This dataset contains the dynamic features of 107,888 executables, collected by VirusShare from Nov/2010 to Jul/2014.
50. Spoken Arabic Digit: This dataset contains timeseries of mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFCCs) corresponding to spoken Arabic digits. Includes data from 44 male and 44 female native Arabic speakers.
51. Individual household electric power consumption: Measurements of electric power consumption in one household with a one-minute sampling rate over a period of almost 4 years. Different electrical quantities and some sub-metering values are available.
52. Gas sensor arrays in open sampling settings: The dataset contains 18000 time-series recordings from a chemical detection platform at six different locations in a wind tunnel facility in response to ten high-priority chemical gaseous substances
53. WISDM Smartphone and Smartwatch Activity and Biometrics Dataset : Contains accelerometer and gyroscope time-series sensor data collected from a smartphone and smartwatch as 51 test subjects perform 18 activities for 3 minutes each.
54. Detect Malware Types: Provide a short description of your data set (less than 200 characters).
55. microblogPCU: MicroblogPCU data is crawled from sina weibo microblog[http://weibo.com/]. This data can be used to study machine learning methods as well as do some social network research.
56. Parking Birmingham: Data collected from car parks in Birmingham that are operated by NCP from
Birmingham City Council. UK Open Government Licence (OGL).
https://data.birmingham.gov.uk/dataset/birmingham-parking
57. MSNBC.com Anonymous Web Data: This data describes the page visits of users who visited msnbc.com on September 28, 1999. Visits are recorded at the level of URL category (see description) and are recorded in time order.
58. Activity recognition with healthy older people using a batteryless wearable sensor: Sequential motion data from 14 healthy older people aged 66 to 86 years old using a batteryless, wearable sensor on top of their clothing for the recognition of activities in clinical environments.
59. chipseq: ChIP-seq experiments characterize protein modifications or binding at
specific genomic locations in specific samples. The machine learning
problem in these data is structured binary classification.
60. DSRC Vehicle Communications: This set Provides data regarding wireless communications between vehicles and road side units. two separate data sets are provided (normal scenario) and in the presence of attacker (jammer).
61. 3D Road Network (North Jutland, Denmark): 3D road network with highly accurate elevation information (+-20cm) from Denmark used in eco-routing and fuel/Co2-estimation routing algorithms.
62. Machine Learning based ZZAlpha Ltd. Stock Recommendations 2012-2014: The data here are the ZZAlpha® machine learning recommendations made for various US traded stock portfolios the morning of each day during the 3 year period Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2014.
63. El Nino: The data set contains oceanographic and surface meteorological readings taken from a series of buoys positioned throughout the equatorial Pacific.
64. Twitter Data set for Arabic Sentiment Analysis: This problem of Sentiment Analysis (SA) has been studied well on the English language but not Arabic one. Two main approaches have been devised: corpus-based and lexicon-based.
65. CLINC150: This is a intent classification (text classification) dataset with 150 in-domain intent classes. The main purpose of this dataset is to evaluate various classifiers on out-of-domain performance.
66. Sentiment Labelled Sentences: The dataset contains sentences labelled with positive or negative sentiment.
67. Turkish Headlines Dataset: Dataset consists of 7 news type labels. These labels are economy, politics, life, technology, magazine, health, sport. This dataset was created by me via Mynet, Milliyet, etc websites.
68. Twenty Newsgroups: This data set consists of 20000 messages taken from 20 newsgroups.
69. sentiment analysis in Saudi Arabia about distance education during Covid-19 : The data were collected from Twitter. About distance education in Saudi Arabia due to Covid-19 pandemic. Data were gathered from Sep 2 to 17, 2020. Arabic Tweets classified as positive or negative.
70. YouTube Spam Collection: It is a public set of comments collected for spam research. It has five datasets composed by 1,956 real messages extracted from five videos that were among the 10 most viewed on the collection period.
71. NSF Research Award Abstracts 1990-2003: This data set consists of (a) 129,000 abstracts describing NSF awards for basic research, (b) bag-of-word data files extracted from the abstracts, (c) a list of words used for indexing the bag-of-word
72. Reuters-21578 Text Categorization Collection: This is a collection of documents that appeared on Reuters newswire in 1987. The documents were assembled and indexed with categories.
73. Burst Header Packet (BHP) flooding attack on Optical Burst Switching (OBS) Network: One of the primary challenges in identifying the risks of the Burst Header Packet (BHP) flood attacks in Optical Burst Switching networks (OBS) is the scarcity of reliable historical data.
74. DeliciousMIL: A Data Set for Multi-Label Multi-Instance Learning with Instance Labels: This dataset includes 1) 12234 documents (8251 training, 3983 test) extracted from DeliciousT140 dataset, 2) class labels for all documents, 3) labels for a subset of sentences of the test documents.
75. University of Tehran Question Dataset 2016 (UTQD.2016): Persian questions gathered from a jeopardy game broadcasted on Iranian national television.
76. Health News in Twitter: The data was collected in 2015 using Twitter API. This dataset contains health news from more than 15 major health news agencies such as BBC, CNN, and NYT.
77. Victorian Era Authorship Attribution: To create the largest authorship attribution dataset, we extracted works of 50 well-known authors. To have a non-exhaustive learning, in training there are 45 authors whereas, in the testing, it's 50
78. Farm Ads: This data was collected from text ads found on twelve websites that deal with various farm animal related topics. The binary labels are based on whether or not the content owner approves of the ad.
79. YouTube Comedy Slam Preference Data: This dataset provides user vote data on which video from a pair of videos is funnier collected on YouTube Comedy Slam. The task is to automatically predict this preference based on video metadata.
80. selfBACK: The SELFBACK dataset is a Human Activity Recognition Dataset of 9
activity classes recorded with two tri-axial accelerometers.
81. Basketball dataset: It's data collected from different volunteers that are done in a basketball practice: dribbling, pass, shoot, picking the ball, and holding the ball.
82. Simulated Falls and Daily Living Activities Data Set: 20 falls and 16 daily living activities were performed by 17 volunteers with 5 repetitions while wearing 6 sensors (3.060 instances) that attached to their head, chest, waist, wrist, thigh and ankle.
83. BAUM-1: BAUM-1 dataset contains 1184 multimodal facial video clips collected from 31 subjects. The 1184 video clips contain spontaneous facial expressions and speech of 13 emotional and mental states.
84. BAUM-2: A multilingual audio-visual affective face database consisting of 1047 video clips of 286 subjects.
85. Entree Chicago Recommendation Data: This data contains a record of user interactions with the Entree Chicago restaurant recommendation system.
86. Bike Sharing Dataset: This dataset contains the hourly and daily count of rental bikes between years 2011 and 2012 in Capital bikeshare system with the corresponding weather and seasonal information.
87. PMU-UD: The handwritten dataset was collected from 170 participants with a total of 5,180 numeral patterns. The dataset is named Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University - Urdu/Arabic Database (PMU-UD).
88. Localization Data for Person Activity: Data contains recordings of five people performing different activities. Each person wore four sensors (tags) while performing the same scenario five times.
89. Pseudo Periodic Synthetic Time Series: This data set is designed for testing indexing schemes in time series databases. The data appears highly periodic, but never exactly repeats itself.
Supported By:
In Collaboration With: | https://archive.ics.uci.edu/ml/datasets.php?format=nonmat&task=&att=&area=&numAtt=&numIns=greater1000&type=&sort=typeUp&view=list |
Text generation is the task of generating text with the goal of appearing indistinguishable to human-written text.
( Image credit: Adversarial Ranking for Language Generation )
|TREND||DATASET||BEST METHOD||PAPER TITLE||PAPER||CODE||COMPARE|
Keyphrases, that concisely summarize the high-level topics discussed in a document, can be categorized into present keyphrase which explicitly appears in the source text, and absent keyphrase which does not match any contiguous subsequence but is highly semantically related to the source.
In this paper, we propose an Unsupervised Document Expansion with Generation (UDEG) framework with a pre-trained language model, which generates diverse supplementary sentences for the original document without using labels on query-document pairs for training.
Recently, much progress in natural language processing has been driven by deep contextualized representations pretrained on large corpora.
MULTI-VIEW LEARNING PASSAGE RE-RANKING RE-RANKING TEXT GENERATION
Generating realistic sequences is a central task in many machine learning applications.
The ability to persuade others is critical to professional and personal success.
This is because the nearest neighbor to the noised input is likely to be the original input.
Large pretrained generative models like GPT-3 often suffer from hallucinating non-existent or incorrect content, which undermines their potential merits in real applications.
In this paper, we present a systematic analysis of conditional generation to study whether current PLMs are good enough for preserving important concepts in the input and to what extent explicitly guiding generation with lexical constraints is beneficial.
We conduct an empirical evaluation of extrapolation performance when conditioning on scalar control inputs like desired output length, desired edit from an input sentence, and desired sentiment across three text generation tasks.
Scripts - standardized event sequences describing typical everyday activities - have been shown to help understand narratives by providing expectations, resolving ambiguity, and filling in unstated information. | https://paperswithcode.com/task/text-generation/codeless |
Text Import Settings
The Text Import Settings window allows you to choose how to import text formatted files. These files are often comma-separated values (CSV) files or similar. The settings window is accessed from the various "Import" menus and selecting the "Delimited Text File" format.
Contents
General Format
Files of this format are arranged as rows of numbers separated into columns by some text delimiter (comma, space, tab). There are often one or more columns or rows of text labels which describe each column or row of values. There may also be some number of rows at the top of the file which give a description or other technical details about the data (header rows).
Example:
These are the header lines describing the file There are two of them. The next line is the column labels , c1, c2, c3, c4, c5 sample A, 9, 7, 5, 3, 1 sample B, 8, 6, 4, 2, 0
In the most flexible parsing method, there can be row and column labels anywhere in the file (top/bottom/left/right).
Note that, if a file contains an axis scale (numerical values which represent reference values and not data), these will be imported as data and will have to be converted into an axis scale later. See the DataSet Editor Data Tab page. Alternatively, the XY Delimited Text Format can be used for importing data with an axis scale as the first column of a delimited text file.
Importing Options
After specifying which file to import, the Text Import Settings window appears:
By default, the importer will be set with options that work on many files, but changing the options may provide faster importing, reduce the amount of post-import changes you have to make, or fix potential importing problems. The following options are available:
Primary Parsing Options
- Parsing There are three options for parsing:
- Automatic : the most flexible importing method. The file is automatically parsed for labels and header information. This works on many standard arrangements with different numbers of rows and column labels. May take some time to complete with larger files. See note below regarding additional options available with 'automatic' parsing.
- Automatic (strict,fast) : faster automatic parsing which does not handle header lines, and expects that all row labels will be on the left-hand side of the data and all column labels will be on the top of the columns. If this returns the wrong result or fails, try the 'automatic' parsing method.
- Manual : user specifies how many row and column labels are present as well as header lines (see options below).
- Automatic (stream) : nearly identical to 'Automatic' but reads from the file in pieces. This allows reading somewhat larger files than might otherwise be readable because of memory limitations.
- Graphical Selection : opens a window where each row and column can be manually set as data, label, class, or axisscale.
- Delimiter Specifies the text character which separates the columns of data. If automatic is selected, the file is scanned for the most consistently used character. Otherwise, select the character used to separate the columns of data.
- Comment Character Specifies the character which, when appearing as the first character in a line, indicates the line is a comment and not data.
- Example: #This is a comment - not data
- see also "Header Rows" option.
- Header Rows Indicates the number of rows at the top of the file which are not data and should be read as comments only.
Manual Parsing Options
These options are only available when parsing is "Manual".
- Row Labels Indicates how may rows of column-labels appear at the top of the file. With manual parsing, all column labels must be at the top of the file (first rows).
- Column Labels Indicates how may columns of row-labels appear at the left of the file. With manual parsing, all row labels must be at the left-hand side of the file (first columns).
Other Options
- EU Format When checked, the parser expects decimal values to be indicated with a comma rather than a period. Note that when checked, the delimiter setting (above) can NOT be a comma.
- Treat consecutive delimiters as one When checked, delimiters which appear in succession without any other text between them are considered one: 1,,2,,3 = 1,2,3 Otherwise, an empty element like this is represented by the placeholder value NaN ("not a number") in the parsed data: 1,,2,,3 = 1,NaN,2,NaN,3
- Hard-delete empty columns and rows When checked, any rows or columns of data which are completely empty (i.e. all values are NaN as explained above) are removed from the imported DataSet. If a column or row has any non-NaN value, it will not be removed.
- Transpose When checked, the imported DataSet will have columns which represent the rows of the imported file (and rows of the DataSet will be columns of the file). Useful when a file has samples as columns of the file because other Solo and PLS_Toolbox operations expect samples to be rows.
Command-Line Options
PLS_Toolbox users can access many of these options and more through the xclreadr function. Also note that this function will also accept options like those passed to the parsemixed function.
XY Delimited Text Format
The XY... Delimited Text format is very similar to the delimited text importer, with the following differences:
- Columns of the file are assumed to be samples (thus, the data is always transposed after import)
- The first column of the data is assumed to be numerical values which should be used as an axisscale.
- No labels are permitted for the rows.
This is available to PLS_Toolbox users through the xyreadr function. | https://www.wiki.eigenvector.com/index.php?title=Text_Import_Settings |
Since dramatic disintegration of Soviet Union, South Caucasus became one of the most vulnerable regions in post-soviet realm where ethnic conflicts and political violence ended up with emergence of collapsed and fragile states in the region. Social and political consequences following the collapse of Soviet system in South Caucasus were indeed harmful and dramatic. Political instability, ethnic and territorial conflicts, strengthening the non-democratic regimes, development of all forms of inequalities, and many other painful factors or events made region reluctant to peaceful and progressive democratic transformation. Today, after 25 years of Soviet collapse, states of South Caucasus faced new types of conflicts and crisis. Right wing nationalism, post-communist populism and neoliberal strategies for reforming political and social order fueled atomization of society and new forms of violence and oppression has been emerged.
This conference aims to bring together young scholars from different disciplines of social sciences and humanities to discuss different aspects of social, economic, political and cultural changes in South Caucasus after the fall of Soviet Union. The conference aims to equip the participants with robust knowledge and information to understand state of post-communist politics and society in contemporary South Caucasus. Also, one of the most ambitious goals of the conference is to support deeper and intensive communication among the scholar working in the field of post-communist studies.
Organizers
Centre for Social Studies is a leading Georgian research and think tank institution established in 1995. The activities of the Centre are focused on research, publishing and education in the field of social sciences
Georgian American University is a private higher educational institution based in Tbilisi. The conference will be hosted by the School of Law, Social Sciences and Diplomacy at GAU.
Topics
Scholars and researchers are invited to present the papers on following topics (with focus to South Caucasus):
- Postcommunist Transformation (social, political, economic and cultural)
- Memory and Historical Narratives
- Ethnic Conflicts & Territorial Disputes
- Nationalism and Populism
- Political Violence and Conspiracy Theories
- Media, Politics and Society
- Political Elites and Ideological Dominations
- Militarism and Post-Militarism
- Problems of Democratization
- Crisis of Equality and Solidarity
- Challenges of Modernization
Keynote Speakers
Prof. Marina Muskhelishvili
Professor Muskhelishvili is Georgia’s most renowned political scientist and a director of Georgian think tank the Centre for Social Studies. Her main research interests include political institutions, civil society, social structure and democratic transitions In Post-soviet space. Professor Muskhelishvili is an author of several books and academic articles; she is also former research fellow at the University of Columbia and the University of Washington in Saint Louis.
Prof. Zaza Rukhadze
Zaza Rukhadze is professor of law and dean of the School of Law, Social Sciences and Diplomacy at GAU. He is also Vice-President of GAU. Professor Rukhadze is an author of numerous publications in the field of constitutional law and civil society theory.
Prof. Gia Jorjoliani
Gia Jorjoliani is a Member of the Parliament of Georgia and professor of political science at Tbilisi State University
Eligibility
The conference is open to the scholars, researchers and doctoral candidates from all fields of social sciences and humanities with strong interests in South Caucasus
Costs
Conference cost includes all academics and educational materials. It also includes refreshments during the conference. The fee does not include airfare, accommodation and meal.
Participation fee is 150 Euro
Application
For participation in conference please submit your CV and Abstract (300 words) until 29th of April 2016 to the following e-mail address: [email protected]
Please follow the link to get the PDF version: CfA_Conflicts, Politics and Society
Time & Venue
18-20 June, 2016
Georgian American University
8 Merab Aleksidze Street, 0160, Tbilisi Georgia
Working Language of Conference
English
For any questions or concerns please contact us: | https://networks.h-net.org/node/73374/announcements/121200/cfp-conflicts-society-and-politics-post-communist-south-caucasus |
Studying development of institutional economics thought. Analyzing how institutions shape the incentives of economic agents, and how this influences socioeconomic outcomes. Examining factors contributing to the formation and demise of institutions, transactional costs, and changes within institutions. Using mainstream Economics to analyze the political market structure, political phenomena, and rent-seeking behavior as exercised by government bodies. Studying how Special Interest Groups (SIGs) impacts economic policies. | https://www.be.econ.tu.ac.th/index.php?view=article&catid=32%3Acourse-description&id=613%3Aee402&tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=&option=com_content&Itemid=212 |
In recent decades, countries have experimented with a variety of monetary institutions, including alternative exchange-rate arrangements and different levels of central bank independence. Political economists have analyzed the choice of these institutions, emphasizing their role in resolving both the time-inconsistency problem and dilemmas created by an open economy. This "first-generation" work. however, suffers from a central limitation: it studies exchange-rate regimes and central bank institutions in isolation from one another without investigating how one monetary institution affects the costs and benefits of the other. By contrast, the contributors to this volume analyze the choice of exchange-rate regime and central bank independence together and, in so doing, present a "second generation" of research on the determinants of monetary institutions. The articles incorporate both economic and political factors in explaining the choice of monetary institutions, investigating how political institutions, democratic processes, political party competition, and interest group pressures affect the balance between economic and distributional policy objectives. | https://experts.illinois.edu/en/publications/the-political-economy-of-monetary-institutions |
What Is the Connection between Sodium Carbonate and Sulfuric Acid?
Sodium carbonate and sulfuric acid — important chemicals individually and in combination — are on opposite sides of the pH scale; sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) is a fairly basic salt, whereas sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is one of the strongest mineral acids. Close consideration of its chemical structure reveals that sodium carbonate can be produced from sodium hydroxide (NaOH), plus carbonic acid (H2CO3); the salt of such a weak acid with such a strong base is not neutral, but basic. The equation for this is 2 NaOH + H2CO3 → Na2CO3 + 2 H2O. Alternatively, if left exposed to the air, sodium hydroxide very slowly absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, obeying the relationship 2 NaOH + CO2 → Na2CO3 + H2O. Either way, the reaction between sodium carbonate and sulfuric acid is Na2CO3 + H2SO4 → Na2SO4 + H2O + CO2, where Na2SO4 is the chemical formula for sodium sulfate.
Carbonate of sodium bears the historic household name "washing soda," since because of its alkaline, or basic, properties, it improves the functioning of laundry detergents. Another name for it is soda ash, since an early primary source of it was from the ashes of trees, seaweed and other organic material. Its most important use today — representing nearly half its total production level — is in the manufacture of glass. Nearly 30% of its use, however, is for the production of chemicals. Sodium carbonate and sulfuric acid are used in the laboratory as standards against which other substances may be evaluated.
Sulfuric acid is among the most important industrial chemicals throughout the world, particularly in Asia and the United States, and is especially critical to the production of phosphate fertilizers. Rayon — originally a silk-substitute — employs sulfuric acid in its manufacture. Sodium sulfate, a major byproduct in rayon manufacture, does not generally result from the combining of sodium carbonate and sulfuric acid. Rather, it results when sodium hydroxide (NaOH) — the so-called caustic soda — is used to neutralize "spent" acid. The acid is also used in automotive batteries, in steel manufacture, and in the production of explosives.
Molecules of water associate with the simple Na2SO4 molecule to form hydration products, including the building-damaging heptahydrate (Na2SO4·7H2O). Damage occurs because soluble salts can travel into pores and exert stressful pressure; thankfully, another hydrate — Glauber’s salt (Na2SO4·10H2O), the decahydrate — is being evaluated for a positive use in latent heat storage in heating and cooling systems. The pulp industry utilizes sodium sulfate in the Kraft process for paper-making. Medicinally, the salt is used as a cathartic, a diuretic and a purgative. | https://www.infobloom.com/what-is-the-connection-between-sodium-carbonate-and-sulfuric-acid.htm |
Q. Do you have a recommended analytical method to determine the sulfuric and aluminum concentrations in sulfuric anodizing solutions? D.C.
A. Here are three good methods that can be used for titrating the sulfuric acid anodizing electrolyte:
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Sulfuric Acid Anodize Titration Procedure:
Principle: One sample is titrated with caustic soda to determine the sum of acid and aluminum. Another is treated with potassium fluoride to precipitate aluminum and titrated to determine acid. The difference is calculated as aluminum.
Reagents: Standard sodium hydroxide solution, 1.0 N. Potassium fluoride solution. Dissolve 50 g KF:2H2O in 100 mL of water and neutralize to phenolphthalein. Store in a plastic container. (KF will etch glass.)
Procedure: Take two separate 10 mL samples, dilute each to about 150 mL with DI or distilled water and add phenolphthalein. While stirring vigorously, titrate one portion with standard caustic to the indicator end point. Record the titrant volume as “A.”
Titrate the other portion slowly with standard caustic until the alumina that forms with the addition of each drop is only slowly re-dissolved. Now add 20 mL potassium fluoride solution (or about 5 g KF powder – a rounded plastic spoonful) and continue the titration to the phenolphthalein endpoint. Record the titrant volume as “B.”
Calculations:
Free H2SO4, g/L = B × normality of NaOH × 4.9.
Aluminum, g/L = (A – B) × normality of NaOH × 0.9.
Titration Method for Sulfuric Acid Anodizing Bath Using Methyl Orange as Indicator:
- Pipette a 5.0 mL sample of the bath into a 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask.
- Dilute to about 50 mL with DI water.
- Add a few drops of methyl orange indicator.
- Titrate with “B” mL of 1.0N NaOH from orange to a yellow endpoint.
Calculation:
“B” mL × 9.8 = g/L H2SO4
- Add a few drops of phenolphthalein indicator.
- Titrate to a total of “A” mL with 1.0 N NaOH from colorless to pink endpoint.(Slight pink color that persists is proper endpoint.)
“A” mL – “B” mL of NaOH × 1.8 = g/L dissolved aluminum
pH Method:
A 5 mL sample of the electrolyte is pipetted into a 400 mL glass beaker and diluted to approximately 200 mL. With the pH electrode inserted and stirring the solution continuously, the diluted sample is titrated using 1.0 N sodium hydroxide solution until a pH of 3.6 is reached. Record the amount of NaOH used as “A.”
Continue titrating until a pH of 10.0 is reached. Record the total amount of sodium hydroxide used as “B.”
Calculation:
“A” × normality of sodium hydroxide × 9.8 = g/L sulfuric acid
(“B” – “A”) × normality of sodium hydroxide × 1.35 = g/L aluminum
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Anodizing for pre-prep bonding bridges the gap between the metallic and composite worlds, as it provides a superior surface in many applications on aluminum components for bonding to these composites.
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Designing for Opportunity: The Aluminum Advantage
Many industries that require innovative solutions in cost reduction and weight savings are turning to aluminum as a substitute for stainless steel and other carbon steel alloys for parts and components.
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Stripping Anodic Coating
Question: What is the best way to strip an anodize coating? | https://www.pfonline.com/articles/titrating-sulfuric-acid-anodizing-baths |
How creating a new collection can help you and othersArt is the deepest expression of ourselves. Whatever method you use to create, be it fluid, abstract art, portraits, photography etc, art offers ...
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Colour as a universal languageColor psychology is a form of non-verbal communication, which can have a huge impact on us; colour has the power to evoke emotions, unblock memorie...
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What is fluid art?I was painting a sunset when I accidentally dropped two glasses with blue and orange on the canvas. Instead of panicking, I watched the colors mix,... | https://alessiacamoirano.com/blogs/art-talk |
Steven Xue is a photographer and communication designer based in Portland, Oregon. His work stems from his interests in the fine arts and graphic arts.
His photographic work centers around the emotions and feelings that evoke a sense of the human condition, from calming atmospheres that triggers the slightest of our receptiveness to the strong emotional connections that are indicative of our more basic human core. At the moment, he is especially interested in exploring the relationship between spaces, people, and light.
Steven is currently pursuing a BFA Degree in Communication Design at
Pacific Northwest College of Art.
For more comprehensive design portfolio, please contact.
Contact
For bookings, commissions, and collaborations, let's get in touch!
I would love to hear from you! | https://www.stevenxue.net/about-1/ |
Una vez medianoche is the post-pop band formed by Pascal Chahin and David Cobos. Last Monday, October 8th, they released their debut album, ‘Amanecer’.
“Amanecer” is an album that begins from personal stories in which experiences and deep emotions merge together in eleven different and complementary songs.
Listen to this album is starting an intense journey like life itself. The songs create atmospheres and colours through the music, which surrounds them with haloes of mystery, energy, light and darkness. Listening from beginning to end, with the ears and the soul ready, is a journey through all kinds of emotions and feelings, and that is what makes it interesting and magical.
Acoustic and electric elements have been mixed together to create a unique sound that defines the identity of Una Vez Medianoche. With Manuel Colmenero as the producer, this ship continues sailing towards new universes.
Actions: | https://services.melboss.com/en/portfolio_page/una-vez-medianoche-2/ |
Stephanie Gorfer — The German Translator
“Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides.” This is a quote by Rita Mae Brown and something I strongly believe in—language exerts power, words have power. They fuel emotions, evoke interest or create disdain. So, translation is a dangerous job. Choose the wrong word, create the wrong emotion, and the message gets lost. I know how much time you invest in your products. When you create games, cyber security solutions or marketing brochures you always have a goal, a tone of voice, a feeling you want to create. You always have your customers in mind. And that is what I pay attention to. | https://www.thegermantranslator.eu/about-me/ |
I am very aware that it is a near pointless endeavour to review this album since it has already been dissected in every way possible. However, as someone who first heard The Dark Side of the Moon very recently while in my late teens, I can perhaps offer some insight into why this release still resonates so strongly with listeners, in particular young listeners, today.
It is no exaggeration to say that this album genuinely changed the way I listen to music; the first time I experienced The Dark Side of the Moon it was with over-the-ear headphones on and my eyes closed as I simply listened and tried to take in what I was hearing. I had never listened to an album that way before, and that fact alone is an attestation to the significant impact Pink Floyd’s eighth release had on me.
First, I must talk a little about the sound of this album. Throughout the disc Pink Floyd repeatedly create different atmospheres through their music; whether it’s the frantic desperation of “On the Run”, the chilling and foreboding keyboards on “Time”, or the haunting vocals that express meaning without words on “The Great Gig in the Sky”, the band use the sound of each song to evoke a different feeling in the listener. For me no song does this better than “Us and Them” as its soft, quite quiet beginning lulls you into a sense of comfort which is then shattered by the explosive chorus. The sudden change in volume and the almost harsh sounding wall of backing vocals on the chorus of this song perfectly mimic the unpredictable and violent nature of war.
Next, I want to mention the incredibly innovative use of sound effects on this record. The way that the ticking of clocks and the distinctive noise of a till are used to establish the rhythms of “Time” and “Money” respectively is something that I have never before heard in any other music. The sound effects are even more impressive when one considers that the band had to record all the noises on physical tapes and then manually splice pieces together to achieve the end result. Finally for the sonic side of the album, I want to pick out a few of my favourite aspects of the instrumentation. The baseline of “Money” is immediately recognisable to anyone who has heard the song, and there is no other song I can think of that is so driven by the bass guitar. The guitars sound crisp and clear all throughout, with a slightly jazzy edge to them, and that is refreshing given the number of chugging riffs and forgettable walls of guitar in some of today’s rock music. It should also be noted that saxophone solo in “Money” subtly foretells its use as a primary instrument in “Us and Them”, and the latter track stand out due to the saxophone replacing the guitar for the most part in terms of carrying the melody.
Now we come to the themes and lyrics of this album. Obviously everyone can read different meanings into lyrics, but I simply want to offer my interpretation of what The Dark Side of the Moon is about in order to determine why it is still so relevant and appeals to listeners of all ages even today. To me, this record is the experience of being human expressed through music. “Time” discusses our sense of mortality and fear of feeling when we die that we wasted our time alive.The transition from life to death is marked by the change in stanza structure at the end of the lyrics of the song, with the consistent four line verses becoming a six line final eulogy. “Money” seems especially appropriate with the rich getting richer and a mentality of thinking only of oneself growing. “Don’t give me that do goody good bullshit” could be the motto of some governments in power at the moment as they promise to “share it fairly” but don’t want anyone in need to “take a slice of [their] pie”. The verses of “Us and Them” are minimal in terms of lyrics before the chorus erupts into words, reflecting the sonic explosion I mentioned earlier. The lack of structure to the lyrics of “Brain Damage” possibly represents the disordered state of the narrator’s mind, with no separate stanzas and instead something resembling a stream of consciousness.
Overall I think this album has remained and always will remain so popular not only because of its musical mastery, but because it describes human emotions that everyone feels or encounters. The Dark Side of the Moon is beloved because it validates what people feel (“Don’t be afraid to care”), and acknowledges the failings of humans. The final lyrics of the album realise that “everything under the sun is in tune but the sun is eclipsed by the moon”. To me this is saying that the world could be perfect, but human shortcomings will always hold us back. In conclusion, everyone wants their emotions to be recognised, and that is what this album does. | https://blogs.thejenkinsfamily.org.uk/wordpress/bethany/category/music-reviews/ |
How to choose boys bedding twin? Did you know that the linen plays an important role in decorating a bedroom? Below we show different examples. Generally, when decorating a bedroom, the aspects that are generally taken into account are usually the colored walls and furniture. But inside the decor of boys bedroom there are other aspects that can influence in order to create different atmospheres or styles in the room. One such aspect is the bedding. Therefore, below are various examples that you can get ideas for decorating your bedroom. Do not miss out!
If you want a room full of light, it is best to choose very light colors or soft shades of colors. In these cases, one of the colors used is usually white. For boys bedding twin, colors or shades are usually a little dark. The range of grays or browns range are usually widely used. In addition, other colors like blue, red or green are also often the protagonists.
For boys bedding twin is notable for the use of different colors. They are usually bright and cheerful colors that make the stay become a life full of joy and space. For more traditional bedroom, the bedding is also usually more traditional. Leaving aside glare or bright colors and choose colors and earth tones. | https://www.cheftalkcafe.com/boys-bedding-twin-in-astonishing-style/ |
Resounding Spaces: Music and Atmospheres
In Western philosophy, music has been often considered a paralinguistic modality of expression. From Plato’s theory of ethos to the 18th century Affektenlehre and from Susanne Langer’s theory of musical form as ‘presentational symbol’ to more recent neuroaesthetic investigation of musical meaning, music is characterized as the ‘language of feelings’, i.e. a medium for conveying emotional contents. The overcome of the linguistic turn by the so-called ‘affective turn’ in philosophy paved the way to the redefinition of musical expression out of the quasi-semiotic traditional paradigm. In this perspective, notions such as atmosphere, ambiance, moods, resonances help understanding several artistic practices that use music to evoke emotions and feeling. Moreover, the reflection about the atmospheric characteristics of auditory objects and events lead to the introduction of the concept of soundscape, i.e. a sounds that shape or arise from an immersive environment, leading to concrete experiences in the field of environmental humanities, bridging together architecture, sound engineering, and acoustics. | https://ambiances.net/seminars/roma-2019-resounding-spaces-music-and-atmospheres.html_1 |
Q: I requested access to emergency time response logs from the local emergency dispatch agency. The records provided had all response addresses redacted, and as a result, I have no way to determine where the first responders and police were sent. The dispatch agency said the law prohibits releasing specific addresses of 911 responses. Is that right?
A: No, 911 and other emergency response locations are public and must be provided. There is a law that limits access to certain home address information found in emergency time response logs, but even if a specific home address is redacted, the law requires public access to the cross street, mile marker or block identifier closest to the incident.
The Right to Know Law (RTKL) expressly requires public access to emergency time response logs. 65 P.S. § 67.708(b)(18). The term “time response log” is undefined in the text of the RTKL, but case law has interpreted it to require access to emergency response locations. See County of York v. PA Office of Open Records (Czech), 13 A.3d 594 (Pa. Commw. 2011). The Court in the Czech case held that without response location information, there would be no way of determining whether response times were deficient, and as a result, the term “time response logs” must be interpreted to include destination addresses or cross-street information.
In addition to the RTKL, public access to emergency time response logs is also impacted by Act 30 of 2016, 35 P.S. § 5399. This law prohibits emergency response organizations from releasing “identifying information” of 911 callers, victims or witnesses. The law defines “identifying information” as “name, telephone number and home address.” The term does not include the address of the incident, unless the address is the caller’s, victim’s or witness’s home address, or the disclosure of the location would compromise the identity of the caller, victim or witness.
