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A sunny coconut cake that sings with passionfruit curd filling.
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups superfine sugar
4 eggs
3 tablespoons cream of coconut (Goya or CocoLopez brands are best)
1 cup coconut milk
1 eight-ounce jar of store bought passion fruit curd (if you can’t find passion fruit curd, lemon curd works beautifully)
Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
2½ cups confectioners sugar, sifted (plus ½ cup for consistency)
3 tablspoons canned cream of coconut
½ teaspoon coconut extract
pinch of salt
2 cups flaked coconut
- For the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 6 minutes.
- Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add eggs, one and a time, and beat until fully incorporated.
- Add flour and milk alternately to bowl, beginning and ending with flour beating until just combined.
- Divide batter in half.
- Gently stir in food coloring to desired shade.
- Transfer tinted batters to pans.
- Smooth tops with a knife and bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes in pans, turn out onto cooling racks, and allow cakes to cool completely before assembling.
- Using a serrated knife, slice each cake in half to create a total of four layers.
- Place first layer on cake stand and spread with 3 tablespoons of curd. Repeat with remaining layers.
- Spread coconut crème frosting in an even layer over the top and sides.
- Before the frosting sets, gently press flaked coconut to top and sides of cake. Serve.
- For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined.
- Scrape down sides.
- Gradually add 2 ½ cups confectioners sugar and beat until smooth.
- Stir in cream of coconut, extract, and salt.
- Adjust consistency with remaining ½ cup confectioners sugar, if needed.
TIP:
The number of layers and variety of colors you prefer will dictate how many times you will need to prepare the batter. Each recipe can be divided in half and each half tinted a different color yielding four layers, two of each color. For more layers/ colors, prepare additional batches. Doubling the recipe is not recommended. | http://www.sweetpaulmag.com/food/coconut-milk-pound-cake-with-coconut-cream-cheese-frosting |
ESA’s GOCE, 1100 kg heavy, satellite has re-entered Earth’s atmosphere. The spacecraft fell at approximately 00:16 UTC on November 11, 2013 over the South Atlantic Ocean east of Tierra del Fuego, off the southernmost tip of the South America. An estimated 25% of debris reached Earth’s surface, while most of the satellite disintegrated in the atmosphere
There have been no reports of damage to property or sightings of debris. GOCE re-entered over Siberia, continued over the Western Pacific Ocean, the eastern Indian Ocean, Antarctica and finally southernmost tip of South America.
GOCE's orbit is so low that it experiences drag from the outer edges of Earth's atmosphere. The satellite's streamline structure and use of electric propulsion system counteract atmospheric drag to ensure that the data are of true gravity. (Credit: ESA/AEOS Medialab)
According to Heiner Klinkrad, Head of ESA’s Space Debris Office, in the 56 years of spaceflight, some 15 000 tons of man-made space objects have re-entered the atmosphere without causing a single human injury to date.
GOCE has spent most of its mission at an altitude of 255 km (158 miles), but has recently been at the lowest altitude of any research satellite at 224 km (139 miles).
The $450 million satellite was launched in 2009 to study Earth's gravity field in unprecedented detail. Scientist have used GOCE's data to create the first global high-resolution map of the boundary between Earth’s crust and mantle, known as the Moho.
Featured image: Artist's conception of the European Space Agency's GOCE satellite in orbit. (Credit: ESA /AOES Medialab)
REMOVE ADS AND SUPPORT OUR WORK
Producing content you read on this website takes a lot of time, effort, and hard work. If you value what we do here, please consider becoming a supporter. | https://watchers.news/2013/11/11/goce-re-entered-earth-s-atmosphere-and-ended-its-journey-in-atlantic-ocean/ |
Families Interested In The Nutritional Aspect Of Serious Mental Illness (NZ) – Any families who are interested and think it would benefit them to discuss nutrition and the connection with serious mental illness with a mother who has researched this area for 15 years, with some success, are invited to contact Julie by phone or write to: Nutritional Support, C/- Supporting Families in Mental Illness Auckland, PO Box 78122 Grey Lynn, Auckland, 1245.
Nutrition & Psychiatry (US) – In this issue, Jacka et al. present data regarding the association of dietary patterns with depression and anxiety. Jacka and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study in Australia in which adult women were randomly selected. A comprehensive food frequency questionnaire was developed to reflect 12-month eating habits, and it was administered to each subject. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR was utilized to assess psychiatric disorders, with particular focus on major depressive disorder, dysthymia, and anxiety disorders. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was also used to quantify psychiatric symptoms. | https://supportingfamilies.org.nz/diet-nutrition/ |
Pages
2009-05-31
Vegan Baking Cheat Sheet
Karina's Vegan Baking Cheat Sheet
Baking gluten-free and vegan translates to one simple truth that is hard to teach. Because it can only be learned by experience. This one simple truth?Unlearn everything you think you know- or thought you understood- about baking.All those mandatory Home Economics classes about kneading bread dough for ten minutes to improve elasticity or leavening a cake with beaten egg whites won't help your inner Betty Crocker to bloom if you're gluten-free and vegan. In fact, clinging to old notions about what works- and what doesn't- might lead you down a rather prickly circuitous path to ruin. Not to mention, your personal Culinary Museum of Failure. But don't let this bare bones truth inhibit you.
In fact, let it free you.
Embrace your unlearning. Cast your tightly gripped assumptions about butter and cream and spelt and yolks out the kitchen screen door. Give them a boot. Wish them Vaya con Dios, because Kansas, Dorothy, is going bye bye. Welcome to Oz.
Some gluten-free folks bake vegan for ethical reasons- they don't eat anything with a face. Others are dairy-free or egg-free due to additional food allergies (common among celiacs and those on the neuro-diverse autism spectrum).
Whatever your reasons for baking g-free vegan, I welcome you with open arms. I've been baking without gluten for seven-plus years. And June 2009 marks my second anniversary for baking strictly vegan- no dairy, no eggs, and just to keep life interesting, no soy. Or beans. My body is less than fond of anything in the legume family. That's why you won't find me using tofu, soy milk or chick pea flour in my recipes. (But if they float your boat, have at 'em.)
One important note about gluten-free treats and ingredients-
My philosophy is that a treat should taste like a treat- especially if you bake with a limited palate. For sweetening I use organic golden brown sugar. I don't pretend my Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookie is health food. It's a cookie. If you need to balance your diet, make a soup chock full of seasonal veggies. Eat a crisp green salad topped with hemp or salba seeds. Whip up a fruit smoothie with rice protein powder. And if you crave a cookie, then go enjoy a cookie. Take a walk. Stretch. Breathe. A little sugar is not going to hurt you- unless you need to eat low glycemic; the choice then, is to use organic raw agave nectar (basically, fructose, which is metabolized by the liver and impacts blood sugar with less of a bang). But- and you suspected there was a but, right?- too much agave, like too much sugar, isn't necessarily a "healthier choice", either. Fructose- in any form- is still sugar, and should be enjoyed in moderation.
