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Courses Outlines:
Programming in Scratch language-
The program and its basic components-
Incorporate programming education into your school subjects-
Building educational games-
Digital Tools for English Classroom
Target Audience: English teachers
Courses Outlines:
Voting tools-
Tools that facilitates discussion and collaboration-
Tools to prepare you own worksheets-
Tools to create interactive games and competitions-
Tools to create your personalized posters-
Remote calendar and differential education
Target Audience: All teachers and content designers
Courses Outlines:
Defining the nature of distance assessment and differential education-
Presentation of the most prominent methods adopted in the process of alternative evaluation and distance differentiation education-
Preparing models for the methods used in differentiating content, teaching methods and assessment-
Practical application of the methods mentioned in the different topics-
Prepare Interactive Electronic Content
Target Audience: All teachers and content designers
Courses Outlines:
Preparing an interactive video from A to Z-
Prepare interactive books and worksheets-
Prepare images, trees and interactive mind maps-
Practical application of previous skills to various educational materials-
News
Certificates for trainer Randa Mikati, co-founder of MaharaTech
October 11, 2021We keep on learning to offer you the best. We are always looking for the latest in educational technology.
Interactive Electronic Content Course
August 20, 2021Participants amazed me with their creative interactive electronic content that they did during the blended workshop (it was given partially online and partially face to face).
Training of Teachers of Al-Qarqaf Public School, Akkar
September 29, 2020Today was the conclusion of the basics of distance education course at Al-Qarqif Official Mixed School, run by Dr. Layal Rifai, and organized by the Digital Technology Center and Afaqna Association. It was a distinguished course with interested and ambitious professors. The trainer was run by Ms. Randa Mikati, co founder of MaharaTech.
Training at Berqail Highshcool for Girls
September 22, 2020Berqail Public High School for Girls, in cooperation with the Digital Institute of Technology, organized a workshop on educational technology tools, most notably MS Teams for teachers on the secondary campus with the specialist in the field of educational technology, Ms. Randa Mikati co-founder of MaharaTech.
“PowerPoint for Interactive teaching” workshop at Islah Islamic School
September 10, 2019“PowerPoint for Interactive Teaching” workshop for teachers at Islah Islamic High School on Tuesday 10 September 2019. During the training teachers made some exercices for subjects they are currently teaching. Workshop was facilitated by Ms. Randa Mikati, co founder of MaharaTech.
Blog
Educational technology and its impact on the development of the educational process
Video: Ajwad Pavilion - during the book fair in Tripoli, April 2019
Is Distance Education Effective?
An article written by Randa Mikati at the beginning of the stone in Lebanon about the components and advantages of distance education
Distance Education: Challenges and Suggestions
Video: An online meeting organized by the Women's Sector in the Azm Movement in cooperation with MaharaTech
Corona… and Distance Education
Article: Posted on Lebanon 24 in April 2020 at the beginning of the quarantine
E-learning .. Challenges of Evaluation
Video: Online meeting with LaSer . Foundation
Is Distance Education Effective?
Article: Is distance education effective? What are the conditions for its effectiveness?
Online Teaching Tips and Tricks
Video: An online meeting organized by the women's sector in the Azm stream
How did Distance Education Affect Face to Face Education?
Video: How has distance education enriched in-person education? | https://maharatech.com/en/ |
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Experimenting with Inductors
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three-phase
Experimenting with Inductors
2 Posts authored by:
three-phase
Experimenting with Inductors: Blog 2 Inductor based delay line test results
Posted by
three-phase
Feb 14, 2020
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Introduction Individual inductor tests Multi-inductor circuit tests Double Transit Pulse Shapes Conclusions Introduction This blog details the results of the tests carried out with some of the radial inductors supplied as part of the Experimenting with Inductors Challenge to build a delay line for use with the rotor reflectometer. For the initial tests, I measured the inductance and DC resistance of the radial inductors utilising the Tenma 72-8155 LCR ...
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Experimenting with Inductors: Blog 1 - Inductor based delay line concept
Posted by
three-phase
Feb 1, 2020
2
Introduction Test Proposal in Brief Generator Rotor Winding Rotor Reflectometer Principle Delay Line Principle Radial inductor kit Measurement of 6.8mF Inductor Fault Location Measurements Conclusions IntroductionThis is my introduction for my entry in the Experimenting with Inductors challenge. Naturally, coming from me, it is going to be based around some aspect of testing electrical apparatus. On this occasion, my chosen subject is the test box utilised for ...
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experimenting with inductors
experimenting with inductors. | https://www.element14.com/community/community/design-challenges/experimenting-with-inductors/blog/authors/three-phase |
United Nations
Second Committee Opens Seventy-Sixth Session, Approving Organization of Work
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the United Nations General Assembly held its first meeting of the seventy‑sixth session today, introducing the Bureau and approving its organization of work.
Noting that about 100 delegations have subscribed to the Committee’s general debate, which runs from 5 to 8 October, Ms. Frazier urged all speakers to deliver statements in person, rather than through less effective pre-recorded videos.
During its session, she said the Committee will be holding a joint meeting with the Economic and Social Council on 20 October, with a focus on productive capabilities. Another joint gathering will be held on 18 October with the regional economic commissions to address inequality and resilience in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. A side event is scheduled for 19 October to outline the importance of action in combating various effects of climate change.
On resolutions, she reminded delegations of the General Assembly’s decision that they should be more concise and action‑oriented than in previous years, with preambular paragraphs kept to a minimum. Adding that action on resolutions is scheduled to take place during the second half of November, she urged delegations to complete their drafts in a timely manner.
The representative of the Russian Federation pointed to the Committee’s record in achieving consensus on drafts, acting as an example for other Assembly bodies. Lamenting that consensus was now being undermined at a time when the Committee’s role is vital in addressing COVID‑19, he underlined the need for unity as well as Bureau intervention to ensure its smooth and effective functioning.
Speaking for the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, Guinea’s delegate emphasized the utmost importance of delivering on the global development agenda and addressing all issues relevant to today’s world. This includes the ongoing impact of COVID‑19 and the need for strengthened internal cooperation in support of national recovery plans and strategies.
A lively discussion ensued on whether the Second Committee should include in its agenda budget issues the Committee for Programme and Coordination were unable to reach consensus on. Several delegations objected to the notion, citing time and workload restraints, while others were in favour, stressing the importance of discussing programme planning, especially when they led to fulfilling mandates.
Chair Frazier said the Bureau would take note of statements made concerning programme planning and budget issues, bearing in mind the Committee’s timeline and workload.
The Committee will meet again on Tuesday, 5 October, to begin its general debate and take up information and communications technologies (ICTs) for Sustainable Development as well as Globalization and Interdependence.
Daily Noon Briefing
The United Nations team and its partners in Haiti are responding to the needs of some 500,000 people affected by the August earthquake. Despite constraints, 13 emergency medical teams have been established, over 35 metric tons of supplies have been deployed and $330,000 in emergency cash has been transferred. | |
Description :
Duties and Responsibilities
The person in this key customer service position helps residents with their membership applications, provides and promotes information to residents concerning amenities, and acts as the point person for the front desk staff while on duty. Customer service staff must provide the highest levels of customer service and support to the residents and guests that come to the Community Center for programs and use of the facilities. In addition, staff will provide administrative support to program managers, and perform other duties as needed. The person in this role will direct Customer Service staff for all incoming traffic and telephone calls into the Anthem Community Council and provides administrative and clerical support to ACC staff that the Community Center and Civic Building, as needed.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
- Leads and mentors front desk team members
- Provides the highest level of customer service in person and on the phone (answering incoming calls) to our residents, guest and coworkers; interacts in a professional manner with employees, residents, their guest and the general public as a source of information
- Aids front office as needed while working with residents and non-residents, as well as handling challenging situations
- Facilitates the new membership applications process with Membership Service staff needs support
- Interacts with all types of individuals, is mentally alert, detail-oriented, and possesses solid reasoning skills.
- Handles all incoming calls on the multi-line phone system in a timely and courteous manner; direct calls to HOA, Council Staff, and other departments as appropriate
- Provides front-line support and responses to general questions, and responds to selected incoming emails
- Manages difficult visitors with a professional demeanor, and excellent listening skills while remaining calm, and offering solutions whenever possible.
- Performs basic reception duties while educating and enforcing policies and procedures; registers residents and takes payment for programs, services, or other items
- Monitors lobby area while maintaining a clean and organized work area
- Responds to emergency situations as directed by supervisor and performs other duties as required
- Articulates extensive knowledge of ACC, programs, services, policies, and procedures
- Ensures that established policies and procedures are enforced; keeps accurate records
- Provides oversight and support for the Front Desk staff during non-membership appointment hours.
- Keeps accurate incident reports and provides them immediately to the Manager on Duty
- Other Duties as assigned
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
- Education: High School Diploma or equivalent; Associates degree or some college preferred
- Applicants must be at least 18 years of age
- Required Skills: Excellent customer service and communication skills, prior supervisory experience, and previous customer service experience. Must be (or must be willing to be) CPR and First Aid certified; this front-line position serves in a Duty to act role
- Preferred Skills: Aptitude for detail, highly effective interpersonal and problem-solving skills; strong computer software skills (word, outlook, excel, publisher, civic rec, ring central, internet searching, etc.) Previous experience with either accounting, call center, or sales management software is preferred; ability to organize and manage multiple priorities; attention to detail; highly effective interpersonal skills, problem-solving abilities, and advanced communication skills a plus
WORK LOCATIONS
- Location: (Primary) Anthem Community Center, 41130 N Freedom Way; (secondary) Anthem Civic Building, 3701 W Anthem Way
- Hours: Evening shift – Days will vary
BENEFITS
ACC employees may use Anthem’s comprehensive Community Center, aquatics park with heated pool, and community parks as a health and wellness benefit. Staff may also sign up for a variety of fitness classes and activities at resident prices, and in some cases at no cost, with only a few exceptions. Eligible staff may also participate in our 401K plan. | https://onlineatanthem.com/freeform_jobposting_detail_T46_R221.php |
Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Adult Detention Center has launched a new Veterans program. The program is called HUMV (Housing Unit for Military Veterans). Any individual who is booked into our jail will get their veterans status verified through Veterans Affairs. If they are a veteran, they can opt to join our veterans unit. This unit will consists of veterans from different branches of the military. These inmates will have access to mentors, councilors and educational opportunities that help them once they are released. The mentorship program continues once veterans are released to ensure they get the services they need.
This program is modeled after the HUMV program created by the Middlesex County Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian. The Middlesex Sheriff ’s Office launched its program in January 2016 and it is open to both pretrial and sentenced inmates who have served at home or abroad. The program is situated in a unit reminiscent of a military barracks and features programming specific to the needs of military veterans. The results have been extremely positive, dramatically reducing recidivism rates of veterans. Since its inception, 165 individuals have gone through the unit. Amongst the 111 men who spent a minimum of 30 days in HUMV, the reconviction rate is in the single digits.
We are looking for Volunteers, Mentors and Program Managers that want to help our Military Veterans. With your help, we can uplift, inspire, enrich and improve the lives of the Military Veterans who are in a time of need.
Many of our HUMV Inmates have endured experiences that are still negatively affecting them today. These experiences are manifesting themselves as issues such as a lack of Healthcare, limited Job opportunities, Homelessness, Emotional disorders and other invisible wounds stemming from military service. The Pinal County Sheriff’s HUMV Program is looking for volunteers to help in providing programs, resources, and support to those men and women who sacrificed for us.
Volunteer dates and hours:
Currently, volunteers are needed Monday through Saturday. The program started August 3 and volunteers are needed to the end of September.
Volunteer hours are: | https://santantimes.com/pcsos-new-veterans-program/ |
Compassion’s work in Peru began in 1985. Today, more than 71,000 children participate in about 250 child development centers throughout the country.
Peru is a country of contrasts. Wedged between Ecuador, Brazil and Bolivia, it holds dense Amazon jungles, pristine coastal beaches and the highlands amidst the towering peaks of the Andes.
With its beauty comes the reality of living in poverty. The highest poverty rate in Peru is in the Highlands Region, with little access to basic facilities such as improved water sources, roads,schools and hospitals. Unemployment is a continuous issue, and many adults are forced to migrate to cities such as the capital city of Lima to seek better opportunities. As a result, the urban areas are often overcrowded and lacking enough services to meet the needs of its citizens. Gang violence in urban areas are also a primary concern.
Children in coastal regions frequently suffer from coughs, flu, parasites and intestinal illnesses. Contaminated drinking water is the cause of most of these gastrointestinal ailments.
Thanks to you, a church plant and Child Development Center will change daily living conditions for these impoverished people and will bless the children, their families and this community overall.
The poverty rate in Peru has dropped significantly over the last decade but remains high at almost 30 percent, rising to more than 55 percent in rural areas.
Over one-third of Peruvian children work, often in hazardous conditions.
From 1980 to 2000, almost 70,000 people were killed in the civil war between the state and guerrilla groups the Shining Path and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement.
Peru is the world’s biggest producer of the coca leaf—the raw ingredient in cocaine—and now rivals Colombia for cocaine production. | https://churchplanting.compassion.com/menlochurch/aboutperu/ |
So stated President Evo Morales of Bolivia, speaking at the 2009 World Social Forum in Belem, Brazil. He shared the stage with four other Latin American presidents: Luiz Inácio (Lula) da Silva of Brazil, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, and Fernando Lugo of Paraguay. Each leader spoke of the revolutionary integration of Latin America.
Latin American integration initiatives extend beyond economic, political, and military areas and include even health care. Sonia Fleury is a political scientist and president of the Brazilian Centre for the Study of Health, based in Rio de Janeiro. This centre helped create a free national health care system in Brazil and now plans to set up a revolutionary continent-wide free health care system for all of Latin America.
Fleury explained to me at the Belem World Social Forum: “Now we are in this movement of integration of Latin America with the slogan that Latin America must have the free right to health care for everybody, with the similar model or approach of the Brazilian health care system. We are proposing a conference, an international conference on national health care for everybody. It will be held in December here, with other countries of Latin America.
“We have a Latin American association that is very active in this sense. Here, we have a meeting during two days with people from very different social levels, intellectuals, social movements, everybody together discussing how to push in this direction.”
A highly significant integration achievement is Telesur, which stands for “The New Television Station of the South.” Telesur is a television channel formed by the state television broadcasters of Venezuela, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua. Its function is to allow the people of these countries to communicate directly with one another, and not through the U.S. network CNN, as they did before.
For the first time, Telesur gives Latin Americans a clear vision of each other, which is crucial for creating an integrated community. Latin American integration cannot succeed if the people learn about each other through imperialist media that are hostile to them and distort their self-image. Such media also only promote capitalist viewpoints.
Lilian Celiberti is from Uruguay and is coordinator of Articulacion Feminista Mercosur, AFM, or Feminist Articulation Mercosur. AFM promotes the role of women in Latin American integration. Based in Montevideo, Uruguay, AFM is a collective of feminist organizations from various countries, including Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia.
I talked to Celiberti at the Belem World Social Forum. She said about Telesur: “People need to feel represented linguistically and socially. The multiplicity of issues we are facing cannot be viewed from one single angle. We need debate among people who think differently and not among equally-minded peers, because that does not stimulate our societies. People want to form their own opinions and I feel this is a very important issue.”
In 2004, Venezuela and Cuba set up the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America, or ALBA, a progressive trade alliance that has grown to include eight countries: Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and the Caribbean countries, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda. The alliance does not trade goods in U.S. dollars but instead in the Sucre, a virtual currency. ALBA is aimed at advancing social justice and human well-being, not expanding free trade. The Alliance calls for “fair, complementary, and mutually supportive” trade so that member nations can overcome their economic inequalities and eradicate poverty.
Julio Chavez is one of the leaders of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, but is not related to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. As mayor of the city of Carora in Lara province, Julio is well-known for bringing the Bolivarian Revolution to the municipal level by introducing participatory democracy at the grassroots. He now serves as a deputy in the Lara provincial legislature for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, the ruling party headed by President Chavez. He is also member of the Presidential Commission on Participatory Democracy and Popular Power. [See my interview with him in the last December-January Monitor.]
For Julio Chavez, ALBA and his country’s other promotions of Latin American integration are the means for sharing its social programs with the rest of the continent. Revolutionaries like him do not see the spread of social rights as just a national process, but also as a critical part of regional integration. He spoke about this to students in Toronto, saying: “We want to share our social programs with the rest of Latin America, and we are doing so by advancing the process of regional integration through the creation of progressive trade alliances such as ALBA. ALBA promotes trade that answers the social needs of the people, not the dictates of the capitalist market. We reject free trade pacts.”
Under ALBA, Venezuela’s “Operation Miracle,” which provides free eye operations, has been expanded to all of Latin America and the Caribbean and has restored the sight of a million people. After Bolivia joined ALBA, it gained doctors and teachers, and technical assistance for managing its hydrocarbon sector, and a market for its soy beans. In exchange, Bolivia provided natural gas.
Rosemary Irusta is an activist on housing issues in Bolivia. I interviewed her at the Belem World Social Forum. She described ALBA as “a form of integration that will enable greater cooperation between our countries. It will help our economies and will allow us to share our needs and resources.”
Ramon Cardona is Secretary of the World Federation of Unions, which includes unions from 84 countries. Cardona was formerly on the secretariat of the CTC, Cuba's trade union central. Cuba was one of the two founding members of ALBA, along with Venezuela. I spoke to Cardona at the Belem World Social Forum.
“Cuba and the World Labour Foundation, the organization that I represent,” he said, “are both members of ALBA. This is a great alternative for cooperation that we don't want to impose on anyone. Yet, like UNASUR, it is quite an advanced model towards an integration that goes beyond economic collaboration and trade, but addresses our political and social mechanisms. It is an alternative model that adheres to the principle of solidarity. It is not the market that rules it, but a conviction and willingness on the part of governments and their citizens to truly work together and in solidarity.”
Doris Miranda is an educator from Nicaragua and former vice-mayor of the city of Esteli. According to her: “The integration of these countries is valid on many different levels. For instance, in Central America you have poorer countries than in South America. But when you form alliances with countries whose economies are much stronger, like Venezuela and Brazil, it puts you in a better position when confronting neoliberal politics and globalization. It strengthens everyone, just because we are working together on strategies that will not only benefit our individual countries, but also the entire Latin American region.”
* * *
UNASUR, the Bank of the South, PetroAmerica, Telesur and ALBA signify the triumph of the Latin American Revolution at both the national and continental levels. The Revolution is aimed at eliminating poverty and exploitation all over Latin America, and providing free education, medical care, and basic needs to all its citizens. In moving towards a united, socialist Latin America, its citizens have looked to the example of Simon Bolivar, Che Guevara, and to their indigenous leaders and philosophies. The philosophy of the Revolution is that life is about sharing and community, and that society exists to uplift everyone, not just a privileged few.
That Latin America appears headed towards becoming a socialist community of nations that takes care of its people is a tremendous victory for them over the barbarism imposed on the continent by 500 years of capitalism and imperialism. A hundred million indigenous people were killed by European colonialism in Latin America, and about one million Latin Americans have been murdered by U.S.-imposed military dictatorships since the 1950s. In the 1980s and ‘90s, the U.S. forced neoliberalism on Latin American countries, destroying one economy after another, and creating mass poverty.
The military dictatorships set up or supported by the United States and some European countries in Latin America oppressed and impoverished most of the people in order to enrich international investors and a small domestic elite. And civilian neoliberal governments continued these barbaric practices. Now Latin Americans have risen up against this imperialism and exploitation by putting 10 left-wing governments in power to implement what President Chavez calls 21st century socialism.
In doing so, Latin America has shown the progressive way forward for all nations of the South that comprise 80% percent of humankind. For more than five centuries, this majority has been enslaved and slaughtered in the hundreds of millions, and made destitute by the élites of Europe and North America. The Latin American Revolution today is leading the global poor majority towards reclaiming a world that rightfully belongs to them.
As Doris Miranda describes it: “The countries are waking up; they are realizing that those neoliberal policies don’t respond to the needs of the majority. I think the most important thing is their vision, which is to liberate the people from extreme poverty, to give them stable economic status, and to do it together, because no one group can do this on its own. And so they need to rise up in a communal way in order to make one battlefront… This is a process that has started, but is not going to end, and I think this is due to the awakened conscience of the people. And now we are going to see a new model whose focus lies in human rights and human development.”
Asad Ismi is The CCPA Monitor’s international affairs correspondent. He is author of the forthcoming radio documentary The Latin American Revolution. This article is the sixth in a series of articles on the Revolution. For his publications, visit: www.asadismi.ws
Special thanks to Susy Alvarez, Sara Loureiro, and Dr. Maria Paez Victor for translations of the interviews and speeches cited in this article. | https://policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/latin-american-revolution-part-vi-0 |
Organizations need records to carry out their business activities and to document actions and decisions. Today, most organizations increasingly manage work and make decisions on the basis of electronic information. With this shift from paper to digital information, many organizations find that their current electronic records are not sufficient to support their business, evidentiary, or historical needs.
Without question, organizations need electronic records that are reliable and authentic, usable for multiple purposes, and accessible over time for both business and secondary uses. Unfortunately, traditional system design methodologies do not give adequate attention to the creation, integration, management, and preservation of electronic records.
Agencies are seeking technological solutions and tools that will help them integrate records management requirements into their application development plans rather than addressing records management as an isolated additional activity.
In recent years, significant theoretical work has been done in the area of electronic records management; however, little has been translated into practical implementable solutions. This project was designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice by producing generalizable tools that link business objectives to sound records management practices. The project integrated and built upon several existing bodies of knowledge: electronic recordkeeping and archival theory and practice, business process improvement and reengineering (BPI/BPR) methodologies, and system development methodologies.
The project was an attempt to develop a practical way to incorporate essential electronic records requirements into the design of new information systems. Funded in large part by a research grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the project was conducted from 1996 to 1998 through a partnership between the New York State Archives and Records Administration and the Center for Technology in Government. The project team included staff of the NYS Adirondack Park Agency, eight corporate partners led by Intergraph Corporation, and University at Albany faculty and graduate students.
Traditional system design methodologies do not give adequate attention to the creation, integration, management, and preservation of electronic records. The following records management issues demonstrate this problem:
This project integrates practical and theoretical work in electronic records management with network-based system development methodologies and business process improvement practices. The goal of the project is to develop practical tools that include an expanded business process improvement component that includes steps to directly address electronic records management requirements in systems development efforts. The tools will guide the identification of technology, policy, and management factors to ensure that records are created, maintained, and stored in a manner that facilitates access for agency operations, secondary uses, evidentiary needs, and archival purposes.
The tool will be generalizable to public and private sector organizations seeking to improve records management in network-based information systems.
Many organizations are seeking to improve or streamline their business processes through business process reengineering or business process improvement programs. Rather than automating existing inefficient or unnecessary processes, organizations are identifying opportunities to recreate or reinvent their business processes. In some cases, organizations have found that substantial gains can be realized from business process improvement without the implementation of new technologies. Since many agency processes or procedures have been developed piecemeal over time, many activities or sequences of activities add no value to the overall transaction. Identifying these activities and eliminating or modifying them can lead to decreases in customer turnaround time, increased agency productivity, and reduced transaction costs as well as overall improvements in the quality of customer service. In order to improve business processes and simultaneously ensure that an organization's records management needs are addressed, the definition of 'processes' must be broadened to include those processes or activities that ensure records management and archival requirements will be met. Of course, not all of these activities can be supported by use of technology. Policies must be developed and management strategies must be devised and implemented to ensure that these requirements are appropriately and continuously addressed.
Based upon this investigation, the project will develop a system design model that incorporates the management of electronic records into the functionality of an automated system. The model will be tested, evaluated, and modified in the context of a sample public sector application: the permit issuance process of the NYS Adirondack Park Agency.
Our project approach therefore includes the following activities:
This two-year project is funded in part by a $140,000 grant (No. 96-023) from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the funding arm of the National Archives.
A prototype system to support APA's minor project review process was based on information gathered from the interviews, business process improvement activities, and the use of the RRAIT. It was designed to help APA staff determine which features and functionality of a fully implemented system would best support the Agency's productivity and customer service goals. The prototype also served as a mechanism for identifying management and policy strategies that would need to be developed to complement the system implementation. The following technology components were used in the development of the prototype system:
The prototype is a network-based integrated document management and workflow system capable of supporting a fully electronic record of the minor project review process. It is also capable of accessing, analyzing, and capturing information from the Agency's geographic information system (GIS) and archiving the project record. The prototype functionality includes:
A high-level diagram of the improved project review process that resulted from the BPI work and the use of the RREC is shown in Figure 7. It represents a number of changes from the current process, some enabled by technology and others representing changes to the process itself or changes in the manner or order in which the sub-tasks of the process are completed. An example of a technology-enabled change is the parallel processing made possible by simultaneous access to digital project records. As can be seen from the figure, projects often require consultations from natural resource staff, such as soil scientists or wetlands biologists, as well as legal consultation. Under the current paper process, the review and analysis must be conducted sequentially as there is only one copy of the project file. This technology-enabled change would allow these reviews to take place concurrently. Technology could also improve project-related correspondence. For example, standard language for permits and additional information requests could be automatically inserted in these documents as they are prepared for specific project applications, thus saving staff time and assuring consistency across projects. Other types of correspondence, currently generated on paper or in electronic form, are passed among staff for review in either hardcopy or by an exchange of disks. A networked system would improve performance by eliminating the use of 'sneaker net' in the sharing and review of Agency correspondence.
The use of the Business Process Level of the RREC led to the identification of the records management requirements within the project review process at the sub-task level. During the initial business process improvement activity, five sub-tasks were identified:
Expanded View of Flowchart
The Acceptance of Application sub-task includes initial receipt and cursory review of an application, assignment of staff including the Project Review Officer (PRO) and any required natural resource or legal staff, and forwarding the electronic application folder to the appropriate staff. A diversity of documentation is integrated into the project file during this sub-task such as the application, a site plan map, deeds, tax maps, and information about prior Agency actions on the project property. During the initial review, paper maps or digital spatial data is also accessed in-house and integrated into the record. An electronic system must therefore accommodate or reference the location of the project documents and other information sources used to support this sub-task. In addition, the receipt of an application starts a 15-day statutory clock. Information about the receipt date and the number of elapsed days since receipt is a critical activity required by state law. A number of authenticity requirements are important. For example, the original signature on the permit application is required by law, the date stamp on the application is required by regulation. Therefore, an electronic system must maintain proofs of authenticity. At this initial point in the process, only two individuals, the Director of Regulatory Programs (DRP), and the Secretary, are authorized by Agency practice to change the project record.
Under the revised technology-supported process, the Completeness Review sub-task begins when an assigned PRO receives the project file. The file is simultaneously available to legal and natural resource staff. The level of involvement of these staff may vary from simple notification that the project has been started to specific issues that need to be addressed in the project review. Information related to the 37 statutory development considerations must be accessed during this sub-task and items such as additional paper maps, GIS data, deeds, narratives of map analyses, property history notes, and engineering reports are integrated into the record. Site visits are conducted during this sub-task and therefore site visit notes, soil analysis results, visual analysis reports, and narrative about the potential impacts on other affected landowners is integrated into the record during the completeness review. If an Additional Information Request (AIR) is issued, this document is also integrated into the record. Under the current system the DRP, PRO, and Secretary are authorized to make changes during this phase. Under the modified process, legal and natural resource staff would also have authorization to add comments or documentation to the record or documents within it. Since this sub-task must be completed within 15 days of the receipt of the application, the timeclock must be updated. If the application is deemed incomplete, and an AIR is issued, the statutory timeclock is stopped until such time as the additional required information is received from the applicant. The AIR has authenticity requirements such as original signatures and an executed Notice of Complete Application once a project application has been deemed complete. It is also Agency practice to maintain a copy of the certified mail receipt from the AIR mailing.
During the Project Review sub-task, the components added to a record include memos reporting consultations with staff from APA and other agencies such as the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), notes from meetings with the applicant, confidentiality requests, and determinations of trade secret status. The project review process must be completed within 45 days of the date that the application was deemed complete for minor projects. Therefore, timeclock information must be maintained. Under the current process only the PRO and the Secretary are authorized to change the record during this sub-task, but in the improved process legal and natural resource staff would also be able to modify certain elements of the record during their concurrent review. No authentication requirements were identified for this sub-task.
The Permit Approval sub-task results in either the issuance of a permit or a referral to the Agency Board for a public hearing. In the case where the permit is approved by APA staff, the record will include drafts of the permit, results of public comment, comments on permit drafts, a copy of the approved plan, the final issued permit, a reference to any oversized map (those that are too large to be included in a paper project file), and a transmittal letter to the applicant. In addition, the permit must be filed with the County Clerk's office. Once this is done, a stamped card is received by the Agency from the County Clerk and is also integrated into the project record. Proofs of authenticity include an original signature and notarization on the permit, the stamped card from the County Clerk's office, and a certified mail receipt. The issuance of a permit stops the regulatory review clock for the project and information about the end date must be included in the record. During this sub-task, the PRO, DRP, Executive Director, and Secretary are authorized to change the record.
If APA staff do not approve the project, a request for public hearing before the Agency Board is drafted and included in the project file. Additional memos from consultations may be added to the project file. The Board will issue either a denial order or a permit, and one or the other is added to the project record. If the project does go to public hearing, Agency Board minutes will also be included in the project record. Authentication requirements include an original signature on either the permit or the denial order. If a permit is issued, the other documentation noted above is also included in the record.
The modified process reflects a new sub-task in the process for Archiving a completed project record. This step involves the purging of documents in a project record that are not required for long-term access. Ideally, the project record would be reduced to the level of a minimum record in terms of legal and evidentiary requirements and secondary uses. Modifications to
the record during this sub-task are made only by the archivist or the DRP.
The following section discusses the components of the prototype system and ties these components to the records management requirements described above.
The prototype supports the scanning of all documents that are submitted to the Agency in application for a permit. The imaging component of the prototype supports the records capture requirements associated with the project review process, while the document management functionality supports many of the records access requirements. Additionally, document imaging was used to capture proofs of authentication. Scanned images of original signatures and notarization were deemed to be sufficient for legal admissibility of the record.
For each document, the prototype provides a data entry screen to capture information about the document itself. For example, if a map is submitted to the Agency with an application, the data entry screen for a map document allows for the entry of such information as the type of map (e.g. survey map, sketch, wetlands map), as well as the map scale, the map creator, and the date the map was created. As documents are scanned into the system, they are attached or related to the appropriate project record. Figure 8 shows the types of documents that can be accommodated by the prototype system. The bold-face type on some of the document types indicates that there is a document of that type in the project record. This functionality captures information about the components of a record as specified earlier by use of the Record Level of the RREC.
Expanded View of Data Entry Screen
The data entry screens were designed using Visual Basic. They are structured in a consistent format and operate in a manner similar to Windows applications. For those elements or attributes with pre-defined values such as town, county, project type, and map type, drop-down menus are provided to decrease data entry time and increase accuracy. Within each data entry screen, key information elements are defined as required, and the completion of the data entry for that screen requires that values for these fields be provided.
Expanded View of Workflow Diagram
The workflow component allows for the assignment of different types of staff to a project. For example, when creating a new project, the system allows for the assignment of a PRO and natural resource and legal staff. The system also allows for the assignment of individuals to receive notification about a given project. This feature allows individuals who have no pre-defined responsibility or assignments within a project to be kept posted on project progress. The workflow component also routes a project record through the process after an individual has completed a step or sub-task within the workflow. As people sign off on a task, they are allowed to provide comments or notes that can be read by the next individual in the process. The project record moves to the next step in the process based upon the value selected upon sign-off. The diagrammatic representation of the workflow for the minor project permit process is shown in Figure 9. The workflow diagram can be used to identify where in the process, a given project is at any point in time. The workflow software also provides a narrative list of the steps that have been conducted including the start and finish time for the step and the individual who conducted it. The workflow functionality can also be used to address records management requirements associated with authorizations for modifications to a record. While not fully implemented in the prototype, the software has the capability to allow deletions, additions, or modifications to a project record or to individual record components based on where the project is in the overall review process or other conditions.
The forms generation feature serves a number of purposes. First, it decreases staff time in repeatedly typing the same information across documents related to a specific project. Second, it minimizes the potential for error by drawing upon attribute values already in the database. Third, the use of standard clauses increases the consistency of permits and AIRs (assuming the Agency staff reach consensus about standard language for use in the system).
The prototype is designed so that relevant values entered into the system are automatically placed in the template for the document type under development. Additionally, both permits and AIRs contain some set of standard language. The system provides a pick list or menu of these standard clauses that can automatically be added to a document under development. Once this language is added in the data entry screen, it can be modified if necessary, either within the data entry screen or within the document itself. Figure 10 shows an example of a document creation screen for an AIR. This screen shows the menu choices for items requested in an AIR and also provides data entry points for other information that will be placed into the document.
As indicated above, any information needed for the document that is already in the database, will automatically be called up and placed in the appropriate place in the document. Following the creation of the document, the user has two choices. One is to print the document to a file which will create an actual electronic file of the document that can then be attached to the project record. The second choice is the print option which sends the document to a printer so that it can be mailed to an applicant. In those cases where the document has to be signed or notarized by APA staff per legal or regulatory requirements, the signed and notarized original can be scanned into the system and attached to the project record.
Expanded View of Data Entry Screen
Perhaps one of the most useful features of the system in terms of improving access to records at APA, is the search and retrieval capability. This feature allows the user to search at either the document level or the project level based on any attributes contained in the database. The interface supports simple or complex queries that can be developed easily using pull down menus. In much the same way that the data entry screens were developed, the search screens allow for the selection of attributes on which one can search. For those attributes with pre-defined values, once the attribute is selected, the available values are presented for selection in the search. Once a search is developed and submitted to the system, the records or documents that meet the search criteria are listed in the bottom of the search screen. If the search was conducted at the record level, the search results will show all of the records that meet the search criteria. By double-clicking on a given record, all of the document types contained within that record will be displayed. By double-clicking on a document type, all of the actual documents or files of that document type will be displayed. Double-clicking on a specific document or file invokes the Intergraph Redline tool which allows for the viewing of a particular document. Figure 11 shows the document search and retrieval screen.
As indicated above, the prototype supports the viewing of a specific document or file within a project record by using a product that allows for the viewing of 70 different types of file formats. This is a particularly useful tool from a records management and archival perspective because it allows a user to view documents created in a multitude of file formats across a range of software packages without having to maintain the native software in which each was created. This has advantages for both current use and future migration. The Redline product also supports non-destructive mark-ups to documents or files. It allows users to create a layer that is associated with a given file without changing the file or document itself. For example, a user may create a layer with electronic 'post-it notes' or arrows or circles or other annotations that can be viewed by other users but that are maintained as a file or layer distinct from the original document. This feature enhances communication about documents or files among users while maintaining the document in its original form. These layers can be viewed, added, modified, or deleted separately from the original document or file. This feature is particularly useful at APA where the project review staff may want to draw attention to a specific element on a map while communicating with natural resource staff, for example.
Expanded View of Data Entry Screen
The prototype system also supports access to the Agency's geographic information system. Information contained in the Agency's GIS must be accessed in the project review process. Using Intergraph's GeoMedia product, users can access digital spatial data independent of the software with which it was created. This tool allows for the overlay of multiple map layers and automatically adjusts scales and projections. Following access to and analysis of map layers, the system will allow for the capture of the screen or analysis results into a project record and information about the resulting document or screen capture can be input using the data entry screen for map type documents.
As shown in Figure 7 the last step in the minor project review process is the archival function. This step is conducted at a pre-set interval after the project has been completed. At this point in the process, the individual responsible for archiving project records may remove any unnecessary documentation from a project record and move it into an archival vault. Once a project record is inside the vault, it cannot be changed. This feature ensures that records are not modified after a transaction is complete.
The prototype system was delivered to APA in March 1998, and was accompanied by presentations of the prototype functionality to the full staff and two levels of user training. One level focused on the functionality of the prototype within the minor project workflow and was provided to those staff who work directly on the project review process. The second type of training demonstrated the use of the prototype for accessing project records for secondary use in the Agency and focused on the prototype's search and retrieval capabilities. A second training review session was held in June to train staff who were not available during the prior training sessions.
Several of the Project Review Officers participated in the testing of the prototype along with one of the Directors of Regulatory Programs, support staff, and representatives from both legal and natural resources. All evaluation participants were asked to use the prototype and think about its features and functionality in terms of improvements to the way they do their own work. They were asked to envision how the system would help specifically within the project review process and more generally about how access to the records and information in the system would support other processes at the Agency.
During the first training session, several project applications that had just been received by the Agency were input into the system. All of the project documents such as the application, maps, and deeds were scanned and the information in and about the documents was input into the system. Staff were assigned to work on each of the projects so that a test could be conducted of routing a project through the system. The individuals participating in the training were asked to run several projects through the system while maintaining parallel paper processes.
At the time of this report the Agency is continuing to test the prototype. Preliminary feedback collected during the project indicated that the prototype successfully demonstrated the potential value of workflow and document management technologies to meet Agency goals. It also generated significant interest in the potential value of developing standardized permit conditions and AIRs, and in establishing a definition of a legal minimum record for the Agency. Testing of the prototype also served to identify to the Agency staff the necessary management and policy changes that would be required within the Agency to complement a full system implementation, especially the need for changes in the way individuals conduct their work within an automated workflow. They were also able to assess the relative merits of managing workflow electronically versus managing it through the adoption of standard policies and practices. The prototype also served to bring the issues related to effective records management to the attention of the Agency Board.
Business processes provide a common focus for records managers, archivists, technologists, and business managers. A business process perspective ties discussions of records management issues to work that is critical to an organization. By linking records management issues to business processes, the tools provide a common language for improved communication between records management professionals and other practitioners. Program managers indicated that this manner of presentation enabled them to understand the importance of records management requirements in terms of the issues that are critical to them in conducting their work. For technologists, the tools could be seamlessly integrated into the business process improvement phase of system design and generated requirements that led to well-defined system features and data requirements.
Comprehensive records management requirements directly support business objectives. The tools prompt participants to identify a comprehensive set of records management requirements associated with a business process. The Business Process Level of the RREC helps identify the specific record components that must be captured at each step during the course of a transaction. It also ties each component to specific legal or professional standards or organizational practices. The Record Level addresses the need for access to records over time. The RRIC can then be used to identify technology and other mechanisms to ensure that that records are appropriately captured and that they remain accessible for both current and future use. Moreover, the tools are capable of identifying all authenticity requirements tied to the business process and they help identify the diversity of forms and formats that a system must be able to accommodate in order to assemble a complete record. These requirements are not limited to 'recordkeeping' needs; they are integral to the business process itself.
Current and future access needs can be specified and accommodated in system design. The tools have the ability to deal with both internal and external primary and secondary access to records. They also call attention to long-term access issues such as migration strategies and meta data that are best addressed at the initial system design stage. The Business Process and Record Levels of the RREC support the identification of access needs from the perspective of internal users during a business transaction as well as internal and external access needs after the transaction has been completed. The questions are designed to identify the components of a record required by each of these user types as well as their preferred or required access methods.
In system design, focus first on business needs and records that support them; then focus on technology. In general, the use of the tools shifts the focus of system design and development away from technology and toward the capture, maintenance, and ongoing use of business records. The tools embed the importance of the record into the system development process from the perspective of both users and system developers. Records management requirements based on business process analysis are directly translated into user and system requirements. The responses to the questions in the Business Process and System Levels of the RREC are easily communicated to system developers in terms of technical specifications. In addition, the questions that focus on the documents that comprise a record and on internal and external access to records are readily translated into data model specifications.
Focus on system functionality before choosing specific technologies. The tools help organizations identify the functionality that is required in a system to support records management requirements, and emphasize technology solutions that maximize inter-operability and adherence to standards. They do not address the actual selection of hardware and software to provide the necessary functionality. This selection must be based on many factors such as existing infrastructure (both technical and organizational), cost, and expected benefits. We strongly recommend that technology awareness activities be conducted in conjunction with the use of the tools. Product reviews, vendor presentations, and conferences focused on technology applications are all ways to increase awareness of technology capabilities and limitations among the staff who will work with the new system. These kinds of activities increase understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of various technology choices.
Supporting policies and management practices are essential, but challenging, components. The RRIC, with its focus on implementation, highlights the importance of policy and management strategies -- critical elements that often receive little or no attention in system development efforts. The tools facilitate the identification of related management and policy strategies, such as the range of user permissions and definition of a minimum legal record. Policies and practices ensure the entire organization is working in concert with the records management requirements that are built into the electronic system. In most organizations, these issues present the most difficulty because their content and execution depend on organizational consensus about the way work should be done.
All record users need to participate in the identification of requirements. One of the most critical factors for effective use of the tools is getting the right people to answer the questions. All primary and secondary users of the records that will be created and maintained by an information system should be represented in the elicitation of the records requirements. Other players who may not be direct records users, such as legal staff and executives, need to be involved in the development of management and policy strategies that will support users. Not every group needs to be involved in the entire process, but each needs to participate actively at the appropriate points so that all user needs are identified and incorporated into the system design.
The records requirements tools can be used in a variety of ways. The tools provide a sound framework for the identification of records management requirements that can be modified to suit the setting in which they are used. While we strongly recommend that the Business Process Level of the RREC be used in conjunction with business process analysis or improvement activities, the questions in the other sections can be posed using a variety of methods such as surveys and interviews. The manner in which the questions are asked and answered can be tailored for use across different organizational contexts. They should be selected for their compatibility with the organization's skills and time schedules, and their ability to minimize the total cost of the information collection process.
Awareness and willingness to change are preconditions for success. Perhaps the biggest weakness of the tools is the pre-condition for their use. That is, an organization must first recognize the importance of its business records and the costs and risks associated with ignoring them. Without this foundation, it is unlikely that an organization will invest the time and attention to detail that the tools demand. While the tools support the comprehensive identification of records management requirements and mechanisms for addressing them, the degree to which they are implemented depends on the organization's readiness and willingness to change. Change means more than new information systems; it requires supporting management and policy strategies as well as an understanding of the degree to which the requirements can be addressed by the chosen technologies. In sum, while the tools support the identification of requirements, the factors that surround their implementation determine the ultimate level of success.
This two-year project was funded in part by a $140,000 grant (No. 96-023) from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the funding arm of the National Archives. | https://www.ctg.albany.edu/projects/mfa/ |
Rockford Public Schools could lose $80,000 in the coming school year because of a supposed decline in academic achievement. Problem is, officials don’t know exactly what the decline is.
Because of a state funding category called Performance Based Bonus, Rockford would lose $10 per student under a budget recommendation put forth by Gov. Rick Snyder and the state House of Representatives. But Rockford officials say they don’t know how the state calculated the test scores behind the funding cut.
“It seems unfair, and we’re not even surehow they come up with the actual numbers,” said Michael Cuneo, assistant superintendent of finance. “If the governor’s proposal goes through, that’s $80,000 we’ll have to cut from somewhere else.”
Rockford is one of five districts in the Kent ISD that would lose money under the 2014-15 budget proposals that include performance-based funding. Others are Cedar Springs, Godfrey-Lee, Kelloggsville and Thornapple-Kellogg. The Senate recommendation does not include the bonus formula.
As lawmakers work toward approving a budget by mid-June, area school leaders are urging $46 million in performance-based funding be put instead into general per-pupil aid. That would mean an average of $32 more per student for local schools rather than gains or losses based on dubious achievement data, officials say.
“Our superintendents want something that is reasonable and consistent. They don’t feel the performance funding is either of those,” said Chris Glass, director of the West Michigan Talent Triangle, a consortium of the Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon ISDs.
An Incentive That Punishes High Performance
At issue is a funding formula approved in 2012 that rewards districts for gains in academic achievement from year to year. Each district is eligible to receive up to $100 per pupil. They may receive lesser amounts based on $30 each for elementary and middle school math and reading, and $40 for all subjects in high school. Districts also may get no funding or lose previous funding if their test scores decline from one year to the next.
Performance funding is just one piece of the budget battle as educators push for a net 3 percent increase in operational funding for schools. While Snyder has touted his proposed $332 million increase in K-12 funding as nearly 3 percent more, superintendents say it would amount to less than 1 percent once their retirement costs are factored in.
While five Kent ISD districts would lose funds under the governor’s performance-funding proposal, another five would see no change and 10 would see an increase. Despite that, superintendents consider it a “flawed policy,” Glass said.
“Just because they can win this year doesn’t mean they won’t lose the next year,” Glass said, adding that funding allocated to general per-pupil aid is more stable. “Stability brings certainty, which allows them to make the necessary investments to meet their students’ needs.”
Performance funding penalizes districts whose high test scores give them little room for improvement, Glass said. It also leads to wild revenue swings from one year to the next. For instance, Zeeland Public Schools got the maximum $100 per student last year but would receive none this year – a $560,000 loss.
“Where districts are seeing these huge swings, it’s doing more financial harm than it is academic good,” Glass said.
Stable Funding Allows Targeted Investments
The unpredictability of the performance dollars also makes it impossible for districts to plan long-term programming, added Ron Koehler, assistant superintendent for Kent ISD. While officials aren’t saying incentives are a bad thing, this model “doesn’t really accomplish the goal that the legislature intended,” Koehler said.
“If we have a goal of increasing third-grade reading performance, a reliable stream of money with which to hire literacy coaches or mentors would be far more productive than what they have in place,” Koehler said.
Officials also take issue with using MEAP test scores as a measure of student progress, arguing they were designed to measure proficiency not growth. Glass also said the 2012 scores used for the proposed budget are “incredibly dated,” and that the state can’t accurately gauge student performance while it is moving to new tests under the Common Core State Standards.
In Rockford, officials have asked for more details on how the achievement data are calculated but to no avail, Cuneo said. Michigan Department of Education materials say they are based on a “performance-level change metric” that gives greater growth points for students who are further behind.
Rockford could work toward improvements if it knew more about the data, Cuneo said. As it is, the district would have to cut back on classroom support if the performance bonus is approved, he said — an $80,000 loss equates to a full-time teacher.
In total, the governor’s current proposal would mean about a $600,000 deficit in operating funds for Rockford schools, Cuneo said. However, the district would break even if an alternative proposal were adopted to put funds for special programs into the general per-student allowance, he said. | https://www.schoolnewsnetwork.org/2014/05/27/educators-urge-state-scrap-flawed-performance-funding/ |
Structural stormwater management (SWM) controls are engineered best management practices (BMPs) to reroute stormwater runoff from developed areas. SWM controls reduce pollutants and slow runoff to minimize discharge to local waterways. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) identifies roadways that don't have these controls and installs BMPs to improve the water quality of roadway runoff.
The SWM Act of 2007 applies environmental site design (ESD) to the maximum extent practicable (MEP). ESD uses small-scale SWM practices, non-structural techniques, and better site planning to mimic natural runoff and minimize land development's impact on water resources.
Grass swales are grass-lined channels that convey stormwater runoff ,provide water quality treatment and decrease flow. They remove pollutants through vegetative filtering, sedimentation, biological uptake, and infiltration into the underlying soil. The linear nature of grass swales makes them right for roadway medians and side channels.
Bio-swales are linear constructed filters that also carry stormwater runoff, treat water, and decrease flow. They collect runoff from roadways and allow water to slowly filter through layers of soil, sand, and stone. They discharge through an under-drain that is usually connected to a storm drain inlet. Pollutants are removed by filtering runoff through 2 to 4 ft. deep engineered soil media that remove the maximum amount of pollutants. Check Dams are often used to enhance surface water storage, which filters better. The linear nature of bio-swales makes them suited for placement along roadway medians and side channels.
Wet ponds are large-scale 'practices' with a permanent pool. They combine an extended detention or shallow wetland with a permanent pool. A wet pond uses both a forebay and permanent pool to treat stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff is filtered and treated through settling and nutrient uptake by plants and other aquatic organisms.
Infiltration trenches are excavated and filled with stone to temporarily store stormwater runoff. Runoff captured by these trenches percolates into the surrounding soil, where pollutants are removed by natural filtration before recharging the groundwater. The linear nature of infiltration trenches makes them suited along roadside channels.
Submerged gravel wetlands are small-scale filters that use wetland plants in rock to treat water. Pollutant removal is obtained through biological uptake from algae and bacteria growing within the filter media. Wetland plants provide additional biological uptake. Submerged gravel wetlands are best suited in areas with a high water table or poorly drained soils.
Wet swales are channels with permanent pools that provide conveyance, water quality treatment, and flow attenuation of stormwater runoff. They collect runoff from roadways and let the water pool within the swale. Adding check dams to wet swales often used enhances surface water storage. Pollutants are removed through vegetative filtering, sedimentation, and biological uptake. Wet swales are installed in areas with a high groundwater table or poorly drained soil. The linear nature of wet swales makes them best along roadway median and side channels.
Sand filters are practices that capture and store runoff before passing it through a filter bed of sand. Sand filters are typically designed with a forebay and a filter bed filled with soil, sand and stone. As stormwater flows into the forebay, large particles settle; then finer particles and other pollutants are removed as stormwater flows through the filtering media. Pollutants are removed through filtering, sedimentation, biological uptake, and infiltration into the underlying soil. Filtered runoff may collect and return to the conveyance system or partially infiltrate the soil.
Bioretention facilities capture and temporarily store stormwater runoff before passing it through a filter bed of soil, organic matter, sand and stone. Pollutants are removed through filtering, sedimentation, biological uptake, and infiltration into the underlying soil. Filtered stormwater either returns to the conveyance system or partially infiltrates the soil. Bioretention facilities provide water quality treatment and aesthetic value. They can be integrated into landscaped areas.
Stormwater wetlands are large-scale practices that create shallow wetland areas to treat stormwater. They incorporate small permanent pools and/or extended detention storage. Stormwater wetlands are structural practices like wet ponds that incorporate wetland plantings into the design. As stormwater runs off through the wetland, pollutants depart through sedimentation and biological uptake. An added benefit of stormwater wetlands is their aesthetic appearance and contribution to the surrounding habitat.
Stormwater control retrofits modify, enhance, or replace existing structural SWM facilities to improve water quality treatment of stormwater runoff. SWM facilities built in the 1980s and 1990s didn't remove as much pollution as newer facilities designed to modern standards. These older dry detention ponds are a primary target for retrofit because they remove only a small amount of pollution. They are converted to wet ponds, wetlands, or infiltration basins, where more pollutants can be removed.
Stormwater Retrofit MD 4 and Plummer Road from a Dry Pond to a Shallow Wetland. | https://www.roads.maryland.gov/Index.aspx?PageId=119&d=108 |
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) have sent a joint letter to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) requesting that the Bahrain Cycling Team‘s application for a place on the WorldTour is rejected.
BIRD and ECCHR have questioned the human rights record of the Bahrain team’s owner, Prince Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and say that his involvement as the head of a cycling team would violate the UCI’s code of ethics and would “stain cycling as a whole by association”.
Prince Nasser confirmed last week that he plans to create a WorldTour cycling team, and is reportedly interested in signing Giro d’Italia winner Vincenzo Nibali from the Astana team to head up the squad.
In their letter to UCI president Brian Cookson sent on June 6, BIRD and ECCHR write “in April 2011, in the midst of a violent government crackdown against peaceful anti-government protestors, Prince Nasser formed an investigate committee whose role was to identify and sanction athletes who took part in these demonstrations.
“Athletes have made credible allegations that they were subjected to torture in 2011 around this time. Although there is no suggestion that Nasser was personally involved in the torture of athletes, three Bahrainis have alleged that Prince Nasser personally subjected them to torture between April and May 2011.
BIRD and ECCHR request that the UCI investigates the concerns raised over Prince Nasser’s human rights record.
“Prince Nasser remains in his positions as President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee and President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport and with the Bahrain government, which continues to commit human rights violations including systematic torture,” the letter said.
“The allegations of torture also raise serious concerns over the ethical and moral character of Prince Nasser. If the allegations are true, then Prince Nasser has committed a grave crime which will stain Cycling as a whole by association.
“As President of the Ethics Commission, you are responsible for safeguarding principles of the CoE [Code of Ethics] and the integrity and reputation of Cycling. We believe that the involvement of Prince Nasser in the sport will be in violation of the jurisprudence and principles of the CoE.
WorldTour team (WorldTeam) licence applications are considered by the UCI Licence Commission. All applicants must meet a set of criteria in order to have a licence issued: sporting, ethical, financial and administrative.
Cycling Weekly has contacted the UCI for its response. | https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/human-rights-groups-appeal-uci-bahrain-team-232353 |
Program Description:
The Information Technology Fundamentals is a single semester set of courses designed toprovide students with an understanding of the basic concepts, principles, and techniques required in computer information processing. Graduates are to be competent in the technical field areas of computer technology and concepts, as wellas either basic program design, computer networking or web design.
Entrance date: Each semester
Program admission requirements:
Minimum Test Scores
|ACCUPLACER NEXT GENERATION–||Reading||224||ACCUPLACER-||Sentence Skills||60|
|Writing||236||Reading Comprehension||55|
|Arithmetic||229||Arithmetic||34|
High School diploma or equivalent required for admission.
Credits required for graduation: 10
|Courses 10 credits|
|CIST 1001Computer Concepts
|
Provides an overview of information systems, computers and technology. Topics include: Information Systems and Technology Terminology, Computer History, Data Representation, Data Storage Concepts, Fundamentals of Information Processing, Fundamentals of Information Security, Information Technology Ethics, Fundamentals of Hardware Operation, Fundamentals of Networking, Fundamentals of the Internet, Fundamentals of Software Design Concepts, Fundamentals of Software, (System and Application), System Development Methodology, Computer Number Systems conversion (Binary and Hexadecimal), Mobile computing.
|4|
|COMP 1000Introduction to Computer Literacy
|
Introduces the fundamental concepts, terminology, and operations necessary to use computers. Emphasis is placed on basic functions and familiarity with computer use. Topics include an introduction to computer terminology, the Windows environment, Internet and email, word processing software, spreadsheet software, database software, and presentation software.
|3|
|CIST 1305Program Design and Development
|
An introductory course that provides problem solving and programming concepts for those that develop user applications. An emphasis is placed on developing logic, troubleshooting, and using tools to develop solutions. Topics include: problem solving and programming concepts, structured programming, the four logic structures, file processing concepts, and arrays.
|3|
|CIST 1401Computer Networking Fundamentals
|
Prerequisite: CIST 1001
Introduces networking technologies and prepares students to take the CompTIA's broad-based, vendor independent networking certification exam, Network +. This course covers a wide range of material about networking, including local area networks, wide area networks, protocols, topologies, transmission media, and security. Focuses on operating network management systems, and implementing the installation of networks. It reviews cabling, connection schemes, the fundamentals of the LAN and WAN technologies, TCP/IP configuration and troubleshooting, remote connectivity, and network maintenance and troubleshooting. Topics include: basic knowledge of networking technology, network media and topologies, network devices, network management, network tools and network security.
|4|
|CIST 1510Web Development I
|
Explores the concepts of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), XML, and HTML following the current standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) for developing inter-linking web pages that include graphical elements, hyperlinks, tables, forms, and image maps.
|3|
Faculty
Chair/Instructor, CIS-Computer Support Services & Cybersecurity
CEIT Building, Room 207
Up one level
Programs of Study
Notice and Responsibilities Regarding this Catalog
The purpose of this catalog/handbook is to provide general information. It should not be construed as the basis of a contract between students and Albany Technical College (ATC). While the provisions of this catalog/handbook will ordinarily be applied as stated, ATC reserves the right to change any provisions listed without notice. Such changes may include entrance requirements and admissions procedures, courses, and programs of study, academic requirements for graduation, fees and charges, financial aid, rules and regulations and the College calendar. It is the student’s responsibility to keep informed of all changes including academic requirements for graduation. | https://www.albanytech.edu/college-catalog/current/programs/information-technology-fu |
Corporate Societal Impact - What Are The Measures?
A study has examined the methods companies use to measure their impact on society. The Conference Board (with bases in a number of countries) has released a study with...Read Full Article
Sodexo recently executed a global campaign, WasteLESS Week, to raise awareness of what sites can do to reduce their carbon footprint and be more responsible when it comes to waste.
In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo’s 2,300 sites were invited to take part, having already made strides in reducing waste by working in partnership with clients, and through implementing the Better Tomorrow Plan – the company’s sustainability strategy to 2020.
By channeling all efforts across its operations, WasteLESS Week gave Sodexo the opportunity to actively become involved with its clients and onsite teams, to further reduce waste and highlight the continuing importance of the campaign.
Initiatives adopted by Sodexo UK and Ireland included car sharing, implementing a self recycling scheme which saw an 86% pick-up rate, and re-using materials on site, which would otherwise have been wasted. | https://www.twinfm.com/article/wasteless-want-less-does-old-adage-ring-true |
In the 1960s, the Hungarian composer György Ligeti developed the technique of “micropolyphony,” which has left a distinctive mark on his work. In the 1980s he became acquainted with the music for pianola by Conlon Nancarrow as well as the “just intonation” developed by Harry Partch. At the same time, he discovered in the music of the African tribe of the Aka Pygmies a unique rhythm that fascinated and influenced him. The European music of the 16th century, with its complex polyphonic structure and mid-tone tuning, influenced his late work.
In his “Phoenix” cycle, his student Detlev Müller-Siemens adopted his teacher’s melodic and harmonic complexity in his own way. Describing his music, he speaks of “proliferating, meandering lines floating freely in space between always the same opening and closing notes – like flocks of birds – all of which have a melodic-harmonic ‘ground color’ in common. Overall, each of the three pieces moves in its own way between the extremes of a stony-compact sonority on the one hand, and a line-like, meandering melodicism on the other.”
According to the Covid-19 ordinance of the canton BS of 20th of November 2020, only a maximum of 15 people were allowed at public events. | https://ensemble-phoenix.ch/en/ligeti-mueller-siemens-lehrer-und-schueler/ |
When cancer emerges in the human body, it results in cells that are “aggressive” and able to evade the body’s growth control mechanisms. These cells are also “invasive,” entering and subsuming adjacent tissues. And they are often “metastatic” — travelling to and colonizing distant sites in the body.
One of the greatest unsolved challenges in cancer treatment concerns the frequent relapse of patients being treated by chemotherapy, and the emergence of chemotherapeutic resistance in cancers.
At the Mathematical Medicine Group at the University of Waterloo, we have been applying mathematical and computational approaches to understand cancer growth and control for more than a decade now. Working together with cancer biologists and clinical oncologists, we try to understand some of the challenges in cancer treatment, including drug resistance and relapse.
Mathematical models allow us to quickly search and identify the most effective drug combinations for cancer patients. They are also deepening our understanding of how and why cancer cells often become resistant to chemotherapy drugs.
We believe that this growing interaction of mathematical scientists with cancer biologists and clinical oncologists will also lead to many future advances and breakthroughs in cancer treatment.
The challenge of drug resistance
The standard treatment for most cancers involves a combination of surgery and chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy drugs have, by and large, proved effective in destroying cancer cells by preventing them from growing and dividing. But they are clearly a “double-edged” sword as they destroy, and cause mutations in, healthy, normal tissue cells.