When emergency responders are dispatched to a non-home address such as a business, public park, government building, school, public road or intersection, or any other non-home address, Act 30 should generally not apply to limit public access.
Moreover, even if the confidentiality provisions of Act 30 become applicable, the law expressly requires public access to the street block identifier, the cross street or the mile marker nearest the scene of the incident.
Finally, the confidentiality provisions in Act 30 do not apply if a court determines that the public interest in disclosure outweighs the interest in non-disclosure. News organizations considering pursuing this aspect of the law should consult with an experienced public access law attorney prior to seeking court intervention.
Emergency time response logs should often include the exact response addresses, and in those cases where Act 30 prohibits access to the exact address, the time response logs must include the cross street, block identifier or mile marker closest to the incident.
As always, this is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, legal advice. Please contact the PNA Legal Hotline at (717) 703-3080 or your news organization’s private counsel with questions. | https://panewsmedia.org/legal-hotline-emergency-time-response-logs/ |
The Center for Constitutional Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed suit against the Treasury Department for rules that require them to obtain a license before they can challenge the inclusion of Anwar al-Aulaqi on the U.S. list of individiduals who may be targeted for extrajudicial execution.
Because he is a U.S. citizen, adding Aulaqi to the CIA list required special approval from the White House, officials said. The move means that Aulaqi would be considered a legitimate target not only for a military strike carried out by U.S. and Yemeni forces, but also for lethal CIA operations.
“He’s in everybody’s sights,” said the U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the topic’s sensitivity….
Some lawyers have won the argument within the Obama administration that it is lawful to kill a member of a terrorist organization, particularly if he has been involved in past acts of terrorism, wherever he can be found.
This argument is based on provisions of humanitarian law or “the law of war” that distinguish between combatants who are lawful targets and non-combatants who are not.
It ignores, however, the fact that provisions of humanitarian law are themselves limited by key provisions of the United Nations Charter, particularly Article 2 paragraph 4 which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, except in the case of self-defense against an armed attack as provided in Article 51.
It is universally recognized that Article 2 paragraph 4 is a norm of jus cogens, or mandatory law from which there can be no exception. Humanitarian law grants no right to act beyond the limitations of this prohibition.
The use of lethal force to punish past actions, moreover, constitutes an armed reprisal, which is universally recognized as prohibited by international law.
In other cases, where the territorial state grants its permission to a foreign state to carry out a targeted killing, such a killing is legal under international law only if it meets the requirements of international human rights law. For the territorial state can cede to another state no greater rights than it itself possesses, and indeed it is far from clear that it can do even this.
Both Article 2 paragraph 4 of the Charter and international human rights law allow for the use of lethal force as may be required for self-defense or for self-defense and the defense of others by the authorities of the territorial state.
In both cases the requirement is that force be used only as a last resort against an ongoing or imminent use of force by the target, or after judicial proceedings and due process of law.
This element is initially self-judging in character, opening the door to abuse. However, just as police allegations that they have acted in self-defense are subject to judicial review, the self-defense justification of a state conducting targeted killings, and of the individuals executing the state’s orders, are subject to review by the courts of other countries exercising universal jurisdiction and potentially, at least in the future, by the International Criminal Court. Actions taken by a state in exercise of the right of self-defense are, moreover, to be reported to the U.N. Security Council under Article 51 of the Charter.
The use of force against an individual who has laid down his arms or ceased and desisted from active participation in attacks (or, in the language of humanitarian law, has withdrawn from combat or placed himself hors de combat) is an extrajudicial killing or assassination, and would also constitute a war crime.
The problem here is that the U.S. government has become so accustomed to being prosecutor, judge and executioner that it has forgotten that international legal norms are involved, whose content and validity are necessarily determined by others, and that the ultimate validity of the legal justifications for targeted killings are likely one day to be determined by the judges of an international court or a national court exercising universal jurisdiction.
Just as individuals who participated in the “harsh interrogation techniques” program carried out under the Bush administration would be well advised to carefully choose the countries they travel to, now but also particularly in five or ten years, those individuals currently involved in the targeted killings program should also be very confident they are acting in lawful exercise of the right of self-defense when executing their orders.
For if their actions do not satisfy the requirements of self-defense, they constitute the commission of unlawful assassinations, and probably war crimes. As established at Nuremberg, the argument that such actions were carried out under the orders of superiors, or “due obdience”, is not a permissible defense. Nor is the argument that the defendant believed he was acting in accordance with international law likely to be given any weight as a defense.
Other articles by the Observer on targeted killings may be found by entering “Targeted Killings” in the Search box on the lower right side of the home page. | https://trenchantobserver.com/2010/08/06/reprise-anwar-al-aulaqi-targeted-killings-self-defense-and-war-crimes/ |
Although no longer enforceable, restrictive covenants were common in the first half of the 20th Century. Such agreements sometimes barred people from specific races, national origins, ethnic backgrounds, and even certain religions from legally purchasing or occupying properties.
A report in the September/October edition Common Ground, a publication of Community Associations Institute (CAI), stated some covenants generally barred “non-Caucasian” groups, while others would specify certain races, nationalities, or individuals with disabilities.
When the Supreme Court ruled such covenants to be unenforceable in a 1948 decision (Shelley v. Kraemer) it was estimated that more than half of all residential housing built in the country carried deeds with racially restrictive covenants.
In 1968, with the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act, writing racially restrictive covenants into deeds became illegal. That law also made it illegal to refuse to sell or rent a home to any person who was included in a protected class.
A Washington state law passed in 1968 rendered such covenants void. That law (RCW 49.60.224) says it is an unfair practice to attempt to honor a racially restrictive covenant in the chain of title. Nevertheless, Segregated Seattle, part of the Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project at the University of Washington, has collected 70 segregation maps and nearly 500 restrictive covenants from deeds on file in the King County archives.
Even if a covenant is no longer enforceable, legal scholars note it will still be visible in the chain of title, and even within the language of the deed. (The chain includes all the recorded documents that affect title to a property, back to the original conveyance by the United States.)
To the dismay of many, racially restrictive covenants remain in deeds and governing documents in a surprising number of community associations. (If CCRs are more than 30 years old, they should be scrutinized.) Removing offensive provisions can be an onerous process unless legislation at the state level is available, according to the Community Associations Institute, an international membership organization with more than 40,000 members.
Property owners in Washington were granted a way to strike racially restrictive covenants from documents affecting the title of their properties, thanks to a 2018 amendment to state laws against discrimination. Owners of properties with a racially restrictive covenant can now record a modification document with the county where the property is located.
To determine if a racially restrictive covenant is related to a particular property, a search of land title records maintained by the King County Recorder’s Office can be undertaken. Although it’s free to search those records, it can be a complex process and fees are charged for properties.
A second method is to review the owner’s title insurance policy, typically issued at the time of purchase. This policy identified documents appearing in the public records that affect title to that property – even from decades ago – or covenant documents affecting an entire subdivision. Using those findings, it may be possible to obtain copies from the company that issued the title policy (fees may apply) or to get copies from the Recorder’s office.
The owner may then file a modification document that refers to the recorded document containing the racially restrictive covenant and insert the following statement required by law:
The referenced original written instrument contains discriminatory provisions that are void and unenforceable under state law and federal law. This document strikes from the referenced original instrument all provisions that are void and unenforceable under law.
In other states, if laws have not been passed for modifying documents, CAI supports the following model language:
A restriction, covenant, or condition, that prohibits or limits the conveyance, encumbrance, rental, occupancy, or use of real property on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or prohibits maintaining a trained guide dog or assistance animal because the individual is blind, deaf or has a physical disability, is void and has no legal effect, except a limitation of use for religious purposes as permitted under the Federal Fair Housing Act or state law.
Recording a modification document will not delete the historic record, but it provides notice in the land title records that the racially restrictive covenant is void and unenforceable. It legally strikes (but doesn’t physically erase) the void and illegal discriminatory provisions for the original document.
In King County, the Recorder’s Office has step-by-step instructions for preparing and recording a “Restrictive Covenant Modification Document” and online forms for both individuals and non-individuals. There is no charge to record the document, but there may be a fee to have the form notarized.
“Not only is it important that people be aware that this kind of discriminatory language exists and was pretty extensive, but (they should know) that we’re trying to work with communities to ensure that they have at least one remedy,” stated Steve Lafferty, a member of Maryland’s state legislature who has helped homeowner associations in that state modify covenants with racially restrictive language. “It doesn’t erase history. I think it just rectifies for future generations that this is not language that is going to be acceptable,” he added in an interview in Common Ground.
LEARN MORE
- In King County, “How to Prepare and Record a Restrictive Covenant Modification Document.”
- “True Colors“ an article on homeowner associations’ efforts to file modification documents.
- Amendment Process to Remove Discriminatory Restrictive Covenants
- About The Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project at the University of Washington. | https://www.nwmls.com/its-past-time-to-strike-racially-restrictive-covenants-from-deeds/ |
This bulletin summarizes two recently enacted laws that affect the insurance industry. The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) is providing this summary to make insurers, agents, and interested parties aware of the changes. Those affected by these laws should check the statutes for the specific requirements.
Insurance Omnibus Law (2021 Wis. Act 144)
On December 3, 2021, an Insurance Omnibus law was enacted that provides various technical changes to the insurance statutes which may be found
here.
Increased Forfeitures for Insurance Law Violations Targeting Seniors and Adults at Risk
Wis. Stat. § 601.64 (3) (c) was amended to increase the amount of forfeiture that OCI can impose for violations of the insurance code if the violation specifically involves a consumer who is an adult at risk or an individual who is at least 60 years of age. In such instances, the forfeiture amount is raised to a maximum of $5,000 per violation.
Remote Shareholder and Policyholder Meetings
Wis. Stat. § 611.40 (1) was amended to clarify that insurance stock corporations may hold shareholder meetings by remote participation. In addition, several provisions of Wis.Stat. Ch. 611 were created or amended to make clear that mutual insurance companies may hold policyholder meetings by remote participation.
Group Capital Calculations and Liquidity Stress Tests
A new statute was created that directs the commissioner to adopt rules requiring certain insurers to report group capital calculations and liquidity stress tests and the form and manner of that reporting. Wis. Stat. § 617.13.
Funding Agreements
The law included language that defines “Funding Agreement" and adopts OCI's long-standing position that funding agreements are insurance contracts. Wis. Stat. § 632.66 (2) (a). Provisions were also enacted that specify requirements for insurers issuing funding agreements including that the issuance of funding agreements must be approved by the insurer's board, that the issuance will not be adverse to policyholders, and that the issuance is based on reasonable assumptions regarding investment income and expenses. Wis. Stat. § 632.66 (2) (b). Any materials requested by the commissioner related to OCI's examination of a proposed funding agreement issuance are held confidential. Wis. Stat. § 632.66 (2) (g).
Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund (PCF)
The statutes were amended to clarify that PCF may adopt payment classifications in reference to the relevant Insurance Services Office, Inc., codes for medical specialties and types of practice and include those classification in PCF's submission of fees to the Joint Committee on Finance. Wis. Stat. § 655.27(3). Revisions were also made to the peer review council to allow for up to seven members on the council. Wis. Stat. § 655.275 (2).
Unless otherwise noted, the provisions of the Omnibus Law became effective on December 5, 2021.
Travel Insurance Law (2021 Wis. Act 111)
On December 3, 2021, 2021 Wisconsin Act 111 was enacted which set up new regulations related to travel insurance. The Act may be found
here. The Act adopts general provisions classifying travel insurance as part of the inland marine line of insurance and indicating that it may also be filed under the accident and health line if it includes sickness and disability coverage. Intermediaries licensed in any major line of authority can sell travel insurance. Intermediaries with a property and casualty line of authority are not required to be appointed by an insurer to sell travel insurance.
The Act also creates a limited lines travel insurance producer license that may be obtained by insurance intermediaries and travel administrators, which are defined as “a person who directly or indirectly underwrites, collects charges or premiums from, or adjusts or settles claims of residents of this state in connection with travel insurance."
Travel retailers, a business entity that offers travel services, may offer and disseminate travel insurance in this state under the license of a travel insurance producer if they do all of the following:
A travel retailer, or an employee or authorized representative of a travel retailer, who is not licensed as a limited lines travel insurance producer may not do any of the following:
A travel protection plan can offer a combination of travel insurance, travel assistance services, and cancellation fee waivers for one price if certain conditions are met. The bill also prohibits the use of a negative option or opt out process that requires the purchaser to take an affirmative action to deselect coverage when purchasing a trip. This act takes effect March 1, 2022.
Any questions concerning this bulletin should be directed to Richard Wicka at
[email protected]. | https://oci.wi.gov/Pages/Regulation/Bulletin20220114NewLaws.aspx |
When is the rent due? In the State of Oregon, rent is payable without any claim or notice at the time and place where the parties agree in the lease. And unless otherwise stated, the rent is due at the beginning of a period of one month or even less. It is highly recommended that you familiarize yourself with the requirements and nuances of Oregon in order to best protect your legal and financial rights. This way, you will save yourself from future troubles or potential disputes and have an elaborate and complete lease. If you have a lease with a fixed rent amount, the landlord cannot increase the rent for the fixed term. However, with this type of lease, if you terminate the lease prematurely, you must either continue to pay the rent until the landlord rents to another tenant, or pay a rent breakdown fee if these costs are described in your written lease. Whenever a tenant terminates a lease prematurely, the landlord is required to try to rent the unit to someone else; this is called a “harm mitigation” obligation. DEADLINE NOTICE: Under state and federal law, there are time limits for action to enforce your rights. Most lawsuits related to the lease and the Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act must be filed (heard by the court) within one year of the incident. There may be other – shorter – deadlines that apply in other cases. Ask a lawyer what time limits might apply to your situation. In the Oregon lease, you will not allow pet deposits, but not for service animals. What are the rules for deposits, entry into a dwelling, rent, leasing, fees or disclosures in the State of Oregon? To put an end to your speculation, this article describes the rental laws as well as your rights and obligations.
A lease is any verbal (oral) or written agreement between a landlord and a tenant that describes how a tenant uses the rental unit. A rental agreement also contains all applicable laws and regulations that apply to the rights and obligations of the landlord and tenant. This usually includes the amount of rent, the date the rent is due, when the rent is payable, and any other rules that apply to the use of the rental unit. ORS 90 100(38). Most people use the word “tenancy” to describe a written lease that is valid for a specific period of time, for example. B per year, with a fixed rent amount. However, some leases allow for a rent increase after 30 days` notice. The lease specifies how tenants and landlords can terminate the lease prematurely. Before entering into a lease, the property must contain at least one working carbon monoxide detector in accordance with the regulations of the State Fire Commissioner.
(Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.316) Oregon leases are between a landlord who is willing to rent residential or commercial real estate to a tenant who is willing to pay monthly rent. The agreement must be drafted in accordance with the laws of the State (Title 10, Chapter 90 (Owners and Tenants of Apartments). To the extent that the owner and the tenant sign the contract, it becomes binding on each party. Any termination, delay, and eviction must be dealt with by the Oregon Circuit Court. This is a good example of the provisions that a simple lease can contain and what it should look like in its final form. Standard Residential Lease – The most common type of lease with an exact start and end date.
For most homes and usually lasts one (1) year. Carpet cleaning: The lease includes carpet cleaning and the laws stipulate that the landlord can only withhold funds for carpet cleaning if this is mentioned in the lease. However, Bill 2689 could eliminate this requirement. Subletting – The act of a tenant looking for another person to occupy the space they have under an agreement with a landlord. The law known as a “subletting” usually needs to be approved by the landlord. . | http://www.mummytutu.co.uk/index.php/2021/10/15/what-is-rental-agreement-oregon/ |
A ruling that prohibits companies from using signal blocker to interfere with workers’ mobile phone communications at their workstations was recently issued by the Labor Directorate (DT).
The doctrine in this regard was established by ordinary 2315/54, which responds to a query about whether it is possible for a company to install devices that block workers’ cell phone signals within the company.
The DT’s ruling concludes that said company “cannot interfere, intercept or interrupt the signal of the cell phones of the workers inside the company.”
To conclude, the DT turns to constitutional, labor and international norms, whose joint understanding is an active defense and promoter of the fundamental rights of workers, in this case, that of their intrinsic dignity.
Thus, it recalls that article 19 number 5 of the Political Constitution of the State assures everyone “the inviolability of the home and of all forms of private communication, linking it with article 5 of the Labor Code which provides that“ the exercise of the powers the law recognizes that the employer is limited by respect for the constitutional guarantees of workers, especially when they could affect their privacy, private life or honor ”.
Internationally, the statement includes the provisions of the American Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Both instruments affirm that “no one may be the object of arbitrary or illegal interference in his private life, his family, his home or his correspondence.”
For DT the term “correspondence” should be understood as a written communication form, given the time in which these international treaties were drawn up, and also because both standards protect fundamental rights and “should be interpreted in a broad manner, understanding that the protection contemplated the concept of correspondence encompasses all forms of communication ”.
Likewise, a report from 2002 is recalled that includes what was stated by the jurist José Luis Cea regarding the inviolability of private communications encompassing letters, telephone, audiovisual and even e-mail, “provided they are not open to the public” .
Thus, the DT maintains that for the privacy protection to be in force, communication must be a private act between specific or determinable persons who are the victims of an illegitimate or arbitrary interference in communications.
In the specific case, the DT also required a technical statement from the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications.
In its response, the Undersecretariat reported that “the so-called Inhibitors or Signal Blockers, also known by their English term“ wireless jammer ”, and consist of radio devices that produce an intentional interference or disturbance of a communication, in order to avoid the exchange of information, between two or more parties, thus not allowing calls or data transfers, such as messaging services, Internet access or similar ”.
Even the General Telecommunications Law 18,168 criminally penalizes interference, interceptions, interruptions or unauthorized captures of a telecommunications service.
In this way, concludes the opinion of the DT, “the installation of devices that interfere, intercept or interrupt any form of communication that workers have in the orbit of their private life within the company, not only constitutes a violation of rights fundamental, but also constitutes a crime of public criminal action ”. | https://news.jammer-mart.com/2020/09/22/the-limit-on-cell-phone-signal-inhibitors-for-workers/ |
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What is a Patent?
A patent is a legally enforceable right to an invention, whether it be a device, substance, method or process. Once granted, the patent holder has the exclusive commercial rights to their invention as the patent prohibits others from manufacturing, using and selling the patented invention without first obtaining the consent of the patent holder.
What is ‘Crown Use’ of a Patent?
There are provisions in the Patent Act 1990 that deal specifically with government access to patented inventions, without the patent holder’s authority. These are known as the ‘Crown Use’ provisions.
The Crown Use provisions generally exist to provide government access to invention patents, without infringing the patent, where it is necessary for the proper provision of services of the Commonwealth or a State. The provisions act as a safeguard to the Australian Government (at federal, state and/or territory level), should a situation arise where access to an innovation patent is needed (for example, to deal with an emergency or public interest issue) but a licence to that patent cannot be obtained/negotiated with the patent holder in a reasonably timely manner.
To utilise these provisions, it is essential that the ‘Crown Use’ relates to the exploitation (accessing and using) of the patent for the services of a ‘Relevant Authority’ (being, the relevant Australian Federal, State or Territory government) or a person authorised in writing by the relevant Minister of the relevant government to do so.
Under the Act, the services of the government include all services that are provided or funded by the Commonwealth and/or state or territory governments. The relevant Minister is the Minister responsible for administering the Act for the Commonwealth (currently, the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology) or the Attorney General of the relevant State of Territory.
Although the Crown Use provisions existed in the Act for some time, there is commentary to suggest that the lack of clarity in the former provisions caused them to be underutilised. To battle this, amendments to the Crown Use Provisions of the Act were made by the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Productivity Commission Response Part 2 and Other Measures) Act 2020, which came into effect on 27 February 2020.
The amendments to the Act sought to improve and clarify the operation of Crown Use provisions. That said, as well as creating consistency in the terminology used, a distinction was made between crown use in ‘non-emergency’ and ‘emergency’ situations by repealing the former section 163 and introducing a new section 163 dealing with crown use of invention patents in non-emergency situations as well as a new section 163A, dealing specifically with Crown Use of invention patents in ‘emergencies’.
Although the new general Crown Use provisions contained in section 163 of the Act are similar to the former provisions, the key difference is that, in non-emergency situations, there is a requirement to negotiate with, as well as provide a statement of reasons to, the patent holder prior to exploiting the patent. It is only after this attempt to negotiate the exploitation with the patent holder renders fruitless, within a reasonable period of time, that the patent can be exploited by the government with the authority of the relevant Minister and without the consent of the patent holder.
In contrast to the general provision in section 163, under the new section 163A of the Act, the government has the ability to ‘exploit’ a patent in an ‘emergency’ without first negotiating and obtaining the approval of the patent holder so long as the following necessary preconditions are met:
An emergency would include an unforeseen occurrence or a sudden and urgent occasion for action. It could include a public health crisis such as a plague or epidemic, or a medical emergency such as a pandemic. It could also include war, national security situations, perceived threats to law and order, natural disasters and other situations of urgency. It includes, but is not limited to, situations where a state of emergency has been declared by a government.
The relevant Minister is, however, required to provide the patent holder with a copy of the Crown approval to exploit the patent and a written statement of reasons approving the Crown exploitation as soon as practicable after the exploitation is approved.
The unforeseen nature of the current Covid-19 pandemic has depleted vital resources and disrupted essential supply chains worldwide, leading to a shortage not only in day to day household items, but key medical equipment, supplies and pharmaceuticals desperately needed to combat the pandemic.
Under section 163A of the Act, there is an avenue for the government to step in and effectively authorise the immediate mass Australian manufacture (by local and/or re purposed manufacturers) of essential patented medical equipment (such as ventilators) desperately needed by hospitals to battle Covid-19, without the potential life threatening delays caused by way of obtaining the pre-approval of the relevant patent holders.
Currently, although there are talks that the Crown Use provisions have been raised by shadow industry minister Brendan O’Conner, according to InnovationAus and the reports an industry spokesman, the government has not yet invoked the power, but rather is working closely with technology and manufacturing companies as part of a landscape of options.
For further information please do not hesitate to contact Robert Ishak or Effie Dimos. | https://www.williamroberts.com.au/news-and-insights/insights/articles/section-163a-the-rarely-used-safeguard-within-the-patent-act-1990-that-may-help-australia-battle-the-covid-19-pandemic |
This policy and guidelines applies to University employees or other persons traveling on behalf of the University on documented official University business.
Employees who authorize travel, make travel arrangements, process travel documents, or have signature authority on accounts providing funds for travel should read and understand this policy. Each traveler is responsible for understanding this policy before planning and commencing travel for the University. Travelers must complete and submit appropriate forms in a timely and accurate fashion, accompanied by sufficient documentary evidence (disclosing; who, what, when, where, why and how much) demonstrating expenses are reasonable and have a University business connection.
Understanding travel is essential to the teaching, research, and overall mission of the University, NCA&TSU is committed to meeting the needs of the traveler by paying for reasonable business expenses actually incurred by the traveler that are not paid by another party.
Travel policies and procedures at NCA&TSU require compliance with state policy, state law, and federal law. Refer to the Office of State Budget and Management Policies and listed references for guidance relating to topics not covered in this document. To ensure sound business practices and proper reporting, travel expenses must comply with external regulations, particularly federal cost regulations under OMB Circular A-21, tax regulations under the Internal Revenue Code, and National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) regulations.
An employee traveling on official University business is expected to exercise the same care in incurring expenses that a prudent person would exercise if traveling on personal business and expending personal funds (i.e., a cost-efficient manner). Excess costs, circuitous routes, delays, or luxury accommodations and services unnecessary, unjustified, or for the convenience or personal preference of the employee in the performance of official University business are prohibited. Employees will be responsible for unauthorized costs and any additional expenses incurred for personal preference or convenience.
The University has authorized the use of credit cards (American Express) for employees traveling on official University business. These cards are distributed to employees (if they wish to enroll) at the discretion of the department head. Employee misuse of University-issued credit cards is grounds for termination.
Authorizations for travel must be completed and approved prior to the first day of travel. Self approval is unacceptable and forms must bear original signatures of traveler and the appropriate approval authority. Pursuant to G.S. 138-6(c), requests for reimbursement shall be filed within 30 days after the travel period ends for which the reimbursement is being requested. One should never claim expenses on someone else’s travel.
Subsistence is an allowance related to lodging and meal costs (inclusive of gratuities) (G. S. 138-6). For the purposes of determining eligibility for allowances, the employee/traveler must be in travel status minimally 35 miles away from the employee's normal duty station or home (whichever is closest to the destination) and, while traveling, the employee must be acting in his/her official capacity as required by his/her work activities). Current subsistence rates can be found at: OSBM 5.1.2 (http://www.osbm.state.nc.us/files/pdf_files/BudgetManual.pdf). Federal per diem is only available for out-of-the country travel if: a) funded by a Contracts & Grants account, b) documented prior approval is attached and c) the contract has authorized the federal rate. The reimbursable rate is the prevailing rate (less incidentals) at the time of travel if the federal per diem is requested.
Out-of-state travel status begins when the employee leaves the state and remains in effect until the employee returns to the state. However, in-state allowances and reimbursement rates apply when employees and other qualified official travelers use hotel and meal facilities located in North Carolina immediately prior to and returning from out-of-state travel during the same travel period.
All out-of-country travel must be authorized by the chancellor and designated department officials.
Prior written approval by the supervisor and department head or his/her designee must be obtained in order to qualify for reimbursement for overnight stays. Supervisory personnel certifying the reimbursement request as necessary and proper must require documentation from the traveler to substantiate that the overnight lodging was necessary and accomplished. The travel must involve a travel destination located at least 35 miles from the employee's regularly assigned duty station or home, whichever is less, to receive approved reimbursement. The designation of an employee's home as the duty station requires the approval of the department head.
Each employee is responsible for his or her own request for reimbursement. The travel must involve a travel destination located at least 35 miles from the employee's regularly assigned duty station or home, whichever is less. Requests for reimbursement must be filed within 30 days after the travel period ends for which the reimbursement is being requested (G.S. 138-6(c). Specific dates of lodging must be listed on the reimbursement request, which shall be substantiated by a receipt from a commercial lodging establishment.
Reimbursement for lodging in an establishment that is being rented out by a third party or an establishment treated as an apartment building by state or local law or regulation is not allowed unless approved by OSBM in advance. Requests for third party lodging must provide evidence of savings to the State. An exception may be granted for requests that do not show a savings with sufficient justification to support the necessity for third party lodging.
In each case where third party lodging is being considered, the applicant must provide their budget officer and OSBM all details regarding the arrangement, including the amount to be charged, the length of stay, and contact information. A signed rental agreement must be presented to receive reimbursement.
If a planned event/meeting is canceled or you cannot attend the event for personal reasons, the Travel Office should be notified immediately. If a prepayment is made and your trip is not taken or is canceled, you must immediately file a report with the Travel Office by submitting a copy of your Travel Authorization Form (TVL-1) conspicuously marked “CANCELED” with detailed supporting/explanatory documentation. Attach to your travel authorization form a letter of explanation for the cancellation. In your letter, explain the nature of the cancellation and detail any refund checks that may be expected by the Travel Office. The traveler is responsible for pursuing refunds of prepayments and preventing any potential charges. All prepaid items should be reconciled within 30 days. Cash advances must be deposited in the appropriate Banner fund (within 1 day of cancellation) and proof of deposit will be submitted to the Travel Office.
Penalties and charges resulting from the cancellation of travel reservations (including airline, hotel, or other travel reservations and conference registration) shall be the department’s obligation if the travel has been approved in advance and the cancellation or change is made at the direction of and/or for the convenience of the department. If the cancellation or change is made for the personal benefit of the traveler, it shall be the traveler's obligation to pay the penalties and charges. However, in the event of documented incidents such as accidents, serious illness, or death within the traveler's immediate family or other critical circumstances beyond the control of the traveler, the department may elect to pay the penalties and charges.
Credits resulting from nonrefundable airline tickets prepaid by the University must be used for future University travel prior to it’s expiration date usually one year from ticket issue date. If the airline ticket remains unused after the expiration date it becomes the obligation of the traveler to reimburse the University for the unused ticket amount unless cancellation was due to University business reasons documented in the report filed in the Travel Office. Any penalty/charge assessed while applying a credit resulting from a cancellation is also the responsibility of the traveler.
The traveler may opt to purchase the ticket for personal use. If a traveler would like to purchase the ticket, please notify the Travel Office so that we can assist with the purchase.
With sufficient justification and documentation and with approval of the department head, principle investigator and special funding agency (when applicable), employees can be reimbursed for usual, customary, and reasonable fees and service charges imposed by travel agents and other agencies for assistance in making travel arrangements. Common instances include: special medical expenses required by a foreign country to be visited, visa and passport expenses (OSBM 5.1.19).
Each employee is responsible for his or her own request for reimbursement. Tips for meals are included in the meal allowance/per diem. Each meal reimbursement rate must be listed on the reimbursement request. Departure and arrival times must also be listed on the reimbursement request to determine reimbursable meal amounts. The costs of meals included in other related activities (registration fees, conference costs, hotel registration, etc.) may not be duplicated in reimbursement requests. Upon request, an employee may be reimbursed for breakfast even if their lodging establishment offers a free continental breakfast.
Travelers may be reimbursed for meals, including lunches, while on official state business when the employee is in overnight travel status. The destination must be located at least 35 miles from the employee's regularly assigned duty station (vicinity) or home, whichever is less, to receive approved reimbursement.
Breakfast: depart duty station prior to 6:00 am and extend the workday by 2 hours.
Lunch: depart duty station prior to Noon (day of departure) or return to duty station after 2:00 p.m. (day of return).
Breakfast (morning): depart duty station prior to 6:00 am and extend the workday by 2 hours.
Dinner (evening): return to duty station after 8:00 pm and extend the workday by 3 hours.
The travel must involve a travel destination located at least 35 miles from the employee's regularly assigned duty station (vicinity) or home, whichever is less.
Allowances for the breakfast and evening meals for employees working nontraditional shifts must have prior approval of OSBM.
Refer to OSBM 5.1.14 – 18 for additional information regarding meal policies.
If you would like to combine personal and business travel, you may, but note that no advances will be issued for the personal portion of any trip. To obtain reimbursement for travel within the continental United States, you must show that you haven’t incurred extra expense to the University for the personal portion of the trip. You must provide printed documents from an online travel site or from the actual airline, obtained on the same date as the purchased ticket showing the price of the ticket for the extended stay is no more expensive than the price of the ticket to depart immediately before, or return immediately after, the reason for the business travel. If no documentation is available, your reimbursement will be based on the number of days considered business travel. If you are traveling outside the continental United States and would like to combine personal and business travel, you must delineate all applicable travel costs between business and personal expenses. This includes airfare, parking, mileage, rental car, and any other common costs.
If the purpose of your trip includes several business-related activities, you should include them all in your notation of business purpose.
If you paid for your fare, and would like to be reimbursed before you leave for the trip you should submit a paid, itemized receipt and trip itinerary with your completed Travel Authorization (TVL-1). To be reimbursed after you return from your trip, you should provide the same documentation along with your expense/reimbursement documents (TVL-2).
*NOTE: Reimbursement of air/rail /bus fare requires original receipts. A boarding pass or baggage claim ticket in addition to the online/email receipt are the best examples of original receipts since they show proof of travel on a carrier, proof of a particular flight/train ride, proof of presence on the flight/rail, etc and proof of a completed purchase. You must provide an original receipt, original boarding pass, baggage claim ticket, or an airport/depot kiosk printed receipt for every reimbursed and prepaid ride aboard a common carrier.
Actual mileage is reimbursable. Mileage is measured from the closer of duty station or point of departure to destination (and return). The business standard mileage rate set by the Internal Revenue Service https://www.irs.gov/Tax-Professionals/Standard-Mileage-Rates will be paid. Parking fees, tolls, and storage fees are reimbursable when the required receipts are obtained. A University employee shall be reimbursed the business standard mileage rate set by the Internal Revenue Service when using their personal vehicles for state business when the round trip does not exceed 100 business miles. However, if a University employee chooses to use a personal vehicle when the round trip exceeds 100 business miles, the employee will be reimbursed at the motor fleet rate for mileage.
No reimbursement shall be made for the use of a personal vehicle in commuting from an employee's home to his duty station. (No mileage reimbursement is allowed to employees on "call back" status.) For the State's policy on compensation to employees on "call back" status, see the State Personnel Manual.
Local mileage (and distances within 35 miles of duty station/home) including distances traveled within the destination city will not be reimbursed except mileage to the airport/depot to board a commercial carrier.
Frequent flyer miles earned by a University employee while traveling on University business at University expense are the property of the University. Frequent flyer miles accumulated by an individual University employee during previous University business trips should, to the extent possible, be used by the University employee accumulating the frequent flyer miles while traveling on future University business trips.
Coupons or certificates for reduced air fare, if acquired while traveling on University business at University expense, are the property of the University and should be used, to the extent possible, by the traveler on future University business trips.
NCA&TSU policies regarding reimbursement/allowances for travel expenses incurred during the course of business meet the IRS accountable plan requirements. To be an accountable plan, the reimbursement or allowance arrangement must include all of the following rules.