In the spirit of moderation, I follow two approaches- a traditional Mediterranean Diet approach to cooking that emphasizes extra virgin olive oil as the main fat (I use olive oil in place of butter as an Italian inspired bread dip, drizzled on baked potatoes, and whisked in salad dressings), plenty of fresh vegetables, gluten-free whole grains, and garlic with herbs. In cooking I use a higher smoke point avocado oil. The second approach I favor is a fusion of Asian and California vegan cooking that features fresh stir-fries, rice, and rice noodles, Thai-inspired sauces with coconut milk, salads, seaweed, non-GMO organic tofu, soaked nuts and vegetarian sushi.
For shortening in baking I use raw organic coconut oil, or sometimes Spectrum Organic Shortening made from palm oil. If you can use one of the organic non-trans fat vegan margarine spreads on the market, they should work in my recipes as long as the blend is suitable for baking (some light blends contain too much water for use in baking or cooking).
I'm starting to experiment with more nut flours and coconut flour in baking. If you'd like to add a nut flour to your g-free flour mix, feel free to replace 1/4 to 1/2 cup of one of the higher protein flours I use (such as quinoa or buckwheat) with nut meal or coconut flour. Note: nut meals create a chewier texture; and coconut flour absorbs liquid, so use less liquid with coconut flour, or the result will be heavy.
Karina's Vegan G-Free Baking Cheat Sheet
My favorite protein rich gluten-free flours in vegan baking:
Sorghum flourAlmond flourHazelnut flourBuckwheat flour
Millet flour
Quinoa flourBrown rice flour
Coconut flour
More choices:
Cornmeal (certified GF)Teff flourAmaranth flour
Chick pea and bean flours
Soy flour
A blend of at least two gluten-free flours is best. Add a little starch or two to help the heavier g-free flours rise and stretch. In summer heat and humidity keep flours stored in the fridge (bean and brown rice flours especially can spoil quickly).
Starches for lightness and stretch:
Arrowroot starch
Potato starch (NOT potato flour)
Tapioca starch
CornstarchAdd some flaxseed meal for fiber.
You need a gum:
In gluten-free baking, xanthan gum helps add viscosity and stretchy give to batters and doughs. Some folks are highly suspicious of xanthan gum, a mold derived additive grown on cellulose (usually corn), but to me, xanthan isn't all that scary; it is odorless and tasteless (if it isn't, you've got a bad batch). It doesn't come cheap; but a bag will last you for months; store it in the fridge.
For those who can handle legumes, guar gum is a cheaper, similar binding product made from guar beans. Note: those with sensitive digestion may react to guar gum (some report it works as a laxative).
For those of you baking gum-free, one alternative is to add a tablespoon of arrowroot starch to your basic g-free flour mix. It doesn't exactly replicate the viscosity that xanthan gum gives dough and batters, but. Hey. It helps. Flax seed gel helps a bit, as well.
Replacing eggs:
For most egg-free recipes, I use powdered Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with warm water. 1 tablespoon powdered replacer whisked with 4 tablespoons warm water equals 2 eggs. This works in cakes, cookies, muffins, and breads. It does not replace eggs in a custard based recipe, unfortunately.
If avoiding corn or potato starch, substitute 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or arrowroot starch plus 3 tablespoons water for each egg called for in recipe to help binding. You will need to increase leavening a bit to compensate; add 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.
Flax seed is a choice (for those not allergic to flax seeds). Use two tablespoons ground flax meal plus 1/8 teaspoon baking powder blended with 3 tablespoons of water for each egg called for in recipe.
Chia seeds can also- theoretically- be used as a gel for gluten-free baking. From the genus Salvia hispanica, chia is a plant in the Mint family- an excellent alternative for those of us allergic to flax seed.Just be careful it doesn't make the batter too gummy. Bake thoroughly.
Mayo: Use 3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise in place of one egg, for binding. I would add a little extra leavening- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.
Tofu: Try using 1/4 cup silken tofu for one egg for binding; I would add a little extra leavening- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.
Replacing Dairy:
This is the easiest part of vegan baking. Use your favorite non-dairy milk alternative in place of milk. To create a sour buttermilk taste, add a 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or light tasting vinegar to the non-dairy milk. Or add a tablespoon of Vegenaise. You can also use juice- in an apple cake or muffin, try apple juice or cider. In cakes and scones try orange juice, pineapple juice, or pear juice.
For replacing yogurt, any g-free non-dairy yogurt should work.
Replacing butter:
As mentioned above in the introduction, I use light olive oil or organic coconut oil in baking and it works like a charm (as well as being good for you). Start with LESS oil than the butter called for. At least 1 to 3 tablespoons less.
Other choices include Spectrum Organic Shortening (you can sub one to one for butter), or grapeseed oil, canola and safflower oil (use less than the amount of butter called for).
Fruit puree can also work as a fat sub, but some tinkering may be necessary. Start with only subbing half the fat and go slow. Mix up the batter and make sure it's not too heavy. Applesauce, pumpkin, squash and sweet potato puree can all add low fat body to batters and breads. You may have to compensate for the added flavor- use extra spice (ginger, cinnamon) or more vanilla extract. Choose your pairings for compatibility- stronger tastes like sweet potato go better with deeper flavors like molasses, ginger and pie spices, for instance.
Storing G-Free Vegan Baked Goods
Freeze it. If you're not eating all of it, it's best to slice, wrap in foil, bag, and freeze it. Even cookies. It seems like a pain to do this for simple things like cookies and brownies, but it's worth the effort. It will keep your goodies fresh. And one advantage is you'll have a store of ready-to-go treats on hand.
Troubleshooting in vegan g-free baking:
The cake or bread did not rise; or it rose and fell:
Too much liquid and not enough structure (sugar is structure, if you lessen it or replace it with agave, your batter may be too wet or too gummy), or too much leavening (it rose too fast then collapsed). Try using less liquid.
The oven temperature was too high or too low (every oven has its own personality). Test your oven with an oven thermometer- you might be surprised.
The pan was too small. If there is too much batter in a pan, the middle is thicker and takes longer to bake.
The pan was too big. A larger pan than called for results in a thinner, flatter end result.
You used frozen fruit and the batter got cold. Or you chill your flours or liquid ingredients; next time bring all ingredients to room temperature; use hot liquid.Or mix your batter and let it sit for ten minutes.