And patient survival doesn’t just depend on eliminating cancer cells. We also need to control or overcome drug resistance. Every year thousands of patients die from recurrent cancers that have become resistant to chemotherapy.
Combination therapy is one very promising strategy. But this raises its own questions — about how to administer the drugs, which can be combined in a seemingly infinite order and sequence.
Mathematical models can be used to study these types of questions, offering the cancer biologist and clinical oncologist powerful new tools to add to their arsenal of laboratory and clinical approaches.
These models offer a rational and unique method of searching through a large number of possible strategies to identify the most efficient doses to extend patient survival.
Chemotherapy itself causes resistance
Our team is currently focused on developing a deeper understanding of how cancer cells become resistant to chemotherapy drugs, leading to relapse.
By integrating math with computational and experimental studies, we try to understand and unravel how particular combinations of drugs can help to overcome this resistance.
Not all cancer cells are born equal. They compete with each other and the ones that survive pass on genetic information to their daughter cells.
The lack of uniform characteristics among cellular populations has been identified as an important factor which complicates and impedes treatment response in a number of tumours. We have two competing theories to explain this: 1) the standard theory of “clonal evolution” and 2) the “cancer stem cell hypothesis.”
Image of a cancer cell, created using 3D software.(Shutterstock)
The theory of clonal evolution states that most tumours arise from single cells through the accumulation of many genetic changes.
However, the cancer stem cell hypothesis suggests that only a sub-population of so-called “cancer-initiating cells” have the capacity for unlimited cell division and therefore drive tumour growth. These cells are very aggressive, less sensitive to drugs and appear to be the driving force of metastasis (the spread of cancer cells to distant sites) which frequently results in patient death.
This means that resistance can be acquired as a direct result of chemotherapy. It challenges the current explanation that resistance is innate or acquired as a result of random mutations.
Inspiring nanomedicine
We have also used mathematical modelling, integrated with experimental data, to understand the chemo-resistant characteristics of cancer cells and how they survive treatment over time.
Using mouse models of aggressive breast cancer, we have confirmed the predictions from our mathematical model that, to overcome resistance and relapse, a lethal combination of drugs in a single nanoparticle (a tiny particle) must be delivered to the same cell.
These recent papers highlight the importance of mathematicians and cancer biologists working together. They show math can help understand cancer and also have a profound impact on therapy outcomes.
Mathematical and computational strategies provide a painless, fast and cost-effective way of testing different drug combination strategies, as well as other hypotheses using computational models. | |
Also See: Proctor, OK ZIP Codes & ZIP Code Maps | Local Area Photos
The Chewey Census Designated Place had a population of 134 as of July 1, 2019. Chewey ranks in the lower quartile for Population Density and the upper quartile for Diversity Index when compared to the other cities, towns and Census Designated Places (CDPs) in Oklahoma. See peer rankings below.
The primary coordinate point for Chewey is located at latitude 36.1037 and longitude -94.7674 in Adair County. The formal boundaries for the Chewey Census Designated Place encompass a land area of 21.67 sq. miles and a water area of 0.03 sq. miles. Adair County is in the Central time zone (GMT -6). The elevation is 876 feet.
The Chewey Census Designated Place (GNIS ID: 2408022) has a U1 Census Class Code which indicates a census designated place with an official federally recognized name. It also has a Functional Status Code of "S" which identifies a statistical entity.
Oklahoma is one of 20 states where Census County Divisions (CCDs) are used for statistical tracking of subdivisions within each county. The Chewey Census Designated Place is located within Watts Division of Adair County.
Also See: Nearby Photos | Nearby Hotels | Driving Directions
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY INDEX
|Chewey, OK Housing Affordability Index is 0 |
State of Oklahoma Housing Affordability Index is 166
|The Housing Affordability Index base is 100 and represents a balance point where a resident with a median household income can normally qualify to purchase a median price home. Values above 100 indicate increased affordability, while values below 100 indicate decreased affordability.|
WEALTH INDEX
|Chewey, OK Wealth Index is 48 |
State of Oklahoma Wealth Index is 74
|The Wealth Index is based on a number of indicators of affluence including average household income and average net worth, but it also includes the value of material possessions and resources. It represents the wealth of the area relative to the national level. Values above or below 100 represent above-average wealth or below-average wealth compared to the national level.|
These new demographic attributes are availiable for Neighborhoods, Cities, Counties, and ZIP Codes.
More Tools and Resources:
POPULATION
|Total Population||134 (100%)|
|Population in Households||134 (100.0%)|
|Population in Families||114 (85.1%)|
|Population in Group Quarters1||0|
|Population Density||6|
|Diversity Index2||64|
INCOME
|Median Household Income||$44,645|
|Average Household Income||$53,499|
|Per Capita Income||$19,790|
|Wealth Index4||48|
HOUSING
|Total Housing Units||49 (100%)|
|Owner Occupied HU||33 (67.3%)|
|Renter Occupied HU||10 (20.4%)|
|Vacant Housing Units||6 (12.2%)|
|Median Home Value||$100,000|
|Housing Affordability Index3||0|
HOUSEHOLDS
|Total Households||43|
|Average Household Size||3.12|
|Family Households||33|
|Average Family Size||3|
| |
GROWTH RATE / YEAR
|2010-2019||2019-2024|
|Population||-0.08%||-0.45%|
|Households||-0.25%||-0.47%|
|Families||-0.63%||-0.61%|
|Median Household Income||1.61%|
|Per Capita Income||1.85%|
The table below compares Chewey to the other 743 incorporated cities, towns and CDPs in Oklahoma by rank and percentile using July 1, 2019 data. The location Ranked # 1 has the highest value. A location that ranks higher than 75% of its peers would be in the 75th percentile of the peer group.
|Variable Description||Rank||Percentile|
|Total Population||# 612||18th|
|Population Density||# 741||0th|
|Diversity Index||# 120||84th|
|Median Household Income||# 352||53rd|
|Per Capita Income||# 551||26th|
Additional comparisons and rankings can be made with a VERY EASY TO USE Oklahoma Census Data Comparison Tool. | https://oklahoma.hometownlocator.com/ok/adair/chewey.cfm |
Warner Bros. Pictures has set a May 22, 2009 release date for Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, to be directed by McG and starring Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) and Sam Worthington (Avatar).
That puts it head-to-head with Fox’s Night at the Museum 2: Escape From the Smithsonian on the same date. The studio had already staked out the May 22 release for the Ben Stiller sequel.
Warner will distribute the pic in North America through a deal with Halcyon Co., which owns all franchise rights to the “Terminator” series. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group has acquired international distribution rights.
“Terminator Salvation” begins filming in New Mexico for two months on May 5. The film is part of a planned three-picture arc that begins after Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust. A group of survivors led by John Connor (Bale) struggles to stop the machines. | https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/42346-terminator-salvation-set-for-may-22-2009-release |
Recently I came upon a really good definition of culture. It is from the social scientist, Clifford Geertz. Describing a culture, he wrote the following:
“An historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life.”
Reflecting on Geertz’s definition, I think that I belong to several different cultures. This is probably true of readers of this column. For example, I belong to the culture of the United States, the culture of New York City, the culture of the Roman Catholic Church, and perhaps other cultures.
Some of these cultures nourish my religious faith and some do not. The thought has occurred to me that I have to pick and choose carefully what will help me as a Christian believer and what will not. I especially have to be aware of patterns of meaning that actually contradict what I believe as a Catholic.
I have a habit, because of my own interests, to ask friends two questions: “Are you reading anything interesting?” and “Have you seen any good films on television?” One of my friends almost always answers both questions with the comment, “Just junk.” The comment saddens me. If you are going to read, why read just junk? Why not read something that will enrich you, help you to understand yourself and others and even help you to better understand the mystery of God? To find such books or such films may take a little bit of a search in a culture that is very secular, but certainly there are many books and many films that can enrich a person’s religious faith.
In the last 30 years, certainly since the time that I began to teach at St. John’s University, I have been involved in two apostolates that greatly enriched my faith and I hope the faith of those who were involved with me in the two apostolates. One apostolate was running film festivals, the other was moderating adult education courses on the Catholic novel. The pandemic has put both apostolates temporarily on hold, but I hope that at some time in the future they will be revived.
During the many years that the film festivals were running, over 300 films were show. All the films were either classics or near classics. A diet of such films has to influence a person’s consciousness and conscience. I cannot think of one great film that was not part of any of the festivals. Showing the films was a labor of love for me. I viewed each film before showing it to an audience and gave a few brief remarks after each film. The festivals had a profound effect on me. I suspect they also did on people who attended regularly.
In the Catholic novel courses over a period of 30 years, the students and I either read or re-read over 100 Catholic novels. Some of those novels were masterpieces; most were excellent; all were at least interesting.
I realize now that what I was trying to do for myself and for those attending the festivals or reading the novels was to create a Catholic culture that would co-exist within other cultures. The two programs were attempts to keep our faith nourished and challenged within a secular society. I was hoping that both programs would provide symbols that would help participants to see more deeply into their religious faith. The programs were to provide symbols other than the thoroughly secular symbols that surround us and some of the symbols that almost attack our religious faith.
Both of these programs could be run in parishes. What would be needed to run a film festival would be someone interested in film and ready to do a little homework reflecting on the history of film. If the person running the festival was willing to read a book or two about film, that would help. To run a discussion program, someone would have to be sufficiently interested to choose a set of Catholic novels. If help was needed, I suspect a librarian would be more than willing. Many of the novels, if not all, are probably available in paperback and might even be available on Kindle.
More and more, I see the necessity in my life to create my own “culture” by picking and choosing symbols that in one way or another support my Catholic faith. I suspect my experience is not unique. In the contemporary world, we are bombarded with images telling us explicitly or at least implicitly what it means to be a person and what our goals should be in life.
None of these messages can match the Good News of Jesus Christ. I think each of us needs a culture to remind us of this.
Father Lauder is a philosophy professor at St. John’s University, Jamaica. He presents two 15-minute talks from his lecture series on the Catholic Novel, 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday on NET-TV. | https://thetablet.org/creating-a-culture-and-religious-faith/ |
Owing to European Funds, the University of Białystok opened a new modern ecological campus for the faculties of biology, mathematics and computer science. The new campus was designed to incorporate green and blue infrastructure elements, and embody the pro-ecological profile of the investment. Green vegetation covers the university's walls and roofs, which is nearly half of the 30,000 square meters big campus. There is a brook around buildings and small ponds in the university's inner courtyards. The campus uses a sustainable rain drainage system, which is located on the roof, and the rainwater flows to the artificial water tanks and is continuously filtered and redistributed. Finally, there is a publicly accessible centre for ecological education. Large decorative installations on each of the four courtyards enhance the aesthetic experience in the campus and inspire the faculty and students [1,2].
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings
- Green roofs
- Green walls or facades
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley and street greens
- Institutional green space
- Blue infrastructure
- Lakes/ponds
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Key challenges
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promotion of naturalistic urban landscape design
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for relaxation and recreation
Focus
Project objectives
Implementation activities
Main beneficiaries
- Researchers/University
- Citizens or community groups
- Other
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Researchers/university
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Project implemented in response to ...
Financing
Total cost
Source(s) of funding
- EU funds
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding or subsidy
Non-financial contribution
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Increased appreciation for natural spaces
- Education
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
References
2. Source link (2015), 'The campus of the University of Bialystok combines modernity with nature' ('Kampus Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku łączy nowoczesność z naturą'), Source link (Accessed:11 September 2020)
3. Cichocka, M., 'University of Bialystok campus already ready. See how it looks' (2014), ('Kampus UwB już gotowy. Zobacz, jak wygląda'), Source link (Accessed: 11 September 2020).
4. Government website on EU funded programs, 'Construction of the Institute of Biology and the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science together with the University Computing Center' ('Budowa Instytutu Biologii oraz Wydziału Matematyki i Informatyki wraz z Uniwersyteckim Centrum Obliczeniowym') Source link (Accessed: 10 August 2017). (Website not available in 2020).
5. Source link, 'Campus for the University of Bialystok' ('Kampus dla Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku'),
Source link (Accessed: 11 September 2020).
6. University of Białystok. (n.d.). About. The university's official webpage. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 11 September 2020). | https://una.city/nbs/bialystok/campus-university-bialystok |
The COVID-19 pandemic is acting as an accelerator for food insecurity in conflict zones, impacting food availability, access, and humanitarian assistance, as well as potentially giving rise to new social tensions as a result of the economic consequences of the lockdown.
Literature shows that there is a mutually reinforcing relationship between food insecurity, economic crisis, and conflict. Conflicts cause disruption of food systems and markets, leading to rises in food prices, scarcity of water, fuel, and food itself. Moreover, as civilians are deprived of their income, they simply cannot afford to buy food even when it is available. The destruction of infrastructure makes it difficult to transport food, while the destruction of agricultural land as well as the conscription or the escape of farmers makes the production of basic staples impossible. In addition, food can become a weapon of war, through blockades and the deliberate starving of a population, as well as through the selected delivery of aid. But the nexus between conflict and food security works in both ways: rising food insecurity is proven to contribute to conflict, especially in the Middle East.
It is not a coincidence that, in the MENA region, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq are identified by the World Food Programme as among the major food crises of 2019, with Yemen and Syria ranking among the 10 worst food crises in 2019 for number of people in crisis or worse in the world. These countries are also the most exposed to the consequences of the pandemic.
With an estimated 15.9 million people (53% of the total population) in crisis or worse (IPC phase 3 or above, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification), Yemen is the most food-insecure country and the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Despite being the poorest country in the region already before the war, conflict has inevitably aggravated a situation of chronic distress. In Yemen, food has also become a weapon of war: periods of siege and de facto blockades such as the one imposed by Saudi Arabia in November 2017 after a Houthi-fired missile fell on Riyadh, put an enormous strain on the availability of food. This is especially true in the areas around the ports of Hodeida and Saleef, through which flows 80% of all Yemen’s imports. For a country which, even before the crisis, imported around 90% of its food, inspection mechanisms and congestions at ports cause a major disruption to the food pipeline. The restrictions introduced by the Saudi- and Emirati-led coalition aimed at stopping the smuggling of weapons by the Houthis, cause delays of weeks before goods can be offloaded. In the same way, the Houthis have been accused of hijacking part of the WFP’s monthly food aid to help fund the conflict. As the conflict entered its sixth year in March 2020, the pandemic adds to the damages to infrastructures, fuel shortages, and bureaucracy, severely restricting humanitarian access: as a result of mounting impediments, in April 2020, the WFP shifted from monthly to bimonthly food assistance distributions for beneficiaries in Houthi-controlled areas, with the result of a 50 percent reduction in assistance. Weighing on the population’s food insecurity is also the economic shock caused by the conflict and complicated by the lowering of remittances from the Gulf: decreases in government revenues leading to a stop in payments of public sector salaries, and shortages of foreign exchange, made it impossible for many Yemenis to afford the purchase of basic amounts of food. Making things worse, weather and climate conditions add to the crisis: swarms of locusts in early 2020 and exceptional flooding in April severely damaged livestock and crops, besides leaving many Yemenis with no home to stay in.
In Syria, too, the pandemic adds to insecurity due to the conflict, economic shocks, and weather extremes as the main drivers of acute food insecurity for over one third of the population (9.3 million on a total population of 18.3 million people). Active conflict zones such as the northwest, northeast, and the south, in particular the Dara’a governorate, are the most food-insecure, also because of the large displacements brought about by the recent escalation of hostilities. The acute economic crisis created by the cumulative effect of US and EU sanctions, the collapse of the business empire of Rami Makhlouf, and the spillover from the economic crisis in Lebanon, caused the value of the Syrian pound to plunge, resulting in higher food prices and lower purchase power. According to the WFP, in April the price for the national average reference food basket had increased 111 percent in a year. The prospective closure of the two border crossings of Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salameh, through which UN humanitarian aid is delivered from Turkey to opposition-held northwest Syria, is bound to precipitate an already dire humanitarian situation, as Russia and China support Damascus’ attempt to exploit and divert aid. Unprecedented flooding following heavy rains in March in the Hasakeh governorate or, before that, huge fires especially in the areas around Idlib, caused a severe loss of crops, which translated into further food insecurity.
Finally, in Iraq, chronic instability has been hampering food security for years. As the country is still recovering from recurring rounds of conflict, not least of all the devastation brought by the Islamic State, the fragility of state institutions – in a country where the population is highly dependent on state intervention for fulfilling their food needs – represents a major cause of concern. Even though the number of those in need of urgent food assistance fell over the last year, the situation remains precarious for refugees and displaced people, while the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic adds another layer of vulnerability. The disruption of global food supply chains put a severe strain on the country’s imports of food, as it normally imports about 50 percent of its food needs. In addition, the collapse in oil prices inflicted severe pain to the state budget, as it depends on oil revenues for 90 percent of its total. This, coupled with the pre-existent economic crisis due to corruption and the mismanagement of state resources, resulted in huge economic shock.
Three months after the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for a global ceasefire to focus on the fight against the pandemic, it is evident that his appeal is destined to remain a cry in the desert. So far, warring parties have not given up on hostilities, while humanitarian organizations are facing restricted access to their areas of operation. This, coupled with the disastrous economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, is exacerbating fragilities and strongly impacting food security in conflict zones. As Yemen descends to the brink of famine, Syria struggles with out-of-control food prices and the eruption of new protests, while Iraq is exposed to rising risks of food insecurity as a result of weak governance and economic shocks. As a result of the growth in vulnerability, the MENA region risks being trapped in a vicious circle of social and economic distress and conflict, seriously elevating the risk of a further wave of regional instability. | https://www.ispionline.it/en/pubblicazione/circular-crisis-food-insecurity-middle-easts-war-zones-26888 |
Advocacy and Support
Research demonstrates that parent/caregiver support is essential to reducing trauma and improving outcomes for children and family members. CAC Advocates play a key role in helping to support the child and their families throughout the whole process. As the case goes through the investigation, prosecution, and healing process, the Advocate is there to help the family understand the process and learn about their rights. They offer support and assistance with referrals for resources such as counseling, financial assistance, housing, and other community support. Families may have access to food, clothing, toiletries, and other financial assistance as needed.
Advocates continue to follow up with families after they leave the Child Advocacy Center to offer any ongoing support and additional assistance they may need.
Court School
Court School is designed to make the process of testifying in court easier for children. Court School helps child witnesses become familiar with the actual courtroom process and environment. Your Advocate, along with the County Attorney, will assist you with this process if your child needs to testify in a court case. | https://www.smallvoices.org/services/core-family-services/advocacy_support.html |
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Once again Japan is embroiled in one of those hair-splitting arguments over the extent to which it can participate in overseas military operations without bending its constitution and its war-renouncing Article 9 out of all recognition.
The catalyst for the latest round of hand-wringing is the expiration on November 1 of the anti-terrorism law that permits Japanese navy oilers to refuel American war ships in the Indian Ocean to support operations in Afghanistan.
Rather than seek a fourth extension, the government of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda last week submitted a new bill to the Diet in an effort to try to smooth passage though the opposition-controlled House of Councilors, the upper house of Japan’s bicameral parliament. On Sunday Fukuda called the refueling mission "a responsibility to fulfill in the international community."
The Democratic Party of Japan argues that the operation could lead to greater use of Japanese military forces overseas in defiance of Article 9, the so-called pacifist clause of the Japan’s post-World War Two constitution. It says that assisting the US in counter-terrorism operations off the coast of South Asia, which the US views as self-defense, could be construed as “collective defense,” counter to the constitution.
Of course, the Democrats also see the refueling operations, which are generally unpopular in Japan, as a wedge to force Fukuda to call a general election at a time when political tides are running in the opposition’s favor. Fukuda does not have to call an election until 2009.
The refueling operation was begun under former premier Junichiro Koizumi. So far Tokyo has supplied the US with $200 million worth of bunker oil at Japanese taxpayer expense. Almost all of it goes to US Navy vessels.
The week that the cabinet approved the replacement bill, an anti-war group leaked a report that the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) supplied 800,000 gallons of fuel to the US Navy in the weeks just before the Iraqi invasion instead of the 200,000 gallons officially reported.
The Japanese oiler transferred the fuel to a US Navy oiler, which, in turn, supplied the USS Kitty Hawk, which was operating at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. The transfer occurred in February, 2003, just before the invasion of Iraq, the implication being that Japan assisted in the invasion.
US Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer, who is working overtime to secure the extension of the refueling operation, claimed that the amount would not have been enough to power the massive aircraft carrier or fuel its aircraft, by the time the attack was launched on March 20.
Still, it embarrassed the government and provided fodder for those in Japan who argue that any kind of military cooperation with the US is a step toward full rearmament and abandonment of Article 9.
Fukuda went before the Diet to regret the “mistake” and defend the policy: “The area in which the MSDF is operating is limited to a non-combat zone by the framework of the law, and therefore the mission does not go against Article 9 of the constitution.”
Such are the contortions and tortured arguments that Japan’s leaders have to use to try to square their pacifistic constitution ‑ which pretty plainly prohibits Japan from possessing any armaments ‑ with its perceived international obligations as a major power and ally of the US
A plan to amend the constitution and modify the language of Article 9 was gaining momentum under the previous administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had made revision a priority. But the Japanese people made it clear in the July 29 upper house election that they had other priorities.
The new prime minister comes from a wing of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that is less obsessed with the symbols of conservative nationalism. The party undoubtedly would have preferred to begin its administration with a less divisive issue, but its hand was forced because of the impending expiration.
Once it is law, if it becomes law, Japan will probably hear a lot less about constitutional revision, Yasukuni Shrine visits (Fukuda has already ruled them out) and other symbolic and substantive issues dear to the hearts of the LDP’s right wing.
That will probably suit the vast majority of Japanese just fine. The country remains extremely cautious about changing or eliminating Article 9, which has served Japan well over the past 60 years since the American-written document was promulgated.
If the taboo on collective defense were eroded and Japan came to assume a military role as a US ally, it might be forced to go to war in future conflicts in which Washington plays a leading role.
In part because of Article 9, Japanese forces were never sent to fight in the Vietnam War, unlike South Korea. In that respect Article 9 has been likened to a safety valve on the US-Japan relationship that many Japanese feel is too important to give up lightly.
After the Gulf War in 1991, to which Tokyo contributed billions in financial support but no troops, it became increasingly difficult for Japan to avoid the pressure to provide manpower in support of adventures in the Middle East even by citing Article 9.
Koizumi supported the decision to invade Iraq and even decided to send non-combat6 ground and air forces to the region (under a separate law). When the ground forces returned to Japan, Koizumi boasted that the troops had never been caught up in the fighting and suffered no casualties.
That’s because the SDF chose a relatively safe corner of the country and performed duties that involved little danger (protected by Dutch and later Australian troops) and thus was consistent with the spirit of Article 9.
In the past 60 years a consensus in Japan has taken hold. It amounts to support for the security treaty with the US, support for the self-defense forces as presently configured, and support for Article 9. If this consensus seems contradictory, the Japanese would say “let’s make the most of it.” | |
Main purpose of the role:
Manage all aspects of the investigations of complex, series and serious fraud and money laundering allegations including dealing with public sector issues, maintaining the integrity and standards of case investigation.
Manage financial investigations to maximise opportunities to use powers under the proceeds of Crime Act to remove funds from those involved in crime. \n Oversee the activities of all team members ensuring high productivity and act as a Senior investigating officer when necessary.
Main responsibilities:
- Maintain a detailed overview of all current investigations and projected workloads of fraud and money laundering officers to ensure quality of service within time constraints and optimum use of all resources within a defined budget.
- Analyse and assess in-coming enquiries and complaints in order to decide whether further investigation is required. Allocate enquiries to the appropriate team leader.
- Provide expert advice and guidance to staff in the investigation of financial crime on policy, practical and procedural issues identifying any potential development needs. Resolve the more significant staffing issues in consultation with the Detective Sergeants.
- Ensure that opportunities to remove funds from offenders are maximised through application of powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
- Provide expert advice on the Proceeds of Crime Act and act as a tactical advisor to other SIOs of opportunities to gather evidence through application of financial powers.
- Participate in the investigation of serious financial crime acting as advisor or investigating officer and execute search warrants in respect of special procedure material as appropriate. Liaise with agencies particularly the SFO and CPS HQ when necessary to maintain direction of an investigation and ensure a satisfactory conclusion is reached.
- Manage and support the pro-active development of crime prevention initiatives and the fostering of relationships with the business community in order to raise awareness of current fraud trends to reduce the levels of fraud within the Force area.
- Analyse performance data in order to assess the quality of service being given by SECU and provide statistical information to supervisors on request.
- Attend department and T & CG meetings. Produce adhoc reports as requested by supervisors.
Vetting level:
Management Vetting required.
Necessary experience:
This post is deemed to be a designated post.
Vetting clearance is a pre-requisite of employment in designated posts and the post holder will be subject to management vetting assessment every 7 years. National security vetting clearances are reviewed every 10 years.
Behaviours:
Analyse Critically (Level 2)
I ensure that the best available evidence from a wide range of sources is taken into account when making decisions. I think about different perspectives and motivations when reviewing information and how this may influence key points. I ask incisive questions to test out facts and assumptions, questioning and challenging the information provided when necessary. I understand when to balance decisive action with due consideration. I recognise patterns, themes and connections between several and diverse sources of information and the best available evidence. I identify when I need to take action on the basis of limited information and think about how to mitigate the risks in doing so. I challenge others to ensure that decisions are made in alignment with our mission, values and the Code of Ethics.
Collaborative (Level 2)
I manage relationships and partnerships for the long term, sharing information and building trust to find the best solutions. I help create joined-up solutions across organisational and geographical boundaries, partner organisations and those the police serve. I understand the local partnership context, helping me to use a range of tailored steps to build support. I work with our partners to decide who is best placed to take the lead on initiatives. I try to anticipate our partners' needs and take action to address these. I do not make assumptions. I check that our partners are getting what they need from the police service. I build commitment from others (including the public) to work together to deliver agreed outcomes.
Deliver, Support and Inspire (Level 2)
I give clear direction and expectations, helping others to understand how their work operates in the wider context. I identify barriers that inhibit performance in my teams and take steps to resolve these, enabling others to perform. I lead the public and / or colleagues, where appropriate, during incidents or through the provision of advice and support. I ensure the efficient use of resources to create the most value and the right impact within my areas. I keep track of changes in the external environment, anticipating both the short and long term potential implications for the Police Service. I motivate and inspire others to achieve their best.
Emotionally Aware (Level 2)
I consider the perspectives of people from a wide range of backgrounds before taking action. I adapt my style and approach according to the needs of the people I am working with, using my own behaviour to achieve the best outcome. I promote a culture that values diversity and encourages challenge. I encourage reflective practice among others and take the time to support others to understand reactions and behaviours. I take responsibility for helping to ensuring the emotional well being of those in my teams. I take the responsibility to deal with any inappropriate behaviours.
Innovative and Open-minded (Level 2)
I explore a number of different sources of information and use a variety of tools when faced with a problem and look for good practice that is not always from policing. I am able to spot opportunities or threats which may influence how I go about my job in the future by using knowledge of trends, new thinking about policing and changing demographics in the population. I am flexible in my approach, changing my plans to make sure that I have the best impact. I encourage others to be creative and take appropriate risks. I share my explorations and understanding of the wider internal and external environment.
Take Ownership (Level 2)
I proactively create a culture of ownership within my areas of work and support others to display personal responsibility. I take responsibility for making improvements to policies, processes and procedures, actively encouraging others to contribute their ideas. I am accountable for the decisions my team make and the activities within our teams. I take personal responsibility for seeing events through to a satisfactory conclusion and for correcting any problems both promptly and openly. I actively encourage and support learning within my teams and colleagues.
Values:
Impartiality (Accredited)
I take into account individual needs and requirements in all of my actions. I understand that treating everyone fairly does not mean everyone is treated the same. I always give people an equal opportunity to express their views. I communicate with everyone, making sure the most relevant message is provided to all. I value everyone's views and opinions by actively listening to understand their perspective. I make fair and objective decisions using the best available evidence. I enable everyone to have equal access to services and information, where appropriate.
Integrity (Accredited)
I always act in line with the values of the police service and the Code of Ethics for the benefit of the public. I demonstrate courage in doing the right thing, even in challenging situations. I enhance the reputation of my organisation and the wider police service through my actions and behaviours. I challenge colleagues whose behaviour, attitude and language falls below the public's and the service's expectations. I am open and responsive to challenge about my actions and words. I declare any conflicts of interest at the earliest opportunity. I am respectful of the authority and influence my position gives me. I use resources effectively and efficiently and not for personal benefit.
Public Service (Accredited)
I act in the interest of the public, first and foremost. I am motivated by serving the public, ensuring that I provide the best service possible at all times. I seek to understand the needs of others to act in their best interests. I adapt to address the needs and concerns of different communities. I tailor my communication to be appropriate and respectful to my audience. I take into consideration how others want to be treated when interacting with them. I treat people respectfully regardless of the circumstances. I share credit with everyone involved in delivering services.
Transparency (Accredited)
I ensure that my decision-making rationale is clear and considered so that it is easily understood by others. I am clear and comprehensive when communicating with others. I am open and honest about my areas for development and I strive to improve. I give an accurate representation of my actions and records. I recognise the value of feedback and act on it. I give constructive and accurate feedback. I represent the opinions of others accurately and consistently. I am consistent and truthful in my communications. I maintain confidentiality appropriately.
Technical skills:
Budget Management (Level 5)
Knows how to access and request routine financial management information, to inform decision making. Considers alternative courses of action having discussed the financial implications with the budget manager. Is able to produce costed options for consideration by the budget holder.
Crime Investigation (Level 5)
Supervises and co-ordinates the activities of other investigators providing advice and guidance on the whole range of investigation techniques, policies and procedures. Acts as a Case Review Officer. Pro-actively uses information gained form external agencies and the intelligence unit. Undertakes detailed and comprehensive case investigations.
Forensic - Crime Scene Management (Level 4)
Demonstrates a sound working knowledge of a broad range of forensic science services and of all relevant legislation, policies and procedures. Can identify and has practical experience of off-setting scene parameters, securing the scene, identifying, clearing and marking a common approach path. Is aware of the need to control access to the scene and is confident in enforcing this control. Understands the responsibilities of others within a scene and is able to advise colleagues as necessary.
Fraud (Level 6)
Possesses an extensive knowledge of the various services/agencies who are involved in the investigation and prosecution of fraud. Able to determine the scope and type of inter-agency co-operation to be employed. Supervises and co-ordinates the activities of teams of investigators in serious and complex cases.
Health & Safety (Level 5)
Has received training which enables the effective completion of risk assessments and Health and Safety inspections of premises. Identifies defects or hazards and takes action to resolve any apparent health and safety issues within an area or department. Fully accepts responsibility for the safety of members of staff, as well as visitors and contractors. Monitors the application of health and safety related procedures for the area or department. Possession of a certificate level qualification in Health and Safety is desirable.
Information Management & Technology (Level 6)
Possesses extensive knowledge of police systems and other available data sources and the circumstances under which access can be obtained - local, county-wide, national. Can conduct complex, multi-level computer searches to meet non-specific requests and/or can identify IT solutions to meet business needs.Can collect, manipulate, and synthesise search results, train on individual systems and/or support users in finding solutions.
Intelligence Gathering & Analysis (Level 4)
Able to analyse basic intelligence submitted and/or make decisions about whether it should be followed up or not. If further research is necessary, be able to carry out that task or delegate to another officer. If required, be able to put together basic information packages for others based on the intelligence gained.
Interviewing - General (Level 4)
Has received some training in reliable interviewing techniques and is able to apply these techniques fairly, consistently and to good effect. Identifies the key issues for examination and tests these using open and probing questions. Identifies weaknesses and inconsistencies in the account and seeks clarification. Keeps good written records of the interview for future
Interviewing - Suspects (Level 4)
Experienced in using the PEACE model. Able to manage an encounter with a solicitor practising 'active defence'. Able to effectively apply an up to date and in depth knowledge of legislation relevant to interviewing and fully understands the implications of S76/78 PACE.
Interviewing - Witnesses (Level 4)
Able to interview vulnerable victims and child witnesses. Considers the best environment in which to interview and consults with outside agencies. Able to effectively conduct video interviews.
Knowledge of Legislation and Policy (Level 5)
Has a thorough understanding of the responsibilities of the police and all other participants in the legal process. Has overall responsibility for advising other officers on the application of all legislation, policy and procedure relevant to the current role. Confident in the application of the complaints procedure and policy, able to initiate an investigation, where this is warranted, and secure relevant evidence.
Mgmt of Police Information (MOPI) (Level 5)
Has sufficient understanding of the NPCC records management policies be able to offer appropriate guidance and support to staff. Is able to identify the appropriate MOPI group for any record with a policing purpose and ensure that all policing records within the team are retained, reviewed or destroyed in line with the MOPI codes of practice. Quality assures staff to ensure a full understanding and compliance with the APP for Information Management (incorporating MOPI guidance), highlighting failings and taking appropriate action as required. Ensures training and / or refresher training is provided and completed. Ensures that systems are correctly linked together to ensure effective management and recording of information across systems. Appropriately reviews digital information held on system(s) and physical records in storage to ensure that they are retained only where there is a policing purpose. Complies with relevant policies and procedures in respect of prioritisation, sanitisation, dissemination, sharing, relevancy, accuracy, adequacy and timeliness.
Risk Management (Level 5)
Able to anticipate, accurately define and establish the relative level of risk likely to affect their specialist function, in terms of likelihood and impact, together with how the challenges facing the wider organisation might affect their role within the force. Assesses the risks of national initiatives providing feedback at the relevant level. Has an understanding of pathways to alert all appropriate senior managers to flawed or ineffective control strategies and provide continuity/recovery options. Has an appreciation that seizing opportunities also generates risks.
Search (Level 4)
Has a high level of search awareness and handling of exhibits seized. Is able to co-ordinate searches and collate associated items seized and ensure their integrity, security and continuity for any future court case.
Surveillance - Equipment (Level 3)
Has an appreciation of where surveillance equipment is available and where to go to call for support and/or is aware of the Police Scientific Development Branch principals regarding CCTV and their practical application within the community. Has a working knowledge of CCTV systems used in town centres and commercial premises.
Target Surveillance (Level 3)
Has a good general awareness of the work of the target referral teams, understands the quality requirements of cases to be referred to these specialist teams and what needs to be done to put together target packages.
Vulnerable Victims (Level 3)
Has a working knowledge of the responsibilities of the police in respect of child protection, domestic violence and other vulnerable victims and persons in custody. Is aware of the basic person at risk procedure and knows how to begin the process. Is aware of the need for all vulnerable victims to be dealt with in a thoughtful and understanding manner and demonstrates the skill of being able to talk to people in distress. Has a working knowledge of law and procedure. | https://www.essex.police.uk/police-forces/essex-police/areas/essex-police/ca/job-descriptions/job-descriptions/secu-financial-investigations-di/ |
TIME FOR SAVORY! I know, I know, I’ve been sharing dessert recipes to the point that my life appeared to consist of nothing but sugar and butter (aka a standard baker’s life). Well, I do cook as well. So if you’re looking for an easy Chinese dinner recipe for a family feast, you found the right place.
The reason why I finally decided to post a savory dish on my blog is that it means something more than just one of my favourite chinese dishes. It is a dish that represents the start of my true cooking journey. This dish was among the very first dishes I made on my own for a purpose: international dinner, a “tradition” that everyone had to follow in our shared student apartment to showcase our own home cuisines way back during my exchange. I had panicked so much due to my lack of cooking experiences at the time (I tried to look up as many Chinese/HK recipes as I could online and I felt as f lots of my brains cells died in the process haha). But, phew, I did a pretty good job in the end and my friends were all impressed! Many had asked me why I became so passionate about cooking, and now you know why.
Back to the actual food. To me, hands down, the thing that I like the most about Chinese cooking is its extensive use of “Sweet & Sour” – I know you feel it too, it is truly addictive. The proof is its popularity in the Chinese take-outs in foreign countries. Honestly, as someone who was born and raised in Hong Kong, I still can’t resist ordering sweet and sour pork every single time I dine in a Chinese restaurant.
Regarding the dish, please don’t worry about the sauce being overly sour, because the sourness of the Chinkiang (or Zhenjiang) vinegar will be nicely balanced by the sweetness of sugar to become the yummiest sauce ever. Just prepare yourself a bowl of rice to have with it and you’re so good to go. I made this for my family and fingers crossed that they’ll like it. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 2 pork ribs, each cut into 3 pieces
- Marinade:
- 2 tbsp corn flour
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- Marinade:
- 1 small ginger piece, cut into thin slices
- 4 garlic cloves, cut into thin slices
- 2 shallots, cut into thin slices
- 1 large onion (or 2 small onions), cut into small chunks
- 1 1/2 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp raw sugar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) Chinkiang vinegar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) water
- 1 rock sugar (but if you don’t have it, use 4 tbsp raw sugar instead)
- some roasted white sesame seeds
Instructions:
- Wash the spare ribs under running water, drain and dry well with kitchen towel.
- Cut each spare rib into 3 sections
- Marinade the spare ribs with corn flour, light soy sauce and white pepper for at least an hour.
- Heat your pan with medium high heat. Add in spare ribs, cook each side for 2 mins until golden brown.
- Add in gingers, garlic, and shallots, stir well and sauté until they become fragrant.
- Add Shaoxing cooking wine, dark soy sauce, and sugar, stir well.
- Add Chinkiang vinegar, water, and sugar, stir well.
- Bring to boil, braise over low heat for 30-45 mins until ribs become tender and sauce thickens.
- When served, sprinkle roasted white sesame seeds on top. | https://koalifiedbaking.com/2018/01/13/chinkiang-vinegar-sweet-and-sour-spare-ribs-%EF%BC%88%E9%8E%AE%E6%B1%9F%E7%B3%96%E9%86%8B%E6%8E%92%EF%BC%89/ |
COUMADIN can cause major or fatal bleeding [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Perform regular monitoring of INR in all treated patients [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
Drugs, dietary changes, and other factors affect INR levels achieved with COUMADIN therapy [see DRUG INTERACTIONS].
Instruct patients about prevention measures to minimize risk of bleeding and to report signs and symptoms of bleeding [see PATIENT INFORMATION].
Crystalline warfarin sodium occurs as a white, odorless, crystalline powder that is discolored by light. It is very soluble in water, freely soluble in alcohol, and very slightly soluble in chloroform and ether.
Prophylaxis and treatment of venous thrombosis and its extension, pulmonary embolism (PE).
Prophylaxis and treatment of thromboembolic complications associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) and/or cardiac valve replacement.
Reduction in the risk of death, recurrent myocardial infarction (MI), and thromboembolic events such as stroke or systemic embolization after myocardial infarction.
COUMADIN has no direct effect on an established thrombus, nor does it reverse ischemic tissue damage. Once a thrombus has occurred, however, the goals of anticoagulant treatment are to prevent further extension of the formed clot and to prevent secondary thromboembolic complications that may result in serious and possibly fatal sequelae.
The dosage and administration of COUMADIN must be individualized for each patient according to the patient’s INR response to the drug. Adjust the dose based on the patient’s INR and the condition being treated. Consult the latest evidence-based clinical practice guidelines regarding the duration and intensity of anticoagulation for the indicated conditions.
An INR of greater than 4.0 appears to provide no additional therapeutic benefit in mos patients and is associated with a higher risk of bleeding.
Adjust the warfarin dose to maintain a target INR of 2.5 (INR range, 2.0-3.0) for all treatment durations.
For patients with a DVT or PE secondary to a transient (reversible) risk factor, treatment with warfarin for 3 months is recommended.
For patients with an unprovoked DVT or PE, treatment with warfarin is recommended for at least 3 months. After 3 months of therapy, evaluate the risk-benefit ratio of long-term treatment for the individual patient.
For patients with two episodes of unprovoked DVT or PE, long-term treatment with warfarin is recommended. For a patient receiving long-term anticoagulant treatment, periodically reassess the risk-benefit ratio of continuing such treatment in the individual patient.
In patients with non-valvular AF, anticoagulate with warfarin to target INR of 2.5 (range, 2.0-3.0).
In patients with non-valvular AF that is persistent or paroxysmal and at high risk of stroke (i.e., having any of the following features: prior ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, or systemic embolism, or 2 of the following risk factors: age greater than 75 years, moderately or severely impaired left ventricular systolic function and/or heart failure, history of hypertension, or diabetes mellitus), long-term anticoagulation with warfarin is recommended.
In patients with non-valvular AF that is persistent or paroxysmal and at an intermediate risk of ischemic stroke (i.e., having 1 of the following risk factors: age greater than 75 years, moderately or severely impaired left ventricular systolic function and/or heart failure, history of hypertension, or diabetes mellitus), long-term anticoagulation with warfarin is recommended.
For patients with AF and mitral stenosis, long-term anticoagulation with warfarin is recommended.
For patients with AF and prosthetic heart valves, long-term anticoagulation with warfarin is recommended; the target INR may be increased and aspirin added depending on valve type and position, and on patient factors.
For patients with a bileaflet mechanical valve or a Medtronic Hall (Minneapolis, MN) tilting disk valve in the aortic position who are in sinus rhythm and without left atrial enlargement, therapy with warfarin to a target INR of 2.5 (range, 2.0-3.0) is recommended.
For patients with tilting disk valves and bileaflet mechanical valves in the mitral position, therapy with warfarin to a target INR of 3.0 (range, 2.5-3.5) is recommended.
For patients with caged ball or caged disk valves, therapy with warfarin to a target INR of 3.0 (range, 2.5-3.5) is recommended.
For patients with a bioprosthetic valve in the mitral position, therapy with warfarin to a target INR of 2.5 (range, 2.0-3.0) for the first 3 months after valve insertion is recommended. If additional risk factors for thromboembolism are present (AF, previous thromboembolism, left ventricular dysfunction), a target INR of 2.5 (range, 2.0-3.0) is recommended.
For high-risk patients with MI (e.g., those with a large anterior MI, those with significant heart failure, those with intracardiac thrombus visible on transthoracic echocardiography, those with AF, and those with a history of a thromboembolic event), therapy with combined moderateintensity (INR, 2.0-3.0) warfarin plus low-dose aspirin (≤100 mg/day) for at least 3 months after the MI is recommended.
Oral anticoagulation therapy with warfarin has not been fully evaluated by clinical trials in patients with valvular disease associated with AF, patients with mitral stenosis, and patients with recurrent systemic embolism of unknown etiology. However, a moderate dose regimen (INR 2.0-3.0) may be used for these patients.
Genetic factors (CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotypes) [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
Select the initial dose based on the expected maintenance dose, taking into account the above factors. Modify this dose based on consideration of patient-specific clinical factors. Consider lower initial and maintenance doses for elderly and/or debilitated patients and in Asian patients [see Use In Specific Populations and CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY]. Routine use of loading doses is not recommended as this practice may increase hemorrhagic and other complications and does not offer more rapid protection against clot formation.
Individualize the duration of therapy for each patient. In general, anticoagulant therapy should be continued until the danger of thrombosis and embolism has passed [see Recommended Target INR Ranges And Durations For Individual Indications].
If the patient’s CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotypes are not known, the initial dose of COUMADIN is usually 2 to 5 mg once daily. Determine each patient’s dosing needs by close monitoring of the INR response and consideration of the indication being treated. Typical maintenance doses are 2 to 10 mg once daily.
Table 1 displays three ranges of expected maintenance COUMADIN doses observed in subgroups of patients having different combinations of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 gene variants [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY]. If the patient’s CYP2C9 and/or VKORC1 genotype are known, consider these ranges in choosing the initial dose. Patients with CYP2C9 *1/*3, *2/*2, *2/*3, and *3/*3 may require more prolonged time (>2 to 4 weeks) to achieve maximum INR effect for a given dosage regimen than patients without these CYP variants.
†Ranges are derived from multiple published clinical studies. VKORC1 –1639G>A (rs9923231) variant is used in this table. Other co-inherited VKORC1 variants may also be important determinants of warfarin dose.
COUMADIN has a narrow therapeutic range (index), and its action may be affected by factors such as other drugs and dietary vitamin K. Therefore, anticoagulation must be carefully monitored during COUMADIN therapy. Determine the INR daily after the administration of the initial dose until INR results stabilize in the therapeutic range. After stabilization, maintain dosing within the therapeutic range by performing periodic INRs. The frequency of performing INR should be based on the clinical situation but generally acceptable intervals for INR determinations are 1 to 4 weeks. Perform additional INR tests when other warfarin products are interchanged with COUMADIN, as well as whenever other medications are initiated, discontinued, or taken irregularly. Heparin, a common concomitant drug, increases the INR [see Conversion From Other Anticoagulants and DRUG INTERACTIONS].
Determinations of whole blood clotting and bleeding times are not effective measures for monitoring of COUMADIN therapy.
No dosage adjustment is necessary for patients with renal failure. Monitor INR more frequently in patients with compromised renal function to maintain INR within the therapeutic range [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS and Use In Specific Populations].
The anticoagulant effect of COUMADIN persists beyond 24 hours. If a patient misses a dose of COUMADIN at the intended time of day, the patient should take the dose as soon as possible on the same day. The patient should not double the dose the next day to make up for a missed dose.
The intravenous dose of COUMADIN is the same as the oral dose. After reconstitution, administer COUMADIN for injection as a slow bolus injection into a peripheral vein over 1 to 2 minutes.
COUMADIN for injection is not recommended for intramuscular administration.
Reconstitute the vial with 2.7 mL of Sterile Water for Injection. The resulting yield is 2.5 mL of a 2 mg per mL solution (5 mg total). Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit. Do not use if particulate matter or discoloration is noted.
After reconstitution, COUMADIN for injection is stable for 4 hours at room temperature. It does not contain any antimicrobial preservative and, thus, care must be taken to assure the sterility of the prepared solution. The vial is for single use only, discard any unused solution.
Some dental or surgical procedures may necessitate the interruption or change in the dose of COUMADIN therapy. Consider the benefits and risks when discontinuing COUMADIN even for a short period of time. Determine the INR immediately prior to any dental or surgical procedure. In patients undergoing minimally invasive procedures who must be anticoagulated prior to, during, or immediately following these procedures, adjusting the dosage of COUMADIN to maintain the INR at the low end of the therapeutic range may safely allow for continued anticoagulation.
Since the full anticoagulant effect of COUMADIN is not achieved for several days, heparin is preferred for initial rapid anticoagulation. During initial therapy with COUMADIN, the interference with heparin anticoagulation is of minimal clinical significance. Conversion to COUMADIN may begin concomitantly with heparin therapy or may be delayed 3 to 6 days. To ensure therapeutic anticoagulation, continue full dose heparin therapy and overlap COUMADIN therapy with heparin for 4 to 5 days and until COUMADIN has produced the desired therapeutic response as determined by INR, at which point heparin may be discontinued.
24 hours after the last subcutaneous heparin injection.
COUMADIN may increase the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) test, even in the absence of heparin. A severe elevation (>50 seconds) in aPTT with an INR in the desired range has been identified as an indication of increased risk of postoperative hemorrhage.
Consult the labeling of other anticoagulants for instructions on conversion to COUMADIN.
For injection: 5 mg, lyophilized powder in a single-dose vial.
Protect from light and moisture. Store at controlled room temperature (59°-86°F, 15°-30°C). Dispense in a tight, light-resistant container as defined in the USP.
Store the hospital unit-dose blister packages in the carton until contents have been used.
COUMADIN for injection vials yield 5 mg of warfarin after reconstitution with 2.7 mL of Sterile Water for Injection (maximum yield is 2.5 mL of a 2 mg/mL solution). Net content of vial is 5.4 mg lyophilized powder.
Protect from light. Keep vial in box until used. Store at controlled room temperature (59°-86°F, 15°- 30°C).
After reconstitution, store at controlled room temperature (59°-86°F, 15°-30°C) and use within 4 hours.
Do not refrigerate. Discard any unused solution.
Procedures for proper handling and disposal of potentially hazardous drugs should be considered.
Guidelines on this subject have been published [see REFERENCES].
Pharmacy and clinical personnel who are pregnant should avoid exposure to crushed or broken tablets [see Use In Specific Populations].
Hepatobiliary disorders: hepatitis, elevated liver enzymes. Cholestatic hepatitis has been associated with concomitant administration of COUMADIN and ticlopidine.
Drugs may interact with COUMADIN through pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic mechanisms. Pharmacodynamic mechanisms for drug interactions with COUMADIN are synergism (impaired hemostasis, reduced clotting factor synthesis), competitive antagonism (vitamin K), and alteration of the physiologic control loop for vitamin K metabolism (hereditary resistance). Pharmacokinetic mechanisms for drug interactions with COUMADIN are mainly enzyme induction, enzyme inhibition, and reduced plasma protein binding. It is important to note that some drugs may interact by more than one mechanism. More frequent INR monitoring should be performed when starting or stopping other drugs, including botanicals, or when changing dosages of other drugs, including drugs intended for short-term use (e.g., antibiotics, antifungals, corticosteroids) [see BOX WARNING].
CYP450 isozymes involved in the metabolism of warfarin include CYP2C9, 2C19, 2C8, 2C18, 1A2, and 3A4. The more potent warfarin S-enantiomer is metabolized by CYP2C9 while the R-enantiomer is metabolized by CYP1A2 and 3A4.
Inhibitors of CYP2C9, 1A2, and/or 3A4 have the potential to increase the effect (increase INR) of warfarin by increasing the exposure of warfarin.
Inducers of CYP2C9, 1A2, and/or 3A4 have the potential to decrease the effect (decrease INR) of warfarin by decreasing the exposure of warfarin.
Some botanicals may cause bleeding events when taken alone (e.g., garlic and Ginkgo biloba) and may have anticoagulant, antiplatelet, and/or fibrinolytic properties. These effects would be expected to be additive to the anticoagulant effects of COUMADIN. Conversely, some botanicals may decrease the effects of COUMADIN (e.g., co-enzyme Q10, St. John ’s wort, ginseng). Some botanicals and foods can interact with COUMADIN through CYP450 interactions (e.g., echinacea, grapefruit juice, ginkgo, goldenseal, St. John’s wort).
COUMADIN can cause major or fatal bleeding. Bleeding is more likely to occur within the first month. Risk factors for bleeding include high intensity of anticoagulation (INR >4.0), age greater than or equal to 65, history of highly variable INRs, history of gastrointestinal bleeding, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, anemia, malignancy, trauma, renal impairment, certain genetic factors [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY], certain concomitant drugs [see DRUG INTERACTIONS], and long duration of warfarin therapy.
Drugs, dietary changes, and other factors affect INR levels achieved with COUMADIN therapy. Perform more frequent INR monitoring when starting or stopping other drugs, including botanicals, or when changing dosages of other drugs [see DRUG INTERACTIONS].
Fatal and serious calciphylaxis or calcium uremic arteriolopathy has been reported in patients with and without end-stage renal disease. When calciphylaxis is diagnosed in these patients, discontinue COUMADIN and treat calciphylaxis as appropriate. Consider alternative anticoagulation therapy.
In patients with altered glomerular integrity or with a history of kidney disease, acute kidney injury may occur with COUMADIN, possibly in relation to episodes of excessive anticoagulation and hematuria [see Use In Specific Populations]. More frequent monitoring of anticoagulation is advised in patients with compromised renal function.
COUMADIN can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. While COUMADIN is contraindicated during pregnancy, the potential benefits of using COUMADIN may outweigh the risks for pregnant women with mechanical heart valves at high risk of thromboembolism. In those individual situations, the decision to initiate or continue COUMADIN should be reviewed with the patient, taking into consideration the specific risks and benefits pertaining to the individual patient’s medical situation, as well as the most current medical guidelines. COUMADIN exposure during pregnancy causes a recognized pattern of major congenital malformations (warfarin embryopathy and fetotoxicity), fatal fetal hemorrhage, and an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and fetal mortality. If this drug is used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant while taking this drug, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to a fetus [see Use In Specific Populations].
Deficiency in protein C-mediated anticoagulant response: COUMADIN reduces the synthesis of the naturally occurring anticoagulants, protein C and protein S. Hereditary or acquired deficiencies of protein C or its cofactor, protein S, have been associated with tissue necrosis following warfarin administration. Concomitant anticoagulation therapy with heparin for 5 to 7 days during initiation of therapy with COUMADIN may minimize the incidence of tissue necrosis in these patients.
Eye surgery: In cataract surgery, COUMADIN use was associated with a significant increase in minor complications of sharp needle and local anesthesia block but not associated with potentially sightthreatening operative hemorrhagic complications. As COUMADIN cessation or reduction may lead to serious thromboembolic complications, the decision to discontinue COUMADIN before a relatively less invasive and complex eye surgery, such as lens surgery, should be based upon the risks of anticoagulant therapy weighed against the benefits.
Strictly adhere to the prescribed dosage schedule [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
If the prescribed dose of COUMADIN is missed, take the dose as soon as possible on the same day but do not take a double dose of COUMADIN the next day to make up for missed doses [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
Obtain prothrombin time tests and make regular visits to their physician or clinic to monitor therapy [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION] .
Be aware that if therapy with COUMADIN is discontinued, the anticoagulant effects of COUMADIN may persist for about 2 to 5 days [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
Avoid any activity or sport that may result in traumatic injury [see Use In Specific Populations]. And to tell their physician if they fall often as this may increase their risk for complications.
Eat a normal, balanced diet to maintain a consistent intake of vitamin K. Avoid drastic changes in dietary habits, such as eating large amounts of leafy, green vegetables [see DRUG INTERACTIONS].
Contact their physician to report any serious illness, such as severe diarrhea, infection, or fever [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS and ADVERSE REACTIONS].
Carry identification stating that they are taking COUMADIN.
Notify their physician immediately if any unusual bleeding or symptoms occur. Signs and symptoms of bleeding include: pain, swelling or discomfort, prolonged bleeding from cuts, increased menstrual flow or vaginal bleeding, nosebleeds, bleeding of gums from brushing, unusual bleeding or bruising, red or dark brown urine, red or tar black stools, headache, dizziness, or weakness [see BOX WARNING and WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Not take or discontinue any other drug, including salicylates (e.g., aspirin and topical analgesics), other over-the-counter drugs, and botanical (herbal) products except on advice of your physician [see DRUG INTERACTIONS].
if they are considering breastfeeding [see Use In Specific Populations].
Carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, or fertility studies have not been performed with warfarin.
COUMADIN is contraindicated in women who are pregnant except in pregnant women with mechanical heart valves, who are at high risk of thromboembolism, and for whom the benefits of COUMADIN may outweigh the risks [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]. COUMADIN can cause fetal harm. Exposure to warfarin during the first trimester of pregnancy caused a pattern of congenital malformations in about 5% of exposed offspring. Because these data were not collected in adequate and well-controlled studies, this incidence of major birth defects is not an adequate basis for comparison to the estimated incidences in the control group or the U.S. general population and may not reflect the incidences observed in practice. Consider the benefits and risks of COUMADIN and possible risks to the fetus when prescribing COUMADIN to a pregnant woman.
Adverse outcomes in pregnancy occur regardless of the health of the mother or the use of medications. The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively.
In humans, warfarin crosses the placenta, and concentrations in fetal plasma approach the maternal values. Exposure to warfarin during the first trimester of pregnancy caused a pattern of congenital malformations in about 5% of exposed offspring. Warfarin embryopathy is characterized by nasal hypoplasia with or without stippled epiphyses (chondrodysplasia punctata) and growth retardation (including low birth weight). Central nervous system and eye abnormalities have also been reported, including dorsal midline dysplasia characterized by agenesis of the corpus callosum, Dandy-Walker malformation, midline cerebellar atrophy, and ventral midline dysplasia characterized by optic atrophy. Mental retardation, blindness, schizencephaly, microcephaly, hydrocephalus, and other adverse pregnancy outcomes have been reported following warfarin exposure during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy [see CONTRAINDICATIONS].
Warfarin was not present in human milk from mothers treated with warfarin from a limited published study. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions, including bleeding in a breastfed infant, consider the developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding along with the mother’s clinical need for COUMADIN and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from COUMADIN or from the underlying maternal condition before prescribing COUMADIN to a lactating woman.
Monitor breastfeeding infants for bruising or bleeding.
Based on published data in 15 nursing mothers, warfarin was not detected in human milk. Among the 15 full-term newborns, 6 nursing infants had documented prothrombin times within the expected range. Prothrombin times were not obtained for the other 9 nursing infants. Effects in premature infants have not been evaluated.
COUMADIN can cause fetal harm [see Use In Specific Populations].
Verify the pregnancy status of females of reproductive potential prior to initiating COUMADIN therapy.
Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment and for at least 1 month after the final dose of COUMADIN.
Adequate and well-controlled studies with COUMADIN have not been conducted in any pediatric population, and the optimum dosing, safety, and efficacy in pediatric patients is unknown. Pediatric use of COUMADIN is based on adult data and recommendations, and available limited pediatric data from observational studies and patient registries. Pediatric patients administered COUMADIN should avoid any activity or sport that may result in traumatic injury.
The developing hemostatic system in infants and children results in a changing physiology of thrombosis and response to anticoagulants. Dosing of warfarin in the pediatric population varies by patient age, with infants generally having the highest, and adolescents having the lowest milligram per kilogram dose requirements to maintain target INRs. Because of changing warfarin requirements due to age, concomitant medications, diet, and existing medical condition, target INR ranges may be difficult to achieve and maintain in pediatric patients, and more frequent INR determinations are recommended.
Bleeding rates varied by patient population and clinical care center in pediatric observational studies and patient registries.
Infants and children receiving vitamin K-supplemented nutrition, including infant formulas, may be resistant to warfarin therapy, while human milk-fed infants may be sensitive to warfarin therapy.
Of the total number of patients receiving warfarin sodium in controlled clinical trials for which data were available for analysis, 1885 patients (24.4%) were 65 years and older, while 185 patients (2.4%) were 75 years and older. No overall differences in effectiveness or safety were observed between these patients and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out.
Patients 60 years or older appear to exhibit greater than expected INR response to the anticoagulant effects of warfarin [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY]. COUMADIN is contraindicated in any unsupervised patient with senility. Observe caution with administration of COUMADIN to elderly patients in any situation or with any physical condition where added risk of hemorrhage is present. Consider lower initiation and maintenance doses of COUMADIN in elderly patients [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
Renal clearance is considered to be a minor determinant of anticoagulant response to warfarin. No dosage adjustment is necessary for patients with renal impairment. Instruct patients with renal impairment taking warfarin to monitor their INR more frequently [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Hepatic impairment can potentiate the response to warfarin through impaired synthesis of clotting factors and decreased metabolism of warfarin. Use caution when using COUMADIN in these patients.
Bleeding (e.g., appearance of blood in stools or urine, hematuria, excessive menstrual bleeding, melena, petechiae, excessive bruising or persistent oozing from superficial injuries, unexplained fall in hemoglobin) is a manifestation of excessive anticoagulation.