Your expenses must have a business connection — that is, you must have paid or incurred deductible expenses while performing services as an employee of your employer.
You must return any excess reimbursement or allowance within a reasonable period of time (10 days).
When the employee meets the three rules for accountable plans, the University will not include the travel reimbursement in box 1 of (the employee’s) Form W-2.
Travel advances are generally not the policy of the University, but are granted if necessary for official NCA&T business to employees traveling internationally, University recruiters and faculty/staff members when student travel is involved. A travel advance is a personal loan to the employee who is personally responsible for all monies advanced to them. A promissory note must be signed (by the payee) with the request/authorization for the advance (with completed worksheet on page 2 of the Travel Authorization form, TVL-1). Fiscal records must be maintained by the department for proper control.
No travel advances will be issued to employees with outstanding balances due (from previous travel advances). Advances must be greater than $100 but no greater than the "Estimated Cost of Trip". University employees who have been issued a corporate credit card should not be issued a travel advance.
All travel advance funds should be accounted for or repaid to the University immediately (no longer than the first 10 days) after the end of travel. Travel expense reports/reimbursement requests are due in the travel office no later than 30 days (after return from trip) whether the traveler anticipates a refund or not. Travelers must immediately make arrangements (with the travel office) to repay any advanced funds not accounted for on the expense report or repaid. Advances remaining outstanding will be processed as a payroll deduction. Once a payroll deduction has been initiated, you may not request reimbursement for the expenses related to that travel.
Requests for travel advances must be received in the travel office no later than fifteen (15) business days prior to departure if funds are to be made available five (5) business days prior to departure date. If the advanced funds are needed sooner than five (5) business days before departure, the traveler must demonstrate the need in writing when submitting the travel authorization form no less than thirty (30) days in advance.
A prepayment related to travel made by the University is a loan to the employee (secured by a promissory note) who is personally responsible for all monies paid on their behalf to a third party (e.g., hotel, airfare, registration). Prepayments may be made for employees under conditions identified in the OSBM and University policies if a promissory note is signed with the request for the prepayment. Prepaid amounts are requested on a completed and approved travel authorization form (TVL-1) and accounted for (with original receipt) or repaid by traveler to the University within 30 days after the traveler’s return. Prepayments must be related to business travel only. Amounts disbursed for student academic requirements or for the primary benefit of a traveling student are considered awards and should be processed under the Payments to Students and Reporting Policy, http://businessfinance.ncat.edu/Students Payments and Reporting.
The University will pay the travel costs of non-employees (prospective professional employees and certain costs associated with honorariums) when approved. Non-employees traveling for the University are required to comply with this policy.
*CAUTION: If services of an independent contractor have been engaged, travel expenses must be part of the overall fee reflected in the contract and vendor invoice. DO NOT PROCESS A TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. Read University Policy VI. Contracts 1.0 Section XI. A, Independent Contractor.
Travel expenses associated with honorariums may be paid if payment is disbursed directly to the hotel and airline/common carrier on behalf of the University guest. All conditions must be met to qualify under the University "Honoraria Payments" policy. Additionally, policies and procedures outlined for securing authorization for travel and honoraria payments must be strictly followed.
A student (as defined for this policy) refers to an individual enrolled in course(s) for credit. Students who are on the payroll are considered employees and follow all employee policies relating to travel. Travel under the accountable plan for student employees should be funded by the same fund from which the student’s employee wages are paid.
Instances where students travel for academic requirements or other personal benefits may need to have the award/payment applied to their individual student account (in Banner Student System). Non-employee student travel must follow the Payments to Students and Reporting Policy and be cleared by the Division of Student Affairs upon completion of the Student Travel Checklist.
Paymentnt of travel and subsistence expenses (hotel and meal costs) for attendants for handicapped employees while traveling on official University business may be reimbursed to the same extent as are state employees if advance approval is obtained from the department head or his or her designee.
The University reports payments as taxable income when tax law requires this treatment. The most common instances in which taxable income is likely to occur are from payments that do not meet Internal Revenue Service (IRS) accountable plan rules.
Duty Station - The location where the employee is assigned.
Fly America Act restrictions - The restrictions of the Fly America Act apply whenever travel is financed by U.S. Government funds (federal funds). Essentially, if your travel is paid for by the U.S. Government, you have to use a U.S. flag air carrier. U.S. flag air carrier means that the carrier providing the service holds a certificate under 49 U.S.C. § 41102, and the services are authorized by such a certificate, or by exemption or regulation.
In-State - Travel within the borders of North Carolina.
*Students working as employees when traveling as a duty of their positions (travel must be paid from the same source that pays the student’s wages).
*Employees attending a continuing education conference, symposium or meeting related to the field of employment.
Scholastic program requirements for students and travel taken for the primary benefit of an individual or outside entity which does not benefit the University will not be reimbursable or funded by the University.
Original Receipt - An original receipt should show the amount of the expense, the date of the expense, the location of the expense, and an itemization of what was purchased and from whom. The receipt cannot be reprinted or reacquired if lost, stolen or mutilated.
Original Signature – A mark or markings made with the intention of authenticating a document by the person listed/required. Only the person listed on the document or required to sign the document may actually sign the document for it to be valid. Proxy signatures nor rubber stamps are allowed.
Out-of-State - Travel in all the continental United States except North Carolina, Alaska and Hawaii.
Out-of Country - Travel anywhere not included in the two definitions: In-State or Out-of-State. Alaska and Hawaii are considered Out-of-Country for purposes of State Travel regulations.
Subsistence - An allowance related to meal costs (inclusive of gratuities) (OSBM 5.1.2) (G.S. 138-6). Amounts paid for lodging are categorized as subsistence.
Travel Advance - Personal loan money provided to the employee (for out of pocket expenses) prior to beginning travel status.
Travel Status - The employee is away (minimally 35 miles) from the normal duty station or home and acting in his/her official capacity as required by his/her work activities.
All travelers should determine if the potential benefits of the trip justify its time and expense after considering cost-effective alternatives, such as video or teleconferencing. Become familiar with any applicable sponsor requirements, as they may be more restrictive than the University’s. Familiarize yourself with the University’s requirements for documentation, approval and other reimbursement issues before you travel.
*Complete a Travel Authorization (TVL-1) making sure that all anticipated expenses are listed before traveling.
*Travel Authorization should be approved by the budget authority and traveler's supervisor before traveling.
*Determine your method of transportation.
*Determine whether reservations and/ or prepayments will be necessary.
*Prepayments may include registration fees (p-card payment), air/common carrier travel and hotel expenses. These prepayments are requested by entering the information under the advance/prepayments section of form TVL-1. Once the authorization has been approved you will need to send that with the invoice/registration form or paid receipt to the Travel Office for processing.
*Make travel arrangements early to secure attractive prices for lodging and transportation.
*Plan ahead and allow at least fifteen business days to apply for a travel advance.
*Travel Advances are available only to Faculty/Staff Members claiming all expenses while escorting students or faculty/staff members traveling out of the country.
*Travel Advances will not be issued earlier than five days before departure.
*Practice good judgment and prudence when incurring expenses. Luxury rooms, personal services, and other expenses will not be reimbursed.
*Learn the basic policies which apply to state guidelines for travel so you can avoid personal costs.
Lodging – Itemized receipt with a zero balance.
Airline/Train – Tickets/Itineraries (receipt) at coach rate.
Car Rental – Rental agreement contract showing total cost of rental with a zero balance. Optional insurance is not reimbursable. Should be from a state contracted vendor.
Bus – Must have ticket (receipt).
Gas - Fuel receipt that shows the $ per gallon.
Obtain original receipts for - Parking, tolls, and taxis.
Meals – If business meals for a group you will need an itemized meal receipt.
Baggage Charges - Must have receipt showing $ amount was for baggage expense.
If traveling by personal car - Use navigational software.
Registration – Agenda from the conference must be on file with travel forms.
Expenses for children, spouses, and companions while on travel status.
*Prepare the Travel Expense/Reimbursement Form (TVL-2) and submit to Travel within 30 calendar days from the return date.
*If the travel expenses are less than the Travel Advance received, deposit the difference into the advance account 130104-5079 with the University Treasurer referencing the travelers name on the deposit slip. Submit the original receipt to the Travel Office (traveler should retain receipt copy).
*Be sure to attach all original receipts to the expense/reimbursement form (TVL-2). If receipts are smaller than a half page please tape the receipts down to an 81/2 by 11 page. Do not tape over top of any print.
*If foreign currency receipts are attached please label what it is for, date it was incurred and, submit the foreign currency converter sheet for that date.
*Forward the travel expense/reimbursement and receipts to the Travel Office after appropriate signatures and approvals appear on report.
*After processing, traveler will receive a direct deposit/reimbursement check for allowable expenses. | https://www.ncat.edu/divisions/business-and-finance/comptroller/acct-off/trvl-pol.html |
The last thing you want to think about when planning an overseas trip is: is it safe to travel? Especially if your international destination is one you're familiar with.
Maybe you've traveled there before. Or you've studied and read about it for years.
Perhaps, it's not too far from home. Or you know the standard of daily life is similar to your own.
How can it not be safe to travel there?
Unsafe is all those other places you don't know much about.
Chances are, depending on where you plan to travel [and especially if heading to Europe] there's little need to ask if it's safe to travel.
Even if you're not much of a gambler, the odds are in your favor it probably is.
But traveling overseas, especially if you're new to international travel, can often lead to finding yourself in unsafe, even threatening situations in any country of the world. Even seasoned travelers can be victims of crime and violence.
Pickpockets. Car thieves. Hotel burglars. On-street scams. As an international traveler, you're easy prey - and easy to spot.
You're tired. You're stressed. You're in unfamiliar territory. Your guard may be up, but your mind is distracted. You've become an easy target.
And these are the minor possibilities.
Worse...remember the subway bombings in England and Spain in the not too distant past? Or the political violence in Northern Ireland that seemed to never end?
How about the bombing at Italy's Uffizi Gallery, or the nightly riots in France, long before the more recent horrors in Paris?
Not only do tourists walk the streets, visit museums, and ride mass transit. So do the people who live there.
And perpetrators of violence don't care whether you're a local or a visitor. Their goal is disruption and destruction.
Safety threats exist in every city and every country around the globe. It's up to you to understand whether or not it's safe to travel in your destination and to create a solid plan for your own travel safety.
For U.S. citizens, the most valuable resource for determining if the destination you choose to visit is safe to travel can be found in the extensive international travel information provided by the U.S. Department of State.
With over 250 U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide overseen by this agency, there's no better finger on the pulse of travel safety abroad than these entities, who field calls from distressed American citizens overseas on a daily basis.
If you're a traveler with some degree of international savvy, you know any country in any kind of social or political upheaval should not be considered as safe to travel, when planning your overseas trip.
Unless you're either blindly adven-turous, or willing to subject your-self to personal risk and harm, choosing an overseas destination known to be volatile or unsafe should be a non-starter.
Risk-adverse travelers, trying to rationalize their desires to visit a potentially unsafe destination, will frequently discount or completely ignore a government issued travel advisory as being overstated.
Instead, they choose to depend on guidebooks, travel agents, or fellow travelers, who may take a more laissez faire attitude toward international travel safety.
But they do so at their own peril. And often with hazardous results.
While even the best travel guides and travel agents serve vital roles in helping you plan your international trip, the underlying goal for them is marketing. Not safety.
Their job is to provide positive, non-threatening information and make the sale.
For published guidebooks, the issues of time sensitive travel hazards, political problems, or safety issues are completely out of context due to their publishing dates being far removed from their reader's travel times.
Travel agents - though they have access to sensitive information - may fail to disclose these resources when providing destination material to their clients.
Whether online or storefront, many travel agents [depending on their level of knowledge and expertise] may not even be trained in the specifics of international travel safety.
And if you choose to rely on your friends for your travel safety information, you'll probably also be happy being your own lawyer!
It's up to each overseas traveler to assess safety and risk and decide if situations exist that could bring harm to yourself and your companions, when you travel.
For most of us, knowing it's safe to travel should be as important as any informa-tion we gather, when making plans to travel overseas.
The U.S. State Department has multiple agencies and materials that offer current travel safety information for most countries of the world.
From medical issues to violence and crime, from severe weather to terrorist activity or threats, you can access specific travel safety information to help you make informed travel decisions.
Perhaps, the most vital information offered by the Department of State includes international travel advisories, known as Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings about overseas destinations.
By reading these advisories, you can learn if it's safe to travel to your destination, if precaution is needed, or whether you should choose a different place to travel overseas.
You can also find information for what to do and where to turn in the case of a travel emergency.
The Department of State maintains agencies abroad that can assist American travelers with serious issues like a critical health emergency, an overseas death, the loss of a passport or funds, or if you're the victim of crime.
You can contact these agencies for help when you're overseas, if you know which services are available to you, and who to reach out to for help.
So before you travel, check the DOS website and familiarize yourself with the benefits available to U.S. citizens when traveling to international destinations.
Once you leave the United States, you're no longer under the protection of U.S. law, but subject to the laws and customs of the country you're traveling in.
It's to your advantage to familiarize yourself with these laws and customs, as well as understand how the history, geography, and social structure of your destina-tion could impact your ability to travel safely.
This kind of international travel information is available for American travelers in State Department dossiers called Consular Sheets, also known as Country Specific Information.
Offered free of charge by the DOS's Bureau of Consular Affairs, these dossiers are available for every country of the world.
They cover such topics as political disturbances, locations of U.S. embassies and consulates, unusual immigration issues, medical conditions, currency, and entry regulations, as well as necessary precautions for crime, drug, and safety issues, while traveling in country.
You'll also find locations for medical facilities, penalties for breaking local laws, even the condition of local roads.
For overseas travelers who want to be sure it's safe to travel, collect this infor-mation early on when researching and planning your overseas trip.
Make a record of local phone numbers and street addresses you might need, as well as contact email addresses and keep them with your travel documents for easy access when traveling.
Knowing in advance that it's safe to travel not only makes you a smart traveler, it empowers you in the event you need to make a quick decision or seek emergency help for an unexpected situation overseas.
Learn how you can reach a friendly, helpful human through an embassy, consu-late, or other U.S. agency located in or near your overseas destination.
Knowing the kinds of international travel safety assistance that are available could save you precious time and trauma, if you find yourself in trouble and need help while traveling abroad.
More importantly, you'll have a lifeline to help and home, if - or when - your safety overseas is threatened.
For more information on whether it's safe to travel, check the following pages:
How Does a Travel Advisory Affect Your Trip? Learn the difference between a Travel Advisory, a Travel Alert, and a Travel Warning.
Dealing With a Travel Emergency Overseas. How do you find the help you need, when you can't help yourself?
U S Embassies and Consulates are just a phone call away when you're overseas. They're your lifeline to home if you're hurt, sick, or in trouble.
Use Country Specific Information and Background Notes when you begin your travel prep, and you’ll be ahead of the game.
The U.S. Department of State is the principal source of security and travel safety information for American citizens traveling abroad. While their func-tion is not to prohibit citizens from traveling wherever they choose, their goal is to provide information for any potential safety risk in specific areas and in particular times.
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By William O’Connell, Esq.
The Maryland Tenant Protection Act of 2022 is effective June 1, 2022. It makes multiple changes to tenant rights and protections that every Maryland landlord-tenant lawyer should know. Here is a summary. You can review the exact language and details of the Act here.
“Ratio Utility Billing System” Disclosure Requirement
The Act requires a landlord that uses a “ratio utility billing system” to provide specified information to a tenant in writing and establishes that a lease provision that requires a tenant to pay utility charges under a ratio utility billing system is unenforceable if the information is not provided to the tenant. “Ratio utility billing system” is defined as an allocation of one or more of a landlord’s utility charges, collected via a master meter, among the tenants by any method that does not measure actual per tenant usage for the utility.
Withheld Security Deposit Itemization Requirement
The Act alters the existing requirement that a landlord provide a statement of costs if the landlord withholds the return of a security deposit by requiring a landlord to provide the tenant with an itemized statement of costs incurred, along with supporting documentation, which may include estimates of costs incurred, subject to specified additional requirements.
Tenant Right to Assemble
The Act establishes the right of tenant organizations to assemble in a meeting room within the apartment facility designated for use by tenants for events and community gatherings during reasonable hours and on reasonable notice to the landlord in order to conduct meetings. The landlord may impose reasonable terms and conditions on the use of a meeting room. The Act also authorizes the landlord to charge a reasonable fee for the use of the meeting room, as specified.
Protections for Victims of Abuse
Finally, the Act (1) expands numerous statutory provisions under current law for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and establishes that the provisions are applicable to victims of “abuse” as defined in § 4-501 of the Family Law Article; (2) establishes that a tenant who vacates a leased premises due to being a victim of abuse is only responsible for rent from the tenant’s notice of an intent to vacate until the tenant vacates the leased premises, up to a maximum of 30 days (as opposed to the 30 days under current law); and (3) authorizes a report by a “qualified third party” to be used as documentation that a tenant or legal occupant is entitled to specified relief due to the individual’s status as a victim of abuse. The Act prohibits a landlord from disclosing to a third party any information provided by a tenant under provisions applicable to victims of abuse unless the tenant consents in writing to the disclosure or the disclosure is required by law or a court order. The ratio billing provisions apply prospectively to a lease entered into on or after the Act’s effective date of June 1, 2022.
Another Useful MSBA Resource: Failure to Pay Rent/Summary Ejectment — Landlord’s Complaint for Repossession of Rented Property
William O’Connell is Vice President, Maryland State Counsel, and South Atlantic Regional Underwriting Director of First American Title Insurance Company in Columbia, Md. He is also the Legislative Liaison of the MSBA Real Property Law Section. | https://www.msba.org/maryland-tenant-protection-act-of-2022/ |
On May 4, 2019, Governor Pritzker and key legislators unveiled a long-anticipated proposal to legalize the use of cannabis for adults over the age of 21 under Illinois law (Amendment No. 1 to SB 7). The proposed law would allow residents over the age of 21 to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis and grow up to five plants per household. The Act prohibits the use of cannabis in public places including government buildings.
While the draft legislation might be amended and still has to be approved by the General Assembly, it is not too early for local governments to prepare for the proposed law’s sweeping changes affecting cannabis business establishments, including land use/zoning, tax revenues, employee policies, expungement obligations, among others. We can’t possibly go into everything that is in the 533 page bill, but we have provided a brief summary of some of the provisions that affect units of local government below.
One Year to Prohibit Cannabis Business Establishments
The draft legislation contains a provision that will allow local governments to “opt-out” or entirely prohibit cannabis business establishments in their jurisdiction, including dispensaries, cultivation centers, craft growers, processing organizations, and transportation organizations. However, any “measure prohibiting or significantly limiting” the location of cannabis businesses has to be adopted within one year of the effective date of the Act. After this one-year period has expired, local governments will have to seek approval by referendum to adopt any prohibition or significant limitation on cannabis businesses.
Regulate Cannabis Businesses
The current bill allows local governments to regulate cannabis businesses but only to a certain extent. The bill allows local governments to adopt (1) reasonable zoning ordinances that do not conflict with the Act or unreasonably prohibit home cultivation and use of cannabis; (2) ordinances and rules governing the time, place, manner, and number of cannabis businesses; and (3) regulations on the consumption of cannabis in a manner consistent with the Act.
This language would permit local governments to impose distance restrictions between cannabis businesses and other sensitive uses and locations, limit the hours of operation of cannabis businesses, or set a cap on the number of cannabis businesses allowed within the jurisdiction. The current bill also expressly allows local governments to regulate cannabis businesses through the use of conditional (special) use permits. While the bill allows local governments some regulatory authority, the bill prohibits local governments from regulating cannabis businesses in a more restrictive manner than allowed under the Act. Importantly, this prohibition includes an express home rule preemption.
Employment Policies and Workplace Drug Policies
Under the current bill, employers will have the authority to adopt reasonable and nondiscriminatory employment policies concerning drug testing, smoking, consumption, storage or use of cannabis in the workplace. In addition, employers will have the power to discipline or terminate employment of an employee for violating an employer’s employment policies or workplace drug policy. The Act also establishes when an employer may consider an employee to be under the influence of cannabis.
Municipal Cannabis Sales Tax
Under the current bill, both home rule and non-home rule municipalities can adopt ordinances to impose a local tax on the operation of a cannabis dispensary. The rate of tax cannot exceed 3% of the dispensary’s gross receipts from the sale of non-medical cannabis. If imposed, the tax may only be imposed in 0.25% increments.
Expungement of Local Records and Offenses
The initial procedure for expunging criminal records will be handled by the Illinois State Police (ISP) as well as the State’s Attorneys Office. However, local law enforcement will have to automatically expunge records pertaining to arrests for minor violations identified by the Department of State Police within 60 days of notice from ISP.
SB 7 is only a proposal at this time and still needs to pass both the Illinois House and Senate and be signed by the Governor before it becomes law. However, it is important to note that the current draft state budget includes cannabis revenue, so, it is expected that the General Assembly will move fairly quickly to consider passing legislation. | https://www.illinoislawyernow.com/2019/05/how-will-recreational-marijuana-affect-illinois-local-governments/ |
Moukhtar Kocache, Author, 'Framing the Discourse, Advancing the Work: Philanthropy at the Nexus of Peace and Social Justice and Arts and Culture'
Earlier this year, the Working Group on Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace issued a report, Framing the Discourse, Advancing the Work: Philanthropy at the Nexus of Peace and Social Justice and Arts and Culture, that highlighted the synergy between the arts and social movements around the globe — and the general reluctance among funders to fund arts initiatives with a social justice component, and vice versa.
Recently, PND spoke with Moukhtar Kocache, the report's author, about some of the challenges foundations face in funding "social-change-through-arts" initiatives and what can be done to change the existing dynamic. Kocache is an independent civil society, nonprofit, and philanthropy consultant whose areas of expertise include arts and culture, media, gender equity, social justice, and cultural activism and change. From 2004 to 2012, he was a program officer in media, arts, and culture at the Ford Foundation.
Philanthropy News Digest: What are the arts uniquely able to do in situations where liberties have been eroded and freedoms suppressed that more traditional advocacy activities are unable to accomplish?
Moukhtar Kocache: The arts are ubiquitous wherever human beings come together in common cause. I have yet to see, in our own time, a social movement that did not sing, dance, paint, make theater, and record its activities. The arts are closely associated with our notions of identity, self-determination, and healing. The challenge is how to develop the strategies, mechanisms, and tools needed to get to the next level, the level at which targeted interventions that amplify the role of the arts in social change processes are conceived and implemented. So, rather than ask what the arts can do that traditional advocacy can't, I would suggest thinking about questions such as, What forms of art are most suited for a particular type of social change cause? And at what stage and through what process can the arts help people coalesce around and amplify their response to a specific social issue or reality?
Today, artistic creation and artistic processes are extremely responsive to the challenges confronting all of us as citizens of a global village; rarely these days do we see art that does not, in some way, address a social or political issue that resonates with a broader constituency. Indeed, the arts often play a role before, during, and after periods of social change, informing and galvanizing communities and even societies through the various stages of social transformation. So, it's important to think more broadly about how we as a society understand the realm of art, because that will help us tailor and design social interventions with more nuance and precision.
Consider, for instance: civil rights-era protest songs; an artist-organized campaign to shut down a supermax prison; young women learning to make and screen short films about their marginalized role in society; a community working with artists and architects to redesign and rehabilitate public housing; victims and perpetrators of genocide engaged in making theatre together; children creating art in refugee camps; and so on. It's a short list, but it demonstrates how diverse activities that fall under the rubric of "art" can be, and how, at various times and through specific mechanisms, these activities help communities to heal, feel proud, build social cohesion, create new narratives, and mobilize for or against an issue.
PND: You write in the report that, despite growing interest in "the symbiotic relationship between art, self-determination, cultural democracy and social justice," arts funders and social justice funders remain reluctant to support "social-change-through-arts" initiatives. What are the reasons for that reluctance?
MK: Arts funders would say, "We do not fund social change," while social justice funders would say, "We don't fund the arts." But this binary dynamic has meant that a wealth of learning and opportunities for impact has been missed and that a lot of grassroots creativity in marginalized communities is not being harnessed for social change. Part of the problem has to do with limited resources and capacity at the funder level where, for many grantmakers, supporting something new often is seen as too experimental, too risky, and/or a distraction from more "serious" and conventional funding strategies. Foundation staff also tend to feel ill equipped to venture into fields where they have little expertise, even though most people understand, at both a visceral and intellectual level, the power of the synergy between the two types of funding. I believe, however, that with time, foundations will become more versed in both the arts and social justice traditions, and that that will lead to more knowledge and a greater willingness to experiment among funders on either side of the funding divide we are talking about.
PND: In your experience, what do funders tend to prioritize when the artistic and social justice elements of a project collide?
MK: Increasingly, funders are constrained by shorter funding cycles and both internal and external pressures to show tangible results. In general, we are seeing less willingness among foundations to fund movement-building, process-oriented work that aims to change cultural values; this is true both for social justice and for arts funders. But this type of work, which is crucial in terms of building momentum at the grassroots level and driving more permanent, systemic change, requires long-term funding and a certain willingness to tolerate risk.
Unfortunately, when the artistic component of a project is described by grantseekers or understood by funders as being separate from the goals of a social change initiative, it often is sacrificed to the more "essential" elements of that initiative. In such cases, the arts are typically seen as little more than a messaging or branding tool and not as a rich font of knowledge with its own set of practices, processes, and strategies that can help shape our conception of and scenarios for social change.
PND: One challenge the report highlights is the lack of metrics to assess the extent to which an arts initiative contributes to social change. As the philanthropic sector becomes more data-driven and measurement-focused, are you worried that the difficulty of measuring the impact of the arts will cause funders to look elsewhere?
MK: The arts sector needs to develop its own methods and mechanisms to help assess and evaluate its activities and outputs. When a sector does not develop its own metrics, it can expect to have other standards and methodologies imposed on it. Although I have philosophical and political reservations about measurement-driven evaluation and program design, it goes without saying that we, as a field, need to do a better job of illustrating, demonstrating, and conveying the impact of the work we do. It's a challenge for many fields, but arts and culture have been shielded and excused from having to come to terms with data-driven and measurement-focused evaluation systems. Now, I'm not saying we should be talking about a single system to measure our impact; in fact, it's imperative that we create evaluation methodologies that address the range of activities, functions, and forms that fall under the umbrella of the "arts." But professionals in the field need to lead this process, and they need to learn from other fields that are farther down the evaluation road. Everything is measurable and can be quantified; it's a matter of embedding an evaluation framework that makes sense into the project from its earliest stages and integrating the framework into your overall strategy.
PND: How should funders rethink their engagement with initiatives that advance social change and the arts?
MK: It's essential for funders to understand that there is a diversity of artistic interventions, to develop the ability to see where they best fit into the development and implementation of an initiative with a strong arts and social change dimension, and to realize that different types of funding and skill sets are needed at different stages of an initiative. When social justice funders come across an arts-focused initiative, they often panic. Sometimes they're right to do so, but I would urge funders to look at the individual stages of a project and try to determine where they could help while advancing their own mission and priorities. In many cases, those stages follow a predictable pattern: exploration/research, production/construction, exhibition/presentation, activation/education.
Other important factors for funders to consider include the issue being addressed, how interactive the process is, and how engaged the target population is. Funders should align their support with these factors and stages, while keeping in mind their own expertise as well as that of their grantees and their communities of practice. While many social justice funders are uncomfortable about getting involved in the production or presentation phase, for example, they might turn out to be interested in and perfectly suited for the research, process, or activation/education phase.
Finally, I think funders need to pay more attention and do a better job of supporting the dissemination of projects and ensuring that their funding for any stage of the project is leveraged in terms of education, learning, and debate. I feel that too many well-made, powerful, and informative projects struggle to make an impact on public discourse and the broader conversation around social justice and peace. And I really see it as an opportunity for both arts and social justice funders to collaborate and promote a sense of shared responsibility around their common goals and objectives. | http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/5-questions-for/5-questions-for-moukhtar-kocache-psjp |
The practice of baccalaureate social work is as exciting as it is wide-ranging. Social workers can be found working in schools, hospitals, state and county health services, child welfare service, sexual assault resource center, or any number of local non-profit organizations addressing issues related to mental health, substance use, and/or homelessness. Practice activities/tasks could include:
- Assessment: finding out what people need help with. Housing, food, counseling services?
- Intervention: working directly with individuals, families and or groups in any number of settings, sometimes in their home.
- Case management: arrange and coordinate multiple services to meet the specific person's complex needs.
- Advocacy: advocating for systemic change in our communities.
- Administration: developing and carrying out policies, programs or activities.
Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the Social Work program of Pacific University Oregon provides students with the opportunity to study generalist social work practice with a focus on diversity, cultural competence and social justice.
Customize field experiences around your passions and learn in a secular, welcoming and tolerant atmosphere. Benefit from our partnerships with top-notch practicum sites in the Portland region and join the Social Work Club, a forum for developing and strengthening friendships among students and faculty members.
Learning Outcomes | Social Work
After Pacific | Social work graduates work in diverse settings — including criminal justice, child welfare, healthcare, school social work, government, mental health, agencies for the elderly, research organizations, advocacy, human rights, community development, international social work and substance abuse programs.
Many attend graduate programs in social work, including Pacific’s master of social work program on the Eugene Campus. Students who complete our undergraduate social work program may be eligible for an accelerated master’s program.
Student Learning Outcomes
Our Student Learning outcomes are set forth from the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Specifically, the bachelor of social work program at Pacific seeks to:
- Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
- Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
- Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
- Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
- Engage in Policy Practice
- Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Get more detailsVisit official programme website
Programme StructureCourses include:
- Principles of Social Work
- Social Work Research Methods
- Human Behavior in Social Environment
- Counseling & Interviewing Techniques
- Social Policy & Social Justice
- Conflict Resolution
Key information
Duration
- Full-time
- 48 months
Start dates & application deadlines
- Starting
- Apply before
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- Starting
- Apply before
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Language
Credits
Delivered
DisciplinesSocial Work Sociology View 577 other Masters in Social Work in United States
Academic requirements
We are not aware of any academic requirements for this programme.
English requirements
Other requirements
General requirements
- Create an account and apply online using the Common Application.
- Submit High School Transcript and Diploma. Transcripts from high school must be official with a certified translation in English. All college and/or university foreign transcripts must be sent to a credit evaluation company (WES or ECE are accepted). No exceptions to this policy.
- English Proficiency - Official TOEFL or IELTS scores must be submitted if applicable.
- Letter of Recommendation from your teacher or counselor.
Tuition Fee
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International48260 USD/yearTuition FeeBased on the original amount of 48260 USD per year and a duration of 48 months.
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National48260 USD/yearTuition FeeBased on the original amount of 48260 USD per year and a duration of 48 months.
Funding
Studyportals Tip: Students can search online for independent or external scholarships that can help fund their studies. Check the scholarships to see whether you are eligible to apply. Many scholarships are either merit-based or needs-based.
Apply and win up to €10000 to cover your tuition fees.
Fresh content
Updated in the last 9 months
Check the official programme website for potential updates. | https://www.bachelorsportal.com/studies/189200/social-work.html |
According to the National Association of Social Workers ethical principles, social workers are charged with pursuing social change for persons who live in poverty, face discrimination, and other forms of social injustice (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2021). In order to accomplish this mandate it is important to identify and emulate strategies that have historically been used by social activists to combat oppression and create social change. The presenter will review the findings from a five year qualitative study that investigated the experiences of lifelong social activists, who had between 40 to 72 years of activism experience and were involved in multiple social causes. The training will focus on the factors and strategies needed to sustain prolonged activism, targets of change, resources needed for social movements, and the stages of the activism cycle.
Learning Objectives
After the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Define what the term social justice means to them and how that definition aligns with the NASW Social Work Code of Ethics
- Identify factors that motivate them to participate in political, social justice, or client advocacy
- Describe strategies to engage in advocacy work over an extended period of time
- Identify targets of change in advocacy work
- Describe the resources needed to engage in extended advocacy in a social justice cause
- Discuss the four stages of the social activism cycle used in social justice causes (e.g. racial justice, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, etc.) over prolonged activism engagement
This workshop is approved for 3.0 continuing education credit hours.
NASW-NYS is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (Provider ID #0014), licensed mental health counselors (Provider ID #MHC-0053), licensed marriage and family therapists (Provider ID #MFT-0037) and licensed psychologists (Provider ID #PSY-0088).
Samantha Fletcher, PhD, MSW, earned a B.A. in Sociology at the University of Tulsa in 2000. Before returning to school to earn a master’s (2014) and Ph.D. (2018) in Social Work at the University at Albany, she worked for over a decade in human services including at a family law firm, crisis pregnancy center, Islamic school and running an independent business.
While Samantha was pursing her Ph.D., she also served as the project coordinator and senior research assistant for the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Statewide Veteran Peer Support Program evaluation. She supervised program development and implementation for 16 non-profit county programs focused on peer delivered services including individual mentoring, engagement in social activities, support groups, volunteerism, community education and partnership, and referral to existing veteran services. Samantha also served as the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs and the Director of Admissions in the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany. In this position, she worked on a diverse team of administrators and faculty to provide a quality education for bachelor, master, and doctoral social work students.