Tips:
Batters should resemble slightly thicker, stickier versions of their wheat based counterparts. If a batter is too thin, add more g-free flour (not starch). If a batter is too thick add a tablespoon of warm water at a time until it reaches the right consistency. How will you know it when you see it? After baking awhile, you will develop an intuition about batters, and how they behave in your oven, at your altitude, season, and weather.
Karina's Notes on gluten-free vegan batter:
Gluten-free vegan batters are a tad different than wheat and white flour batters. They are stiffer at first, then stretch and get sticky as the xanthan gum and egg replacer do their thing.
If the batter "climbs" the beaters, slow down the speed and slightly lift the beaters to encourage the batter to move back down into the bowl. Move your beater around the bowl in figure eights, at a slight angle. Practice your technique- soon you'll be winging around gluten-free vegan baking like a pro.
Vegan G-free Dough:
Yeasted g-free bread dough (and pizza dough) is less like traditional dough and more resembles a thick cake batter; you spread it with wet hands or spatula. If it's too thick, I find the loaf turns out too dense. Check the consistency while mixing and adjust the wet to dry ratio if you need to.
Weather and humidity can influence dough; I find I need to tweak dough from time to time- adding an extra tablespoon of warm water if it's too thick, or a tablespoon of sorghum flour if it's too thin- like a thin cake batter. It needs to be more like thick cake or muffin batter.
If the weather is very humid, use less honey or agave- they are both humectant and attract moisture. Use less liquid as well- too much liquid makes a loaf gummy or sunken.
Use metal pans for baking. I use (Chicago Metallic).
If you use glass baking pans, read the manufacturer's guidelines for glass pans; you may need to alter oven temperature by lowering it 25 degrees F.
Trouble: The cake, bread, cookie, muffin wasn't done in the center; or it was gummy in the center.
Check the cake, bread etc before removing it from the oven. If the center of a cake, muffin or bread is soft, wiggly or depressed, bake it longer until it is firm to a light touch. Don't be afraid to bake it for another ten minutes or more if it needs it.Test with a wooden pick. It should be clean when it's done.
Note that every oven is slightly different, and your oven temperature may be hotter or cooler than mine; adjust the baking times to your oven. If you consistently need 5 extra minutes baking time, expect that. Or if you seem to need less, check for doneness sooner.
High altitude baking needs longer baking times. Some egg-free recipes, such as brownies, are really tough to bake at high altitude. You might try increasing oven temperature by 25 degrees F.
Your pan might be too large, or the batter too wet.
Using seed gels for an egg replacer can produce a gummy center. Even hemp seed "milk" might do this.
Too much fruit puree, frozen fruit, or too much liquid can all produce a gummy center.
I find that agave increases moisture in a recipe- like honey, it's a humectant. If the center is gummy, cut back on the agave- especially if it's humid.
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At the end of April 2015, the World Bank’s Carbon Fund held its 12th meeting in Paris. James Singh, head of the Guyana Forestry Commission, gave an “Early Idea Presentation” on Guyana’s Emission Reductions Program Idea Note (ER-PIN).
Singh’s presentation starts with an overview of Guyana. “One of Guyana’s most valued natural assets is its forests,” Singh writes. Forest covers 85% of the country, with 8% in Protected Areas and nearly 15% titled to Indigenous Peoples, “making Amerindians the second largest land owner in Guyana after the Government”.
The annual rate of deforestation for the past 23 years is between 0.02% and 0.078%.
Singh describes Guyana’s Monitoring, Reporting and Verification System. Guyana has carried out four annual assessments (2010-2013). The most recent assessment is for 2013, and is available here. The 261-page report is “issued jointly by Indufor and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC)”, suggesting that it is not entirely independent.
Singh’s presentation mentions “sustainable mining”, “sustainable forestry”, and “community forestry”. He mentions Guyana’s “strong political commitment dedicated to natural resources management”, the National Land Use Plan, consultation and participation, stakeholder engagement, safeguards, generating co-benefits, and Guyana’s status of REDD+ readiness.
Obviously, Singh’s presentation doesn’t mention the fact that Guyana has done precisely nothing to improve governance in the forestry or mining sectors. As John Palmer noted in June 2014,
Since the signing of the Norway-Guyana MoU in November 2009, the GoG has made no changes to policy, strategy, laws, regulations or procedures concerning forestry or mining.
The most (perhaps the only) interesting slide in Singh’s presentation is this one:
Guyana is aiming for approximately 22.8 MtCO2e of reductions. This breaks down as follows (the figures are rounded off):
- 2 million tCO2e reductions from the mining sector
- 1.3 million tCO2e from the forestry sector
- 19.5 million tCO2e from “upward adjustment of Guyana’s reference level”
So, Guyana’s early idea for joining in the World Bank’s Carbon Fund party amounts to 14% wishful thinking about forestry and mining, and 86% cooking the books on the reference level. | https://redd-monitor.org/2015/05/14/will-the-world-bank-fund-guyanas-hot-air-proposal/ |
Panda Black has the hex code #3C4748. The equivalent RGB values are (60, 71, 72), which means it is composed of 30% red, 35% green and 35% blue. The CMYK color codes, used in printers, are C:17 M:1 Y:0 K:72. In the HSV/HSB scale, Panda Black has a hue of 185°, 17% saturation and a brightness value of 28%.
Details of other color codes including equivalent web safe and HTML & CSS colors are given in the table below. Also listed are the closest Pantone® (PMS) and RAL colors.
Panda Black is an RAL Design color with the number 220 30 05. Different from the Classic list, the RAL Design catalogue specifies colors for interiors. RAL is a well-known color matching system used in several European countries including Germany, France, Italy and the UK.
Panda Black hex code is #3C4748 with equivalent RGB (60, 71, 72). You can use these along with HSL values in HTML and CSS code to display the color on web pages. Please also note that the CMYK values and the corresponding Pantone (PMS) number mentioned on this page have been calculated from the hex code and are only approximations.
|Hex Code||#3C4748|
|RGB Values||(60, 71, 72)|
|CMYK Values||(17%, 1%, 0%, 72%)|
|HSV/HSB Values||(185°, 17%, 28%)|
|Closest Web Safe||#333333|
|Inverse Color||#C3B8B7 [Gray (X11)]|
|Closest Pantone®||446 C|
|Closest RAL||7026 [Granite grey]|
|Complementary Color||#483D3C [Dark Puce]|
|Panda Black Converted to Grayscale Codes|
|Simple Average||#444444|
|Desaturated||#424242|
|Weighted Average (Most Common)||#444444|
|Weighted Average (Luma)||#454545|
|Weighted Average (Gamma Adjusted)||#898989|
The complement of Panda Black is Dark Puce with the hex code #483D3C. Complementary colors are those found at the opposite ends of the color wheel. Thus, as per the RGB system, the best contrast to #3C4748 color is offered by #483D3C. The complementary color palette is easiest to use and work with. Studies have shown that contrasting color palette is the best way to grab a viewer's attention.