The treatment of excessive anticoagulation is based on the level of the INR, the presence or absence of bleeding, and clinical circumstances. Reversal of COUMADIN anticoagulation may be obtained by discontinuing COUMADIN therapy and, if necessary, by administration of oral or parenteral vitamin K1 .
The use of vitamin K1 reduces response to subsequent COUMADIN therapy and patients may return to a pretreatment thrombotic status following the rapid reversal of a prolonged INR. Resumption of COUMADIN administration reverses the effect of vitamin K, and a therapeutic INR can again be obtained by careful dosage adjustment. If rapid re-anticoagulation is indicated, heparin may be preferable for initial therapy.
Prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC), fresh frozen plasma, or activated Factor VII treatment may be considered if the requirement to reverse the effects of COUMADIN is urgent. A risk of hepatitis and other viral diseases is associated with the use of blood products; PCC and activated Factor VII are also associated with an increased risk of thrombosis. Therefore, these preparations should be used only in exceptional or life-threatening bleeding episodes secondary to COUMADIN overdosage.
COUMADIN is contraindicated in women who are pregnant except in pregnant women with mechanical heart valves, who are at high risk of thromboembolism [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS and Use In Specific Populations]. COUMADIN can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. COUMADIN exposure during pregnancy causes a recognized pattern of major congenital malformations (warfarin embryopathy and fetotoxicity), fatal fetal hemorrhage, and an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and fetal mortality. If COUMADIN is used during pregnancy or if the patient becomes pregnant while taking this drug, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to a fetus [see Use In Specific Populations].
Warfarin acts by inhibiting the synthesis of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors, which include Factors II, VII, IX, and X, and the anticoagulant proteins C and S. Vitamin K is an essential cofactor for the post ribosomal synthesis of the vitamin K-dependent clotting factors. Vitamin K promotes the biosynthesis of γ-carboxyglutamic acid residues in the proteins that are essential for biological activity. Warfarin is thought to interfere with clotting factor synthesis by inhibition of the C1 subunit of vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKORC1) enzyme complex, thereby reducing the regeneration of vitamin K1 epoxide [see Pharmacogenomics].
An anticoagulation effect generally occurs within 24 hours after warfarin administration. However, peak anticoagulant effect may be delayed 72 to 96 hours. The duration of action of a single dose of racemic warfarin is 2 to 5 days. The effects of COUMADIN may become more pronounced as effects of daily maintenance doses overlap. This is consistent with the half-lives of the affected vitamin Kdependent clotting factors and anticoagulation proteins: Factor II - 60 hours, VII - 4 to 6 hours, IX - 24 hours, X - 48 to 72 hours, and proteins C and S are approximately 8 hours and 30 hours, respectively.
COUMADIN is a racemic mixture of the R- and S-enantiomers of warfarin. The S-enantiomer exhibits 2 to 5 times more anticoagulant activity than the R-enantiomer in humans, but generally has a more rapid clearance.
Warfarin is essentially completely absorbed after oral administration, with peak concentration generally attained within the first 4 hours.
Warfarin distributes into a relatively small apparent volume of distribution of about 0.14 L/kg. A distribution phase lasting 6 to 12 hours is distinguishable after rapid intravenous or oral administration of an aqueous solution. Approximately 99% of the drug is bound to plasma proteins.
The elimination of warfarin is almost entirely by metabolism. Warfarin is stereoselectively metabolized by hepatic cytochrome P-450 (CYP450) microsomal enzymes to inactive hydroxylated metabolites (predominant route) and by reductases to reduced metabolites (warfarin alcohols) with minimal anticoagulant activity. Identified metabolites of warfarin include dehydrowarfarin, two diastereoisomer alcohols, and 4’-, 6-, 7-, 8-, and 10-hydroxywarfarin. The CYP450 isozymes involved in the metabolism of warfarin include CYP2C9, 2C19, 2C8, 2C18, 1A2, and 3A4. CYP2C9, a polymorphic enzyme, is likely to be the principal form of human liver CYP450 that modulates the in vivo anticoagulant activity of warfarin. Patients with one or more variant CYP2C9 alleles have decreased S-warfarin clearance [see Pharmacogenomics].
The terminal half-life of warfarin after a single dose is approximately 1 week; however, the effective half-life ranges from 20 to 60 hours, with a mean of about 40 hours. The clearance of R-warfarin is generally half that of S-warfarin, thus as the volumes of distribution are similar, the half-life of Rwarfarin is longer than that of S-warfarin. The half-life of R-warfarin ranges from 37 to 89 hours, while that of S-warfarin ranges from 21 to 43 hours. Studies with radiolabeled drug have demonstrated that up to 92% of the orally administered dose is recovered in urine. Very little warfarin is excreted unchanged in urine. Urinary excretion is in the form of metabolites.
Patients 60 years or older appear to exhibit greater than expected INR response to the anticoagulant effects of warfarin. The cause of the increased sensitivity to the anticoagulant effects of warfarin in this age group is unknown but may be due to a combination of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic factors. Limited information suggests there is no difference in the clearance of S-warfarin; however, there may be a slight decrease in the clearance of R-warfarin in the elderly as compared to the young. Therefore, as patient age increases, a lower dose of warfarin is usually required to produce a therapeutic level of anticoagulation [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
Asian patients may require lower initiation and maintenance doses of warfarin. A non-controlled study of 151 Chinese outpatients stabilized on warfarin for various indications reported a mean daily warfarin requirement of 3.3 ± 1.4 mg to achieve an INR of 2 to 2.5. Patient age was the most important determinant of warfarin requirement in these patients, with a progressively lower warfarin requirement with increasing age.
The S-enantiomer of warfarin is mainly metabolized to 7-hydroxywarfarin by CYP2C9, a polymorphic enzyme. The variant alleles, CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3, result in decreased in vitro CYP2C9 enzymatic 7-hydroxylation of S-warfarin. The frequencies of these alleles in Caucasians are approximately 11% and 7% for CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3, respectively.
Other CYP2C9 alleles associated with reduced enzymatic activity occur at lower frequencies, including *5, *6, and *11 alleles in populations of African ancestry and *5, *9, and *11 alleles in Caucasians.
Warfarin reduces the regeneration of vitamin K from vitamin K epoxide in the vitamin K cycle through inhibition of VKOR, a multiprotein enzyme complex. Certain single nucleotide polymorphisms in the VKORC1 gene (e.g., .1639G>A) have been associated with variable warfarin dose requirements.
VKORC1 and CYP2C9 gene variants generally explain the largest proportion of known variability in warfarin dose requirements.
CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotype information, when available, can assist in selection of the initial dose of warfarin [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
In five prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trials involving 3711 patients with non-rheumatic AF, warfarin significantly reduced the risk of systemic thromboembolism including stroke (see Table 4). The risk reduction ranged from 60% to 86% in all except one trial (CAFA: 45%), which was stopped early due to published positive results from two of these trials. The incidence of major bleeding in these trials ranged from 0.6% to 2.7% (see Table 4).
* All study results of warfarin vs. control are based on intention-to-treat analysis and include ischemic stroke and systemic thromboembolism, excluding hemorrhagic stroke and transient ischemic attacks.
Trials in patients with both AF and mitral stenosis suggest a benefit from anticoagulation with COUMADIN [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
In a prospective, randomized, open-label, positive-controlled study in 254 patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valves, the thromboembolic-free interval was found to be significantly greater in patients treated with warfarin alone compared with dipyridamole/aspirin-treated patients (p<0.005) and pentoxifylline/aspirin-treated patients (p<0.05). The results of this study are presented in Table 5.
In a prospective, open-label, clinical study comparing moderate (INR 2.65) versus high intensity (INR 9.0) warfarin therapies in 258 patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valves, thromboembolism occurred with similar frequency in the two groups (4.0 and 3.7 events per 100 patient years, respectively). Major bleeding was more common in the high intensity group. The results of this study are presented in Table 6.
In a randomized trial in 210 patients comparing two intensities of warfarin therapy (INR 2.0-2.25 vs. INR 2.5-4.0) for a three-month period following tissue heart valve replacement, thromboembolism occurred with similar frequency in the two groups (major embolic events 2.0% vs. 1.9%, respectively, and minor embolic events 10.8% vs. 10.2%, respectively). Major hemorrhages occurred in 4.6% of patients in the higher intensity INR group compared to zero in the lower intensity INR group.
WARIS (The Warfarin Re-Infarction Study) was a double-blind, randomized study of 1214 patients 2 to 4 weeks post-infarction treated with warfarin to a target INR of 2.8 to 4.8. The primary endpoint was a composite of total mortality and recurrent infarction. A secondary endpoint of cerebrovascular events was assessed. Mean follow-up of the patients was 37 months. The results for each endpoint separately, including an analysis of vascular death, are provided in Table 7.
WARIS II (The Warfarin, Aspirin, Re-Infarction Study) was an open-label, randomized study of 3630 patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction treated with warfarin to a target INR 2.8 to 4.2, aspirin 160 mg per day, or warfarin to a target INR 2.0 to 2.5 plus aspirin 75 mg per day prior to hospital discharge. The primary endpoint was a composite of death, nonfatal reinfarction, or thromboembolic stroke. The mean duration of observation was approximately 4 years. The results for WARIS II are provided in Table 8.
aMajor bleeding episodes were defined as nonfatal cerebral hemorrhage or bleeding necessitating surgical intervention or blood transfusion.
bThe rate ratio is for aspirin plus warfarin as compared with aspirin.
cThe rate ratio is for warfarin as compared with aspirin.
dMinor bleeding episodes were defined as non-cerebral hemorrhage not necessitating surgical intervention or blood transfusion.
eIncludes death, nonfatal reinfarction, and thromboembolic cerebral stroke.
What is the most important information I should know about COUMADIN?
take warfarin sodium for a long time. Warfarin sodium is the active ingredient in COUMADIN.
Tell your healthcare provider if you take any of these medicines . Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure if your medicine is one listed above.
Many other medicines can interact with COUMADIN and affect the dose you need or increase COUMADIN side effects. Do not change or stop any of your medicines or start any new medicines before you talk to your healthcare provider.
Do not take other medicines that contain warfarin sodium while taking COUMADIN.
Get your regular blood test to check for your response to COUMADIN. This blood test is called an INR test. The INR test checks to see how fast your blood clots. Your healthcare provider will decide what INR numbers are best for you. Your dose of COUMADIN will be adjusted to keep your INR in a target range for you.
Eat a normal, balanced diet. Talk to your healthcare provider before you make any diet changes. Do not eat large amounts of leafy, green vegetables. Leafy, green vegetables contain vitamin K. Certain vegetable oils also contain large amounts of vitamin K. Too much vitamin K can lower the effect of COUMADIN.
See “What are the possible side effects of COUMADIN?” for more information about side effects .
COUMADIN is prescription medicine used to treat blood clots and to lower the chance of blood clots forming in your body. Blood clots can cause a stroke, heart attack, or other serious conditions if they form in the legs or lungs.
Who should not take COUMADIN?
you are allergic to warfarin or any of the other ingredients in COUMADIN. See the end of this leaflet for a complete lis t of ingredients in COUMADIN.
Your healthcare provider will do a pregnancy test before you start treatment with COUMADIN. Females who can become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment, and for at least 1 month after the last dose of COUMADIN.
are breastfeeding. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will take COUMADIN and breastfeed. Check your baby for bruising or bleeding if you take COUMADIN and breastfeed.
Tell all of your healthcare providers and dentists that you are taking COUMADIN. They should talk to the healthcare provider who prescribed COUMADIN for you before you have any surgery or dental procedure. Your COUMADIN may need to be stopped for a short time or you may need your dose adjusted.
You must have regular blood tess and vis its with your healthcare provider to monitor your condition.
fall or injure yourself, especially if you hit your head. Your healthcare provider may need to check you.
What should I avoid while taking COUMADIN?
What are the possible side effects of COUMADIN?
Death of skin tissue (skin necros is or gangrene). This can happen soon after starting COUMADIN. It happens because blood clots form and block blood flow to an area of your body. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have pain, color, or temperature change to any area of your body. You may need medical care right away to prevent death or loss (amputation) of your affected body part.
Kidney problems. Kidney injury may happen in people who take COUMADIN. Tell your healthcare provider right away if develop blood in your urine.Your healthcare provider may do tests more often during treatment with COUMADIN to check for bleeding if you already have kidney problems.
These are not all of the side effects of COUMADIN. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1..800-FDA-1088.
How should I store COUMADIN?
Store COUMADIN at 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C).
Keep COUMADIN out of the light and moisture.
Follow your healthcare provider or pharmacist instructions about the right way to throw away outdated or unused COUMADIN.
Females who are pregnant should not handle crushed or broken COUMADIN tablets.
Keep COUMADIN and all medicines out of the reach of children.
General information about the safe and effective use of COUMADIN.
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. Do not use COUMADIN for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give COUMADIN to other people, even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm them.
You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about COUMADIN that is written for health professionals.
What are the ingredients in COUMADIN tablets? | https://www.rxlist.com/coumadin-drug.htm |
Explore our growing series of case studies highlighting the essential role family engagement plays in successful STEM programming.
Early Wins and Lessons Learned: How the Bay Area STEM Ecosystem Engages Families
In this case study, Drs. Kekelis and Sammet highlight the work of the Bay Area STEM Ecosystem, which aims to increase equity and access to STEM learning opportunities in underserved communities. First, Kekelis and Sammet lay out the problems the Ecosystem is trying to solve and give a high level overview of the Bay Area STEM Ecosystem’s approach to addressing them. Then, based on field observations and interviews, Kekelis and Sammet highlight both the successes and some missed opportunities from the first collaborative program of this Ecosystem. Both the successes of The Bay Area STEM Ecosystem–as well as the partners’ willingness to share and examine where they have room for refinements –illustrate the exemplary practice, leadership, and growth mindset of this group.
STEM Careers + Families: Learning from Centers and Museums
In today’s fast-paced, entertainment-focused world, the very best museums do so much more than provide rainy day activities that engage in the moment but lead nowhere. These institutions lay the groundwork for long-term interest and persistence in STEM. In this case study, Drs. Kekelis and Sammet showcase the work of the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). These museums are engaging families in innovative ways and making career exploration an important piece of their mission. Drs. Kekelis and Sammet interviewed leadership from NYSCI and OMSI to learn about their efforts and lessons learned in promoting career exploration with families. Four strategies emerged from conversations with NYSCI and OMSI for how museums can empower families and open doors to their children’s future in STEM.
Expanding Access and Inclusion in STEM through Culturally Responsive Family Engagement
What can we do differently to improve access to and inclusion in STEM? Include families! The research is clear and consistent: Families are among the biggest influence on youth outcomes, including in STEM, and especially for girls. Importantly, families don’t need to be STEM experts themselves or to have a STEM background in order to support youth in STEM. Informal STEM programs are perfectly placed to support parents and caregivers to encourage, broker and navigate.
Culturally responsive family engagement is both a strategy and a process that maximizes the unique strengths, interests, needs, and complexities of communities who are underrepresented in STEM. As an approach to equitable and inclusive education, culturally responsive STEM is sensitive to the historical disparity of power and privilege between providers and program participants, particularly with respect to cultural differences across race, language, religion, geography, language and nationality. Why is it important? Culturally responsive family engagement intentionally taps into family culture and history to develop curriculum that is engaging and meaningful.
In this case study, Drs. Sammet and Kekelis highlight best practices and lessons learned from two programs – Techbridge Girls and Code Next – that serve communities with important cultural differences across race/ethnicity, religion, geography, language and immigration status. This case study offers insights for both practitioners and funders of STEM programs.
Family Engagement: Taking it to the Next Level
How can organizations integrate parent education into their STEM programs? With support, parents can learn to engage in positive interactions that spark and maintain their child’s interest in STEM. In this case study, Drs. Kekelis and Sammet highlight the Greene Scholars Program and Digital Youth Divas—two programs that are exemplary in their approach to empowering parents with research, education, and resources. While their program models, participants, and STEM-focus are quite different, these organizations offer promising practices that can benefit all communities.
Set a Place at the STEM Table for Youth with Disabilities and their Families
How can we make sure that kids who are deaf, visually impaired, or physically disabled have the chance to imagine and create a bright future with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)? Youth with disabilities hold potential to be productive and creative adults, and yet they are less likely to go to college and less likely to live independently than their peers without disabilities. It’s not because of their disability, but often because of the expectations and opportunities afforded to them. STEM can provide the means to master skills and develop confidence and perseverance that make possible a fulfilling life. Afterschool and summer programs provide many positive impacts as a result of hands-on engagement in safe spaces with caring adults and supportive peers. They increase interest and confidence in STEM and introduce a wide range of career pathways.
In this case study Dr. Linda Kekelis shares how STEM can empower and the programs, such as Deaf Kids Code, that are engaging youth and their families to make STEM learning opportunities accessible and successful. | https://stemnext.org/case-studies/ |
In my last post, we examined some central insights related to dealing with stress in the workplace; in this post we look at some key insights concerning our particular individual identity and workplace stress.
In Part 1 of this post we saw how our complexes and our shadow can impact our relationship to work. Now we look at work much more closely in the light of who we really are.
I am Not My Work…
One of the biggest difficulties for many people in our age and culture is to become conscious of the fact that the work role is truly not one’s personal identity.
We all need a social mask and a pattern of response to our work environment to maintain appropriate boundaries and the integrity and solidity of the self in the work place. It keeps us from losing our identity at work, and is what Jungians would call a work persona.
Yet the individual may become so actively identified with the work role as to have no real awareness of individual identity beyond work He or she runs the risk of becoming lost to the things that really make her or him who they are. Such identification opens up the floodgates to potential stress, because any sense of self-worth or self-esteem comes to hang completely on success or failure at work. We haven’t even mentioned job loss or retirement: to such a work-identified individual, it can feel literally like complete loss of identity and social death.
A variant of this theme, common in our time, occurs when an individual has so much demand and so many out of control expectations thrust upon them by the work place, that they literally have no time to think about or do anything personally meaningful, other than work. The individual doesn’t choose to be identified with work: rather, he or she is thrust so deeply into the demand of work that there is no psychological space or energy for any other identity than the work role.
In either situation, however hard it is, the individual needs to get out from under the work role, and discover his or her fundamental identity. The stress burden is overwhelming, and the self is at stake. | https://www.briancollinson.ca/index.php/category/stress-in-the-workplace |
This Adelaide Fringe Festival 2013 event marks Cecilia White’s 25th ‘breathing space’ project since her first performance and installation in May 2011. This event draws on the project’s earliest explorations of wonder, otherness and the self through the interaction of text, sound and visual installation.
Australia is arguably the land of ‘otherness’. It fosters a questioning of our sense of shifting, of belonging, of grounding ourselves. Eight, the musical requisite of notes for unity, is also a stylised representation of infinity – is this seeking of connection ad infinitum or, despite all social and cultural demarcations, are we t/here, or perhaps somewhere nearby? Could we already be connected, within ourselves and to others, we people from everywhere?
For this ninety minute investigative performance and installation Cecilia White invited seven other artists to join her in a conversation with our source/s of (un)knowing, our state of (un)certainty, our (dis)location of self with others in spaces of (less)experience. This unique interaction between visual, text and sound aims to unsettle the closed, release the definitive, and architecture a creative breathing space. The act of breathing often passes unnoticed as a marker of both constancy and change.
The simple in, pause and out rhythms are key to our ability to engage with our emotions, thoughts and actions. In our borderless yet often isolating urban environment, this performance creates a shared experience for reflection, giving rise to potential for transformation ad infinitum – in us, our surroundings, our interactions. It is in the breathing that we may contemplate disturbance, connection, release: within our own minds, the body that is the city, the body of the landscape. It may be that we are each other’s breath. – everywhere or perhaps somewhere else.
Text: Cecilia White, Mike Ladd, Jill Jones, Juan Garrido-Salgado, Jude Aquilina, Andre Lawrence Sound: Nick Tsiavos Projection: Annette Willis Installation: Cecilia White
Sunday 24 February 2012, 2.30 pm – 4 pm
Greenaway Art Gallery… 39 Rundle St, Kent Town… Adelaide 5067 SA
This event was supported by Greenaway Art Gallery. | https://www.ceciliawhite.com/the-breathing-space-projects/breathing-space-down-to-earth-everywhere-was-once-somewhere-else |
Britain’s chief medical officers issued new guidance on exercise this month. It was a straight forward and encouraging report because it emphasised that moderate exercise was good for you. No need to be working up a sweat in the gym :-), providing you do it frequently – short 10 minute walks, ironing, housework, shopping and even just standing up can all help.
The report underlines the fact that “older people should try to be active every day” and goes on to say “being active has enormous health and well-being benefits. It protects against many of the biggest causes of early death like heart disease and strokes, and can promote good mental health”.
In the ExtraCare Charitable Trust retirement housing projects, there are many ways of keeping active:-
– The obvious – exercise classes, armchair aerobics, tai chi, swimming;
– The vigorous – work out in the gym to a fitness programme on exercise machines;
– The leisurely – walking, dancing, gardening, fishing, archery, bowls;
– The adventurous – the annual ‘Brolly Walk’, cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats (in the gym);
– The occasionally spectacular – walking with wolves, completing the three peaks challenge, swimming with dolphins in Mexico and walking the Great Wall of China;
Meanwhile, the same Department of Health that issued these new guidelines is also responsible for funding thousands of older people in residential care, who are left sitting in chairs all day and never go outside at all. Its appointed regulator, the Care Quality Commission, happlessly watches on, blissfully ignorant of any need to promote active lifestyles for older people. | https://grumblesmiles.co.uk/2011/08/17/active-ageing/ |
In a recent obituary, the father of a woman in Vermont who had recently died as the result of a drug overdose pleaded with that state’s child welfare system to “embrace a mission of enhanced rehabilitation”. He asked the agency to “rethink its mission” and move away from its role as the “punisher” of mothers with substance use disorders.
His plea is emblematic of how our systems and institutions treat people with the disease of addiction. Too often we perpetuate a never-ending cycle of arrest, incarceration, family separation, and other responses that have negative outcomes and unintended consequences.
The idea of changing as an individual is commonly recognized as an integral part of the recovery process. People are told they have to change people, places, and things to sustain their recovery. They are reminded of this constantly, and in some cases, if they don’t change they are punished.
The adage is: The only thing you have to change is everything.
At the same time, we don’t apply the same standards to the systems that most affect people with substance use disorders. It is not applied in our health-care systems, to government policies, the criminal justice system, child welfare, or to social services. We accept the status quo of each of these systems. We seldom consider that, to improve a range of outcomes for the more than 20 million people in our country with a substance use disorder, and the 23 million people in recovery, our systems have to change.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine succinctly stated in a recent report that medications for opioid use disorder (methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone) save lives. In response to increasing awareness of the efficacy of these medications, as well as in response to successful litigation, more jurisdictions are expanding access to these programs, including in correctional settings.
One criminal justice leader who has taken up the mantle of change is Sheriff Craig Apple of Albany County, New York. Sheriff Apple began a program in the Albany County jail that provides medication and other evidence based programming for people with opioid use disorder. Within three months of beginning the program, Sheriff Apple saw a reduction in recidivism. As he put it, “[The medication] was saving lives. It’s a no-brainer.”
More and more correctional institutions are following the Albany County example and implementing programs that provide medications to incarcerated people with opioid use disorder. While this is a positive trend, such programs are still the exception.
Far too many people with opioid use disorder are at increased risk of overdose when leaving a correctional institution. In fact, the reentry population, people leaving jails and prisons, are between 10 and 40 times more likely to die from an opioid overdose than the general population.
Our drug policies seem to reflect the definition of the disease of addiction itself: engaging in the same behavior, despite harmful consequences. For example, despite evidence that medication successfully reduces overdose deaths and improves outcomes for people, our systems repeatedly put up barriers to prevent people from receiving the standard of care.
This is the case in correctional settings as well as in the child welfare system where parents and families too often lack access to the type of family-centered treatment that will preserve families and improve long-term outcomes for the children and their parents.
A recently released report from Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute entitled Applying the Evidence, includes a set of recommendations for expanding access to evidence-based treatment in the criminal justice and child welfare systems.
And while deflecting people away from the criminal justice system and providing care outside of correctional settings should be our ultimate goal, we must simultaneously improve access to treatment for the people most at-risk for overdose. This effort will involve moving from rescue to recovery, taking a long-term approach to build healthier communities. To accomplish this, policymakers and the public must embrace change.
After all, the only thing we have to change is everything.
Regina LaBelle is director of the Addiction & Public Policy Initiative at Georgetown Law Center and was chief of staff at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Obama administration. | https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/468486-the-nations-response-to-addiction-moving-from-rescue-to-recovery |
BALTIMORE – The nation's Roman Catholic bishops, at an annual assembly Monday, gave two standing ovations to the Vatican's U.S. ambassador who was behind Pope Francis' controversial meeting with Kim Davis.
Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano received the warm reception as he made his customary address to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, his first major public appearance since the uproar over the Kentucky clerk. Vigano turns 75 in January, the age when bishops are required to submit their resignations to the pope.
The ambassador had invited Davis to be among those greeting the pope in the Vatican embassy in Washington last September during Francis' visit to the country. Her lawyer caused an uproar when he announced the meeting soon after Francis returned to Rome, describing it as a papal affirmation of Davis' approach to conscientious objection. The Vatican insisted the meeting was not an endorsement and said she was one of several dozen people who had greeted Francis.
Davis had briefly gone to jail rather than comply with a court order to issue same-sex marriage licenses, becoming a lightning rod for tensions over the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage nationwide. The U.S. bishops' conference has never commented on the pope's meeting with Davis, and has not said what kind of accommodation they support for government officials with religious objections to gay marriage.
In his speech Monday in Baltimore, Vigano didn't mention Davis. He urged the bishops to persevere in working to "preserve a moral order in society" and said they should not "fall prey" to "secularized and increasingly pagan" practices in broader society. He said Catholic colleges and universities, specifically those founded by Jesuits, should do more to shore up Catholic identity at the schools.
"The course must always be set by Christ and his church — never allowing influence or wealth to dictate what might be an improper orientation for a Catholic school or university," Vigano said.
Jesuits run many of the most prominent U.S. Catholic colleges. The adherence to church teaching at Catholic universities and colleges has been a central issue in the culture wars within the American church.
In a separate speech, the president of the bishops' conference, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, spoke generally about conscientious objections, but did not go into specifics. Dozens of U.S. dioceses and Catholic nonprofits are among faith groups suing the Obama administration over the birth control coverage requirement in the Affordable Care Act. President Barack Obama created an accommodation that requires insurers to provide the coverage in place of objecting religious nonprofits. The U.S. Supreme Court recently announced it was taking up lawsuits challenging the accommodation, with arguments scheduled in March.
"What a great tragedy it will be if our ministries are slowly secularized or driven out of the public square because of short-sighted laws or regulations that limit our ability to witness and serve consistent with our faith," said Kurtz, of Louisville, Ky.
The public sessions of the bishops' meeting run through Tuesday, when the conference is expected to vote on a document the bishops issue during every presidential election that aims to provide moral guidance to Catholic voters. | http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/11/16/us-bishops-applaud-vatican-official-behind-kim-davis-meeting.html |
This report was authorized by Congress in section 12107 of the 2018 Farm Bill. Its purpose is to assess the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) interactions with small and very small meat processors in the following three areas: outreach, information tools, and responsiveness. Small and very small meat processors are very different from large processors in fundamental ways, not just their scale of operation. These differences have implications for the effectiveness of FSIS communication with SVS plants.
Assessments of outreach, information tools, and responsiveness were conducted by compiling feedback from SVS processors about their experiences with the FSIS and comparing those experiences to FSIS policy and its recent efforts in the relevant topic areas. Processor feedback was collected via round table discussions, surveys, interviews, and key informant reviews of early versions of this report.
Key recommendations include:
- Continuing to find ways for small and very small processors to interact and share experiences directly with high- level FSIS leadership Standardizing the information provided by FSIS across plat forms, documents, and personnel to eliminate conflicting or confusing information.
- Studying inspection decisions and enforcement actions across circuits, districts, and inspectors to identify potential inconsistencies or biases. Frequently updating information sources to eliminate out -of -date information.
- Upgrading information access tools
- Providing explicit benchmarks and procedural guidance for meeting regulatory requirements with the time and financial constraints of SVS plants in mind.
- Closely examining humane handling regulatory procedures for small and very small plants.
FSIS has made an effort in recent years to collect small and very small processor feedback through roundtable listening sessions. Also, in the last few months, FSIS has made new guidance documents and webinar resources targeted at issues faced by small plants. These efforts are appreciated, and we hope that they represent a renewed effort by the Food Safety and Inspection Service to connect with their small and very small plant stakeholders that will continue well into the future. | https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/publications/2020-report-guidance-and-outreach-small-and-very-small-meat-processors |
Here are seven things you need to know about sleep and how it can affect your job.
Getting enough sleep is critical if you want to want to bring your “A game” to work every day.
When clients come to me experiencing burnout, the first thing I ask is how many hours of sleep they’re getting each night. Many of them look at me like I’m crazy, but sleep deprivation is a major contributing factor to burnout and can have serious consequences. It affects not only your health and well-being, but it can have major consequences for your career.
1. You need seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Period. Science has proven in study after study that this is the optimal amount of sleep for the average adult. However, in the U.S., 40% of adults don’t get enough sleep. If you’re one of those 40%, you need to reassess your schedule and figure out how to squeeze in some more shut-eye until you’re getting at least seven hours per night.
2. A small segment of the population can function on less than seven hours of nightly sleep, but you’re probably not one of them. Due to a genetic mutation, there are people who can function optimally on less than seven hours per night, but that segment of the population totals only about 1%. So if you’re getting less than seven per night, and you’re not one of the lucky 1%, you’ll be experiencing the serious effects of sleep deprivation.
3. Your job performance will suffer if you’re not getting enough sleep. If you get less than seven hours, you’ll experience the effects of sleep deprivation within just days.And it will negatively affect not only your health—including heightened risk of obesity, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure—it will also impair your cognitive abilities, causing mental distress, making it difficult to focus, and decreasing productivity. If you’re lacking sleep, the effects will show up in your work sooner or later.
4. Getting enough sleep pays. Literally. When you’re getting the right amount sleep nightly, you’re performing to your full potential, so you’re more productive and efficient, which eventually leads to higher pay. One study actually found that of those surveyed who were getting too little sleep, adding one hour of sleep per night resulted in a 16% salary increase over time.
5. The time of day you work can greatly affect your sleep cycle. Night workers suffer from sleep problems more frequently than nine-to-fivers. Sleeping during daylight hours and working at nighttime interferes with the body’s circadian regulation of sleep, which can have many negative effects.If you pick a field that requires night work, you’re more susceptible to the negative effects of sleep deprivation, so you’ll have to be even more careful about getting enough sleep.
6. The career you pick affects how much sleep you get. Shift workers like firefighters, police officers, nurses, and paramedics tend to sleep less than those in other occupations. On the flip side, those with outdoor jobs, like construction workers, landscapers, and loggers, tend to get more rest, likely because daylight limits them from working late nights and/or overtime.
7. If you’re a woman, getting enough sleep is especially important. The negative effects of sleep deprivation—like heart disease, diabetes, and stress—are more pronounced in women than in men. Hormones are the likely cause for this difference between the genders, so women in particular need to make sure they’re reaching that seven hour threshold each night.Moreover, research indicates that women need 20 more minutes of sleep each night than their male counterparts.
When life gets busy and there seem to be too few hours in each day, it’s tempting to try to find that extra time by cutting into sleep time, but that’s a counterproductive solution that will only hurt you in the long run. Getting enough sleep is critical if you want to want to bring your “A game” to work every day. Invest those seven to nine hours of sleep into yourself each night, and you’ll be best positioned to perform your best day-to-day with a fully rested, recharged brain.
The choice to make this space for yourself is one of self-love. Remember — you’re worth it. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2017/01/23/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-sleep-and-how-it-can-affect-your-career/ |
- Axolotls are a breed of salamander that possesses the ability to change colors to blend in with the surrounding. This helps them evade predators.
- They also have the ability to regrow any lost limb, lungs, even brain, heart and spine while retaining normal body functions.
- They are critically endangered species due to poaching, loss of natural habitat and pollution.
The axolotl (pronounced ax-oh-lot-ul, after the Aztec god of fire, lightning, and death) is a bit of an ecological oddity. Native to the freshwater rivers and lakes in the middle of Mexico City, these unusual salamanders are extraordinary in more ways than one. When threatened by predators, they can shift colors slightly to blend in with the surrounding environment.
Moreover, unlike many other amphibians, they undergo a process of incomplete metamorphosis in which they retain juvenile characteristics such as fins, webbed feet, and gills (the feather-like stalks on the head) into adulthood. The technical term for this is neoteny. It allows them to maintain an underwater aquatic lifestyle well after their juvenile stage is finished (though they do have lungs as well as gills to breathe air). But perhaps their most unusual and fascinating trait is that they have the ability to regenerate entire limbs, lungs, hearts, spines, and parts of the brain while retaining all their normal functions. It’s estimated that these highly resilient animals are a thousand times more resistant to cancer than your average mammal.
The species is relatively young, in geological terms, having only evolved in the last 10,000 years or so from the closely related tiger salamander of the Americas. Unfortunately, the damaging effects of habitat loss, poaching, and pollution (to which it’s particularly prone) have nearly driven this species to extinction; it is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List. The axolotl has also spread throughout the world as pets and laboratory animals (since scientists are interested in their unusual properties). Unfortunately, because of their rarity, we don’t know that much about the natural ecology or habits of the axolotl in the wild, but their diet has been studied in some basic detail. This article will cover what they eat, how they obtain their food, and how to feed them as pets.
What Does the Axolotl Eat?
The axolotl is a carnivorous predator. It eats a mixture of insect larvae (such as mosquitoes), worms, snails and other mollusks, tadpoles, and small fish in the wild. Their diet appears to be particularly heavy in worms, but they’re not exactly picky about what kinds of foods they consume. These generalists will eat just about any kind of animal that will fit into their mouths. It’s even been observed that they will engage in acts of cannibalism, sometimes gnawing off parts of their own siblings if other food isn’t available. This has been suggested as one reason for its amazing regenerative abilities. However, as carnivores, they do not eat any kinds of plant matter at all.
What Do Axolotls Eat as Pets vs. in the Wild?
If you own a pet axolotl, then most experts will recommend that you should attempt to replicate its natural diet as much as possible. It is usually fed some combination of earthworms, bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia (a small aquatic crustacean). They also seem to enjoy lean pieces of beef and chicken. However, you should avoid the temptation to feed them too much live food, which may accidentally spread parasites and diseases. Instead, freeze-dried foods or pellets generally work better. Make sure the substrate is composed of very small gravel or rocks, safe enough to eat because the axolotl will usually ingest them as well. Larger pebbles and rocks may be dangerous to its health.
One scientific study attempted to answer the question of whether a juvenile axolotl does best with a diet heavy in bloodworms, lots of daphnias, or a mixed diet with equal amounts between the two. The results of the study seemed to suggest that the juvenile grew fastest with an unchanging diet heavy in bloodworms. This seemed to produce better results than a diet heavy in daphnia. A mixed diet of both bloodworms and daphnia seemed to produce mixed results – better than a daphnia-only diet but worse than the bloodworms. While this study didn’t exactly offer dietary advice, it does suggest that a bloodworm-heavy diet may be optimal to support a growing juvenile.
The amount of food will change naturally throughout the animals’ life as well. Baby axolotls should be fed daily to support their growth and development. Adult axolotls need to eat less often, perhaps one or two servings every other day. In fact, they can do just fine for up to two weeks without eating any food (although this shouldn’t be tried at home). It’s actually a bigger problem if you accidentally overfeed your axolotl because it can lead to constipation and gastrointestinal blockage.
How Does the Axolotl Eat Food?
In the wild, the axolotl has the ability to easily locate food along the muddy bottom of the lake or river with its surprisingly good sense of smell. Once it has located suitable underwater prey, it will then suction up the food into its mouth with a strong vacuum force. Gravel is often inhaled at the same time. This will help grind up food in its stomach for easier digestion. Their actual teeth are small and vestigial (meaning they’re highly reduced and no longer serve the same purpose).
Axolotls do most of their hunting at night and then hide among aquatic vegetation and mud along the bottom to avoid being eaten during the day. Some of their most common predators include storks, herons, and large fish. The axolotl once had very few natural predators in the wild, but the introduction of new fish species (such as Asian carp and African tilapia) for aquaculture purposes, as well as poaching from humans, has contributed to their steep decline. Many of these fish feed on axolotl young and also the axolotl’s main food sources. Attempts to remove these fish from the waters could have beneficial effects on axolotl population numbers.
A Complete List of the Top 6 Foods the Axolotl Eats
The axolotl has a diet similar to other salamander. They feeds upon a large variety of different underwater prey, including:
- Worms
- Insects
- Tadpoles
- Fish
- Snails
- Crustaceans
- Larvae
- Brine Shrimp
Next Up…
- Are Salamanders Poisonous or Dangerous?: Find out more about salamanders and what kind of danger they pose to humans.
- Amphibians vs Reptiles: 10 Key Differences Explained: What is the difference between amphibians and reptiles? Read on to learn more.
- 10 Incredible Salamander Facts: Here are some things you didn’t know about salamanders that will amaze you.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. | https://a-z-animals.com/blog/what-do-axolotls-eat/?from=exit_intent |
The experience of learning and using a foreign language makes its unique contribution to the whole curriculum by taking children out of the familiar environment which is pervaded by English and allowing them to explore the life-style and culture of another land through the medium of its language. This in turn provides a satisfying, enjoyable and intellectually challenging experience for children in coping with a different linguistic medium.
Aims
In French, pupils will learn to:
- read fluently
- write imaginatively
- speak confidently
- understand the culture of the countries in which the language is spoken
We aim to ensure that pupils:
- understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources.
- speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation.
- can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt.
- discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.
Subject Content
Pupils learn a range of vocabulary throughout Key Stage 2:
Year 3
- Classroom equipment
- Numbers up to 30
- Family
- Colours
- Weather
- Days of the week
Year 4
- Pets
- Numbers up to 40
- Countries surrounding France
- Geography of France
Year 5
- Food and Drink
- Numbers up to 60
- Daily Routine
- Telling the Time
- Months and Seasons
Year 6
- Parts of the Body
- Numbers to 100
- Clothes
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post. | http://stphilipneriprimary.org/french/ |
- Jack Hurd, previously the Executive Vice President, Global Programmes at Conservation International, has been appointed the new executive director of the Tropical Forest Alliance
- The Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) is a multistakeholder partnership platform at the World Economic Forum established to support companies through the global transition to deforestation-free supply chains for commodities such as palm oil, soy, cattle, paper and pulp.
- The food system represents over a third of emissions; changing how we produce food and manage our landscapes will be critical for the 1.5 degrees ambition pathway.
Geneva, Switzerland, 23 August 2022 – The Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) has appointed a new executive director to lead its work in supporting companies through the ongoing global transition to deforestation-free supply chains. Jack Hurd joins the World Economic Forum from his current role at Conservation International where he served as the Executive Vice President for Global Programmes. He brings more than 25 years’ experience in natural resource management, biodiversity conservation and community economic development.
Since COP26 in Glasgow, there has been unprecedented levels of interest in the issue of tropical deforestation, when more than $20 billion of public and private funds were committed to initiatives to tackle deforestation – from governments, companies and financial institutions. The TFA, working alongside its 175+ partners, plays a catalytic role at the heart of many of these efforts to transform how the world’s food and land use systems into more sustainable methods of production.
Globally, the annual consumption of food and agriculture products rose by an astonishing 48 percent between 2001 and 2018, growing at more than twice the rate of the increase in human population. This has been the biggest driver of deforestation, which in turn has been a major cause of climate change. The urgency of ending tropical deforestation to curb emissions cannot be understated: there is no pathway to the 1.5°C targets set out in the Paris Agreement without halting forest loss.
While many multinational companies with global supply chains have been working hard to make significant improvements, the scale of the challenge means that no single sector can resolve deforestation on its own, hence the need for collective action. The TFA plays a critical role in catalysing public-private partnerships in key tropical forest regions including Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa, while also working on demand-side issues in regions such as Europe, China and the US.
Jack Hurd says: “After decades of working on tropical forest conservation, sustainable management, and restoration, I am delighted to be taking up this role at the Tropical Forest Alliance that plays such a crucial role at the nexus of public and private sector action. This collective action is what is needed to accelerate the transformation needed – whether it’s about increasing financial flows towards more sustainable land use practices, shifting the policy landscape or mobilising corporate supply chain action. The TFA clearly plays an important enabling role as the connective tissue behind many multi-stakeholder initiatives, such as the agricultural commodity traders’ roadmap or the Consumer Goods Forum Forest Positive Coalition.”
“I am excited that Jack is joining the TFA team during this critical time for climate and nature. TFA plays such a key role in ensuring that companies take transparent actions to end commodity-driven deforestation by 2025 and all deforestation by 2030. Without it, a 1.5C world is out of reach. Jack’s experience and engaging leadership style will enable collaboration while holding individual players to account,” says Sabine Miltner, Programme Director for Conservation and Markets at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
In previous roles, Jack Hurd was at The Nature Conservation for 18 years, including as Managing Director of the Asia Pacific region. Before that, he was with WWF as Coordinator of the World Bank/WWF Forest Alliance. He starts the new role on 15th September and will be based in Geneva. | https://www.tropicalforestalliance.org/en/news-and-events/news/news-tropical-forest-alliance-appoints-new-executive-director |
10 and 11 December 2015 the Creative Europe Desk Italy organizes the last infoday of the year, dedicated to Creative Europe and cooperation in the cultural and audiovisual sector. Two days to reflect on the concept of cooperation within and beyond the European borders and extend it to the active European citizenship with the program Europe for Citizens.
The two days will be divided into several sessions, in which will address various topics including:the new priorities of the cooperation projects of the Sub-Program Culture; the best practices for cultural sector and audiovisual sector with non-EU countries; the importance of international partnerships and of international cooperation; integration and immigration in the program Europe for Citizens.
The event is free and is open to all operators in the cultural and audiovisual sector.
The simultaneous translation service is available for all participants.
To register is necessary to fill in the registration form. Registrations will close on 9th December at 1 pm. There will be accepted a maximum of 120 participants for each session.
In compliance with the provisions of the Prime Ministerial Decree dated 11 March 2020 on the containment and management of the epidemiological emergency from COVID-19 Informest will be closed to the public. Activities will continue, as far as possible, in “smart-working”.
Email addresses will remain active. For specific needs or urgencies please contact the following number +393487990373.
Pilot action in fishery sector for lybia economic development
Project funded by the Italian Ministry of Interior - Civil Liberties and Immigration Department, managed by Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region - International Relations Service, jointly with the Presidency of the Regional Council, with the operational support of Informest and the collaboration of the municipalities of Tripoli, Benghazi, Tobruk and Sirte.
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Informest: | http://informest.it/blog/post.aspx?id=461 |
With the maturing of employment law and litigation, the shift away from class action to individual lawsuits, attempts to address more subtle forms of discrimination, and recent Supreme Court decisions vastly restricting systemic actions, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has become essentially a private dispute resolution mechanism. This Article argues that the remedies available under Title VII, however, do not serve either articulated purpose of the statute: to make the victims of impermissible discrimination whole and to discourage employers' discriminatory practices. Back pay awards in individual suits are too small to serve as effective deterrents, and individuals, as compared to class members, are less likely to seek or desire reinstatement or other forms of injunctive relief. This Article examines the legislative history of Title VII and suggests that an early mismatch between private enforcement mechanisms and a public remedial structure laid the groundwork for the current problems. Using empirical evidence and doctrinal analysis, the author attempts to elucidate the shift from the public to the private model of litigation and how that shift was camouflaged by the availability of a claim under 42 U.S.C. section 1981. In addition, the Article suggests legislative changes including and in addition to the proposed Kennedy- Hawkins Civil Rights Act of 1990, which would allow awards of compensatory and punitive damages in Title VII actions. *Finally, the Article recommends a more flexible judicial construction of Title VII, allowing compensation for "loss of employment opportunity" as part of equitable relief.
Recommended Citation
Minna J. Kotkin,
Public Remedies for Private Wrongs: Rethinking the Title VII Back Pay Remedy,
41 Hastings L.J. 1301
(1990). | https://repository.uchastings.edu/hastings_law_journal/vol41/iss6/1/ |
Scientists at the new Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions (CRBI) at York University, which officially opens today, aim to make discoveries that will impact global health care and the treatment of diseases.
Understanding the foundation of key interactions at the molecular level is the research focus at the new centre, which will be housed in York’s Faculty of Science & Engineering. Scientists will study how biomolecules interact at every level – from pure molecules to single cells to the entire organism. They will examine these interactions under normal circumstances and in the development of a disease. Their research will result in a deeper understanding of the "mechanical" changes that occur in disease during biomedical interactions that have gone awry.
The CRBI members have already been busy at work exploring important molecular interactions of biomolecules such as nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and proteins. With the formation of the centre, they will now have the opportunity to combine their forces and share resources. The centre encompasses faculty members and research teams that include more than 70 graduate students, research associates, postdoctoral fellows and undergraduate students. Researchers from chemistry and biology departments at York include Professors Gerald Audette, Samuel Benchimol, Kathy Hudak, Philip Johnson, Sergey Krylov (director), John McDermott, Andrew White and Derek Wilson.
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Above: Some of the members of the new Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions at York University. Front row, from left: Sergey Krylov, John McDermott and Derek Wilson. Middle row, from left: Philip Johnson and Gerald Audette. Back row, from left: Mark Bayfield and Andrew White. Missing from the photo are Professors Samuel Benchimol and Kathy Hudak.
The group’s combined expertise, which varies from analytical and physical chemistry to structural, cell and molecular biology, provides an opportunity for research projects to be pursued in an interdisciplinary and comprehensive manner. The team uses cutting-edge approaches to gain full understanding of key molecular players and events that can lead to disease, and by doing so, hopes to address prevention and future treatment of many diseases.
The centre is bustling with energy and activities, and future plans include extending the centre’s external and industry collaborations, launching a new peer-reviewed journal, Journal of Biomolecular Interactions, and hosting a research retreat.
“The creation of the Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions is an important step that will strengthen the existing collaborations and foster new ones at York University and beyond,” says York chemistry Professor Sergey Krylov, director of the CRBI and Canada Research Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry. “The centre is a nucleus for great researchers and it encourages a stimulating and cooperative environment. We have energy, enthusiasm and research synergy; I anticipate our collaborative research will lead to advances in various areas including disease detection and understanding of disease processes.”
There will be an opening celebration for the CRBI today in the Seymour Schulich Building on York’s Keele campus. The invitation-only event includes a reception and a keynote lecture by Professor Jack Greenblatt from the Terrace Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research at the University of Toronto, who will address the importance of studying biomolecular interactions in his talk titled “Protein complexes and functional pathways in yeast, bacteria and mammalian cells”. | https://yfile.news.yorku.ca/2009/11/24/new-centre-looks-at-biomolecular-interactions/ |
Narratives — specifically, the classic dramatic arc as outlined by German playwright Gustav Freytag — can evoke powerful responses, leading the brain to release the neurochemicals cortisol and oxytocin.
Paul Zak: Empathy, Neurochemistry, and the Dramatic Arc
The emotionally charged story recounted at the beginning Dr. Paul Zak’s film—of a terminally ill two-year-old named Ben and his father—offers a simple yet remarkable case study in how the human brain responds to effective storytelling. As part of his study, Dr. Zak, a founding pioneer in the emerging field of neuroeconomics, closely monitored the neural activity of hundreds of people who viewed Ben’s story. What he discovered is that even the simplest narrative, if it is highly engaging and follows the classic dramatic arc outlined by the German playwright Gustav Freytag, can evoke powerful empathic responses associated with specific neurochemicals, namely cortisol and oxytocin. Those brain responses, in turn, can translate readily into concrete action—in the case of Dr. Zak’s study subjects, generous donations to charity and even monetary gifts to fellow participants. By contrast, stories that fail to follow the dramatic arc of rising action/climax/denouement—no matter how outwardly happy or pleasant those stories may be—elicit little if any emotional or chemical response, and correspond to a similar absence of action. Dr. Zak’s conclusions hold profound implications for the role of storytelling in a vast range of professional and public milieus. | https://ritholtz.com/2015/02/empathy-neurochemistry-and-the-dramatic-arc/ |
We hold monthly Seminars in Psychedelic Medicine that are open to those who are interested. Please email [email protected] to be added to our email list.
Seminar Recordings
Paul Stamets. January 2023
Title: Psilocybin Mushrooms and their Tryptamines: Potential Medicines for Neurogeneration
Description: The recent upsurge in interest in psilocybin mushrooms by the scientific community is attributable to their long use in history, their widespread use today, and the increasing number of clinical studies validating psilocybin as a breakthrough medicine. What is not yet well elucidated is the efficacy of microdosing and the mechanisms of action for neurogenesis and neurogeneration.
Paul speaks of their historical use and then explores psilocybin's potential for neurological health based on recent results on molecular modes of action which our team has discovered. As co-founder of MycoMedica Life Sciences, PBC (www.mycomedica.com), which has raised $60 million, his team is well positioned for conducting clinical studies based, in part, on the 3 composition patents recently awarded to Paul on his psilocybin discoveries.
Natalie Gukasyan, MD. November 2022
Title: Placebo, expectancy, and psychotherapy effects in psychedelic-assisted therapy
Description: This talk covered the challenges and biases that confound clinical trials with psychedelics, including the challenges of executing placebo-controlled research. It examined how many of these challenges are shared by the broader field of general psychotherapy research, and some of the debate and solutions that have emerged from that body of work. We also discussed the debate around the concept of placebo in interventions that employ psychotherapy. Finally, we reviewed implications of these concepts for future research and potential solutions.
Lucie Berkovitch, MD, PhD. September 2022
Title: Psychedelics in the brain: An overview of neuroimaging studies
Description: This talk provides an exhaustive overview of neuroimaging data on psychedelics. It is divided in three parts: 1) from receptors to brain effects, 2) from brain to cognition, 3) from neurobehavioural effects to theoretical models.
In a first part, we describe psychedelic effects on brain networks, brain oscillations, signal complexity/entropy and on some specific functions such as emotional processing, social processing, surprise processing.
In the second part, we try to predict their cognitive effects based on their brain effects and compare those predictions to actual findings.
In the third part, we summarize existing models to explain psychedelic effects and propose another angle of description of their effects based on the theoretical models of consciousness.
L. A. Paul, PhD. April 2022
Title: Epistemic change and transformation
Description: Certain types of life experiences can be transformative, both epistemically and personally. By transforming you, they change how you think and value, and in the process, they restructure the nature and meaning of your life. L.A. discussed the nature of transformative change, with particular attention to how it involves a distinctive kind of epistemic revision that may be helpful in framing the epistemology of psychedelic experience. L.A. also discussed connections to philosophical issues that arise with informed consent, advance directives, and disability.
Shariful Syed, MD & Deepak Cyril D’Souza, MD. March 2022
Title: Dose-Related Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) In Healthy Volunteers and Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder – preliminary findings
Description: Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a potent, rapid-onset and short-acting psychedelic drug that has not yet been independently tested for the treatment of depression. The safety, tolerability, and efficacy of intravenous DMT were investigated in treatment-resistant individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls (HC) in an open-label, fixed-order, dose-escalation (0.1 mg/kg followed by 0.3 mg/kg) study that was conducted in a typical hospital setting with strategic psychoeducation/support, but minimal psychotherapy. Tolerability, safety, cardiovascular function, abuse liability, psychedelic and psychotomimetic effects, mood, and anxiety were assessed at each dosing session. In addition, depression was measured in MDD participants 1 day after each dosing session. Preliminary findings (n=10) were discussed.
Alan Anticevic, PhD. February 2022
Title: Mapping neuro-behavioral heterogeneity of psychedelic neurobiology in humans
Gerard Sanacora, MD, PhD & Sam Wilkinson, MD. December 2021
Title: Regulatory Approval and Implementation of Psychoactive Therapies for Psychiatric Disease: Lessons Learned from Esketamine
Description: The first half of this discussion summarized the key principles and lessons learned from the approval and implementation of esketamine and how we might apply this to future therapies which are administered under strict regulatory control. In the second half, we discussed the findings of a newly reported (top-line results) trial on psilocybin (COMPASS). | https://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/research/programs/clinical_people/psychedelic/seminars/ |
Gaynor’s Yoga EBR 1 DRAFT PLEASE DO NOT COPY OR SHARE.
Activations (6-10 mins)
Ensure you always work within your own body’s limitations and do not overstretch. This stimulates and oxygenates, warms and loosens the body, improves circulation reduces tension and tiredness.
Shake arms out in front, up above, to sides. Ensure you shake hands up and down and from side to side.
Lift one foot and rotate in one direction 5 times and then opposite direction. Lift toes up and then down stretching out the ankles, shake the foot by moving the knee. Swing one leg back and forwards to release tension in the hip-foot should brush the floor. Repeat with left foot.
Stand tall with feet facing forward. Swing arms gently to right and left at hip level, gently move arms up to the mid back level and then shoulder level. Slowly lower hands back to centre. 8 times each side.
Repeat and point right foot out and this deepens the back twist, twizzle the feet and do this move 8 times each side.
Try a brain awakening exercise with lifting left foot in front and touching with right hand, do same on other side repeat a few times and then two foot movements behind and two in front etc.
Standing upright, weight into left foot and step forward (breathe in) and back (exhale) whilst lifting arms above your head. Bend the knees and swing the arms higher even to touch your shoulders too.
Finish with a few breaths of Arjuna (imagine you are taking a jumper off as you breathe and reach up above your head and lower the hands slowly.
The EBR 1 sequence (17-20 mins)
Creates openness in the body, mind and heart centre, it improves self -esteem. Releases energy from all joints in body so that the body can work more efficiently. The spine moves in all directions in this sequence.
Possible modifications:
Use blocks for standing on tip-toes in shoulder stretch if there is a balance problem. Forward fold bent legs for people with tight hamstrings.
Standing twist if you have back and shoulder problems twist within your own limit.
Squat can sit on chair if knee problems or maybe do a gentle side lunge to exercise the inner thigh muscles or sit on floor with feet together and knees bent and push knees out wide to feel a stretch.
Start in Tadasana-this reinforces the strength of the earth providing us with stability and strength. Feet hip width, even weight, soften knees, arms by side, shoulders relaxed, core stability, lift sternum and crown, chin back slightly.
Rocking on feet backwards and forwards and then circle the feet around (one way then another) stimulating reflexology points 3x each direction
Side stretch x3
One hand beneath navel other arm up high. Breathe in, lift ribs out of pelvis and relax shoulders, reach up and over with the upper arm, breathe out and lower upper arm, simultaneously raise other arm and do the same on the other side.
(remember you should look up to where the ceiling meets the wall and try to keep your body in a position as if you are in between two plates of glass).
Shoulder stretch (arms in front-palms facing behind you) x3
Hands circle in front, move them over the head and then bring them in front with elbows moving together. Reach up with hands and lift on to tip toes. Feel a good stretch between the shoulder blades.
Arm rotations x5
Lead from the shoulder and make a figure 8 with both arms slowly with the breath lift arm up to shoulder height. Then with hands reaching as far away from each other as possible, turn the right hand forward and let the twist go across your shoulders and receive (an imaginary beach ball) with an open left hand.
Neck roll, head tilt and neck rotation x3 each side for all
Stand upright, lift the chin forwards and describe an oval, by bringing chin down to chest.
Next extend the cervical vertebrae and lift the mastoid bone (behind the ear) upwards and over towards the shoulder. Back to centre, Move to other side and repeat.
Breathe in turn neck through 90 degrees, breathe out back to centre, move to other side and repeat.
Shoulder circling 3x each way.
Fingertips on shoulders lift elbows up over lengthen the spine-keep shoulders and neck relaxed. Move backwards both sides together and then repeat in opposite direction.
Finger flicks x5
Hold hands out to side at shoulder level with elbows a little bent, thumb and forefinger together, draw hands in and exhale through mouth with a Pah.
Side spinal twist x3 each side
Always start from bottom of spine flowing up to neck so head turns last.
Beathe in and raise arms in front soft elbows. Breathe out and rotate to right lead movement with right hip, twist flows up spine, fingers of left hand rest on right collar bone both arms held softly. Raise left heel to extend the twist. Return to front leading with left hip.
Backward and forward bends 3x each side
Hands small of back contract buttocks, lift sternum, breathe in and push pelvis forward, keep chin parallel to floor and elongate spine as you gently arch back. Breathe out and straighten body and flow into half forward bend. Have a couple of breaths when you are folded forward, inhale, bend knees, raise arms slowly above head and lower to sacrum.
Twisting forward bends x3
Forward bend with legs wide apart. Turn right foot out and move hands to the right and take 3 deep breaths. Walk hands to the left leg and repeat. Return to centre, walk feet together.
Squat x3
From forward bend position place hands on floor and walk feet together bend knees and lower into squat. Raise arms in front and elongate the spine, raise hips and come into forward bend.
Tadasana
Spend a few minutes experiencing the calm and silence and the energy moving freely. Breathe in from the earth to the heart centre and out up through the crown and then down from the crown etc.
Put something warm on, lie down in crocodile (on your front, arms bent and head resting on hands or floor whichever suits. Feet mat wide apart toes pointing outwards. Relax the whole body and just breathe gently with eyes closed. | http://www.gaynors-yoga.co.uk/resources/yoga-asanas-and-sequences/ |
In today's hectic modern world, we can become easily flustered and burnt out. So it's a good thing that we can turn to author Cerridwen Greenleaf's wisdom to help us cope. In this new book from Greenleaf, learn how to cast spells, perform rituals, make tinctures and salves, and meditate to help you attain the highest possible level of wellness. With simple and easy to follow instructions, you can harness the power of witchcraft to be healthy in body and soul. Attend to your needs holistically and with a range of approaches designed to help you deepen your spiritual connection to the world and thrive.
You must log in to comment. | https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/12925 |
Sarah Becktel is an American artist based in Southern New Jersey. She earned her BFA in painting from the Tyler School of Art and continued her studies of representational drawing and painting at multiple locations. Sarah has shown her work in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States and her work is in private collections across the world.
Sarah creates paintings and drawings that are inspired by animals, natural history, and ecology. She travels extensively to view animals in their natural environments and many of her works are a result of her experiences in nature. Sarah also finds inspiration in natural history museums where she can study and learn about the animal species of bygone eras. Her work explores the beauty of the animal kingdom and the delicate balance of conserving Earth’s biodiversity. Sarah hopes that her work allows viewers to both connect with the natural world and consider how human civilization continues to impact the animal species of our planet.