Social activism is a key area of research for Samantha. She conducted a five-year study that focused on the lived experiences of older adults who identify as liberal lifelong social activists. This extensive study included analysis of multiple interviews as well as various historical documents including newspaper articles, flyers, diaries, meeting minutes, photographs, and organizational papers. The findings of this study provided insight into how seasoned activists stay motivated for decades, evolve with social movements, and create policy and practical change at local, state, and national levels.
Samantha joined the National Association of Social Workers, New York State (NASW-NYS) chapter in September 2019. Samantha, along with her colleagues and volunteers, has worked to create an inclusive chapter that is representative of social workers across the state. The team restructured the chapter’s advocacy initiatives that is now led by social workers across the state; increased continuing education opportunities; transformed the Veterans Mental Health Training Initiative to train thousands of social workers in New York about military culture; created the This is Social Work initiative; started multiple special interest groups; and developed multiple racial justice initiatives designed to educate and transform the profession of social work. | https://naswnys.org/civicrm/?civiwp=CiviCRM&q=civicrm%2Fevent%2Finfo&reset=1&id=496 |
Social Justice coursework illuminates the larger contexts, histories, cultural, political, and religious dimensions that form and condition individuals and societies. Central to this endeavor is finding solidarity with marginalized communities, as well as listening to and learning from community members and leaders. This program provides ample opportunities and established partnerships with communities to make deep connections that will strengthen your learning and shape your path. The work of this major culminates in a sustained research project, guided by a faculty mentor, that addresses a current issue faced in our local community.
Social Justice Major Requirements and Course Descriptions
Program Learning Outcomes
- Analyze contemporary social and/or environmental issues with attention to their ethical dimensions.
- Explain the links between well-being, social justice, and diverse worldviews.
- Engage with communities, from local to global, to enhance civic knowledge and skills.
- Synthesize and apply knowledge in larger social contexts.
Careers in Social Justice
Social justice careers are found in the domestic and international nonprofit organizations, government agencies, human rights and peace organizations, think tanks, legislative advocacy, religious institutions, education, and criminal justice. With a degree in social justice you may go into a variety of fields such as:
- Social Worker
- Educator
- Public Servant
- Civil Rights Attorney/Public Defender
- Journalist/Photographer/Filmmaker
- Community Organizer
- Public Policy Researcher
- Political Campaign Staffer
- Socially Engaged Artist
- Human Rights Advocate
Hear from our Students
The new Social Justice major builds on our Service-Learning program’s existing minor in Community Action and Social Change (CASC) Here’s what some of our CASC minors are saying: | https://www.dominican.edu/academics/lae/undergraduate-programs/social-justice |
Locally, cases have reached 46,922, with 101 confirmed cases being reported on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Based on the COVID-19 Clinical Management Summary for May 11, 2021, there were 6 deaths recorded, taking Jamaica’s death toll for COVID-19 positive individuals amounts to 820.
Approximately 220 countries and territories worldwide have been affected by the COVID-19 disease. The virus is still circulating at very high rates, and many countries have reintroduced lockdown rules to slow the spread recorded over the winter months. Furthermore, fresh travel restrictions have been implemented following the discovery of new variants, particularly those first identified in the UK and South Africa.
Disclaimer
Company Disclosure -The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, however, its accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. You are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Mayberry may effect transactions or have positions in securities mentioned herein. In addition, employees of Mayberry may have positions and effect transactions in the securities mentioned herein. | https://www.mayberryinv.com/covid-19-clinical-management-summary-update-11/ |
Business Processes & Accounting Transaction Cycles
The accounting cycle involves a number of steps that are repeated in each reporting period as they correspond to the business processes. They verify the transactions and are implemented to prepare financial statements for internet and external business use. All organizations use some variation of these steps to record, analyze and summarize transactions and events of the business. It helps businesses ensure that their financial reporting is accurate and reflects Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP.
Analyzing, Journalizing and Posting
Accounting is necessary in everyday business operations to make projections, assess opportunities and secure financing for the business. The first part of the accounting transaction cycle involves analyzing transactions and its source documents that relate to the business processes. For example, a business process may have involved purchasing $10,000 in supplies on account. A double-entry transaction is recorded to recognize the effect on the account balances before recording them in the General Journal. Journalizing the transactions creates a record of all transactions in one document, which prevents mistakes and links debit and credit entries for every transaction.
Preparing the Unadjusted Trial Balance
Once the transactions relating to all business processes for the period are journalized and posted, preparing the unadjusted trial balance helps to ensure that no errors were made by showing that the total debit amounts are equal to the total credit amounts. The unadjusted trial balance also brings together everything from the ledger to use to prepare the financial statements. The account balances are recorded in the same order as the Chart of Accounts and debit and credit balances are totalled and compared to ensure that they are equal.
Adjusting and Preparing the Adjusted Trial Balance
Business processes involving external transactions like supply purchases or utility payments are recorded previously, however internal transactions required adjusting to the trial balance. For example, business processes during the period may involve the use of prepaid rent or unearned revenue, making it necessary to record and adjust the account balances. Preparing the adjusted trial balance involves recording all internal and external transactions and again verifying that all credit and debit balances are equal.
Preparing the Financial Statements
The adjusted trial balance lays out all the information needed to create the financial statements for the business, including the income statement, the statement of owner’s equity and the balance sheet. Businesses may choose to use this information to create other financial statements, summaries or spreadsheets, such as the cash flow statement. They may also use the account balances and information to calculate any necessary liquidity ratios as required.
Closing and Post-Closing the Trial Balance
To prepare for the business processes of the next period, the current period’s accounts must be closed. Any temporary accounts are closed and permanent accounts have their balanced carried forward to the next period. Closed entries are recorded and posted to the capital account once recorded on the income summary account. All revenue expense, withdrawal and income summary balances are then brought to a zero balance. The post-closing balance records the balances of all accounts that were not closed, which generally includes assets, liabilities and owner’s equity. Total debits and total credits should equal one another to ensure that all temporary accounts were closed properly and all permanent accounts balance.
References
Writer Bio
Elise Stall is an experienced writer, blogger and online entrepreneur who has been writing professionally since 2009. She currently blogs at Elise's Review. She has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and a postgraduate diploma in small-business management from George Brown College. | https://smallbusiness.chron.com/business-processes-accounting-transaction-cycles-20802.html |
The Eurostat- the statistical office of the Eurozone reported an unemployment rate for November 2017 for the Euro area (EA19) of 8.7%. This represent a slight decrease from the preceding October 2017 unemployment rate of 8.8%, and a 1.1% fall from the corresponding period of November 2016, when unemployment rate was a high of 9.8%.
The broader Euro area (EU28) also posted a decline in unemployment, albeit at a lower level, moving from 7.4% to 7.3% from October to November 2017. This reflects a fall of 1% when compare to November 2016.
Member States
Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in November 2017 were recorded in the Czech Republic (2.5%), Malta and Germany (both 3.6%). The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (20.5% in September 2017) and Spain (16.7%). Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in all Member States for which data is comparable over time. The largest decreases were registered in Greece (from 23.2% to 20.5% between September 2016 and September 2017), Portugal (from 10.5% to 8.2%), Croatia (from 12.5% to 10.4%) and Cyprus (from 13.1% to 11.0%).
Youth Unemployment
Unemployment among youth ( under 25) decreased across the region. Compared with November 2016, youth unemployment decreased by 429 000 in the EU28 and by 286 000 in the euro area to a rate of 16.2% and 18.2% respectively. In November 2017, the lowest unemployment rates among youth were observed in the Czech Republic (5.0%) and Germany (6.6%), while the highest were recorded in Greece (39.5% in September 2017), Spain (37.9%) and Italy (32.7%).
The below graph depicts the unemployment rate for individual country within the Euro area, adjusted for seasonality.
Source: Eurostats
The graph below shows the movement of unemployment rate for the Euro area from 2000- 2017
Source: Eurostats
The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, however its accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. You are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Mayberry may effect transactions or have positions in securities mentioned herein. In addition, employees of Mayberry may have positions and effect transactions in the securities mentioned herein. | https://www.mayberryinv.com/euro-area-unemployment-8-7/ |
A fundamental problem with flash-flood forecasting and the implementation of comprehensive safety measures has been the lack of detailed information regarding diurnal and seasonal variations, particularly over the western portion of the United States. This research initiates the analysis of the diurnal and seasonal patterns of flash-flood events over the western United States using the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) Storm Data reports collected from 1 January 1981 to 31 December 2010. Our preliminary finding show the number of recorded flash-flood events has increased over time; an increase likely due to population growth. In addition, flash-flood events over the western United States predominantly occur in the summer months, likely as a result of convective heating. The major exception to this strong summer peak is California. Also, the largest number of reported flash-flood events occurred in the mid-afternoon to early evening with a peak occurring earlier than expected at approximately 1530 LST. The strong link to convective heating and the centralized peak time period of a flash-flood occurrence can provide useful insight into new forecasting techniques and emergency management deployment.
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Translations are not retained in our system. Your use of this feature and the translations is subject to all use restrictions contained in the Terms and Conditions of Use of the BioOne website. | https://bioone.org/journals/Journal-of-the-Arizona-Nevada-Academy-of-Science/volume-44/issue-2/036.044.0202/Diurnal-and-Seasonal-Variations-in-Flash-Floods-Across-the-Western/10.2181/036.044.0202.short |
This data view contains local government payment transactions for the Homestead tax credit program as recorded in the State of Iowa’s central accounting system for the Executive Branch.
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- The data does not include transactions associated with the Legislative or Judicial Branches, nor does it include transactions that occur outside of the central accounting system, such as payments made by the Board of Regents’ Institutions, Community Based Corrections, Community Colleges, and Area Education Agencies. It also excludes transactions associated with the Consumer Fraud Refunds fund and the DOT Clearing Account fund. This data is available in other datasets. Some data has also been redacted to ensure confidential or sensitive data protected by State (e.g. Iowa Code Section 22.7 or other applicable Iowa Code section) or federal law (e.g. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Social Security Number Protection Act, and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) is not included. The data also excludes payments details for some expenditures which are only recorded in a summary in the central accounting system such as Medicaid, IPERS, unemployment compensation, and tax refunds.
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- Publishing Notes
- Data is updated monthly. Updates are typically available 15 to 20 business days following month end. | https://data.iowa.gov/State-Government-Finance/Homestead-Property-Tax-Credit-Distributions/2jt6-3tvd |
Theory Base of Accounting Notes
Theory base of accounting comprises of concepts, conventions, principles, rules, standards and guidelines develop, to provide uniformity and consistency to accounting records and enhance is utility, to various users (i.e. internal and external) of accounting information.
- Generally Accepted Accounting Principles(GAAP) It refers to the rules or guidelines adopted, for recording and reporting of business transactions, in order to bring uniformity in the preparation and presentation of financial statements.
- Fundamental Accounting Assumptions
- Going concern concept/assumption According to this concept, it is assumed that the business firm would continue its operations indefinitely, i.e. for a fairly long period of time and would not be liquidated in the foreseeable future. All the transactions are recorded in the books on the assumption that it is a continuing enterprise.
- Consistency concept/assumption according the consistency concept, accounting practice once chosen and followed should be consistently over the years. It directly helps to financial statement to be more understand and comparable. This concept is particular important when alternative accounting practice are equally acceptable.
- Accrual concept/assumption according to the concept, a transaction is recorded at the time takes place and not at the time when settlement done. In other words, revenue is recorded which sales are made or services are rendered and irrelevant as to when cash is received against the sales.
Similarly, expenses are recorded at the time when are incurred and it is irrelevant as to when payable.
- Accounting Principles
The various accounting principles are discussed as below:
- Business entity or accounting entity (separate entity) principle According to this principle, business is treated as a separate entity distinct from its owners. Recording of accounting information is done, considering this principle.
A separate account by the name of ‘capital’ is maintained for the money invested by the owner in the business. Business owns money to the owner to the extent of his capital just like it owns money to lenders and creditors who are outside parties to the business.
(ii) Money measurement principle According to this principle, only those transactions which can be expressed in terms of money are recorded in the books of accounts, e.g. sale of goods or payment of expenses or receipt of income, etc. Another aspect of this principle is that the transactions that can be expressed in terms of money have to be converted in terms of money before being recorded.
(iii) Accounting Period principle accounting period refers to the span of time at the end of which the financial statements of an enterprise are prepared, to know whether it has earned profits or incurred losses during that period and what exactly is the position of its assets and liabilities at the end of that period. It is also known as periodicity principle or time period principle.
According to this principle, the life of a business is divided into smaller periods so that its performance can be measured on regular basis or intervals.
(iv) Full disclosure principle according to this principle, there should be reporting of all the significant information relating to the economic affairs of the business and it should be complete and understandable. The information disclosed should be material and significant which in turn results in better understanding.
(v) Materiality principle materiality principles states the relative importance of an item or an event with respect to the particular business.
Information is material, if it has the ability to influence or affect the decision-making of various parties interested in accounting information contained in financial statements.
It is a matter of judgment to decide whether a particular information is material for a business or not. Also, it depends on the nature and/or amount of that item.
(vi) Prudence or conservation principle the concept of conservation (also called ‘prudence’) provides guidance for recording transactions in the books of accounts and is based on the policy of playing safe.
Thisprinciple states that ‘Do not anticipate profits but provide for all possible losses’. In other words, we should make provisions for probable future expenses and ignore any future probable gain until it actually accrues.
(vii) Cost concept or historical cost principle according to this principle, assets are recorded in the books at the price paid to acquire it. Assets are recorded in the books of accounts at their cost price which includes cost of acquisition, transportation, installation and making the asset ready for use and this cost is the basis for all subsequent accounting of such assets.
(viii) Matching cost or matching principle according to this principle, expenses incurred in an accounting period should be matched with revenues during that period, i.e. when a revenue is recognized in a period, then the cost related to that revenue also needs to be recognized in that period to enable calculation of correct profits of the business.
The matching concept thus, states that all revenues earned during an accounting year, whether received during that year or not and all costs incurred whether paid during the year or not should be taken into account while ascertaining profit or loss for that year.
(ix) Dual aspect or duality principle dual aspect is the foundation or basic principle of accounting.
According to this principle, every transaction entered by a business has two aspects, i.e. debit and credit. There may be more than one credit. However, the total of all debits and total of all credits will always be equal words, we can say that for every debit, there is always an equal credit.
(x) Revenue recognition principle (realization principle) the concept of revenue recognition requires that the revenue for a business transaction should be included in the accounting records only when it is realized. Revenue is assumed to be realized when a legal right to receive it arises, i.e. the point of time when goods have been sold or service has been rendered.
According to this principle, revenue is considered to have been realized at the time when a transaction has been entered and the obligation to receive the amount has been established.
(xi)Verifiable objective concept/objectivity concept (objective by principle) according to this principle, accounting information should be verifiable and should be free from personal bias. Every transaction should be based on source documents such as evidences should be objective which means that they should state the facts as they are, without any bias towards either side.
Also Read: TS Grewal Solutions for Basic Accounting Terms Class 11 Accountancy Chapter 2
- System of Accounting
The systems of recording transactions in the books of accounts are generally classified into two types:
- Double entry system is based on theprinciple of ‘dual aspect’ which states that every transaction has two aspects, i.e. debit and credit. The basic principle followed is that every debit must have a corresponding credit. Thus, one account is debited and the other is credited.
- Single entry system this system is not a complete system of maintaining records of financial transactions. It does not record two field effect of each and every transaction. Only personal accounts and cash book are maintained under this system instead of maintaining all the accounts. No uniformity is maintained under this system while recording transactions. The single entry system is also known as accounts from incomplete records.
- Basis of Accounting
- Cash basis of accounting under the cash basis of accounting, entries in the books of accounts are made, when cash is received or paid and not when the receipts or payment becomes due. Revenue is recognized at the time when cash is received and not at time of sale or change of ownership of goods. Expenses are recorded only at the time of actual payments. The difference between total revenue (receipts) and expenses (payments) is profit earned or loss suffered.
- Accrual basis of accounting under accrual basis of accounting, revenue is recognized when sales take place or ownership of goods and services changes whether payment for such sales is received or not, is not relevant. Accrual basis of accounting is based on realization and matching principle.
- Meaning of Accounting Standards
Accounting standards are the written statements consisting of uniform accounting rules and guidelines issued by the accounting body of the country (such as institute of Chartered Accountants of India) that are to be followed in the preparation and presentation of financial statements.
However, the accounting standards cannot override that provision of applicable laws, customs, usages and business environment in the country.
- Utility of Accounting Standards
- Basis of preparing financial statements
- Uniformity in accounting methods
- Sense of confidence to various users
- Help to auditors
- Simplifying accounting information
- Render reliability to financial statements
- Meaning of IFRS
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and issued by International Accounting System Board (IASB). IASB replacedInternational Accounting Standard Committee (IASC) in 2001. IASC was formed in 1973 develop accounting standards which have global acceptance and make different accounting statement of different countries similar and comparable.
- Objective of IASB
- To issue accounting standards which facilitates transparency and comparability to facilitate rights decisions.
- To promote use of these standards.
- To look into the concerns of small and medium enterprise having difficulties in implementation of IFRS.
- To bring uniformity in national accounting standards and IFRS. | https://www.imperialstudy.com/theory-base-accounting-notes-class-11th-accountancy/ |
Treatments for Anxiety disorders in Children
Treatment for anxiety disorders usually includes therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
The most common and successful form of therapy used to treat anxiety disorders is called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT involves helping children to understand how their thoughts affect how they feel (emotionally and physically) and how they behave. For example, if they think dogs are mean and bite, they will feel afraid if they see a dog and may run away. Alternately if they think dogs are nice and friendly, they will feel happy if they see a dog and may approach it. CBT involves changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through practicing different skills both in therapy and in daily life. These skills can be learned in individual therapy or as part of a therapy group with other children experiencing similar challenges. Treatment is usually structured and time-limited.
There are many different medications used to help control anxiety. A prescribing clinician (psychiatrist or nurse practitioner) will choose a medication that will work best to help your child. | https://experiencejournal.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/a/anxiety-disorders/treatments |
Interview with CBT Therapist Amanda Perl
This guest post was written by the lovely Amanda Perl: She is a BACP Accredited Integrative Counsellor and Existential Psychotherapist, CBT Practitioner, Member of the British Psychological Society and Course Lead Stage 4 BACP Accredited Counselling Diploma. Her Private Practice reflects the belief that each of us is unique with potential for growth and development and can move forwards in our own way.
Q. Can you describe what CBT is?
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy can be broadly defined as a psychological intervention that challenges our belief system viewed as responsible for governing our emotions. CBT focuses on identifying the links between our thoughts, feelings, moods and behaviours.
Q. What issues can CBT be helpful for?
CBT can be helpful for a wide range of problems. It is particularly beneficial for those amongst us struggling with obsessive and irrational thoughts, perfectionism, stress, anxiety and depression. Practiced by a psychotherapist experienced in working with trauma, CBT can help individuals recover from the debilitation of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (“PTSD”), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (“OCD”) Panic Attacks and Phobias in addition to less clinically diagnosed problems such as work-related stress
Q. There is a misconception surrounding therapy where you lie on the couch and talk away, what can people really expect from CBT?
“Lying on the coach” is still practiced by some Psychoanalysts, where the individual [known as the Analysand] speaks freely about their issues relating to their past with the aim of making sense of how it affects the present and the Analyst provides helpful comment to assist this process. CBT provides a much more collaborative approach with the therapist that focuses on the here and now presenting problems and leads to a shared view of what work you can do together. This “guided discovery” involves learning techniques and skills and harnessing your own resources, empowering you to experiment by creating your own strategies to deal with life’s journey.
Q. What advice would you give to someone who is worried about having CBT?
Regardless of intervention, it is your motivation to change and the relationship with your therapist that is key to healing. Building a strong therapeutic alliance with your therapist and setting clear goals about what you wish to change will ensure that you get the most out of therapy
Q. What positives have clients said about CBT?
Clients talk about the relief that freedom from their “automatic thoughts” provides by learning how to find alternatives and think in a more balanced manner as CBT attacks the belief system, not the behaviour itself, which is how new meaning is made that leads to their new positive state of mind. Experienced CBT Practitioners leave the client with a feeling of strength and courage as the client has done the work, not had the work “done to them”. Such renewed mindset brings energy, joy, positivity and a sense of well-being that no matter what, clients now have a psychological toolkit to access in times of trauma. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes” by Marcel Proust sums up the CBT therapeutic journey
Q. Would you say there is a benefit for the client having private treatment vs the NHS?
The benefits lie in being able to choose a therapist with whom you may form a deeper, closer, more personal relationship as they are a better fit with you. It is not to say you may not find such a therapist within the NHS, however, the clinical environment alongside no ability to choose a therapist, is one of the challenges of using the NHS. Choosing a therapist who has experience in a particular area that matches your own struggles is another benefit for seeking private therapy. Additionally your mental health may atrophy further as you enter the NHS system and join lengthy waiting lists. However, these do vary by location although clients are prioritised according to risk. This means, for example, that although you may be facing losing your job as you find the thought of the train journey too anxiety-provoking, a client with suicidal ideation will be placed in front of you increasing your waiting time. In order to help combat waiting lists, the NHS may offer impersonal Seminars, group therapy or a purely homework and evidence-based led CBT intervention that can reinforce a client’s feelings of distress. Number of sessions are another factor to consider. A private therapist will have the option of reviewing together regularly where you are and when to end the therapy. The NHS is more time-limited, with brief therapy between 6-12 sessions being the norm.
Q. What problems does your profession face due to the mental health funding shortage?
Private therapists tend to work more with the client’s wishes as they are not being driven by funding requirements. Funding shortages mean that mental health services are often driven by what are called “Treatment Outcomes” so the focus is on evidence-based results, rather than on the quality of the “throughput”, i.e., the therapy itself. If therapy is all about relationships, and funding only allows 6 sessions when a therapeutic relationship is only just beginning, then ask yourself this question, is this really enough for a client to sustain robust mental health?
Q. If someone needed help how do you think they should go about getting treatment? | https://www.fixmeinfortyfive.com/blog/2018/5/16/interview-with-cbt-therapist |
MSc Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Delivered in partnership with NHS Lothian and NHS Glasgow, this course will provide registered health professionals with sufficient theoretical and skills training in cognitive behavioural therapy and enable you to develop your career as a therapist and the service you provide. lt is delivered part-time.
This course is for people already working in a healthcare setting (in areas including psychiatry, clinical and forensic psychology, occupational therapy, social work, nursing, general medical practitioners) who are interested in delivering Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in clinical settings.
Why QMU?
- Learn the theory and practice of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – the best evidenced psychotherapy in mental health.
- Core CBT competencies are developed through multiple methods, including lectures, workshops, role play, academic evaluation and close clinical supervision.
- As trainee therapists, students benefit from the vast experience of expert CBT practitioners from throughout the UK delivering on our specialist postgraduate teaching course.
Course overview
CBT is the model of psychotherapy most tested by research trials for a range of mental and even physical disorders, ranging from depression, anxiety and phobias to eating disorders, schizophrenia and chronic pain. Healthcare professionals are increasingly required to demonstrate a flexible, multidisciplinary approach to make the best use of skills and resources. The NHS actively promotes provision of evidence-based management. CBT is the evidence-based psychotherapy par excellence. It can be effective as a stand-alone treatment and can also be used in conjunction with other medical or psychological treatments. The model is versatile and creative and its techniques can be used selectively in general medical, psychological and nursing practice, as well as informing whole courses of integrated treatment.
This course will help you refine your CBT skills, empower you to use the model in a range of clinical situations, and focus on the development of a respectful and pro-active relationship with patients. The therapeutic alliance is central to the delivery of CBT and the course will teach you to forge a positive collaborative relationship with patients as a means of improving and maintaining the patient’s mental health.
The course is delivered by staff of NHS Lothian and Glasgow.
Exit awards
MSc (180 credits)/ PgDip (120 credits)/ PgCert (60 credits)
Structure
To obtain a specific postgraduate award at QMU you must complete a number of credit-bearing modules. You can opt to study for the full MSc, a PgDip or a PgCert. You can also register as an associate student to complete a single module for CPD. On completion of a single module, you may wish to complete further modules and progress your studies to a named award.
Teaching, learning and assessment
The teaching and learning methods used will encourage participative and independent learning. These approaches will engage you in lectures, problem-based learning, workshops, small group discussion, seminars, observation and skills practice. You will also arrange to see patients one day per week. You will also be required to attend Group Supervision for the duration of the course.
Assessment methods will include essays, audio recordings of therapy sessions, case studies and supervisor assessments.
Teaching hours and attendance
You will attend a ten-day induction block followed by a four-day teaching block in the first week of every month. The PgCert requires 301 hours of independent study and the PgDip 358 hours.
Class sizes
Class sizes are usually around 30 for the PgCert and 15 for the PgDip.
Links with industry/ professional bodies
On completion of the PgDip you will be an accredited CBT Practitioner through membership with the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).
Modules
- CBT for Anxiety and Depression (15 credits)
- Principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (15 credits)
- Research Skills in CBT (15 credits)
- Advanced CBT for Anxiety Disorders (15 credits)
- Introduction to Complex Adaptation of CBT (15 credits)
- Application of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (30 credits)
If studying for the MSc, you will also complete a dissertation on a research project within a chosen specialist area of CBT. The components of the dissertation will include: a research proposal; a literature review; and a paper for publication.
The modules listed here are correct at time of posting (September 2019) but are subject to change. In the event that modules do need to change, QMU will seek to use reasonable endeavours to ensure that there is no detrimental impact to the students. Please check the website for any updates.
Placements
There are no placements provided on this course. Students will already be in employment and utilise their own workplace as a learning and practising environment or organise their own placement.
Careers
There is a growing demand for therapists specifically trained in this field. This course will enable you to develop your career and the service you provide.
Single modules for CPD
Available: Register as an associate student to study single modules in areas of interest. Contact David Banks for further information.
Entry requirements
Honours degree or equivalent, plus mental health qualification. Applicants will be expected to be familiar with individual casework, history-taking and case load management and must normally be a UK registered health professional. Non-standard entrants may be considered if they can demonstrate that they have the necessary work-based experience, skills and aptitude demonstrated by a Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes (KSA) portfolio. See BABCP website for details. Non-standard applications and Recognition of Prior Learning must be referred to QMU.
International: This course is only available to professionals currently working in the UK.
Interview: After application there will be an interview held in Edinburgh.
Fees
Some students on the course are self-funded and some receive employer support. Fees are paid to NHS Lothian once a place has been offered.
Start date
See NHS Lothian website at www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk/Services/A-Z/soscog/Pages/default.aspx
Application deadline
See NHS Lothian website at www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk/Services/A-Z/soscog/Pages/default.aspx
More information and contacts
David Banks on tel: +44 (0)131 474 0000 or Elizabeth Shearer on tel: +44 (0)131 537 6932 or visit the link above.
Opportunities to meet us
Please Note:
The delivery of this course is subject to the terms and conditions set out in our 2020/201 Entry - Terms and Conditions (Postgraduate). | https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/postgraduate-study/2020-postgraduate-courses/msc-cognitive-behavioural-therapy/ |
The ability of adaptation to environmental changes depends greatly on the genetic diversity of the species. As a member of Cupresacea, Cupressus sempervirens var. horizontalis is one of the four native conifer trees in Iran that distribute in different geographical provinces individually with the high longevity character. Assessing genetic diversity is considered vital for formulating conservation strategies of endangered species such as Cypress. SSR molecular markers were employed to assess genetic diversity. Nei’s gene diversity (HE) ranged from 0.16 to 0.32 and the average expected heterozygosity (HE) was 0.26. The mean Shannon indices (HO) was 0.41. The average Polymorphism Information Content was 0.26. Dendrogram was constructed using UPGMA method divided all individuals into 4 major groups. Principal coordinate analysis shows the first two components account for 51.87% of the total variation. The study implies that more variation needs to be introduced in the existing population for species persistence.
Background
Genetic diversity of endangered species has always enthused evolutionary and conservation biologists. The ability of a species to adapt to environmental changes depends greatly on the genetic diversity in the species (Neel and Ellstrand, 2003; Anand et al., 2004). As a member of Cupresacea, Cupressus sempervirens var. horizontalis is one of the four native conifer trees in Iran. This tree species have been sparsely distributed in different geographical provinces. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean region, in northeast Libya, southeast Greece (Crete, Rhodes), southern Turkey, Cyprus, Northern Egypt, western Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Malta, Italy, western Jordan, and also a disjunctive population in Iran. The natural stands of this species in Iran distribute in Mediterranean regions. In addition, individuals of Cupressus sempervirens with the high longevity character distribute in all regions of Iran. These trees have a long age, so one of the most characteristic of these individuals is high resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. C. sempervirens is a medicinal plant. The dried leaves of this plant are used as an emmenagogue and a remedy for the stomach pain (Castro, 1998) as well as for diabetes (Assadi, 1998). The dried fruit of this plant is used for inflammation treatment (Mascolo et al., 1987), toothache, laryngitis (Darias, 1989), as a contraceptive (Jochle, 1962), astringent, and antiphrastic (Ponce-Macotela et al., 1994). Genetic variations within and among populations of species are critically important for any conservation programs, because the long-term survival of such a species strictly depends on the maintenance of sufficient genetic variation to facilitate adaptations to long-term environmental changes (Gitzendanner and Soltis, 2000).
The analysis of the genetic variation within and among populations of the species is crucial for understanding their future maintenance and developing improvements in conservation programs (Mahar et al., 2011). Meanwhile, there are many available molecular methods to analyze the genetic variability in plant species, but no single method is universally applicable (Mahar et al., 2011). Many researchers use molecular methods to estimate genetic diversity (Su et al., 2009; Hafezi Shahroodian et al., 2011; Buiteveld et al., 2007; El-Kassaby et al., 2003; Wang et al., 2004).
In the present study, we used Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR or microsatellite) markers to estimate the genetic variability in C. sempervirence individuals. SSRs are tandem repeated units of nucleotides that are abundant in prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes and are ubiquitously distributed in both genome’s protein-coding and non- coding regions (Field and Wills, 1996; Toth et al., 2000). The hyper variability and co-dominance of SSRs, their dispersion throughout genomes and suitability for automation are the principal reasons for their wide utility (Powell, 1996; Jarne, 1996; Gupta, 1996). These markers have been used to characterize genetic diversity in plants (Zhang et al., 2007; Hafezi Shahroodian et al., 2011; Chen et al., 2009; Angielina et al., 2011).
Sixty three individuals of Cupressus sempervirens from all regions of Iran were examined to quantify genetic diversity and genetic structure by SSR markers. These trees were selected for the research because of their adaptive potentials. The spatial variation in tree genetic diversity, in turn, determines the adaptability of tree populations to environmental change and is thus essential for the long-term sustainability of forest ecosystems (Giannini et al., 1991; Rehfeldt et al., 2002; Bilgen and Kaya, 2007; Savolainen et al., 2007). The main objective of the present study was to evaluate genetic variability and degree of genetic divergence within long-lived individuals of Cupressus sempervirence.
1 Results
The total number of alleles per locus is listed in Table 1. A total of 113 alleles were detected, the mean number of alleles per locus was 14.12. The number of observed alleles in all the individuals per locus varied from 8 for Cyp84 and Cyp258 to 25 for Cyp250. The most of eight loci assayed possessed a high level of polymorphism, with the number of the effective alleles per locus ranging from 1.23 at Cyp250 to 1.55 at Cyp293. The PIC value was also estimated, as shown in Table 1 with the highest value (0.32) for Cyp52 and the lowest values (0.16) for Cyp250 (Figure 1). Nei’s gene diversity (HE) ranged from 0.16 to 0.32 and the average expected heterozygosity (HE) and the mean Shannon indices (HO) was 0.26 and 0.41, respectively.
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Table 1 Observed and effective number of alleles, Nei’s gene Diversity, Shannon’s index and polymorphic information content (PIC) for eight microsatellite loci analyzed in 63 individuals of Cupressus sempervirence
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Figure 1 The high level of polymorphism resolved on 5% Polyacrylamide gel and Amplified DNA fragment generated by Cyp52 primers fluorescently visualized in GS2000
In order to distinguish the best clustering and similarity coefficient calculation methods, the cophenetic correlation, a measure of the correlation between the similarity represented on the dendrograms and the actual degree of similarity, was calculated for each method combination. Among different methods, the highest value (r=0.74) was observed for UPGMA clustering method based on Simple Mathing’s similarity coefficient (Table 2). Therefore, the dendrogram was constructed based on this method was used for depicting genetic diversity of genotypes (Figure 2). Cluster analysis divided the 63 individuals into four groups. Group 1 contains two individuals as Pirdal 1 and 2 in Gilan province which was placed in a separated cluster with a very low similarity to other groups. Group 3 contains eleven individuals in two provinces Gilan and Fars including Poshtehan, Poshtehan shahed 1, 2, 4 and Tange kherghe 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and Tange kherghe shahed 1, 2. Also group 4 contains two individuals as Tange soulak 3 and Sirch 1 in Kohgiloyeh and Kerman province, respectively. All other 48 individuals placed in group 2 belonged to 13 provinces in Iran.