The analogous colors of Panda Black (#3C4748) are Arsenic (#3C4148) and Arsenic (#3C4843). In the RGB color wheel, these two analogous colors occur to the right and left of Panda Black with a 30° separation on either side. An analogous color palette is extremely soothing to the eyes and works wonders if your main color is soft or pastel.
As per the RGB color wheel, the split-complementary colors of Panda Black (#3C4748) are #483C41 (Dark Puce) and #48433C (Rifle Green). A split-complementary color palette consists of the main color along with those on either side (30°) of the complementary color. Based on our research, usage of split-complementary palettes is on the rise online, especially in graphics and web sites designs. It may be because it is not as contrasting as the complementary color palette and, hence, results in a combination which is pleasant to the eyes.
Panda Black triadic color palette has three colors each of which is separated by 120° in the RGB wheel. Thus, #483C47 (Purple Taupe) and #47483C (Rifle Green) along with #3C4748 create a stunning and beautiful triadic palette with the maximum variation in hue and, therefore, offering the best possible contrast when taken together.
The tetradic palette of Panda Black has four colors - #483C47 (Purple Taupe), #483D3C (Dark Puce) and #3C483D (Rifle Green) in addition to the base color (#3C4748). A tetradic color palette is complex and, in most cases, should not be used off-the-shelf. We suggest tweaking the colors slightly to achieve desired results.
Panda Black square color palette has #433C48 (Arsenic), #483D3C (Dark Puce) and #41483C (Rifle Green). Quite like triadic, the hues in a square palette are at the maximum distance from each other, which is 90°.
Note: For several colors purposes, a square palette may look much better than the tetrad color palette.
Our Panda Black rainbow color palette is based on the RGB model and consists of 7 colors, just like the traditional rainbow. You might not see a lot of variation in color, especially if the chosen color is dark or extremely light. However, this can lead interesting rainbow palettes that are faded, soft, pastel or dull. | https://www.color-name.com/panda-black.color |
The director of the International Institute for Environmental and Development (IIED), Camilla Toulmin has called for adequate policy to tackle all form of gender inequality and seize the urban potential to improve lives as growth in the urban area is inevitable while poverty is not.
A recent research conducted by IIED with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed that urbanization provides more job opportunities for the women but this doesn’t always give a fair distribution of wealth and other advantages that come with it.
The research result, NaijaAgroNet gathered shows that residents of low-income and informal urban settlements suffer hugely from inadequate living conditions with limited access to services that disproportionate burden on women's unpaid time and results in far-reaching consequences for the well-being.
Speaking about the report, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, UNFPA Executive Director said that the research gave room for a new and emerging area of work which is of critical importance in order to reduce poverty and work towards gender equality.
“Responding effectively to rapid urbanization—which is occurring in many countries—requires empowering women and young people and improving their access to education, health and employment,” he said.
Speaking on the same note, a researcher from IIED, Cecilia Tacoli affirmed that gender inequalities in free time, working and living conditions, as well as exposure to violence, are some of the hidden aspects of poverty that affect women more disproportionately.
“When people talk of poverty they focus on income, but poverty has other aspects that affect men and women, old and young people in different ways,” Cecilia noted.
Further, NaijaAgroNet gathered from the report of the research that urbanization leads to lower fertility rates, but women living in poor areas may have as many children as rural women because their access to reproductive health services can be just as bad, if not worse. | https://www.naijaagronet.com.ng/2012/03/urban-growth-inevitable-but-urban.html |
His main research concerns Agriculture, Natural resource economics, Greenhouse gas, Carbon sequestration and Climate change. His work deals with themes such as Economic sector, Agricultural economics and Yield, which intersect with Agriculture. The study incorporates disciplines such as Economic model, Forest management, Energy crop, Welfare and Afforestation in addition to Natural resource economics.
His biological study spans a wide range of topics, including Sector model, Fossil fuel, Biomass and Coal. His Carbon sequestration research includes themes of Agroforestry, Soil carbon, Carbon credit, Environmental protection and Carbon price. The Climate change study combines topics in areas such as Economic impact analysis and Environmental resource management.
His primary areas of investigation include Agriculture, Climate change, Natural resource economics, Greenhouse gas and Agricultural economics. His Agriculture research is multidisciplinary, incorporating elements of Production, Forestry and Welfare. He works mostly in the field of Climate change, limiting it down to topics relating to Land use and, in certain cases, Agroforestry, as a part of the same area of interest.
Natural resource economics and Global warming are commonly linked in his work. Bruce A. McCarl has researched Greenhouse gas in several fields, including Carbon sequestration, Biofuel, Biomass and Environmental protection. His study in Economic impact analysis extends to Agricultural economics with its themes.
Bruce A. McCarl mainly investigates Climate change, Agriculture, Natural resource economics, Agricultural economics and Production. His Climate change study combines topics in areas such as Land use, Environmental resource management, Adaptation and Environmental planning. His Land use research incorporates elements of Global warming and Agroforestry.
His study deals with a combination of Agriculture and Renewable Fuel Standard. His Natural resource economics research includes elements of Value of information, Stochastic programming, Drainage basin and Greenhouse gas. Bruce A. McCarl combines subjects such as Productivity, Adaptation strategies, Livestock and Sector model with his study of Production.
His main research concerns Climate change, Agriculture, Natural resource economics, Adaptation and Environmental resource management. His research integrates issues of Precipitation, Agricultural productivity and Agricultural economics in his study of Climate change. His study in Agriculture is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing from both Production, Environmental protection and Environmental planning.
The various areas that Bruce A. McCarl examines in his Natural resource economics study include Welfare, Spatial distribution, Integrated pest management and Greenhouse gas. Bruce A. McCarl interconnects Wind power, Renewable energy, Pasture and Land use in the investigation of issues within Greenhouse gas. His Environmental resource management research integrates issues from Information Dissemination and Developing country.
This overview was generated by a machine learning system which analysed the scientist’s body of work. If you have any feedback, you can contact us here.
Greenhouse gas mitigation in agriculture
Pete Smith;Daniel Martino;Zucong Cai;Daniel Gwary.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B (2008)
Trading water for carbon with biological carbon sequestration
Robert B. Jackson;Esteban G. Jobbágy;Esteban G. Jobbágy;Roni Avissar;Somnath Baidya Roy.
Science (2005)
A Representation and Economic Interpretation of a Two-Level Programming Problem
José Fortuny-Amat;Bruce McCarl.