When Sarah is not working in her studio, she is educating artists and students about their mediums and materials. As an Artist Educator for Strathmore Artist Papers, Sarah lectures at art schools and ateliers about the characteristics of art materials and how to choose the right products for each artist’s individual needs. She served as Product Research Director for the Colored Pencil Society of America from 2009 to 2015, which led to a rich understanding of lightfast testing and art materials manufacturing. | https://strobenj.org/clients/sarah-becktel/ |
# American Tianxia
American Tianxia is a term coined by the historian Wang Gungwu in 2013 to refer to the contemporary global order centered on the United States. It was further developed by sociologist Salvatore Babones to analyze today's millennial world-system through the lens of the Chinese concept of tianxia, meaning "all under heaven." While the United States is often called an "empire," this is a historically loaded term that is associated with perceptions of American imperialism. The concept of tianxia has a different set of meanings attached to it that Wang suggests and Babones argues are closer to what the United States actually displays in its contemporary approach to foreign affairs.
## Background
The original Chinese term tianxia describes a world-system that, according to Wang, described "an enlightened realm that Confucian thinkers and mandarins raised to one of universal values that determined who was civilized and who was not." The term first became widely used during the Zhou dynasty where China was the central state with a Mandate of Heaven bestowed upon the king, or the Son of Heaven. In this system, China was the center of the world to which peripheral states were connected under the Imperial Chinese tributary system, in which trade envoys from aligned countries would be given highly favorable exchanges for their allegiance to the imperial court. It was found that in extending Chinese territory, it was much easier to let each conquered area keep their aristocracy than to fully attempt to control their peoples. Despite the assumed sovereignty, Chinese language, culture and loyalty were strongly imposed and their status was based upon their proximity to China as a satellite state.
States were separated as "Confucian" and "non-Confucian". Confucian states had adopted Chinese customs, calendars and language. Problems within states were approached through Confucian philosophy. Non-Confucian states were aligned with the Chinese Tianxia, but less integrated. Non-Confucian states would often solve disputes through China as a central power in the region and resembled the 'periphery' states of the modern world-systems theory. A hierarchy of individuals within the Chinese Tianxia went from the emperor, down to various officials, then citizens and then foreigners, which were considered to be "barbarians" or "less civilised." Within this concept, the role of 'barbarian' can be taken by Chinese and the barbarians can become enlightened Chinese through Confucian philosophy, it generally followed that the Chinese were under heaven and outsiders were accepted, although as lesser citizens.
The Chinese Tianxia in East Asia ended after China's defeat in the First Opium War after which the British Empire made the Qing dynasty accept their sovereignty and accept them as equals. This cast doubt upon the mandate of the tianxia and the concept was seen to be dissolved.
## American Tianxia
Babones conceives the American Tianxia as a central state system in which ties between countries are either aligned with the United States, opposed to the United States, or modulated by the United States. In addition to countries, he also argues that individuals are linked into global hierarchies that are centered on the United States. In Babones' view, the individualism of this system constitutes the fulfillment of the End of History thesis of Francis Fukuyama, which posits that liberal democratic capitalism is the final ideological destination for nations on Earth. While this notion is contentious, the American Tianxia has a firm grip on the direction of the world economy and world polity through control of security worldwide and the firm grip on the economic and international extra government institutions that are seen as legitimate to interfere with internal politics in sovereign countries. Even more important, in Babones' formulation, is that globalized individuals in the American Tianxia have strong incentives to maintain the structure of the existing world-system.
An example of the way in which American power is accepted worldwide can be seen in the way in which American domestic politics is globalized. No other polity is so widely observed as the United States, where presidential elections are often viewed across the whole world. The political scientist Yuen Foong Khong characterizes this as the American Tributary System, a system in which the President of the United States is often referred to as the leader of the free world, similar to the Mandate of Heaven concept within the Chinese Tianxia. Khong suggests that while China has receded from being a tianxia to being an ordinary country, the United States has made the opposite transition, from country to tianxia.
The concept is very similar to Pax Americana.
## Tianxia comparisons
In the American Tianxia, the primary way the United States influences the affairs of other countries is through the behavior of their own elites in looking to the United States for legitimation. This is similar to the Chinese Imperial Tianxia, in which leaders of the countries surrounding China received Chinese patents of office legitimating their rule. Like Imperial China, the United States does not ordinarily conquer countries in order to influence them, but instead achieves desired outcomes through economic sanctions, targeted attacks or strategic support of opposition forces.
A striking difference between the old Chinese Tianxia and the new American Tianxia is reciprocity. The Chinese Tianxia established a tributary system where gifts received by the Chinese from tributary states were returned with gifts of much greater value, establishing their primacy and giving material legitimacy and loyalty through reward. America invests in foreign countries but often expects a greater return on that investment than what it offers others. In China, the United States is often accused of commanding loyalty through hegemony rather than through generosity. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Tianxia |
What is money made by?
the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
How is the value of money?
The value of money is determined by the demand for it, just like the value of goods and services. You can measure the value of money by what people will exchange for it and by how much of it there is.
Will the dollar drop in 2020 value?
The U.S. dollar has been declining in value since March 2020, and its decline has moved steadily through the fall elections and the economic policy proposals of the Biden Administration. Given the recent “pause” in the decline, some analysts are suggesting that maybe the dollar will not fall any further in value.
Is the U.S. dollar losing value 2020?
The dollar index, with the euro as the largest component, fell 0.3% to 95.9280. It is on track for its largest weekly percentage loss since November 2020, at 1.3%.Feb 1, 2022
What is money printed on?
paper
Is money made of real paper?
U.S.U.S.The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › United_States_dollarUnited States dollar – Wikipedia currency is printed on special paper made by Crane Paper Company. Unlike traditional paper made of wood pulp, the paper used for currency is made of 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen. BEP specifications require this blended paper to have special red and blue fibers woven throughout.
Why does money have no value?
In modern times, fiat money is generally established by government regulation. Fiat money does not have intrinsic value and does not have use value. It has value only because the people who use it as a medium of exchange agree on its value. They trust that it will be accepted by merchants and other people.
Is paper money really paper?
Unfortunately it isn’t regular computer paper or we’d really be rolling in it here at JAM. Paper money is made from 75% cotton and 25% linen fibers. Back in days of old, around 1870, congress decided to officially establish a US Department of Treasury.24-Jan-2014
Does money actually have value?
Money is essentially a good, so as such is ruled by the axioms of supply and demand. The value of any good is determined by its supply and demand and the supply and demand for other goods in the economy. A price for any good is the amount of money it takes to get that good.
What is paper money made of now?
Paper is made from wood fibers that are processed into thin sheets. Federal Reserve notes are a blend of 25 percent linen (fibers from the flax plant) and 75 percent cotton. Each sheet also contains special anti-counterfeiting measures.
Is money really made out of paper?
Federal Reserve notes are a blend of 25 percent linen and 75 percent cotton. Currency paper has tiny red and blue synthetic fibers of various lengths evenly distributed throughout the paper. It would take 4,000 double folds, forwards and backwards, to tear a banknote.
Is the value of money dropping?
When the value of money declines over time and the prices of goods increase, it is called inflation. When prices fall steadily over time and the value of money increases, it is called deflation, and it can have a harrowing effect on the economy.
Does money even have value?
For the most part, inflation is caused when the money supply rises faster than the supply of other goods and services. To summarize, money has value because people believe that they will be able to exchange this money for goods and services in the future.
How is money made step by step?
Is money still paper?
American paper currency come in seven denominations: $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. The United States no longer issues bills in larger denominations, such as $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 bills. But they are still legal tender and may still be in circulation.
How is U.S. money made?
Printing Currency The job of actually printing the money that people withdraw from ATMs and banks belongs to the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), which designs and manufactures all paper money in the U.S. (The U.S. Mint produces all coins.)
What is money made out of?
Cotton and U.S. Currency. According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing , US paper currency is made up of 75% cotton and 25% linen. That is, there are three-fourths of a pound of cotton in each pound of dollar bills. This same source also informs us that there are 454 bills in a pound of currency.
Does money have value?
Like gold and other precious metals, money has worth because for most people it represents something valuable. Fiat money is government-issued currency that is not backed by a physical commodity but by the stability of the issuing government.
Why can’t we just print more money?
The deeper reason for this is that money is really a facilitator of exchange between people, a middleman in a trade. If goods could trade with goods directly, without a middleman, we would not need money. If you print more money you simply affect the terms of trade between money and goods, nothing else.
Used Resourses: | https://www.answerparadise.net/what/what-is-money-made-by/ |
Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same thing and avoiding change. Others, however, think that change is always a good thing. Discuss bot these views and give your opinion.
In
thispresent world, everyday activities of an individual are prone to constant changes.
Moreover, it is often argued by a number of people that experiencing different things is always the right choice, while the rest, who are in favour of routine tasks, tend to avoid change. There are good reasons why some people feel the need to make significant changes in their lives from time to time.
Firstly, any new situation that an individual encounter can be an opportunity to learn and grow as a person.
For instance, a new job might bear new challenges that push the person to adapt, acquire new knowledge and enlarge their skill sets.
Furthermore, a change can represent a break from the old routine that has become boring and predictable.
Thus, it becomes apparent that
besidesmaking life more fun and interesting, intellectual growth is why the majority should aim for perpetual changes.
Nevertheless, it is not always the case that new things would have good impacts on quality of life.
Instead, people in older age groups are probably more comfortable with the routine practices in life which they are more accustomed to.
For example, in
thismodern era, seniors might find it difficult and confusing to read newspapers on an electronic tablet since they are not aware of the proper operation of the gadget.
Thus, older people perhaps avoid learning new things
suchas modern technology application since it would be stressful for them to adapt to new products of technology.
Thisis why I can be argued that change is not always for the better. In conclusion, both views concerning applying changes to the way of living have strong supports.
However, I firmly believe that, no matter how hard it seems for elderly people to adjust to the ever-changing world, the population of all age and professional profiles should strive for new experiences as it can greatly improve their mental health.
Submitted by dzonik1 on
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Your opinion
Don’t put your opinion unless you are asked to give it.
If the question asks what you think, you MUST give your opinion to get a good score.
Don’t leave your opinion until the conclusion.
Here are examples of instructions that require you to give your opinion:
...do you agree or disagree?...do you think...?...your opinion...? | https://writing9.com/text/5f64c799a812600018635eb5 |
As the season’s change and the weather gets colder, autumn hails the annual debacle of damage caused by Britain’s poor road surfaces and the ever-present, ever-painful potholes. Reports today have suggested that Britain has one pothole in every mile of road. Couple this with an increasingly ‘American’ attitude to compensation claiming and it’s no wonder the UK has seen a 79% increase in compensation claims from Britain’s motorists as a result of damage caused by potholes. In fact, the problem has become so huge that breakdown service Britannia Rescue, which gathered this report, said potholes now “take up a total area of 295 square miles (764 square km) in Britain – more than twice the size of the Isle of Wight”. Quite an astonishing statistic.
What is a Pothole?
Much like erosion in nature, potholes are mainly caused when a small crack or chip in the rock surface grows due to the expansion and contraction of water under the effects of increasing and decreasing temperatures. This effect is exacerbated in colder months as water expands when it freezes and contracts when it melts, stretching small cracks into large holes in no time at all. Potholes develop from these smaller cracks when roads become brittle which can result in cracking and chippings loosening.
How do local authorities deal with potholes?
The priority for attending to a pothole, and the ‘severity’ of it, is determined by the risk it poses to all road users, including motorists, cyclists and to a lesser extent pedestrians. One local authority states: “The factors to be taken into account include size and depth, traffic type, speed and volume, road alignment and visibility, and also the position in relation to usage.” Where a pothole is noted for Category 1 repair, this is required to be made safe and temporarily repaired within 24 hours of first inspection, then maintained in a safe condition until a permanent repair is completed. All other defects are repaired under the department’s programmed routine maintenance.
One local authority has used a number of new technologies to repair potholes, including Nu-phalt infra-red technology in urban areas (Nu-phalt infra red surfacing is far quicker than traditional techniques and carries many cost and environmental benefits as it heats up and recycles the existing surface material); and Velocity patching, a special technique to repair potholes in more rural areas.
The Pothole Pandemic
Increasingly harsh winters, followed by a fairly dry summer in the UK this year have combined to make the problem worse, but the key issue, it is claimed, is that there is just not enough funding for road maintenance. Britannia Rescue said: “Short-term fixes are often chosen over longer term solutions, with close to a quarter (23%) of councils admitting they usually temporarily fix potholes rather than resurface the area.” It is claimed that it cost of fixing potholes is, on average, around £50 – meaning the £2.5m in compensation paid out to motorists in the past financial year by councils could have been used to repair more than 50,000 potholes.
Pothole Compensation Hot Spots:
(5 worst areas ranked by the amount of compensation paid out).
- Lincolnshire County Council – £358,664
- West Sussex County Council – £195,043
- London Borough of Wandsworth – £148,881
- Surrey County Council – £144,336
- Cumbria County Council – £104,654
What’s the Damage?
Sources suggest the UK is now suffering from a plague of around 200,000 potholes, with almost 1 in 10 motorists suffering car damage.
The most commonly reported problems as a result of hitting a pothole are:
• Tyre Damage (43%)
• Suspension Damage (34%)
• Wheel Rim Damage (26%)
Obviously some people can experience all three of these at once, proving a very costly experience indeed.
This message adds further to our calls for people to protect their summer wheel investment by using an affordable winter alloy or steel wheel & tyre package – a sentiment you may now echo knowing every time you hit the road there’s a 10% chance you could hit a pothole and cause damage to your vehicle.
Cyclists and other road users also suffer from the threat of the dreaded potholes, with one story telling of a cyclist losing his teeth, breaking his nose and requiring stitches to his face after coming off his bike at speed when he hit a pothole.
Britannia Rescue finished by saying: “Motorists should protect themselves and their vehicles by reducing their speed on potholed roads, and also reporting damaged roads to their local council.”
Could this joke be a real solution?
Motoring goliaths, The AA played a prank on the UK when it came up with a rather ingenious way of helping motorists avoid potholes with their “quick seal yellow” Pothole Assist programme, whereby they were to fill potholes with a self-levelling, neon yellow solution. This news was released on April Fools’ Day, but we could actually see this as a potentially genuine solution, don’t you?
I, for one, would rather see a street laden with bright yellow spots than damage my car in another of Britain’s potholes! | https://www.wheelwright.co.uk/blog/20131010-pothole-pandemic-costing-british-taxpayer-millions/ |
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Stettler County councillor: pavement is 10 times the cost of gravel road
County of Settler council responded to an angry ratepayer’s letter by noting paved roads cost about 10 times as much as comparable gravel roads. The letter was read and debated by council at their Nov. 10 regular meeting, held one day early because of Remembrance Day.
The letter was signed by ratepayer Sandi Murray, dated Oct. 20, and read, “I would like to discuss my great concern about the two kilometre chip road from Sec. Hwy. #601 to the gravel road that leads to Ol’ McDonald’s Campground/Scenic Sands development.
“I heard that the council was going to rip up this two kilometre road because of concerns about potholes and put the road back to gravel.
“I agree the potholes do need maintenance and when these potholes were filled in this summer, it has made an improvement and is much appreciated.
“But my major concern is that you are thinking of putting it back to gravel.
“The gravel roads in this area are terrible with continuous washboard ripples that make driving very hazardous.
“Gravel roads create a lot of dust, so you are unable to see more than 10 feet in front of you, especially with large motor homes and trailers going up this road towards Ol’ McDonald’s campground, Scenic Sands development, Abbey Road development, Buffalo Sands development and Buffalo Meadows.
“All of the people that have property in this area pay the county land taxes. My taxes alone are $2,500 every year and we receive very little in services for our tax money.
“Gravel roads also need continuous maintenance. The money to turn it back to gravel, grading the road a number of times/year and adding additional gravel yearly. So there is no saving to the county.
“When you consider the amount of traffic this two km chip road handles yearly, it’s amazing you haven’t developed it further.
“So very disappointed in the short-sightedness of this council. Can the county reconsider and take a more practical approach of: filling in the potholes as needed since the economy is down, until an appropriate time to repave this stretch – to service the many people who use this road, pay high taxes to you, and bring in money to this community when camping and using summer cabins and yearly homes.”
Coun. Wayne Nixon responded first. “I wish people would stop calling us short-sighted because it pisses me off,” said Nixon.
Nixon stated county council knows paved roads are much more expensive than gravel roads, stating a gravel road costs $100,000 per mile while asphalt is $1 million a mile, about 10 times difference, which Nixon noted is “huge.”
Coun. Cheri Neitz asked if the county should reach out to this ratepayer with a response.
Coun. James Nibourg responded, “We’re not short-sighted. That’s what it should say.” Nibourg continued that Reeve Larry Clarke had already suggested a standard response to letters from the Buffalo Lake area rather than councillors responding on a case by case basis.
Clarke noted the county receives regular complaints from the Buffalo Lake area. “It is one of those places we do spend a lot of administrative time and council time on,” said Clarke.
Coun. Dave Grover agreed, saying, “...Seems to take up a lot of our time for four per cent of our tax base.”
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County Chief Administrative Officer Yvette Cassidy stated staff regularly hear complaints from the public that they pay high taxes but don’t see a return on that.
Coun. Ernie Gendre stated the county should communicate to ratepayers that their taxes go to support projects throughout the municipality, not just in front of someone’s property.
Councillors accepted the letter for information, but it was stated at the meeting Coun. Neitz would respond to the ratepayer about her concerns.
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This is a fully revised and updated second edition of the successful Techniques for Coaching and Mentoring, also incorporating the best bits of its sister text Further Techniques for Coaching and Mentoring.
The book presents a comprehensive and critical overview of the wide range of tools and techniques available to coaches and mentors. With a strong academic underpinning, it explores a wide range of approaches, and provides techniques both for use with clients and to support professional development of the coach or mentor. Key features include:
Techniques for Coaching and Mentoring 2nd Edition is an invaluable resource for professional coaches and mentors looking to enhance their practice, and for students of coaching and mentoring.
Part I: Introduction 1. Introduction Part II: Coaching and Mentoring Techniques 2. Getting Ready For the Coaching Session 3. Contracting 4. Rapport Building 5. Helping The Coachee Articulate Their Issues 6. Exploring Beliefs and Values 7. Setting and Pursuing Goals 8. Managing Emotions 9. Managing Relationships 10. Building Support, Influence and Learning 11. Techniques for Teams 12. Managing Choices and Decisions 13. Understanding Context 14. Developing Resilience/Coping with Setbacks 15. Feedback 16. Helping the Coachee Raise Self-Awareness/ Self-Understanding/ Self-Honesty 17. Managing Boundaries 18. Dealing With Problems in the Coaching Relationship 19. Ending the Coaching Relationship Part III: Themes for the Coach 20. Supporting Your Coaching Practice Across Cultures 21. Evaluating Your Coaching 22. Looking After Yourself as a Coach
We provide complimentary e-inspection copies of primary textbooks to instructors considering our books for course adoption. | https://www.crcpress.com/Techniques-for-Coaching-and-Mentoring/Lancer-Clutterbuck-Megginson/p/book/9781138913745 |
The volume of the sound, like that of many other things,there is a limit. So, outdoors, the maximum noise level can reach 194 decibels, and under water - 270 decibels. Recreating maximum volume levels is extremely difficult, but researchers from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University tried to do this. In the course of the experiment, they achieved that the volume of the sound under water reached the very limit of 270 decibels - this required thin trickles of water and a powerful laser.
Physicists have noted that sound is physicala phenomenon that is created by a pressure wave. At zero decibel level, there are no waves, and at maximum volume the medium through which the sound passes begins to collapse without letting it become even louder. The same thing happens when cooling and heating materials - there are some limits that cannot be overcome.
To recreate the loudest underwater sound,scientists used a coherent light emission device, the Linac Coherent Light Source, which is essentially an incredibly powerful X-ray laser. It was directed to microscopic streams of water, the thickness of which ranged from 14 to 30 micrometers. When short X-ray pulses fell into the water, it evaporated and created shock waves, which became sources of loud sound.
The researchers noticed that when the sound intensity reached its maximum level, the water turned into small bubbles filled with steam, which immediately burst during the cavitation process.
This is not the first time we are talking about X-rayLinac Coherent Light Source. Back in 2017, scientists used it for a previously unimaginable experiment, during which they independently created a one-atom molecular black hole.
Discuss this and other topics of science and technology in our Telegram-chat. There you will always find interesting buddies! | https://vpchothuegoldenking.com/scientists-have-reached-the-limit-of-the-volume-of-sound-under-water/ |
The Underground Research Institute at the University of West City.
The inside of the clean laboratory was spotless. All the researchers wore white lab coats.
The indicators on the various instruments around them flickered on and off, shining with a different light.
Although these researchers were in a hurry, they were completing their work in an orderly manner.
There was a dark, hard substance floating in a pale blue glass vessel, which looked like stone, but was less dense than even water.
April wore a lab coat and a black-framed pair of glasses above her nose.
“The density and hardness are very unusual. The testing equipment also detected a faint energy circuit, but there is no energy input in this pure vessel. Is the stone actually generating its own energy? What is its principle? Is it illogical? Is it the same as the Lookout or Senzu Bean? A mysterious substance beyond the realm of mortals?” April wrote her thoughts on it in her experiment logbook.
The stone used as an experimental opponent was a relic left to her by her father, Claren.
There were three of them, and April had been studying it for years, never quite understanding its origin.
“Director April, there is an anomaly in Experiment Prototype number two; please go over and take a look at it.” A young man with black hair walked up to April’s side.
When April heard that there was a problem with the experimental prototype, she put down her work.
She walked towards the other lab, asking as she did so, “Dr. Gero, tell me more about the abnormality that occurred with the experimental prototype.”
“Yes. When the experiment was…” the young man named Dr. Gero nodded as he walked away and explained the situation in detail.
This young man named Gero was April’s classmate and a rare talent. They joined the Institute together after graduation.
As of April’s second-in-command, Dr. Gero not only conducted experiments according to April’s instructions but also researched some other topics.
For example, the second prototype that was now having problems was a robot that April had tried to create based on the drawings left by her father.
April was already a genius. After receiving the basic technology of the Dominian gifted by Muyang, her scientific research ability had risen to a higher level. With Dr. Ger’s assistance, she had already created the second generation of robots.
Click, the electronic door opened with a soft sound.
In the laboratory, through the transparent tempered glass, the surface of a three-meter-tall humanoid machine sparked and thudded out of control against the glass.
There was a loud, violent impact. The tempered glass cracked visibly, and the entire lab was plunged into a noisy mess.
Not far away, a teenager approached the lab bench to make observations, oblivious to the approaching danger.
“Dr. Brief, get out of the way; it’s too dangerous here.”
The other researchers saw it and immediately snapped with a change in their faces.
However, this time it was too late, the tempered glass shattered, and the out-of-control robot rushed into the lab.
Just as the teenager named Brief was dying, a slender arm reached out, and April stopped the out-of-control robot in front of her. Then, with a twist of her wrist, she knocked the entire riotous robot out of the sky.
“The robot smashed a hole in the wall of the lab with a loud bang.
“Crackle!”
With the robot still out of control, April’s azure eyes glazed over with a cold light, emitting a radiant glow from her onion-like fingers.
“HEAVENLY SKY BEAM!”
A chopstick-thick ki ray was fired out, instantly hitting the robot’s core processing location. With a rumbling, piercing explosion, the robot stopped moving.
April gasped with a pale face. Her body was weakly leaning against the lab table.
“Miss April, are you alright?” Dr. Brief, who had been saved by April, came over nervously, looking at a loss for words.
April waved her hand, “Dr. Brief, don’t be so impulsive in the future. I can’t explain to Panchy if something happens to you.”
Dr. Brief’s cheeks flushed as if he also felt regret for his recklessness.
At this time, there was silence in the lab. Dr. Gero came over with an excited face, “Director April, I didn’t think that you were actually a powerful martial arts practitioner. That was a ki wave. I’ve heard that it requires extremely profound power to be able to perform it.”
Dr. Gero’s mouth was like a gate that had been opened, and he couldn’t stop talking. April really wanted to slap it when she saw it.
Although April was able to release ki waves, this wasn’t something she could be proud of now.
If it was the past, she would have been excellent in the Kami School and could be proud of herself.
However, this time was different. With Muyang passing down the Kami School training techniques from the previous Kami, disciples like her with 50 power levels were actually at the tail end of the ladder.
Those few excellent brothers and sisters had reached 100 power levels; even the juniors, who were coming after her, were surpassing her.
“Dr. Gero, shut up!”
April had a fierce gleam in her eyes, and Dr. Gero shut his mouth knowingly.
Just then, a researcher ran over and said to April, “Director, there is a student outside looking for you. He said that there is a man from the school, claiming to be your brother…”
“My brother?” April frowned.
“Shall I rebuff him?”
April waved her hand, suddenly thinking of the figure of Muyang.
“No, if you’re talking about my brother, I do have one, but he shouldn’t be in… West City right now.” She originally wanted to say not on earth, but that would be too alarming. So she changed it to West City.
“I’m going to go out and take a look while you guys sort out the scene here.”
With that, April turned around with great dignity.
“Hey, Dr. Brief, Director April’s brother is here. Shall we go out and take a look?”
Curiosity flashed in Dr. Gero’s eyes. It was only today that he had learned that the clever April was a martial arts practitioner, so he was particularly curious about everything to do with her.
Dr. Brief said, “I heard from Panchy that Director April’s brother is a very powerful martial arts practitioner.”
Dr. Gero’s eyes lit up, “Then what are you waiting for? Let’s go and check it out!”
……
On the other side, in a pavilion at the school’s side, Muyang was quietly waiting for April. With some candies and snacks on the stone table, all of which was April’s favorites.
“Senior brother, April’s a bit slow,” Mexia complained.
Muyang didn’t care, “She’s leading the experiment right now. She can’t get out of it at the moment; we’ll wait slowly.”
“Look, isn’t that her?!”
The pavilion was located on a small hill inside the school. The view was very open. Muyang looked in one direction and saw a woman in a white coat running towards them. Her brown hair waving from side to side, it was indeed April.
Behind her was also a growing fat blue dinosaur. It was April’s little friend Blue Dinosaur, Growlie.
After years of not seeing, April has grown up. She was nineteen years old. She was slender, bright-eyed, very beautiful.
With a curtain of brown hair that went straight to her shoulders, she was valiantly shy and had a very attractive sense of beauty.
However… How did April was short-sighted and also put on black-framed glasses?
Although this look was full of intellectual beauty.
Uh…
With black-framed glasses, a white lab coat, brown hair with a few tufts of dull hair sticking up, the left side of the white lab coat had a piece of red, and the right side had a piece of blue. Even a good pair of shoes, the left and right sides were different styles.
How could such a pictorial had a sense of vested vision?
Muyang was lost for a while.
Previously, when he saw April dressed like this, he had no feeling. Now April’s figure had fully grown and opened up in front of him.
Her plump breasts stood out, especially wearing glasses and a lab coat… it always felt very similar to a particular figure.
Female scientist, brown hair, black mirrored glasses, unconventional outfit.
Oh boy!
This image… April was not supposed to be the Android 21!
Muyang was shocked by his own speculation.
If April really was the Android 21, she was a strong girl.
In the early stage, Android 17, Android 18, and Super Perfect Cell were nothing compared to Android 21.
The Majin Transformation’s Android 21 was more terrifying than Majin Buu.
Become a Patron read up to 100 chapters ahead for all novels in Main Novel List! Good deal right? Help us to reach the goal if you could (ㆁᴗㆁ)
Please join Discord Server so we can talk ^_^
You can also reach Level 50 on our discord.gg/t66agbE and get access to Bronze Tier on Patreon for free! | https://systemtranslation.com/dragon-ball-god-mu-chapter-198/ |
The fugue in A-flat Major, among the more concise pieces in The Well-Tempered Clavier, is much loved by players and admired in the literature. As the piece proceeds, one feels more and more that its basic material has to be the subject together with its answer, which may be called the “subject-pair.” The linkage is a consequence of the “open” ending of the subject, on the fifth degree, rather than on the more stable and much more common third degree or tonic, and of its rhythmic profile: entirely even, up to the point where it is firmly end-stopped. While the subject-pairs may be rudimentary and identical in rhythm, they are not identical or altogether simple in pitch content. Emotional range is another special feature of this short composition, all the more remarkable because of the overall tone of restraint.
Keywords: fugue, A-flat major, subject-pair, emotional range, linkage, rhythmic profile
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Could global warming change tornado season, too?
With the planet heating up, many scientists seem fairly certain some weather elements like hurricanes and droughts will worsen. But tornadoes have them stumped.
These unpredictable, sometimes deadly storms plague the United States more than any other country. Here in tornado alley, Oklahoma City has been hit with at least 147 tornadoes since 1890.
But as the traditional tornado season nears, scientists have been pondering a simple question: Will there be more or fewer twisters as global warming increases?
There is no easy answer. Lately, tornado activity in America has been Jekyll-and-Hyde weird, and scientists are unsure if climate change has played a role in recent erratic patterns.
In 2011, the United States saw its second-deadliest tornado season in history: Nearly 1,700 tornadoes killed 553 people. The Joplin, Mo., twister was the single deadliest in American history, killing 158 people and causing $2.8 billion in damage.
The following year, 2012, started even earlier and even busier. Through April there were twice as many tornadoes as normal. Then the twisters suddenly disappeared. Tornado activity from May to August of that year was the lowest in 60 years of record-keeping, said Harold Brooks, a top researcher at the National Weather Center in Norman, Okla.
Meanwhile, Canada saw an unusual number of tornadoes in 2012; Saskatchewan had three times the normal number.
That year, the jet stream moved north and "essentially shut down" tornadoes in the American Midwest said Greg Carbin, warning meteorologist at the federal storm center. A tremendous drought meant far fewer storms, which not only shut off the spigot on rain but on storm cells that spawned tornadoes.
For much of America, tornadoes are seasonal. Typically, there are more during spring, and the numbers dwindle in the worst heat of the summer. Last year "essentially was an extended period of summertime conditions over the U.S.," Carbin said. "The real question is: What is spring now? Is it February?"
"Summer may be happening earlier and may be muscling out what we consider a transition between summer and winter," he said.
The last two seasons aren't alone in illustrating extremes in tornado activity.
Tornado record-keepers tally things like the most and least tornadoes in a month. Records for that category have been set 24 times over the past 60 years. Ten of those records have been set in the past decade — six for the fewest tornadoes and four for the most, Brooks said. Also, the three earliest starts of tornado season and the four latest have all occurred since 1997, he said.
What does that mean?
"We've had a dramatic increase in the variability of tornado occurrence," Brooks said.
The jet stream, a major player in tornado formation, has been in a state of flux, varying wildly in recent years, said Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann.
"It's hard to predict future tornado seasons when we don't understand current tornado seasons," Brooks said between sessions at the National Tornado Summit here earlier this week. "We're not sure what's going to happen with the tornado numbers."
A new study in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society looks at all sorts of extreme weather, how it is changing because of global warming and how things are predicted to change in the future. The study says tornadoes and the severe thunderstorms that spawn them are the hardest to predict.
Public opinion polls show Americans blame global warming for bad tornado outbreaks, but climate scientists say that's not quite right.
One reason scientists can't figure out how global warming might affect tornadoes is that twisters are usually small weather events that aren't easily simulated in large computer models. And records of tornadoes may not have been accurate over the years as twisters twirled unnoticed around unpopulated areas.
So Brooks and others are looking at the ingredients that cause tornadoes. But even that isn't simple. They look at two main factors: moist energy in the atmosphere and wind shear. Wind shear is the difference between wind at high altitudes and wind near the surface. The more moist energy and greater the wind shear, the better the chances for tornadoes.
The atmosphere can hold more moisture as it warms, and it will likely be more unstable so that means more moist energy, several experts said. But wind shear is another matter. Brooks and Stanford University scientist Noah Diffenbaugh think there will be less of that.
That would suggest fewer tornadoes. But if there's more moist energy, that could lead to more tornadoes. One ingredient has to win out, and Brooks says it's hard to tell which one will. Diffenbaugh says recent computer simulations show the moist energy may overcome the reduced shear and produce at least more severe thunderstorms, if not tornadoes.
Given what's happening lately, Brooks believes there will be fewer days of tornadoes but more twisters on the days when they occur. | https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/2013/03/16/could-global-warming-change-tornado/45268994007/ |
The excitement and anticipation had been building for months among the local rugby fraternity for the Cobar club’s Western Plains Rugby ‘Reunion’ match against Gulargambone on Saturday.
Players that beat Gulargambone 20 years ago in the 1996 grand final (along with members of the Cobar team that defeated Walgett in the 1976 grand final) assembled at Ailsa Fitzsimmons Memorial Oval on Saturday to cheer on the current crop of Camels in their game against the visiting Gulargambone team.
Despite the final score of 36-19 in Gulargambone’s favour, spectators declared it had been a good game to watch, that was however after the Camels kicked into action.
Camels’ strength and conditioning coach John Barnes said it took about 20 minutes for the Cobar side to make any real impact in Saturday’s match.
“The game started off with a clear indication that Gular was going to play a fast running game in the backline with quick pick and drive,” Barnes said.
He said Gular’s heavy forward pack also man-for-man outweighed the Camels team.
“The Camels defence was lacking in commitment at the start of the game and it created the impression that although they were on the playing field, their minds were somewhere else,” Barnes said.
“Gular scored with in the first three minutes of the game and then another try within 10 minutes. After 20 minutes the Camels were behind on the scoreboard by 21 points, which must have struck home that if they do not start to play it was going to be a one sided game of defending the score board.”
Barnes said it was then that it became a good game to watch.
“Many of the spectators mentioned to me after the game that it is one of the best games they saw over the last couple of seasons.”
He said it was a good running game with some outstanding forward and backline combination play from both sides.
Camels’ Halfback Clay Neale had a brilliant first half delivering quick balls to the backline and his tactical kicking was pin pointed.
“The Camels’ line-outs had a 100 per cent improvement from the previous week, and the scrums were dominated by the Camels team.
“During halftime break the only message to the team was to pick up the intensity of the game which they did,” Barnes said.
With 10 minutes left to play the Camels only trailed 26-19.
“The feeling was there that the Camels could win the game and the spectators proved it with their support and cheered them along.”
Barnes said Gular however made the most of a Camels defensive error and scored a try that took the game beyond the Camels’ reach.
“It is not all doom and gloom for the Camels as they once again proved that when they are switched on to play as a team they are capable of winning games but this means 80 minutes and not 60 minutes,” Barnes said. | http://cobarweekly.com.au/camels-turned-up-late-to-play-their-game/ |
February 9, 2018
Blockchains often use network consensus mechanisms which require peer-to-peer (p2p) communications protocols to achieve consensus. Due to the decentralized nature of these protocols, new attack vectors appear and require examination during development and implementation.
Sybil attack
A Sybil Attack occurs when a single entity controls multiple nodes within a p2p network and this fact is unknown to other participants. In some p2p networks, this allows an attacker to control consensus or other types of information within the network by falsifying data, which appears to come from independent sources.
Identity Attack
An Identity Attack is an attack which allows an adversary to identify nodes within a p2p network based on information passed across the network, network metadata, or some other form of surveillance. This information can then be used to attack the target digitally or kinetically.
Eclipse Attack
An Eclipse Attack is another attack where a malicious actor (or actors) attempt to control a portion of the network. Rather than attacking the network, in this case they attempt to attack a specific subset of the network to achieve their intention.
Denial of Service
A denial of service is a more general type of attack which could be achieved versus one of previous types of by entirely different methods. E.g. sending overly large amounts of specific types of network traffic.
51% attack
A 51% attack occurs when a single entity (or group) controls 51% or more of the network power. In this instance the entity can control the consensus and include whatever types of data they desire into the network. crytpo51.io has a cool list of the cost to conduct a 51% attack against different blockchain networks.
Routing attacks
Routing attacks occur when the normal network traffic between nodes is interrupted or redirected in a way which impacts the network. Historically, BGP attacks have been successful in interrupting normal blockchain operation.
Considerations
Blockchains may be susceptible to common network style attacks, and may also introduce new attack vectors. | https://openonelabs.com/p2p-network-attacks/ |
Happy Tuesday Team Nibbles Fitness!
Yesterday I went swimming. I had not gotten enough sleep the night before and had to rush out for my PT appointment. I packed my food, thank God, or it would have been a disaster. I really didn’t want to swim, there is a very cool breeze. Once I get in the water it’s fine as its 80-degree water, and I have a big thick terry cloth robe to put on as soon as I get out. It’s just like going to the gym, going for a walk or run, or anything else we do for exercise – it’s hard to get started but once we go, we get through it fine and FEEL BETTER as described below. I went because I knew I would regret it if I didn’t. In the winter, I like to try and get it done before the sun goes down. It’s cold and the daylight is short. I slept really good last night after swimming and got a lot of REM sleep, and I ended up sticking to my macros only because I had packed my macro friendly foods and had frozen level-1 ice cream prepared which I blend using my amazing Ninja Creami machine which is a life saver for me. Randy likes his ice cream made in it too and I make sure to keep a special container for his version. When he hears me making mine, he often wants some too.
ASSESSMENTS 📝
- Due once a week. If you haven’t been doing them, go ahead and START!
LIVE STREAMS 📺
- Every weekday at 9AM Central Time.
Make physical activity part of your everyday routine.
Weight Training: 3-5x minimum
Walking: everyday! 45-60min
Even small changes to your daily routine can make a big impact on your health. And, if you stick to them, they can help you start a new, healthier lifestyle.
Here are 7 REASONS TO MOVE EVERYDAY.
SHARPER MEMORY AND THINKING 🧠
The endorphins released during exercise not only help you feel better—they help you think better, too. Better concentration and mental sharpness are just two of the many cognitive benefits of physical activity.
Weight Loss and Maintenance
Regular exercise increases your metabolic rate. While our metabolisms naturally slow over time, staying active can help maintain a healthy metabolism at any age.
More Energy ⚡️
Physical activity boosts cardiovascular health, which gives you more endurance throughout the day. More endurance makes it easier to do the tasks that your daily life requires without feeling worn out when all is said and done.
Better Sleep 😴
Turns out that the best way to get a good night’s sleep is to stay active during the day. Physical activity in the morning and early afternoon can reset your sleep-wake cycle, allowing it to trigger sleepiness a few hours later.
Healthy Muscles and Bones 💪🏼
Good news is, as little as 30 minutes of physical activity each day can help strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis. Weight-bearing activities such as walking, jogging and climbing stairs are great places to start.
Pain Reduction ❌
This is because physical activity helps to break your brain and body out of a continuous pain-signaling loop. It’s best to stick to low-impact aerobic exercises like walking, swimming, cycling and stretching if you’re living with chronic pain.
Better Mood 😊
Moving more isn’t just good for your body—it’s good for your mind, too. In fact, walking is one of the many lifestyle remedies for depression. Physical activity sends a signal for your brain to release endorphins. These chemicals are responsible for feelings of happiness, calm and well-being. Endorphins also have pain-relieving and immune-boosting qualities.
Remember I care about you long term. Your life, longevity, and happiness.
& You should care about that for yourself too!
+ nothing feels better than when you mentally and your body feels great.
Let’s go win Tuesday! | https://www.nibblesfitness.com/single-post/tuesday-education-daily-movement |
We believe a healthy society is the foundation of a productive society. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, healthcare resources are scarce and a living a healthy life is often treated as a luxury. As the founders of Orbit Health, we lived through those circumstances ourselves and decided to help strengthen this weak healthcare infrastructure through innovative technology solutions. There are two major contributing factors that are affecting the nation’s healthcare frame work, delayed access to healthcare & delayed care delivery.
WHY HEALTH CARE?
Delayed access to healthcare
Furthermore, inefficiencies within existing healthcare facilities result in a weak and overburdened healthcare infrastructure. Across sub-Saharan Africa, small and large healthcare facilities have a need to increase their care delivery capacity and meet the overwhelming and growing demand for quality care.
Delayed care delivery & limited continuity of care
Our solutions:
We believe we can enhance the ability of care providers to provide quality continuity of care by designing and implementing an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) management system. An EMR helps organize and display patients’ medical record, from vitals metrics to past medical history, prescriptions, and follow-ups.
Besides strengthening care delivery capability, an EMR will further pave the way for a centralized and connected healthcare practices within a given region. Through Orbit’s EMR, healthcare providers within and outside of the Orbit Health network will be able to share patients’ essential data, such as medical records (for referral), laboratory test results, imaging results, and pharmacy prescriptions.
This feature will:
Maximize efficiency across local and regional healthcare providers
Pave the way for remote care delivery and patient health monitoring capability
Eliminate inconvenience and speed up access to treatment
At Orbit, we aspire to enable the creation of a centralized and collaborative health system. Through this effort, treatment information will be organized and made securely available for the purposes of sharing lessons and improving care delivery practices.
This feature will:
Greatly contribute to disease surveillance capability of a region, city and country
Enable the strengthening of disease prevention, detection and early alert notification within a given country
We are committed to saving lives through transforming the delivery of healthcare services. | http://orbithealth.co/why-health-care/ |
- Editor(s):
- I. Patel
- Published Date:
- December 1992
Papers presented at a symposium held in Gaborone, Botswana, February 25–27, 1991
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
Washington ⋅ 1992
@ 1992 International Monetary Fund
Cover and interior design by IMF Graphics Section
Joint Bank-Fund Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Policies for African development : from the 1980s to the 1990s / editor, I. G. Patel.—Washington International Monetary Bund, 1992.
p. : cm.
“Papers presented at a symposium held in Gaborone. Botswana. February 25–27, 1991.”
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-55775-232X
1. Africa—Economic policy—Congresses. 2. Africa—Economic conditions—I960—Congresses. 5 Finance—Africa—Congresses. 1. Patel, I. G. (Indraprasad Gordhanbhai), 1924–II. International Monetary Fund.
HC800.P55 1992
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Foreword
Africa, despite great economic adversity during the past twenty years, has managed recently to record positive real growth, steadily transform and improve its economic structures and systems, and improve the living standards of the rural population. This has been achieved through the perseverence of nearly thirty African countries in following growth-oriented adjustment programs, with the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
A seminar held in Gaborone, Botswana, from February 25–27, 1991, sponsored by the Association of African Central Banks and the IMF, provided an opportunity for frank evaluation and discussion of the progress made by Africa during the 1980s and of the prospects and needs for continued development in the 1990s. The propositions that regional cooperation in Africa has formidable potential in enhancing economic efficiency and that the industrial countries have a special responsibility in helping Africa drew broad agreement. In view of the importance of the issues discussed, it has been decided to publish the proceedings of the seminar so as to make them available to a wider audience.
There is no doubt that for Africa the road ahead is hard, but it is my deep conviction that many African countries during the 1990s will be able to successfully launch homegrown programs, deserving strong international support and leading to increased regional cooperation. The responsibility for development and economic adjustment is a shared one. The IMF is ready to do its part in helping Africa face the challenges that lie ahead.
- M. Camdessus
- Managing Director
- International Monetary Fund
Acknowledgment
I should like to say what a great pleasure and privilege it has been to participate in this symposium and what a rich and rewarding experience it was. I am grateful to the Association of African Central Banks and to the IMF for providing me with this unique experience. The staff of the Central Bank of Botswana and Governor Hermans spared no effort in making our stay comfortable and our discussions fruitful; and special thanks are due to Mrs. Hermans for keeping our spouses safely and happily away from the conference hall.
I am grateful also to all the participants for the rich fare they served. I have done scant justice to the actual discussion at the symposium in this introduction. Unlike the invited authors whose papers are reproduced here, those who spoke on the spur of the moment, and thus rose splendidly to the occasion so to speak, have to be content with what I can recollect and record in a short introduction in which I have not been able to resist the temptation of inserting my own overtones.
Perhaps it is not too much to hope that it is interactions such as those that have taken place at the symposium—free from rancor, clearheaded, hard-hitting, and yet not allergic to delineation of agreement as well as disagreement—that give grounds for hope that the transition from the 1980s to the 1990s in Africa may well be a journey from stagnation and decline to revitalization and renewed vigor.
I am greatly indebted to the IMF staff, Ahmed Abushadi, who ably coordinated the seminar, and Juanita Roushdy, who edited and prepared the volume for publication, and to Varghese Thomas and his associates of the Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited, Baroda, for voluntary assistance so readily given at every stage.
- I. G. Patel
- Editor and Moderator
Contents
- Foreword
- Acknowledgment
- Introduction
- i. g. patel
- Opening Remarks
- I Structural Adjustment in Africa: Future Approaches and Lessons Learned from the Past
- A View from Africa
- a.k. mullei
- A View from the IMF
- jack boorman
- Tanzania’s Experience
- g. rutihinda
- A View from Africa
- II Africa’s Adjustment and the External Debt Problem: Issues and Options
- A View from the African Development Bank
- a. sancowawa
- A View from the Paris Club
- denis samuel-lajeunesse
- An Unofficial View
- g. k. helleiner
- Discussants
- Africa’s Adjustment and the External Debt Problem
- percy s. mistry
- Issues and Options
- jack boorman and ajai chopra
- Official Debt Reduction: Toronto Terms, Trinidad Terms, and Netherlands Initiative
- Francesco abbate and anh-nga tran-nguyen
- Africa’s Adjustment and the External Debt Problem
- A View from the African Development Bank
- III Financing Growth and Development in Africa: Outlook and Issues
- Estimating the Cost of Financing African Development in the 1990s
- maria cristina germany, charles p. humphreys, and stephen o’brien
- A View from the UN Commission for Africa
- owodunni teriba
- Discussants
- Resource Gaps and Financing for Growth in Africa
- benno j. ndulu
- Resource Gaps and Financing for Growth in Africa
- Just How Important Is Finance for African Development
- tony killick
- Structural Adjustment Program: Lesotho’s Experience in a Nutshell
- a.m. maruping
- Estimating the Cost of Financing African Development in the 1990s
- IV Trade, Investment, and Growth: Prospects for Africa
- A View from UNCTAD
- k.s. dadzie
- A View from Africa
- bekele tamirat
- A View from Africa
- kerfalle yansane
- A View from UNCTAD
- Panel Discussion Adjustment, Resources, and Growth: How to Manage in the 1990s
- List of Participants
Introduction
I.G. Patel
The joint symposium of the Association of African Central Banks and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), held in Gaborone, Botswana, February 25—27, 1991, was a sequel to a similar gathering held in Nairobi, Kenya, May 13—15, 1985. The contrast in the mood on the two occasions was remarkable. The 1985 symposium had a hint of confrontation, or, put another way, illustrated a need for much greater understanding, between the IMF and Africa. The 1991 symposium had a marked positive and constructive tone, and the views expressed had a remarkable degree of correspondence. Emphasis was on the dynamics of a suitable policy framework for the 1990s rather than on dialectics, which had been the emphasis of the 1980s. There was a strong undercurrent that the primary emphasis should be on African development, which had sadly received such a serious setback in the 1980s.
The African central bankers in Gaborone were noticeably free from any tendency to minimize the magnitude of their task or to explain away the mistakes of the past. While emphasizing the importance of the external environment and of the policies of the rich, they were unsparing in highlighting the far-reaching responsibilities that Africans alone can shoulder. The representatives of the IMF, the World Bank, the Paris Club, and the Western intelligentsia present were also remarkably free from dogma. Quite clearly, neither the earlier debates nor the experience of recent years had gone unheeded. As Governor Yansane of Guinea so aptly put it, one important consequence of the experience of structural adjustment is that it has brought about some adjustment of minds as well.
One should perhaps be somewhat wary about the signs of an emerging consensus at the conference. Consensus can be a kind of tranquilizer that dulls our perception about vital differences and nuances. These can get lost in catchphrases that easily roll off our tongues. One has also regretfully to admit that while more powerful now than before, central bankers do not always reflect correctly the public mood nor the perceptions and compulsions of political leaders. Some might even suggest that those present at the conference—the Managing Director of the IMF not excluded—could well be a little ahead of their respective constituencies! The evidence so far as to the right recipe for countries that differ in circumstance as much as they resemble each other in terms of policy responses generally is such as to warn against any simplistic view about a policy framework for the development of Africa as a whole. All these caveats notwithstanding—and they were made during the discussion—it has to be reckoned as a hopeful sign that there is now considerable common ground on which our analysis and aspirations rest.
The tone for the entire conference was set admirably by the two “keynote” speeches given by Governor Turay, Chairman of the Association of African Central Banks, and Mr. Camdessus, Managing Director of the IMF. Governor Turay, while emphasizing the limited successes so far in structural adjustment and the almost total absence of growth and of progress toward diversification, which alone can make African economies fully responsive to policy stimuli, recognized that far-reaching changes were inevitable. His emphasis on technical assistance from the IMF and elsewhere to enable Africans to draw their own blueprint for adjustment and growth was echoed during the conference in different contexts.
Mr. Camdessus was emphatic that what was needed was growth-oriented structural adjustment and that antipoverty policies and programs were not just additives or correctives but should be an integral part of structural adjustment. He could well have added that this would be easier if antipoverty concerns were already an integral part of longer-term development plans or programs. Mr. Camdessus was equally clear that African development was a shared responsibility and that international institutions had to prod the richer countries to do their part just as they had to insist on appropriate policies by the developing world. Above all, one has to recognize that there is room for improvement and for learning from experience so that an appropriate policy framework for any country—let alone a continent—is not a closed book, even if there are some basic economic laws that none can evade. Difficult as the task is and, indeed, because it is so difficult, there is no escape from perseverance for all concerned in the partnership. While emphasizing this, Mr. Camdessus was hopeful of a more positive response all round.
The first session of the symposium was devoted to an assessment of structural adjustment. The term “structural adjustment” no longer refers only to a stable macroeconomic framework with excess demand and inflation under control and major distortions in key prices, such as the exchange rate or interest rates or prices of wage-goods and labor, removed. There is now general agreement that it should embrace an appropriate set of microeconomic policies as well. They should include less reliance on government control and public ownership and more on individual initiative and signals from the markets, incentives by way of moderate tax rates, a less discriminatory and more transparent set of rules and regulations to the extent required, greater integration into the world economy, and, above all, the creation and maintenance of a competitive environment conducive to greater efficiency and resilience.
But the Gaborone conference was also clear that, structural adjustment even so widely defined, greatly abridges the policy agenda. Economic growth or development requires going beyond this to positive steps to stimulate savings and investment, to develop human resources, as well as control population growth, and to prevent the degradation and destruction of natural resources—to mention just the important things. Participation of the people and concern for the poor are not luxuries but essential ingredients for the success and sustainability of any sensible set of policies. Structural adjustment, development, social justice, and environmental protection have all to proceed side by side; and in the real world, countries have also to reckon with uncertainty and shocks whether external (oil prices) or internal (crop failures). Adjustment to unforeseeable shocks and factors is as much a part of the policy agenda as are sustainable growth, or social justice, or financial stability and a competitive environment.
It is this diversity and depth of the policy agenda that makes for complexity and difficult judgments. While all important objectives have to be pursued and means wielded, it is not possible to do everything at the same time. Priorities have to be set, and policies and programs have to be phased appropriately—a point made most forcefully by Mr. Boorman of the IMF. There are some sequences that one can confidently recommend. For example, it would be suicidal to liberalize imports extensively unless a substantial degree of macroeconomic adjustment had already taken place, excess demand had been greatly reduced, and realistic exchange rates and interest rates were in place.
But everything is not so clear or obvious. There is a temptation to think—perhaps more so among donors and international financial institutions—that as long as structural adjustment in the wider sense is not completed, investment for development must be postponed or greatly reduced. But, as Mr. Helleiner rightly points out, without some evidence of continued growth, it may well be impossible to muster enough political support for structural adjustment. In any event, the agenda for structural adjustment, at least in the microeconomic sense, is so vast and far-reaching that there cannot be agreement on all elements of it. Nor can it be implemented except over a number of years. A stop-and-go policy on growth can be self-defeating. And yet, in practice, developmental ambitions may have to be curtailed, even when there are no major distortions to begin with, for example, in response to a severe shock. How to minimize the adverse consequences of unavoidable and indeed generally beneficial adjustment is not an easy question, particularly when growth as well as social justice are borne in mind. We may all agree that public expenditure needs to be reduced. But how to do this without harming development or the consumption of the poor is not that easy to prescribe.
Not only is it that our knowledge of economic facts and relationships is imperfect or that our experience so far gives no clear answers to such detailed questions of priorities and phasing in a particular environment, but also by their very nature most economic policies are double-edged; even good policies have bad side effects. At any given time, the art of making economic policy is the art of choosing the second or even the third best—of trading off and recognizing realities even as we seek to change them. For example, if tax incentives are necessary for private enterprise and risk taking, cannot subsidies also be so justified at least in some contexts? One may agree with Mr. Boorman that, even so, subsidies must be minimized and made transparent and even add that they must be pinpointed as far as possible. But there is no room for either/or here.
Major prices, like exchange rates, interest rates, wages, and prices of key wage-goods, have not only to be realistic but also stable so as to provide a stable framework for private decisions. Stability in these areas cannot be guaranteed by government fiat. It requires sound fiscal and monetary policies. But few governments in actual practice refrain from stabilizing action in such vital areas and rely exclusively on the free play of markets. Or to take a more relevant case for most of Africa, as the Governor of the Bank of Swaziland, Mr. Oliver, pointed out, customs revenue is such an important part of government receipts that one cannot sacrifice it unduly in a hurry to open the economy to external competition and thus jeopardize financial stability.
The much greater agreement on fundamentals should not obscure the fact that we do not know enough and cannot, in any case, be dogmatic about the details of any program that has to take many specific things and trade-offs into account. When one is concerned with the nitty-gritty of actual programs, there must be room for argument, debate, discussion, further research, and revisions and reformulations and a certain degree of humility and give-and-take on the part of all concerned.
It is good that the debate has shifted from first principles to concrete programs and that there is no great inclination nowadays to look for alternative strategies or approaches—although the terminology of the past may still linger on in some quarters, as is evidenced by some of the papers published here. No, we do not have a major alternative to follow, be it socialist or statist, autarchic, or even ascetic. Austerity, discriminatory protection, state guidance in investment, and an active role in many spheres, as well as concern for social justice, remain valid. Words like “socialism” and “a mixed economy” or “autarchy,” in the sense of “self reliance,” and “retreat from consumerism” will not disappear altogether from the dictionary of development. But the concerns underlying these words can only supplement the policy agenda; they do not provide a substitute for the logic and discipline inherent in structural adjustments.
The main point is that policies for African development must be homegrown, and there should be room for argument and open-mindedness when individual country programs are under consideration. The debate must be conducted not on first principles but on a case-by-case basis. But for that, the developing countries, and Africa in particular, have to be better equipped. There is need for improvement of statistics and analytical skills and for better awareness of experience elsewhere and of changes in technology and the external environment in general. Negotiating skills are also scarce and strained unbearably by the demands of a multiplicity of donors and institutions to which Mr. Martin’s paper draws pointed attention. There needs to be better coordination among donors and a readiness to give the benefit of doubt to those who have to implement the program—something very difficult for donors and even international institutions to accept. The developing countries have come a long way in giving the benefit of doubt to the essential features of structural adjustment. It is only reasonable that on details of priorities, or phasing, or speed and trade-offs, or appropriate mix at a particular stage, the benefit of doubt be given to those who are nearer the ground.
It is in this context that Africa’s need for technical assistance deserves the greatest emphasis. Programs for structural adjustment and development must not be only seen as homegrown; they must actually be so. This requires that many more Africans be trained—in the highest academic standards in economics; this can only be done by greater access to the finest universities in the world. It is regrettable that, except perhaps in the United States and France, in large parts of the Western world the welcome extended to students from the Third World is waning. This has to be remedied—if need be by private foundations and international institutions. Without that, creative and constructive dialogue on equal footing between Africa and the IMF or the World Bank or the donor community will remain an ever-receding dream.
All this has relevance also to the vexing question of conditionalities. The instinctive reaction against any kind of conditionality is much less in evidence now—although one should never expect it to disappear altogether. But areas for genuine worry remain. I have already referred to the complexity of any agenda for reform and revitalization and for the consequent need for the benefit of doubt being given not to the stronger party in negotiations but to the party that ultimately takes the blame and is, therefore, truly accountable. The rich are rich enough to afford this additional risk, which can have a high payoff.
More important perhaps, when there is so much uncertainty and so many variables, is whether there is any justification for the kind of sudden-death conditionality involved in the credit ceilings prescribed by the IMF. Even a modest breach of these ceilings leads automatically to a withdrawal of promised assistance. It does not help to argue that IMF conditionality is related to instruments rather than to objectives. Whether that is valid or not is not the point; the point is whether it is better to continue with assistance while resuming negotiations whenever a condition is not observed or to hold the gun and then argue. Bad cases of noncompliance can occur, despite clear warnings; in such cases, stoppage of further aid would be justified. But a breach of a credit ceiling does not somehow seem to command that much pre-eminence in the overall context of a wide-ranging reform of policies. It seems like a vestige from the past and deserves another look.
On the other hand, the temptation to multiply the area of conditionality or policy undertakings with precise time frames (even if there are no specific sudden-death criteria)—to which the World Bank seems to be prone—is equally at odds with what can be realistically expected. For example, the World Bank’s structural adjustment program for Zaïre included 102 measures to be introduced in 24 months; this evoked more than a little laughter from the conferees. Yes, there is some merit in preparing a detailed and comprehensive shopping list, but if some items are not actually bought, we cannot allow that to become a source of family discord.
At the heart of any argument about performance is the reasonableness of the time frame during which certain measures are to be taken or certain results achieved. Apart from questions of judgment and the intervention of the unexpected, the issue of a reasonable time frame is further complicated by the fact that African development is recognized as a partnership where the partners have unequal strength and very different responsibilities. If the need for internal policy changes and if the need for external support or finance are recognized, what is an appropriate or optimum mix of the two? It is true that programs can fail because of lack of political will or strength at home, but they can also—and do—fail because they are underfunded. It will not do to assert—as international institutions are sometimes tempted to do—that the availability of external resources has to be taken as given and the programs adjusted to that. A country does not have an unlimited ability to adjust on a wide front within a short time, and underfunded programs can be worse than none, as they squander away scarce resources of political will and generate cynicism and despondency all round.
To put it in reverse, forcing undue speed on poor countries guarantees that programs will fail or will impose unacceptable hardship on the vulnerable sections of society and may even retard growth. It is now more generally accepted that international institutions should not be guided too much by what might appear to be financially feasible. They have to strive to stretch these limits when sensible programs are available; and there is some evidence that this is beginning to happen, at least in the African context. Whether this will continue when more and more countries are ready to implement realistic programs remains to be seen. In the meantime, programs may even have to be front-loaded in terms of external support if, as Mr. Mullei points out, there are to be tangible early results to steady the political and public will for more difficult steps.
True, lapses, willful or otherwise, could occur on the part of the developing countries. But policy infirmities are not the prerogative of the poor only, and strident didacticism seldom behooves the rich, who have less excuse in terms of the suffering of their people for their own aberrations. If the message, as Mr. Camdessus pointed out, is perseverance, we have to persevere with the successful and the not-so-successful, with the political heavyweights, as well as the lightweights. Donors, as well as recipients, have to be urged to stay the course and not cut and run at the first sight of failure.