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Table 2 Comparison of different methods for constructing dendrogram
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Figure 2 Dendrogram showing the genetic relationship among 63 individuals of C. sempervirence based on SSR data, UPGMA clustering method and Simple Mathing's coefficient. 63 individuals were divided in 4 different clusters
Principal coordinate analysis (PCo) based on genetic similarity metrics was used to visualize the genetic relationship among individuals. The first two eigenvectors accounted for 51.87% of the total molecular variation. Therefore, PCo results confirmed the results of cluster analysis (Figure 3) except that Pirdal 1 at group 1 which is mixed to group 3 and also Sirach1 at group 4 which is mixed to group 2. The genetic distances among studied individuals were represented in Table 3. The highest genetic distance was recorded between Pirdal 2 in Gilan and Dorbid 1 in Yazd and lowest one between Dehbakri 1 and 2 in Kerman province. The individuals with the lowest genetic distance with Dehbakri 1 (Kerman P.) as a most diameter tree were Dehbakri 2 (Kerman P.) and Chevar 1 (Ilam P.) and the closest to Abarkooh as the most famous tree were Lar (Kohgilooyeh & Boi. P.) and Kashmar (Khorasan Razavi P.) as well.
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Figure 3 The scatter plot of the first and second principal coordinates analysis on 63 individuals of Cupressus sempervirence based on the SSR obtained with eight primer combinations
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Table 3 Genetic distances among 63 individuals of C. sempervirence (The numbers represents the sample codes in Table 4)
2 Discussion & Conclution
Most conifers have high levels of genetic diversity and low levels of differentiation among populations, as measured by allozymes (Hamrick et al., 1992). However, due to the complex effects of historical factors such as speciation process and Quaternary glaciation, it is difficult to make a priority prediction of the levels of genetic diversity in endangered species (Maki, 2003).
The results of this project represent the first large-scale analysis with nuclear molecular markers to assess genetic diversity of long-lived Cupressus sempervirens trees throughout Iran. The 8 loci analyzed differed greatly in variability level, from loci with few variants for allele to others with abundant polymorphism for alleles widely different in size. All 8 loci were polymorphic, having a total of 113 alleles among the 63 individuals. Previous study conducted on natural stands of Cypress in north of Iran based on the same primers was carried out on 60 different samples. Total number of alleles, mean of effective allele, PIC, average expected heterozygosity (HE) and Shannon indices (HO) was observed in the natural stands of Iranian Cypress (Hafezi et al. 2011) were more than the results of this study. Also average HE and HO were 0.35 and 0.32 in the natural stands of Turkey Cypress (Raddi and Sumer, 1999) and 0.50 and 0.29 in Italian Cypress (Valgimigli et al., 2005), respectively. The analysis shows that Cupressus sempervirence had a low level of heterozygosity. The average Nei’s gene diversity (HE) (0.26) and Shannon indices (HO) (0.41) indicate a low genetic variation within the population. Such a narrow variation can be detrimental to the sustainability of the species. Small populations with low gene diversity will be affected much by lack of gene flow, limited gene drift and reduced mutation rate. Therefore, a high genetic diversity further supports greater differentiation (Nagylaki, 1998; Anand et at., 2004).
Genetic diversity maintained in a plant species is influenced by specific characteristics of the species (Hamrick and Godt, 1989), as well as by its evolutionary history. The low level of genetic variation in C. sempervirence may be attributed to both its evolutionary and cultural history and its very small isolated populations (one to ten individuals) throughout Iran. Cypress trees in Iranian culture were symbol of long life and holly trees in Zoroaster religion (Iranian traditional religion). It seems that is the main reason it̕ s wide distribution and low genetic diversity outside the natural stands (north of Iran) by artificial propagation (seed or cuting) from some long-lived and holly individuals. The identified long-lived Cyprus trees showed very different geographical climatical conditions from humid temprate to semihumid temprate, semi arid cold and arid warm regions in Iran. The clustering and PCo revealed that there are only four group (two big and two very small ones) within population so that the seed or cutting origin of individuals in group 2 were probably Dehbakri 1 (Kerman P.), Harzevil (Gilan P.) and Abarkooh (Yazd P.) and in group 3 were Tange kherghe 6 (Fars P.) and Poshtehan (Gilan P.) because of the oldest trees are attributed to the group and the hypothesis of artifitial propagation.
More genetic diversity resulted in higher cross pollination and higher effective population size. Further, the study implies that more variation needs to be introduced in the existing population for species persistence. Therefore, the immediate approach and need of the hour may be to preserve the local genotypes by collecting seeds from representative ecotypes, introducing more of micropropagated plants with variation to increase the actual population and allow cross breeding.
3 Materials and Methods
3.1 Plant material
The representative plant material was collected from different locations in 14 provinces of Iran (Table 4). Needle samples are collected for 63 individuals. Samples were collected from young branches and middle of crown lengths. They were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and then stored in -80℃ before DNA isolation.
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Table 4 Sample code, situation and allometric of studied long-lived trees
3.2 DNA extraction and primer selection
Total genomic DNA was extracted using the DNeasyTM Plant Mini Kit (QIAGEN) (Valgimigli et al., 2005). DNA was qualified on Ethidium bromide stained Agarose gels and spectrophotometer was used to determine the DNA yield and purity (Doulis et al., 2000). Eight primers were developed by Sebastiani et al. (2005) and Valgimigli et al. (2005) applied them for genetic analysis on C. sempervirens (Table 5).
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Table 5 Characteristics of dinucleotide microsatellite loci developed for C. sempervirense (Sebastiani et al., 2005; Valgimigli et al., 2005)
3.3 PCR amplification and product detection
The PCR reaction was performed in a final volume of 12.5 μL, containing 25 ng of DNA, 1× reaction buffer, 0.2 mmol/L of each dNTP, 4 mmol/L MgCl2 and 0.8 μmol/L of each primer and 0.75 U Taq polymerase. The following temperature profile was used for amplification: 94℃ for 3 min, then 35 cycles of 94℃ for 1 min, 60℃ for 30 s and 72℃ for 1 min, ending with 72℃ for 5 min. 5 μL of each PCR product were loaded on 1% Agarose gel, run in 1× TAE buffer, stained with Ethidium bromide and photographed under UV light to control the success of the amplifications and to qualify fragments.
The PCR products were labeled with SybrGold fluorescent dye (Invitrogen, Canada) and were loaded on 5% polyacrylamide gels in GS2000 (Corbette Australia). Electrophoresis was performed at 1 200 volt constant power in TBE (1×) buffer as a running buffer, and stopped depending on the real-time dimension of digital image and expected product size of each primer set. Molecular sizes of the amplified fragments were estimated using a 100 bp ladder. Digitally captured image subjected to future analysis.
3.4 Data analysis
Data were scored as presence (1) or absence (0) of a band. Only distinct and well-separated bands were included in the analysis. The polymorphic information content (PIC) was calculated according to Anderson et al. (1993). The Observed and effective number of alleles, Shannon information index (Lewontin, 1972) and Nei's genetic diversity (Nei and Li, 1979) were estimated in POPGEN program (Yeh et al., 1997).
Relationships among individuals were estimated by unweight pair-group mean analysis (UPGMA) by using NTSYS pc 2.02e program (Rohlf, 1998). Cophenetic correlation was used to choose the best clustering method and similarity coefficient. According to cophenetic correlation results, a similarity matrix was generated using Simple Mathing. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCo) and Genetic distances (Nei, 1972) were conducted by using GenAlex v.6.2. This multivariate approach was chosen to complement the cluster analysis information, because cluster analysis is more sensitive to closely related individuals, whereas PCo is more informative regarding distances among major groups (Hauser and Crovello, 1982).
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the all foresters in the provinces throughout Iran who helped us to collect the samples. | http://biopublisher.ca/index.php/pgt/article/html/358/ |
Latin America is the home of dances as varied as the stately rumba and the racy salsa. It ranges over searing deserts, rocky heights, and sultry jungles. Perhaps it should not be a surprise, as a new study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows, that its people run the genetic gamut as well.
Researchers from NYU and Stanford gathered DNA from 100 people, each with ancestry from one of four Latin American populations: Colombian, Dominican, Ecuadorian, and Puerto Rican. History tells us to expect that these Latino populations should be a mixture of Native American, European, and African populations. By comparing the Latino DNA with reference individuals’ DNA from these three source populations, using an analysis similar to that of 23andMe’s Ancestry Painting feature, the researchers found stark genetic differences between the Latino groups, and between individuals within each group.
Within each of these populations, individuals vary widely in their genetic ancestry composition. In the Colombian sample, for instance, there are individuals that are essentially fully European, people that are 50/50 European/Native American, and people that are 40/40/20 European/African/Native American.
Besides being a fascinating exploration of natural history, this study suggests that there may be practical consequences to Latin American genetic diversity. This is because medical genetic research can be more difficult in diverse populations. In the case of association studies, the name of the game is to study two groups of people who differ only with respect to whether they have the disease of interest or not; people in the disease group should have the same mix of age, gender, ancestry, etc. as in the non-disease group. The genetic diversity of Latin American populations may hinder such studies because of the difficulty in building genetically-matched groups. The study’s authors suggest that new techniques may need to be developed to carry out genetic research in Latin America. | https://blog.23andme.com/news/the-widely-whirled-new-world-a-fresh-look-at-latino-genetic-ancestry/ |
The process goal was to create an integrated plan around key strategic objectives, aligned to the education and research missions of the College of Medicine.
Discovery, visioning and prioritization
Enterprisewide survey and key stakeholder interviews
Gather input and feedback from all levels of the organization and external stakeholders.
August – October 2019
(2,800+ responses, 40+ patient and family/hospital auxiliary responses, 60+ key stakeholder interviews)
Visioning 2025 (Oct. 31 and Nov. 1)
An offsite workshop with senior leadership to define strategic objectives and the future vision of UK HealthCare. These sessions revealed the need for additional work around organizational culture and transparent decision-making.
(60+ attendees)
Innovation acceleration experience (IAE) sessions on culture and physician and advance practice provider (APP) engagement
Offsite workshops to accelerate grassroots plan development, obtain buy-in and create a change-agent network. The culture IAEs took place Jan. 15 and 21. Physician and APP engagement IAEs took place on March 3 and 12.
(100+ attendees)
Strategy 2025 work teams
Each of the strategies within the strategic objectives has a work team assigned to it, tasked with developing initiatives, tactics and workplans. Each team’s goal is to create comprehensive tactical plans for strategic objectives and identify owners.
(20+ teams; 200+ team members)
Work team milestones:
- Current state assessment and work team defined
- Strategy initiative development and prioritization
- Owners, target goals and metrics assigned
- Leadership review and feedback
- Tactics development, implementation and financial modeling
Annual planning cycle
Over time, we will shift our strategic planning cycle into a more agile operating model to ensure collaborative visioning and uniform prioritization for the enterprise on an annual basis. | https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/strategic-plan-2025/planning-process |
Researchers at MIT in their Short Guide to Consensus Building define consensus as –overwhelming agreement. “Consensus does not mean unanimity”, they go on to say, “but rather is the product of a good-faith effort to meet the interests of all stakeholders.”
While looking through the MIT guide, it dawned on us that that’s exactly what event planners are trying to accomplish when they labor over the details of an event production. They are trying to build consensus between the event owner, the attendees, the venue staff, and the event staff. The event planner’s goal is to get everyone on the same page, as the saying goes.
- Will this venue be convenient and comfortable for a majority of the people we hope to attract?
- What about the food? What is the culinary profile of our target audience? Will they prefer sumptuous meals or health food offerings?
- Should the lighting and décor be ultra-modern or traditional? In what environment will our attendees be most comfortable?
- Should we design interactive presentations or stick with more traditional lectures for this audience?
- Will a majority of our attendees arrive at the airport or must we make special arrangements to accommodate a large number of people arriving by private auto?
- Should we book Taylor Swift or go with Celine Dion?
Every event planner has spent countless hours sorting through a mountain of detail in an attempt to design an event that will appeal to the broadest spectrum of the producer’s intended audience. The willingness and ability to persist in this relentless pursuit of consensus is what sets the great planners apart from all the rest.
MIT RESEARCH
In their booklet, A Short Guide to Consensus Building, MIT researchers identify the instincts that they believe are found in all people who are consensus builders. Since we realized that the instinct to build consensus is the foundation under all the skills it takes to become a professional event planner, we thought it might be helpful to offer our readers a simple self-audit that perhaps could reveal whether you are an instinctive consensus builder.
CONDUCT THE FOLLOWING SELF-AUDIT
AM I NATURALLY GOOD AT…
- FACILITATING – Do I enjoy helping groups work together? A great planner is a great facilitator.
- CONVENING – Do I seek to bring people together and love to create an environment that is conducive to building consensus? Do I love to throw a party?
- COMPROMISING – Although I may have professional opinions about how to design an event, am I eager to hear input from all the stakeholders who will be participating?
- CREATING VALUE – Am I aware that negotiation is not a zero-sum game? Do I tend to collect all opinions even when they seem to be mutually exclusive because I believe there are numerous ways to “make the pie larger” in most situations? Do I seek feedback and input from attendees during an event because I realize that participants not only receive value (information/contacts/etc.) at an event, but also can create value when their feedback, both positive and negative, seeds new ideas that will prove useful for the next event I will plan?
Consensus builders are great event planners because they seek to bring people together.
- If you need to be right all the time you won’t be a successful event planner.
- If you would rather work alone, you are probably not cut out to be a meeting planner.
- If you accomplish more with conflict than compromise, you should become a lawyer not an event planner.
Event planning can be a very rewarding profession if you’re cut out for it. | https://www.premiermeetingservices.com/talent-shared-great-meeting-planners/ |
Dear Bolinas Stinson School Families,
CALLING ALL K-8TH GRADE PARENTS ~ COME JOIN US FOR OUR PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT AND CHILI FEED, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022 FROM 5:00-7:00 PM!
We hope you can join us on Wednesday, March 23rd from 5:00 to 7:00 PM for this exciting event. We will kick off the evening with homemade vegetarian chili and cornbread to celebrate how far we have come since our initial North Star event earlier this year!
We need your input and support as we begin to roll out our new School Community Trust Agreement System. At the beginning of the school year our school community identified the need for a cohesive and consistent discipline system as one of our top priorities. We have been working as a staff to create a system based on mutual trust, respect, and accountability.
Who should come?
All BSUSD K-8th Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend
Childcare will be provided for children 5-10 years old
Child care check-in is outside the Quesada at the picnic tables
Please come a little early to sign your child in if you will need childcare
Simultaneous translation will be provided during the event
What are we doing?
Come eat, listen, learn, and share about our new School Community Trust Agreement System based on our North Star qualities
Parents will be able to eat and visit with other parents and staff, ask questions, and share feedback with us
Where is it?
We will be gathering on the Bolinas Campus outside of the Art Shops at 5:00 for dinner
We will move into classrooms for grade band presentations with teachers and staff
Grades K-1 will gather in the Library
Grades 2-4 will gather in the 4th Grade Classroom
Grades 5-8 will gather in the 5th/6th Grade Classroom
When is it?
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2022 from 5:00 ~ 7:00 PM
We will be eating and visiting from 5:00-5:30 PM, then moving into classrooms for presentations and discussion
Please come a little early if you need childcare
Why are we doing this?
We need your help to make our new School Community Trust Agreement System a success
We want to clarify details of the new Trust Agreement System, get feedback, and answer questions about this new supportive discipline approach
Please contact me if you have any questions. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Warmly, | https://www.bolinas-stinson.org/article/689063 |
POLLS FOR EVENTS
We are doing a survey on a recent event and it seems I can't just send to event attendees.
I'd love to be able to select the list from either all, member level, groups or events.
This will save me having to create a group for an event just for the polls.
Can you please add this???
Thanks
6 comments
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Sandra commented
Fully agree with all the comments/suggestions,
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Anonymous commented
100% agree with this item. It is very important to organizations like ours to be able to receive feedback in order to improve upon our events. We would love to have this capability to mirror what can be done on Survey Monkey. Especially since many of our events are continuing education events which our participants need for legal and license purposes. I'd also like to see it include a way to upload their CE certificates at the end of the surveys, so that they are prompted to complete an entire evaluation before receiving their certificates at the end. Thank you.
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Lil LeBlanc commented
Agree; the ability to mirror at least some of Survey Monkey's functionality would be great!
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Gregg commented
Additionally, the poll needs to NOT be restricted to just members. I want to poll all my event attendees, not just those who are members.
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CGD59 commented
I'd really appreciate this function. I want to gather feedback after each of our events via a poll rather than manually, but I can't select just the attendees (approx. 25% of the membership.
Thanks for considering.
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Henrik Ekenberg commented
I second this. Would be great if you could choose from e.g. saved searches like when you do an email blast. | https://forums.wildapricot.com/forums/308932-wishlist/suggestions/34305343-polls-for-events |
On March 14, the Planning Department took part in a Disc Golf Planning Workshop hosted by Oakland County Parks and Recreation in partnership with the Metroparks and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). The workshop was a public forum to share information about disc golf in Oakland County and to gather feedback from disc golfers and others about experiences and needs. The Metroparks station was staffed by System Planner Jason Bibby, and featured questionnaires, comment cards, flip charts, aerial maps and park information. Oakland County Parks and Recreation will be providing a report on the input gathered from the estimated 50 attendees at the workshop.
The joint planning process for Willow and Oakwoods Metroparks is currently underway! The final public input meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 28 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the Oakwoods Metroparks Nature Center. At this meeting, Planning staff will present data gathered thus far, as well as a draft list of projects for the two parks. Comments and suggestions will be taken from attendees and integrated into the plan.
An open house for the Huron Meadows Metropark master plan will be held on Saturday, April 7 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the golf course starter building. The public is invited to drop in to contribute general feedback about the park, learn about the various facilities available and chat with Metroparks staff.
Learn more about the Planning Department, projects, master plans and more on the Planning Department webpage. | http://www.metroparks.com/metorparks-planning-department-updates/ |
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2019 ESIP Winter Meeting
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Thursday
, January 17 • 11:00am - 12:30pm
Exercising Deep Learning Technique on Earth Datasets for Agriculture
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Session Abstract:
Deep learning (DL) is the hottest method to realize artificial intelligence in many applied science domains. Our ESIPLab project Geoweaver has started to use Deep Learning method in producing crop maps with higher resolution and accuracy than conventional crop map production methods.
The success of DL relies on massive training datasets and powerful compute nodes like Graphics Processing Units (GPU). A good neural network requires careful engineering and considerable domain expertise in network training. It is never easy to fit DL on any Earth dataset. This session will carry out discussion on the research areas, technical details, data sources, and performances of DL in agriculture. We will work on harmonizing and generating a common strategy to connect and prepare Earth datasets for the training/testing of customized deep neural networks to help advance agricultural researches into next level: intelligent agriculture.
Session Takeaways (post meeting):
1) The workflow of deep learning: gather data > choose network type > choose DL library > find powerful hardware > data preprocessing > training > predicting > validation. This workflow can be used in all three aspects of agriculture: monitoring, predicting, and decision making.
2) The quality of crop information in the training datasets is the key to a successful model. The deep learning models must be fed with very accurate information so they can learn those pattern features. Less accurate training datasets will lead to a waste of training time.
3) The trained models have restrictions in time and location. The accuracy is largely related to the quality of training dataset, the chosen deep neural network type, the training process control, and the expertise of the practitioner. Normally, this is a collaboration work which need a stable group to work on it. ESIP machine learning cluster and ESIP Github repos are great platforms and tools for these efforts happen.
Speakers
Annie Burgess
Lab Director, ESIP
LD
Liping Di
ZS
Ziheng Sun
Thursday January 17, 2019 11:00am - 12:30pm EST
Linden Oak
Linden Oak
,
Working Session
Area
Deep Learning
,
Agriculture
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Remote Sensing
,
Big Data
,
High Performance Computing
Remote Participation Link:
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/563347917
Remote Participation Phone #:
(872) 240-3412
Remote Participation Access Code
563-347-917
Session Presentations:
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7631615
Session Recording:
https://esip.sharefile.com/d-sf671a8bdd47471d9
Attendees (19)
Need help? | https://2019esipwintermeeting.sched.com/event/JOSL/exercising-deep-learning-technique-on-earth-datasets-for-agriculture |
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Bridge to the Future IV
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Wednesday
, November 7 • 10:30am - 11:45am
After 22 What Do I Do? Safety in the Workplace
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GET SAFE team will share the strategies and supports that are provided to youth with various disabilities navigating life, work, legal challenges within the systems. The priority over the years has been to prepare youth to be able to identify bullying, harassment, and be able to advocate for themselves as needed. The workshop will highlight the training curriculum for workplace success including safety education, crisis response, workplace violence, sexual harassment, reducing bullying behavior and increasing positive outcomes for all levels of employment involvement.
Presenters
SH
Stuart Haskin
Wednesday November 7, 2018 10:30am - 11:45am
Newport (downstairs)
Career Development/WBL
Attendees (21)
E
I
Need help? | https://bridgestothefutureiv2018.sched.com/event/I89r/after-22-what-do-i-do-safety-in-the-workplace |
Healthcare trusts making sure everyone counts!
Published: 3 June 2014
To celebrate national Equality, Diversity and Human Rights week, two local NHS Trusts held their annual Equality Engagement event in Torquay on 15 and 16 May.
The two day event, this year named ‘Making sure everyone counts’, was organised by South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust and was led by their respective Directors of Nursing and Professional Practice, Jane Viner and Dr Bob Brown.
The event enabled members of the local community and representatives from minority groups in the area to get together and discuss important equality and diversity issues surrounding the provision of healthcare services in Torbay and South Devon. It also allowed the group to help evaluate the performance of the trusts against nationally set Equality and Diversity Objectives, known as the Equality Delivery System (EDS).
The four nationally set goals of the Equality Delivery System are: better health outcomes, improved patient access and experience, a representative and supported workforce and inclusive leadership. These goals offer a mechanism for NHS organisations to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and their contributions really count towards the way that EDS policies are delivered locally.
The event proved popular on both days with high attendance numbers from members of the public and local community groups. Groups represented at the event included Healthwatch, Proud2Be, Total Communication Now, Project SEARCH, Shekinah Mission, Robert Owen Communities (ROC), Parents Participation Forum, LGBTransaction, Transfigurations, Speaking Out Torbay (SPOT), Our Community Matters and Torbay Dementia Action Alliance.
Torbay Hospital’s Director of Nursing, Professional Practice and People’s Experience, Jane Viner, stated: “It was wonderful to see so many people at the event and to experience their commitment to supporting the equality and diversity agenda first hand. There was so much energy in the room and I am really looking forward to hearing about the plans the event generated”.
Feedback from attendees on the day has been extremely positive. Barry Wheeler, a member of the public that attended on the day stated: “I thought it was an excellent two days and I am profoundly impressed that such an event should happen at all. I learnt so much and was able to meet some extraordinary people, I found myself humbled by the commitment and humanity displayed by everyone there and really did feel a part of something bigger.”
Carol Steele from Transfigurations, a transgender support group in Devon stated: “I would like to thank both trusts for putting on this event and to congratulate them on being at the forefront of equality and diversity issues.”
Other events showing the trusts support of the national Equality, Diversity and Human rights week, included a Rainbow Laces Day held by Torbay Hospital’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) network group, to help raise awareness of homophobic and transphobic discrimination.
Rainbow Laces Day was a great success with staff from both trusts coming to work in bright clothes and wearing rainbow coloured laces to show support of LGBT individuals and raise awareness of this important issue.
If you have any queries regarding these news items, please contact the Communications Team. | https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk/about-us/news-and-publications/news/2014/06/healthcare-trusts-making-sure-everyone-counts/ |
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Excellent after a long and hard day of study or work, peppermint and peppermint oils will energize you and refresh your spirit. The aroma will decongest you, calm your nerves and evaporate tensions.
The scent of peppermint is said to stimulate the mind by increasing concentration and memory retention.
*All of our soaps are handmade, so there will be slight variations in color and weight from 4.25 to 4.5 oz.).
**For a longer lasting bar, do not allow the soap to sit in the water and allow it to dry between uses. | https://www.mercadoboricua.com/en/collections/belleza-bienestar-1/products/jabon-de-barra-de-doble-menta |
Peppermint is a flowering perennial, usually growing between 12 and 35 inches in height. It is native to Europe, and is actually a natural hybrid of spearmint and water mint. The herb is easy to grow in moist soil and is commonly cultivated around the world for its many applications in food and medicine. The world's most familiar "mint scent" is the aroma of peppermint. In Greek mythology, Menthe was turned into a peppermint plant when Proserpine, in a jealous rage, found out that Pluto was in love with her. Even earlier, Assyrians used peppermint as an offering to their fire god. Peppermint contains an essential oil that is unique among mints for its quality and flavor. Artificial mint compounds do not effectively duplicate the aroma or medicinal properties. Peppermint is one of the most popular herbs in teas, candies, and chewing gums.
Peppermint Leaf
$5.62Price
Tea is the most common and best employed use of this ingredient.
The oil is used as flavoring in toothpaste, dental creams, mouthwash, cough candies, chewing gum, and baked goods.
Specific: No known precautions.
General: We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
For educational purposes only This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. | https://www.mauiherbalist.com/product-page/copy-of-nettle-leaf |
One of the oldest and most highly regarded herbs. Peppermint essential oil has a fresh aroma that is energizing to give you a renewed feeling of vigor. Click Here to learn more about the benefits of Peppermint essential oil.
In order to maximize the benefits of FUM we recommend using the purest quality essential oils.
Suggested Use: Please see specific label for recommended use. Or find more information directly from Young Living.
CAUTIONS: Not all essential oils are safe for pregnancy, children, or to be mixed with over the counter drugs. Please consult a doctor before using. | https://www.breathefum.com/collections/oils/products/peppermint-essential-oil |
Lemongrass essential oil is extracted from the grass and leaves by steam distilling. The scent of lemongrass is strong citrusy and earthy, creating a feeling of exotic and wanderlust.
Aroma: strong citrusy, earthy, fresh, exotic
Benefits: purifies air from bad odour, skin cleansing, refreshing the senses
Blends well with: Basil, ginger, peppermint
By the way, our oils are not only great for diffusing, but also for DIY candles and soaps.
Cautions: Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing or under doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid eyes, nose, ears and other sensitive areas. Keep out of sunlight. | https://www.aurascent.com.au/products/lemongrass-essential-oil |
Scent: Peppermint has a sharp, penetrating scent based on its high menthol content. The minty sweetness of the vapor makes it one of the most popular Essential Oils.
Strength of Aroma: Strong
Note: Top
Blends well with: Basil, Bergamot, Cajeput, Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, Marjoram, Niaouli, Pine, Rosemary, Spearmint and Thyme. | https://sydneytrendshop.com/products/peppermint-essential-oil |
A holiday warmer of sweet almond and vanilla.
Candy Cane
A candy aroma of fresh peppermint and sweet vanilla.
Christmas Hearth
Orange spice notes from the kitchen, fir and pine needles from the Christmas tree, and an earthy smokiness from the fireplace.
Christmas Tree
The smell of fresh cut pine trees.
Cinnamon Vanilla
Spicy cinnamon combined with sweet and creamy vanilla.
Frosted Juniper
Blend of fresh evergreens and fruits.
Gingerbread
Warm vanilla and spices combine for a fresh-from-the-oven gingerbread treat.
Hansel & Gretal's House
A delicious combination of gingerbread and vanilla frosting.
Mistletoe
The festive scent of Siberian pine needles with top notes of sweet berries and green apples.
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin, spices, and a touch of vanilla whipped cream.
Sugar Cookie
Sweet, sugary aroma of fresh baked sugar cookies.
Winter Wonderland
Sweet peppermint with hints of vanilla. | http://soyliciouscandle.com/Fragrances.aspx |
Literature Review & Systematic Review – Importance & Differences
Literature allows the student to set back in time and explore what their ancestors did in a particular niche. Research is the continuous process of exploring and finding new things so residents of earth can live a better life. Research and literature have a deep connection as literature aims to conserve continuity in research. In simple words, literature is the backbone of research. No matter what type of research you are planning, market or dissertation, searching the relevant literature is a good start. However, design your research in light of the facts that have been done previously. You must know the types of literature reviews. Thereby in this article, we will discuss the literature review & systematic review and share its importance and contrasting points with you. So let’s get started:
Literature review- A brief introduction:
A literature review is simply a type of scholarly search that helps a researcher in collecting all relevant information in one place. However, only searching for information from scholarly articles cannot help you achieve the purpose of conducting a literature review. Creating links of information imported from other sources with the main objectives of your own research is also necessary. All in all, a literature review is a process of finding literature, extracting quality information from it and using it in other research as evidence or to support a choice.
Systematic review- A brief introduction:
A systematic literature review is a process of examining and finding data from other’s research and using the information to give specific answers to the research questions. It is a type of research methodology that helps solve scientific queries. It is a more sophisticated literature search that follows many steps involving the identification of keywords, making inclusion or exclusion criteria, making a search strategy, and evaluating or synthesis of information.
Importance of review of literature review and systematic review:
The review of literature is important as it helps researchers in developing know-how about a topic of interest. It aids in reaching out the all relevant theories, models, and frameworks that are essential to give supporting details to validate a research query. It gives benefits to both the reader and researchers in developing a deep understanding of a topic. A systematic review can be conducted to solve a specific query that belongs to any discipline. But medical and nursing professionals solve the majority of their research problems with this method. It helps them find what was previously used to cure an ailment, what are its strengths and weaknesses, and how a current study should close the gaps.
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Difference between literature review and systematic review:
The only similarity between literature review and systematic review is that they both use already published scholarly articles. The majority of students, who have completed an undergraduate thesis, may know the review of literature as the second chapter of a dissertation. Yes, a review of literature refers to the same here as well, but the systematic review is the type of research methodology that can stand alone. Reviewing a few samples of both is the best tip to pick some differences between the two; however, in the light of the information provided by Dissertation Writers UK we have collected a few differences between simple literature and systematic review in the following section.
- For defining research questions in a systematic review, the use of frameworks PICO, SPIDER, and PICOS is a good option. However, these frameworks cannot help you in defining the area of interest for conducting a literature search for a simple review.
- The systematic review follows a more sophisticated path to solve a scientific query. Even searching literature is followed by paying special attention to the selection of keywords, noting a number of hits, fulfilling inclusion or exclusion criteria, and assessing the quality of information before making a part of your research. (Note: these are only a few steps of systematic review, to know more, you can get a step-by-step guide by professional researchers or seek dissertation help UK). Contrastingly, the literature review can be conducted by only defining the area of interest.
- One and only one author can conduct a review. But to conduct a systematic review, three or more authors are required to contribute to a study.
Final thoughts:
In a nutshell, finding appropriate words to signify the importance of literature in research is really hard. In fact, literature is the tool to solve any scientific queries. Thus, we just witnessed how by applying a systematic and simple search approach. The literature explores ways to answer the research question. Lastly, both simple and systematic review is important tools to assist the researcher. But both have different purposes, working principles, and importance in research.
You can also read about the 5 books Journaling Methods for Novices. | https://clueofsports.com/2022/11/04/literature-review-systematic-review-importance-differences/ |
Whole-leaf Dried Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), Photo © CSIRO (Australia), CC BY 3.0.Lemon myrtle, scientific name Backhousia citriodora, is an evergreen tree native to Queensland, Australia. Lemon myrtle has an intensely lemony aroma, and for this reason, it is used both as a tea on its own and in herbal blends with other herbs and/or true teas.
The aroma of lemon myrtle is similar to other naturally lemon-scented herbs, including lemongrass, lemon balm, and lemon verbena. Although not closely related, these plants all share many chemical components in common. Among these herbs, lemon myrtle contains the highest concentration of citral, a mixture of chemicals responsible for the lemony aroma.
When consumed on its own as an herbal tea, lemon myrtle has an intense lemon fragrance, and a strongly astringent mouthfeel, but like the other lemon-scented herbs, it does not impart the acidity of lemon juice. It can be blended with other, less astringent herbs, to result in a smoother mouthfeel, or blended with full-bodied black teas so that its astringency is less evident.
Dried and Crushed Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) Leaves, Photo © CSIRO (Australia), CC BY 3.0.Lemon myrtle has a long history of use in food and medicine of the indigenous people of Australia. It has also been used to impart a lemon aroma to sweets and baked goods without adding the acidity of lemon.
Health benefits and medicinal usesThe health effects of lemon myrtle are likely similar to those of lemongrass, as it shares the largest active component, citral, which has been studied on its own as an active ingredient. Citral has been shown to induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells in as low a concentration of 44.5 μM, comparable to a cup of tea prepared from 1g of lemongrass. Lemon myrtle tea is likely to have a higher concentration of citral than the infusions prepared from other herbs with lower citral concentrations.
The essential oil of lemon myrtle was also found to have significant anti-microbial effects, which were found to be stronger than that of citral alone, and were also found to be more powerful than that of Melaleuca alternifolia, the plant used to make tea tree oil.
References:
1. Nativ Dudai et. al., Citral is a New Inducer of Caspase-3 in Tumor Cell Lines, Planta Med 2005; 71(5): 484-488.
2. Jenny M. Wilkinson et. al., Bioactivity of Backhousia citriodora: Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity, J. Agric. Food Chem., 2003, 51 (1), pp 76–81.