Journal of the Operational Research Society (1981)
Global climate change and US agriculture
Richard M. Adams;Cynthia Rosenzweig;Robert M. Peart;Joe T. Ritchie.
Nature (1990)
Biochar for Environmental Management
Simon Shackley;Abbie Clare;Stephen Joseph;Bruce McCarl.
Taylor and Francis (2009)
Policy and technological constraints to implementation of greenhouse gas mitigation options in agriculture
Pete Smith;Daniel Martino;Zucong Cai;Daniel Gwary.
Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (2007)
U.S. AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE CHANGE: NEW RESULTS
J. Reilly;F. Tubiello;B. McCarl;D. Abler.
Climatic Change (2003)
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in U.S. Agriculture and Forestry
Bruce A. McCarl;Uwe A. Schneider.
Science (2001)
Price Endogenous Mathematical Programming As a Tool for Sector Analysis
Bruce A. McCarl;Thomas H. Spreen.
American Journal of Agricultural Economics (1980)
Economic Potential of Biomass Based Fuels for Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation
Uwe A. Schneider;Bruce A. McCarl.
Environmental and Resource Economics (2003)
If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.
We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below: | https://research.com/u/bruce-a-mccarl |
"We recorded our third successive quarter of net profit, on a non-GAAP basis, and the first full year of net profit, on a non-GAAP basis, since 2013. These successes reflect our consistent revenue performance combined with the cost control measures we have implemented over the last couple of years," said Rick Bloom, President and Chief Executive Officer of the company.
Financial Summary
For the fourth quarter of 2018, total revenue was $17.5 million, an increase of 8 percent compared to revenues of $16.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 and down slightly from total revenue of $18.0 million in the third quarter of 2018. Revenues for the full year 2018 were $69.5 million, an increase of 16 percent over revenues of $60.1 million for 2017.
On a GAAP basis, we recorded net income of $0.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, or $0.02 per share, compared to a loss of $(0.3) million, or $(0.2) per share, in the fourth quarter of 2017 and a loss of (9.1) million, or $(0.49) per share, in the third quarter of 2018. For the full year 2018, we recorded a net loss of $(9.1) million, or (0.48) per share, as compared with a net loss of $(1.5) million, or $(0.08) per share for 2017.
On a non-GAAP basis, we recorded net income of $0.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, or $0.03 per share, compared to net income of $0.4 million, or $0.02 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2017 and net income of $1.0 million, or $0.05 per share, in the third quarter of 2018. For the full year 2018, we recorded income of $1.6 million, or $0.08 per share, as compared with a net loss of $(0.4) million, or $(0.02) per share for 2017. Key changes in our non-GAAP income from continuing operations included the following:
Gross profit increased by $0.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017, but was down $0.5 million compared to the third quarter of 2018 and was down $0.8 million year-over-year.
Our gross profit margin declined by 0.5 percentage points compared with the same quarter of 2017 and was down 2.2 percentage points relative to the third quarter of 2018. The decline from the third quarter reflected additional recruiting and training costs as we contend with a competitive labor market and higher than our historic attrition rates.
Operating expenses in the fourth quarter of 2018 of $2.8 million were relatively flat as compared with both the fourth quarter of 2017 and the third quarter of 2018. For the full year 2018, operating expenses decreased by $2.4 million (18 percent) from 2017 levels with this decline reflecting the full year impact of the 2017 cost-saving initiatives, in place for the entire 2018 period. These cost-saving initiatives included which included operational efficiencies, tighter fiscal controls on spending, and the renegotiation of certain vendor agreements.
Non-GAAP income/(loss) excludes stock-based compensation, amortization of intangible assets, restructuring expenses and a one-time legal settlement expense taken in the third quarter of 2018. Additionally, in the fourth quarter of 2017, we excluded a one-time tax expense on foreign earnings and profits. Collectively, these items impacted income/(loss) from continuing operations by $0.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, $10.1 million in the third quarter of 2018, $0.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, and $10.7 million and $1.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results is presented in the tables below.
Balance Sheet Information
At December 31, 2018, cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments were $49.6 million, of which we anticipate $10 million will be paid to the Federal Trade Commission ('FTC') during 2019 as a part of the previously disclosed settlement negotiations. Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $47.9 million at September 30, 2018, and $49.2 million at December 31, 2017.
Total assets as of December 31, 2018, were $64.6 million and total shareholders' equity was $47.9 million.
Support.com will not host a conference call discussing the Company's fourth quarter results. For more information, please visit the Investor Relations section of the Support.com website at Support.com/about-us/investor-relations/.
About Support.com
Support.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPRT) is a full-spectrum leader in outsourced call center and direct-to-consumer technical support solutions. The company's skilled US-based workforce delivers high quality, turnkey support solutions. With more than 20 years serving well-known brands, Support.com has the expertise, tools, and software solutions to troubleshoot and maintain all the devices in the connected home, helping people get the most out of their technology. For more information, please visit www.support.com.
Support.com, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, visit http://www.support.com/about-us/careers.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended) concerning Support.com. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements that address our expected future business and financial performance and other statements identified by words such as "will", "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "should", "intend", "plan", "potential", "predict" "project", "aim", and similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs of the management of Support.com, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, such management, current market trends and market conditions and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Company's and management's control, and which may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, all statements relating to expected financial performance (including without limitation statements involving growth and projections of revenue, margin, profitability, income (loss) from continuing operations, income (loss) per share from continuing operations, cash usage or generation, cash balance as of any future date, capital structure and other financial items); the plans and objectives of management for future operations, customer relationships, products, services or investments; personnel matters; and future performance in economic and other terms. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations that involve a number of uncertainties and risks that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, our ability to retain and grow major programs, our ability to expand and diversify our customer base, our ability to market and sell our Support.com Cloud (formerly "Nexus®") software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering, our ability to maintain and grow revenue, any acquisitions we may make, including integrating acquired companies with our existing businesses and our ability to achieve the benefits, growth prospects and synergies expected by such acquisitions, our ability to successfully develop new products and services, our ability to manage our workforce, our ability to operate in markets that are subject to extensive regulations, such as support for home security systems, our ability to control expenses and achieve desired margins, our ability to maintain or improve gross margin, our dependence on a small number of customers and partners, our ability to attract, train and retain talented employees, potential intellectual property, class action or other litigation, fluctuations in government laws and regulations, our ability to utilize and realize the value of our net operating loss carryforwards and how they could be substantially limited or permanently impaired, given our current market capitalization and cash position, our ability to execute the cost reduction program involving the planned actions on the expected schedule, our ability to achieve the cost savings expected in connection with the cost reduction plan, the ultimate effect of any such cost reductions on our financial results, any expenses or reputational damage associated with resolving customer warranty and/or indemnification claims; and our ability to manage the effects of the cost reduction plan on our workforce and other operations. Our filings with the SEC, which may be obtained for free at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov, discuss some of the important risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Actual results may vary from the estimates provided. We undertake no intent or obligation to publicly update or revise any of the estimates and other forward-looking statements made in this announcement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Support.com excludes stock-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets and other, restructuring charges, one-time legal settlement charges and tax expense on foreign earnings and profits from its GAAP results, in order to determine the non-GAAP financial measures of income (loss) from continuing operations and income (loss) from continuing operations per share, as described in A through D below. We believe that the non-GAAP measures, when viewed in addition to and not in lieu of our reported GAAP results, assist investors in understanding our results of operations.