Needless to say, resources will always be limited, and difficult questions about the distribution of available funds among all recipients will remain to be solved. Should support be concentrated on those who are making the sharpest of breaks with the past? Is there not moral hazard in this? Should concentration be on those who are already reasonably successful rather than on those who are just coming along? There was a feeling that the most successful examples of Structural adjustment were precisely those that received much larger support in relation to their size. However attractive rewarding success and punishing reluctance may be, one has to be careful—if staying the course is the message (and it should be). There are many examples of the good having turned bad and of the bad eventually returning to the fold. Bridges, therefore, have to be maintained everywhere and the sinners and the weak of will should not be abandoned altogether. At the other end, there was a feeling among African central bankers themselves that those who pay their debts should not be penalized because others do not or cannot and that even middle-income African countries have a claim on external support, as they too have large areas of poverty and under-development. These are difficult questions that cannot be resolved fully.
Even more difficult are the truly hopeless cases for the foreseeable future—whether as a result of internal discord and strife, folly, tyranny, or some quirk of rapidly deteriorating natural resources and high rates of population growth. It would be idle to pretend that there are no such cases. To paraphrase Isaac Bashevis Singer, it is nowhere written that progress must be possible everywhere at all times. But even these unfortunate cases cannot be abandoned altogether even if aid to them can only be temporizing and for survival more than for growth.
Conferees recognized that what is expected from the richer countries is not just finance or even assistance, including technical assistance, or a less protectionist trade policy, but consideration by them of the effect of their domestic policies on the developing world and particularly on Africa, where external influences had a tendency to reverberate more vigorously. Stop-and-go policies in developed countries or recessionary trends can cripple African trade volumes, as well as terms of trade. Lack of macroeconomic adjustment in major industrial countries tends to divert too much of the world’s savings to some of the rich countries and to increase interest rates to levels that make a great deal of investment unremunerative in the poorer countries. Financial institutions like the IMF have a surveillance role in the industrial countries as well, and the IMF could do more to urge, for example, higher rates of saving everywhere. The tendency sometimes to solve the problems of those who save too little by asking others to consume more can be a disaster not just for the developing world.
One of the most heartwarming aspects of this symposium has been the emphasis on regional cooperation transcending mere sound policies in individual countries. Mr. Camdessus highlighted the importance of such cooperation while emphasizing that it should be outward looking and that it can be more successful when there is greater harmonization of domestic policies as well. These sentiments were echoed widely; and despite the poor record of such cooperation in the past, it was felt that recent experience was more promising. The experience of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), of which all countries in Southern Africa with the major exception of South Africa were members, was often quoted approvingly; and the hope was expressed that once South Africa returned to more civilized norms, the scope for mutual cooperation would increase greatly in a region that had the highest potential for growth in Africa it not in the developing world as a whole.
In sum, the discussion on structural adjustment became truly a discussion on the whole range of policies relevant, both internal and external, to Africa.
The subject of the second session, Africa’s adjustment and the external debt problem, proved in some ways to be the most rewarding, as it dealt with a number of specific issues and options. That debt relief cannot be a substitute for more traditional aid was recognized and that it should indeed be an integral part of the total aid package. Africa’s debt problem may appear small in relation to that of Latin America, for example, but it should not receive less attention for that reason. It is much more difficult for Africa to service debt because of the rigidities inherent in highly undiversified economic structures; and dollar for dollar, the suffering involved in debt repayment in Africa is much greater. Africa’s debt problems, thus, deserve greater attention; and they are indeed receiving it in recent years, although much more remains to be done.
Debt relief, as a mechanism for transferring real resources, clearly enjoys several distinct advantages. It can translate almost immediately into higher imports without any question about absorptive capacity; and one thing that is beyond question is that African development has been held back by lack of import capacity—a consideration that will remain valid for the 1990s as well. What is more, debt relief permits imports that are most in need as it is akin to availability of free foreign exchange through exports, which aid more often is not. If, as Mr. Ndulu points out, there is considerable scope for increasing the productivity of capital in Africa by greater use of capacity already created, debt relief can certainly be most beneficial, as it would permit the import of raw materials and components, as well as spares and miscellaneous capital goods.
Progress toward debt relief in Africa has been significant in respect of official bilateral debt, and as Mr. Lajeunesse of the Paris Club points out, radical steps forward are actively under consideration. One can only hope that agreement will soon be reached on Prime Minister Major’s proposal even if one cannot go as far as Mr. Pronck of the Netherlands.
The Paris Club insists on a prior agreement with the IMF before debt relief is extended, which is understandable, but excessive linkages may at times be counterproductive. There must be sufficient flexibility to act in time. The willingness to consider the debt problems of the middle-income countries is welcome. Should the formula for debt relief have too many options for donors, resulting perhaps in the lowest common denominator to prevail, or should the Paris Club insist on greater uniformity? These are matters of judgment that might vary from time to time. But the reluctance to deal with the entire stock of debt at one go is less understandable, as members of the Paris Club have enough hold over all debtors anyway—including those who may be freed for a number of years from the annual pilgrimage to Paris. Given the transaction cost of negotiation for the African countries, more radical solutions may have other side benefits in that they will release managerial resources better utilized for implementation of policies than for negotiation of debt relief.
Progress in securing relief for commercial debt has been particularly tardy in the case of Africa and more attention needs to be paid to this despite the fact that the share of private commercial debt in total is rather small for Africa. This is also true of commercial or official debt owed to countries in Eastern Europe and elsewhere, which are not members of the Paris Club.
As for official financial institutions, where there is a perverse negative flow of resources at present in most cases, there has to be a departure from the traditional policy of no rescheduling even when this is done indirectly. The reservation of $100 million from the World Bank’s profits for reducing the debt burden of the neediest African countries is welcome; and the Bank could and should do more in future. As for the IMF, it has made a beginning with the “rights” approach to tackle the problem of countries most seriously in arrears. But this is hardly an adequate answer. The African Development Bank, it was noted, has taken no initiative in this field.
Mr. Mistry draws pointed attention to the rather insignificant results achieved so far and asks why some of the radical measures suggested for securing greater and more concessional resources for debt relief should not be pursued. Perhaps Mr. Boorman is right when he suggests that gold sales or a special issue of drawing rights are not practical politics at present. But this should not be true at least of a concerted move to lower IMF charges, which were raised substantially in the recent past. The IMF is an instrument of international cooperation, and there is no intrinsic reason why creditor positions in the IMF should earn market rates of return. This was not so until the early 1980s when something akin to fundamentalism of the “right” had a brief sway. There are already signs of at least partial retreat in the light of experience from the mood of the early 1980s. There is also the market-related consideration that a reserve asset virtually fully guaranteed against depreciation and default should be content with a lower rate of return. A sizable reduction in IMF charges should be high on the agenda of policy reform in the IMF itself, and it is to be hoped that the Managing Director will throw the full weight of his authority behind this proposal. Beyond this, perhaps the atmosphere in the era after the Gulf war may be conducive to a more statesman-like attitude to the needs of developing countries; and this could be harnessed to secure greater and more concessional resources under existing arrangements like those of the International Development Association (IDA) and bilateral aid without opening any new channels.
There were somewhat conflicting worries expressed about too much linkage among donors so that debtors are faced with a virtual cartel with no room for maneuver and the wastefulness of having to negotiate in so many forums. One participant was so oppressed by the latter that he suggested that the IMF retreat entirely into technical assistance leaving the financial field to the World Bank (and bilateral donors) and perhaps nothing for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). It is perhaps an index of the rapidly declining unpopularity of the IMF, at least in Africa, that this proposal went unsupported.
Discussion at the third and fourth sessions, which dealt with financing growth and development and trade, investment and growth prospects, inevitably got intertwined and indeed somewhat squeezed for want of time. The subjects are closely related, and a good deal of ground was covered earlier. Fortunately, the papers published here, particularly the one by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Mr. Dadzie, and the other by Governor Yansane are comprehensive enough to compensate for the brevity of discussion on issues relating to trade and investment.
If African development must be accelerated after the disastrous but educative decade of the 1980s, what can one reasonably say about the prospects for the 1990s? A useful point of departure in answering this question is provided by the World Bank paper presented in Session III, which presents at least one possible scenario. The rate of growth in Africa could accelerate to 4 percent a year in the early 1990s increasing further to 5 percent by the year 2000 if the rate of investment could be increased from 15 percent to 25 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), the incremental capital/output ratio reduced from 10 to 5 and the present rate of growth in official development assistance (ODA) in real terms of 4 percent a year, as well as the present framework of debt relief, continues. Even so, per capita incomes in Africa in the year 2000 would not quite return to the not-so-enviable level of 1980.
Can anything less be acceptable? But, is even this feasible? Some of the assumptions, for example, those regarding savings and the incremental capital/output ratio appear, prima facie, heroic. But already there are signs that things will be much better than assumed in some respects, for example, debt relief. Assumptions on aid are also not unrealistic and may well be conservative—there were suggestions that the World Bank tends to assume conservatively what is feasible on resource transfers and treats domestic effort as the residual for achieving the desired results. Undoubtedly, this reflects caution rather than callousness. But whatever it may be, there were African voices that supported the feasibility of a substantial improvement in the productivity of capital. Mr. Ndulu, as already noted, drew attention to unutilized capacity, and there were telling illustrations of how far productivity in Africa lags behind that in Asia in comparable fields. Also, authorities now are set more firmly against wasteful or grandiose investment.
As Mr. Killick rightly points out, finance is by no means the only or even the major constraint on growth. Shortage of skilled labor is perhaps a greater bottleneck, as several African governors noted. Clearly, this is not to discourage external support or internal effort to generate more savings and establish more effective financial intermediaries. But the effectiveness of financial intermediaries is perhaps greater in terms of the improvement in the quality of investment they can bring about rather than in promoting savings or reducing the transaction cost of bringing savers and investors together.
There are, contrary to the conspiracy of silence generally observed in this regard, political dimensions to growth as well, and these go far beyond the maintenance of law and order and the like. We know now that governments are not embodiments of objectivity and wisdom any more than they are trustees of the national interest. But they are there and are not likely to wither away despite the prophecies of the left and the proclivities of the extreme right. What can be done to minimize the harm they can do and to maximize the good they are capable of doing? There are no soothing or simple answers.
It is a sobering thought that the much-heralded four Asian tigers (Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan Province of China, and Singapore) do have teeth that bite deeply into democratic norms and individual freedom with varying degrees of frequency and ferocity. Even so, one can perhaps say in favor of democracies that the transparency and possibility of change they imply is a safeguard against things going too far in the wrong direction. Even flawed democracies are less arbitrary and have a semblance of equality before the law. These and other aspects of freedom and individual dignity are essential parts of the kind of quality of life that alone can justify the emphasis on growth.
Whatever political system is desirable, it cannot be imposed from outside or guaranteed from inside. But international financial institutions and bilateral donors are concerned about at least some aspects of good governance, including a measure of transparency, evenhandedness, accountability, decisiveness, and good housekeeping. This was confirmed by Mr. Langley, who is at present an Executive Director of the World Bank. Somehow, even if a week is too long a period in politics and pleasing the voters is an integral part of the democratic tradition, a way has to be found whether through statesmanship or statecraft to minimize shortsightedness and to limit pork-barrel populism.
Africa’s trade prospects are rendered particularly difficult by its narrow productive base and the concentration on a few markets. It will be a long time before this situation changes. The structural weaknesses are further enhanced by the technological threat to commodity exports. And yet, these exports are far too important to be neglected. Africa will have to strive hard to retain whatever advantages or preferences it has, for example, under the Lomé Convention. Nor can it abandon the search for greater stability in its commodity terms of trade. Conventional commodity agreements, such as those that require production sharing, may be feasible only in a few cases. But there are other possibilities of individual action or cooperation between producers and consumers, as Mr. Dadzie points out.
Above all, Africa cannot be indifferent to international negotiations on trade, such as the current round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in which Africa’s voice is muted. Liberalization of trade in agriculture, for example, may well affect adversely food importers, which is what most African countries are. But there was no African voice in GATT forums to draw attention to this and to demand at least transitional relief. In short, while Africa’s trade options may be limited now and its stake in a more open world-trading system not so clear, it still has such an excessive dependence on imports over a wide range that it has to fight even harder for its corner than the newly industrializing countries who can, in a pinch, be more self-sufficient.
The last session in which four panelists and myself provided their own summations or emphasis was a wrap-up session and I have drawn greatly in this introduction on what was said then. A new and important note was, however, struck in this session by Mr. Berg, who emphasized the extreme urgency of the problems and the moral imperative of tackling issues that go far beyond mere technical virtuosity. His reference to population and environment was one of the few references to these most vital matters; and if I have any regret, it is that more was not said on these matters by our African friends. But as they say in my country, you need one small blemish to enhance the beauty of the whole.
Opening Remarks
Abdul R. Turay
That Africa is in the throes of an economic crisis of major dimensions hardly needs emphasizing. Country variations notwithstanding, there are numerous manifestations of this situation: poor agricultural and industrial performance, deteriorating institutions and infrastructure, declining levels of per capita income, dismal levels of social welfare indicators, weak export performance, and high and unsustainable levels of external indebtedness.
A number of explanations have been posited for the causes of this crisis. The economies that evolved from the ravages of the colonial period were structured to cater to the needs of the colonial powers; these economies were sources of raw materials and markets for their finished products, rather than integrated entities, with mutually supporting production structures. Also, inappropriate models of development were adopted, which neglected the agricultural sector but emphasized suboptimal import-substituting industrialization strategies. Another problem not to be downplayed was the ubiquitous intervention of the state in economic activities that are best suited for the private sector. Closer to our responsibilities was the use of inappropriate macroeconomic policies resulting in unsustainable fiscal deficits, expansionary monetary policies, and external disequilibrium. But at the top of these factors was the impact of a hostile external economic environment characterized by adverse terms of trade, inadequate access to markets, declining flows of financial resources, and the perpetuation of a generally peripheral status in international economic arrangements. It is against this background that the subject of this symposium, “Structural Adjustment, External Debt, and Growth in Africa,” should be appreciated.
The goal that our national leaders have never lost sight of is the achievement of long-run sustainable growth. However, past attempts at accelerated development financed through substantial external borrowing to supplement meager domestic savings have, in the face of the structural inadequacies just referred to, yielded only minor successes and caused other problems. Prominent among the new problems is the debt crisis, which has hit African countries hard and has resulted in making international capital markets inaccessible to us.
The evident solution of going right to the source of the problem by reforming the structures of our economies is now upon us. But, structural adjustment programs are impossible to implement and sustain without financial support from foreign sources. It is consequently necessary that some framework be established within which past indebtedness and future funding requirements could be successfully addressed so that the goals of structural adjustment and growth do not become impossible to achieve. The interlinkages between structural adjustment, external debt, and growth are thus inescapable. These are important issues not just at the present conjuncture but also for the very future of our continent.
Structural Adjustment and Growth
Structural adjustment programs are now a common feature of the African scene. Numerous African governments, in their determination to correct the growing external and internal economic disequilibria that have become quasi-permanent in our countries, have adopted packages of reform measures, mostly in close consultation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank and with their financial support. These measures embrace both facets of macroeconomic stabilization and structural reforms, and they aim at inducing our economic structures to be more responsive to free market signals. The implementation of these policies is closely watched by the international financial community and is invariably interpreted as an indication of willingness to change the direction of economic management in order to engineer sustainable growth and development.
Questions have been raised regarding the internal economic consistency of the measures built into the typical reform package, including its purely macroeconomic stabilization aspect. Their effectiveness in achieving the desired ends, especially in the context of African economies, is in doubt, and this doubt is strengthened by empirical studies. For example, doubts have been expressed regarding the compatibility of exchange rate devaluation and reduction of inflation and, indeed, the positive response of export sectors to such exchange rate changes. In this context, it has been stressed that rigidities and bottlenecks in our economic structures defy adjustment by the traditional preferred policy instruments of the Bretton Woods institutions.
In addition to these economic concerns are the practical issues, such as the cost of adjustment in human and political terms. This concern is now analyzed under the rubric of the social costs of adjustment. There is the admission that labor retrenchment and higher prices of goods and services resulting from the removal of subsidies, especially in the areas of health care and education, are regressive in their effects on the populace. Subsidiary or integrated programs have been devised in response. Special attention is consequently being paid to the needs of those considered least able to absorb these shocks. But it is not certain that these subsidiary programs are adequate in their scope and intent, or reach the target groups. Societal reactions to the austerity brought in the wake of structural adjustment programs continue sporadically to cause governments to abort programs because of fear of political and social unrest.
Regarding the achievement of desired goals, empirical research reveals major shortcomings in terms of the effects on the balance of payments, the rate of economic growth and its composition, the reduction of inflation, or the more imponderable social adjustments. Indeed, it is questioned whether African governments have concluded structural adjustment programs because of their conviction that the programs would yield desired results or merely because they appreciate the importance of being perceived to be cooperating with the Bretton Woods institutions, in order to have access to funds from donor countries and other international capital markets.
That the external debt problem of Africa is as severe as Latin America’s, from the point of view of the debtors, if not more severe, is now widely recognized. However, it is still not receiving the attention it deserves, because Africa’s debt problem is now primarily noncommercial bank debt and is, therefore, considered less of a threat to the international banking and financial system than is Latin America’s. This is deplorable because the human costs to Africa are far higher, far more dramatic.
The statistics show a very sharp increase of over 600 percent in the aggregate debt of the region over the 1970s and 1980s, with an equally staggering burden in the region’s debt-service requirements. This predicament is aggravated by the recent catastrophic evolution of the terms of trade of the region, compounded by the rise in world interest rates during the 1980s. Net capital movements for a couple of years were negative, translating into outflows rather than inflows.
Africa’s debt problem had its origins in external borrowing to finance development. The a posteriori pronouncement for the course of the failure is that the projects financed with borrowed funds had not been selected wisely; little consideration had been given to their economic return. The important element from our point of view is that in most cases funds were expended on infrastructural projects that indeed facilitated the process of economic and social development. They did not, however, yield returns directly usable for the servicing of the debts incurred for their realization. The resulting inability to service these debts promoted even more foreign borrowing, to settle past obligations. This strategy did not lead to the enhancement of capacity or the creation of production facilities. A further complication arose from the pressure on available tax revenue to meet not only debt-servicing requirements but also the servicing of other governmental responsibilities. Deficit financing became inevitable, with its associated monetary expansion.
The conclusions call for a search for new approaches to the African debt problem. Most pressing is the problem of countries in arrears to the IMF. The new IMF approach of “rights accumulation” programs does not guarantee that these countries will be able to manage a credible adjustment program without front-loaded external support being in place. The African countries are experiencing intense anxiety in the face of a relapse into the negative capital flows of a couple of years back, the diversion of scarce funds to newly liberalized East European countries, the marginalization of their external debt worries, and prolonged loss of ground in development. New ways need to be found to address these concerns.
African countries in turn are committed to continue implementing adjustment programs to achieve a greater degree of self-sufficiency. In particular, growth-oriented programs should focus on action to increase domestic savings and attract the return of flight capital. The encouragement of private savings should be pursued through the offer of attractive rates of interest and the promotion of appropriate financial institutions. Public savings should also be boosted where possible by exploiting untapped tax avenues and containing public expenditure within limits consistent with the efficient provision of service. With regard to the latter aspect, expenditure patterns should be scrutinized carefully and realistically, with a view to eliminating wasteful and avoidable outlays. The quality of development projects should also be scrutinized to ensure maximum social returns. Attention should also be given to the policy of contracting loans. Given the present debt overhang, contracting loans of comparatively short maturity at market interest rates should be avoided as far as possible. Concentration should be on loans obtained on concessional terms for the realization of worthwhile projects.
The foregoing survey is unavoidably incomprehensive. It no doubt leaves out some vital issues and oversimplifies others in its broad sweep. The intention, however, was first to attempt to show the interrelationship between debt and economic growth in Africa, and second to provoke you to a more detailed and specific discussion of the relevant issues that I have not covered. The subject for our discourse is not only topical but of such importance to the future of Africa that it deserves the most intensive and comprehensive discussion possible.
The ongoing search for solutions to our problems will require African central bank governors to probe with increased urgency the implementation of regional economic and monetary cooperation, beyond matters that we shall discuss in this symposium. In addition, I should like to call the attention of the Managing Director, Mr. Michel Camdessus, to the urgency we central bank governors attach to the development of technical capacities in our institutions if we are to efficiently proceed with the implementation of the program of reform in our respective countries.
M. Camdessus
Allow me to tell you it is my pleasure to have, thanks to the generous hospitality of the Government of Botswana and its Central Bank, this unique occasion to meet with my former colleagues, the central bank governors of Africa and so many of my present Governors. My pleasure is very special as I have just visited three African countries, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, with which the IMF shares very important cooperation, and we are here in a country all of you consider a remarkable example of wise and efficient macroeconomic management. What a good time and what a good place for sharing experiences and thoughts!
Yet Africa is experiencing difficult times: times of natural disasters and setbacks, times, also, of man-made problems including wars and civil disorders. After some twenty years of disappointing performance in much of Africa, resulting in lower real per capita incomes, it is easy to understand why many feel tempted to despair about the prospects. Moreover, the global economic environment is worsening, with the Middle East war and the slowdown in some industrial countries, while the suspension of the Uruguay Round raises questions about the prospects for world trade. These setbacks compound the existing external difficulties, including the shortage of external financing and slow progress toward resolving the debt problem.
But in contrast to all this, we also see the encouraging achievements of those countries that have prudently managed their resources and steadfastly pursued their reform programs. Consider the encouraging recent record of the nearly thirty African countries that have been persevering with growth-oriented adjustment programs. The programs are producing results—positive real growth, the steady transformation and improvement of their economic structures and systems, and, in particular, an improvement in the living standards of the rural population.
This very difficult global situation, and the experience of the three countries I have just visited, reminds me forcefully that African countries and the international community together cannot escape a joint responsibility. More solid economic progress is achievable, but only if we reinforce what I call the unwritten law of international cooperation: that countries should implement appropriate policies to the best of their ability, and that these policies should be supported by creditors and donors.
What does this mean at present?
In terms of domestic policies, it means steady macroeconomic discipline and far-reaching structural reforms to achieve sustainable growth in a medium-term context. This is the approach that the lessons of experience suggest. I have welcomed such pragmatism in the economic strategies of many African governments. We see strong evidence of this in the countries whose economic strategies the IMF is supporting with financial and technical assistance. This realistic approach holds the promise of sustained positive growth per capita, an objective nobody could consider overambitious.
It is true that structural reforms do not produce their full results quickly. One cannot expect to correct in a few years what has sometimes been decades of structural misadjustment. The results so far have been modest in some cases, at least partly because of the legacy of mistaken investment priorities and development strategies that were for too long inward looking and based excessively on state interventionism. It is taking time to rectify these policies and to move toward a more productive economic system—in which private entrepreneurship is encouraged, given sufficient scope, and allowed to flourish. It is also taking time to adjust the role of the public sector to its proper function in a modern market-based economy.
It is not surprising that those African countries (such as Botswana and Mauritius) that were quick to deal with their economic problems and showed firm economic management have achieved an enviable economic performance. Equally important, a significant number of African countries (The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, and Tunisia—but of course that is not a complete list!) have been implementing far-reaching structural reforms for several years. These reforms are yielding encouraging results, and their long-term benefits will be reaped increasingly in the period ahead. Certain countries—including Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda—that are still experiencing severe economic difficulties are already seeing significant results from their commitment to effective adjustment programs, including a revival of economic growth or slower domestic inflation, or both. I was particularly delighted to be in Harare, Zimbabwe, at the moment when our common friend Senior Minister Chidzero was launching, with our full support, a comprehensive “Framework for Economic Reform” covering the 1991–95 period. The sheer diversity of these programs—even if they reflect common basic principles—demonstrates clearly the importance we attach to support really homegrown programs, thereby increasing the chances of being better understood and supported by public opinion.
Truly, in many countries, we see encouraging signs. Clearly, there is a definite need for further structural improvements. In each country there are sectors where the progress has been inadequate. One of these is of particular concern to the central bankers gathered for this symposium; I refer to the urgent need to reform and strengthen the commercial banking sectors in several countries. This is particularly important where we see insolvent banks, an overhang of nonperforming loans, a banking structure that does not promote competition, and the persistence of negative real interest rates. These weaknesses in banking systems hamper the development of competitive and productive economies and render more difficult the conduct of sound policies. And in most countries, I believe, there is scope for more vigorous measures to promote private sector activity, decentralize decision making, and reduce the stifling impact of excessive state intervention and unnecessary bureaucracy. All this simply underlines the need for persistence in forcing through the structural and systemic changes that are a necessary condition, though never sufficient in themselves, for the creation of a more productive and viable economy.
So far I have stressed the responsibility of the Africans themselves. They know that the primary task rests with them, with their governments, and with their people to forge their own destiny. Help from outside is indispensable. But it can only supplement these countries’ own efforts. The experience of the Fund in recent years has been that governments are more likely to find success if their programs are both well designed technically and broadly supported by the public. This implies, in particular, that these programs ensure that the vulnerable members of society are cushioned from the most severe transitional consequences of necessary adjustment. This is not only compatible with, but effectively supportive of, the process of adjustment for growth.
Increasingly, we are seeing that effective political leadership involves a complex process to marshal a consensus behind a coherent medium-term strategy. Hence the increased emphasis in Africa on improving the “qualitative” design of economic programs. This is reflected in a greater concern to ensure that revenue systems are efficient and fair, and public expenditure is channeled in accordance with economic and social priorities. In many countries, we hear loud and really justified criticism of expensive, if not extravagant, projects or excessive military spending. In times of such scarce saving and such pressing basic needs, this has got to be corrected. I do hope that the relaxation of regional tensions, particularly in Southern Africa, will be seen by the governments of this area as a favorable occasion to demonstrate their commitment to reduce such expenditures to a minimum. Acting simultaneously and, why not, in a coordinated fashion, could allow them to be bolder than acting on their own. Let us hope that this could enable all countries of Southern Africa to use the resulting “peace dividend” to meet pressing needs, and to pay greater attention to the development of human capital.
These are only a few aspects of the growing demand in Africa for “good governance,” meaning more responsive and accountable governments, and for more pluralistic systems of political representation. These trends are improving the chances for economic and systemic reforms to be better understood, better accepted, and so more successful. That is why they are particularly welcomed by Africa’s friends.
In discharging these demanding responsibilities, governments can be most effectively supported by bold regional cooperation as underscored in the Lagos Plan of action. If anything, my recent stay in Southern Africa has further brought to my attention the formidable potential for additional economic efficiency your countries could release in forging closer regional ties. There is no need to tell you that we, in the IMF, look forward to strengthening our relationships with key regional organizations in Africa and particularly with the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC).
In retrospect, the experience of Africa with regional cooperation offers some useful lessons. First, it may be helpful to start with modest but feasible programs of cooperation, by focusing on selected areas where the prospects for mutual benefit are largest. Cooperation along this line, as exemplified by SADCC, can concentrate on specific areas, such as transportation, energy, industry, and banking. Second, efforts at economic integration stand a better chance of succeeding if they are also outward looking. Economic integration at the regional level and in the world economy are not incompatible. It is important that a reduction of trade barriers within any region be accompanied by measures to reduce domestic distortions, liberalize markets, and improve competitiveness. Regional cooperation is most effective if it is accompanied by careful harmonization by the cooperating countries of their policies in key areas; in particular, to increase the scope for trade with the outside world. The ultimate aim must be to ensure that African exports are competitive in the industrial countries. And here also, how could I refrain from mentioning that seeing key countries in the area now implementing economic policies inspired by the same principles, I do believe that prospects for fruitful regional cooperation are made even more promising and could at the appropriate time culminate in various forms of monetary arrangements.
More effective policies in African countries will not succeed—however—and this is my second main proposition—unless their reform programs are adequately supported by the rest of the world. I repeat, the responsibility for development and for economic adjustment is a shared one. The industrial countries, in particular, have a special duty to Africa. In the more difficult global economic environment of today, I would like to focus on three main areas: the level of activity in the industrial countries, finance, and trade.
First, the long expansionary phase in the industrial countries has recently faltered, with slowdowns in some major countries. It will be important for Africa that the industrial countries, which are the major market for its exports, resume growth at sustainable rates. The Fund expects that the present slowdown will be relatively shallow and short. Because any artificial boost to their activity would be self-defeating, the IMF is recommending a cautious fiscal and monetary policy stance for the industrial countries. We think that policies should be geared mainly to ensuring that the next expansionary phase will be a healthy one. Therefore, we are stressing the desirability of continued fiscal consolidation, as the most effective means of bringing about a rise in national savings rates. This will be very important, in view of the global shortage of savings, as will the need to provide for substantial levels of investment in the period ahead, not only in the industrial countries themselves, but also in Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, and elsewhere. It is only through an improvement in savings performance that a consolidation of the present downward trend in global real interest rates will be possible—which would be very helpful to the developing countries.
Second, finance. The prospects for some of the traditional sources of external finance are not encouraging. It would be unwise to expect a buoyant provision of bilateral or multilateral development assistance in the period immediately ahead. The most recent projections of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) point to only a modest nominal rise. The commercial banks are showing a reluctance to extend new finance to developing countries on the scale of a few years back. Of course, we should beware of overgeneralizing. The banks are lending, on a careful and selective basis, to the most creditworthy countries. But much of Africa will clearly need to rely heavily in the period ahead on domestic sources of finance (including the return of flight capital) and on nonbank types of private foreign capital.
In my view, the industrial countries can improve their provision of finance to Africa in three ways. First, even if their provision of official development assistance (ODA) is not expected to grow substantially in the years immediately ahead, they can do much to ensure that these scarce resources are channeled in ways that contribute to development in direct and productive ways. I am encouraged by the growing evidence that donors are working to enhance the usefulness of their assistance, while streamlining their procedures for approval and disbursement. Second, they could increase the proportion of grants in total ODA. And a third avenue is in the area of debt relief; much progress has already been achieved, in the cooperative framework of the Paris Club, particularly under the active and talented chairmanship of J.C. Trichet and D. Samuel-Lajeunesse. There have been several useful initiatives on debt—including that proposed by Mr. Major when he was still Chancellor of the Exchequer—and I understand that the industrial countries are working hard to provide these initiatives with constructive responses. In our view, in many cases they can be of critical importance.
Trade is the third area where the industrial countries need to act soon, and forcefully, to improve the global economic environment. A meaningful reduction of trade barriers, in the context of the Uruguay Round, is essential. It will reinvigorate the expansion of the industrial countries themselves, and create the prospects of stronger trade for all countries. The importance of this open door policy for Africa, and in particular for those African countries that are implementing outward-looking reform programs, is self-evident. The present opportunity should not be missed.
Last, let me add a brief word on the IMF’s own contribution. The Fund also shares the responsibility for Africa’s future. As many of you know, this is a subject that is close to my heart! Nobody needs to be reassured here that the Fund will help Africa face the challenges that lie ahead. We now have concessional facilities, the structural adjustment facility (SAF) and the enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF)—quite essential in the case of Zambia and Mozambique—which are tailor-made mechanisms for helping any low-income African country that seeks to achieve long-term and sustained growth through structural reforms. We are ready, as we have shown with the creation of the rights approach, from which, I hope, Zambia will promptly benefit, and with our response to the recent oil shock, to adapt as needed our instruments to the emerging problems. The Fund, as I noted, is currently supporting the programs of nearly thirty African countries. The Fund stands ready to help all others, and is impatient to do so, both with technical assistance and with financial support as soon as they are ready to embark on sound programs. If the quota increase is promptly ratified—and for that a positive vote on the Third Amendment of the Articles of Agreement is essential—we will have the financial resources: what we need are more countries to come forward with well-designed programs.
I should like to end by mentioning something that has come up in each of the African countries that I have visited in the last week. Everywhere, I have been asked if the large amounts of assistance that the IMF is extending to others, including Eastern Europe, will oblige it to shortchange Africa. My answer is a definite “no.” No Fund resources will be shifted. The Fund will support good economic programs in all member countries and with the same heartfelt commitment continue to help to catalyze support from other sources. That is our basic mandate.
After visiting Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, and being today in Botswana, I believe more than ever that mediocre performances in this continent are not inevitable. It is my deep conviction that many countries in Africa can find in the 1990s their own window of opportunity for successfully launching homegrown programs, which could deserve strong international support and find added efficiency in active regional cooperation. We will be proud to support them. | https://environment.elibrary.imf.org/view/IMF071/05289-9781557752321/05289-9781557752321/front.xml |
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Flemmer v. MoncktonAnnotate this Case
HARLAN FLEMMER et al., Respondents, v. S. Y. MONCKTON, Appellant.
COUNSEL
Neal Chalmers and Robert M. Cole for Appellant.
A. G. Bailey for Respondents.
OPINION
PEEK, J.
The present controversy arose out of a collision between a Studebaker pickup truck owned by the defendant Monckton, which was then being driven by his employee, the defendant LaLonde, and a car driven by the plaintiff Albert E. Berreth, with whom his wife, Hulda Berreth, and Harlan Flemmer and Eleanor Flemmer, his wife, were riding. By stipulation of the parties, the separate actions filed by the Berreths and Flemmers against Monckton and LaLonde were consolidated for the purposes of trial and appeal. The trial court, sitting without a jury, made findings in favor of plaintiffs on all the issues, including a finding that LaLonde was driving said pickup automobile with the implied permission [73 Cal. App. 2d 273] of the owner, Monckton, and rendered judgments against the two defendants jointly and severally. Defendant Monckton alone has appealed.
The sole contention of the appellant is the alleged complete lack of any evidence upon which the trial court based its finding that "the said defendant M. R. LaLonde was then and there driving the said pickup automobile with the implied permission of the owner, the defendant S. Y. Monckton."
While the statement of facts contained in appellant's opening brief is not directly challenged by respondent, it is predicated on the evidence most favorable to appellant, and therefore such summary may not be accepted without question as the basis for a determination whether there is any substantial evidence to support the previously quoted finding of the trial court. (See Hicks v. Reis, 21 Cal. 2d 654, 657 [134 P.2d 788].)
Further examination of the record discloses that appellant was a farmer living on the ranch which he owned in Yolo County. At the time of the accident and for approximately two months prior thereto he had been confined in a hospital. LaLonde, together with his wife and child, likewise lived on the ranch. His employment was variously described as that of maintenance man, general hired man, repair man, mechanic, or caretaker, and his duties were said to be servicing farm equipment and machinery, including repairing and welding. The only other employee on the ranch at that time was one described as a pump man. He left appellant's employ two or three weeks after the accident, and at the time of the trial his whereabouts were unknown to LaLonde. LaLonde had been in the employ of Monckton for a year prior to the accident, and was still so employed at the time of the trial, a year afterward.
The automotive equipment on the ranch included a pleasure car, an International truck, and the Studebaker pickup truck, all of which were owned by appellant, and a pleasure car and Dodge truck, owned by LaLonde. Both appellant and LaLonde testified that the Studebaker truck was unlicensed and uninsured for the year 1943, because it was not to be used off the ranch, and that LaLonde had been so instructed from the start. Appellant's testimony to the effect that said truck was not to be used by LaLonde even on the ranch was less certain. Both defendants spoke of the International truck as being "assigned" for LaLonde's use. [73 Cal. App. 2d 274]
On the evening of June 8, 1943, LaLonde decided to drive to Knights Landing, a distance of about ten miles. LaLonde's wife was using their own car (whether the Dodge truck or the pleasure car does not appear), and the International truck was loaded with a disc on which he had just been working. According to LaLonde's testimony, without giving the matter any special thought he took the Studebaker pickup truck, and, with the pump man as companion, drove to town. On their return trip the accident occurred.
The asserted liability of appellant is based on section 402 of the Vehicle Code, which provides in part:
"Every owner of a motor vehicle is liable and responsible for the death of or injury to person or property resulting from negligence in the operation of such motor vehicle, in the business of such owner or otherwise, by any person using or operating the same with the permission, express or implied, of such owner, and the negligence of such person shall be imputed to the owner for all purposes of civil damages."
Appellant urges that the undisputed evidence shows that, in operating the Studebaker pickup on the highway, LaLonde was violating the express instructions of the owner, particularly the restriction as to place of use, and that therefore the doctrine of nonliability exemplified in cases such as Engstrom v. Auburn Auto. Sales Corp., 11 Cal. 2d 64 [77 P.2d 1059], and Henrietta v. Evans, 10 Cal. 2d 526 [75 P.2d 1051], should have been applied herein as a matter of law.
However, this view fails to take into consideration two important features of the instant case that were not present in the cases cited: (1) The existence of the relationship of employer and employee as noted in the case of Burgess v. Cahill, 26 Cal. 2d 320, 324 [158 P.2d 393]; and (2) the fact that the trial court with apparent reason refused to give credence to much of the testimony of the defendants relative to the imposition of restrictions on the general use of the pickup. (Hicks v. Reis, supra, at page 661; Blank v. Coffin, 20 Cal. 2d 457, 461 [126 P.2d 868].)
Since in the case at bar the existence of the relationship of master and servant is conceded, we have a situation which falls squarely within the principles of the recent decisions of the Supreme Court embodied in the cases of Burgess v. Cahill, supra; Hicks v. Reis, supra, and Blank v. Coffin, supra.
From these decisions it clearly appears that, in a situation such as this, the fact that the car was owned by appellant [73 Cal. App. 2d 275] and was being driven by his employee, together with other factors (hereinafter mentioned), was sufficient to permit the trial court to infer that the vehicle was being driven with the permission of the appellant owner.
The circumstance that in the present case this inference involved the rejection by the trial court of much of the testimony of the only witnesses who testified to the fact is immaterial, if there was a tenable basis for such a rejection. (Hicks v. Reis, supra, at pages 659-660; Blank v. Coffin, supra, at page 461.)
The facts which warranted the trial court in refusing to give full credence to the testimony of defendants are: (1) That both witnesses had an interest in the result of the case. (Hicks v. Reis, supra, at page 659; Blank v. Coffin, supra, at page 462. See, also, cases collected in 27 Cal.Jur. 180, § 154); and (2) that there were contradictions, discrepancies and inconsistencies in the testimony of both defendants which could have been deemed to detract from its credibility. (Hicks v. Reis, supra, at page 659; Blank v. Coffin, supra, at page 462.)
For instance, appellant at first merely denied that he had given LaLonde express permission to use the pickup on the ranch, but later he was positive that he had expressly forbidden such use. Again, LaLonde in his deposition stated positively that his only purpose in driving to town was to telephone his mother's home, while on the trial there was evidence that he had two other minor reasons for making the trip, one connected with the delivery of some laundry, the other to afford his passenger, the pump man, an opportunity to purchase tobacco.
In addition, the testimony of both defendants reflects what might be termed an apparent effort to create the impression that LaLonde was but one of a rather large group of ranch hands who were allowed to use a wide assortment or ranch vehicles, whereas further examination of the facts discloses that there was only one other employee on the ranch and that the vehicle taken that evening was the only empty commercial car available. Thus, appellant referred several times to "one of the men," and LaLonde spoke of a "crew" which turned out to be a man working in the rice fields who "works on a percentage basis of the crop. He has nothing to do with us. ... He leases the rice."
Finally, the view taken by the trial court of the testimony [73 Cal. App. 2d 276] of the witness, LaLonde, presented a further element tending to support the conclusion reached herein. With respect to the testimony of said witness given on the trial as well as in a deposition introduced into evidence, and particularly that part which dealt with the happening of the accident, it is apparent from the emphasis which the trial court in its written opinion placed on the discrepancies, inconsistencies, contradictions and inherently improbable statements which such testimony contained, that said court concluded that such witness was false in a part of his testimony. This being so, it was not merely the privilege of said court, but indeed his duty, to view with suspicion the testimony of said witness on the issue of permissive use. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2061(3); Blank v. Coffin, supra, at page 462.)
The record contains additional evidence of a number of factors which affirmatively tended to show that the use by LaLonde of the Studebaker pickup that night was with the implied permission of appellant:
The circumstance that the key was left in the car during appellant's absence, and the fact that no check was made upon the oil or gas or mileage to determine whether or not the car had been used (see Burgess v. Cahill, supra, at page 243; Blank v. Coffin, supra, at page 462);
The fact that said car had been used on the highways before, inferably during the year 1943 while it was unlicensed, having been so driven by appellant himself in company with LaLonde;
The fact that LaLonde took the car and drove it upon the highway without hesitation and without apparent consciousness of disobeying instructions or violating the law; and
The fact that LaLonde was not discharged from his employment after his alleged disobedience of orders, but was retained in appellant's employ as before. This was substantial evidence of a tacit permission originally given (Blank v. Coffin, supra, at page 462), irrespective of the question of ratification (compare: Jameson v. Gavett, 22 Cal. App. 2d 646, 651-652 [71 P.2d 937]; Sullivan v. People's Ice Corp., 92 Cal. App. 740, 744-746 [268 P. 934]).
Since the evidence herein is such that it could not properly be said that the trial court acted "arbitrarily" or was "running away with the case" in drawing the inference of permissive use (Hicks v. Reis, supra, at pages 659, 660), and since the evidence to the contrary is not "clear, positive, uncontradicted, [73 Cal. App. 2d 277] and of such a nature that it can not rationally be disbelieved" (Blank v. Coffin, supra, at page 461), we have no alternative but to affirm the judgment thereon rendered. (DeYoung v. DeYoung, 27 Cal. 2d 521 [165 P.2d 457]; Estate of Bristol, 23 Cal. 2d 221, 222-224 [143 P.2d 689].)
The judgment is affirmed.
Thompson, J., and Adams, P. J., concurred. | https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2d/73/271.html |
The North East’s treasury mission0
Paul Woods of the North East Combined Authority explores the possibility of pooling treasury resources to increase returns on local authority investments.
Given the growing financial challenge facing councils, opportunities to increase returns from investments and cash deposits with minimal additional risk in the next few years are important, particularly as interest rates could continue at a relatively low level in the short to medium term.
The scale of investments and debt is reported in the latest Government Statistics* and highlights the huge scale of the issues and opportunities. UK Local Authority investments at 31st March 2015 rose to over £33bn, an increase of £1.5bn (4.8%) on the year.
Investments have increased by over £8bn (32%) since 2011. The biggest increases being in Scotland and in Shire Districts. The figure for gross investments in England (including lending between councils – which is netted off in the headline statistics) is £34.7bn.
On closer examination of the statistics and a comparison with councils’ accounts in my region, I believe that the level of investments and cash deposits is even higher than this, due to some cash deposits not being reported as ‘Investments’.
There appears to be more opportunities to use investments in place of external borrowing, significantly reducing net financing costs in the next few years. Although, with borrowing rates at extremely low levels as well, there is a balance to be struck between securing low longer term fixed-interest borrowing and securing beneficial short-term rates.
Treasury and devolution opportunities
As the chief finance officer of the North East Combined Authority, I am exploring the opportunities offered by devolution to create a pooled treasury management facility within a strategic investment fund, aimed at financing increased investment in infrastructure, at lower costs, and generating significant additional interest returns for councils in the pool – at least in the short to medium term. I am keen to talk to others who have already achieved this or are thinking about it. The opportunities for councils appear to be considerable as the national figures indicate.
The level of UK Local Authority borrowing has also increased to £86.4bn, up £1.7bn (2%) on last year and up £15.8bn (22%) since 2011, although £12bn of that increase occurring in 2012 when the HRA system changed and introduced more debt for many councils.
The 2015/16 prudential capital returns for England shows the Authorized Borrowing limit is £120bn, the Capital Financing requirement at 1 April 2015 is £100bn.
The fact that external borrowing is only £75bn and other long term liabilities are £11bn, indicates a use of internal funds to finance capital expenditure of around £14bn already.
These statistics also showed a potential increase this year in the capital financing requirement for England of £6bn, an increase in external borrowing of £4.5bn and investments at 1 April 2015 of £32bn. Investments are estimated to reduce to £25bn by the year end, but having looked at the statistics in more detail, I consider a £6bn reduction unlikely to occur.
Crash implications
Since the financial crash, when interest rates on investments and cash deposits plummeted to their current historic low levels, councils have sought to optimize net financing costs in a climate of higher financial risk. Most councils have already chosen to use some of their internal funds to reduce the level of their external borrowing, reducing their net financing costs.
I am hoping to more that double the level of interest earned on short term investments in the pool to 2% or more, while also reducing the borrowing cost by 1% to 1.5% or more on Enterprise Zone and other infrastructure projects over the next four years. A net annual saving/increased income of c 2.5%. For each £1bn that could be pooled, that means an extra net annual interest saving of £25m.
The risks and uncertainty of interest rates rising in future years clearly needs to be taken into account in any decision as part of the trade off between cost and savings v certainty. I see this as an extra innovative option for councils to consider as part of a balanced approach to their Treasury Management.
Paul Woods is chief finance officer at the North East Combined Authority.
[email protected]
Photo (cropped): John Lord, Flickr. | https://www.room151.co.uk/treasury/the-north-easts-treasury-mission/ |
Distribution of the local form Maroantsetra:
Maroantsetra is a city in Analanjirofo region on Madagascar’s eastcoast. It is located at the northern end of Antongil bay and thus starting point of journeys to Masoala national park or to the island Nosy Mangabe. The city has a tiny airport, and some boats from Toamasina (Tamatave) go there (about 24 hours of driving time). As the market and trade center of the region, the city has grown to 25.000 inhabitants, and many huts gave way to saloon-like wooden and stone houses. Only one partially asphalted street leads from the airport to the city and ends there in a sandy path. Via overland route, Maroantsetra is hardly accessible, since the RN5 coming from Toamasina is mostly a non-drivable mud slope and many bridges and ferries have been destroyed.
The local form of Maroansetra is separated from the Masoala peninsula to the east by the Antainambalana River. The river rises in the protected area of the Makira mountain massif northwest of Maroantsetra, which also forms a natural barrier. There are several rivers between Maroantsetra and Manananara in the south of Antongil Bay.
Appearance of the local form:
The males here wear a deep red when excited, which tends to turn orange, especially in the belly area. Younger and more relaxed males are similar to the local forms Masoala and Mananara in that they are green with more or less strong orange tints on the head and belly.
Weight table
Gewicht = weight in grams, Kopf-Rumpf-Länge = snout-vent-length in cm, Weibchen = females, Männchen = males
Since 2015 we have been measuring the weights of chameleons we have found in Madagascar, as far as the animals (and our scales) are participating. So far there are only a few weights, in the long term an average weight in relation to the snout-vent-length It is important to know that all weights were measured towards the end of the rainy season (= best food supply), so they are probably maximum weights in Madagascar. Triangular symbols in females do not mean pregnant, round symbols mean pregnant. In the case of Furcifer pardalis, contrary to our original assumption, there have been no serious differences in the ratio of SVL to the weight of the individual local forms.
|Jan||Feb||Mar||Apr||May||Jun||Jul||Aug||Sep||Oct||Nov||Dec|
|Avergage temperature||24||25||24||24||24||23||21||20||21||22||23||24|
|Minimum temperature||20||21||20||20||18||17||16||16||17||17||19||20|
|Maximum temperature||28||29||28||27||25||25||25||25||25||27||27||28|
|Rain days||26||23||25||19||17||18||21||21||16||17||20||24|
We have collected the data given above over several years with thermometers and hygrometers at the finding places of the chameleons. "Average temperature" means that values of a whole month have been calculated to one average value per month. For example all measured minimum temperature values of February have been calculated to one average minimum temperature for February. In plain language, this means single peak values of a day may be a little higher or lower than the average minimum and maximum temperatures. It is possible that a location has an average maximum temperature of 29°C, but one day during that month it had 33°C or even 35°C there.
Maroantsetra is located on the edge of Antongil bay. During rainy season, precipitation is very intense and daily, but also dry season has rain on a regular base. High humidity and moderate warmth are the key factors of this region,
From October to April, it is warmer in Maroantsetra with temperatures above 30°C in sunny places. In the night, temperatures drop a little, but only dry season from May to September brings big temperature drops until 15°C at night.
We have measured UVB data with a Solarmeter 6.5 in spring (end of March) at the peak of activity of chameleons in Madagascar. We always measured the values that a chameleon could maximally reach in its habitat.
Habitat:
In and around Maroantsetra, panther chameleons can be easily found in open areas during the rainy season and within the town itself in bushes and trees. The soil is mainly sandy and the animals prefer to live on mango, cinnamon, and other large trees. Tall bushes are also readily accepted. A few palms and ravenalas can also be found in the vegetation, but these are rarely visited by chameleons. | https://www.madcham.de/en/lokalform-maroantsetra/ |
The natural defense system of the human body contains a number of mechanisms. From skin which keeps the majority of infections away from our internal organs to the mucous coverings in our nasal passageways, the human natural defense system is fairly sound.
However, there are obviously still many illnesses that can successfully penetrate such defenses, and at that point it becomes the responsibility of internal agents to take up the fight. More specifically, white blood cells are essential for combating illness.
White blood cells include a type of cell called a neutrophil granulocyte. Neutrophil granulocytes are white blood cells that can fight against infections. Without these cells, any fight against infections is severely limited.
Neutrophils are divided into two different types:
An individual’s Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) is representative of the total number of both of these types of cells, per set volume of white blood cells.
Because of the importance of the presence of these cells, a calculation known as the “ANC Calculation” has been formulated. This calculation determines the number of neutrophils per microliter of white blood cells and takes into account both the number of segs and the number of bands. While most individuals may not need to regularly be informed about their ANC number, others who are at a higher risk of infection should stay aware of this information. For example, chemotherapy patients typically are alerted as to their personal ANC numbers.
Ideally, an ANC number should be above 1,500. (This refers to values that are reported in cells per microliter; you may need to use appropriate conversion factors if necessary to determine a value comparable with this standard.) While the range for a relatively healthy ANC number is somewhat broad, it should be noted that any individual with an ANC number below 500 (again, as calculated in cells per microliter) is at a high risk for suffering from infection.
Anyone who suffers from a low ANC number is said to be suffering from Neutropenia, while anyone who has too high a concentration of neutrophils is said to have Neutrophilia.
An ANC number can be calculated “by hand” by working out the ANC equation. This equation uses the percentage of segs (mature neutrophils) and bands (immature neutrophils) and the total white blood cell count to determine the concentration of neutrophils per microliter.
However, an easier method to calculate one’s ANC would be to use an online ANC calculator. This calculator is programmed to use the same official ANC formula but prevents personal calculation errors since it does all the “work” for you.
To use this calculator, an individual only needs to know his/her white blood cell count, percentage of mature neutrophils, and percentage of bands. The white blood cell count (WBC) should be reported in cells per cubic millimeter. Upon determining each of these values, an individual can simply plug each value into the appropriate box in the online ANC calculator and hit “calculate” when all values are entered. The resulting number will then report the user’s ANC number. | http://newtownpharmacycobh.ie/health-calculator-view.php?health_calculator_id=4 |
A collection of useful methods to extend Arrays.
Calls Math.min on the array and returns its lowest value.
Calls Math.max on the array and returns its highest value.
Calculates the average value of the array.
Randomizes the array (altering it).
Calling this method alters the array; it doesn't just return a new array with the same contents shuffled. It does, however, return itself.
Sums up all values in an array, including decimal numbers in string format.
(number) a number containing the sum of all values in the given array.
This method is for numbers and will return NaN if a non-number is present in the array.
Returns a new array without duplicate values.
(array) a new array without duplicates.
fn - (function) Function to execute on each value in the array.
(mixed) Returns the reduced single value of the array.
Apply a function simultaneously against two values of the array (from right-to-left) as to reduce it to a single value.
Returns an array with the named property from each of the array's elements.
prop - The named property to access on each element.
(array) A new array containing the property value for each element.
Undefined properties are not filtered from the returned array, as shown in the second example. | https://mootools.net/more/docs/1.6.0/Types/Array.Extras |
- All Melbourne Matters – Research of the Church in Melbourne – The Christian Research Association, together with the organisation ‘Transforming Melbourne’, has released a series of 32 reports on the churches and communities in greater Melbourne. The research utilised data from the 2006 National Church Life Survey (NCLS), additional supplementary surveys undertaken by Transforming Melbourne and the Christian Research Association, and the 2006 Australian Census of Population and Housing, along with special sections written by a variety of church leaders and other researchers. As part of the project two different types of reports were written:
• a Citywide Report looking at the greater Melbourne area as a whole and,
• extended reports on each of the 31 local government areas.
- The Reports (Citywide and LGA) – The report for greater Melbourne provides a comprehensive picture of its population and the nature and activities of its 1720 churches. Many people have contributed to the report, which shows the variety and quality of congregational life and its many activities in education, health and social welfare. It covers house churches through to the regional churches. The great diversity of Melbourne’s population is described and future trends are plotted. The report was written as a basis for strategic thinking about mission and ministry, and it puts a number of challenges clearly before the churches. Containing more than 100 A4 pages, it is available from the Christian Research Association for $75 including postage.
- De Facto Relationships – One of the most significant changes over recent years in the structures of families has been the increase in de facto relationships (where two people live together as a couple and are not married), and the public acceptance, or at least tolerance of these relationships. While the majority of partnered people are married, it is rare to find a family today in Australia in which one of the adult children is not in, or has not been in, a de facto relationship. The Census data confirms the prevalence of people ‘living together’, particularly among young people. The exceptions are usually where the bride and groom are committed members of conservative denominations, such as Pentecostal churches which have a younger age profile and a stronger proscription on sexual relationships before marriage.
- Marriage Within and Outside the Religious Group – Most people look for life partners who share their values and their approach to life. For many people, this means looking for people who have similar religious or spiritual values. Nevertheless, the numbers of people who marry people of the same religious group varies greatly in Australia: from 36 per cent among those who identify with nature religions to 94 per cent of those who identify with Islam.
- What Social Factors Contribute to Divorce – Mariah Evans and Jonathan Kelley have just published a paper on the social factors which contribute to or protect against parental divorce,that is, divorce of parents of children. The paper is based on the analysis of 27,386 cases in the International Social Science Program surveys between 1984 and 2002. The paper was published this year in the International Journal of the Sociology of the Family.
- Transforming the Quality of Relationships – In the various studies reviewed in this edition of Pointers, we have seen how religious groups discourage de facto relationships and divorce and how they encourage people to marry within the religious group. We have noted that some religious groups exercise greater influence on their members than do other groups.
Pointers Vol.19-3 For Downloading
- Religion and Ethnicity – More than one-fifth (22%) of all people resident in Australia at the time of the 2006 Census were born overseas. Seventy-one per cent were born in Australia, and a further 7 per cent did not answer the question. This article explores the impact that migration has had on Australia’s religious profile.
- USA or Europe: Who is Setting the Trend for the Future? – Is the USA or Europe setting the trend for the global future of religious faith? This has been a contentious issue for decades. In Europe, some commentators describe the trend as ‘secularisation’ in which religion gradually loses its place in society and in people’s ways of thinking, to be replaced by non-religious organisations and ways of thinking. It has been described as an inevitable process rooted in the nature of modernity. Commentators in the USA have responded by arguing that the problem of the lack of vitality of religion in Europe is just the lack of plurality of religious options and the absence of a competitive spirit. There is no fundamental reason why religion in Europe should not be as vital as it is in the United States if European countries allowed the competition that comes from a plurality of religious groups, it has been argued. This debate has been the topic of recent books by major thinkers in the world of the sociology of religion such as Peter Berger, Grace Davie and David Martin. The discussion continued in July 2009 at the conference of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion held in Santiago, Spain.
- The Civil Wedding Option – One of the most significant impacts on marriage celebration in Australia was the introduction of a broader civil marriage option in 1973. Previously, couples desiring a civil marriage were mainly confined to an official Registry Office. From 1973, authorised marriage celebrants could conduct weddings in parks, homes and a variety of non-church settings, usually with a style that met the needs of the couple. In 1973, 83.6 per cent of marriages were conducted by religious celebrants. Civil marriages have outnumbered religious ceremonies since 1999 when 51.3 per cent of all marriages were performed by civil celebrants. In 2008, the trend toward civil ceremonies continued, with 65.0 per cent of marriages performed by civil celebrants.
- Snapshots of Migration and Church Attendance – The 2006 National Church Life Survey asked all participating church attenders about their country of birth.
• Seven in ten church attenders were born in Australia (72%)
• Three in ten church attenders were born elsewhere (28%)
• The percentage of migrants in church life is similar to the percentage in the wider Australian population (26% born elsewhere)
Pointers Vol.19-4 For Downloading
Pointers Vol.19-4 ( December 2009)
Articles Include:
- Religion and Education – Does a university education destroy a person’s religious faith? The Census data from 2006 suggests that it is certainly not destroying the faith of Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims or Sikhs. It does show that highly educated people in Australia identify less with the Christian faith than does the rest of the population.
- Education and the Church – Australia is becoming an increasingly educated nation. The 2006 National Church Life Survey results show that church attenders are also becoming more educated. But how do the two compare? How educated are church attenders in comparison to the nation, and what impact does this have on church ministry?
- Spiritual Development of Young People – In 2008, the CRA was part of an international project to explore the spiritual development of young people organised by the Search Institute of the USA. The Search Institute Inventory of Youth Spiritual Development was designed in the USA and conducted in a number of countries around the world. The CRA organised the survey in both Australia and Thailand.
- Recent Publications in the Religion-and-Film Field – Following the success of “Recent publications in the religion-and-film field” in Pointers (2008, vol. 18, no. 3), below is an updated compilation of 2008-2009 items (and selected others) for your further interest, enjoyment and edification.
Pointers Vol.20-1 For Downloading
Pointers Vol.20-1 (March 2010)
Articles Include:
- Climate Change and the Human Spirit – Environmental problems, such as pollution and global warming, are seen as the greatest threat to the future of the world, according to young people surveyed in Australia, United Kingdom and Thailand. At the popular level, awareness of environmental issues has grown and there is widespread awareness that this threat is the most critical ever faced by human beings. It was also a major topic at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, held in Melbourne in December 2090. It was noted that climate change and environmental pollution have their roots in the human spirit, and will not be solved simply by new technology or by spending a lot of money. The problem must also be addressed by the world’s religions as a spiritual concern. Sectarianism in Australia – A new book by the Anglican priest Dr. Benjamin Edwards, WASPS, Tykes and Ecumaniacs, sketches the long history of sectarianism in the Australian cultural scene. A brief survey of 1788 to 1947 notes the deep cleavage in colonial society between the Irish Catholic community and the mainstream British Protestant and Anglican society. This cleavage, as Edwards amply illustrates, lies deep in the memories of many older Australians (ch.1). Edwards also points out that it has been the theme of many novels, films, comedy sketches and television sitcoms, ensuring its enduring place in popular culture (ch.2).
- Review of Chaplaincy in State Schools – The first chaplain was appointed to a government school in 1955. Since that time, chaplaincy has become more common in State schools around Australia. However, chaplaincy in State schools has grown hugely in the last 3 years from around 650 to more than 1870 chaplains.
- Counselling and the Church – The client-based approach to counselling which emerged in the 1960s and 1970s was something of a threat to traditional religious establishments. It suggested that people would come to wholeness through inner reflection and self-direction rather than through the teaching of an external body. The tension between these two approaches was particularly strong in the Catholic Church, and is well illustrated in Opening Up: a History of the Institute of Counselling by David Bollen.