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The aroma of both the tea and the dried leaf are intensely lemony, much more so than the other lemon herbs I've tried, including lemongrass, lemon balm, and lemon verbena. More like lemongrass than the others, and least like lemon balm. The lemon quality is so overpowering that it's hard to notice other aspects of th...Read Full Review
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Peppermint produces a strong, minty aroma that re-energizes your mind and improves your concentration. It is the perfect solution to a work-life balance, relieving stress while increasing productivity at the same time. Peppermint oil can also come in handy when you wake up with a stuffy nose in the morning, or during a bad cold by clearing your nasal passages. | https://wistech.com.sg/products/peppermint-pure-essential-oil |
With its refreshing mint aroma, peppermint has unique cooling and warming properties.
• refreshing and invigorating
• concentration boost
Ingredients:
Mentha piperita – peppermint
Origin: USA
Obtained by distillation.
Use with Nature's Sunshine diffuser. | https://e-naturessunshine.com/shop/products/23/275,essential-oil-peppermint.html |
Abstract This article explores the history of the Eisenstein irreducibility criterion and explains how Theodor Schönemann discovered this criterion before Eisenstein. Both were inspired by Gauss's Disquisitiones Arithmeticae, though they took very different routes to their discoveries. The article will discuss a variety of topics from 19th-century number theory, including Gauss's lemma, finite fields, the lemniscate, elliptic integrals, abelian groups, the Gaussian integers, and Hensel's lemma.
Topics from this paper
19 Citations
A Generalization of the Eisenstein–Dumas–Schönemann Irreducibility Criterion
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A mild generalization of Eisenstein’s criterion
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Schönemann–Eisenstein–Dumas-Type Irreducibility Conditions that Use Arbitrarily Many Prime Numbers
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Gauss’ lemma and valuation theory
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On the Number of Primes for Which a Polynomial is Eisenstein
- Mathematics, Computer Science
- Integers
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Several Proofs of the Irreducibility of the Cyclotomic Polynomials
- Computer Science, Mathematics
- Am. Math. Mon.
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Eisenstein's criterion, Fermat's last theorem, and a conjecture on powerful numbers
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On shifted Eisenstein polynomials
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- Period. Math. Hung. | https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Why-Eisenstein-Proved-the-Eisenstein-Criterion-and-Cox/e84812f998f20e3d46b6f30c709f967c42a0fda2 |
Real analytic Eisenstein series
In mathematics, the simplest real analytic Eisenstein series is a special function of two variables. It is used in the representation theory of SL(2,R) and in analytic number theory. It is closely related to the Epstein zeta function.
There are many generalizations associated to more complicated groups.
DefinitionEdit
The Eisenstein series E(z, s) for z = x + iy in the upper half-plane is defined by
for Re(s) > 1, and by analytic continuation for other values of the complex number s. The sum is over all pairs of coprime integers.
Warning: there are several other slightly different definitions. Some authors omit the factor of ½, and some sum over all pairs of integers that are not both zero; which changes the function by a factor of ζ(2s).
PropertiesEdit
As a function on zEdit
Viewed as a function of z, E(z,s) is a real-analytic eigenfunction of the Laplace operator on H with the eigenvalue s(s-1). In other words, it satisfies the elliptic partial differential equation
- where
The function E(z, s) is invariant under the action of SL(2,Z) on z in the upper half plane by fractional linear transformations. Together with the previous property, this means that the Eisenstein series is a Maass form, a real-analytic analogue of a classical elliptic modular function.
Warning: E(z, s) is not a square-integrable function of z with respect to the invariant Riemannian metric on H.
As a function on sEdit
The Eisenstein series converges for Re(s)>1, but can be analytically continued to a meromorphic function of s on the entire complex plane, with in the half-plane Re(s) 1/2 a unique pole of residue 3/π at s = 1 (for all z in H) and infinitely many poles in the strip 0 < Re(s) < 1/2 at where corresponds to a non-trivial zero of the Riemann zeta-function. The constant term of the pole at s = 1 is described by the Kronecker limit formula.
The modified function
satisfies the functional equation
analogous to the functional equation for the Riemann zeta function ζ(s).
Scalar product of two different Eisenstein series E(z, s) and E(z, t) is given by the Maass-Selberg relations.
Fourier expansionEdit
The above properties of the real analytic Eisenstein series, i.e. the functional equation for E(z,s) and E*(z,s) using Laplacian on H, are shown from the fact that E(z,s) has a Fourier expansion:
where
and modified Bessel functions
Epstein zeta functionEdit
The Epstein zeta function ζQ(s) (Epstein 1903) for a positive definite integral quadratic form Q(m, n) = cm2 + bmn +an2 is defined by
It is essentially a special case of the real analytic Eisenstein series for a special value of z, since
for
This zeta function was named after Paul Epstein.
GeneralizationsEdit
The real analytic Eisenstein series E(z, s) is really the Eisenstein series associated to the discrete subgroup SL(2,Z) of SL(2,R). Selberg described generalizations to other discrete subgroups Γ of SL(2,R), and used these to study the representation of SL(2,R) on L2(SL(2,R)/Γ). Langlands extended Selberg's work to higher dimensional groups; his notoriously difficult proofs were later simplified by Joseph Bernstein.
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- J. Bernstein, Meromorphic continuation of Eisenstein series
- Epstein, P. (1903), "Zur Theorie allgemeiner Zetafunktionen I" (PDF), Math. Ann., 56 (4): 614–644, doi:10.1007/BF01444309.
- A. Krieg (2001) , "Epstein zeta-function", Encyclopedia of Mathematics, EMS Press
- Kubota, T. (1973), Elementary theory of Eisenstein series, Tokyo: Kodansha, ISBN 0-470-50920-1.
- Langlands, Robert P. (1976), On the functional equations satisfied by Eisenstein series, Berlin: Springer-Verlag, ISBN 0-387-07872-X.
- A. Selberg, Discontinuous groups and harmonic analysis, Proc. Int. Congr. Math., 1962.
- D. Zagier, Eisenstein series and the Riemann zeta-function. | http://conceptmap.cfapps.io/wikipage?lang=en&name=Real_analytic_Eisenstein_series |
# 260 (number)
260 (two hundred sixty) is the natural number following 259 and preceding 261.
It is also the magic constant of the n×n normal magic square and n-queens problem for n = 8, the size of an actual chess board.
260 is also the magic constant of the Franklin magic square devised by Benjamin Franklin.
The minor diagonal gives 260, and in addition a number of combinations of two half diagonals of four numbers from a corner to the center give 260.
There are 260 days in the Mayan sacred calendar Tzolkin.
260 may also refer to the years AD 260 and 260 BC.
## Integers from 261 to 269
### 261
261 = 32·29, lucky number, nonagonal number, unique period in base 2, number of possible unfolded tesseract patterns.
### 262
262 = 2·131, meandric number, open meandric number, untouchable number, happy number, palindrome number, semiprime, current first uninteresting number (by Alex Bellos's definition).
### 263
263 is a prime, safe prime, happy number, sum of five consecutive primes (43 + 47 + 53 + 59 + 61), balanced prime, Chen prime, Eisenstein prime with no imaginary part, strictly non-palindromic number, Bernoulli irregular prime, Euler irregular prime, Gaussian prime, full reptend prime, Solinas prime, Ramanujan prime.
### 264
264 = 23·3·11 = number of edges in a 11·11 square grid. The sum of all 2-digit numbers from 264, is 264: 24 + 42 + 26 + 62 + 46 + 64 = 264. 132 and 396 share this property.
264 equals the sum of the squares of the digits of its own square in base 15. This property is shared with 1, 159, 284, 306 and 387.
### 265
265 = 5·53, semiprime, Padovan number, number of derangements of 6 elements, centered square number, Smith number, subfactorial 6.
### 266
266 = 2·7·19 = { 8 6 } {\displaystyle \left\{{8 \atop 6}\right\}} , sphenic number, nontotient, noncototient, repdigit in base 11 (222). 266 is also the index of the largest proper subgroups of the sporadic group known as the Janko group J1.
### 267
267 = 3·89, semiprime, the number of groups of order 64. 267 is the smallest number n such that n plus a googol is prime.
### 268
268 = 22·67, noncototient, untouchable number. 268 is the smallest number whose product of digits is 6 times the sum of its digits.
### 269
269 is a prime, twin prime with 271, sum of three consecutive primes (83 + 89 + 97), Chen prime, Eisenstein prime with no imaginary part, highly cototient number, strictly non-palindromic number, full reptend prime | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/260_(number) |
Hello friends, I hope you all are doing great. In today’s tutorial, we will discuss What is Thevenin’s Theorem. There are a lot of techniques to solve complicated circuitries such as KCL and KVL. In-circuit terminology, this theorem permits any single port (The port is a pair of points which link any circuitry with the other circuits) system to transform into such circuitry which has one resistor and a single source. This method also works for the alternating current (AC) circuitries which have resistive and reactance impedances. It displays that this formula is work for (alternating current) AC circuits if these circuits have impedances instead of resistance.
This theorem was created by the French Engineer, who was specialized in telegraph engineering. In 1882 when Kerchoif’s Laws were very famous to solve circuits but these laws were difficult to implement for complex circuits. To solve complex circuits Thevenin gave his famous law which makes complicated circuits very easy to solve. In today’s post, we will have a look at its equation, example circuits, working, and applications. So, let’s get started with a What is Thevenin’s Theorem.
What is Thevenin’s Theorem
- Thevenin Theorem stated that the circuitry which has many resistors and voltage sources can be transformed into such circuitry which has one resistance and single source.
- To see how this rule works we solve a circuitry.
- In the given diagram, you can see that there is 20 volts voltage source and 15-ohm load resistance which is represented by R3.
- To apply Thevenin theorem to this circuit, first of all, we find VTH which is open circuit voltage for this we will eliminate the load resistor from the circuit. After removing R3 we get the resultant circuit which is represented by B in the diagram.
- Remove all voltage sources from the circuit and put their internal resistances value in the circuit.
- Then calculate the equivalent resistance which is also known as the Thevenin resistance, the resultant circuit is shown in the given diagram as C.
- After this make Thevenin equivalent circuitry which has source and Thevenin resistance then add load resistance to the circuitry to find the voltage across it. Thevenin equivalent circuit is denoted as D in a given diagram.
Why we use Thevenin Theorem?
- The most complex systems of circuits have some non-variable components and some have variable.
- The suitable example for this is our house wiring circuitry which is joined with the different loading devices like motors, fans or some lighting.
- If some time in special cases we want to find current and voltage values at every component of house wiring. It will take time and will be very difficult to find the electrical parameters of every element.
- To reduce these difficult calculations, a resultant circuitry of house wiring is created so that we can easily find the parameters and analysis of circuitry become easy.
- This equivalent circuitry which we make to reduce our calculation easy is called Thevenin equivalent circuitry.
Working of Thevenin’s Theorem
- To observe the practical implementation of Thevenin theorem, we will discuss its working by a given example.
- We create circuitry to calculate the value of current (I) moving in the circuitry.
- To implement Thevenin theorem we have to monitor these 3 steps.
- First of all, calculate the value of resister by eliminating EMF sources and load resistance.
- Then find the Thevenin voltage (V) after inserting the voltage (V) source in circuitry.
- Then already find resistance and voltage values which are Thevenin voltage and resistor use to find current passing through the load.
- Now we apply these steps practically on a circuit.
Step 1:
- In given circuit diagram we can see that forty-ohm resistance, which linked with the points A and D eliminate this resistance and all voltage sources in the circuit.
- After this, we will develop a circuitry which has only 2 resistances in the circuit.
- Now we calculate the value of Thevenin resistance (R), R1 and R2 are parallel to each other.
Rt = (R1 x R2)/(R1 + R2) = (20 x 10)/(20+10) = 6.67 ohm
Step 2:
- In this step we will add, removed voltage sources to find the value of thevenin voltage.
- In the given diagram, we can use ohm law to find the value of the current flowing in this circuitry.
I= V/R = (20v-10v)/(20ohm + 10 ohm) = 0.33A
- Now we find the value of voltage.
VAB = 20 – (20 ohm x 0.33A) = 13.33 V
VAB = 10 + (10 ohm x 0.33A) = 13.33 V
Step 3:
- Now we have our Thevenin Resistance and Voltage we can put our Thevenin equivalent circuit together with our original load resistor as shown below.
- As we have found resistance and voltage values, now we find the value of current the circuit for the third step is shown in the given diagram.
- We use ohm’s law to measure the value of the current.
I= V/R = 13.33V/(6.67 +40) = 0.286A
Limitations of Thevenin Theorem
- These are some limitations of Thevenin Theorem, you must keep in mind while working on the different circuitries.
- This theorem is only appropriate for such circuitry which has linear elements like a resistor, capacitor, etc. It will not work for such circuitries which has the diodes, transistors these are not linear components.
- It also not work for the uni-lateral systems.
- It also not work for such circuit which has magnetic linking among the load and the circuitry which has to convert into the Thevenin circuitry.
Applications of Thevenin’s Theorem
- These are some applications of Thevenin Theorem.
- This rule is applied to such circuitries in which load resistance varies, after some time it necessary to measure the value of resistance, Thevenin theorem is best for this circuitry to find the value of current and voltage.
It is the detailed article on the Thevenin Theorem. If you have any question about it ask in comments. Thanks for reading. Take care until the next tutorial. | https://www.theengineeringprojects.com/2019/08/what-is-thevenins-theorem.html |
Refer to the exhibit.The network is converged. After link-state advertisements are...
Which commands are required to properly configure a router to run OSPF and to add ...
Which parameter or parameters are used to calculate OSPF cost in Cisco routers?
Refer to the exhibit.Why are two OSPF designated routers identified on Core-Router?
What is the default maximum number of equal-cost paths that can be placed into the...
What is the OSPF default frequency, in seconds, at which a Cisco router sends hell...
Which command can you use to manually assign a static IPV6 address to a router int...
What should be part of a comprehensive network security plan?
Which two of these statements are true of IPv6 address representation? (Choose two.)
A network administrator cannot connect to a remote router by using SSH. Part of th...
What is the purpose of the switchport command?Switch(config-if)# switchport port-s...
What are two recommended ways of protecting network device configuration files fro...
Which command enables IPv6 forwarding on a cisco router?
Which statement is true?
A network administrator is connecting PC hosts A and B directly through their Ethe...
Refer to the exhibit.A technician pastes the configurations in the exhibit into th...
Refer to the exhibit.Serial 0/0 does not respond to a ping request from a host on ...
Refer to the exhibit.What kind of cable should be used to make each connection tha...
Which of the following are types of flow control? (choose three.)
If an ethernet port on a router was assigned an IP address of 172.16.112.1/20, wha... | https://frence.hachther.com/en/quizzes/100-101-ccna-interconnecting-cisco-networking-devices-1-icnd1-exam-6/ |
Home Transformer What is Percentage Impedance & Calculate Percentage Impedance?
“The percentage impedance is nothing but a measure of the volt drops when the transformer in on full load due to the winding resistance and leakage reactance expressed as a percentage of the rated voltage.” Also in other words it is a percentage of the ratio between the full load short circuit terminal voltage to nominal voltage of the transformer. It is denoted by %Z. Z is called Impedance.
Secondly, it defines the voltage regulation of the transformer because of maximum voltage regulation is directly proportional to the p.u impedance of the transformer. So a high p.u impedance will reduce the short circuit level and on the other it will result in poor voltage regulation. And a low p.u impedance will result in higher short circuit level and good voltage regulation.
Take a single transformer. The primary of the transformer will be connected with the variable AC voltage source (variac) and the secondary terminal of the transformer will be shorted as shown in the figure. The primary of the transformer will be energized from low voltage level. Upon increasing the voltage across the primary, the secondary current starts increasing. Rise the voltage in primary until to reach rated secondary current in secondary winding. Now measure the voltage across the secondary terminal. This is the voltage drop due to the internal resistance and reactance of the transformer.
High Value of %Z percentage impedance causes more voltage drop and poor voltage regulation. Finally, transformer delivers less efficiency.
The %Z is used to design a protection switchgear. Typically, it is used to calculate maximum level of fault current. So that, we can design a switch gear to withstand that maximum level of fault current.
Therefore, the maximum short circuit current is almost 20 times of its full load current.
So that you can design or choose your switchgear to withstand at 20 times of its full load current for the transformer of 5% percentage Impedance. The rating is called kAIC. i.e if you have less than 5% i.e 2.5 % means the short circuit current still increase and again you have to go for high rating of kAIC i.e 40 times for 2.5 %Z.
Next articleWhat is Creepage and Clearance Distance of Insulator? | https://www.electrical4u.net/transformer/what-is-percentage-impedance-calculate-percentage-impedance/ |
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August 12, 2013
I just upgraded my router from a Linksys n600 to a Netgear AC1200. My android smartphone can no longer connect with the TechPro SS lite program. I can access the router management webpage at http://www.routerlogin.net. Both my Windows and Android Wi-Fi (the android wi-fi also using TechPro SS) can access the DVR. What to do?
One of the most common oversights when adding a new router is also not reapplying the necessary port forwarding in the new router. Make sure to add the http port commonly port 80 and the 37777 port. This will allow for remote access.
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August 12, 2013
If it was a port issue would the Windows computer on wireless and/or the Android on Wi-Fi be able to connect? Which they can and did with only inputting the new router password. The port setting is 37777. The smartphone connects by it’s own separate internet connection and I suspect it is an ‘address’ issue in the Device Manager config. I tried the address provided with the new router but had no success. I can’t remember where the address currently in the phone came from.
As for adding the “80” would that go after the address (IP address of router?) e.g. xxxx:80 ? The phone doesn’t currently show any such and worked prior to router change.
September 16, 2014
Hello sir,
As my colleague mentioned in the post earlier, you need your ports open on your new router so you can access your DVR from outside the network. You should be able to access your DVR from inside the network with any device if your DVR is on the same IP scheme as your network. Be advice that the http port might be different then 80 but you can check it under ‘Network’ settings on your DVR. You can check if your ports are open for remote access by going to: canyouseeme.org and from that website you can check the ports and see your external IP address. If you need help with this issue you can use this video: How To Connect Your Digital Video Recorder (DVR) To The Internet or call us to help you to set it up: 866-573-8878.
Thank you,
August 12, 2013
Hi, thanks for the info.
Canyouseeme.org shows that the DVR HTTP port, set by one of your techs some time ago, is not open on the new Netgear router. On the router web site the closest I have found so far would be “triggering ports” for other than 80. Sound like the correct spot? I’m going to see if I can find info on the support pages of the router for opening ports but if you have a quick answer it would be appreciated.
August 12, 2013
Okay: on the router site I am trying to add the DVR under ‘Port Forwarding’. Looking at the Network Config on the DVR as well. The router site wants External Starting and Ending Port numbers and Internal Starting and Ending Port numbers. Which numbers off the DVR config match those?
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Interface Range Command Introduction :
Cisco has been working for long to streamline and minimize the configuration overhead on networking devices. One such scenario is the introduction of “Interface Range” command in Network switches.
The cisco interface range command runs on all platforms that support Cisco IOS Release 12.0(7)XE, Release 12.1 E, and Release 12.1(5)T. Network administrators and Cisco learning community can use the interface range global configuration command to configure multiple interfaces with the same configuration parameters.
When you enter the interface range configuration mode, all command parameters that you enter are attributed to all interfaces within that range until you exit this mode.
The Interface Range Specification feature makes configuration simpler and quicker because –
- Same commands can be entered at once for a range of interfaces, rather than being entering separately for each interface.
- Interface ranges can be saved as macros
A continuous set of interfaces can be included in range command by using hyphen (-).
Below are some of the example configuration on Router and Switches which can clarify the understanding –
router(config-if)# speed 100
router(config-if)# duplex full
router(config-if)# no shutdown
Note – in the above configuration, multiple interfaces (Fa2/1 – 4 and Gi1/1 – 3) of Cisco Router have been assigned speed and duplex settings through a single “Interface Range” command. Also, if the interfaces are discontinuous, still they can be mapped in the same command by using a Comma (,).
Switch(config)#interface range gigabitEthernet 0/1 – 20
Switch(config-if-range)#spanning-tree portfast
In the above example of Switch, 20 Gigabit access interfaces have been assigned to portfast via single Interface range command. | https://ipwithease.com/configuring-interface-range-command/ |
In discussions about the meanings of words I often find participants bring up the etymologies as though they are conclusive deciding factors.
On the other hand there is concept of the "etymological fallacy" as discussed in Wikipedia.
The etymological fallacy is a genetic fallacy that holds that the present-day meaning of a word or phrase should necessarily be similar to its historical meaning. This is a linguistic misconception, and is sometimes used as a basis for linguistic prescription. An argument constitutes an etymological fallacy if it makes a claim about the present meaning of a word based exclusively on its etymology.
An etymological fallacy may involve looking for the true meaning of words by delving into their etymologies, or claiming that a word should be used in a particular way because it has a particular etymology.
Which is true? Or is the truth somewhere between? If words change over history how relevant is their origin to their current meaning? If the etymology of a word is a trump card which can settle debates about correct usage of words, does this mean words cannot in fact change over time? | https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/24094/is-it-true-that-etymology-is-the-leading-tool-to-understand-the-correct-use-of-w |
Crypto miners in New York may be subject to a forced three-year hiatus if the latest environmentally-focused bill passes in the state senate.
The New York Senate Bill 6486 was proposed by Democrat senator Kevin S. Parker, the Chairman of Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, and co-sponsored by fellow Democrat senator Rachel May, the Chair of Committee on Aging, Chair of Legislative Commission on Rural Resources.
The bill is yet to receive widespread backing from other senators, however the Democrats do control the lower house and senate.
The bill seeks to “establish a moratorium on the operation of cryptocurrency mining centers,” to slow the environmental impacts of fossil-fuel-backed crypto mining in particular.
It also aims to enforce stricter regulations for mining centers, such as the requirement to undergo an environmental impact review, which would prevent crypto mining if the facility does not comply with New York’s climate change targets.
The Bill was referred to the Environmental Conservation Committee on May 3 and claims to be acting in accordance with New York’s “Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act,” with that bill stating that:
“A single cryptocurrency transaction uses the same amount of energy that an average American household uses in one month, with an estimated level of global energy usage equivalent to that of the country of Swede.”
“It is reasonable to believe the associated greenhouse gas emissions will irreparably harm compliance with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in contravention of state law. ” the bill adds.
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act was passed in 2019 and set targets such as 70% renewable energy by 2030, 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040, and 22 million tons of carbon reduction through energy efficiency and electrification.
Crypto mining is already a hot topic in New York, such as the proposed expansion of Greenbridge’s gas-fired Bitcoin plant on Seneca Lake. The plant reportedly has plans to power up to 27,000 computers that will run 24/7 to mine Bitcoin.
The Environmental Group Seneca Lake Guardian are outraged with the proposal, and stated in a call to action published on Feb. 1 that: “Cuomo can’t lead on climate change, and support Bitcoin expansion on Seneca.”
Speaking in response to the Greenbridge’s potential crypto mining operations, Yvonne Taylor, Vice President of the Environmental Group Seneca Lake Guardian, noted that:
“We’re talking about burning more fossil fuels to make fake money in the middle of climate change, which we view as insane.”
There are moves around the world to regulate crypto mining in light of carbon targets, and especially in China which accounts for an estimated 65% of the world’s Bitcoin hashing power.
On April 27 Beijing sent an “emergency notice” to conduct checks on data centers involved in crypto mining, with the CCP reportedly moving to impose stricter supervision on crypto mining in the nation, amid concerns of failing to meet China’s climate change-focused “five-year plan.”
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Regulation
Iran seems to be attempting to ban foreign-mined cryptocurrencies for payments
In a broader effort to circumvent the effects of sanctions, Iran may be attempting one of the first instances of digital currency protectionism.
According to a Tweet from news outlet Iran International, The Central Bank of Iran announced a decision from the Cabinet on Wednesday decreeing that digital currencies traded in the country must have been mined, or “extracted” there as well, barring the exchange of digital assets mined abroad.
While many observers have pointed out that enforcement would be nearly impossible, blockchain lawyer and advisor Fatemeh Fannizadeh noted that the ban may be aimed primarily at banks and forex entities using crypto to pay for imports:
I don’t think it will be enforced on an individual level. Exchange platforms can basically not operate. But instead of a blanket ban, it allows banks! and forex offices to use Iranian crypto for international transfers. Iran is not connected to the SWIFT network…
— Meh (@Fatalmeh) May 6, 2021
In late April, the Central Bank of Iran ratified regulations that will allow banks and other financial institutions use crypto to pay for imports. Under that framework, institutions can use crypto from state-licensed mining operations for purchases. This new regulation appears aimed at ensuring that only crypto mined from approved farms will be used for imports.
Since 2019, regulators have issued over a thousand licenses for crypto mining facilities, including a Turkish-run 6,000-rig farm.
The new laws may be part of a larger sanctions strategy years in the making. Iranian research institute Majlis Research Center has been calling on the country to use cryptocurrency to circumvent crippling economic sanctions as far back as 2018, where they wrote in one report that digital assets could be leveraged for international trade:
“According to experts, one way to avoid the adverse effects of the unjust sanctions is to use cryptocurrencies for foreign trade.”
Despite these new efforts at creating a state-sanction crypto import payments pipeline, Iran’s relationship with digital assets has been at times rocky over the last few months. In January, officials blamed widespread power outages on illegal crypto mining facilities, though experts said that decaying and long-ignored infrastructure was more likely to blame.
Regulation
Turkish government to track crypto transactions over $1,200
Crypto exchanges with a presence in Turkey must now inform the Financial Crimes Investigation Board, or MASAK, about any crypto transactions over 10,000 Turkish liras ($1,200).
Turkish Minister of Treasury and Finance Lütfi Elvan announced the new policy on a CNN Turk live broadcast last night.
Two weeks after a $150 million fraud involving a major crypto exchange in Turkey, Elvan shared updates on the government’s draft crypto regulation on live TV. Turkey’s central bank has defined crypto as a nonmonetary asset and banned the use of cryptocurrency as a form of payment.
Elvan noted that the second step was to grant MASAK, Turkey’s Financial Action Task Force cooperative, the authority to audit and oversee crypto exchanges.
According to Elvan, MASAK has prepared a guideline for crypto exchanges that includes the rules and penalties for reporting transactions.
“MASAK has full audit authority over crypto exchanges,” Elvan said, “Crypto trading platforms are now obliged to share the information of their active users with MASAK. They are liable for any suspicious activities on their platforms. They are also responsible for notifying MASAK about any transactions worth over 10,000 Turkish liras in ten days after the trading.”
Elvan announced that a legal draft has been prepared in cooperation with the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), Capital Markets Board (SPK) and Revenue Administration under the presidency of the Deputy Minister, as Cointelegraph reported last month.
According to Elvan, opinions from local experts and crypto exchange representatives were also taken during the study. The final draft will be soon ready for approval by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, he added.
In April, Cointelegraph reported that Turkish police detained 62 people following the Thodex crypto exchange fraud. According to the local experts, Turkey needs a clear regulation and fair taxing regarding crypto to avoid further victimization of local crypto users.
Regulation
SEC chair hints at greater regulatory oversight for US crypto exchanges
Recently confirmed U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chair Gary Gensler punted to congress on providing more regulatory oversight to the crypto space, but also said the commission would act within its purview.
In a virtual hearing held by the House Financial Services Committee today, North Carolina Representative Patrick McHenry asked Gensler what the regulatory body would be doing to ensure a “vibrant digital asset marketplace with legitimate money and the rule of law.” McHenry highlighted collaborations across regulatory agencies regarding digital assets and cryptocurrencies.
Gensler said the crypto market could benefit from “greater investor protector” within the Securities and Exchange Commission’s, or SEC’s, current authority around securities and other financial products. He added that he believed only the U.S. Congress had the power to address such regulatory oversight rather than having the commission overreaching its authority under his leadership.
“Right now, the exchanges, trading in these crypto assets, do not have a regulatory framework either at the SEC or our sister agency, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission,” said Gensler. “That could instill great confidence. Right now, there’s not a market regulator around these crypto exchanges, and thus there’s really not protection against fraud or manipulation.”
The hearing today was the third held regarding the controversy over GameStop stock shorts earlier this year. Lawmakers have been exploring allegations of market manipulation from Robinhood and major hedge funds in response to Redditors’ short squeeze of GameStop stock and others. The price of GME has been volatile since peaking at $469.49 on Jan. 28, falling to under $50, and since fluctuating between $100 and $300.
Senate members officially voted on Gensler’s nomination last month, meaning this was his first hearing on the GameStop controversy as SEC chair. During his confirmation hearings with the Senate Banking Committee, Gensler said he supported the SEC excluding Bitcoin (BTC) from its regulatory purview.
GameStop saga paves the way for a new decentralized financial order
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GameStop saga paves the way for a new decentralized financial order
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ARTICLE VI--THE REVOLUTIONARY ROAD TO STATE RESPONSIBILITY II. THE NEED FOR A RESPONSE III. THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS IV. THE UNEXAMINED CONSEQUENCES OF NON-SELF-EXECUTING TREATY PROVISIONS V. APPLICATION TO COMMERCIAL OPERATORS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY VI. CONCLUSION Recently, the United States' international obligation under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty to authorize and supervise its commercial outer space activities has been called into question. In particular, Laura Montgomery testified before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Subcommittee on Space, in March 2017 on the topic of U.S. international obligations in light of new and innovative outer space activities. Montgomery, who was counsel for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for many years until 2016, recommended in her testimony that Congress not regulate new commercial space activities on the basis of any perceived legal obligation under Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty. (1) Article VI directs, in part, that "the activities of non-governmental entities in outer space ... shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty." (2) Montgomery's reasons are threefold. First, she asserts Article VI allows the U.S. the unfettered discretion to choose which non-governmental activities it would like to authorize and supervise, thereby actually imposing no international obligation at all. (3) Second, regardless of whether Article VI imposes an international obligation, it has no domestic effect because it is a non-self-executing treaty provision. (4) Third, notwithstanding any legal obligations that the Outer Space Treaty may or may not impose on States, most of those obligations apply only to States and not to private commercial enterprises. (5) In sum, her message is straightforward: were Congress to misunderstand any of these positions, it may feel compelled to regulate space activities unnecessarily, thereby creating needless drag on burgeoning commercial space industries. Article VI, in other words, does not actually require the U.S. to regulate its commercial space activities.
This article is a rejoinder to that message. Congress should have a true understanding of the U.S.'s international obligations under the Outer Space Treaty before setting a course for regulating near-future commercial space activities--or not regulating them, as the case may be. Once established, the real question for Congress ought to be how the obligations of Article VI can be satisfied for commercial space activities, not whether such obligations even exist. Montgomery attempts to argue the latter. Upon closer examination, however, none of her arguments withstands scrutiny. Congress is not well-served by advice that is not only unsound, but also serves to undermine the U.S.'s long-term national security interest in encouraging responsible behavior in space.
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ARTICLE VI--THE REVOLUTIONARY ROAD TO STATE RESPONSIBILITY
The U.S. is among over 100 States Parties of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the seminal document of international space law. (6) Article VI of the Treaty states:
States Parties to the Treaty shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities, and for assuring that national activities are carried out in conformity with the provisions set forth in the present Treaty. The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty. (7) Article VI is fundamentally about State responsibility. As expressed by Manfred Lachs, the Chairman of the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) during the negotiation of the Outer Space Treaty, "States bear international responsibility for any activity in outer space, irrespective of whether it is carried out by governmental agencies or non-governmental entities." (8) According to Lachs, "[t]his is intended to ensure that any outer space activity, no matter by whom conducted, shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant rules of international law, and to bring the consequences of such activity within its ambit." (9)
The joinder of State responsibility with commercial space activity is a result of compromise between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. (10) The U.S. wanted activities in space to be open to private entities, while the Soviet Union wanted to restrict them to States only. (11) Article VI constituted a negotiated settlement in which private space activity is permitted but States assume direct responsibility over it. (12) The result "is not merely innovatory ... it is almost revolutionary." (13) Ordinarily, States can be held responsible for the conduct of commercial actors only vicariously. In outer space, however, the innovation of Article VI is that all commercial activities are "deemed to be ... imputable to the State as if it were its own act," and breach of duty is considered "as if it were a breach by the State itself." (14)
Article VI does more than just establish State responsibility over nongovernmental space activities, however. It goes a step further. "The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty," it says. Ordinarily, how contracting states to a treaty ensure compliance by those under their authority is left to the States themselves to decide, but that is expressly not the case in the Outer Space Treaty. (15) Rather, Article VI "prescribes specifically the requirement of authorization and continuing supervision." (16) The requirement to authorize and supervise enhances the ability of all States to attribute responsibility. As a consequence of making States responsible for commercial space activities, it becomes necessary to supervise that activity "in order to provide assurance to the other Parties that all space activity is conducted in accordance with the principles of the Outer Space Treaty." (17)
Thus, not only do States have direct responsibility for their space activities, but they also have the non-discretionary, affirmative obligation under the treaty to authorize and supervise their space activities, whether governmental or non-governmental. (18) States do, however, have discretion in the means they use to satisfy this non-discretionary obligation to authorize and supervise. (19) In other words, Article VI establishes the obligation, but it does not prescribe any method or standards for meeting the obligation. (20) States accomplish this through domestic laws, often through licensing regulatory oversight. The U.S., for example, uses various licensing and regulatory regimes. (21) Pursuant to the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates satellite communications as well as the orbital slots allocated to the U.S. by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a UN body that regulates frequencies and orbital slots in geosynchronous orbit. (22) Other agencies regulating U.S. national space activity are the Department of Transportation (DOT), through the FAA/ AST, and the Department of Commerce, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA). (23) NOAA, for instance, regulates the licensing, monitoring, and compliance of private remote-sensing satellites pursuant to the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992. (24) Domestic regulations such as these can serve various purposes, like encouraging industry development, decreasing risk, and ensuring predictability, yet "[i]t is important to note ... that these are domestic rules, therefore States must be cautious that they still fulfill their obligations under the Outer Space Treaty, specifically Article VI." (25)
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THE NEED FOR A RESPONSE
As the foregoing demonstrates, Article VI is commonly understood to require "a certain minimum of licensing and enforced adherence to government-imposed regulations" for commercial entities. (26) This consensus is widespread, which is why the presentation to the U.S. Congress of a contrary position is not only curious, but remarkable. A full response is warranted to set the record straight because Congress is currently assessing whether and how to regulate near-future space activities and should do so with a complete understanding of our international obligations. Additionally, Montgomery's former position with the FAA lends significant credibility to her opinion, and her common-sense position against unnecessary and burdensome regulations on space activities will, rightfully, be well-received, although with the lamentable consequence of obscuring the underlying misunderstandings of the law within her testimony.