A. Stock-based compensation expense. Management excludes stock-based compensation expense when evaluating its performance from period to period because such expenses do not require cash settlement and because such expenses are not used by management to assess the performance of the Company's business. Stock-based compensation expense was $93,000 in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $135,000 in the fourth quarter of 2017 and $102,000 in the third quarter of 2018. For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, stock-based compensation expense was $680,000 and $430,000, respectively.
B. One-time legal settlement for FTC litigation. Management excludes significant one-time litigation settlement charges when evaluating its operating performance because the Company does not incur such charges on a predictable or recurring basis and exclusion of such charges enables more consistent evaluation of the Company's operating performance. The expense for the one-time legal settlement with the FTC was $10 million in the third quarter of 2018 and for the year ended December 31, 2018. Other legal and related expenses associated with this investigation were expensed as incurred and included in general and administrative expenses in the financial statements. These other legal and related expenses are not a part of our non-GAAP adjustments.
C. Amortization of intangible assets and other. The Company does not acquire businesses on a predictable cycle; therefore, management excludes acquisition-related intangible asset amortization and related charges when evaluating its operating performance. Amortization of intangible assets and other was zero in the fourth quarter of 2018 and 2017 and the third quarter of 2018. For the years ended December 31, 2018, and 2017, amortization of intangible assets and other was zero and $16,000, respectively.
D. Restructuring charges. Management excludes restructuring charges when evaluating its operating performance because the Company does not incur such charges on a predictable basis and exclusion of such charges enables more consistent evaluation of the Company's operating performance. Restructuring charges were $128,000 in the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2017, and zero in all other periods presented herein.
E. Tax expenses on foreign earnings and profits. Following the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017, Management reviewed the company's investments in its foreign subsidiaries under ASC 740-30-25. Based on this review, the company changed its assertion regarding its investment in Support.com India Private Ltd, which resulted in the company accruing $543,000 for a one-time transition tax in anticipation of repatriating our previously untaxed foreign earnings and profits in the fourth quarter of 2017.
The Company believes that non-GAAP financial measures have significant limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with the Company's financial results as determined in accordance with GAAP and that these measures should only be used to evaluate the Company's financial results in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP measures. In addition, the exclusion of the items indicated above from the non-GAAP financial measures presented does not indicate an expectation by management that such items will not be incurred in subsequent periods.
Note 4: On January 20, 2017, the Company implemented a 1-for-3 reverse stock split. All share and per share information contained within this press release has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the effects of the reverse stock split.
SUPPORT.COM, INC.
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP FINANCIAL RESULTS TO NON-GAAP
FINANCIAL MEASURES
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended
Twelve Months Ended
Dec 31, 2018
Sept 30, 2018
Dec 31, 2017
Dec 31, 2018
Dec 31, 2017
GAAP cost of revenue
$
14,467
$
14,463
$
13,376
$
57,604
$
47,388
Stock-based compensation expense (Cost of revenue portion only)
(14
)
(11
)
(27
)
(63
)
(113
)
Non-GAAP cost of revenue
$
14,453
$
14,452
$
13,349
$
57,541
$
47,275
GAAP operating expenses
$
2,923
$
12,914
$
2,867
$
22,011
$
14,298
Stock-based compensation expense (Excl. cost of revenue portion)
(79
)
(91
)
(108
)
(617
)
(317
)
Amortization of intangible assets and other
-
-
-
-
(16
)
Restructuring
-
-
-
-
(128
)
Legal settlement
-
(10,000
)
-
(10,000
)
-
Non-GAAP operating expenses
$
2,844
$
2,823
$
2,759
$
11,394
$
13,837
GAAP net income (loss)
$
418
$
(9,148
)
$
(306
)
$
(9,100
)
$
(1,526
)
Stock-based compensation expense
93
102
135
680
430
Legal settlement
-
10,000
-
10,000
-
Amortization of intangible assets and other
-
-
-
-
16
Restructuring
-
-
-
-
128
Tax
expense on international earnings and profits
-
-
543
543
Total impact of Non-GAAP exclusions
93
10,102
678
10,680
1,117
Non-GAAP net income (loss)
$
511
$
954
$
372
$
1,580
$
(409
)
Earnings (loss) per share (3)
Basic - GAAP
$
0.02
$
(0.49
)
$
(0.02
)
$
(0.48
)
$
(0.08
)
Basic - Non-GAAP
$
0.03
$
0.05
$
0.02
$
0.08
$
(0.02
)
Diluted - GAAP
$
0.02
$
(0.49
)
$
(0.02
)
$
(0.48
)
$
(0.08
)
Diluted - Non-GAAP
$
0.03
$
0.05
$
0.02
$
0.08
$
(0.02
)
Shares used in computing per share amounts
(GAAP)
Basic
18,923
18,805
18,720
18,826
18,644
Diluted
18,983
18,805
18,720
18,912
18,644
Shares used in computing per share amounts (Non-GAAP)
(3)
Basic
18,923
18,805
18,720
18,826
18,644
Diluted
18,983
18,974
19,037
18,912
18,644
The adjustments above reconcile the Company's GAAP financial results to the non-GAAP financial measures used by the Company. The Company's non-GAAP financial measures exclude stock-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets and other, restructuring charges, tax expense associated international earnings and profits and one-time legal settlement charges. The Company believes that presentation of these non-GAAP items provides meaningful supplemental information to investors when viewed in conjunction with, and not in lieu of, the Company's GAAP results. However, the non-GAAP financial measures have not been prepared under a comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. Non-GAAP information should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, information prepared in accordance with GAAP. Moreover, there are material limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures. See the text of this press release for more information on non-GAAP financial measures.
2018 amounts are subject to completion of management's customary closing and review procedures.
Investor Contact
Investor Relations, Support.com +1 (650) 556-8574 [email protected]
SOURCE: Support.com, Inc.