- Satanism – In the 1996 Census, 2091 people in Australia identified themselves as Satanists. In 2001, the number was down to about 1800, but rose again in the 2006 Census to 2248 people.
- Which Churches Use Email? – There have been extraordinary
technological advances in the ways that people communicate with each other. Are there some churches that are more likely to embrace these trends and use new electronic methods to communicate with attenders? In the 2006 National Church Life Survey churches were asked about their email and internet use.
Pointers Vol.20-2 For Downloading
Pointers Vol.20-2 (June 2010)
Articles Include:
- Are Australians ‘Losing Their Religion’? – New data, gathered late 2009, provides a new comprehensive picture of the religious faith and spirituality of Australians. The data is part of the International Social Science Survey (ISSP) program and involved surveys of 1718 adult Australians. It is the best picture we have had of the religious faith and spirituality of the Australian population since the Wellbeing and Security Survey of 2002 conducted by Edith Cowan University, Deakin University, Anglicare and NCLS Research. Indeed, this new survey repeats a range of questions asked in 1993 and 1999, giving us an excellent picture of changes over time.
- Factors in Declining Church Attendance – The number of Australians attending church services is declining. Data from the ISSP (International Social Survey Programme) shows that, between 1993 and 2009, the proportion of Australians attending a service of worship monthly or more often dropped from 23 per cent to 16 per cent. Occasional attendance (less than monthly) also dropped from 42 per cent to 36 per cent. In turn, the proportion claiming they never attend services of worship rose from 33 per cent to 43 per cent. What might be some of the underlying factors and transitions influencing these trends?
- Power and the Churches – In the 2009 International Social Science Program (ISSP) survey just released, 42 per cent of Australian respondents indicated that churches and religious organisations had ‘about the right amount of power’ and 37 per cent indicated they had ‘too much power’ or ‘far too much power’. In addition, 78 per cent ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that religious leaders should not influence how people voted, and 71 per cent that religious leaders should not influence government. What implications does this have for Christianity’s underlying principles of social justic ? Do these figures suggest that churches and religious organisations the Australian public wants the churches to remain silent on issues?
- Is the End Nigh? Print based ReligiousPublications in Australia – In 1992, the CRA published a special section in the annual Yearbook for Australian Churches, which focused on religious periodicals. There were about 220 religious periodicals, including a handful from coordinating agencies of the major non-Christian religions. There is now a much wider diversity of periodical and web publications from Jewish, Islamic and Buddhist communities in particular, and also notably there has been development of inter-faith publications. A follow-up article in Pointers considered some of the issues facing the Christian press at the time, with five major points outlined.
Pointers Vol.20-3 For Downloading
Pointers Vol.20-3 (September 2010)
Articles Include :
- 25th Anniversary Dinner Speech – 2 September 2010 Speech by Rev Dr Bruce Kaye
- CRA: Chair’s Report 2010 – Rob Steed, chair of the board of the Christian Research Association at the 25th Anniversary
Dinner
- CRA: Staff Report 2010 – Philip Hughes, Senior Research Officer of the Christian Research Association speaking at the 25th Anniversary Dinner
- Shaping Australia’s Spirituality: the Conference – Between 31st August and 3rd September 2010, 140 people met in Glen Waverley, Victoria, to review the ministries of the churches in the contemporary context. Thirty-five people were involved in presenting research, and leading plenary and small group discussion on the various aspects of Australia’s ministry. Each of the four days examined a separate topic. The first day looked at the national picture of Australia’s spirituality and the ways in which the churches have a national impact. The second day focussed on children and young people, examining the churches’ ministries through church activities, schools and chaplaincies. The third day examined the scene in relation to family, workplace, community and health. The fourth day focussed on the spirituality of the churches. The following is a brief summary of some of the major themes in the discussion, arranged in terms of reflections on context and on ministry.
- How We Make Sense of Life Does Matter – Spirit Matters, by Peter Kaldor, Philip Hughes and Alan Black,was launched at the “Shaping Australia’s Spirituality” conference in Melbourne on 31 August 2010. Subtitled How Making Sense of Life Affects Wellbeing, it presents an in-depth analysis of national surveys undertaken in Australia on wellbeing, religion, spirituality and how we make sense of life. The book argues that there are significant links between how we make sense of life and our personal and societal wellbeing.
- Third Edition of Australia’s Religious Communities Launched – The Third Edition of the Australia’s Religious
Communities CD-Rom (ISBN 978-1-87522369-5) was launched on at the CRA 25th anniversary dinner by Dr Trevor Batrouney, a researcher at the now defunct Bureau of Immigration, Multicultural and Population Research which originally commissioned the CRA to produce a series of 12 books on the major religions of Australia. The third edition has been fully revised. All statistics have been up-dated, using the latest Census and survey data. All the text has also been reviewed and
up-dating has occurred throughout this encyclopedia of religion in Australia.
Pointers Vol.20-4 For Downloading
Pointers Vol.20-4 (December 2010)
Articles include:
- Global Religious Trends – The religious trends occurring in Australia are not typical of the rest of the world. The Atlas of Global Christianity, a new book from the Centre for the Study of Global Christianity, plots the global trends.
- Lausanne Congress 2010 – October 2010 saw Australian Christians on the move. Just in front of me in the passport queue was a nun on her way to Rome to celebrate the canonisation of Sr Mary Mackillop. I was heading in a different direction: to Cape Town, South Africa, for the third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization. Since 1974, the Lausanne movement has brought together Christians from around the world to focus on mission and evangelism. It has been a global movement of evangelicals, inspired by the world mission of Billy Graham and John Stott. The third Lausanne Congress involved around 4200 selected participants from around the globe.
- Attitudes to the Variety of Religions – The First European Settlers to Australia thought of Christianity as the only ‘civilised’ religion and had no interest in the religions of Chinese miners, Hindu peddlers or Islamic Afghan camel drivers. Since the 1970s, attitudes to other religions have changed markedly. The Australian Survey of Social Attitudes (2009) provides the most recent perspective.
- Who Reads the Bible? – The Bible Society of South Australia, Scripture Union, YouthWorks, the Lutheran Church and The Salvation Army are currently sponsoring a study of Bible reading among young people. The CRA is currently visiting youth groups around Australia talking with young people about their attitudes to the Bible, their reading habits (if any), the catalysts and the hindrances for reading, and how they interpret the Bible. As a prelude to this study, the CRA re-visited the research it has done on young people in the Spirit of Generation Y Project (2002 to 2008) and the associated Schools Spirituality Project. It summarised the results of that earlier research in relation to Bible reading. The full report can be found on the CRA website. Here is a summary of the findings.
- Attitudes to Issues of Sexuality – In revising the materials for the 3rd edition of Australia’s Religious Communities CD-Rom, we discovered some interesting patterns in the changing attitudes to issues of sexuality amongst Australians.
As might be expected, Australian adults have become more accepting of pre-material sex and homosexuality. However, in relation to extra-marital sex, Australians have become less accepting. This suggests that while Australians usually move into a de facto relationship before marriage, they take faithfulness in marriage very seriously.
Pointers Vol.22-1 For Downloading
Pointers Vol.22-1 (March 2012)
Articles include:
Is the ‘New Atheism’ influencing Australians?
There is little evidence from surveys of the Australian population that the ‘New Atheists’ are having widespread impact on people becoming atheist.For a detail account of Australians belief in God, and the factors inhibiting belief, see the first article
Changes in Beliefs and Attitudes to Life Among Students
Responses to surveys of 4100 students in Catholic schools in 2011 can be compared with students responses to surveys conducted between 2005 and 2008.
Being Faithful in Diversity
A series of lectures by Gary Bouma, published by ATF Press in a small book Being Faithful in Diversity, explores the challenges of faith in a multi-faith society.
Celebrating the Canonisation of Mary MacKillop
In May 2011, CRA researchers interviewed 14 students who had travelled to Rome for the canonisation. Eight months on, the interviews found that the students remained very enthusiastic about the event.
Attitudes to Abortion and Approaches to Ethical Issues
15% of Australians say that abortion is always or almost always wrong. Younger people are more likely to accept abortion than older people. However, the views of those who attend church are vastly different with 56% of them saying that abortion is always or almost always wrong.
Pointers Vol.21-1
Pointers Vol.21-1. (March 2011)
Articles include:
- Possibilities of Leadership in Rural Catholic Parishes – With the declining number of priests available, many Catholic dioceses are investigating various ways of organising their parishes. The issue is similar to that faced by many denominations. Catholic parishes, however, have some issues not faced by some Protestant denominations in that priests have an irreplaceable role in celebrating the sacraments. Priests are central to parish life in the Catholic Church and there has not been a tradition of lay people as leaders of worship services. However, two case studies suggest that the patterns of leadership can change and may even strengthen parish life as they do so.
- Catholic Religious Institutes in Australia – In 2008, the National Council of Catholic Religious Australia commissioned the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Pastoral Research Office to survey all Catholic Institutes of Clerical Religious, Religious Brothers and Religious Sisters in Australia.The final report of the survey, ‘See, I am Doing a New Thing!’, was launched in Sydney in November 2010.
- Looking at Art Looking at Life – One way of understanding the culture that we inhabit is to consider how it is sustained in visual terms. This means looking at the visual shape of things as they are expressed through the images, signs and symbols of the world of hopes that make up contemporary consumer culture.
- Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing in Education – Late 2009, Springer Publishing House released a huge twovolume collection of essays on spirituality, care and wellbeing in education. The volume is timely as schools and other institutions increasingly find themselves grappling with issues of mental health and wellbeing. The first volume of essays focusses mainly on the psychology of religion and spirituality. The second volume is primarily about educational programs and environments in promoting holistic learning and wellbeing. This review will focus on the second volume.
- Demographics of a Nation: Australia and the Church – This article from NCLS Research presents a summary of Australian population, age, marital status, education, country of birth and religion. The Australian population is compared with church attenders using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the 2006 National Church Life Survey.
Pointers Vol.21-2 For Downloading
Pointers, Vol.21-2. (June 2011)
Articles include:
- Global Trends in the Changing Context of Mission – Reflections on the 6th Lausanne Researchers Conference, Sao Paulo
- Researching the Church at the Local Level – While several papers at the 6th International Lausanne Researchers Conference focused on overall issues in Worldwide Christian mission, a number of researchers presented papers outlining issues in research at the local church level. Each of the papers presented a local context for church ministry: the vitality of local evangelical churches in Rio de Janeiro, alternative models of church development and planning in Germany, and the inclusiveness of churches to disabled people in Brazil.
- The Church and Family Life in Australia – The following paper was delivered by Stephen Reid at the 6th International Lausanne Researchers Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in April 2011. Whilst the paper looked at family life in the Australian context, comparisons to other countries was possible through analysis of data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and the World Values Surveys (WVS).
- Cross-Cultural Ministry Now and Then –
- Publications in the Religion-and-Film Field – In the tradition of Pointers 2008 (vol. 18, no. 3) and 2009 (vol. 19, no. 4), below is the third compilation of useful articles in the religionand- film field for your interest, enjoyment and edification.
- On-Line Religion – The Internet has become an increasingly important part of people’s social interactions as well as a means of accessing information. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009), the proportion of Australian households with computers rose from 44 per cent to 78 per cent between 1998 and 2009. Access to the Internet has increased even more rapidly, from just 16 per cent of households in 1998 to 72 per cent in 2009. It is inevitable that the role of religion on the Internet would also increase over time. A recent edition of the Australian Religion Studies Review was dedicated to articles on religion and
spirituality in cyberspace. | https://cra.org.au/products-page/pointers/page/5/ |
How to create a continuous improvement plan
How do you write a continuous improvement plan?
Continuous Improvement
- Plan: Identify an opportunity and plan for change.
- Do: Implement the change on a small scale.
- Check: Use data to analyze the results of the change and determine whether it made a difference.
- Act: If the change was successful, implement it on a wider scale and continuously assess your results.
What are the five steps of continuous improvement?
- Step 1: Plan Projects More Effectively. Like any effective initiative, better continuous improvement starts with better planning.
- Step 2: Work in Teams to Brainstorm Solutions.
- Step 3: Turn Ideas into Action – Fast.
- Step 4: Track Results and Sustain the Gains.
- Step 5: Transform Your Culture.
How do you create a continuous improvement team?
“5 on 5” The 5 Step Continuous Improvement Cycle
- Identify the target process.
- Organize and empower an improvement team.
- Describe the issues, concerns or opportunity.
- Collect current performance data.
- Create a process map.
What are the six steps in continuous process improvement?
Six Simple Steps to Continuous Improvement
- Step One –A Simple Framework. Continuous improvement efforts usually start with processes.
- Step Two – A Single Cross-Departmental Plan.
- Step Three –Big Opportunities for Improvement.
- Step Four – A Practical Plan.
- Step Five – An Ongoing Program.
- Step Six – Change Management.
What are the two most used process improvement methods?
Within Six Sigma, process engineers use two sub-methodologies, DMAIC for improving existing processes and DMADV for creating new processes.
How can I continually improve?
- 7 Ways to Continuously Improve. The Truth About The Best Way to Create Continuous Improvement.
- Make no excuses.
- Celebrate other people’s success.
- Give and receive feedback.
- Don’t feel sorry for yourself.
- Lose yourself.
- Don’t oppose.
- Doing is more important than thinking.
What is the difference between continuous and continual improvement?
Continual improvement means that the approach is repeated and has pauses in between repetitions. Whereas a continuous improvement approach does not stop, it is an uninterrupted flow. A continuous approach is one that will constantly look to make improvements, it is a sustained process of development.
When developing your own process improvement plan what four steps should you follow as a guide?
4 Steps for an Effective Business Process Improvement Cycle
- Identify the need for change: The first step in the BPI process is to identify the need for change.
- Analyze current process: Once you have decided which process you are going to improve you need analyze the current procedure.
- Obtain commitment and support:
- Create improvement strategy:
How can I improve myself professionally?
We’ll also list seven of the main ways to develop professionally and some of the things to keep in mind about each method.
- Make New Connections.
- Get a Mentor.
- Improve Your Time Management.
- Polish Your Soft Skills.
- Read More Books.
- Add to Your IT Skills.
- Set Some Goals.
What are the 5 areas of personal development?
There are several different topics within the personal development world, but they all seem to fall under five major categories. The categories are mental, social, spiritual, emotional, and physical. Today we are going over each of these categories.
How can I improve my life in 7 days?
7 Ways to Improve Your Life in 7 Days
- Begin learning a new skill.
- Give yourself a reward every day.
- Start an exercise program.
- Declutter your environment.
- Make a bucket list.
- Confront a fear.
- Reconnect with an old friend.
How can I update my life?
Think of how improving your sleep, diet and physical exercise would improve your life and how others view you. Instead of focusing rigidly on diet, taking on a rigid exercise program or sleep schedule, choose to simply upgrade these areas of your life from where you currently are, until you need to upgrade again.
How do you update yourself in fashion?
Update Your Look
- Look in the mirror. Ask yourself: Am I doing this for me or to please someone else?
- Clean out your closet. Make three piles: one for items that fit well and make you feel great, one for items that need tailoring, and one for items to donate or toss.
- Find a fashion mentor.
- Experiment.
- Don’t give up.
What is self upgrading?
Sometimes, you are face with difficulties advancing into your career because you lack certain skills set to propel yourself into better positions, which also means better pay. Which in turn, you lose out to your peers. Thus, self–upgrading will allow you to make decisions to get a better paying job.
How do you gain self confidence?
Tips for building self–confidence
- Look at what you’ve already achieved. It’s easy to lose confidence if you believe you haven’t achieved anything.
- Think of things you’re good at. Everyone has strengths and talents.
- Set some goals.
- Talk yourself up.
- Get a hobby. | https://howtocreate.com/quiz-how-to-create-a-continuous-improvement-plan-97066/ |
Numerology is an old phenomenon in many cultures. It is represented both in art an buildings. Buildings are constructed according tothe Golden Section and magical quadrats can be found in eg Albrect Durer’s painting ”Melancholy”.
A substantial amount of mathematics is hidden in Pascal’s triangle. This triangle isbased on the principle that an element in it is the sum of the nearest elements above it.
The elements in Pascal’s triangle turns out to be the binomial-coefficients. This means that they are identical to the numbers you get when you expand binomials with different exponentials. A binomial is the sum of two numbers (x + y) .
As an example we can take (x+y)^2 = x^2 + 2xy + y^2.
The coefficients here can be found in the second row of the periodic system: 1 2 1.
The coefficients for (x + y) ^3 is given by the third row: 1 3 3 1 and so on.
This is spectacular in its own right but it doesn’t end there: The binomialcoefficients also have a combinatorical interpretation: They give the number of combinations if you e.g. are to select k objects out of n possible.
Example: Suppose you wish to pick 2 apples out of a set of three. You find the answer as the second element in the third row: 3.
This is called the number of combinations possible when selecting two elements from a set of three. In a combination the order is irrelevant. According to convention it is writen as
- Here n! = the number of permutations of n i.e. the number of possible arrangements of n objects when the order is important, k! is the number of permutations of k objects and (n-k)! the number of permutations of the difference of n and k. | https://mattelararen.com/2012/09/22/pascals-triangle/ |
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Read about the dwarf planet Makemake that contains a lot of ice. Astronomers have confirmed for the first time that the distant icy dwarf planet Makemake has no atmosphere.
Astronomers led by José Luis Ortiz of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia in Spain spotted the dwarf planet during an eclipse by looking at light from a distant star.
Previous observations have shown that Makemake is two-thirds the size of Pluto (Makemake's equatorial radius is 1502? ±? 45 km) and that it may have a small atmosphere that descends on the planet as it moves away from the Sun.
If this were the case, then the light of the star would gradually disappear and reappear as it passes through the planet's atmosphere. However, when Makemake passed through the light of the star NOMAD 1181-0235723 on April 23, 2011, the light disappeared and suddenly reappeared. According to Jose Luis Ortiz, this means that the dwarf planet does not have any significant atmosphere. However, astronomer Dr. Michael Ireland of Macquarie University in Sydney argues that the debate about Makemake's atmosphere is not over yet.
"Makemake travels in a high elliptical 300-year orbit, and therefore the surface temperature rises or falls depending on the distance of the planet from the Sun," says Michael Ireland. At a time when the planet is at the smallest distance from the Sun for 150 years, ice on the planet's surface can sublimate into a rarefied atmosphere. Makemake's orbit is located 38 times farther from the Sun than the Earth's orbit and up to 53 times, depending on where the planet is located in its orbit.
In the course of observations, the results of which were published in the journal Nature, Jose Luis Ortiz and his colleagues were able to more accurately determine the size and density of Makemake. The planet is a slightly flattened ball at both poles - the equatorial diameter is 1502 kilometers, and the polar one is 1430 kilometers.
They also managed to measure the reflectivity of Makemake - a quantity called albedo, which depends on the composition of the planet's surface.
Albedo Makemake is 0.77, which is comparable to a surface similar in composition to dirty snow. Albedo Makemake is larger than Pluto but smaller than Eris, the largest dwarf planet in the solar system.
Makemake is one of five celestial bodies, including Pluto, that have been classified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union. This planet is named after the creator of humanity and the god of fertility in the culture of the indigenous people of Easter Island. | https://how-what-woman.com/12671-ice-dwarf-planet-makemake-reveals-its-secrets |
Coffee Scones with Maple, Raisins and Rye combine unusual ingredients for a healthy great flavor straight from your home oven.
Category Archives: Dried Fruits/Raisins
Brown Sugar Peach Glazed Ham
Brown Sugar Peach Glazed Ham is perfect for either a small half ham or full boneless ham, with a sweet fruity glaze studded with peaches, raisins and spice.
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Oatmeal Currant Scones
Oatmeal currant scones are essentially Scottish biscuits, these chock full of buttery flavor, currants and a hint of caraway.
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Shaved Celery and Apple Salad
Shaved celery and apple salad stars lots of crunch with blue cheese, walnuts, cherries, and a creamy honey Dijon vinaigrette dressing.
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Blueberry Kumquat Muffins
Blueberry kumquat muffins explode with the combination of flavors of blueberries and citrus kumquat in these delightfully different muffins.
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Mandarin Orange Muffins
Mandarin orange muffins have wonderful orange citrus flavor and are topped with crystal sugar and a tangy orange glaze.
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Applejack Bundt Cake
Applejack Bundt Cake infuses a fruit filled batter with brandied apples, raisins and walnuts, then frosted with a sweet sour cream glaze.
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Sugarplum Pinwheels (Finnish Joulutorttu)
Sugarplum pinwheels are a variation of the traditional Finnish Joulutorttu (plum filled pastries), this time topped with a fruit and nut sugarplum bonbon.
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Cranberry Walnut Bread
Country style cranberry walnut bread is chock full of both fruit and nuts, sweetened with a hint of cinnamon and molasses.
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Amish Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Amish pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are moist pumpkin cakes in brownie-type form, dressed for autumn with festive candies and sprinkles. | https://palatablepastime.com/category/main-ingredients/fruits/dried-fruitsraisins/page/2/ |
- This event has passed.
“The Art of Inspiration”
January 25 @ 11:00 am - February 27 @ 5:00 pmFree
“The Art of Inspiration”
Artist Lacy Wilson’s lively creative style of paintings are an inspiration. Her murals are bright spots around Red Bluff. She also teaches and inspires other artists to feel the joy of touching their paintbrushes to canvas. Wilson’s art is featured in the “Art of Inspiration,” exhibit held in the Main Event Gallery, January 19 – February 22. Her art can be viewed Thurs-Sat, 11am -5 pm, 710 Main Street. Gallery members’ art will follow the same theme. The exhibit is sponsored by the Tehama County Arts Council. | https://enjoymagazine.com/event/the-art-of-inspiration/ |
As we look toward future space missions using advanced artificial intelligence, when can we expect to have probes with cognitive capabilities similar to humans? Andreas Hein and Stephen Baxter consider the issue in their paper “Artificial Intelligence for Interstellar Travel” (citation below), working out mass estimates for the spacecraft and its subsystems and applying assumptions about the increase in computer power per payload mass. By 2050 we reach onboard data handling systems with a processing power of 15 million DMIPS per kg.
As DMIPS and flops are different performance measures [the computing power of the human brain is estimated at 1020 flops], we use a value for flops per kg from an existing supercomputer (MareNostrum) and extrapolate this value (0.025∗1012 flops/kg) into the future (2050). By 2050, we assume an improvement of computational power by a factor 105 , which yields 0.025∗1017 flops/kg. In order to achieve 1020 flops, a mass of dozens to a hundred tons is needed.
All of this factors into the discussion of what the authors call a ‘generic artificial intelligence probe.’ Including critical systems like solar cells and radiator mass, Hein and Baxter arrive at an AI probe massing on the order of hundreds of tons, which is not far off the value calculated in the 1970s for the Daedalus probe’s payload. Their figures sketch out a probe that will operate close to the target star, maximizing power intake for the artificial intelligence. Radiators are needed to reject the heat generated by the AI payload. The assumption is that AI will be switched off in cruise, there being no power source enroute to support its operations.
The computing payload itself masses 40 tons, with 100 tons for the radiator and 100 tons for solar cells. We can see the overall configuration in the image below, drawn from the paper.
Image: This is Figure 10 from the paper. Caption: AI probe subsystems (Image: Adrian Mann).
Of course, all this points to increasingly powerful AI and smaller payloads over time. The authors comment:
Under the assumption that during the 2050 to 2090 timeframe, computing power per mass is still increasing by a factor of 20.5, it can be seen…that the payload mass decreases to levels that can be transported by an interstellar spacecraft of the size of the Daedalus probe or smaller from 2050 onwards. If the trend continues till 2090, even modest payload sizes of about 1 kg can be imagined. Such a mission might be subject to the ”waiting paradox”, as the development of the payload might be postponed successively, as long as computing power increases and consequently launch cost[s] decrease due to the lower payload mass.
And this is interesting: Let’s balance the capabilities of an advanced AI payload against the mass needed for transporting a human over interstellar distances (the latter being, in the authors’ estimation, about 100 tons). We reach a breakeven point for the AI probe with the cognitive capabilities of a human somewhere between 2050 and 2060. Of course, a human crew will mean more than a single individual on what would doubtless be a mission of colonization. And the capabilities of AI should continue to increase beyond 2060.
It’s intriguing that our first interstellar missions, perhaps in the form of Breakthrough Starshot’s tiny probes, are contemplated for this timeframe, at the same time that the development of AGI — artificial general intelligence — is extrapolated to occur around 2060. Moving well beyond this century, we can envision increasing miniaturization of increasingly capable AI and AGI, reducing the mass of an interstellar probe carrying such an intelligence to Starshot-sized payloads.
From Daedalus to a nano-probe is a long journey. It’s one that Robert Freitas investigated in a paper that took macro-scale Daedalus probes and folded in the idea of self-replication. He called the concept REPRO, a fusion-based design that would use local resources to produce a new REPRO probe every 500 years. But he would go on to contemplate probes no larger than sewing needles, each imbued with one or many AGIs and capable of using nanotechnology to activate assemblers, exploiting the surface resources of the objects found at destination.
As for Hein and Baxter, their taxonomy of AI probes, which we’ve partially examined this week, goes on to offer two more possibilities. The first is the ‘Founder’ probe, one able to alter its environment and establish human colonies. Thus a new form of human interstellar travel emerges. From the paper:
The classic application of a Founder-class probe may be the ‘seedship’ colony strategy. Crowl et al. gave a recent sketch of possibilities for ‘embryo space colonisation’ (ESC). The purpose is to overcome the bottleneck costs of distance, mass, and energy associated with crewed interstellar voyages. Crowl et al. suggested near-term strategies using frozen embryos, and more advanced options using artificial storage of genetic data and matterprinting of colonists’ bodies, and even ‘pantropy’, the pre-conception adaptation of the human form to local conditions. Hein previously explored the possibility of using AI probes for downloading data from probes into assemblers that could recreate the colonists. Although appearing speculative, Boles et al. have recently demonstrated the production of genetic code from data.
Founder probes demand capable AI indeed, for their job can include terraforming at destination (with all the ethical questions that raises) and the construction of human-ready habitats. You may recall, as the authors do, Arthur C. Clarke’s The Songs of Distant Earth (1986), wherein the Earth-like planet Thalassa is the colony site, and the first generation of colonists are raised by machines. Vernor Vinge imagines in a 1972 story called ‘Long Shot’ a mission carrying 10,000 human embryos, guided by a patient AI named Ilse. A key question for such concepts: Can natural parenting really be supplanted by AI, no matter how sophisticated?
Image: The cover of the June, 1958 issue of IF, featuring “The Songs of Distant Earth.” Science fiction has been exploring the issues raised by AGI for decades.
Taken to its speculative limit, the Founder probe is capable of digital to DNA conversion, which allows stem cells carried aboard the mission to be reprogrammed with DNA printed out from data aboard the probe or supplied from Earth. A new human colony is thus produced.
Image: This is Figure 9 from the paper. Caption: On-site production of genetic material via a data to DNA converter.
Hein and Baxter also explore what they call an ‘Ambassador’ probe. Here we’re in territory that dates back to Ronald Bracewell, who thought that a sufficiently advanced civilization could send out probes that would remain in a target stellar system until activated by its detection of technologies on a nearby planet. A number of advantages emerge when contrasted with the idea of long-range communications between stars:
A local probe would allow rapid dialogue, compared to an exchange of EM signals which might last millennia. The probe might even be able to contact cultures lacking advanced technology, through recognizing surface structures for example . And if technological cultures are short-lived, a probe, if robust enough, can simply wait at a target star for a culture ready for contact to emerge – like the Monoliths of Clarke’s 2001 . In Bracewell’s model, the probe would need to be capable of distinguishing between local signal types, interpreting incoming data, and of achieving dialogue in local languages in printed form – perhaps through the use of an animated dictionary mediated by television exchanges. In terms of message content, perhaps it would discuss advances in science and mathematics with us, or ‘write poetry or discuss philosophy’…
Are we in ‘Prime Directive’ territory here? Obviously we do not want to harm the local culture; there are planetary protection protocols to consider, and issues we’ve looked at before in terms of METI — Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence. The need for complex policy discussion before such probes could ever be launched is obvious. Clarke’s ‘Starglider’ probe (from The Fountains of Paradise) comes to mind, a visitor from another system that uses language skills acquired by radio leakage to begin exchanging information with humans.
Having run through their taxonomy, Hein and Baxter’s concept for a generic artificial intelligence probe, discussed earlier, assumes that future human-level AGI would consume as much energy for operations as the equivalent energy for simulating a human brain. Heat rejection turns out to be a major issue, as it is for supercomputers today, requiring the large radiators of the generic design. Protection from galactic cosmic rays during cruise, radiation-hardened electronics and self-healing technologies in hardware and software are a given for interstellar missions.
Frank Tipler, among others, has looked into the possibility of mind-uploading, which could theoretically take human intelligence along for the ride to the stars and, given the lack of biological crew, propel the colonization of the galaxy. Ray Kurzweil has gone even further,by suggesting that nano-probes of the Freitas variety might traverse wormholes for journeys across the universe. Such ideas are mind-bending (plenty of science fiction plots here), but it’s clear that given the length of the journeys we contemplate, finding non-biological agents to perform such missions will continue to occupy researchers at the boundaries of computation.
The paper is Hein & Baxter, “Artificial Intelligence for Interstellar Travel,” submitted to JBIS (preprint). | https://www.centauri-dreams.org/2019/01/31/ai-colonization-the-founder-and-the-ambassador/ |
Roasted Peach Tart made with a gluten-free graham cracker crust, peaches roasted with coconut sugar, and served with a ginger-flavored coconut whipped cream. Simple and delicious! Gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free.
Peaches always signal midsummer to me. Bittersweet in a way, as I know there is plenty of warm weather to come, but a marker I’m never ready to see.
And as it goes with most summer desserts, complicated recipes are best kept to a minimum. There’s just too much to do outside, I say.
So while you’re compiling your list for the farmers markets or the grocery stores, add a bunch of peaches to it.
Roasting peaches enhances their sweet, juicy flavor. And while I think they are perfectly sweet all on their own, adding a little coconut sugar to help macerate and get those juices going makes it heavenly.
A few notes about this recipe:
- Ideally, you’ll want your peaches to be ripe yet still slightly firm to the touch. Since roasting softens them, slice the peaches more thick than thin.
- Start with preparing the graham cracker cookie crust first. While it bakes, you can work on the steps for preparing the peaches and coconut whipped cream.
- Due to the juicy nature of the roasted fruit, assemble the tart when ready to eat. Otherwise, your crust will get soggy.
Inspired by a recipe from Food 52, what I love most about this tart is its simplicity. Almost in-line with more rustic summer desserts like crumbles and cobblers, it feels fail-proof and perfectly imperfect.
And what could be better than that?
Other peach recipes:
Gluten-Free Raspberry Peach Crumble
Honey-Roasted Peaches with Teff-Crusted Ice Cream
Roasted Peach Tart (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Tart is best eaten immediately once assembled.
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
- 2 cups (242g) gluten-free graham cracker crumbs or sugar cookie crumbs (8 oz box of cookies)*
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Roasted Peaches
- 5 large peaches, thickly sliced (ripe yet firm)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1-2 tablespoons agave syrup or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1-2 cans full fat coconut cream, chilled (or coconut milk refrigerated over night)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons agave syrup or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
Instructions
Cookie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with coconut oil.
- In a bowl of a food processor, add graham crackers, breaking them into a few pieces as you go. Pulse the food processor until you have achieved fine crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add cinnamon and ginger. Whisk to combine.
- Add melted coconut oil to the cookie crumbs, little by little, whisking as you go until the mixture achieves a "wet sand" look and comes together when squeezed. If you feel the mixture needs a little more coconut oil, add a melted teaspoon at a time to avoid it becoming too oily.
- Transfer cookie crumb mixture to prepared tart pan. Starting with sides, press mixture along sides about halfway up. Then proceed by pressing crumb mixture into an even layer on the bottom. Make sure crust is tightly packed.
- Bake crust for 10-12 minutes, until crust starts to turn a golden hue. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Raise the oven to temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for peaches.
Roasted Peaches
- While the crust bakes and cools, prepare your peaches. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place sliced peaches into a medium or large bowl. Add coconut sugar and pinch of salt and gently toss with your hands. Allow to sit and macerate for 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer peaches to prepared pan. Spread them into an even layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and drizzle agave or maple syrup. Gently toss and allow to cool.
Coconut Whipped Cream
- Scoop the coconut cream or solid coconut milk out of can into a bowl, stopping when you hit coconut water. With electric beaters, beat on high until achieving a whipped cream consistency. Add ginger, vanilla, and sweetener. Beat to combine.
- Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Assembly
- Once all tart components are completely cool, remove tart crust from pan and place on serving platter or cake stand.
- Using a slotted spoon, gently scoop peaches from pan, allowing juice to drain, and transfer to tart crust. Arrange peaches in an even layer.
- Slice tart, and garnish each slice with coconut whipped cream.
- Tart is best when eaten immediately after assembly. Juices from the roasted peaches will cause the crust to become soggy if sitting too long. | https://saltedplains.com/roasted-peach-tart-gluten-free-vegan/ |
I don’t know about you, but my workplace is often cool. I don’t always want to wear my coat, especially in the summer! So, I decided that a little crochet lap blanket would be perfect for my office.
It is just big enough to cover my lap when I am working at my desk and take the chill off, and when I am not, it is stylish enough to lay across my seat or on the back of my chair and give a cozy look to my office space.
I didn’t want a huge blanket that would drag on the floor or get tangled in my chair wheels, so this was the perfect side to cover my lap and the top of my legs.
This pattern release is part of the 30 Days of Cozy pattern bundle from my friend Pam, at Made With a Twist. You can check out all 30+ patterns, even if you are reading this later after the 30 days have ended!
Materials
- Yarn: (brand, weight, color, yardage): 2 skeins – Lion Brand Thick & Quick, 5 bulky, 5oz/142g, St. Paul Sky, 81yd/74m
- Hook: N-13, 9.0 mm
Techniques and Abbreviations:
US Terminology
- ch – chain
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- yo – yarn over
- dc – double crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
Notes & Details
Gauge: 4” x 4” = 3 rope clusters x 4 rows
Finished measurements/sizing: 18”x 21”
Multiples of 3 stitches + 2, plus 1 ch in foundation row.
This pattern uses the Rope Stitch. You can learn how to crochet the Rope Stitch here.
Get to Work Lap Blanket Written Pattern:
Ch 42.
Row 1: in 4th ch from hook, work 1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc in next ch, *skip 1 ch, 1 dc in next ch, ch 1, 1 dc in next ch; repeat from * to end of row, 1 dc in last ch, turn. (40 sts, 27 dc)
Row 2: Ch 3, skip first two sts, *[1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc] in next ch 1 space from row below, skip next two dc; repeat from * to last dc, skip the last dc and work 1 dc in turning chain, turn.
Row 3 – 21: Repeat Row 2.
If you would like a border, work 1 sc in each st around the perimeter and work 2 ch in each corner. Sl st to join at the end. | https://stitchinprogress.com/crochet-lap-blanket-free-pattern/ |
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subjective theory of contract
Browse Dictionary by Letter: | http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/subjective-theory-of-contract.html |
Once the legislation is passed, owners of personal vehicles selling for more than $150,000 will have to get private insurance.
Figures from the province provided by ICBC show luxury cars are six times more expensive to fix than the average passenger vehicle.
On Wednesday, Transportation Minister Todd Stone said that repairing a fender, grill, headlights and intercooler on a Bentley Flying Spur would be about $38,000.
"This is putting an unfair burden on the vast majority of the other ratepayers who are subsidizing this particular rate class through their premiums. This has to end," said Stone. "
ICBC rates up 30% since 2011
The provincial government has been facing criticism over ICBC rates that have gone up more than 30 per cent since Premier Christy Clark took office.
The province could not project how much money it would save by not insuring luxury cars but pointed out luxury car ownership had gone up by 30 per cent in the last three years.
Currently, luxury car owners pay about the same basic rate as the owner of a $15,000 car, the average value of a passenger vehicle in B.C.
Before the legislation is put in place, the province says it will increase rates for luxury car owners 'as soon as possible' that could see them pay double the insurance they pay now.
"This new rule will apply to private passenger vehicles only. It will not apply to pickup trucks or limousines or RVs," said Stone. "This is a move to protect the middle-class ratepayer and provide basic fairness."
NDP say change is a distraction
NDP critic Adrian Dix said the province is introducing the luxury car insurance change, not to help families but in order to "throw smoke" on the issue to distract ratepayers from the projected long-term increase.
"This was raced out because they have been caught misleading the public. They can't be allowed to get away with this nonsense," said Dix.
"That 42 per cent — they own it and they need to take responsibility for it."
| |
TB Print Toner Cartridge for Samsung MLT-D111S TS-D111SN BK 100% Brand New
Product images are illustrative. The original product may vary, so please refer to the product specifications in the product description.
In stock
Price€ 25.80
The e-shop price may differ with shops price. | https://www.smartech.ee/en/products/printery-i-skanery/tonery-i-chernila/tb-print-toner-do-samsung-mlt-d111s-ts-d111sn-bk-100nowy |
This property has undergone extensive renovations over the last few years including: a 16 square meter extension, mains gas central heating, double glazing and new flooring throughout, En-suite bathroom added. Additional new front porch with self-contained utility cupboards. The property also benefits from a garage, off road parking and fully landscaped gardens with two patio areas, newly laid lawn, BBQ area and large bed areas ready for planting. All the hard work has been done for you at this property- you just need to move in.
Close to transport links and easy access to the town centre. Heamoor is a small village located approx. 1-mile form Penzance. It has lots of local amenities including a primary and secondary school, village shop, pub, church and chemist. A short walk of 10-15 mins brings you into Penzance town centre via an underpass.
Entrance Hall
Double glazed front door into entrance, tiled floor, door to cupboard utility cupboard space for washing machine/tumbe dryer, powerpoint, vent hole in situ. Door to cupboard hanging, radiator, access to roof space.
Bathroom 2.16m x 1.63m (7'1" x 5'4")
Fronted double glazed window to side, extractor, P shaped bath with shower over, and glass screen, w/c, pedestal sink, heated towel rail, fully tiled, tiled floor.
Bedroom 3/or Lounge 3.28m x 3.12m (10'9" x 10'3")
Double glazed window to front with very pretty outlook of surrounding countryside, radiator, powerpoint, t/v point.
Landing
Stairs up from entrance to split level landing, access to roof space.
Bedroom 2 2.92m x 2.34m (9'7" x 7'8")
Double glazed window to rear, attractive view of outside area, radiator, powerpoint, t/v point.
Bedroom 1 4.34m x 4.04m (14'3" x 13'3")
Double glazed window to rear with pleasant outlook, handy recess ideal for wardrobe area, radiator, t/v point.
En-Suite 2.24m x 0.79m (7'4" x 2'7")
Shower fully tiled, wall mount sink, w/c, heated towel rail, tiling, extractor.
Lounge 4.90m x 4.62m (16'1" x 15'2")
1/2 glazed door, double glazed window to front with beautiful outlook across to the surrounding countryside, radiator, t/v, BT point, door to cupboard boiler and some storage.
Kitchen/Diner 5.05m x 3.28m (16'7" x 10'9")
Maximum measured into lounge from kitchen. 2 Double glazed window to rear with pleasant outlook onto the rear garden, double glazed French doors onto rear patio, terrace, radiator, door to storage larder with shelving and storage, could possibly be used to store a fridge freezer. Fitted kitchen comprising of extensive range of cupboards and drawers, worktops over. Breakfast eating to one side for two, gas cooker with extractor over, integrated dishwasher, integrated fridge, tiled splash, and additional cupboards to the back of worktop.
Outside to Rear
The garden is terraced in four areas. Very mediterrean French doors onto paved sun terrace, outside tap, steps upto next terrace paved with feature planting, ideal seating areas. Beautiful landscaped steel hand rail and paved steps taking you upto feature lawn with red brick detailing and flower beds to one side.
Garden
Attractive paved curve in the centre of the lawn, flower bed borders (ready to plant) just earth at the moment. Ideal raised BBQ area with raised deck, feature flower planting and mature trees as a central feature. The garden enjoys beautiful rural views over the surrounding countryside. The final section at the top of the garden is a blank canvas (approx 60 square meters) ideal for further lawn, good space for a possible vegetable garden, home office or summer house.
To the Front
Terraced in two sections paved areas for planting, paved steps to front door, outside tap, views across the open countryside. | https://staceymannestates.co.uk/property/barton-close-heamoor/ |
Moroni 4–5 present the prayers that the Nephites used in administering the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Although these prayers, as known to Moroni, were recorded here centuries after the visit of Christ to the Book of Mormon peoples, Moroni indicated that the “elders and priests” of his time “administered it according to the commandments of Christ” in a manner that Moroni claimed was “true” (Moroni 4:1).
Although readers rarely notice the intricate textual interdependency between Moroni 4-5 and 3 Nephi 18, the words of the sacramental prayers in Moroni 4–5 can clearly be traced, for the most part, directly to the very words of Jesus Christ used when He administered the Sacrament during his post-Resurrection ministry, as recorded in 3 Nephi 18.
There are other records of Nephite covenant making/renewal ceremonies that appear to have had influence on the sacramental prayers in their final form, especially the grand speech given by King Benjamin in Mosiah 1–5. The chart below shows parallels between Mosiah 5, 3 Nephi 18 and Moroni 4–5.
From the above comparison, it is clear that the sacrament prayers, as they were known in the time of Moroni, ritually recalled the words that Jesus Christ spoke when he introduced the sacrament to the Book of Mormon people. The language is slightly modified, in that “they” is used instead of Jesus’ “ye.” Jesus’ references to himself (e.g., “me,” “my body,” “I have”) are changed to refer to Christ in the third person (e.g., “him,” “the body of thy Son,” “he hath”) as Jesus was no longer present and the prayers are directed to the Father.
Because the Nephites met often and partook of the sacrament immediately after the visitations of Christ among them, it would seem likely that the ceremonial form of the sacrament prayers crystalized very soon in the ministry of Nephi, the disciple of Jesus.
One particularly noteworthy phrase appears in the prayers as found in Moroni 4–5 that was not included in the recorded words of Christ in 3 Nephi 18 — “that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son” (Moroni 4:3). As shown in the above table, that phrase parallels King Benjamin’s words as he put his people under covenant to take upon themselves the name of Christ (Mosiah 5:8) about 150 years before the appearance of Christ at the temple in Bountiful.
Readers may note that the prayers used by the modern Church today, as found in Doctrine and Covenants 20:76–79, are almost exactly the same words recorded in Moroni 4–5. It is significant that these words are essentially the words that Christ spoke (and perhaps what He would speak if present) when He introduced the ordinance Himself in 3 Nephi 18. The prayers recorded by Moroni demonstrate an effort to keep the prayers as close to Jesus’ own words as possible.
Moroni was careful to record these precious sacrament prayers precisely, because they were sacred, were based on the actual words of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, and conveyed through the sacramental ordinance the powers of the sacrificed body and atoning blood of Christ. In addition, those words also communicated the power of the Holy Ghost and aligned the will of the Father with ordinary men and women who seek to keep his commandment. To serve these holy purposes, Moroni was careful to convey the words of these prayers with solemn exactness.
John W. Welch, “Benjamin’s Covenant as a Precursor of the Sacrament Prayers,” in King Benjamin’s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom,” ed. John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1998), 295–314.
John W. Welch, “From Presence to Practice: Jesus, the Sacrament Prayers, the Priesthood, and Church Discipline in 3 Nephi 18 and Moroni 2–6,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5, no. 1 (1996): 119–139.
Richard Lloyd Anderson, “The Modern-Text Theory,” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 6, no. 1 (1994): 379–417.
John W. Welch, “Our Nephite Sacrament Prayers,” in Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1992), 286–289.
Richard Lloyd Anderson, “Religious Validity: The Sacrament Covenant in Third Nephi,” in By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh Nibley, 2 vols., ed. John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks (Salt Lake City; Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1990), 2:1–51.
See Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did the Nephites Stay in their Tents During King Benjamin’s Speech? (Mosiah 2:6),” KnoWhy 80 (April 18, 2016); Book of Mormon Central, “Why Does King Benjamin Emphasize the Blood of Christ? (Mosiah 4:2),” KnoWhy 82 (April 20, 2016).
For more on this, see John W. Welch, “Our Nephite Sacrament Prayers,” in Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research, ed. John W. Welch (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1992), 287.
Welch, “Our Nephite Sacrament Prayers,” 288. | https://latterdaysaintmag.com/where-did-moroni-get-the-sacramental-prayers-from/ |
Philippe Blot has worked in the mining industry for 25 years, during which he built a wide network of contacts. Beginning in 1996, he helped found PERI. While at PERI, a variety of technologies were used and marketed, including MillSoft and Caspeo software, to the global mineral processing industry. He also helped design and implement elemental analyzers and associated sampling and multiplexing equipment. Prior to PERI, Philippe spent six years with Control International, Inc. implementing model-based process control systems in mineral processing plants. Previously, he developed and applied software for ore reserve estimation and mine planning and scheduling using geostatistics, and worked on early versions of what are now Caspeo software offerings at BRGM and affiliates.
Don Eggert
Don Eggert is an innovative entrepreneur, programmer and engineer. Beginning in 1998, he developed the world’s first banking software to natively support all methodologies used by the global microfinance industry. In 2001 he cofounded Utah-based Kredits, LLC to license and support the software. As CEO, he grew a client base across 33 countries on five continents and oversaw a major investment in the company. During the decade prior to his work at Kredits, Don earned registration as a Professional Engineer. In this capacity he completed investment-grade analyses and designs of energy-efficient retrofits for commercial, institutional and industrial facilities across the U.S., Mexico and Korea. He holds a physics degree from Dartmouth college.
ADDRESS
1245 Gilmer Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84105 U.S.A. | https://www.o2mtech.com/Public/contact-us/ |
Last week (Thursday 29th), Ashfield sponsored the launch of the Pf Award Winners Club in Central London. The invitation-only event, which took place at the House of Commons, honours Pf Award winners from over the last 17 years.
To recognise these achievements, there was a great turnout from Ashfield, with both directors and past winners alike. You can read more about our past winners here.
The event was designed to be an exclusive network of professionals who have been previously recognised for their excellence in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. In a nice touch, all winners of a Pf Award since it started were given a badge, signifying their membership to the prestigious club.
As the first of its kind, we will be looking forward to future events. It was a great opportunity to catch up with professionals from across the pharma industry, share career stories and reflect on memories.
Paul Frater, Operations Director at Ashfield commented: “I was delighted to attend this event on behalf of Ashfield, it really was an enjoyable evening for all of those involved. Recognising best in class in the industry is something Ashfield is passionate about”.
The Pf Awards are the leading pharmaceutical awards in the UK, and have been recognising talent in the industry for the last 17 years. Ashfield were proud to be associated with the Winners Club and we are looking forward to the Pf Awards early next year. | https://www.ashfieldhealthcare.com/gb/news/ashfield-proudly-sponsors-pf-award-winners-club-house-commons/ |
The Austin College baseball team dropped both halves of its doubleheader at the University of Dallas on Saturday, falling 4-1 and 3-2 against the Crusaders. The 'Roos are now 9-14 overall and 0-9 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
In the first game, Dallas broke what had been a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a run, and added another in the sixth to make it 2-0. Two more runs crossed for the Crusaders in the eighth to make it 4-0, and Austin College was only able to get one run back in the top of the ninth to make it a 4-1 final. Christian Thomas picked up an RBI in the inning for Austin College.
Brett Moody took the loss after surrendering three runs - two earned - on just three hits with six strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work. Austin Dudley and RJ Melton each had two hits in the loss.
In game two, Dallas plated a run in the second and another in the third to once again take a 2-0 lead, and the margin grew to 3-0 in the sixth. Austin College brought one run home in the top of the seventh when Dudley scored on a ground out by Melton, and Dudley knocked in a run in the eighth to cut it to a 3-2 game. However, that's as close as Austin College would get.
Mychael Parish tossed a complete game, allowing three runs on seven hits to take the loss. Jeremy Halford went 2-for-3 to pace the 'Roos on offense. | https://www.acroos.com/sports/bsb/2015-16/releases/20160327inu6th |
Q:
Do bigger aircraft make a bigger sonic boom?
I was watching an episode of MythBusters where they were trying to break glass windows and cups using a sonic boom generated by a F/A-18 Hornet, flown by the Blue Angels. In summary, they were unsuccessful at creating a boom that could shatter the windows, despite a mach speed pass within 200ft of the target building. In the last two passes they even flew straight at the building to focus the boom straight at the house, still no windows were shattered. **
But I've wondered, ever since, if they were unsuccessful because the plane was simply too small. What if the sonic boom had been generated by a B-1 Lancer or perhaps Concorde, which are several times larger than the F/A-18? Logically it seems that since you are displacing more air, the energy wave should have more energy. Then again, the plane isn't going any faster, so perhaps the surface area of the wave would be larger (because of the larger plane) but you wouldn't actually have any more energy at any given point?
Anyone know if a bigger plan than the F/A-18 would have a higher energy sonic boom? And could that cause glass to break?
Bonus point:
A mathematical formula showing why, I love those things.
For those curious about what a sonic boom is to begin with, here's a wikipedia article.
**Just to clarify, for those who have seen the episode. A window is broken during the 200ft pass but they say that it only happened because the frame warped, not because the glass itself shattered. Their reasoning is that only that one window broke (out of several windows and glass cups in the area), and it had a pretty cheap frame on it.
A:
The short version is that yes, larger aircraft create bigger sonic booms, but you still have to be flying very low (less than 100 ft.) and really trying hard in order to damage glass.
A sonic boom is so complicated that you will not find a simple formula to determine the strength. This article describes a modeling tool called PCBoom3 which can be used for sonic boom calculations.
According to several different sites, like this one and this one, the size of the aircraft does affect the intensity:
Factors Affecting Sonic Boom Intensity
The intensity of sonic booms are affected by:
Weight, size and shape of the aircraft.
Altitude
Attitude—orientation of the aircraft’s axes relative to the its direction of motion.
Flight path.
Atmospheric and weather conditions.
As the size and weight of the aircraft increases, the intensity of the
sonic increases. This is because a larger aircraft displaces more air,
and a heavier aircraft needs a greater force of lift to sustain
flight. Thus creating a louder and stronger sonic boom.
and
General Factors Associated With Sonic Booms
There are several factors
that can influence sonic booms -- weight, size, and shape of the
aircraft or vehicle, plus its altitude, attitude and flight path, and
weather or atmospheric conditions.
A larger and heavier aircraft must displace more air and create more
lift to sustain flight, compared with small, light aircraft.
Therefore, they will create sonic booms stronger and louder than those
of smaller, lighter aircraft. The larger and heavier the aircraft, the
stronger the shock waves will be.
NASA says that a typical sonic boom for the F/A-18 is about 1.4 psf and a different NASA page goes on to say:
Overpressure Sonic booms are measured in pounds per square foot of
overpressure. This is the amount of the increase over the normal
atmospheric pressure which surrounds us (2,116 psf/14.7 psi). At one
pound overpressure, no damage to structures would be expected.
Overpressures of 1 to 2 pounds are produced by supersonic aircraft
flying at normal operating altitudes. Some public reaction could be
expected between 1.5 and 2 lb. Rare minor damage may occur with 2 to
5 lb overpressure.
As overpressure increases, the likelihood of structural damage and
stronger public reaction also increases. Tests, however, have shown
that structures in good condition have been undamaged by overpressures
of up to 11 lb. Sonic booms produced by aircraft flying supersonic at
altitudes of less than 100 feet, creating between 20 and 144 lb
overpressure, have been experienced by humans without injury.
Damage to eardrums can be expected when overpressures reach 720 lb.
Overpressures of 2160 lb would have to be generated to produce lung
damage.
Typical overpressure of aircraft types are:
SR-71: 0.9 lb, speed of Mach 3, 80,000 feet
Concorde SST: 1.94 lb, speed of Mach 2, 52,000 feet
F-104: 0.8 lb, speed of Mach 1.93, 48,000 feet
Space Shuttle: 1.25 lb, speed of Mach 1.5, 60,000 feet, landing approach
They also include a graphic that shows the difference in sonic boom between the F-18 and the Concorde, with the Concorde having a much greater sonic boom at the same alittude:
This article specifically covers glass:
Glass. Poorly mounted, undamaged glass in the greenhouse was chipped
by impact against nail holding points at a sonic boom overpressure of
12.1 psf. The same type of glass, which was already damaged, was further damaged at a designed overpressure of 7.9 psf. A large
one-ninth of an inch thick window, intentionally precracked from
corner to corner, was further damaged by booms of an average 6.5 psf
overpressure.
So typical sonic booms generated by normal aircraft aren't going to create anywhere close to the 12.1 psf that they say is needed to chip "poorly mounted" glass, but the strongest sonic booms can get well over this.
| |
Did cnhlx310.dll get corrupted or missing from your Windows PC? If you have already tried to fix the DLL error by closing the application and reopening, restarting the PC, etc., and are still unable to fix the error, you have come to the right place to learn how to fix the cnhlx310.dll error.
To begin, we must identify the problem to figure out what could be the reason and what the exact error message should give us some information.
cnhlx310.dll a Windows DLL Module that can be used and shared by many programscnhlx310.dll contains an essential module that is required by all applications dependent on it.If this file is corrupted, outdated, or missing, your applications or system may not function correctly and show error messages like below:
If cnhlx310.dll is missing from your system, the following steps can be used to correct it.When an application requires cnhlx310.dll, it will check and load the file from its directory and the systems folder.If the file is missing or corrupted, you may get an error, and the application might not function properly.There are a few things you can do.
It's straightforward to download and then install the cnhlx310.dll file.Instead of asking for professional advice at the service center, fix your system yourself and get rid of all DLL errors.cnhlx310.dll files are scannable and verified to be safe. | https://lernajs.io/cnhlx310-dll/ |
Minnesota has gone a step further than many other jurisdictions in trying to report and monitor data on how well publicly funded programs are meeting the needs of key populations.
The Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) agency uses outcome monitoring data as part of a comprehensive effort to give policymakers a more complete understanding of how well government programs are operating. That information then can guide efforts to effectively distribute state resources and improve outcomes for residents.
To ensure transparency, the agency’s staff maintains an online dashboard that tracks 40 key measurements of the state’s well-being across eight priority areas, ranging from strong and stable families and communities to efficient and accountable government services. For each indicator, MMB reports the data statewide and for specific populations—with details broken down by race/ethnicity, gender, income, location, and disability status. MMB encourages state agencies to incorporate this information, along with other types of evidence, into their budget documents. The agency also provides extensive training to staff and commissioners on how to use outcome data to inform their work.
MMB routinely meets with leaders from state agencies and other government stakeholders to help them use data to establish priorities, identify ways to improve outcomes, and determine potential investment areas.
For the past three years, one of the focuses of these efforts has been child and family well-being. To support ongoing discussions, MMB partnered with other state agencies to develop a dedicated Results for Children performance dashboard that tracks outcomes for key populations from early childhood through postsecondary education. The dashboard can expand state and local policymakers’ understanding of how well the state is preparing the younger generation for the future.
MMB has incorporated performance information into the state budget process to encourage its use beyond tracking and reporting outcomes. In preparation for the governor’s most recent biennial budget request, the agency convened data-driven interagency conversations to examine the availability of evidence showing that agency budget proposals would produce the outcomes sought by the governor.
Minnesota’s Homework Starts with Home initiative, begun in early 2018, evolved from these conversations and developed in part from evaluations of two programs aimed at reducing homelessness among children enrolled in public and charter schools. The data on both demonstrated the benefits of increased housing stability, including higher incomes for families and improved school attendance for children. Based on these findings, a partnership of state agencies and philanthropic organizations asked providers to submit proposals to implement this initiative based in the state Education Department. The University of Minnesota will help ensure that these projects are evaluated rigorously so the data can inform future work.
Similarly, the state has increased funding for programs proved effective at achieving meaningful results. Family home visiting, for example, has been recognized by interagency leaders because it has shown strong evidence of positive outcomes. Making this program a priority, the governor’s biennial budget for fiscal years 2018-19 proposed additional resources to expand home visiting services for pregnant and parenting teens. With the support of the Legislature, an increase of $12 million was authorized in the biennial budget.
This investment should help ensure that there are fewer babies with low birth weight, more mothers who breastfeed for at least eight weeks, and lower rates of maternal depression. Minnesota stakeholders can continue to monitor these outcomes, each of which is strongly linked to longer-term child development and well-being in the Results for Children dashboard.
“We have an obligation to make sure taxpayer resources are being used in the most effective way possible,’’ said Myron Frans, the MMB commissioner. “We use research on the evidence of program effectiveness to help us achieve that goal.”
The use of outcome monitoring data combined with other evidence, along with cross-agency collaboration on statewide goals, enables public officials in Minnesota to make informed decisions and allocate resources effectively.
For more information:
- “Statewide Outcomes and Results Based Accountability Instructions,” Minnesota Management and Budget.
Sara Dube is a director and Mariel McLeod is an associate with the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative. | https://www.pewtrusts.org/pt/research-and-analysis/articles/2018/10/18/minnesota-uses-targeted-performance-data-to-inform-budget-decisions |
In Novosibirsk, a family with three children was moved from the emergency room to the same area. From the crumbling barrack, a family with three children literally left to nowhere: it was impossible to move to the option proposed by the mayor’s office
Residents of emergency housing have to constantly insist that their rights are respected. First, demand the recognition of houses in which the ceiling collapses as emergency. Then – relocation from housing, which every year becomes more and more dangerous. Finally, work to ensure that the new housing is fair. It was with this problem that the family in Akademgorodok faced: from a room with an area of 13 squares, Irina, her three children and her brother were offered to move to a room 2 more squares and to an area where the family would have to spend hours getting to work, school and kindergarten.
“Perestroika began, and everything was chopped off”
Akademgorodok is one of the most expensive districts of Novosibirsk. However, this mainly concerns the “academic” Upper Zone, and in the Lower, in the “Shch” microdistrict, there are still houses that were erected for the builders of that very prestigious part. It was built temporarily, but people still live there today.
Of the four damaged houses, one was resettled, another was resettled and already demolished. Two more must be resettled and demolished by the developer, but for the third year nothing happens
In one of these houses – in a wooden barrack on Okeanskaya Street, 6, Irina Shpak’s family received a room with an area of 13 sq. m in a two-room apartment. Then the barracks around were actively demolished and large multi-apartment new buildings were built, where residents of the demolished houses moved.
The room was given “for expansion”: the children in the family are of different sexes, according to the law, the family could count on new, more comfortable housing. Three-room apartments in the house where Irina’s parents, both employees of academic institutions, lived at that time, were inconvenient, recalls her mother Galina Vasilievna. It was assumed that when the turn comes to their house on Okeanskaya, the family will receive a spacious apartment in a new building.