Now is the time to correct any misapprehensions Congress may have of the U.S.'s international obligations under the Outer Space Treaty. In November 2015, President Obama signed into law the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act which, in part, directed the Office of Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with other agencies such as the Departments of State and Transportation, to prepare a report that would assess current and proposed near-term, commercial non-governmental activities conducted in space, identify appropriate authorization and supervision authorities for those activities, and recommend an authorization and supervision approach that would prioritize safety while minimizing burdens to the commercial sector and, notably, satisfying the U.S.'s obligations under international treaties. (27) The Office of Science and Technology Policy issued its report on April 4...
PROPERLY SPEAKING, THE UNITED STATES DOES HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATION TO AUTHORIZE AND SUPERVISE COMMERCIAL SPACE ACTIVITY.
|Author:||Goehring, John S.|
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There has been a lot of discussion in the past couple of years about whether and how the Outer Space Treaty applies to private companies such as lunar habitat operators and asteroid miners, and whether these private actors may be denied access to space until Congress passes a law authorizing them. Additionally, there is continuing discussion over whether and how the federal government may apply NASA’s planetary protection policy to private actors in space. As discussed on this blog and as I have testified, under the law the regulatory agencies may not deny private actors access to space or impose planetary protection on private actors. What should be done when not everyone agrees?
Solutions are available. The President by Executive Order, or the Congress through legislation, could ensure that NASA, the State Department, and the regulatory agencies do not deny private operators access to space by attempting to enforce treaty provisions that do not apply and are not self-executing. This could be done for both Article VI of the Treaty, which requires countries who signed the treaty to authorize and continuously supervise their “non-governmental entities,” and for Article IX’s mandate to avoid harmful contamination of celestial bodies. Its “planetary protection policy” is how NASA avoids harmful contamination from its own activities.
Because neither of these parts of the Treaty are self-executing, and because they are thus not domestically enforceable federal law, the President could ensure that regulatory agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as NASA and the State Department, do not deny access to space to private operators on the basis of Articles VI or IX. An Executive Order is a perfect vehicle for ensuring that relevant portions of the government are reminded to comply with existing law.
Congress could follow a similar approach. It could through legislation also direct the regulators that they may not deny or attempt to deny access to space on the basis of non-self-executing treaty provisions, including both Articles VI and the harmful contamination provisions of Article IX.
Authorization and Continuing Supervision.
The FAA’s press release about its 2016 favorable payload review of Moon Express’s operation of a spacecraft and lunar vehicle shows that the FAA is attempting to enforce Article VI against private actors, even without implementing legislation from Congress. The FAA noted that Article VI requires authorization and supervision of the activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, and that the FAA consulted with and considered comments from the Department of State. With the State Department’s concurrence, the FAA announced that because it was able to enforce the representations that Moon Express made in its application for a payload review, this particular favorable payload determination complied with Article VI.
The FAA also made sure to note, however, that not all non-traditional missions would necessarily lend themselves to such a favorable outcome, and future missions may require Congress to grant the FAA additional authority “to ensure conformity with the Outer Space Treaty.” In other words, the FAA believes it has the legal ability or obligation to deny access to space to entities not authorized and continuously supervised under current law.
Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty states:
States Parties to the Treaty shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities, and for assuring that national activities are carried out in conformity with the provisions set forth in the present Treaty. The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty.
The United States itself is in compliance with Article VI because the treaty leaves the decisions about how to comply with its rather ambiguous terms to each country. By its own terms, Article VI legally does not and cannot prohibit space operations by the commercial sector. Instead Article VI leaves it to each country to decide which particular activities require regulation, how that regulation will be carried out, and with how much supervision. Accordingly, if Congress hasn’t said that a certain activity, such as lunar harp playing, requires authorization and continuing supervision then lunar harp playing does not.
Additionally, because Article VI is not self-executing, and because the Supreme Court in Medellin ruled that non-self-executing treaties are not domestically enforceable federal law, the agencies may not enforce this treaty provision against the private sector. Just as in Medellin where a President could not unilaterally impose a treaty obligation on the states, regulatory agencies should not attempt to impose treaty obligations on the private sector without Congressional action. An Executive Order could ensure that the agencies abide by this. So could Congress by legislation.
Planetary Protection. The harmful contamination provisions of the Treaty also call out for clarification. Although NASA and the State Department are not regulatory agencies, they could use the consultation process of the Federal Aviation Administration’s payload review to attempt to apply NASA’s planetary protection policy, and so should be included in the directives of any Executive Order or new law. In order to prevent such attempts, an Executive Order or a new law could note that the bulk of the Outer Space Treaty’s requirements apply to “States Parties,” and the United States and its agencies should not improperly interpret those provisions as applying to the private sector. | http://groundbasedspacematters.com/index.php/tag/article-ix/ |
By Dr. Michael Salla
On November 25, President Obama signed into law a bill that provides Federal legal protection for U.S. corporations involved in space mining. Obama’s action is presented as protecting U.S. corporate interests for space mining ventures anticipated to begin around 2025. Yet there is compelling evidence that the true intent is to protect corporations, up to the end of 2022, from prosecution for their ongoing criminal abuses in decades-long secret space mining operations.
Advocates of the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (H.R. 2262 aka the “Space Act of 2015”), believe it enhances the competitiveness of U.S. corporations by cutting away government regulatory power in the birthing of new industries in space such as asteroid mining.
Republican Presidential candidate, Senator Marco Rubio said:
Throughout our entire economy, we need to eliminate unnecessary regulations that cost too much and make it harder for American innovators to create jobs. The reforms included here make it easier for our innovators to return Americans to suborbital space and will help the American space industry continue pushing further into space than ever before. I’m proud the final bill includes proposals I had previously introduced in the Senate, including one related to commercial recovery of space resources.”
The Space Act provides an eight year window for space industries to develop a “safety framework” before federal regulation, if any, becomes applicable as the following section explains:
(8) INDEPENDENT REVIEW.—Not later than December 31, 2022, an independent systems engineering and technical assistance organization or standards development organization contracted by the Secretary [of Transportation] shall submit … an assessment of the readiness of the commercial space industry and the Federal Government to transition to a safety framework that may include regulations. [emphasis added]
The Space Act goes on to describe that the organization contracted by the Secretary of Transportation will evaluate in developing a “safety framework” based on “industry consensus standards” that includes hiring practices:
As part of the review, the contracted organization shall evaluate—
“(A) the progress of the commercial space industry in adopting voluntary industry consensus standards as reported by the Secretary …
“(B) the progress of the commercial space industry toward meeting the key industry metrics … including the knowledge and operational experience obtained by the commercial space industry while providing services for compensation or hire;
Basically, space mining corporations have a free pass until 2022 to do what’s necessary to establish “a safety framework” that will govern their industry, including labor standards.
It’s important to emphasize that the language of the Space Act is clearly designed to apply federal regulations, “if any,” after safety standards have been proposed and adopted by the space mining industry in consultation with Congress and the Secretary of Transportation.
This means that all space mining activities up to 2022 are free from any regulatory measures. Perhaps more important is the fact that the Space Act is retroactive in terms of everythingregarding space mining activities occurring prior to 2022, with all past activities also exempt from federal regulation and any government oversight.
Contrary to widespread public perception that space mining is something that will occur a decade or so in the future, there is disturbing whistleblower testimony suggesting that there already exists a very profitable and flourishing space industry. It’s existence has been among the most highly classified secrets kept by the U.S military intelligence community.
Corey Goode has caused quite a stir in the alternative media and exopolitics communities with his claims regarding secret space programs abusing workers and being involved in a galactic slave trade. His claims have been examined in a series of articles (see here and here) where significant circumstantial evidence has been cited in support of them.
According to Goode, space mining involving U.S. corporations has been secretly run since the late 1950’s with the ongoing criminal abuse of workers who have been deceived, exploited and/or physically abused. In short, reported slave labor conditions exist in space mining operations going back to the 1950s.
Perhaps even more disturbing is Goode’s claims that these space mining operations were done in collaboration with a breakaway German group associated with the advanced aerospace programs of Nazi Germany. As is well established historical fact, the Nazis pioneered the use of slave labor in advanced technology programs.
In his latest interview on Cosmic Disclosure, released today, Goode describes how space mining operations progressed beyond secret German bases on Mars, to the asteroid belt, the moons of Jupiter and elsewhere in the solar system.
The raw material gathered in these mining operations were taken back to Mars, and processed into finished products for a high tech manufacturing industry. In the decades since the first German colonies on Mars in the 1940s, Goode claims that U.S. corporations have become integrated into a joint venture with the breakaway German group that is called the Interplanetary Corporate Conglomerate.
The high tech products on Mars are now part of a flourishing trade, which according to a report by Goode, involves up to 900 different extraterrestrial civilizations. The bulk of these products derive from the use of slave labor in manufacturing centers on Mars, or remote mining locations in space.
If Goode’s incredible claims are true, then clearly government regulatory power should be significantly enhanced to prevent corporate crimes in space, especially when U.S. corporations are involved. The Space Act, however, does the precise opposite insofar as it explicitly gives corporations up to 2022 to develop a “safety framework” that includes the use of labor. Why?
While much of the Space Act deals with encouraging corporations to invest in space activities by cutting government regulatory power, there are sections of the bill that appear to go far beyond this.
An earlier article discussed Section 51302 of the Space Act that raised concern about the real intent of the Act. Most attention was given to the following:
(a)In general.—The President, acting through appropriate Federal agencies, shall …
(3) promote the right of United States commercial entities to explore outer space and utilize space resources, in accordance with the existing international obligations of the United States, free from harmful interference…
According to Timothy Nelson, an expert in Space Law, “free from harmful interference,”
… mirrors the United States’ own obligation, in the OST [Outer Space Treaty], to safeguard against activity by its own nationals that “would cause potentially harmful interference with activities of other States Parties in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies.”
Nelson’s suggests one meaning of the phrase is to ensure other corporate entities or individuals that interfere with space mining activities of a corporation, could be sued in a U.S. Federal Court.
In addition, the phrase “free from harmful interference” also suggests space mining operations would be free of the kind of scrutiny such an industry would normally receive from both domestic government and/or international regulators up until 2022.
The language of the Space Act goes well beyond what its proponents, such as Senator Rubio and others argue, in terms of cutting bureaucratic red tape. It is one thing for a space mining company not to have to comply with complex NASA regulations concerning space launches in order to be competitive with international rivals. It is an entirely different matter for a U.S. corporation not to comply with U.S. labor standards in conducting off-world operations.
While Space Act proponents might be forgiven for dismissing the idea that future U.S. space mining might exploit slave labor, the same cannot be said for a decades-long classified corporate program, which has been accused by Goode and others of doing precisely this…[button link=”http://exopolitics.org/obama-signs-law-protecting-corporate-crimes-in-space-until-2022/” color=”default”]Continue Reading →[/button]
Source: Exopolitics
Related: | http://www.theeventchronicle.com/uncategorized/obama-signs-law-protecting-corporate-crimes-in-space-until-2022/ |
In the more than 125 years since Congress created the first regulatory body,1 the number of regulatory agencies and the scope and reach of the regulations they issue has increased significantly. In 2014, there were more than seventy federal agencies, employing almost 300,000 people to write and implement regulation.2 Every year federal agencies issue tens of thousands of new regulations,3 which now occupy more than 175,000 pages of regulatory code.4 For over a century, concerns over the accountability of what some have called the “fourth branch of government” have led all three branches of government to take steps to exercise checks and balances on the development and enforcement of regulations.5 This Article examines efforts by the three branches of federal government to oversee regulatory policy and procedures. It begins with a review of efforts over the last century to establish appropriate checks and balances on regulations issued by the executive branch and then evaluates current regulatory reforms that would hold the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch more accountable for regulations and their outcomes.
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1. The Interstate Commerce Act established the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1887 to regulate railroad rates. Interstate Commerce Act, ch. 104, 24 Stat. 445 (1887).
2. Susan Dudley & Melinda Warren, Economic Forms of Regulation on the Rise: An Analysis of the U.S. Budget for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015, at 2, 7 (2014), available at http://regulatorystudies.columbian.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs1866/f/do.... Note that “[a]gencies that primarily perform taxation, entitlement, procurement, subsidy, and credit functions are excluded from this report,” so these figures exclude staff developing and administering regulations in the Internal Revenue Service, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, etc. Id. at 14.
3. Office of the Federal Register, Federal Register Pages Published 1936–2013 (2014).
4. Office of the Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations Page Breakdown: 1975 through 2013 (2014).
5. See Elena Kagan, Presidential Administration, 114 Harv. L. Rev. 2245, 2253–69 (2001) (outlining nonpresidential mechanisms of controlling agencies and presidential administration of agencies generally).
See also: | https://regulatorystudies.columbian.gwu.edu/improving-regulatory-accountability-lessons-past-and-prospects-future-published |
Entries include a description of responsibilities of the agency, contacts, and references to the legislation that established the agency. The most popular legal directory is the Martindale Hubbell Law Directory, which provides a listing of attorneys and law firms by state and other countries. The website allows for searches by lawyer, practice area, or geographic location. Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rule making, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law. As a body of law, administrative law deals with the decision making of the administrative units of government for example, tribunals, boards or commissions that are part of a national regulatory scheme in such areas as police law, international trade, manufacturing, the environment, taxation, broadcasting, immigration and transport. Administrative law expanded greatly during the twentieth century, as legislative bodies worldwide created more government agencies to regulate the social, economic and political spheres of human interaction. Administrative law in the People's Republic of China was virtually non existent before the economic reform era initiated by Deng Xiaoping. Since the 1980s, the People's Republic of China has constructed a new legal framework for administrative law, establishing control mechanisms for overseeing the bureaucracy and disciplinary committees for the Communist Party of China. However, many have argued that the usefulness of these laws is vastly inadequate in terms of controlling government actions, largely because of institutional and systemic obstacles like a weak judiciary, poorly trained judges and lawyers, and corruption.
Restatements are divided broadly into chapters and subdivided into titles and then into sections. Each section begins with a restatement of the law, followed by hypothetical illustrations. Restatements often influence court decisions but are not binding on the courts in and of themselves. ALI has completed Restatements in over fifteen subject areas. The following are selected examples of Restatements of the Law: Legal directories are locators for legal and government information. A variety of resources provide information about attorneys, law firms, legal experts, professors, government officers, corporate legal departments, legal aid organizations, and elected officials. For example, the Federal Regulatory Directory is a comprehensive guide to federal regulatory agencies. It includes citations to laws under which agencies derive their regulatory responsibilities. The United States Government Manual is a directory of federal agencies. Entries include a description of responsibilities of the agency, contacts, and references to the legislation that established the agency. The most popular legal directory is the Martindale Hubbell Law Directory, which provides a listing of attorneys and law firms by state and other countries.
Furthermore, it contains the regulations for mass processes and expands the legal protection against the authorities.
the killing of a human being by a sane person, with intent, malice aforethought prior intention to kill the particular victim or anyone who gets in the way and with no legal excuse or authority.
© 2011 http://googlesitemapfree.com/. Powered by ARGO content. | http://googlesitemapfree.com/credit-repair-business-plan-sample.html |
The farmers of Pahang state, one of Malaysia’s key agricultural regions, are marching to the beat of two different drummers when it comes to the environmental devastation caused by poorly regulated bauxite mining.
On the one hand, Pahang farmers have announced a two-week march that covers more than 155 miles as they take their demands for tighter mining regulations to Kuala Lumpur. These durian growers say that their crops have been ruined by the bauxite boom and Malaysia’s illegal mining operations, as well as have their land and health, all to meet Chinese demand for bauxite, a substance from which the majority of the world’s aluminum is produced. Some farmers want the three-month moratorium on bauxite mining that began in January, a ban designed to help clean up the environmental mess and establish better controls, to be made permanent.
For other farmers, the moratorium itself is a disaster. The small plots they sold to bauxite mining firms can no longer be used for production—or for agriculture. As Malaysia’s bauxite boom grew, miners tapped into farms in Bukit Goh in much the same way that fracking operations have dotted the landscape of other countries. Landowners realized there was easy money to be made by yielding the land to extraction. Many Malaysian landholders sold their rights to illegal miners seeking to circumvent environmental impact assessments that kick in when a land area exceeds 620 acres. Now they’re left in limbo with topsoil removed from their arable land, palm trees slashed, and toxins in the water supply and air.
Either way, Malaysian farmers want the government to intervene in what has quickly become an environmental tragedy, especially in the mining regions of Pahang and the state’s port city of Kuantan. They’re joined by many others—environmentalists, public health specialists, and even Crown Princess Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah—who care deeply about a sustainable future in Malaysia and are concerned about the decades it will take for the land to heal. The federal government needs to address violations today in order to take a hands-on approach to environmental recovery as soon as possible.
Excuses and Inaction Reveal Enforcement Weaknesses
There’s a lack of confidence in the government’s ability and political will to implement comprehensive bauxite mining reforms. There are even more questions about coordinating their enforcement within a multilayer regulatory structure. With about 200 illegal mines operating, there are only 18 employees in the Land and Mines Office to cover all of Pahang, and it’s not just the Kuantan port that needs a major cleanup. Four of the employees from the Land and Mines Office were arrested in January and charged under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for taking bribes from illegal miners.
Neither the environmental nor the political cleanups are really going well. The moratorium set a Feb. 15 deadline for removing stockpiled bauxite at the port that was causing the roads and sea to turn red. That deadline wasn’t met, and the estimates on how much has been shipped of the up to 10 million tons of bauxite stored at the port range from 20 to 50 percent. Some contractors say it will be another five months before the bauxite stores are removed, which spells trouble for the next phase of mining reforms.
Meanwhile, experts warn against drinking the tap water in Pahang because of heavy metal contamination, although the ban on beaches near Kuantan and seafood from its waters has since been lifted. As scientists struggle to gauge the extent of the long-term environmental damage and government officials attempt to calculate the economic impact within the lucrative mining sector, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry announced new legal protections. The provisions for federal permits that evaluate the legitimacy and capacity of mining companies will help to decrease the illegal operations and official corruption that led to Malaysia’s deepening ecological crisis.
Strengthening the Oversight and Regulatory Structure
Yet, in Malaysia, it is state officials within their own jurisdictions who are responsible for enforcing the laws that regulate mines. Any improvements in Pahang will require the cooperation of both state and federal officials in tackling the problem, with a unified approach to permits, inspections, and other mining oversight.
To that end, Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar is visiting Kuantan on Friday, March 4, to hear firsthand from state officials on the progress they’ve made during the moratorium. He will also gather information about exactly what is hampering the progress. He’s likely to be met by state officials demanding an extension of the ban. They include Member of Parliament Fuziah Salleh, who spearheads the Coalition for Action Against Bauxite Pollution, and environmental advocacy groups aligned with the coalition, such as the National Treasures Protection Society of Pahang.
But the chief executive in Pahang, Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob, has been slow to respond to their concerns, and he hasn’t inspired any additional confidence when he does respond. In late January, he excused his inaction as quiet observation, explaining that government agencies with authority over the problem, including the police, transportation, and mining officials, don’t include him, since “eventually we don’t have any power to enforce the law to overcome the illegal mining activities.”
Wan Junaidi is quick to acknowledge just how valuable minerals and mining are to Malaysia, with an estimated $55 billion in overall mineral reserves. What Malaysia must do now is empower and hold accountable the relevant agencies to enforce legislation, protect mineral assets within a sustainable mining framework, crack down on illegal miners, and prioritize the well-being of the country’s farms, towns, residents, and resources. With farmers marching in the streets, the government can no longer afford to condone the illegal and irresponsible bauxite mining industry.
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Craig Moran is a contributor to Fair Observer and an independent analyst. | http://worldpolicy.org/2016/03/03/solving-malaysias-bauxite-mining-woes/ |
How has the mandate of the UAE Space Agency adapted to the evolution of the space sector?
The entire UAE space program has established roots and can be credited to the late Sheikh Zayed's vision in the 1970s, when he started asking questions about space missions. At that time, there was no specific program, though there was an underlying interest in educating people. In 1997, Thuraya Telecommunications Company was set up, the first mobile satellite communications company that now owns and operates two geostationary satellites. Then, the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology was launched, which later merged with Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Mubadala established YahSat in 2007, and the government realized it needed an umbrella in 2014 to oversee all these players, creating the UAE Space Agency, and outlined its mission to Mars as part of its National Space Vision. For the government, the most important thing has been the journey, not the destination. We try to include a scientific purpose to the entire journey to understand what learning lessons can be transferred to Earth. We need to team up with the international space community to ask big questions not specific to countries, but to humanity.
What major learning points is the UAE Space Agency taking from the financial and legal framework being set up for the Mars mission?
We were mandated by the government to create a sustainable space program and needed to work by the book. We are working on a Space Law and will be one of the few countries with a comprehensive space regulatory framework. Our space program is for peaceful reasons and requires long-term planning, focusing on human capacity and the next space engineers. This is where we work with universities and research centers, and push for social media and awareness campaigns.
How does the UAE Space Agency seek to strike a balance between transferring technology skills and knowledge and maintaining control over its intellectual property?
We are hungry for knowledge, and cooperating with international space agencies provides a fantastic overlap. We have signed over 20 agreements and have established an international advisory committee. We meet twice a year, helping us engage with different stakeholders.
Where should further research efforts and investments be made and why?
The government has announced the Mars 2117 project, which aims to establish the first city on Mars. Our environment is not that different from Mars; we face the same challenges. For example, Mars today is a desert, with no atmosphere; however, we can see and tell from the structure of the planet that there was once water there. If the best scientists in the world are employed to solve issues on Mars, spin-off solutions will be applied on Earth. That is how most inventions in fact come to be used in our daily lives. This is why the UAE government is building a Mars scientific city in Dubai.
What is the best way forward to attract and promote young Emiratis to become space scientists and technology pioneers?
The UAE has announced a plan to establish a human space flight program to develop astronauts. These are all big projects that have spurred a great deal of interest from young people. Our regional neighbors are looking on with curiosity at our efforts. Most international space agencies come here because they appreciate what we are doing.
How can the UAE spacy industry develop a solid private ecosystem?
We are putting in place the right regulation to attract and protect investment in the UAE space program. The government is funding exploration missions, though we want to see the private sector play a greater role. I assisted in the launch of Al Yah 3 satellite, which will provide vital connectivity to over 600 million people in Brazil and South America. We are also looking at strategies to attract international investors. | https://www.thebusinessyear.com/interview/delving-beyond-earths-orbit |
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Applications for Exploration Contracts; Historic Advisory Opinion
on the Responsibilities and Obligations of Sponsoring States
among Substantive Issues in Crowded Agenda of
Seabed Authority 17th Session
Other topics include finalization of regulations for exploration of
cobalt-rich crusts in Area; and election of members of two bodies
KINGSTON, JAMAICA, 30 June 2011 - - Action on four pending applications for exploration contracts in the seabed Area, and a landmark advisory opinion on responsibilities and obligations of States sponsoring activities in that area are among substantive issues on the extensive agenda of the seventeenth session of the International Seabed Authority in Kingston, Jamaica, from 11 to 22 July 2011.
Eight such exploratory contracts have been issued by the Authority since its establishment in 1994 with the entry into force that year of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as refined by the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of the Convention’s Part XI (seabed provisions). The advisory opinion in response to a request by the Authority’s 36-member Council, was delivered by the Seabed Disputes Chamber of the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on 1 February 2011.
The Council will resume work on formulating rules, regulations and procedures for prospecting and exploration for cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts that occur on seamounts in the deep oceans. It is planned to align the instrument with the text of the Regulations on prospecting and exploration for polymetallic sulphides in the Area which the Authority adopted at its sixteenth session 2010.
Other matters on the agenda include: elections of members of the Legal and Technical Commission and the Finance Committee for the period 2012 to 2016; special funds maintained by the Authority; reports of the eight exploration contractors and the annual report of the Authority’s Secretary-General, Nii Allotey Odunton (Ghana).
The International Seabed Authority is an intergovernmental body which is mandated under the Convention to organize and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (the Area). These activities are carried out in accordance with the regime for seabed mining established in Part XI and other provisions of the Convention. Under specified provisions of the Convention, the Authority is also empowered to establish global rules, regulations and procedures for the protection and conservation of the marine biological diversity associated with activities in the Area.
Pending exploration applications
The four new applications to be considered by the session include two for exploration of reserved areas by private sector entities sponsored by developing States – Nauru and Tonga. The first such application to have been made, they represent, according to the Authority’s Secretary-General, “a new milestone in the life of the Authority and for the regime for deep seabed mining under the Convention and the 1994 Agreement”.
The Secretary-General also told a meeting of States Parties to the Convention in New York that the other two applications to be considered, sponsored by China and the Russian Federation, respectively, were “ground-breaking in nature”, as they represent the first applications for contracts for exploration for polymetallic sulphides for which regulations had been adopted at the sixteenth session (2010).
Council
Much of the work of the seventeenth session will be done in the Council and its organ the Legal and Technical Commission, composed of experts who serve in their personal capacity. It is the turn of Eastern European Group to nominate a candidate for the Council presidency. The African Group is expected to designate the member of the Council that will participate in the deliberations without the right to vote in 2011 in order for equitable geographical representation to be achieved in the Council.
On 14 July, the Council will resume work on the text of the draft regulations on prospecting and exploration for cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts in the Area (document ISBA/16/C/WP.2) with the view to finalizing it at this session. Further work is required on such issues as the appropriate size and configuration of areas for exploration by contractors.
Ferromanganese crusts contain iron and manganese and are specially enriched in cobalt, lead, tellurium and platinum. It is planned to align the instrument with the text of the Regulations on prospecting and exploration for polymetallic sulphides in the Area.
As at previous sessions, the Council will receive a report on the work of the Legal and Technical Commission, including its evaluation of four applications for approval of plans of work for exploration in the Area. The applicants are:
Seabed Disputes Chamber Advisory Opinion
The Council will review the Advisory Opinion rendered by the Seabed Disputes Chamber on three legal questions, it had submitted to it, relating to the “Responsibilities and Obligations of States Sponsoring Persons and Entities with respect to Activities in the Area”.
In its historic unanimous advisory opinion, the Chamber listed important direct obligations of sponsoring States, among which were assistance to the Authority in the exercise of control over activities in the Area; the obligation to apply a precautionary approach; as well as applying the best environmental practices. In addition, they have obligation to take measures to ensure the provision of guarantees in the event of an emergency order by the Authority for the protection of the marine environment. The Chamber also stated that sponsoring States have an obligation to ensure the availability of recourse for compensation in respect of damage caused by pollution, as well as an obligation to conduct environmental impact assessments.
The case was brought before the Chamber by the Council in May 2010 (document ISBA/16/C/13) under article 191 of the Convention in response to a request by the delegation of Nauru. Nauru and Tonga are sponsoring a commercial entity -- Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. and Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd., respectively, for activities in reserved areas. Fifteen States Parties, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations made written or oral statements to the Chamber at its public hearings.
The Chamber, a separate judicial body within the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, was established in accordance with Part XI, section 5 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and article 14 of the Statute. The Chamber has jurisdiction in disputes concerning activities in the Area.
A seminar was organized by the International Seabed Authority at United Nations headquarters in New York on 7 April 2011 to facilitate a better understanding of the Chamber’s Advisory Opinion for Authority’s members.
Elections
The election of members of the Legal and Technical Commission is deemed very important as the Commission is moving into a more substantive and technical phase of its work. Members of the Commission must possess qualifications relevant to the exploration, exploitation and processing of mineral resources, oceanography, economic and/or legal matters relating to ocean mining and related fields. For the election, the size of the Commission may be increased up to 25 members without prejudice to future elections.
In another election, 15 members of the Finance Committee will be chosen by the Assembly. Due account will be taken for the need for equitable geographic distribution and the representation of special interests. The membership of the Committee will also include representatives of the five largest financial contributors to the Authority’s administrative budget.
Legal and Technical Commission
The Legal and Technical Commission, at its meetings prior to the Authority’s main session, from 4 to 8 July, will review the annual reports of the eight exploration contractors submitted in accordance with the regulations for prospecting and exploration for polymetallic nodules in the Area. It will have before it a detailed analysis by the secretariat of the exploration and environmental work actually carried out by each contractor. There had been concerns about the slow pace of exploration work and apparent lack of raw data provided by contractors despite numerous requests for such information from both the Commission and the Authority’s Secretary-General.
As part of its work to ensure the protection of the marine environment from harmful effects arising from activities in the Area, the Commission will examine recommendations from a workshop organized by the Authority for an environmental management plan at the regional scale for the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Other proposals include the management of chemosynthetic environments in the global ocean.
Finances
An administrative budget of $13,014,700 for the financial period 2011-2012 was approved by the Assembly at the sixteenth session. This represented a 3.9 per cent increase over the budget for the previous financial period.
As at 31 May 2011, 58.6 per cent of the value of contributions to the 2011 budget due from member States of the Authority and the European Union had been received. Outstanding contributions for prior periods (1998-2010) totalled $249,628. As at the same date, 43 members of the Authority were in arrears for two years or more. Also by the same date, the balance of the Authority’s Capital Working Fund stood at $459,868 against an approved ceiling of $560,000.
The Voluntary Trust Fund established in 2002 to enhance the participation of members of the Finance Committee and the Legal and Technical Commission from developing countries is in crisis. No contributions have been made to the Fund since December 2009, according to a draft report of the Secretary-General. As at 30 April 2011, the balance of the Fund stood at $74,321, including accrued interest of $6,652. Since the average annual expenditure from the Fund is approximately $50,000, it is expected that the current resources in the Fund will be substantially depleted following the seventeenth session. The report indicates that unless further voluntary contributions are made, there might not be funding to support participation in the eighteenth session in 2012 for delegates from poor countries.
The Endowment Fund for Marine Scientific Research in the Area has $88,025 available for disbursement in 2011. Established by Assembly resolution ISBA/12/A/11 of 16 August 2006, the Fund promotes and encourages the conduct of marine scientific research in the Area for the benefit of mankind as a whole. It particularly supports the participation of qualified scientists and technical personnel from developing countries in marine scientific research programme, including through training, technical assistance and scientific cooperation programmes.
A total of $275,614 has been disbursed by the Fund through seven separate awards for activities that promote capacity building. Thirty scientists from developing countries have benefited from the Fund. It is supporting three research fellowships at the National Oceanographic Institute of India. The Fund has also for the past two years been supporting the Rhodes Academy for Oceans Law and Policy.
Applications for assistance from the Fund may be made by any developing country or by any other country if the purpose of the grant is to benefit scientists from developing countries. The applications are evaluated by a panel established in March 2008 and composed of permanent representatives to the Authority, representatives of educational institutions or international organizations and individuals closely associated with the work of the Authority. Members of the panel who serve for three years are appointed with due regard to equitable geographic representation. A new panel will be selected in 2011.
The Finance Committee will examine the status of these special funds, including the Authority’s Working Capital Fund. It will make a recommendation on the appointment of an independent auditor for 2011 and 2012. The Council will review the Committee’s recommendations before final action by the Assembly.
Assembly
It is the turn of the Asian Group to nominate a candidate for the presidency of the Assembly. After electing the President and Vice-Presidents, as well as adopting its agenda for the session, the Assembly will consider a request for observer status submitted by the Centre for Oceans Law and Policy at the University of Virginia, United States. Founded in 1976, the Centre supports research, education and discussion of policy and legal issues relating to the oceans.
Other matters to be considered by the Assembly are the annual report of the Secretary-General which reviews the Authority’s activities since the last session, and outlines its plans and projects under the current work programme (2011-2013).