View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/538031/Supportcom-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-2018-Financial-Results | |
The Every Child Succeeds Act, passed on December 15 2015, will also give districts more flexibility when it comes to teacher evaluation. Some districts across the state are already thinking outside the box when it comes to teacher evaluation. Region 9, for example, uses peer coaches to foster collaboration and improved teaching practice. Region 9's peer coaches do not evaluate their colleagues, but do provide constructive feedback on the lessons they've observed, which promotes increased dialogue about what good teaching and learning looks like.
If your PDEC would like help in identifying areas of flexibility to get your district thinking outside the box, the CEA's Department of Policy, Research, and Reform is here to help. Please contact Kate Field, CEA's Teacher Development Specialist, at [email protected] for more information.
Download a PDF copy of our presentation delivered at the 2016 New Teacher Conference.
Training for evaluators is one area that CEA leaders on the Council have previously highlighted as needing attention, and PEAC heard from administrators in the Wolcott Public Schools about their efforts to improve evaluator training.
These guidelines provide direction to school districts as they develop and adopt new systems of educator evaluation and support. These guidelines aim to ensure that districts have common and high expectations that educators are evaluated in a fair and consistent manner, and that employment decisions are based on fair, valid, reliable and useful indicators of a educator's work.
This presentation will introduce you to the language from the state guidelines regarding dispute resolution and will differentiate between disputes and grievances.
This presentation will provide you with concrete ideas for your PDEC to discuss so they can clearly establish some working strategies and understand the most important responsibilities they can and should take on.
Changes to the teacher evaluation guidelines now stress that a teacher's evaluation should reflect progress over time in meeting goals. This presentation will describe the guidelines language change and how this promotes better practice.
The teacher evaluation guidelines now include one example of a structure for the dispute resolution process. This presentation describes the language additions to the guidelines, and gives 3 additional examples of structures that can be mutually agreed upon by the PDEC for use in resolving disputes that arise in the teacher evaluation process.
The teacher evaluation guidelines now prohibit any single, isolated test score from being used to show student growth for teacher evaluation. This presentation explains the requirements for using standardized assessments and provides clear examples of how teachers in state-tested and non-state tested subjects can use standardized and non-standardized indicators to show student growth over time.
PEAC approved flexibility options for district Professional Development and Evaluation Committees to discuss and consider, with use beginning this year.
View this recorded presentation to learn more about those options and see sample questions your PDE committee should discuss before making decisions and recommendations for changes.
Rather than design evaluation processes that primarily promote compliance in using parent and student or peer feedback, there are options that can lead to more meaningful, active participation in these areas.
PDE committees can mutually agree to adopt any of the flexibility options and begin using them this year. The committee must also review the current plan and agree on any changes for the plan for next year. Read about the steps recommended for your committee to take for both tasks.
Eliminating the use of the CMT/CAPT/SBAC assessments in teacher evaluation for this year requires thoughtful discussion about the best way to select indicators of student growth. These are some of the questions your committee should discuss.
This document contains pertinent statutory language that can guide your district Professional Development and Evaluation committee as they develop a comprehensive plan.
Information for districts on evaluation plan submission, process for requesting a waiver, 2014 SEED handbook, 2014 CCT Rubric for Effective Teaching, & evaluation of central office administrators.
Update on the proposed changes regarding teacher rating terms, use of tests to show student growth, and the dispute resolution process.
In June 2012, the State Board of Education adopted new guidelines for teacher evaluation to reflect statutory changes passed by the legislature in its 2012 session. The State Department of Education then developed a model for educator evaluation, called the System for Educator Evaluation and Development (SEED). | http://m.cea.org/evaluation/resources/ |
I want to help as many people as I can find their blessed assurance of salvation and bridge the gap between their spiritual and emotional lives. My desire is for you to find freedom in loving God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Through our time together, I will also work to help you pursue peace and unity with others. I offer counseling for children, teens, adult individuals, couples, families, and groups. With empathy and open communication, I will work with you to find lasting solutions to the problems you face.
My Goal as a Christian Counselor
My goal is to serve you with humility and respect for the Holy Spirit’s work in your life. Through our sessions, my hope is that you will gain the ability to understand the truth pillars that will stand the test of time and hold up through trials. We will work together to help you develop replacement habits to balance your life and provide stability, peace, and joy no matter the circumstances.
What I Offer in Christian Counseling
I will partner with you, taking what you bring to a session and helping you break it into themes or patterns that we can address one by one. As my client, you can expect me to be open and direct. I strive to use compassion and understanding to help you find God’s truth so your relationships with God, yourself, and others can be stabilized and heal.
My Approach to Christian Counseling
With Christ, there’s so much more power in the work that is done. Using biblical wisdom goes deeper to the heart of the issue, reaches farther, and provides longer lasting results than basic psychology. That being said, I’ve used the Bible to understand psychology as both a student and a practitioner. I’ve discovered the distinct differences and the complete complement of the two (the science of psychology and the Bible). My faith is established on the truth that God alone offers wisdom and goodness. I believe what people need most are light and truth, and that is what I work to help them find (whether it be a simple step toward truth or a full deep dive into practicing faith). | https://orangecountychristiancounseling.com/counselors/jace-draper |
4 edition of Dharma in the Hindu scriptures and in the Bible found in the catalog.
Dharma in the Hindu scriptures and in the Bible
James Canjanam Gamaliel
Published
1997
by Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge in Delhi
.
Written in English
Edition Notes
Includes bibliographical references (p. -81).
|Statement||James Canjanam Gamaliel.|
|Classifications|
|LC Classifications||BL1213.52 .G36 1997|
|The Physical Object|
|Pagination||x, 81 p. ;|
|Number of Pages||81|
|ID Numbers|
|Open Library||OL503949M|
|ISBN 10||8172143850|
|LC Control Number||98901105|
Their words and wisdom permeate Hindu thought, ritual and meditation. The Vedas are the ultimate scriptural authority for Hindus. Their oldest portions are said by some to date back as far as 6, bce, orally transmitted for most of history and written down in Sanskrit in the last few millennia, making them the world’s longest and most. Hindu texts are manuscripts and historical literature related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism.A few texts are shared resources across these traditions and broadly considered as Hindu scriptures. These include the Vedas and the rs hesitate in defining the term "Hindu scriptures" given the diverse nature of Hinduism, but many list the Bhagavad Gita and the.
A Book of Hindu Scriptures: The Bagavad Gita, The Upanishads, The Rig – Veda [Judge, William Q., Paramananda, Swami, Griffith, Ralph T.H.] on *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A Book of Hindu Scriptures: The Bagavad Gita, The Upanishads, The Rig – VedaReviews: 2. The magnitude of our scripture is such -- and such is its glory. "Pramanam Vedasca", says the Apastamba Dharmasutra. The Vedas are indeed the sources of all dharmas as well as the authority on which they are founded. A book that has been cherished by the great men of th Tamil country from the earliest times is Manu-dharma-nul (Manusmriti.