“But perestroika began, and everything was cut off,” says Irina.
Residents of emergency houses are forced to attract attention to themselves by all means available to them.
She and her brother have been registered in the apartment since 1994 – the room was transferred to them after the death of their father. Resettlement had to wait another quarter of a century: in 2013, the house was recognized as emergency, but it, along with three other houses, was included in the development program for built-up areas only in 2018. Then the site with the emergency quarter, two houses on Okeanskaya and two more on Vyazemskaya, was sold at auction to the Izhevsk company Aurora, which is part of the Talan group. The company bypassed the monopolist of this territory at the auction – the company “Rosneftegazstroy” for many years rebuilt territories with barracks in the lower zone of Akademgorodok, providing apartments in their own houses or buying them other housing.
Irina Shpak works at an institute in Akademgorodok, her children study here – moving to a new area for her means literally starting life anew, and a woman cannot afford such a luxury
Irina Shpak was counting on the same development of events. But according to the terms of the agreement, half of the site was to be resettled by the mayor’s office. And the only option that the municipality could find for a family of five was a one-room apartment on Sergeant Korotaev Street in the Kirovsky District.
“Well, do you refuse?”
Irina says that they were offered an apartment last, when she had already moved from the dilapidated house: it became impossible to live in a crumbling barrack.
– There the wall began to move like a wheel, that is, the second floor began to press the first. When it was opened, they said that a support hung by a thread, – says Galina Vasilievna. – I took them from there, while by relatives.
Irina refused the apartment offered by the municipality. The first reason is location. The woman works in one of the institutes of the Akademgorodok, her children go to school and kindergarten also in Akademgorodok. She brings them up alone, but her mother, who lives nearby, on Ilyich Street, helps her. Even without traffic jams, it will take at least an hour and a half with transfers to get here from a new house.
Galina Vasilievna independently studies all similar cases in order to reasonably fight against the decisions of the mayor’s office and courts
– How can I send her there alone with the children? It is difficult to get a kindergarten in the city, and she will come, and places are allocated only in September. How will it be until September? – explains Galina Vasilievna. – Here she has a job, but in the city it is difficult, there is unemployment, who will give her a job there, what will she live on with her three children? My parents lived here from the foundation, I graduated from the university and worked here, they had children, grandchildren. Why do we need some kind of Kirovsky district, far from the family, from everything?
Another reason is unfair square. Together with a shared kitchen and a bathroom, Irina, her children and her brother had a little more than 20 sq. m of housing, of which 13 squares are a room. The new apartment is more spacious – 37.7 sq. m, indicated in the response of the mayor’s office to the request of the NGS. But of them the room is only 15 sq. m, say Irina and her mother.
The family moved out of the emergency house even before the official resettlement, because it became impossible to live in it.
– Everywhere they write that there is 13, and we give 37, they always substitute. There is room 13, here 15 – because of two meters we are kicked out of our place, – Galina Vasilievna is indignant. – The law is, what is given at the place of residence and according to the rate of provision. The provision rate in Novosibirsk is 15 sq. m of living space per person. There is a room of 15 meters for five. Can I put five beds there?
The mayor’s office noted that when providing new housing, they were guided by the Housing Code, which states that new housing should be equal in total area to the previous one, so there is no violation here.
In a few months, the house was ransacked, but the mold and collapsed ceilings are hardly the efforts of the marauders.
– If there is political will, then there are many mechanisms to solve the problem. If there is no political will and you just want to engage in chicanery, then you can find some kind of law or by-law and say that everything is according to the law, ” says Yuri Goldberg, a member of the Zaeltsov Bar Association and the Novosibirsk branch of the Union of Lawyers of Russia. – But the executive authority must act in the spirit of the law, and in the spirit of the law – to protect the legal rights and interests of the citizens of this city.
Nevertheless, two weeks after the proposal of an inappropriate option, Galina Vasilievna recalls, they received a call from the administration of the Soviet district with the question: “Well, are you refusing? We will then sue you. “
The family turned to various authorities and enlisted the support of the prosecutor’s office, but so far this has not helped.
The family was indeed evicted according to the court; she also lost the appeal – mainly because she did not receive notifications about the court sessions, either about the first or the second. But pensioner Galina Vasilyevna, while her daughter is at work, continues to achieve her goal: she filed a cassation appeal against the court’s decision, appealed to the prosecutor’s office, and decided to ask for help from the State Duma deputies. In her appeals, she refers to the decisions of the Supreme and Constitutional Court already made in other cases – Galina Vasilyevna had to find and study them on her own, because the family does not have the funds for legal support.
So far, there is no result, but, for example, the district prosecutor’s office reported that they sent a letter to the head of the Sovetsky district and the head of the department of construction and architecture of the mayor’s office asking for assistance in providing Irina Shpak and her family with housing on the territory of the Sovetsky district.
“They don’t want to spend money.”
Galina Vasilievna believes that housing in Akademgorodok is very expensive, and the municipality “does not want to spend money.”
– All the maneuverable housing has been attached here somewhere. But this is not our problem, this is the problem of the mayor’s office, – she immediately says.
Irina and her family have lived in an emergency house for more than 20 years
The Department of Energy and Housing and Communal Services admitted that in Novosibirsk there is a maneuverable fund in all districts, except for the Soviet one.
– It is not possible to provide the Shpak I.A. family with living quarters on the basis of a social tenancy agreement, located in the Soviet district of Novosibirsk, due to the lack of free one-room municipal apartments that meet the requirements of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, – added in the housing department of the mayor’s office.
Yuri Goldberg, a member of the Zaeltsovskaya Collegium of Lawyers and the Novosibirsk branch of the Union of Lawyers of Russia, believes that the officials are wrong.
– If there is no maneuverable fund in this place, then the mayor’s office should purchase it – there are mechanisms for this, this is done on a competitive basis, on state purchases. This is a matter of political will. Excuses that everything is according to the law are just excuses, says the lawyer. – Another option: the family can in court demand monetary compensation for the self-purchase of the home to which it is entitled.
“We have been resettled since 2012”
Of the four houses on the territory that the mayor’s office sold at auction, one has already been demolished, another – the one in which the family of Irina Shpak lived, is abandoned: windows and doors were knocked out in it, everything that could be taken out of value was taken out of the apartments.
Two more houses remain on the territory, but when they will be resettled and, most importantly, where, the locals do not know
Two more houses are fully inhabited. Local residents do not know when they should be resettled and where they will move.
– Do you think someone is reporting to us? So, according to rumors, we know, – says Lyubov Aleksandrovna, a resident of the house on Vyazemskaya, 7. – A representative of the developer came in the spring: “Because of the covid, we are not settling you, but what would you like?” But they didn’t offer us anything. They promised to contact, but no one contacted.
She remembered that earlier, like the Shpak family, they lived in municipal housing, but when Rosneftegazstroy-Akademinvest (RNGS) settled the barracks, in the place of which the houses on Vyazemskaya, 3 and Okeanskaya, 4 now rise, she offered them to privatize them – they say, so it will be easier to resettle.
– We were told that new houses would be built, and we would not even have to order a car: we would take things and move them. We have privatized and are sitting. But everything turned out to be wrong. And I’m already tired of all these conversations, ”the woman sighed.
In the Sovetsky District, there are five more territories with dilapidated houses, but the mayor’s office does not have replacement housing here – only in the Kirovsky and Oktyabrsky Districts
In the Talan group, which “outbid” the rate of “RNGS-Siberia” by offering 55.5 million rubles for four emergency houses, in response to a request from the NGS, they asked to redirect it to another specialist. By the time of publication, no answer had been received about the fate of the site in Akademgorodok and on Topoleva Street, where the company acquired a plot with emergency houses at about the same time.
The problem of emergency housing in Novosibirsk is one of the most acute: entire microdistricts today are built up with such houses. On the website of the Department of Construction and Architecture, in the section of proposals for the development of built-up areas, there are 66 sites with an area of 95.95 hectares. The largest of them occupies 19.5 hectares, there are 92 houses on it on the streets of Burdenko, Gorban, Bebel, 2nd Burdenko, Betonnaya and in 1st Mira lane. In the Sovetsky District, there are only five territories with dilapidated houses that may be auctioned in the future.
At the same time, back in 2018, the total number of emergency houses in the city was estimated at one and a half thousand. But with the change in legislation at the end of last year, their resettlement was called into question. | https://moskow-city.com/russian-press-5/a-family-with-three-children-from-akademgorodok-is-suing-the-mayors-office/ |
This product has been cleared under 40 CFR 180.940 (a) for use on food Processing Equipment and Utensils in Dairies and Public Eating Establishments, Food Contact Surfaces, Food Processing Equipment and Utensils, in Food Processing Plants and other food-contact articles at a concentration of 200 – 400 ppm active.
Regular, effective cleaning and sanitizing of equipment, utensils, and work or dining hard, non-porous surfaces which could harbor food poisoning microorganisms minimizes the probability of contaminating food during preparation, storage or service. Effective cleaning will remove soil and prevent the accumulation of food residues, which may decompose or support the rapid development of food poisoning organisms or toxins. Application of effective sanitizing procedures reduces the number of those organisms which may be present on equipment and utensils after cleaning, and reduces the potential for the transfer, either directly through tableware such as glasses, cups and flatware or indirectly through food. To reduce cross-contamination between hard, non-porous treated surfaces, kitchenware and food-contact surfaces of equipment must be washed, rinsed with potable water and sanitized after each use and following any interruption of operation during which time contamination may have occurred.
Where equipment and utensils are used for the preparation of foods on a continuous or production-line basis, utensils and the hard, non-porous food-contact surfaces of equipment must be washed, rinsed with potable water and sanitized at intervals throughout the day on a schedule based on food temperature, type of food, and amount of food particle accumulation. Articles that can be immersed in solution must remain in solution for 60 seconds. Articles or surfaces too large for immersing must be visibly wetted or flooded by rinsing, spraying or swabbing. Allow all sanitized surfaces to drain and air dry.
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pH USE DILUTION: 7.0
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: Quaternary ammonium chlorides
It is a violation of Federal Law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
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When to Plant Cantaloupe?
Cantaloupe is a warm-weather crop, so it’s best to plant it after the last frost of spring. The ideal soil temperature for planting cantaloupe is 70 °F (21 °C). If you live in a cool climate, you can start your cantaloupe seeds indoors about 4–6 weeks before your last frost date. Once the seedlings are big enough to handle, transplant them into your garden.
Keep in mind that cantaloupes do best when they’re planted directly in the ground, rather than being transplanted. Still, transplanting is an option if you need to get a head start on the growing season. Now, how to grow cantaloupe?
Where to Plant Cantaloupe?
Cantaloupes need full sun to produce sweet, juicy fruit, so make sure they’re getting at least 8 hours of sunlight per day. If you live in a hot climate, you may need to provide some afternoon shade to prevent the leaves from scorching.
The soil should be well-draining and rich in organic matter. Cantaloupes are heavy feeders, so they need nutrient-rich soil to produce good fruit. Before planting, work some compost or well-rotted manure into the soil to give your plants a boost.
How to Plant Cantaloupe?
Plant cantaloupes about 36–42 inches apart – they’re sprawlers, so they need some room to grow! Mulch around the plants to help retain moisture and prevent weeds from growing. If weeds do become a problem, hand-pull them or use a hoe to carefully remove them before the vines start to sprawl.
How to Grow Cantaloupe Plants?
Once you’ve planted your cantaloupe seeds or seedlings, it’s time to start caring for your plants. It’s best to water cantaloupes deeply, but infrequently. 1 or 2 inches of water per week is a good amount for immature plants. Once the plants start to produce fruit, you can reduce the watering and stop it altogether once the fruit is close to ripening.
You can also apply a balanced fertilizer once the plant if 4 inches tall and again when the first flowers appear. Be careful not to over-fertilize, as this can lead to excessive leaf growth and reduced fruit production.
How Long Does It Take for a Cantaloupe to Grow?
Now you know how to grow cantaloupe. But how long does it take for a cantaloupe to grow? In about 80–90 days after planting, the plants will be mature and start to produce fruit. 35–45 days after pollination, the fruit will ripen. So, if you plant your cantaloupe in early spring, you can expect to harvest it in midsummer.
Enjoy your homegrown cantaloupes! With a little care and attention, you’ll be able to grow delicious fruit that’s perfect for summer snacking.
Pests and Diseases
Cantaloupes are relatively easy to grow, but there are a few pests and diseases you should be on the lookout for. Aphids, cucumber beetles, and cutworms are all common pests that can attack cantaloupe plants. To get rid of them, you can use an insecticidal soap or a homemade mixture of water and dish soap.
Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that can affect cantaloupes. It appears as a gray or white powder on the leaves and can eventually kill the plant if left untreated. To prevent it, make sure there’s good air circulation around the plants and avoid getting the leaves wet when you water. If powdery mildew does appear, treat it with a fungicide.
Harvesting Cataloupe
Cantaloupes are ripe and ready to harvest when the netting on the fruit becomes raised and visible. The bottom of the fruit should start to turn yellow, and the stem should separate easily from the vine when you give it a gentle tug.
Use a sharp knife to cut the cantaloupe from the vine, being careful not to damage the plant. Cantaloupes can be stored at room temperature for a few days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Follow these tips on how to grow cantaloupe and enjoy your delicious fruit!
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2006-6-7 · To call mixed methods research a "method" is clean and concise and resonates with many researchers (Elliot, 2005). In this book, we will refer to it as a research design with philosophical assumptions as well as quantitative and qualitative meth-ods. This middle ground seems to provide the broadest definition possible,
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A Typology of Mixed Methods Sampling Designs in Social ...
2021-2-22 · mixed methods research or mixed research. Sampling decisions typically are more complicated in mixed methods research because sampling schemes must be designed for both the qualitative and quantitative research components of these studies. Despite the fact that mixed methods studies have now become popularized, and
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COLLECTING DATA IN MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
2006-6-7 · • Mixed methods data collection procedures for the mixed meth-ods designs based on concurrent and sequential forms of data collection 06-Creswell (Designing)-45025.qxd 5/16/2006 8:59 PM Page 110. PROCEDURES IN QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA COLLECTION
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Feeding total mixed rations
2021-7-27 · Feeding a total mixed ration (TMR) that contains all the feeds and nutrients the cow needs is an effective, efficient and profitable way to feed dairy cows. What is a total mixed ration (TMR)? A TMR is a method of feeding cows that combines feeds formulated to a specific nutrient content into a single feed mix. The mix contains the following feeds.
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lme: Linear Mixed-Effects Models in nlme: Linear and ...
2021-2-4 · object: an object inheriting from class lme, representing a fitted linear mixed-effects model.. fixed: a two-sided linear formula object describing the fixed-effects part of the model, with the response on the left of a ~ operator and the terms, separated by + operators, on the right, an "lmList" object, or a "groupedData" object. There is limited support for formulae such as resp ~ 1 and resp ...
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The Formula Method to do subtraction of mixed …
2010-1-1 · This study is a priori study to determine the effectiveness of using the three formulae which is called the "Formula Method" in doing subtraction of mixed numbers. The study involved five Year 5 Malaysian Primary school pupils in an urban primary school who were selected from 20 students who sat for a test on subtraction of mixed numbers.
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Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and …
The development of computer methods for the solution of scientific and engineering problems governed by the laws of mechanics was one of the great scientific and engineering achievements of the second half of the 20th century, with a profound impact on science …
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Methods and formulas for pairwise comparison for …
2019-4-18 · Fisher method for pairwise comparisons in a mixed effects model The two-sided 100(1 − α ) confidence interval for the difference of means has the following expression: For more information on how to calculate the fitted means and the standard error of the difference, go to Methods and formulas for fitted means in Fit Mixed Effects Model .
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A Simple Accurate Formula for Calculating Saturation …
2018-6-1 · Alduchov and Eskridge made a good use of an iterative process and least squares method to optimize the coefficients of the Magnus formula and recommended two equations for calculating the saturation vapor pressure over water (from −40° to 50°C) and over ice (from −80° to 0°C), respectively.
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Sampling Design in Mixed Research (MR)
2020-5-25 · 5. Mixed Research Emphasis • The researcher may use the research question to determine the emphasis placed upon each strand in terms of formulating meta-inferences. Specifically, the researcher makes one of two decisions •1. to give one strand of the study (e.g., qualitative) more emphasis or a higher degree of
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Mixed Cost and The High-Low Method – Accounting …
Step 4 – Write the cost formula. Now that you have the variable rate and the fixed cost, you can write a cost formula for planning. The monthly cost of oil changes is: Total Monthly Cost = $2.30 X number of oil changes + $4,800. Related Video. Mixed Cost and the High-Low Method
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Mixed-Methods Research Methodologies
2013-8-2 · Mixed-Method studies have emerged from the paradigm wars between qualitative and quantitative research approaches to become a widely used mode of inquiry. Depending on choices made across four dimensions, mixed-methods can provide an investigator with many design choices which involve a range of sequential and concurrent strategies.
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Examples of Mixed Costs
2002-8-28 · The formula for determining the intercept term is: a = (Σy)(Σx2) – ( Σx)(Σxy) n(Σx2) – ( Σx)2 Calculating Fixed Costs Calculate the total fixed cost for the year (period) by multiplying the above by 12. Then, from the total annual mixed cost subtract the total fixed cost to …
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Easy Power and Sample Size for Most of the Mixed …
2013-8-30 · Linear Mixed Model scenario must: ìUse Kenward-Roger methodJ - df approximation method with modified covariance matrix - With reversibility, covariance matrix is unstructured and test is equivalent to Hotelling-Lawley Trace test - Muller et al. (2007), among many others, showed it …
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Estimation of Correlation Coefficient in Data with ...
2018-4-23 · Hamlett et al.''s method (2004), the correlation structure is clearly defined by the mixed model set up (Figure 2). Figure 2. Correlation structure for the mixed model approach To calculate the correlation using the mixed model approach, the data must first be converted from wide (multivariate) to long (univariate) format.
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Methodology for Estimation of Crop Area and Crop Yield ...
2021-2-8 · context of mixed, repeated and continuous cropping. Accordingly, a study project entitled "Improving Methods for Estimating Crop Area, Yield and Production under Mixed, Repeated and Continuous Cropping" was awarded to the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New …
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Part I: Chapter 1: Introducing This Handbook
2017-3-24 · A mixed method approach may also lead evaluators to modify or expand the evaluation design and/or the data collection methods. This action can occur when the use of mixed methods uncovers inconsistencies and discrepancies that alert the evaluator to the need for reexamining the evaluation framework and/or the data collection and analysis ...
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Mixed Methods Research
2012-8-8 · method after the other so that the first method guides the second in terms of decisions made about sampling, measurement, and implementation. Initiation occurs in mixed Purpose and Characteristics of Mixed Methods Research n 47 nnn//& 127 )25 6$/( 25 '',675,%87,21 ♦
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Getting wrong p-values for Tukey test for one-way …
2021-6-3 · Hay''s only reported some comparisons and gave HSD and mean, not p but for the a3-a1 contrast found there was no significant difference with an HSD = 4.02 and mean = 3.9 which by my calculation has p.value = 1-ptukey (3.9*sqrt (10/8.27),4,9)=0.05719563. The R output also doesn''t make sense because the Tukey test p-value, which is supposed to ...
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Methods and formulas for tests of fixed effects in Fit ...
2019-4-18 · Kenward and Roger λ. The value of the Kenward and Roger λ depends on two conditions. If both conditions are true, then the formula follows: If either condition is not true, then λ = 1. Under the null hypothesis, lambda × F is asymptotically F distributed with degrees of freedom DF Num, and DF Den. The calculation of the P-value uses this ...
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How to Calculate Sample Size for Different Study …
2012-9-2 · The most preferred method is the same method which has been mentioned in sample size calculation for testing the hypothesis. While all efforts should be done to calculate the sample size by that method, sometimes it is not possible to get information related to the prerequisites needed for sample size calculation by power analysis like standard ...
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Mixed Offering
METHOD=REML METHOD=ML METHOD=MIVQUE0 METHOD=TYPE1 METHOD=TYPE2 METHOD=TYPE3 . specifies the estimation method for the covariance parameters. The REML specification performs residual (restricted) maximum likelihood, and it is the default method.
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Linear Mixed Effects Models — statsmodels
2021-7-26 · Linear Mixed Effects models are used for regression analyses involving dependent data. Such data arise when working with longitudinal and other study designs in which multiple observations are made on each subject. Some specific linear mixed effects models are. Random intercepts models, where all responses in a group are additively shifted by a ...
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A seed-coating mixed enzyme formula for the control …
A seed-coating mixed enzyme formula for the control of fungal and bacterial pathogens. Award Information. ... This novel method will reduce reliance on existing agrochemicals like fungicides and antibiotics, thereby decreasing the likelihood of resistance development while simultaneously providing an alternative, effective method for managing a ...
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH Age Estimation in Mixed-dentition ...
were derived from the formula: x i = Ai/Li, where i = 1,…,7. Figure 2 shows Cameriere''s method of measuring. Dental age was finally calculated using the following formula (where g is a variable equal to 1 for boys and 0 for , s is the sum of the normalized open apices, and N0 is the number of teeth with root development complete). | https://puregrip.de/pagmimina-formula-for-mixed-method-1535484995.html |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to a toner containing binder resin and colorant in which the binder resin is a polyester having both low molecular weight, high melt flow index value linear portions and crosslinked portions, as well as developer containing such toner. More specifically, the present invention relates to a toner having a high loading amount of colorant and a polyester resin binder that contains both linear and crosslinked portions, but which has a satisfactorily high melt flow index to enable longer fuser roll life while simultaneously minimizing the presence of objectionable gloss non-uniformity defects in the prints produced by a xerographic engine.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Toners comprised of binder resins that include a linear portion as well as a portion of crosslinked microgel particles are kown. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,227,460, 5,352,556, 5,376,494, 5,395,723 and 5,401,602, each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describe a low melt toner resin with low minimum fix temperature and wide fusing latitude that contains a linear portion and a crosslinked portion containing high density crosslinked microgel particles, but substantially no low density crosslinked polymer. It is described that the resin may be formed by reactive melt mixing under high shear and high temperature of an unsaturated polyester resin such as a poly(propoxylated bisphenol A fumarate) in the presence of a chemical initiator that hag been mixed into the polyester.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,827, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a process for the preparation of an unsaturated polyester which comprises (i) reacting an organic diol with a cyclic alkylene carbonate in the presence of a first catalyst to thereby form a polyalkoxy diol, (ii) optionally adding thereto a further amount of cyclic alkylene carbonate in the presence of a second catalyst, and (iii) subsequently polycondensing the resulting mixture with a dicarboxylic acid. The unsaturated polyester formed may then be further subjected to crosslinking with an initiator as in the patents described immediately above in order to form a toner resin.
Co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/520,439, filed Mar. 7, 2000 allowed an incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes toners and developers for particular use in devices utilizing hybrid scavengeless development, the toners including toner particles of at least one binder, at least one colorant, and optionally one or more additives, the toner exhibiting a charge per particle diameter (Q/D) of from xe2x88x920.1 to xe2x88x921.0 fC/xcexcm with a variation during development of from 0 to 0.25 fC/xcexcm and the distribution is substantially unimodal and possesses a peak width of less than 0.5 fC/xcexcm, and the toner has a triboelectric charge of from xe2x88x9225 to xe2x88x9270 xcexcC/g with a variation during development of from 0 to 15 xcexcC/g following triboelectric contact with carrier particles. A desired range of rheology or melt flow index (MFI) for a toner is also described. The developer of a mixture of carrier particles and the toner particles has a triboelectric value of from xe2x88x9235 to xe2x88x9260 xcexcC/g, a charge distribution (Q/D) of from xe2x88x920.5 to xe2x88x921.0 fC/xcexcm and the distribution is substantially unimodal and possesses a peak width of less than 0.5 fC/xcexcm, preferably less than 0.3 fC/xcexcm, and a conductivity of the developer ranges from 1xc3x9710xe2x88x9211 to 10xc3x9710xe2x88x9215 mho/cm as measured at 30 V. The method of forming the toner having controlled properties includes feeding at least one binder and at least one colorant into a mixing device at a feed ratio, then upon exit of the mixture from the mixing device, monitoring one or more properties of the mixture with at least one monitoring device, wherein if the monitoring indicates that the one or more properties being monitored is out of specification, removing the monitored mixture from the method and adjusting the feed ratio by adjusting the feeding of the at least one binder or of the at least one colorant, thereby retaining in-specification mixture in the method, grinding the in-specification mixture, optionally together with a portion of one or more external additives to be added to the mixture, classifying the ground in-specifcation mixture, and mixing the classified in-specification mixture with one or more external additives to obtain the toner having controlled properties.
Co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/695,861, filed Oct. 26, 2000 allowed and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes a toner resin having linear portions and crosslinked portions of high density microgel particles, where the linear portions of the toner resin are an unsaturated polyester resin, preferably poly(propoxylated bisphenol A fumarate). The toner resin is prepared so that the crosslinked resin achieved contains less than 0.20 percent by weight of acids. In particular, the crosslinked toner resin is free of benzoic acid. The method of making the toner resin includes (a) spraying a liquid chemical initiator such as 1,1-bis(t-butyl peroxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane onto the unsaturated polyester resin prior to, during or subsequent to melting of the unsaturated polyester resin to form a polymer melt; and (b) subsequently crosslinking the polymer melt under high shear to form the crosslinked toner resin. The resin is reported to most preferably have a rheology such that the MFI is about 18 to about 20 g/10 min at 125xc2x0 C. and 16.6 kg load, preferably about 19.5 g/10 min.
Co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/671,997, filed Sep. 29, 2000 and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes at least three differently colored toners, designed for use together in forming a color image in an image developing device, that have substantially the same melt flow index value. By substantially matching the melt flow index values of at least three toners of a set of toners, it has been found that the resultant color image has an overall excellent image quality, i.e., an excellent overall gloss level without any gloss banding. The toners may be made to have substantially the same melt flow index value in a carefully controlled process that includes forming a single toner by feeding at least one binder and at least one colorant into a mixing device to form a mixture, upon exit of the mixture from the mixing device, measuring a rheology property of the mixture with at least one monitoring device, and comparing the measured rheology property to a target property range that the measured rheology property must be within in order for the single toner to achieve the desired melt flow index value, wherein if the measuring indicates that the rheology property is outside of the target property range, feed amounts of the at least one binder or of the at least one colorant into the mixing device are adjusted, grinding the mixture, optionally together with a portion of one or more external additives to be added to the mixture, classifying the ground mixture, mixing the classified mixture with one or more external surface additives to obtain the single toner having the desired melt flow index value, and repeating the steps for each additional differently colored toner.
As discussed in this co-pending application, by carefully controlling the melt flow index values to be substantially the same for as many of the different color toners that develop a color image in the same device as possible, the resultant color image has an overall excellent image quality. In particular, the color image has an excellent overall gloss level and does not exhibit any differential gloss (distinctly different glosses among different colors) or gloss banding (variations in gloss from one area of an image to another within a single color). The melt flow index (MFI) is a value identifying the rheology, or viscoelasticity, of the toner. MFI as used herein is defined as the weight of a toner (in grains) which passes through an orifice of length L and diameter D in a 10 minute period with a specified applied load, unless otherwise indicated.
However, some toners require the presence of high amounts of colorant (e.g., pigment) in order for the toner to exhibit satisfactory gloss. For example, as noted in this co-pending application, yellow toner requires a higher amount of colorant than the other traditional colors (cyan, magenta and black) of a four color toner set. The amount of colorant inversely impacts the MFI of the toner, i.e., the more colorant that is present in the toner, the lower is the MFI of the toner. For toners having higher loading amounts of colorant, it is thus difficult to achieve a final toner having a satisfactorily high MFI.
What is still desired is a toner composition that contains higher amounts of colorant and still also exhibits a satisfactorily high MFI.
It is thus an object of the present invention to develop a toner composition that possesses a satisfactorily high melt flow index at higher colorant loadings.
It is a still further object of the present invention to develop a toner composition that exhibits high gloss and also lengthens a fuser roll life.
It is a still further object of the present invention to develop a toner composition that is able to match melt flow index and gloss properties of other toner compositions to be used together in a developer set of toners, despite different colorant loading amounts among the different toner compositions within the developer set.
These and other objects are achieved by the present invention, wherein in embodiments the invention relates to a toner comprising a binder and at least one colorant, wherein the binder comprises a polyester resin having linear portions and crosslinked portions of high density crosslinked microgel particles, wherein the linear portions have a melt flow index value of at least about 40 MFI units, wherein the binder contains at least about 5% by weight of the crosslinked portions, wherein the at least one colorant comprises at least about 6% by weight of the toner exclusive of any surface additives, and wherein the toner has a melt flow index value of about 11xc2x13 MFI units.
In further embodiments, the invention relates to a toner comprising a binder component and at least one colorant, wherein the at least one colorant comprises at least about 6% by weight of the toner exclusive of any surface additives, wherein the binder component comprises about 10% to about 70% by weight of a first polyester resin having a melt flow index value of from about 25 to about 35 MFI units and about 30% to about 90% by weight of a second polyester resin having a melt flow index value of at least about 40 MFI units, and wherein the toner has a melt flow index value of about 11xc2x13 MFI units.
In still further embodiments, the invention relates to a developer set comprising at least four differently colored toners for use together in a same image developing device, wherein each of the at least four differently colored toners comprises a binder component and at least one colorant, wherein each of the at least four differently colored toners has a melt flow index value of about 11xc2x13 MFI units, and wherein at least one of the differently colored toners comprises a toner according to the present invention.
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RELATED APPLICATION
0001 This application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/474,384 entitled System and Method for Conducting Sales of Goods that was filed on May 30, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
0002 The present invention relates to sales of goods such as grocery items, and more particularly, to a system and method to facilitate conducting sales of such goods.
0003 In a typical retail sales environment, a customer/consumer manually selects one or more items for purchase, transports the item(s) to a checkout station, and pays for the item(s) at the checkout station through the assistance of a human sales clerk. Indeed, in the context of grocery shopping, the customer removes one or more grocery items from an aisle of a supermarket, places the grocery item(s) into a shopping cart, basket, or the like, and transports the grocery item(s) to a checkout station for sales clerk-assisted purchase of the item(s). The sales clerk may manually enter data, such as sales price or a bar code number, indicative the item(s) to be purchased into an appropriate point-of-sale terminal (e.g., cash register and/or computer) at the checkout station. The sales clerk may also or alternatively utilize an appropriate scanning device that is generally hardwired to the checkout station to enter such data into the point-of-sale terminal. Typically, the point-of-sale terminal is utilized to calculate the total amount the customer must pay to purchase the goods, and a check, credit card, debit card, cash, or the like is tendered by the customer to the sales clerk to complete the sale. In the case where cash is utilized as the manner of payment, the sales clerk may utilize the point-of-sale terminal to calculate any change owing to the customer. In addition, the sales clerk generally utilizes the point-of-sale terminal to produce a written receipt memorializing the sale for the customer.
0004 To reduce the time associated with a checkout portion of typical sales transactions, it has become quite prevalent for goods, or at least labels associated therewith, to each include a machine readable bar code (e.g., UPC). Indeed, this has enabled retailers to employ the above-mentioned scanning devices to more efficiently conduct sales transactions with at least generally less manual input being required from sales clerks. In other words, the sales clerk is able, at least in theory, to save time by scanning purchased items rather than having to manually key in price and/or product information. For instance, when the sales clerk scans a bar code associated with a product to be purchased, the scanning device generally sends a signal corresponding to the product to the point-of-sale terminal of the checkout station. This checkout station generally includes or is communicatively interconnected with a product database that includes pricing information of the scanned item (as well as other products in the store). Accordingly, a price for the item is automatically provided and calculated into a total amount due for the total sales transaction by the point-of-sale terminal without the need for significant manual input by the sales clerk.
0005 The above-described manners of conducting sales have a number of drawbacks. For instance, many items, such as produce, may not have bar codes associated therewith, and, accordingly, may require a significant amount of time for manual entry of the corresponding data to complete the sale. Further, even though these checkout stations are equipped with scanning devices, the above-described methods generally require that a sales clerk be employed to work at each checkout station. This generally results in undesired operational overhead to the employer. Still further, these methods of conducting business have not been successful at reducing waiting periods for customers at the checkout station. Indeed, in the case where one customer is redeeming a plurality of coupons, buying a large quantity of items, and/or buying items that are not recognized or are incorrectly recognized by the checkout station scanning device, a subsequent customer in line behind that customer may have to wait a significant and undesired amount of time before it is her turn to purchase the selected item(s).
0006 In efforts to reduce labor requirements, corresponding expenses, and other drawbacks associated with the above-described manners of sales transactions, what may be characterized as customer-operated checkout stations have been provided to the market place. In these customer-operated checkout stations, a customer may transport (e.g., via a shopping cart, basket, or the like) the items to be purchased to a checkout station that is fixed in location in the store. Once at this checkout station, the customer generally has to unload the item to be purchased from the transport and utilize a scanning device that is hardwired to the checkout station to scan each item to be purchased. Once an item to be purchased is scanned, the customer generally places the item on a scale or other appropriate weighing device of the checkout stand. Incidentally, a database associated with this type of system has both price and weight information associated with the bar code of each item. And, since most items have or can be packaged to have predetermined weights, the point-of-sale terminal of this system may be utilized to increase the probability that the product scanned is the same product that is placed on the scale. This is generally accomplished by comparing the actual weight of the product placed on the scale of the checkout station with the weight provided in the database. After the items to be purchased have been scanned and weighed, the customer then selects a payment method and purchases the products. If the chosen payment method includes a credit card, debit card, and/or cash, the customer may insert the same into a corresponding card reader or cash intake of the checkout stand. In the case where a paper check is the chosen method of payment, a sales clerk is employed to conduct that portion of the sales transaction. The customer is then generally required to reload the purchased products back into the transport to facilitate transfer of the purchased good to the customer's automobile.
0007 These customer-operated checkout stations have also proven to exhibit a variety of undesirable limitations. For instance, a significant quantity of sales clerks must still be employed to supervise the checkout stations and may be a factor in the time efficiency of the process. For instance, to pay by check, a human sales clerk must be employed to review the check data and to complete the sales transaction. As another example, in the case that at least one of the items to be purchased is a controlled substance (e.g., alcohol or tobacco), these customer-operated checkout stations provide notice to a sales clerk or the like to manually analyze the customer's driver's license (or other appropriate age indicating identification) and manually authorize the sale of that controlled substance. As another drawback of these customer-operated checkout stations, the customer is forced to remove the items to be purchased from the basket, shopping cart, or the like, to weigh them and then undesirably undertake to reload the basket/shopping cart with the items after the items have been weighed. This inevitably results in an undesired waste of the customer's time and energy. Still yet another drawback is the time that may be wasted waiting in line to checkout behind someone redeeming a plurality of coupons, buying a large quantity of items, and/or buying items that are not recognized or are incorrectly recognized by the check-out station scanning device.
0008 Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a system and method for conducting sales of goods that reduces operational overhead. It is another objective of the present invention to provide a system and method for conducting sales of goods that provides enhanced customer service. Still another objective of the invention is to provide a system and method for conducting sales of goods that is easy and/or enjoyable for customers to utilize. Relatedly, it is another objective to provide a system and method for conducting sales of goods that reduces a likelihood of time wasted waiting in checkout lines. Yet another objective of the invention is to provide a system and method for conducting sales of goods that provides substantially real-time discounting opportunities and/or purchase information while the customer is in an aisle of a store. Still yet another objective is to provide a system and method for conducting sales of goods that enables a customer to electronically authorize a purchase of one or more items while the customer is in an aisle (or the like) of a retail store. And yet another objective is to provide a system and method for conducting sales of goods that provides an at least generally reliable sales audit prior to an exit of the customer from the store or supermarket. A related objective is to provide a system and method of conducting sales of goods that at least generally reduces a likelihood of shoplifting incidents. These objectives, as well as others, may be met by the invention described below.
0009 A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for conducting sales at a retail store, such as a sale of goods. In this method, a customer selects a first item for purchase by scanning a first bar code associated with the first item using a portable scanning device. Since this scanning device is indeed portable, the first item may be scanned at any appropriate location within the retail store, such as a first location (e.g., an aisle) within the retail store. The customer then purchases the first item using the portable scanning device. This purchase is accomplished via a wireless transmission of signal (e.g., radio frequency) between the portable scanning device and a processing unit of the retail store. Herein, to say that a customer purchases a particular item may be to say that the customer buys and, thus, generally acquires ownership of that item. In another characterization, to say that a customer purchases a particular item may be to say that title of that item passes to the customer in exchange for the customer providing consideration (e.g., to the retail store).
0010 Any number of items may be selected and purchased utilizing this first aspect of the invention. For instance, the customer may also select a second item for purchase by scanning a second bar code associated with the second item using the portable scanning device. Again, due to the portable nature of the scanning device, the second item can be scanned at a second location (e.g., a different aisle) of the retail store that is remote (e.g., spaced and/or separate and distinct) from the first location. The customer may purchase the second item by initiating a wireless transmission of signal between the portable scanning device and the processing unit of the retail store. In the case where the customer selects the second item (e.g., scans the second bar code) and decides not to purchase the second item, the invention preferably enables the customer to deselect the second item in any of a number of appropriate manners. For instance, this deselection of the second item may include scanning the second bar code of the second item again using the portable scanning device.
0011 One of the beneficial features of this first aspect of the invention is the portable nature of the scanning device, which enables desired items to be both selected and purchased at potentially any desired location within the retail store. In one light, to say that the scanning device is portable may be to say that the scanning device is easily transportable about the retail store by a single customer. Indeed, while the portable scanning device may exhibit any appropriate weight, it preferably weighs no more than about 5 pounds, more preferably no more than about 2 pounds, and still more preferably no more than about 1 pound. Further, while the portable scanning device may exhibit any appropriate dimensions and/or shape, the portable scanning device of at least one embodiment may at least generally resemble the size and/or shape of a telephone handset.
0012 With regard to the purchase of the first and second items, the first item may be purchased at substantially the same time as the second item, or the first and second items may be purchased at different times. Indeed, this purchase of the first and second items may include transmission of a single signal or of multiple signals from the portable scanning device. The first and/or second items may be purchased by the customer at a third location that is remote from the first and second locations where the corresponding first and second items were selected (e.g., scanned). By contrast, the invention may provide the customer with the flexibility to purchase one or both of the first and second items at one or more of the above-described first and second locations of the retail store where the corresponding selections of the first and second items takes or took place.
0013 Some embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention include an audit of the purchase(s) made by the customer after the purchase(s). In at least one embodiment; this audit generally includes weighing the first and/or second item(s). The first and/or second items may be weighed individually or cumulatively (e.g., collectively). The retail store may include one or more audit stations to provide at least portions of the above-described audit of the customer's purchase(s). Again, due to the portable nature of the scanning device, this auditing step may be undergone at any of a number of appropriate locations within the retail store, including one or more of the above-described first, second, and third locations of the retail store. Indeed, this audit (or at least a portion thereof) may occur at a fourth location of the retail store that is remote from the first, second, and third locations.
0014 After selecting (e.g., scanning) the first and/or second item(s), the customer may place the first and/or second item(s) in an appropriate carrier such as a shopping cart or a shopping basket, and the audit of the subsequent purchase preferably includes weighing the corresponding first and/or second items. This weighing is preferably accomplished while the item(s) is located in the carrier. Accordingly, the carrier and the first and second items may be collectively weighed during the audit. This beneficial feature tends to alleviate or at least generally reduce undesired (and arguably unnecessary) loading and unloading of the carrier by the consumer, thus saving the consumer valuable time and/or labor.
0015 Still with regard to the first aspect of the invention, once one or more desired items have been selected via scanning, the selection data may be at least temporarily stored in a memory of the portable scanning device and/or an appropriate database of the retail store. As such, the item(s) may be placed in a bag (e.g., plastic or paper grocery sack) shortly after selection of the items and even before purchasing the items. That is, since data indicative of each item has already been at least temporarily recorded/stored, there is generally no need to handle the item(s) again before purchasing the item(s). In this regard, this first aspect of the invention may be said to enable the customer to purchase the item(s) after the customer has placed the item(s) in one or more bags. While any of a number of appropriate bags may be utilized in this first aspect of the invention, it is preferred that the bags are at least generally translucent, and more preferably at least generally transparent. In one regard, this preference may be said to facilitate the audit of a customer's purchase in embodiments utilizing an auditing step. Indeed, if the auditing step includes a human-based visual inspection of the purchased goods, utilizing bags that allow a retail store employee to discern the contents thereof at least generally alleviates a need for removing one or more of the purchased items from the bag to accomplish such a visual inspection. Accordingly, it is generally preferred that the audit procedure be accomplishable without removing purchased item(s) from the bag(s) in which they are located.
0016 In the audit of the customer's purchase(s), the first and/or second item(s) may be electronically examined to determine whether or not an appropriate security tag or the like is associated with one or both the first and second items. This examination may be accomplished in any appropriate manner known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In the case where a security tag is detected, at least one of an audible(e.g., alarm or the like) and a visual (e.g., light, display on a monitor, and/or the like) signal may be emitted.
0017 The portable scanning device utilized in this first aspect may be any appropriate scanning device. Moreover, the retail store may provide the customer with a portable scanning device in any of a number of appropriate fashions. For instance; the retail store may include a support assembly that supports a plurality of the portable scanning devices. As such, the customer may remove one such portable scanning device from the support assembly upon (or shortly after) entering the retail store to enable the customer to accomplish the above-described selecting and purchasing of desired items. Further, upon completion of a desired number of selections and purchases, the customer may return the portable scanning device to the support assembly. In some embodiments, placing the portable scanning device back into association with the support assembly may initiate or trigger a printing of a sales receipt to memorialize the sales transaction that took place using the portable scanning device.
0018 A sales receipt, such as the one mentioned above, may be printed at any appropriate stage in the method of this first aspect. For instance, a sales receipt may be printed after the selected item(s) has been purchased, yet before the auditing of that purchase. The sales receipt associated with this first aspect may include any appropriate indicia. For instance, one embodiment may exhibit a sales receipt having a receipt bar code printed thereon. In such an embodiment, the audit of the purchase may include scanning that receipt bar code. An image and/or biographical data (e.g., previously obtained in an enrollment step of the method) of the customer may be electronically displayed (e.g., on a television or computer monitor) in response to scanning the receipt bar code of the sales receipt. In some embodiments, based on the scanning of the receipt bar code, an electronic determination may be made as to whether or not one or more of the purchased items is a controlled substance such as tobacco products and/or alcoholic beverages. In the case that the purchased items do include one or more controlled substances, data indicative of an age of the customer may be compared to data indicative of a minimum legal age requirement to purchase the controlled substance. This comparison may be accomplished in any appropriate manner including electronically and/or via a human employee of the retail store.
0019 A second aspect of the invention is also directed to a method of transacting a sale. In the method of this second aspect, a first item is selected for purchase by scanning a first bar code associated with the first item using a portable scanning device. The first item is then purchased, and, subsequently, that purchase is audited at least in part by weighing the first item and comparing a first weight corresponding to a theoretical weight of the first item to a second weight corresponding to an actual weight of the first item. Generally, a theoretical weight of a particular item refers to a predetermined weight that is electronically associated (or coupled) with a bar code of that item prior to the sale of that item.
0020 In the case where first and second items are selected and purchased, a collective weight of the first and second items may be obtained during the audit of the purchase. In this case, the above-mentioned first weight may correspond to a cumulative theoretical weight of the first and second items, and the above-mentioned second weight may correspond to an actual cumulative weight of the first and second items. In contrast, the above-mentioned first weight may correspond to a cumulative theoretical weight of the first and second items as well as an item transport (e.g., shopping cart and/or basket) in which the first and second items are located, and the above-mentioned second weight may correspond to an actual cumulative weight of the item transport and the first and second items. Indeed, as a more general statement, in the case where more than two items (e.g., n number of items) are purchased, the first weight may correspond to a cumulative theoretical weight of the n items, and the second weight may correspond to an actual cumulative weight of the n items; or the first weight may correspond to a cumulative theoretical weight of the n items plus the item transport, and the second weight may correspond to an actual cumulative weight of the item transport and the n items.
0021 Yet a third aspect of the invention is also directed to a method of transacting a sale. In this method, a loyalty card including data unique to the customer is issued to that customer. The loyalty card is electronically read, and a portable scanning device is activated (e.g., turned on) and/or is allowed to be removed from a structure supporting a plurality of such portable scanning devices in response to the loyalty card being electronically read. Subsequently, the customer may select a first item for purchase by scanning a first bar code associated with the first item using the portable scanning device and may purchase the first item using the portable scanning device.
0022 The issuing of the loyalty card associated with this third aspect of the invention may be characterized, at least in one embodiment, as a step that would occur in an initial customer registration process of a retail store. Herein, a loyalty card refers to any appropriate card or the like that includes information that is readable by a card reader and/or scanner of the retail store in which the loyalty card is to be used. Moreover, the information included on this loyalty card may be any appropriate information including, but not limited to, the retail store name, logo, alphanumeric characters, symbols, a bar code, and a magnetic strip. Each loyalty card (e.g., via the bar code and/or magnetic strip provided thereon) preferably includes information specific to the customer to which it was issued. For instance, the information of the loyalty card may include payment data such as credit card information, debit card information, checking account information, and the like. Further, other information that may be associated with the loyalty card may be biographical data relating to the customer.
0023 In issuing the loyalty card to the corresponding customer, visual image data of that customer and/or visual image data of a state-issued identification (e.g., driver's license) of that customer may be electronically stored (e.g., in an appropriate database of the retail store). During the auditing step of the method, a visual image corresponding to at least some of the visual image data may be displayed (e.g., on a appropriate screen or monitor). Displaying this digital image may serve a variety of beneficial purposes. For instance, it may allow an auditor to determine if the customer in possession of the loyalty card is the same customer to whom that loyalty card was issued. Incidentally, this digital image may be displayed during any appropriate portion of the auditing step. As an example, the digital image may be displayed while the purchased item(s) is being weighed.
0024 Issuance of the loyalty card may include electronic storage of birth date data relating to the customer. This feature may be beneficial in regard to the purchase of controlled substances by the customer. For instance, the customer's loyalty card is read by the card reader to enable the customer to utilize the portable scanning device. Since the customer's loyalty card is preferably specific to that customer, a signal may be provided to the portable scanning device to allow or disallow attempted purchases of controlled substances based on the customer's birth date data. In other words, the customer's birth date data is preferably accessed before a purchase of a controlled substance is allowed. Moreover, the auditing step may include electronically displaying the customer's birth date data. This may or may not be done in combination with displaying any visual image data to confirm that the possessor of the loyalty card is indeed the customer to whom the loyalty card was issued. In other words, this method may be said to enable regulation of sales of controlled substances via use of the above-described loyalty cards.
0025 Payment method data may also be electronically stored in the process of issuing a loyalty card to the customer. This payment method data may include manners of payment authorized by the customer (e.g., credit card, debit card, check, and the like), as well as account numbers corresponding to the authorized methods of payment. When the customer utilizes the portable scanning device to purchase the desired items, a query including the desired method of payment is preferably displayed. In other words, the payment method data may be accessed during the purchase (or attempted purchase) of the desired items. While not always the case, it is generally preferred that only the authorized method(s) of payment be displayed on the scanning device for the customer to choose from. For example, if the customer has authorized payment only by debit card or check, a choice relating to payment by credit card will preferably not be displayed. Selection of the desired payment method preferably corresponds with a wireless transmission of signal from the portable scanning device.
0026 Still a fourth aspect of the invention is directed to a retail store and the components thereof in which a method of conducting sales (such as a method described herein) may be accomplished. This retail store generally includes a first station that has a support assembly and at least one portable scanning device that is supported or at least supportable by the support assembly. This support assembly may be any appropriate support assembly such as, but not limited to, a counter or table, a free-standing stand or rack, or a structure that is supported by (e.g., attached to) a wall. In one embodiment, this support assembly may be characterized as including a plurality of holsters or cradles, each of which is capable of accommodating a portable scanning device. In addition to the first station, the retail store also includes a processor assembly that is wirelessly communicable with the portable scanning devices. Herein, wirelessly communicable generally means that appropriate signals, such as radio frequency, can be transmitted between two or more things that are not hard-wire interconnected. In other words, even though no conductive material is utilized to interconnect the two things, signals may be effectively transmitted between them. In any event, a database is generally associated with the processor assembly. This database generally includes weight data and price data for each of a plurality of products. Moreover, this weight and price data are generally associated with an identification code (e.g., UPC) associated with each of the products. As yet another component, the retail store also includes a second station equipped with an electronic scale assembly that is communicatively interconnected with the processor assembly. Herein, communicatively interconnected or the like generally refers to a first thing being either directly or indirectly connected (or caused to be connected) with a second thing in a manner which enables at least an electrical signal to be conveyed between the first and second things.
0027 The first station of this retail store may include any of a number of additional components. For instance, the first station may include an electronic card reader that is communicatively interconnected with the support assembly. This electronic card reader may be utilized for any of a variety of appropriate purposes. For instance, one of the above-described loyalty cards may be read by this electronic card reader to activate, ready, or at least facilitate the provision of one of the portable scanning devices for use by the customer.
0028 Some embodiments of the first station may include a printer that is communicatively interconnected with the support assembly. This printer may be any appropriate printer. It is, however, preferred that the printer be capable of printing sales receipts to memorialize sales transactions that take place in the retail store. One benefit of having this printer be communicatively interconnected with the support assembly may be that the act of disposing a portable scanning device back into or on the support assembly may initiate a printing of a sales receipt that corresponds to the sales transaction undergone using that particular portable scanning device.
0029 Some embodiments of the first station may include what may be characterized as a financial center. This financial center generally includes an electronic credit card reader, an electronic cash intake assembly, and an electronic change output assembly. While not always the case, this financial center is preferably in close proximity to the support assembly of the first station. Indeed, in some embodiments, this financial center may be directly connected to or even substantially integral (e.g., share a common housing) with the support assembly of the first station. At least in one embodiment, this financial center may be characterized as an apparatus that enables customers to make purchases using cash or other methods of payment that may or may not have been authorized by the customer at the time of issuance of the above-described loyalty card. In this regard, the financial center may also include a bar code scanner. Indeed, this bar code scanner may be utilized to recognize a bar code (e.g., on a selection receipt) that indicates that the selected items have not been paid for. Accordingly, upon recognition of this bar code, a balance owing may be displayed, and the customer may utilize a desired method of payment to purchase those items at the financial center. As such, the financial center may be equipped with a printer to provide a receipt indicating that the selected items have indeed been purchased.
0030 The second station of the retail store may be characterized, in at least one embodiment, as an exit audit station. The electronic scale assembly of the second station is preferably utilized to weigh the purchased items. In some embodiments of the retail store, the second station may include a bar code scanner communicatively interconnected with the processor assembly. This bar code scanner preferably enables an auditor to have a bar code on the customer's receipt read to access data regarding one or more of the customer, the customer's purchase, and the customer's pending transaction(s). Additionally, the second station may include an appropriate display screen (e.g., television, monitor, or the like) communicatively interconnected with at least one of the electronic scale assembly and the processor assembly. This display screen may be utilized to display any appropriate data/image(s) including, but not limited to, data relevant to the exit audit. For instance, the display screen may be utilized to display information regarding the customer's current purchase. Further, the display screen may be utilized to display information regarding the age and/or identity of the customer. Still further, the display screen may be utilized to display information regarding the weight of the items purchased by the customer.
0031 Yet a fifth aspect of the invention is directed to a method of using biometric traits specific to a customer of a retail store in transactions. More particularly, data indicative of one or more biometric traits of a customer may be stored in an appropriate database. Preferably coupled or associated with that biometric data is other data specific to that customer including photographic information (e.g., picture of the customer), biographical information (e.g., birth date) and/or payment information. Once a record including the biometric trait(s) and other desired data is stored, the customer may then utilize the biometric trait (at least in the retail store) as a sort of substitute for personal identification, a credit card, a check card, an electronic check, and the like. Indeed, this biometric trait may be utilized in addition to and or as a substitute for the above-described loyalty card.
0032 While this fifth aspect of the present invention may apply to any appropriate biometric trait(s) that is substantially unique to each individual, the biometric trait of a fingerprint will be utilized to describe various features in relation to this fifth aspect. In some embodiments, scanning (e.g., infrared) of the customer's fingerprint (e.g., thumb print) may initiate or trigger a portable scanning device to be activated (e.g., turned on) and/or allowed to be removed from a structure supporting a plurality of such portable scanning devices. The customer may then select one or more items for purchase by scanning a bar code associated with each item using the portable scanning device. Indeed, it is preferred that the customer also be able to purchase the selected items using the portable scanning device.
0033 In a registration portion of the method, visual image data of the customer and/or visual image data of a state-issued identification (e.g., driver's license) of that customer may be coupled with the customer's biometric data (e.g., fingerprint data) and electronically stored (e.g., in an appropriate database of the retail store). During an auditing step of the method, a scanning of the customer's fingerprint (at least some time in the method) may enable a visual image corresponding to at least some of the visual image data relating to the customer to be displayed (e.g., on a appropriate screen or monitor). This digital image may be displayed during any appropriate portion of the auditing step. As an example, the digital image may be displayed while the purchased item(s) is being weighed.
0034 The coupling of birth date data with the customer's biometric data may serve any of a number of appropriate purposes. For instance, this feature may be beneficial in regard to the purchase of controlled substances by the customer. More particularly, the customer's fingerprint may be read or scanned by an appropriate fingerprint scanner to enable the customer to utilize the portable scanning device. Since the customer's fingerprint is specific to that customer, a signal may be provided to the portable scanning device to allow or disallow attempted purchases of controlled substances based on the customer's birth date data. In other words, the customer's birth date data is preferably accessed (due to the scanning of the customer's fingerprint) before a purchase of a controlled substance is allowed. Moreover, the auditing step may include electronically displaying the customer's birth date data.
0035 One benefit of using biometric information in the invention is that biometric information is quite difficult to lose. For example, it is generally more likely that a customer would lose his wallet, credit card, checkbook, and/or loyalty card than it is that the customer would lose his finger. Since payment data and identification data is preferably coupled to the customer's biometric trait(s) in the invention, the customer is preferably able to purchase goods in the retail store without even bringing any conventional method of payment (cash, checkbook, credit/debit card) into the retail store. In other words, due to the linking the customer's identification and payment data to his biometric data in the database, the customer's fingerprint may be utilized as a substitute for in-store identification and/or an in-store method of payment.
0036 Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to one or more of the above-described aspects of the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated into one or more of those aspects of the invention as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. Moreover, the various features discussed herein in relation to the present invention may be employed in any of the aspects of the invention, individually or in any combination.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
0037FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a retail store.
0038FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first station of a retail store.
0039FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a card reader assembly of the first station of FIG. 2.
0040FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portable scanning device.
0041FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exit audit station of the retail store of FIG. 1.
0042FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a computer monitor displaying customer data.
0043FIG. 6A is an elevation view of a front side of one embodiment of a loyalty card.
0044FIG. 6B is an elevation view of a back side of the loyalty card of FIG. 6A.
0045FIG. 7A is an elevation view of a front side of another embodiment of a loyalty card.
0046FIG. 7B is an elevation view of a back side of the loyalty card of FIG. 7A.
0047FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a protocol for transacting sales.
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0048FIG. 8A is a continuation of the flowchart from circle A of FIG. 8 illustrating steps involved in preauthorized payment by credit card, debit/ATM card, or electronic check.
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0049FIG. 8B is a continuation of the flowchart from circle B of FIG. 8 illustrating steps involved in payment using a financial center of the retail store of FIG. 1.
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0050FIG. 8C is a continuation of the flowchart from circle C of FIGS. 8A-8B illustrating steps involved in an exit audit of the protocol.
0051FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a protocol for registering customers for the process of FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
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0052 The present invention will now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings, which at least assist in illustrating the various pertinent features thereof. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a retail store that includes a plurality of shelving units -on which goods to be sold may displayed. An aisle (e.g.,-) of the retail store is generally defined between adjacent ones of these shelving units -. This retail store may be any store in the business of selling goods including, but not limited to, a supermarket, hardware store, office supply store, convenience store, super store, shopping center, department store, or the like. Moreover, some embodiments of the retail store may include other appropriate apparatuses for displaying goods for sale other than (or in addition to) the plurality of shelving units -. For instance, some embodiments of the retail store may include racks and/or cases for display goods that are for sale. Incidentally, FIG. 1 is not meant to be to scale, nor to be indicative of the shape and/or size of the components illustrated therein.
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0053 The retail store shown in FIG. 1 includes a novel system for conducting sales transactions. One part of this system is a first station (e.g., , ) that includes a support assembly and a financial center . While two of these first stations , are illustrated in FIG. 1, it should be noted that other appropriate quantities of first stations may be employed in other embodiments of the retail store . Further, a number of appropriate locations exist for the first station(s) and the components thereof. Accordingly, the first station(s) may be found in a variety of appropriate locations in various embodiments of the retail store .
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0054 Referring to FIGS. 1-2, the support assembly of the first station may be characterized as a stand or a rack equipped with a plurality of receptacles (e.g., holsters or cradles). Each of these receptacles is preferably designed to accommodate at least a portion (e.g., a handle) of a portable scanning device . In this regard, it may be said that the support assembly (via the receptacles thereof) is capable of supporting a plurality of the portable scanning devices . One example of an appropriate support assembly and/or scanning device that may utilized in at least one embodiment of the system may be part of the PSS manufactured by Symbol Technologies, Inc., of Holtsville, N.Y. Incidentally, it should be noted that the support assembly may exhibit any appropriate dimensions and can include any appropriate number of receptacles . Indeed, the support assembly may include receptacles on one or both sides thereof.
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0055 Referring to FIG. 2, the support assembly of the first station is equipped with a number of additional components. For instance, each receptacle has an appropriate light emitting diode (LED) or the like associated therewith. For that matter, each of the portable scanning devices may include an appropriate LED (not shown). Referring to FIGS. 2-2A, the support assembly also includes a card reader assembly . The card reader assembly may be any appropriate card reader assembly capable of at least generally reading data from a consumer loyalty card (FIGS. 6A-7B), for example, via a bar code and/or magnetic strip thereof. To accomplish this, the card reader assembly is generally equipped with an appropriate card reader (FIG. 2A). One example of any appropriate card reader that may be utilized in at least one embodiment of the card reader assembly may be an entrance unit manufactured by Symbol Technologies of Holtsville, N.Y. In addition, the card reader assembly is equipped with an appropriate display that is located above the card reader . This display is preferably utilized to convey appropriate information to the customer(s) and/or one or more retail store employees. Although not preferred, some embodiments of the card reader assembly may not include a display . In such embodiments, the support assembly may or may not include a display that is communicatively interconnected with the card reader assembly .