The programme continues to focus primarily on the scientific, technical, legal, and policy work to enable the Authority carry out its functions under the Convention and the 1994 Agreement.
Proposed study on exploitation code
As part of the work programme, the secretariat plans to commission a preliminary study of some of the issues associated with developing an exploitation code, and will also hold a workshop or seminar to review and discuss the issues raised by such a study. It is proposed to carry out this activity during the second quarter of 2012.
The secretariat also intends to produce a user’s guide to the regulatory regime for deep seabed mining, accessible to general users, including prospective applicants for licences, representatives of member States, delegates to the Authority’s meetings and staff.
Members of the Authority
The list of members of the Authority is as follows: Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Serbia, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe. | https://www.isa.org.jm/news/applications-exploration-contracts-historic-advisory-opinion-crowded-agenda-isa-17th-session |
Last updated March 22, 2018 at 11:33 am
There are many space agencies around the world – a club Australia is about to join. But the big question is – what will its business model look like?
When people think of space agencies, most will think of the the big six – NASA, Russia’s Roscosmos, the European Space Agency ESA, China’s CNSA, the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO, and the Japanese space agency JAXA.
They all provide launch services, build satellites, and are involved in large-scale human spaceflight or robotic exploration missions on other planets, or both.
But there are more than 20 smaller space agencies conducting less ambitious, but no less important missions for their countries.
We won’t know the exact make-up and role of Australia’s space agency until the release of the review into the Australian space agency and its recommendations in March 2018. But we can say that, whatever the overall objectives, its main task will be to keep more of the money currently spent on space science in Australia – currently some $3 billion – and the people who work in the field, in Australia rather than flowing overseas.
To achieve that, here are some of the roles it’s likely we’ll see our new agency take.
Single point of contact
At the moment, when overseas agencies or researchers seek collaborations with Australian researchers or scientists, they have to wade through a quagmire of government departments. It could be the CSIRO, it might be Geoscience Australia, Defence, or a completely different department.
The space agency would be the one central body that can help organise and facilitate those contacts between organisations.
Manage negotiations
In New Zealand, the establishment of a national space agency allowed the negotiation between the Kiwi Government and United States to navigate the restrictions of ITAR – the International Traffic in Arms Regulations – which are prohibitive in allowing non-US companies to participate with the US aerospace industry.
The NZ space agency was the driving force to open all those US space opportunities to New Zealand companies. This included the ability for Rocket Labs to begin launches from New Zealand’s North Island.
An Australian space agency could play a similar role, becoming that negotiator on behalf of the commercial space industry.
By establishing legal agreements and relationships between countries, it has the potential to open up technological, collaborative partnerships, and the ability to attract more funding and venture capital from overseas interests.
Write the rules
A common complaint from people in the Australian space industry is the restrictive framework that exists in Australia.
According to Lisa Stojanovski, an Australian who has worked in the space industry for organisations including Rocket Labs in New Zealand, “the regulatory regime in Australia is just so far behind the eight-ball, by having this space agency announcement, we’re going to make it easier for more businesses to spring up, and for innovation to flourish in the space industry in Australia”.
The space agency would be tasked with rewriting the regulatory framework for space in Australia, stripping away roadblocks and restrictions that currently put Australia at a disadvantage. A more amenable framework, with all the necessary protections and regulations, could play a major role in stimulating the space industry locally, and its activities in space.
Set the agenda
A space agency will also be a single body which can coordinate activities in Australia, and develop a national strategy and priorities.
Establishing a focus and direction, and knowing that there is demand and support for those activities, will assist start-up companies get off the ground and flourish. It would also foster collaboration within the country towards shared goals.
According to Duncan Blake, a PhD candidate in law and military uses of outer space at the University of Adelaide, the agency needs to build “…a strategy that identifies some enduring, national ‘beacon’ projects to muster the immense energy in the Australian space industry right now and which will herald our place in space”.
Stojanovski agrees. “Rather than everyone trying to do their own separate little bit, if we are all working on these shared goals together and have these shared values we’ll have better research outputs, and we’re going to be tackling the issues that really are important to Australia,” she says.
Part of that agenda could be coordinating the building of satellites specific to our requirements, either locally or internationally.
Currently, a lot of satellite-based data being used in Australia is either provided to us by request, or sourced by buying time/bandwidth on similar equipment already in orbit.
Australian needs in the telecommunications and defence areas are large and growing. Building our own equipment is not just about keeping up with other countries or proving we can, but having access when we need, to do what we want, and being able to do it securely when it comes to sensitive surveillance or communications work.
Market Australia overseas
In order to sell Australia overseas, and market opportunities for collaboration with Australian organisations, a vital role of the space agency will be to represent Australia on the world stage.
Just as groups such as Tourism Australia markets Australia as a destination to visit, an Australian space agency will need to become a body marketing Australia as a destination to do space projects.
This single, unified voice spruiking the advantages of Australia as a whole, and promoting particular advantages, will again help build those links between Australia and overseas organisations, private companies, governments, and researchers.
At the recent International Astronautical Congress, many national agencies were advertising their country – acting as the single point of contact to establish partnerships to benefit their own space industries.
Support for STEM training
As a domestic space industry grows, it will require more people equipped with the right skills. For that, the Australian space agency will need to ensure there is appropriately skilled graduates being produced who can drive the industry upwards.
This begins in schools, with outreach activities getting students excited about STEM, and how different pathways can lead to a job in the space industry.
It also involves recruitment drives and information at universities, showing options for undergraduates how to work in space after graduating.
Finally, it will ensure that the students are supported in their quest to work in the space industry, and assisting students traditionally underrepresented in STEM in order to ensure that the Australia that works in the space industry, is the same as the Australia that can be most benefitted by the space industry.
Negotiate for overseas launches
Today, if you want to launch a satellite to track Australia’s weather patterns, who would you ask?
In the past, Australian satellites have been launched by NASA (Aussat 1 and 2) or, in the case of the NBN SkyMuster satellites, by the ESA from French Guiana.
Alternatively, Australia has requested data from other countries with similar equipment in orbit, or bought time on those satellites.
A local agency would streamline that entire process, and make it far easier and cheaper for Australian space science to actually reach space.
Establish and run a launch facility
Rather than relying on other countries to launch our satellites, it may seem a logical next step to begin launching them ourselves, or at least supply a local site from which to do it.
While Woomera is the site of Australia’s one and only local satellite launch, it’s unlikely that it will be the site of a future large launch facility.
Instead, that is would be more likely to be sited as far north in Australia as possible to take advantage of a position closer to the equator.
Thanks to the faster spin of the Earth near the equator, it requires less fuel to launch a satellite from the north of Australia than the south, allowing cheaper launches and larger payloads.
A launch facility will be a multi-billion dollar investment, however, so it might be a longer-term aim once the new space agency has established itself and built a business case for local launches.
Nevertheless, with the right site and business case, a launch facility would not only be useful for local industry, but also be able to sell launch slots to overseas agencies without their own facilities.
Australia could one day market itself next to Florida, French Guiana, Japan, China and Kazakhstan as a go-to site for satellite launches.
What Australia’s agency won’t do
One of the biggest things Australia’s agency WON’T do, at least not immediately, is send humans into space. As a fledgling agency, other priorities must be tackled first.
That’s not to say that the “Aussienaut” astronaut programme dream an won’t ever come true, but it’s still some way in the distance. | https://australiascience.tv/what-an-australian-space-agency-must-do/ |
Updated legal frameworks enhance oversight of key sectors in Kenya
Alongside its high degree of political stability and favourable economic climate, Kenya’s modernised legal system is a factor in its ranking in the World Bank’s “Doing Business 2018” report, in which it placed third in sub-Saharan Africa – after Mauritius (25th) and Rwanda (41st) – and 80th globally.
The stability and usability of a legal regime plays an important role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). International investors need to be assured that any capital outlays they make will be protected within a stable legal regime that takes into account political threats such as expropriation. The long-term nature of most international investments also requires a high degree of legal stability. Furthermore, foreign investors often require assurance that should a dispute arise, it will be resolved fairly within a domestic legal system that fully incorporates the dynamics of international legal principles.
History
Like any other African society, before the onset of colonisation, the Kenyan legal system was based on African Traditional Community modalities of reconciliation, informal mediation and other ethnic-based alternative dispute resolution methods. In 1895 the British legal system was made a reserve of the colonisers, while the natives continued being governed by the African Customary Law. This was commonly described as a dual legal system.
Since Kenya’s independence, the legal framework has been unified and was significantly modelled on the UK’s structure. This assisted in the post-colonial development of the system, as its precedents had already been tried and tested in the UK and Wales.
In the lead-up to 2010 Kenya had experienced very few, if any, legislative changes. However, the ratification of a new constitution in 2010, which replaced its colonial counterpart, revised a number of laws to improve the domestic business environment.
Decentralisation
The issue of decentralisation is also of great importance to the legal system. The implementation of the constitution has led to the transfer of significant powers – including legislative functions – from the federal government to the counties. However, this focus on greater devolution of powers has been slightly weakened by policies that have struggled to harmonise national and county-level functions. Through the Intergovernmental Relations Act, the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee established a framework to facilitate consultation and cooperation between the national and county governments, as well as among county authorities themselves.
Big Four Agenda
The legal implications of the Big Four agenda will likely have significant influence in 2018. Unveiled by President Uhuru Kenyatta in late 2017, the Big Four agenda provides principles to guide the development of the country over the 2017-22 period, with the aim of transforming Kenya into an upper-middle-income country. As such, this plan aims to improve domestic living standards by addressing the basic needs of the population: affordable and decent housing, affordable health care, food and nutrition security, and employment creation through the manufacturing industry.
Internatonal Investment Climate
Since its independence, Kenya has attracted significant international trade, and FDI has risen steadily. KenInvest, established in 2004 through an act of Parliament is the government’s investment promotion agency tasked with the promotion and facilitation of investment. KenInvest does this by assisting investors in obtaining the licences necessary for their projects, providing after-care services for existing investments, organising investment promotion activities, policy advocacy, and other assistance and incentives as required for smoother operations.
In efforts to further support this globally oriented growth, Kenya has signed bilateral investment treaties (BITs) with many countries to facilitate FDI. The larger East African region, with Kenya acting as its economic centre, is also in the process of negotiating a BIT with the US. These agreements incentivise foreign investment in that they facilitate favourable conditions for investors as guaranteed under World Trade Organisation and international law, such as:
• Most-favoured nation obligations;
• National treatment principles;
• Compensation on expropriation; and
• Stabilisation conditions. Additionally, BITs have continued granting investors a favourable dispute-resolution avenue by mandating that the host state submit to international arbitration forums. This legal adaptability has built trust in the judicial system, which has resulted in increasing international investment.
Tax Law & Incentives
The structure of taxation – in terms of both income and value-added tax (VAT), as well as excise duties – is also a key factor in attracting FDI. Because of this, in recent years Kenya has signed double-taxation treaties with various countries, including Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Iran, Mauritius, Norway, Sweden, the UK, Zambia and South Africa. Most of these agreements offer preferential tax rates and allow individuals to set off withholding tax against their tax liability in the participating nations. The EAC as an economic bloc has also created double-taxation treaties with partner countries such as Kuwait, Iran, Mauritius and the UAE, which are pending ratification.
Beyond country- or bloc-specific agreements, special economic zones (SEZs) and export processing zones (EPZs) are also key attractors of international interest and investment. In order to support the development of EPZs and bolster industrialisation, the EPZ Act was passed in 1990 and revised in 2015. This law created the EPZ Authority, which aims to advance EPZs through its medium-term plans. This structure resulted from the 2012 constitutional change, which introduced the stipulation that government bodies help create an environment that spurs socio-economic development and supports decentralisation efforts. The Medium-Term Plan 2013-17, focused on improving and modernising infrastructure and the manufacturing industry, is premised on Kenya Vision 2030. The EPZ Authority has been placing an emphasis on transforming EPZs into SEZs, which offer tax incentives such as:
• A 10-year corporate tax holiday, followed by a reduced corporate tax rate of 25% rather than the typical 30%;
• Withholding tax holidays for 10 years;
• Duty and VAT exemption on inputs; and
• Exemptions from stamp duties.
Anti-Trust & Competition Laws
Fair market competition is also a key attractor of FDI. To ensure that the domestic regulatory framework keeps this spirit, the Competition Act of 2010, which prohibits anti-competition agreements, was amended in 2016 to increase sanctions on parties in breach of the law. The amendments also empowered the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) to prosecute anti-competitive behaviour; introduced a requirement that parties engaging in mergers and acquisitions provide the CAK with adequate and correct information for the authority to assess the transaction; and prohibited the abuse of power by buyer groups. It was not clear how the latter would be achieved by mid-2018, as the law mandates the CAK, in consultation with the Cabinet secretary, make regulations to provide guidance on how one would prevent the abuse of buyer power.
Part IV of the Competition Act further obliges bodies engaging in a merger or acquisition to:
• Provide the CAK with information when proposing a merger;
• Ensure that mergers and acquisition activities are carried out in a manner that has the least social impact; and
• Make sure that competing brands are not prejudiced by the transactions.
Franchises
This encouragement of a fair market extends to foreign businesses: international players benefit from regulations to prevent unfair competition from local brands, as well as a relatively simple process to establish a business in the country. This favourable framework has resulted in the successful establishment of increasing numbers of foreign companies in recent years. The food retail market, in particular, has seen the growth of franchises.
Although Kenya has no specific law on franchises, much like all other types of businesses, these fall under the purview of the Competition Act, the Consumer Protection Act, the Anti-Counterfeit Act and the Industrial Property Act. The Anti-Counterfeit Agency and the Kenya Industrial Property Institute have led the charge in protecting inventors’ rights, while the commercial division of the High Court has continued to consider and make judgements on claims relating to intellectual property disputes.
E-Government
In similar efforts to support businesses, the government modernised the Companies Act in 2015 and has since worked to further facilitate and automate the business registration process. The government’s web-based portal, eCitizen, was launched in June 2014 to carry out key business registration services, replacing the previous manual processes at the Registrar of Companies. To become an account holder on the platform, one must register with their ID data to access business registration services, which include:
• Search for and reservation of a business name;
• Registration of a limited liability partnership;
• Incorporation of a company;
• Filing of annual tax returns; and
• Registration of changes in directorship and shareholding of a business. This digitalisation initiative is a key part of the Business Registration and Service Act, which was introduced in 2015. The legislation also established the Business Registration Service, a body responsible for the implementation of policies, laws and other matters relating to the registration of companies, partnerships and firms. This automation of regulatory oversight has put greater pressure on foreign business owners to regularise their immigration status, as they require both an Alien Card and a Kenya Revenue Authority personal ID number in order to open and operate an eCitizen account.
The digitalisation of business registration comes on the back of similar initiatives for a variety of other government undertakings. Among the other services that have either already been successfully digitalised or are undergoing digitalisation are:
• Registration for civil documents, such as birth, death and marriage certificates;
• Management of parking fees;
• Immigration services;
• Motor vehicle transfers;
• Ministry of Land and Physical Planning’s procedures, such as applying for rent clearance certificates; and
• Services related to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). Most of these have been centralised on the eCitizen platform, making it a one-stop shop for government services. Efforts to digitalise these services are expected to help curb fraud and corruption while enhancing efficiency.
Banking
The domestic banking sector has undergone notable change in recent years. After a 16-month freeze on the licensing of new banks, the regulator, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) lifted this moratorium in March 2017 upon its issuance of licences to Dubai Islamic Bank and Mayfair Bank.
Furthermore, in September 2016 the government passed the Banking (Amendment) Act, which capped commercial lending rates at four percentage points above the CBK’s benchmark rate and established a minimum deposit interest rate of 70% of the benchmark. Though popular among borrowers, the cap prompted banks to slow their lending activities, as this resulted in a higher perceived risk of advancing credit. Consequently, private sector credit growth has been subdued since the cap was introduced.
Driven by the possible negative economic effects of interest rate caps, the National Treasury is working to replace the legal caps on commercial lending rates through the Consumer Protection Act No. 46 of 2012. This may see the restructuring of credit reference bureaux and the adoption of a mechanism facilitating lenders’ pricing of risks.
Though banks have shown reluctance to lend, in March 2018 the Monetary Policy Committee of the CBK revised the base lending rate downwards from 10% to 9.5%. The low lending rates have contributed to a decline in the number of mortgages, debentures and legal charges registered.
Islamic Banking
Kenya is positioning itself to become a regional centre for Islamic finance in East Africa. The government passed the Financial Act in 2017, effectively amending various financial laws, and other regulations have been enacted in recent years to facilitate a sharia-compliant retirement benefits scheme and to allow the issuance of sukuk (Islamic bonds) for infrastructure projects.
The government has established the Islamic Finance Project Management Office to coordinate efforts among its regulatory agencies on Islamic finance. Amendments to the Public Finance Management Act will further allow the government to issue sukuk as an alternative funding source. Sharia-compliant savings and credit cooperative (SACCO) societies have also been allowed through an amendment to the SACCO Societies Act.
Buoyed by the growth potential of Islamic finance, the CBK licensed Dubai Islamic Bank – the world’s first Islamic bank – to operate in Kenya. This should bolster the already robust market: Kenya had two fully fledged Islamic banks and several Islamic windows by that time. Growth has been further catalysed by changes to the tax regime, which have introduced exemptions from stamp duties for Islamic financing products. This is part of efforts to ensure they are tax neutral against interest-based transactions, as the asset-based nature of Islamic finance contracts means they often incur multiple tax charges.
Islamic bank deposits are also exempt from VAT, allowing returns on these to be eligible for deductions in a similar way to interest-based financial products. While the government is working on regulations to facilitate the issuance of sukuk, some regulatory gaps have been identified, such as the lack of both a deposit insurance scheme for Islamic banking and a sharia-compliant prudential framework.
International Financial Centre
With one of the best-performing financial and securities market in Africa, Nairobi – dubbed the Silicon Savannah – is working to attract FDI inflows to not only Kenya, but also the continent as a whole.
In 2017 the authorities passed the Nairobi International Financial Centre Act in a further step towards earning this moniker. The law defines a framework to support the development of a globally competitive financial services sector, and it established the Nairobi Financial Centre Authority, which is responsible for the creation and maintenance of an efficient operating structure to both attract and retain businesses. Furthermore, it will work with the relevant regulatory authorities to incentivise the entrance of international firms, as well as review and recommend changes to the legal and regulatory system to establish Kenya as an internationally competitive financial centre.
Energy
Kenya is in a development phase with regards to its domestic energy requirements. In the past the country has struggled with unreliable, expensive and unsustainable energy use, which had resulted in a stagnating industrial and manufacturing base. However, recent years have seen Kenya embark on a host of ambitious new projects, such as geothermal and wind power generation, which are expected to strengthen the sector through a more diversified energy mix.
The regulatory framework for energy is due for an overhaul in light of capacity constraints and a push towards sustainability. This will be triggered by the passage into law of the Energy Bill, scheduled for 2018, which prioritises renewable energy development by creating a number of regulatory agencies, including the:
• Nuclear Electricity Institute;
• Nuclear Electricity Tribunal;
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority;
• Energy Regulatory Authority; and
• Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation. The Energy Bill also seeks to license private power suppliers and end the long-established monopoly in the energy sector.
Oil & Gas Reforms
Since the discovery of commercially viable oil resources in 2012, Kenya has moved closer to selling its oil on the international market, with full-field oil production anticipated to begin in 2021 and an early oil pilot initiative being launched in 2018. The Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act (PEPA), which was introduced in 1984 and updated in 2012, currently regulates the government’s negotiation and conclusion of petroleum agreements relating to the exploration, development, production and transport of petroleum, as well as for related endeavours.
Despite the changes made to the PEPA over the decades since it came into effect in November 1986, it is widely considered to be outdated. The Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill, which is pending approval by Parliament, proposes a framework to update the regulatory framework, including matters related to:
• Contracting, exploration, development and production of petroleum;
• Cessation of upstream petroleum operations; and
• Effectiveness of relevant articles of the constitution insofar as they apply to upstream petroleum operations. Once enacted, the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill will repeal the PEPA.
Various other measures to improve the regulation of extractive industries have been proposed in recent years, with some still awaiting parliamentary approval. First, the Natural Resources (Classes of Transactions Subject to Ratification) Act was introduced in 2016, defining which transactions are subject to ratification by Parliament to include agreements relating to the authorisation to extract crude oil, natural gas, or minerals within a wildlife conservation area or other wildlife protected area. Through this measure, the authorities have begun to define the regulatory framework governing oil, gas and other extractive industries.
In further efforts to develop this legislation, the Local Content Bill was introduced in 2016 to facilitate the local ownership, control and financing of activities related to the exploration of gas, oil and other mineral resources. This bill also aims to increase the local value addition and capture earnings along the value chain in these extractive industries.
Meanwhile, as the name suggests, the National Resources (Benefits Sharing) Bill seeks to establish a system to disperse revenue between the national government, county governments and local communities in areas of resource exploitation. The bill, once enacted, would apply to the exploitation of various natural resources, including petroleum and other hydrocarbons. It would also establish the Benefits Sharing Authority, which would be responsible for coordinating the preparation of benefits-sharing agreement between local communities and affected organisations.
Mining
The Mining Act of 2016 ushered in a new era for the domestic mining industry. Together with the May 2017 Mining Regulations and Guidelines, this law established a modernised legal structure consistent with the contemporary needs of players in the sector. It also simplified the acquisition of mining rights, with prospecting and mining rights now coming in the form of either a permit (for small-scale operations and artisanal miners) or a licence (for their large-scale counterparts). The assignment, transfer, trading and mortgage in mineral rights is allowed with the consent of the minister.
Importantly, the structure of the Mining Act follows the provisions of the 2010 constitution, which stipulates that the public sector play a larger role in the exploitation, management and preservation of the environment and natural resources for current and future generations. In particular, the legalisation of artisanal miners utilising traditional methods and technology in extracting minerals should help work towards this goal, though some industry players have criticised it as a potential avenue for money laundering and cartels. The aforementioned modernisation of government services has also seen the mining cadastre digitalised, with licences available through an online application.
The legislation has made community development agreements a pre-requisite for all holders of large-scale mining licences, and it provides for the sharing of royalties between and among the national government, county government and local communities. In more concrete terms, the Mining Act sets a limit on capital outlays by mining companies, with a requirement that businesses with planned expenditure exceeding the defined cap must offload at least 20% of the company’s equity at the local stock exchange. Additionally, any enterprise granted a mining licence is obliged to issue 10% free carried interest to the government in all of the mining operations it undertakes.
Real Estate & Infrastructure
Alongside the government’s moves to strengthen the regulatory bodies tasked with overseeing the extractive industries, Kenya has also made significant strides in establishing well-defined property rights in acknowledgement of the real estate sector’s rising economic importance. Indeed, with the inflow of international companies and personnel, the sector is expected to continue growing on the back of lower financing costs and the entry of institutional developers to the local market. Especially at the county level, infrastructure works, including roads, the Standard-Gauge Railway project and power distribution, has led to the opening up of areas for potential development. Kenya’s attractiveness as a real estate destination has been buoyed by the ongoing construction of “The Pinnacle” – poised to be the tallest building in Africa – in Nairobi.
The Ministry of Land and Physical Planning proposed updated regulations, which are awaiting parliamentary approval in 2018. The Land Registration (General) Regulations 2017, Land Registration ( Registration Units) Order 2017, Land Regulations 2017 and Land (Extension and Renewal of Lease) Rules 2017 outline the following:
• Forms to be used in connection with land transactions;
• Guidelines on electronic registration and conveyancing;
• Time limits for services at land registries;
• Procedures for dispute resolution by land registers; and
• Organisation and administration of land registries. These regulations will work together to harmonise the current, at times convoluted, land procedures.
These updates are part of efforts to address market changes in recent years. In 2015 real estate investment trusts (REITs) were introduced, ushering in a new investment frontier. REITs – regulated investment vehicles that enable collective investment in real estate – allow investors to pool their funds to buy into a trust that is divided into units, and they are regulated by the Capital Markets Authority under the Capital Markets (REITs) (Collective Investment Schemes) Regulations of 2013. While the lack of clarity on returns on assets resulted in subdued performance of REITs in 2017, they are expected to grow in popularity as investors become increasingly aware of the long-term investment potential of these trusts.
Non-citizens are permitted to own land in any part of the country, but the constitution, the Lands Act and the Land Registration Act impose limitations on the terms of this land ownership. International stakeholders are only permitted to own land on leasehold tenure, and any such lease may not exceed 99 years. Additionally, foreigners are prohibited from owning land within first- and second-row beach plots in the coastal region without the approval of the Cabinet secretary of the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning. Furthermore, non-nationals are not allowed to acquire agricultural land subject to the Land Control Act.
Affordable Housing
The government is working to attract private sector investment in affordable housing, as this is one of the pillars of the Big Four agenda. The incentives for this include a reduction in the corporate tax rate and the scrapping of levies charged by the National Construction Authority and the National Environment Management Authority. The government has also partnered with private firms to construct 1m low-cost housing units by 2023. Parliament has approved a number of policies to facilitate these efforts, such as the:
• National Urban Development Policy;
• National Building Maintenance Policy; and
• National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Policy. In addition, the government has made proposals to establish the Kenya Mortgage Refinancing Company, which would issue bonds to local capital markets and extend longer-term loans to financial institutions to secure access to mortgages.
PPP: In the World Bank Group’s “Benchmarking Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) Procurement 2017” report, Kenya was among the top-10 sub-Saharan African countries reviewed in terms of employing an effective PPP framework. The Treasury, through the government’s PPP Unit, is responsible for the overall coordination, promotion, and oversight of PPP programme implementation in the country. The typical contractual structure of these agreements involves government agencies, a special-purpose vehicle, private contractors, lenders and equity providers.
In 2011 the government implemented the PPP Policy, which laid the groundwork for the PPP Act of 2013. The latter performed the following functions:
• Defined recognised types of PPPs and their scope;
• Outlined a process to identify, prioritise, conceptualise, develop, award, approve, execute and monitor these projects;
• Established various institutions and regulatory bodies in charge of overseeing these initiatives;
• Provided financial security instruments to support PPPs; and
• Created a project facilitation fund to help bridge any gaps in PPP funding and meet any other contingent liabilities from these initiatives. This was followed by the PPP Regulations of 2014, which provided further details on the procedures of the PPP pipeline, as well as the roles and responsibilities of PPP stakeholders. Subsequently, in 2017 the PPPs (Project Facilitation Fund) Regulations were enacted, establishing a fund to support PPP project implementation in the form of grants, loans, equity, guarantees and other financial instruments.
According to the PPP Unit, in June 2018 there were 72 projects at various stages of development in the PPP pipeline, 67 of which were approved under the solicited process and five as privately initiated proposals. Of the PPPs contracted by the state, 61 were under the national government, with the county-level authorities responsible for the remaining six. Spanning diverse sectors, these projects are key for the development of large-scale initiatives.
Tourism
Kenya’s tourism is considered synonymous with the word “safari”: a spirit of adventure. With its wildlife, landscapes – such as the Great Rift Valley – and beaches, Kenya consistently attracts large numbers of tourists. The Tourism Act of 2011, which established the Tourism Regulatory Authority to oversee related projects, has further boosted these figures, in part by supporting cruise ship tourism. A modern cruise ship terminal is under construction at Kilindini harbour. The terminal will allow the simultaneous berthing of several cruise liners. This is in line with the government’s strategy to develop cruise tourism along the Indian Ocean circuit, which is set to benefit the East African region at large. Further, the Tourism Finance Corporation has funded various projects, including hotels, that cater to the needs of visitors.
In further efforts to bolster and restructure the sector, the government created the National Tourism Blueprint 2030, with the key pillars of product development, marketing, investment and infrastructure development. The government has also established of the National Tourism Council and the Inter-Agency Tourism Council to strengthen relations between the public and private sectors.
Labour
In a move that should support both tourism and migration, President Kenyatta abolished the pre-visa requirement for Africans entering Kenya when he took his oath of office in November 2017. This change has meant that citizens of any country in Africa is now issued a visa at their port of entry, in line with the Free Movement of Persons and the African Passport Policy adopted by the African Union (AU) in July 2016. Under this policy, African nations are set to adopt a common continental passport and work closely with the AU Commission to facilitate its issuance. This is to be in alignment with international, continental and national policies, as well as continental design and specifications. However, these passports have yet to be issued to citizens.
Foreigners who want to work or invest in Kenya require a work permit or special pass from the Ministry of Immigration, as it is illegal for any non-citizen to work in the country without a valid work permit. In April 2018 the government reiterated its intention to deport anyone without a valid residence permit, including immigrants holding jobs that do not require special skills, which are readily available in Kenya, as required under the Immigration Act.
Meanwhile, international businesses benefit from a friendly regulatory environment. Foreign companies may register a branch in Kenya, with no restrictions on non-citizen shareholders and directors. However, shareholders may not be 100% foreigners in the banking, mining, insurance and telecoms sectors.
Manufacturing
The government has identified manufacturing as a top investment priority to drive economic growth, with Kenya ranking among the leading FDI destinations in Africa. In 2017 French automaker Peugeot began local assembly works at Thika-based Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers. This is in addition to the earlier entry of German automaker Volkswagen, which announced plans to double its output at its Kenyan assembly plant in January 2018. International participation has been boosted by the reduction in the corporate tax rate for motor vehicle assemblers from 30% to 15% for the first five years of operations.
Central to the Big Four agenda to expand employment opportunities, the establishment of SEZs is a key area set to bolster domestic manufacturing. SEZs are to be established under the SEZs Act of 2015, with goods manufactured at these zones exempt from most taxes and subject to preferential rates on any applicable duties.
Agriculture & The Blue Economy
While agriculture dominates the economy, food security has been a growing concern, which is why it was highlighted in the Big Four agenda. To further boost the sector, Kenya created the State Department for Maritime and Shipping Affairs to support efforts to capitalise on the “blue economy”, which includes marine markets, fisheries and fish processing.
The government has named this segment as Kenya’s next economic frontier, establishing incentives to boost maritime activity, such as allowing investors to deduct 150% of the value of capital expenditure in the sector from their taxes. The authorities are also reviewing the National Oceans and Fisheries Policy and the National Aquaculture Policy to support the country’s broader economic goals.
ICT
Nairobi is the centre of technological innovation in both Kenya and the wider region. The local start-up incubation scene is booming, as evidenced by increasing numbers of accelerator programmes and incubation centres focused on technology, mobile and impact innovation.
The widespread uptake of mobile money services and their related transactions continue to see accelerated growth in the country, supported by recent moves to support interoperability between mobile money operators (see ICT chapter). These efforts are set to allow for seamless money transfers across mobile platforms, underpinned by the National Payment System Regulations and e-Money Regulations.
In April 2018, for instance, PayPal announced it had formed a partnership with M-Pesa, the mobile wallet service operated by Safaricom, a government-owned telecoms provider. This agreement allows Kenyan users to fund PayPal transactions and withdraw money from their PayPal accounts directly through M-Pesa. This is a welcome move by users, as international payment was not previously widely supported, with Equity Bank the only institution approved by PayPal. Equity Bank requires a seven-day waiting period for international transactions, which could pose challenges for subscribers.
In further efforts to exploit digital currency, the government is looking to employ blockchain technology, cryptocurrency and initial coin offerings to raise funds. In spite of the CBK’s public denunciation of the domestic use of cryptocurrency in the first quarter of 2018, the Ministry of ICT has established a task force to explore the potential regulation of digital money as a currency or property, while the Financial Services Authority has hinted that it is likely to regulate cryptocurrency, even listing it in the financial market when regulations come into place. This is currently under investigation.
The Computer and Cybercrime Bill, awaiting parliamentary approval as of September 2018, aims to monitor, control and eliminate cybercrime, which has naturally risen in conjunction with increasing OBG would like to thank Oseko & Ouma for its contribution to THE REPORT Kenya 2018 internet penetration. If enacted, the Computer and Cybercrime Bill would protect Kenyans from online and offline fraud – including in mobile money transactions and banking services – as well as safeguard client information held by financial institutions from being used for illegal services. Kenya has also started aligning its international companies to ensure worldwide legal compliance, with the General Data Protection Regulations in the EU implemented in 2018.
Health Care
Health care is a constitutionally guaranteed right, central to the well-being of the nation. For this reason, the 2018-22 Big Four agenda emphasises the importance of health care. The NHIF, established under the NHIF Act of 1998, is a priority of the FY 2018/19 federal budget, with expenditure expected to receive a notable boost, from KSh61bn ($598m) in 2017 to KSh71bn ($696m) by 2022.
A number of modernisation efforts are being undertaken in the sector. The decentralisation of NHIF administration to Huduma – or “service” – Centres along with other public services should boost efficiencies. In terms of frontline services, the Linda Mama, or “protect the mother”, initiative promoted by Margaret Kenyatta, the first lady, aims to offer free maternity services first in government hospitals and later in private facilities.
Subject to the operationalisation of the Health Act 2016, which was signed into law in June 2016, the Kenya Human Resources for Health Advisory Council is set to become the independent central body managing health workers, taking this task over from the public authorities. This body, expected to not only guide the formulation of the national health policy, but also harmonise county- and national-level health care guidelines, will play the largest role in the health component of the Big Four agenda.
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