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0056 A printer of the card reader assembly of FIGS. 2-2A is shown below the card reader . In one characterization, it may be said that the printer is positioned such that the card reader is located at least generally between the display and the printer . It should be noted that other embodiments of the support assembly may exhibit other appropriate locations for the card reader , display , and/or printer . In any event, the printer may be any appropriate printer capable of printing information on an appropriate substrate (e.g., paper). Indeed, in the illustrated embodiment, it is generally preferred that the printer be capable of providing a customer with a paper receipt indicative of a sale or pending sale. While the printer is shown as being a disposed at least generally within the card reader assembly (or at least generally sharing a common facing therewith), other embodiments of the card reader assembly may include a printer that is not substantially disposed within the card reader assembly (e.g., a free standing printer). Incidentally, an example of an appropriate printer that may be utilized in at least one embodiment of the system may be a transaction printer manufactured by Transaction Printer Group, Inc., of Ithaca, N.Y.
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0057 While the support assembly of FIG. 2 is illustrated as having only one card reader assembly , other embodiments of the support assembly may be equipped with a plurality of card reader assemblies . Moreover, while the card reader assembly is illustrated as being a component of the support assembly , other embodiments of the first structure may include support structures that are devoid of card reader assemblies, but have at least one (e.g., free standing) card reader assembly conmunicatively interconnected therewith. One variation of the support assembly may include an appropriate device to enable a customer's finger (or more particularly the fingerprint thereof) to be scanned. This fingerprint scanning device may be utilized in addition to or as an alternative to the card reader of the assembly . Incidentally, this fingerprint scanning device may be any appropriate scanning device that is capable of at least assisting in electronically identifying a customer by scanning a finger (and/or fingerprint) of the customer.
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0058 Still referring to the first station shown in FIGS. 1-2, a financial center of the first station may be associated with the support assembly in any of a number of appropriate fashions. For instance, the financial center of the first station is shown as being attached to or abutting the corresponding support assembly . As another example, the financial center of the first station is shown as being spaced from the corresponding support assembly . While each first station , , is shown as having one financial center paired with one support assembly , other embodiments of the retail store may include first stations having a plurality of support assemblies and/or financial centers . Regardless of the particular arrangement of the support assembly(ies) and the financial center(s) of a given first station , it is generally preferred that each support assembly be communicatively interconnected or wirelessly communicable with a financial center . In other words, it is generally preferred that signal provided from one of the support assembly and the financial center is capable of being conveyed to the other regardless of the manner in which the signal is transmitted.
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0059 This financial center of the first station of FIG. 2 is shown as including a number of components. Indeed, it is generally preferred that most (or more preferably all) of these components be included in the financial center to provide customers of the retail store with a broad range of payment options. For instance, the financial center includes a card reader that is capable of reading a bar code and/or a magnetic strip from a credit card, debit card, and/or customer loyalty card (FIGS. 6A-7B). In addition, this financial center is capable of facilitating a cash purchase by a customer. In this regard, the financial center is equipped with a cash intake to receive cash, a cash return to provide any cash-based change owing, and a coin return to provide any coin-based change owing. In addition, the financial center is equipped with an appropriate display . This display may be any appropriate display such as, for example, a touch screen. Moreover, this display is preferably utilized to convey appropriate information to the customer(s) and/or one or more retail store employees. Yet another component of the financial center is a printer . The printer may be any appropriate printer capable of printing information on an appropriate substrate (e.g., paper). Indeed, in the illustrated embodiment, it is generally preferred that the printer of the financial center be capable of providing a customer with a paper receipt indicative of a sale or pending sale. It should be noted that other embodiments of the financial center may include only some of the above-described component as well as other components not specifically mentioned in regard to the financial center . Further, other embodiments of the financial center may exhibit other appropriate locations for the components thereof other than the particular arrangement illustrated in FIG. 2.
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0060 The financial center of FIG. 2 may optionally include an appropriate device to enable a customer's finger (or more particularly the fingerprint thereof) to be scanned. Incidentally, this fingerprint scanning device may be any appropriate scanning device that is capable of at least assisting in electronically identifying a customer by scanning a finger (and/or fingerprint) of the customer. Examples of appropriate scanning devices that may be employed as the fingerprint scanning devices and/or may be optical scanners and/or capacitive scanners. In the case where payment data of the customer is coupled with fingerprint data of the customer, this fingerprint scanning device may be utilized to enable the customer to pay for the desired items, at least in part, through the scanning of the customer's finger (and/or fingerprint associated therewith). Incidentally, a fingerprint or the like generally refers to the small ridges and troughs of the skin located toward the tip of a finger.
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0061FIG. 3 illustrates one of the portable scanning devices that may be supported by the support assembly of the first station of FIG. 2. This portable scanning device includes a console and a handle . The console includes a display and a plurality of operational keys. More particularly, the console includes a scroll up () key and a scroll down () key . In one characterization, these scroll keys , may be utilized to enable a customer to scroll through data displayed on the display . Additionally and/or alternatively, it may be said that these scroll keys , enable a customer to at least generally navigate through a variety of display screens to view desired information. In addition to the scroll keys , , the console is also equipped with a plus () key and a minus () key . The plus key may be utilized to add data indicative of a selected item for purchase to information stored in the scanning device . This information is preferably displayed (or at least displayable) on the display of the scanning device . The minus key is located beside the plus key and may be utilized to remove data indicative of a selected item for purchase from a memory of the scanning device . A notice of such removal is preferably displayed (or at least displayable) on the display of the scanning device to confirm the successful removal of data indicative of the previously selected item. Other embodiments of the scanning device may include other appropriate arrangements and/or locations of the above-described keys.
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0062 It should be noted that the any number or additional and/or alternative keys may be included on the portable scanning device of FIG. 3. For example, in some embodiments, an equal () key may be included on the scanning device to enable the a total tally of the selected items to be calculated and preferably displayed. Further, depressing this equal key twice in a threshold time period may be an appropriate procedure for authorizing payment for the selected items. In addition to the portable scanning device , a number of other appropriate portable scanning devices may be employed in the invention. What is important in regard to the portable scanning device (e.g., ) employed in the invention is that it is preferably capable of enabling a customer to select an item for purchase (e.g., via scanning the UPC) and that it is preferably capable of wireless communication with a processor unit of the retail store at least during the purchase of one or more items. Incidentally, this processor unit of the retail store may be any appropriate processor unit and may refer to a plurality of processor units. For instance, the processor unit may include one processor specifically designated to functions of the sales transaction system and another processor unit that may provide more general processing functions for the retail store . An example of an appropriate processor unit for at least one embodiment of the invention is the IBM 4690 manufactured by IBM Corporation of White Plains, N.Y.
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0063 Referring to FIGS. 2-3, it is generally preferred that the handle of the portable scanning device be at least generally recognizable by one or more receptacles of the support assembly . That is, it is preferred that circuitry of the support assembly may be utilized to discern whether or not a receptacle has a handle of a scanning device disposed therein. This may be accomplished in any of a variety of appropriate fashions including the use of mechanical switches and/or electrical contacts. For instance, in one embodiment, the scanning device may have a first electrically conductive contact located on the handle thereof, and each of the receptacles of the support assembly may have a second electrically conductive contact located therein. These first and second electrically conductive contacts are preferably arranged so that the same are in contact when the handle of the scanning device is in the receptacle and so that the same are not in contact when the scanning device is removed from the receptacle .
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0064 One benefit of utilizing the above-described contacts in relation to the handle of the scanning device and the receptacles of the support assembly may be that information (e.g., in the form of electrical signal) can be conveyed between the scanning device and the support assembly (and/or the processor unit that may be communicatively interconnected with the support assembly ). Another benefit of employing the above-described contacts is that energy may be conveyed to the scanning device to recharge a rechargeable battery (not shown) of the scanning device .
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0065 Another component of the retail store of FIG. 1 is at least one produce scale assembly . This produce scale assembly is preferably electronic and preferably includes an appropriate input device to enable a person to input the type of produce to be weighed (or being weighed). Moreover, the produce scale assembly also preferably includes an appropriate printer capable of printing a tag, label ,or the like that includes a bar code indicative of data representative of the type, price, and weight of the produce that was weighed thereon. This bar code may then be scanned using the portable scanning device to select that produce for purchase. It should be noted that any of a number of appropriate produce scales may be employed in the produce scale assembly . An example of one appropriate produce scale that may be utilized in at least one embodiment of the invention is a scale assembly manufactured by Hobart Corporation of Troy, Ohio.
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0066FIG. 1 illustrates that in addition to the above-described first station (e.g., , , ), the retail store preferably includes one or more (here, two) second stations that may be referred to as exit audit stations. FIG. 4 illustrates that the second station preferably includes an electronic scale assembly on which a shopping cart or the other appropriate transport may be placed. This scale assembly is preferably communicably interconnected with a display of the second station so that weight data acquired through use of the scale assembly may be presented on the display . This display may be any appropriate display including, but not limited to, a television monitor and a computer screen. In the illustrated embodiment, the display is preferably a touch screen. Located below the display is a scanning unit . This scanning unit may be any appropriate scanning unit and is preferably capable of scanning a bar code such as a UPC, a bar code on a sales receipt, and/or a bar code on a loyalty card.
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0067 Another component of the second station illustrated in FIG. 4 is a security tag detection system , a portion of which is disposed toward the of a support beam of the second stations . This security tag system may be any appropriate security tag system and may be located in a number of other locations in other embodiments. For instance, in some embodiments, a portion (or even substantially all) of the security tag system may be housed at least generally within one or both of a counter assembly and the support beam of the second station . In other embodiments, the security tag system may be or include a hand-held security tag detection device. In any event, it is generally preferred that this security tag system be capable of providing one or both a visual and audio signal upon detection of a security tag. The provision of this audio/visual signal may be accomplished in any of a number of appropriate fashions. For example, the audio/visual signal may be provided through use of the display of the second station .
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0068 It should be noted that other embodiments of the second station of FIG. 4 may exhibit other appropriate locations and arrangements of the features thereof. Likewise, some other embodiments may include one or more additional features and/or be devoid of some of the features listed above in relation to the second station . For example, the second station of FIG. 4 may optionally include an appropriate device to enable a customer's finger (or more particularly the fingerprint thereof) to be scanned. This fingerprint scanning device may be utilized in addition to or as an alternative to the scanning unit . Incidentally, this fingerprint scanning device may be any appropriate scanning device that is capable of at least assisting in electronically identifying a customer, pending sale relating to the customer, and/or a completed sale relating to the customer by scanning a finger (and/or fingerprint) of the customer. Examples of appropriate scanning devices that may be employed as the fingerprint scanning device may be optical scanner or capacitive scanner. In the case where birth date data of the customer is coupled with fingerprint data of the customer, this fingerprint scanning device may be utilized to enable the exit audit clerk to determine the age of the customer (in the case of buying a controlled substance) through the scanning of the customer's finger (and/or fingerprint associated therewith).
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0069FIG. 8 illustrates a protocol for transacting a sale of goods. While the retail store will be utilized to facilitate description of the protocol , it should be noted that the protocol may be utilized in a number of other retail stores. In a first step of the protocol , a customer approaches the support assembly of the first station and scans his/her loyalty card (e.g., or of FIGS. 6A-7B) by sliding the loyalty card through the card reader of the card reader assembly in the direction indicated by arrow (FIG. 2A). The loyalty card is generally oriented in an appropriate manner so that a bar code or magnetic strip of the loyalty card can be read by the card reader when slid there through.
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0070 FIGS. A-B and A-B illustrate exemplary loyalty cards , that may be utilized in this first step . Referring to FIGS. A-B, the loyalty card is preferably the shape and size of a standard credit card. The front face of the loyalty card may include any appropriate designs, symbols, alphanumeric characters, images (e.g., image of the customer), and the like. For example, this loyalty card includes the name of a retail store Shop-o-rama to which the loyalty card may be used. The back face of the loyalty card may also include any appropriate designs, symbols, alphanumeric characters, and images. In addition, this back face of the loyalty card includes a magnetic strip and a bar code (along with a series of alphanumeric characters indicative of the bar code ). The data represented by the magnetic strip and the bar code is preferably specific to the customer to which the loyalty card was issued. In other words, each customer has or will preferably have a loyalty card with a bar code and a magnetic strip that differs from the loyalty cards of other customers.
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0071 The loyalty card of FIGS. A-B is similar to the loyalty card of FIGS. A-B. However, this loyalty card is preferably smaller than a standard credit card and preferably has a hole defined therein (e.g., so that the loyalty card may be suspended from a key ring or the like). As with the loyalty card , both the front and back faces , (respectively) of the loyalty card may include any appropriate designs, symbols, alphanumeric characters, images, and the like. Further, the back face of the loyalty card includes a magnetic strip and a bar code (along with a series of alphanumeric characters indicative of the bar code ). In the case that a customer is issued both loyalty cards , shown in FIGS. 6A-7B, it is preferred that the magnetic strips , are substantially identical and that the bar codes , are also substantially identical.
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0072 As an alternative to the loyalty card scanning portion of the step , the customer may approach the support assembly of the first station and appropriately position his/her finger on or near the fingerprint scanning device . While not always the case, the device is preferably activated by a presence of a customer's finger. The customer's finger may be scanned using the device , and the fingerprint data generated from that scan may be compared to previously stored fingerprint data (e.g., of the database ) to access the biographical data and/or the payment method data specific to that customer.
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0073 Once the loyalty card (or the customer's finger) is scanned, one or more electrical signals is conveyed via appropriate circuitry of the support assembly to a specific receptacle in which a portable scanning device is located. As shown in step of the protocol , this signal preferably causes the LED associated with that receptacle (and/or and LED of the scanning device ) to illuminate and the corresponding scanning device to turn on and/or exhibit a ready mode for use by the customer. Indeed, the display of the corresponding scanning device preferably illuminates and provides a textual message such as a welcome greeting. In one embodiment, this textual message is specific to the customer, including the customer's name in the text thereof. This illumination of the LED and the display of the scanning device generally enables a customer to discern which scanning gun has been activated for that customer's use. Accordingly, the customer preferably removes the scanning device from the receptacle of the support assembly at some point during this step .
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0074 As shown in step , various store promotions may be communicated to the customer via the display of the scanning device . This may be accomplished in any of a number of appropriate fashions. For instance, the scanning device may have an on board memory (including promotions data) that is accessed by an on board processor and is presented via the display of the scanning device . Alternatively, the scanning device is preferably wirelessly communicable with the processor unit of the retail store . Accordingly, promotions data may simply be transmitted between the processor unit and the scanning device . Incidentally, while it is preferred that at least some promotional data be conveyed at this early stage in the protocol , other embodiments of the protocol include a number of other appropriate times for this step to take place. Still other embodiments may not include this step . Relatedly, the processor unit of the retail store may be utilized to communicate with the customer. Indeed, signal may be transmitted between the processor unit and the scanning device to provide the customer with virtually any information. For instance, if the customer has received a telephone call or someone is looking for the customer, a signal may be sent to that customer's scanning device to inform the customer of the same.
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0075 The customer transports the portable scanning device around the retail store with him/her and shops. Once the customer finds an item that he/she desires to purchase, the customer selects the desired item for purchase by scanning the UPC associated with that item using the scanning device (step ). The item as well as the price of the item is preferably presented on the display of the scanning device , and the price of the item is preferably added to a total tally of the selected items.
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0076 As shown at query of the protocol , after selection of the item for purchase (step ), the customer may decide whether or not to purchase the selected item. If the customer decides that he/she indeed wants to purchase the item after it has been selected, the customer may merely place the item in a shopping cart (FIG. 4) or other appropriate carrier and continue shopping as indicated by in steps and of the protocol . With regard to the step , the shopping cart is preferably equipped with an appropriate bag dispenser that includes plurality of plastic bags. After the item has been selected (step ), the item may be placed in a plasticbag and set in the shopping cart . In other words, the item(s) may be placed in a bag before the item(s) is even purchased. Further, the protocol enables the purchase of the selected item(s) while the item(s) is in the bag. Incidentally, it is generally preferred that these bags are substantially transparent and/or at least generally translucent to enable store employees to discern the content(s) thereof without removing all of the contents from the bag.
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0077 Alternatively, if at some point after selection of the item in accordance with step of the protocol , the customer changes his/her mind and decides not to purchase the selected item, the customer may deselect the item. This deselection may be accomplished in any of a number of appropriate fashions. For instance, in step of the protocol , this deselection is accomplished by the customer depressing the minus () key of the portable scanning device and rescan the item. The scanning device is preferably configured to remove the data indicative of that item from a list of selected items. Moreover, data indicative of the price of that item is also preferably subtracted from a total tally of the prices of all selected items. Accordingly, the item may be removed from the shopping cart and returned to a shelving unit (e.g., -) or other appropriate location of the retail store (step ). The customer may then continue shopping and selecting other items for purchase as indicated by the step .
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0078 As shown in query , at some point(s) in the protocol , the customer generally decides whether shopping is complete. That is, the customer makes a determination of whether or not the selected items include all of the desired items for this shopping trip. This determination may be affected by a query of whether or not any of the selected goods is associated with a marketing promotion. While this query is shown as occurring after step , it should be noted that other embodiments include additional and/or alternative times in the protocol for the query . For instance, this query may occur immediately subsequent to the selection (e.g., scanning) of an item. Indeed, one of the beneficial features of the invention is to provide substantially real-time marketing/promotions upon selection of certain items. In other words, the scanning of a particular item for purchase may trigger a presentment of a promotion on the display of the scanning device . In this regard, a database associated with the processor unit of the retail store may include data indicative of various promotions. Through wireless communication of the scanning device and the process unit , various promotion data may be conveyed to the customer. As such, the custmer's use of the scanning device (e.g., the selection of items) may be monitored via such wireless communication to provide purchase opportunities for the customer.
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0079 One example of a type of promotion that may be utilized in this protocol is a discount feature. More particularly, after the customer has selected an item of a first brand, a signal may be transmitted from the scanning device to the processor unit of the retail store to perform a look-up function. This look-up function is utilized to determine if a second brand of that particular item is being offered at a discount price. If that is the case, a signal from the processor unit may be sent to the scanning device . This signal preferably of the type to cause the scanning device to present information indicative of the discount offer to the customer via the display of the scanning device . If the customer decides to stay with the item of the first brand, the message (which is preferably last only a short duration) may simply be ignored or cleared from the display of the scanning device by the customer pressing one or more appropriate keys. If the customer decides to purchase the competing item of the second brand, the customer may simply deselect the item of the first brand in the fashion described in the step and may select the item of the second brand by scanning the bar code associated therewith. Indeed, this discount feature enables manufactures to compete for the customer's business at or shortly after selection of a particular item. Relatedly, the processor unit may transmit signals to the scanning device that are indicative of private label pricing of store brand goods. The discount feature, as it relates to private labeling, may enable the retail store to effectively market products of its own brand (i.e., private label). Further, this discount feature may be employed to inform the customer that a different size of the product is on sale. For instance, the customer may select a 16-ounce bottle of Brand X ketchup. This selection may at least indirectly cause a promotion to be presented on the display of the scanning device that the 32-ounce size of the Brand X ketchup is being offered at a discounted price.
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0080 Another example of a type of promotion that may be utilized in this protocol is an incentive feature. This incentive feature may be based on the customer's past purchase history, and/or demographic purchase data relevant to the geographic location of the retail store . Since the customer's loyalty card (or fingerprint, for that matter) is preferably specific to that customer, the reading of that loyalty card by the card reader (or the customer's fingerprint by the fingerprint scanning device ) may cause a signal to be transmitted to the processor unit of the retail store to access one or more portions of the database that are relevant to the particular shopper's purchase history. If the database includes a purchase history relevant to that customer, a signal from the processor unit may be wirelessly transmitted (e.g., radio frequency) to the scanning device that is being used by the customer. This signal is preferably of the type to cause the scanning device to present information indicative of the various promotions that are related to the types of goods the customer ordinarily purchases on the display of the scanning device .
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0081 Yet another example of a type of promotion that may be utilized in this protocol is a cross-marketing feature. This cross-marketing feature enables the promotion of items that are at least generally related to items selected by the customer. For instance, if the customer selects a jar of peanut butter by scanning the UPC on the label, the cross-marketing feature may provide a discount/incentive to the customer (via the display of the scanning device ) relating to jelly and/or bread. More particularly, after the customer has selected the first item (e.g., the peanut butter), a signal may be transmitted from the scanning device to the processor unit of the retail store to perform a look-up function. This look-up function is utilized to determine if related items (e.g., jelly and/or bread) are being offered at a discount price. If that is the case, a signal from the processor unit may be sent to the scanning device . This signal preferably of the type to cause the scanning device to present information indicative of the cross-marketing offer to the customer via the display of the scanning device . An example of such cross-marketing may be save $2.00 on Brand X peanut butter when you buy Brand Y jelly. Another example may be get a free loaf of Brand W bread when you purchase ajar of Brand Z peanut butter. If one or more companion items is desired for purchase by the customer, the customer may simply locate the companion item, scan the UPC (step ), and place the selected companion item in the cart as described in relation to the step of the protocol . For that matter, the displayed promotion may also include data indicative of a location of the retail store where the companion item may be found.
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0082 Referring back to the query of the protocol , if the customer determines that shopping is complete, the customer may proceed to toward the support assembly of the first station (step ). Prior to or during heading toward the first station , the customer may select a payment option from those presented on the display of the scanning device (step ). Indeed, due to the portable nature of the scanning device in addition to the wireless communication feature it provides, the selected items may be purchased by the consumer at any location in the retail store . In any event, as shown in query of the protocol , the customer may be presented with one or more payment options, depending on the payment options that the customer authorized when his/her loyalty card was issued. Payment options that may be presented include preauthorized credit, debit, and/or electronic check (FIG. 8A), or financial center-assisted payment including credit, debit, electronic check, and/or cash (FIG. 8B).
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0083 The portion of the protocol that corresponds to a preauthorized payment is illustrated in FIG. 8A. As shown in step of the protocol , the customer may pay for the selected items by choosing the option that coincides with preauthorized payment using credit card, debit card, or electronic check information that is already on file in the database of the retail store (step of FIG. 8). This may be accomplished in any of a variety of appropriate fashions. For instance, the customer may scroll through the payment options that are presented on the display of the scanning device using one or more of the scroll keys , until the desired preauthorized option is highlighted. The customer may then press the plus key to select that option for payment. A signal from the scanning device may then be wirelessly transmitted to the processor unit of the retail store to complete the sale. In some embodiments, this step may also include a query asking the customer to enter a PIN number or other appropriate data, such as an electronic signature, using the keys of the scanning device to complete the purchase. Accordingly, it may be said that the protocol enables a customer to actually purchase the selected items from virtually any location in the retail store .
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0084 After the purchase has been made in accordance with the step of the protocol , the customer may then return the first station and place the scanning device (or at least a portion thereof) into one of the receptacles of the support assembly that is not already occupied by a scanning device (step ). This placement of the scanning device in the receptacle preferably causes a signal to be provided. This signal generally causes the printer to print out a receipt memorializing the customer's purchases. This receipt preferably includes information conveying that the customer has indeed paid for the selected items, information relating to the method of payment, and a bar code that may be scanned to access an electronic record of the sales transaction. In embodiments of the first station that do not include a printer , placement of the scanning device in the receptacle may cause the printer of the financial center to print out an appropriate receipt. As shown in steps and (respectively), the customer may then obtain the receipt and proceed to the second station for an audit portion (FIG. 8F) of the protocol . Some embodiments of the protocol may even pair the placement of the scanning device in the receptacle with the printing of an appropriate receipt from a printer associated with the second station .
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0085 In a variation of the steps and , the selection of the preauthorized purchase option may be said to fix the sale of the items. That is, this selection may not include a wireless transmission of signal to complete the sales transaction. Instead, once an appropriate electrical contact of the scanning device interfaces with a contact of the receptacle in which the scanning device is placed, data relating to the authorized purchase may be conveyed from the scanning device (via the contacts) through the support structure and to the processor unit of the retail store via appropriate communicative interconnections between the support structure and the processor unit . As such, this variation includes storage of the customer's direction for purchase in an appropriate on-board memory of the scanning device until that data can be relayed to the processor unit via the support structure . A receipt may then be provided for the customer in a manner at least similar to that described above.
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0086 Referring to FIGS. 8 and 8B, in the case that credit card information, debit/ATM card information, and/or electronic check information is not on file for that customer in the database , or in the case that the customer simply chooses to make payment via an actual handling of a payment object (e.g., credit card, debit card, or cash), the customer may simply select that payment option from those presented via the display of the scanning device (step ). This may be accomplished in any of a variety of appropriate fashions. For instance, the customer may scroll through the payment options that are presented on the display of the scanning device using one or more of the scroll keys , until the financial center-assisted option is highlighted. The customer may then press the plus key to select that option for payment. Indeed, the customer may choose to utilize the financial center to pay by cash, electronic check, debit card, or credit card. After selection of the desired purchase manner, a signal from the scanning device may be wirelessly transmitted to the processor unit of the retail store that indicates the selection of that option. Alternatively, the selection of that option may be stored in an appropriate on-board memory of the scanning device at least until the scanning device is placed in a receptacle of the support assembly .
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0087 Still referring to FIG. 8B, after selection of the financial center-assisted option for payment, the customer may then place the scanning device into one of the receptacles of the support assembly of the first station that is not already occupied by a scanning device (step ). This placement of the scanning device in the receptacle preferably causes a signal to be provided. This signal generally causes the printer to print out a receipt listing the customer's selected items and indicating that the customer has not yet paid for those selected items. In addition, this receipt also includes a bar code related to the pending sale. Incidentally, in embodiments of the first station that do not include a printer , placement of the scanning device in the receptacle may cause the printer of the financial center to print out the unpaid receipt. As shown in steps , the customer may then obtain the unpaid receipt and proceed to the financial center (step ). The receipt (or more particularly, a bar code thereon) is preferably read by a scanner of the financial center (step ). The reading of this bar code by the financial center generally causes the processor unit and/or the database associated therewith to be accessed (through appropriate communicative interconnections with the financial center ), and data indicative of the pending sales transaction is preferably presented on the display of the financial center (step ). As an alternative to scanning the bar code of the receipt, the customer's loyalty card may be scanned using the scanner of the financial center to bring up the pending sale information. As another alternative, the customer's fingerprint may be scanned using the scanning device of the financial center to access the pending sale information.
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0088 Referring to query of the protocol , one benefit of displaying this pending sales transaction data is that the customer may make a determination as to whether the information displayed is correct (i.e., does the displayed information coincide with what is believe to be the selected items). If the information presented on the display of the financial center is incorrect, or if the customer has chosen to pay by paper check, the customer may proceed to the second station (step ) where an appropriate employee (e.g., exit audit clerk) of the retail store may resolve any errors in the pending transactions and/or assist in closing the transaction by accepting payment (e.g., a paper check) there (step ).
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0089 By contrast, and still with regard to the query of the protocol , if the information presented on the display of the financial center is indeed correct, another query is made as to the desired method of payment. Incidentally, this query may not be present in all embodiments of the protocol . For instance, in the case that the specific method of financial center-assisted payment is selected using the portable scanning device , and that information is electronically relayed to the financial center , this query may be skipped.
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0090 If the method of payment chosen includes cash, the customer tenders at least that amount of cash to the financial center utilizing the cash input thereof and receives any change owing from one or both of the cash return and the change return of the financial center (step ). Alternatively, if the customer chooses to pay via credit card, the credit card may be inserted or swiped in the card reader of the financial center to complete the sale (step ). In some embodiments of the protocol , this step may be accompanied by a requirement that the customer enter an electronic signature or PIN number utilizing any of a number of appropriate manners known to those of skill in the art. As another alternative, if debit/ATM card is the desired method of payment, that card may be inserted or swiped in the card reader of the financial center to complete the sale. Still another alternative enables the customer to pay via electronic check. While not always the case, it is generally preferred that the customer be required to enter a PIN number to utilize the credit, debit/ATM and/or electronic check methods of payment (step ).
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0091 As another possible method of payment, the customer may have his/her fingerprint scanned by the fingerprint scanning device of the financial center to access the pending transaction as well as payment data of that customer that is stored in the database . In this regard, the scanning of the customer's fingerprint may substitute for a scanning of the customer's loyalty card or receipt using the scanner of the financial center . Further, this scanning of the customer's fingerprint may substitute for a reading of a credit card or debit card by the card reader of the financial center .
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0092 Regardless of the method of financial center-assisted payment utilized, the financial center preferably provides a receipt (via the printer ) for the customer. This receipt preferably includes a transaction-specific bar code and preferably indicates that payment has been made by the customer, as well as the method of in which payment was made. Once the customer has obtained the paid receipt (step ), the customer may proceed to the second station (step ) for an exit audit portion of the protocol .
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0093FIG. 8C illustrates what may be characterized as the exit audit portion of the protocol . In this portion of the protocol , the shopping cart with the purchased items disposed therein is transported to the second station . There, the customer provides the sales receipt generated by the printer or the printer (depending on the method of payment utilized) to an appropriate store employee, and the receipt and content of the shopping cart are analyzed (step ). This analysis may be accomplished in any appropriate fashion including a visual inspection comparing at least some of the items listed on the receipt to those present in the shopping cart . For instance, items generally having a higher sale price may be singled out to determine if that item is indicated on the paid receipt. Having the purchased items in bags that are substantially transparent during this step may be said to at least generally assist the employee in viewing the content thereof without removing the entire content of the bag(s).
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0094 Still with regard to this step of the protocol , the paid receipt (more particularly, the bar code thereon) may be scanned at the second station utilizing the scanning unit . This scanning of the receipt may cause data to be presented on the display of the second station . For instance, an image and/or biographical data (e.g., previously obtained in an enrollment protocol) of the customer may be presented on the display in response to scanning the receipt bar code. This data may be displayed to confirm that the customer in possession of a given loyalty card is indeed the person to which the loyalty card was issued. In some embodiments, based on the scanning of the receipt bar code, a determination may be made as to whether or not one or more of the purchased items is a controlled substance such as tobacco products and/or alcoholic beverages. In the case that the purchased items do include one or more controlled substances, data indicative of an age of the customer may be compared (e.g., electronically) to data indicative of a minimum legal age requirement to purchase the controlled substance. Access and/or the display of this age-indicative data relating to the customer may be triggered by the scanning of the customer's receipt or loyalty card using the scanning device , as well as by scanning the customer's fingerprint using the fingerprint scanning device . This comparison may be accomplished in any appropriate manner including electronically and/or via an employee of the retail store. In this regard, the use of the protocol may be said to provide an enhanced manner of regulating sales of controlled substances. Other data may also be shown on the display including, but not limited to, authorized methods of payment for that customer. Incidentally, while the display may be any of a number of appropriate displays, it is preferably a touch screen that enables an employee or the like to view data and/or navigate to/through data by touching the screen (in one or more appropriate locations).
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0095 In step of the protocol , the items are checked for security tags or the like. Indeed, the second station is equipped with an appropriate security tag detection system that may be utilized to determine if security tagged items are located within the range of the system . The system may provide any appropriate notification upon detection of a security tag. For instance, an audible sound (e.g., alarm) may be provided. Additionally and/or alternatively, a visual signal such as light and/or the presentment of notice on the display may be appropriate. If it is determined that a tag is present, the tagged item may be removed from the shopping cart so that the tag can be deactivated. Further, if it is determined that a tag is present, and the shopping cart does not contain any items that are regularly tagged, the employee may infer that one or more tagged items is located on the person of the customer. In this regard, the protocol may at least generally prevent undesired reduction in profit margins due to theft.
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0096 In another step of the exit audit portion of the protocol , the cart content may be said to be weighed and verified. More particularly, the shopping cart with the items disposed therein is placed on the scale of the second station . The shopping cart preferably exhibits a known weight. Likewise, each of the purchased items preferably has predetermined weight data associated with the UPC. Accordingly, a theoretical weight of the cart and the items contained therein may be determined and printed on the customer's receipt at some point prior to the step of the protocol . Additionally or as alternative to having the receipt include the theoretical weight of the cart and purchased goods, the theoretical weight may be displayed via the display of the second station , which is preferably interconnected with the processor unit of the retail store . Indeed, it is preferred that predetermined weight data be associated with the corresponding UPC of every item that is for sale in the retail store . This predetermined weight data is preferably stored in the database associated with the processor unit . In other words, the database generally includes weight data and price data for each of the items in the retail store . And, the weight and price data is preferably associated with an identification code (e.g., UPC) for each of the items. The step of the protocol generally enables an audit of the cart content by comparing the combined theoretical weight of the cart and each of the purchased items to the actual weight of the cart and the items therein. This comparison may be done in any appropriate fashion including employee-based comparison of the actual and theoretical weights and/or electronic comparison of the same. If the two weights do not match or are not with in an acceptable deviation range, an employee may make an item-by-item comparison of the purchased items versus the one contained in the shopping cart to determine a reason for variation in weights. If the two weights match or are within the acceptable deviation range, the audit is complete, and the customer may leave the retail store with the purchased items.
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0097 It is important to note that the particular order of the steps involved in the audit portion of the protocol is not critical. Accordingly, other embodiments of the protocol may include other appropriate orders of the steps , , , as well as portions thereof. Further, other embodiments of the exit audit portion of the protocol may include additional steps not illustrated in FIG. 8C. One important note is that this exit audit portion of the protocol occurs after all of the items have been purchased. The flexible payment options of the protocol and the minimal employee-based support may be said to beneficially enable customers to spend less time in lines waiting to check out.
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0098FIG. 9 illustrates a sign-up and issuance protocol to enable a customer to acquire a loyalty card . On the first day of participation, a customer may enter the retail store and proceed to an appropriate sign-up area . There, the customer may be asked to provide personal information (step ) including any of a number of appropriate forms of identification (e.g., driver's license or state-issued identification) and/or other biographical data such as, but not limited to, address, email address, telephone number, social security number, and birth date.
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0099 In addition to the collection of personal data, the sign-up and issuance protocol also includes the collection of authorized payment method from the customer (step ). In this step, the customer may provide credit card information, debit/ATM card information, and/or electronic check information. The provision of such information in regard to these preauthorized methods of payment preferably enables a customer to utilize the portion of the protocol illustrated in FIG. 8A.
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0100 Upon collecting the personal and payment method information related to that particular customer, a loyalty card that is specific to that customer may be issued to the customer (step ). Incidentally, the above-described payment method information, along with the personal information, of the customer is preferably stored on the database in connection with the data of the loyalty card . Additionally or alternatively, the payment method information and personal information of the customer may be coupled to the customer's unique fingerprint data. In this regard, the customer's fingerprint may be said, at least in one embodiment, to actually serve the function of the loyalty card .
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0101 The personal and payment information that is coupled with one or both the customer's loyalty card data and fingerprint data is preferably accessible from the database during the protocol . For instance, if a preauthorized payment option is selected in response to the query , a wireless transmission of signal preferably takes place between the scanning device and the processor unit in which the processor unit accesses the database to determine if that selected payment option has been preauthorized by the customer. As another example, the during the exit audit portion of the protocol , the scanning of the receipt in the step preferably causes the database to be accessed to provide data relating to the customer as well as the most recent sales transaction.
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0102 Some retail stores may already utilize some form of a loyalty card . In such retail stores, the protocol may be modified to allow the customer to provide the above-described personal and payment information, and the bar code and/or magnetic strip of the existing loyalty card may be used to correspond the collected data with data indicative of that particular loyalty card . For example, data indicative of the bar code of the existing loyalty card may be paired with the information in the portion of the database dedicated to that particular customer so that information may be utilized during the protocol .
0103 Those skilled in the art will now see that certain modifications can be made to the system and methods herein disclosed with respect to the illustrated embodiments, without departing from the spirit of the instant invention. And while the invention has been described above with respect to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is adapted to numerous rearrangements, modifications, and alterations, and all such arrangements, modifications, and alterations are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims. | |
Besides their own departments of psychology and neuroscience, they also will have sections of cognitive and language sciences, cognitive engineering, and sociology. Faculty members at the cognitive science division were been trained in cognitive psychology.
The investigators at the UCLA cognitive science department are specially curious about how your brain works. Neuropsychologists such as Jerome Kagan, Joseph M. Berend, along with Richard W. Griswold are popularly known due to their focus on stimulation control, and it can be involved with how memory is established and stored. The brain’s and learning power to sustain advice has been studied by the science faculty. Professor John Cahill functions on increasing the potency of the subject of learning and memoryfoam.
Neurobiology is one of the major areas of study in the UCLA cognitive science department. Timothy J. Johnson is the director of the school’s new Institute for Neurobiology and behavior. It was designed to expand neuroscience research to include multiple disciplines. There are also multidisciplinary departments of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. These departments of psychology and psychiatry are interdisciplinary because they incorporate disciplines from neuroscience, psychology, sociology, health care, business, and education.
Neurobiology isn’t an area of psychology, however, it also includes the analysis of how the mind produces behaviors and processes information. They can be regarding the study of their brain, although Many areas of psychology tend not to involve neurobiology.
Neurobiology is broken up into two different kinds: Physiology and Pathology. Pathology involves illnesses that are characteristic of diseases of the nervous system and the psychological and behavioural issues.
Physiology includes conditions and illnesses that are part of this range of neurological problems. To go into this region of analysis is always to be well educated in both pathology and anatomy.
If you have been considering a career in cognitive science, UCLA is the place to start. Some of the courses offered by the UCLA cognitive science department are introductory psychology and disorders of the nervous system. For advanced courses, there are courses in cognitive science, neuroscience, and developmental psychology.
Psychology is a rather extensive issue, covering a vast variety of subjects, such as psychiatry, mathematics, social science, social economics, political science, anthropology, philosophy, and lots of others. A degree in psych can provide you an exceptional base in lots of distinct places of study because areas of research Urology at psychology.
The psychology field is also very diverse. The discipline covers a variety of fields, including anthropology, biochemistry, behaviorism, developmental psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, organizational behavior, medical psychology, and sociological psychology.
Sociology is the subject’s focus on behavior and the study of structure of relationships. Sociology can include research regarding race, writing essays ethnicity, sex, sexuality, class, and other facets that shape culture.
Neuroanatomy examines the workings of the mind and the ways that the brain helps make us www.apsu.edu who we are. In Neuroscience, the area of study is becoming more refined and less controversial.
Cognitive science is extremely important to people in various fields of study. Psychology, linguistics, economics, computer science, engineering, and many others are now studying how the mind https://www.masterpapers.com/ works. By studying how the mind works, they will be able to make better decisions and find better solutions to problems. | https://anibalmago.com/ucla-has-initiated-the-analysis-of-cognition/ |
Q:
What is the radiant intensity of the celestial sphere?
Specifically, excluding the Sun and the Moon:
How much energy, as light and other frequencies reaches a point in space on the average, if you add up all the sources like distant stars, the Milky Way, distant galaxies, nebulae etc.? How much brighter is the space than "perfect blackness" on the average?
Say, we've developed a magical solar battery that has 100% efficiency, can absorb all electromagnetic frequencies, is spherical, fully omnidirectional and has $1 m^2$ of cross-section surface (56cm radius); we sent it out halfway to Proxima Centauri and we measure how much power it produces - how many watts we'd get out of the battery utilizing all the starlight available?
Note: If "all frequencies" is not easily obtainable, the luminous counterpart to radiant values will be okay (only taking visible spectrum into account).
A:
The electromagnetic energy density is dominated by the cosmic microwave background and the optical/IR background. This Physics SE answer, contains the plot below, showing the contribution of energy density at different frequencies. You can integrate under this "by eye" to see that the CMB contribution is the largest followed closely by an optical/IR bump.
A plot of $\nu I_\nu$ (proportional to energy density per logarithmic frequency interval), taken from Hill et al. (2018)
The CMB is approximately isotropic blackbody radiation with a temperature of 2.73 K and therefore a specific intensity of
$I_{\nu} = \frac{2h\nu^3}{c^2}\frac{1}{\exp[h \nu/k_B T] -1} $$
The integral of this over all frequencies is
$$ u = \frac{8\pi^5 (k_B T)^4}{15 (hc)^3} = 4.2 \times 10^{-14}\ \ {\rm J\ m}^{-3} $$
In terms of power, we just multiply by $c$ to get $1.3\times 10^{-5}$ Wm$^{-2}$.
Note that you can't harness this unless you have a receiver that is colder than the CMB.
You can do a rough calculation for the contribution of optical background light by noting that the dark sky at a good, dark astronomical site is around 22 mag per square arcsecond in the V band. Only about 0.1-0.2 mag of this could be attributed to light pollution at the best astronomical sites (see for example Benn & Ellison 2007). Noting that the zero point for the V-band magnitude scale is $3.6 \times 10^{-12}$ Wm$^{-2}$ per angstrom for $V=0$ and taking the optical band as 3000 angstroms, and noting there are $5.34\times 10^{11}$ square arcseconds in the sky, then a point in space will receive $10^{-5}$ Wm$^{-2}$ (or perhaps about half this, because a significant fraction of the dark sky brightness is caused by airglow).
This roughly agrees with what is shown in the plot. Contributions at mid-infrared and at shorter wavelengths than optical do not contribute appreciably.
It might be thought that discrete sources or the Milky Way might contribute more, but I think that isn't the case. The Milky Way surface brightness is only about a factor of three above the dark sky brightness, but of course occupies a tiny fraction of the total sky.
A way to see that discrete stars don't contribute much is to note that the optical flux from the entire dark sky is equivalent to about 1000 zeroth magnitude stars or $10^7$ stars at 10th magnitude. Both numbers are higher by orders of magnitude than the actual numbers of Galactic stars at these brightnesses.
| |
% Comparison of the 5 values obtained from above and selection of the smallest value and the position.
[min_Final_error,Final_Index]=min(min_MAE)
Final_Results=ForecastValues(Final_Index,:);
% Confirmation of results
a=mae(Final_Results-ActualData);
In the above code I have the matrix NewDatax (5X70) and I select each row of the specific matrix (NewDatax) and the above procedure is done and then I calculate the MAE. After each column of the matrix MAE I find the smallest value but also the position of the smallest value. Next, I compare the smallest value of each column and select the smallest value and its position so that all 30 values are selected which give this small result. In the end I re-calculate the error-mae (a) to confirm if the results are correct. However, the following issue arises: The result given by a is the mae given by the values of the last iteration. That is, the values from the last iteration (5x30) are stored in matrix Values. How to save all values from each iteration? That is, the size of the matrix Values should be 500x30. Your help is important.
Answers (1)
Manas Shukla on 3 Feb 2022
As per my understanding, you want the variable “Value” to be of size (500*30) instead of (5*30). Since dimensions of the variable “Value” depends on the variable “Datax”, you should change the way you are indexing in “Datax”. Replace line number 3 of the code snippet you provided in the question with following:
Datax(100*(r-1)+w,:)=(W'*NewDatax(r,:)')';
This will modify the dimensions of the variable “Value” to (500*30).
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What are elements that could help an internal audit department run properly?
Hereunder are the elements that will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the internal audit department of an enterprise:
- Strong and practical supports from the highest – level governing body (the Board): Besides approving the important documents such as internal audit charter, audit processes, ... the board must ensure that these documents are truly valid in practice through their clear attitude and actions to help internal auditors fulfill their authorities and responsibilities. Internal audit department's discussion and recommendations must be highly appreciated and supported by the board, rather than ignored or delayed. It can be said that internal audit is just for appearance if it is not strongly backed by the Board.
- Internal audit charter, audit processes, and audit approaches should be officially documented and be continuously updating and adjusting, rather using verbal communication or email: Documentation will help everyone efficiently adjust their thinking and actions in a same direction rather than going different ways.
- Purposes, authorities, responsibilities of internal audit presented in the internal audit charter should be in line the Vietnamese and the International Standards: Generally accepted standards are those approved by many professionals, therefore they are the best to follow to ensure the fulfillment of internal audit and avoid conflicts related to independence and objectivity. Enterprises can make some adjustments (in comparison to the standards) to make the internal audit charter better reflecting the enterprises’ characteristics and requirements, but must ensure that such adjustments do not create significant gaps.
- Internal training and communication about the purposes, authorities and responsibilities of internal audit should be extensively focused and performed regularly: This will help remove biases of other departments about internal audit department, therefore enhancing their collaboration and coordination.
- Human resource with adequate and appropriate knowledges and personalities: Internal audit needs personnel who meet the high-level criteria so as to able to provide independent and objective opinions with quality to the Board and senior management. Therefore, recruitment and training activities should be properly invested. In addition to the in-house resources, enterprises should consider outsourcing solutions to compensate for the shortages of personnel.
- Regular performance assessment of audit quality: This is one of the requirement of internal audit standards to help enterprises maintain satisfactory audit quality. Enterprises can perform this activity by themselves or outsource it to a proper auditing firm.
- A good internal control environment: With a good internal control environment, the roles of internal audit could be best demonstrated, as everyone in the enterprise is well aware of controls and risks, making the coordination with internal audit very effective and efficient.
What are solutions when other departments do not well cooperate with internal auditors?
- Internal auditors need to understand the causes and nature of the issue so as to effectively consider suitable solutions for both short-term and long-term.
- If the Board’s support and intervention needed, auditors need to raise the issues to them to seek for further support.
Short-term solutions usually come from the direct intervention of the Board, and long-term solutions come from the people’s awareness and attitude about internal audit. For example: improving internal communication, effective internal training, enhancing control environment, adjusting charter/ processes/ approaches.
- Outsourcing can be an effective solution in some cases. | https://www.crowe.com/vn/insights/internal-audit-publication/faq/b5-factors-that-help-internal-audit-department-operate-properly |
Rishabh Pant and opener Sanju Samson stitched together a 143-run stand in only 63 balls for the second wicket as Delhi Daredevils pulled off the second highest successful run chase in Indian Premier League history.
Chasing 209 for a win and keep their play-offs hopes alive, Delhi rode on Pant’s 97 off 43 balls and opener Sanju Samson’s 31-ball 61 to overhaul the victory target against Gujarat Lions in 17.3 overs. (Pant’s innings won the the best in IPL: Tendulkar)
Chatting with with coach Rahul Dravid post match on iplt20.com, Pant revealed his success mantra.
“I just told Sanju bhai, see the ball and hit it. If the ball is there to hit, just hit it. Don’t think about the next ball, if next ball is also there to be hit, do so,” Pant said in a candid chat. (Pant consoled by Raina after heartbreak at 97)
“I was in a good nick. I was watching the ball well and I think the atmosphere really helped. This game is all about the mindset. It was very clear and positive. So, I just backed myself,” Samson said. (I like to play aggressively: Pant)
Pant said they just targetted the bad balls and had no specific plan against any bowler in particular.
“As I told you, the plan was just to hit the bad ball,” Pant added.
Samson said he enjoyed batting with Pant.
“I really enjoyed batting with Rishabh. I started the innings really well. After hitting two sixes, I thought of taking a single but he came up to me and said, ‘bhaiya zyada socho mat, bass marte raho’. I think that really helped me to go on, enjoyed batting with him,” Samson added.
Pant further said, “a good domestic season really helped. We have won two matches in a row, but we will take one match at a time.”
The “incredible innings” by the two youngsters has left Dravid pretty impressed.
“What was impressive for me was Risabh batting on 97 and not thinking about his hundred at that stage and still going for the shots and not worrying about the hundred nd looking to get the team home. Incredible innings from the two boys and truly well deserved. As I am a hard task master, so I hope that you guys finish the job next time and stay not out,” Dravid concluded.
With four win, Delhi climbed to sixth spot on 8 points from 10 matches. They need to win their remaining four matches to keep their hopes alive of finishing in top four. | https://www.yogems.com/yopedia/rishabh-pants-success-mantra-see-ball-hit-ball/ |
Title: Arts of China [ Complete in 3 volumes]. 1 Neolithic Cultures to the T'ang Dynasty . 2. Buddhist Cave Temples. 3. Paintings in Chinese Museums.
Description: Tokyo, New York and San Francisco, Kodansha International Ltd. 1972. Folio - over 12" - 15" tall. Complete in 3 volumes. Books measure 14 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches. Bound in original publishers grey buckram/cloth, with lettering to spines, design on top board. Cloth very lightly rubbed, library number on spines. Bindings in very good clean firm condition.Internally, very occasional library stamp or mark, [ about 10 to each volume ]. Pages in very good clean condition throughout. A good clean solid set. Very Good.
Keywords: china
Price: GBP
95.00
= appr. US$ 135.66 Seller: George Jeffery Books
- Book number: 097072
See more books from our catalog: | https://www.antiqbook.co.uk/boox/jef/097072.shtml |
The text to be displayed at a level is specified with the <w:lvlText w:val=" "/> element. All text in the val attribute is treated as literal text to appear in each instance, except for any use of the percent symbol (%) followed by a number. That percent-number combination represents the index of the level whose number is to be used. The index is one-based (begins with 1). So, for example, %2 indicates that the symbol/number/letter used at the second level (w:lvl w:ilvl="1") should be used.
In the example below, the first level uses Roman numerals as the numbering symbol, the second uses upper-case letters, and the third incorporates text, the previous level symbols, as well as hyphens and the symbol specified for the level (decimal number).
Attributes:
|Attribute||Description|
|null||Specifies that a null character should be used as the numbering symbol: <w:lvlText w:null="1"/>. Possible values are either true (or 1) or false (or 0). Note that turning this to true will mean a null character is used, not the empty string.|
|val||Specifies the text to be used for the numbering level when referenced in content. If a value is not specified, then the empty string is used. A percent-number combination (e.g., %2) can be used to incorporate the number from a higher level. The number in such a case represents the index of the level whose numbering symbol is to be used. The index is one-based (begins with 1). So %2 will incorporate the symbol from the second level. Note that the level being defined (say level x) will typically incorporate its own level number in some way using %x. This will output the appropriate number based upon what is specified for the format numFmt for that level and based upon how many have appears since a restart of numbering at that level. So if level x specifies %x and the numFmt is upperLetter and it is the fifth appearance of the level in the content, then the output for the level will be "E".|
Related Open Document Format (ODF) Property:
The text that is used in a numbered or bulletted list item or within an outline heading is specified by the style:num-prefix, style:num-suffix, and style:num-format attributes within the <text:list-level-style-number>, <text:list-level-style-bullet> or <text:outline-level-style> element for the level defined within the <text:list-style> applied to the list or for the outline style applied to the heading.
The following sample defines the text for level 4 of the list as an Arabic numbers followed by a close parenthesis--e.g., 1), 2), etc.
The format of the actual variable number or of the bullet character is specified by the style:num-format or style:bullet-char attribute, respectively. See the ODF discussion in Defining a Particular Level - Displaying as Numerals Only for more on the style:num-format attribute. The prefix and suffix of the number or bullet character are specified with literal text for the values of style:num-prefix and style:num-suffix. | http://www.officeopenxml.com/WPnumberingLevelText.php |
Standards / Jazz / Bossa / Instrumental:
What a wonderful world - L.Armstrong
Strangers in the night - Frank Sinatra
Yesterday - Beatles
Blue Bossa - Kenny Dorham
Summertime - G.Gershwin (Demo - click)
Take five - Dave Brubeck (Demo - click)
Autumn leaves - Jacques Prévert
Sunny - Ray Charles
Nature boy - George Benson
Body and soul - Sarah Vaughn
Round midnight - Thelonius Monk
All Blues - Miles Davis
Danny Boy - Trad. irish
Misty - Erroll Garner
Night & day - Cole Porter
Wave - Luis Bonfa
Nuages - Django Reinhardt (Demo - click)
Shadow of your smile - Wes Montgomery
Softly as in the morning sunrise - Jim Hall
Somewhere over the rainbow
All of me
Sweet Georgia Brown - Django Reinhardt
Moon river - Nat King Cole
You are so beautiful - Joe Cocker
Georgia - Ray Charles
Stardust - Nat King Cole
Petit fleur
Besame mucho - Diana Krall
Blue in green - Miles Davis
Feelings
Girl from Ipanema - C.Jobim
Imagine - John Lennon
Black Orpheus - C.Jobim
Days of wine and roses - Wes Montgomery
September Song - Nat King Cole
Honeysuckle Rose - Fats Waller
Midnight blue - Kenny Burrell
Cry me a river - Julie London
French kiss - Tom Woll
My funny Valentine - Chaka Kahn
Classic / Film: (Ukulele)
Caruso - Lucio Dalla (Demo - click)
Concierto d´Aranjuez - Joaquin Rodrigo (Demo - click)
Bolero - Maurice Ravel (Demo - click)
Paroles, Paroles - Dalida
Der 3. Mann - Anton Karas (Demo - click)
As time goes by - Casablanca
Wiesbaden Blues - Tom Woll (Demo - click)
Der Pate - Enrico Morricone
Hello - Lionel Ritchie
Havana - Kenny G. (Demo - click)
Ave Maria - Bach
La Paloma - Trad.
Lounge / Jazz / Instrumentals:
Europa - Santana
Samba Pa Ti - Santana
Sugar - S.Turrentine
Jessica - Allman Brothers
Get lucky - Daft Punk
Tears in heaven - E.Clapton
Shape of my heart - Sting
Mister Blue - Tom Woll (Demo - click)
Jesus to a child - George Michael
Rise - Herb Alpert
While my guitar gently weeps - George Harrison
I believe I can fly - R.Kelly
My cherie amor - Stevie Wonder
Chamaeleon - H.Hancock
Cantaloup island - H.Hancock
Thru the night - Tom Woll (Demo - click)
Burnable - Larry Carlton
Aquamarine - Santana
Slabo day - Peter Green
Coolsville - J.Cooling
Calle - J.Cooling
Mystic voyage - J.Cooling
Don`t know why - Nora Jones
Winelight - Grover Washington
Pick up the pieces - Average White Band
Lily was here - Candy Dulfer
Saving all my love for you - Witney Houston
Sleepwalk - Hank Marvin
Wichita lineman - Glen Campbell
Blues for Bernie - Tom Woll (Demo - click)
Feel like makin love - Roberta Flack
Let`s stay together - Al Green
On my way back home - Tom Woll
Rio de Janejro blue - Randy Crawford
Just the 2 of us - Kool & the Gang
Tequila - The Champs
Killer Joe - Benny Golson
Moonflower - Santana
Captain of her heart - Double
Footprints - Wayne Shorter
Good Day - J.Cooling
Jesus to a child - George Michael
Maputo - David Sanborn
Daddy O. - Joyce Cooling
Cold duck Time - Eddie Harris
Put it where you want it - The Crusaders
So what - Miles Davis
Mr.Magic - G. Washington
Luminosa - Tom Woll
Boogie on reggae woman - Stevie Wonder
Chicken - Jaco Pastorius
Mercy mercy
Killing me softly - Randy Crawford
And I love her - Beatles
Rainy night in - Georgia Ray Charles
East Wes - Eric Johnson
Freddie the Freeloader - Miles Davis
Watermelon man - H.Hancock
Always & forever - Luther Vandross
Chittlins con carne - Kenny Burrell
Breezin` - George Benson
Another day in paradise - Phil Collis
Billie Jean - M.Jackson
Green Impala - J.Cooling
Jody Grind - Eddie Harris
Me & Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
Cause we`ve ended as lovers - Jeff Beck
A whiter shade of pale - Procul Harum
Bumpin` - Wes Montgomery
Toast and Jam - Joyce Cooling
On my own - Pattie Labelle & Michael McDonald
Girl Talk - Kenny Burrell
Vocal: Tom Woll:
Calm after the Storm - Common Linnets
Purple rain - Prince
Black magic woman - Peter Green
Old Love - E.Clapton
No woman no cry - Bob Marley
California dreaming - Mamas & Papas
You`ll never find - Lou Rawls
Don`t clean my guitar - Tom Woll (Demo - click)
Sweet company - Tom Woll (Demo - click)
Don`t you cry - Tom Woll (Demo - click)
Sensitive kind - J.J.Cale
Still got the Blues - Gary Moore
Everybody`s talking - Jimmy Buffet
You`ll never find - Lou Rawls
Nightshift - Commodores
Slave to the rhythm - Grace Jones
Wish you were here - Pink Floyd
Fields of gold - Sting
Cosmo - Tom Woll
No woman no cry - Bob Marley
Easy - Commodores
Such a crazy kind - Tom Woll
Summer in the City - J.Cocker
I am so into you - Atlanta Rhythm Section
Ride the river - JJ Cale
Slow dancing in a burning room - John Mayer
Sea of love - Boz Scaggs
Stand by me - Ben E. King
Unchain my heart - Ray Charles / Cocker
Wandrin`star - Lee Marvin
Folsom prison - J.Cash
Lady Soul - Temptations
Midnight in Harlem - Susan Tedeschi
Rainbow girl - Elliot Lurie
Sunny - Ray Charles
Why did you do it - Stretch
You gotta serve somebody - Bob Dylan
Mustang Sally - W.Pickett
Breakdown - Tom Petty
Crossroads - E.Clapton
Sweet home - Chicago E.Clapton
Wish you were here - Pink Floyd
On the beach - Chris Rea
Temptation - Diana Krall
Boulevard of broken dreams - Nat King Cole
What a wonderful world - L.Armstrong
King of the road - Dean Martin
Wonderful tonight - E.Clapton
Lay down Sally - E.Clapton
River of tears - E.Clapton
Going down slow - E.Clapton
Call me the breeze - JJ Cale
Hit the road Jack - Ray Charles
Rock me Baby - B.B.King
Tin Pan Alley - Stevie Ray Vaughn
I can`t get no - Satisfaction Rolling Stones
Ain`t no sunshine - Bill Withers
I´m confessin`that I love you - Michael Bublé
Stormy Monday - T-Bone Walker
Red house - Jimi Hendrix
Before you accuse me - CCR
Rollin`& rollin` - John Lee Hooker
Shotgun Blues - Blues Bros.
Since I met you Baby - Bobby Bland
Jockey full of Bourbon - Tom Waits
I can`t stand the rain - Tina Turner
I don`t need no doctor - Ray Charles
Demasiado Corazon - Willy de Ville
Love another woman - Gary Moore
As the years go passing by - Boz Scaggs
Midnight Blues - Gary Moore
My head`s in Mississippi - ZZ Top
Fool for your stockings - ZZ Top
Blue Jean Blues - ZZ Top
Cocain - JJ Cale
California Blues - CCR
You never can tell - Chuck Berry
Home - Michael Bublé
You got me runnin` - Jimmy Reed
Satisfy Suzie - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Sick & tired - Boz Scaggs
Big fat woman - Tom Woll
Summer in the city - Joe Cocker
Little wing - Jimi Hendrix
Red house - Jimi Hendrix
Guitars and Cadillacs - Toby Keith
Cruisin` - Taj Mahal
Fifty five - Tom Woll
Riders on the storm - The Doors
Hard to thrill - JJ Cale
I put a spell on you - Bobby Bland
Mercury Blues - David Lindley
Good year - Marc Benno
Dance your Blues away - Tom Woll
Tube snake boogie - ZZ Top
Suzy Q - Tony Joe White
Route 66 - Nat King Cole
Fool I am - Tom Woll
Don`t clean my guitar - Tom Woll
Disco Blues - Tom Woll
White horse - Laid Back
Bakerman - Laid Back
Love sneakin`up on you - Bonnie Riatt
Help the poor - Robben Ford
Christmas Songs: | http://tomwoll-kindofblue.com/?SONGLIST |
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