(Hindu Scriptures continued below) TOP€€€€€ Hindu Scriptures€€ - Continued) The Mantra Samhitas The Rig-Veda Samhita is the grandest book of the Hindus, the oldest and the best. It is the great Indian scripture, which no Hindu would forget to adore from the core of . While dharma is thought to be the cosmic law which maintains harmony and governs creation at the level of the universe, it represents a unique life purpose or a code of living for individuals. Specifically speaking, the ancient Hindu scriptures outline four specific types of dharma which should be understood and adhered to.
October Dawn
At a meeting of a number of the citizens of Philadelphia, the district of Southwark, and the Northern Liberties, at Mr. Dunwoodys tavern, for the purpose of nominating a candidate to be supported at the ensuing election, the following resolution was unanimously adopted. ...
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Concurring opinion writing on the U.S. Supreme Court
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Dharma in the Hindu scriptures and in the Bible [James Canjanam Gamaliel] on *FREE* shipping on qualifying : James Canjanam Gamaliel. There are roug total scriptures in the universe of Sanathana Dharma.
Of these, about 3, are Orthodox (Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, etc. and + Vedanta) and another 7, are for misc. sects (various sampradayas, sectarian). SANATAN DHARMA/HINDUISM SCRIPTURES/HOLY BOOK AUM - In the beginning was the Word. In Hindu belief, creation started with the Divine Syllable - Om.
Knowledge was one of the first creations to take place. It is supposed to have radiated from the Mind of Lord Vishnu to that of Lord Brahma and ultimately emanate from his. The oldest and the most important scriptures of Sanathana Dharma are the Vedas.
Veda means knowledge. Vedas are apauruseya, which means they are not compilations of human knowledge. Dharma refers to the duty inherent in appointed social roles.
Besides pointing out the eternal path to the overcoming of sorrow, dharma organizes society and provides security, stability, and happiness to families and their children.
"Sanatana dharma" is a Hindu phrase meaning "the eternal religion" of India. Dharma is explained by the Vedas, the Smrutis, and the teachings and conduct of one who is brahmanishtha (God-realized) andshrotriya (one who knows the true meanings of the sacred texts).
The Dharma Shastras are the primary texts of Hindu law and code of conduct. Sruti scriptures include the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sãma and Atharva) and the Bhagavad Gîtã, and constitute the highest religious authority in Hindu religion.
Smriti scriptures include five distinct groups of writings: Itihãsas (History or Epics) Purãnas (Mythology) Dharma Shãstras- Law Codes Ãgamas & Tantras- Sectarian Size: KB.
Hindu scripture is made up of two categories, Shruti and Smriti. Shruti means "that which is heard" (what Christians would call "revelation"). Hindus believe that from time immemorial, sages known as Dhrishtas (literally "seers") have, during a state of Tapasya (deep meditation), heard sacred verses directly from the gods.
As I discuss in this question, the Dwapara Yuga (the age before the one. Hindu history of Azerbaijan-Ateshgah of Baku-Fire temple Fire Temple of Baku” is a castle-like religious temple in Surakhani town (in Suraxanı raion), a suburb in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The pentagonal complex, which has a courtyard surrounded by cells for monks and a tetrapillar-altar in. Common Concept of God in Hinduism: some Hindus believe in the existence of three gods, some believe in thousands of gods, and some others in thirty three crore i.e.
million Gods. However, learned Hindus, who are well versed in their scriptures, insist that a Hindu should believe in and worship only one God Thus the major difference between the Hindu and the Muslim beliefs is the. We have Divided the Articles of Sanatana Dharma in to two categories UAL PART: To Educate people regarding Truth and to remove false belief, fabrications, myths that have haunted and Degraded Hinduism, To tell the exact Meaning behind evey traditions and festivals accordingto Hindu holy scriptures.
Dharma in the Hindu scriptures and in the Bible. Delhi: Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, (OCoLC) Document Type: Book: All Authors / Contributors: James Canjanam Gamaliel.
We have many classes of scriptures in Sanatana Dharma. Sruthi, Smrithi, Puranas and Ithihas form major part of them. Sruthi, also known as Vedas are 'Apourusheyam' i.e. they aren't written by anyone. They existed from the time God existed (which is eternity).
Dharma in the Hindu Scriptures and in the Bible Paperback – Dec 31 by James Canjanam Gamaliel (Author)Author: James Canjanam Gamaliel. “Any (so‐called) dharma which will not lead to happiness and which is (generally) condemned in the people (loka‐vikrusta) must be abandoned”. (Manu 12;‐) This injunction directs the Hindu community to adapt its religious practices to the values of the.
THE HINDU SCRIPTURES. Simple Christians have the Bible Book 3 Hymn 10 1. Thee Agni, God, Imperial Lord of all mankind, do mortal men With understanding kindle at the sacrifice.
2 They laud thee in their solemn rites, Agni, as Minister and Priest, shine forth in thine own home as guardian of the Law. The works which are expressly called Smritis are the law books, Dharma Sastras. Smriti, in a broader sense, covers all Hindu Sastras save the Vedas.
The laws for regulating Hindu society from time to time are codified in the Smritis. An overview of the important religious texts in Hinduism including the Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita.
Watch the next lesson: Few verses in the Bhagavad Gita deal with dharma, according to the Indologist Paul Hacker, but the theme of dharma is important in it. In Chapter 1, responding to Arjuna's despondency, Krishna asks him to follow his sva-dharma, "the dharma that belongs to a particular man (Arjuna) as a member of a particular varna, (i.e., the kshatriya – the warrior varna)".
Hari om, you are asking a question as to: “What is Dharma(Responsibility) of a wife according to Hindu scriptures?”. According to the Hindu scriptures, the traits expected of a wife are as follows: “ Kaaryaeshu daasee, Karanaeshu manthree, rupaecha lakshmee, kshamayaa dharithree,bhuktheshu maathaa, sayanaeshu vaesyaa, shatkarma yukthaa nija Dharma pathnee”.
That means. Human existence derives strength from moral and spiritual values that people uphold. It is true that the study of the Vedas, scriptures, the Itihasas or the Puranas can make one proficient in .Smriti: The Dharma Shastras.
The Dharma Shastras include the law codes of Hinduism, both secular and religious (since both were very much inseparable). They deal with three main subjects: codes of conduct, civil and criminal law, and punishment and atonement.
Most important is the Manu Smriti (or Manu Samhita), still consulted in Indian law. It. HINDU SCRIPTURES. Sanskrit Literature. Sanskrit literature can be classified under six orthodox heads and four secular heads.
The six orthodox sections form the authoritative scriptures . | https://mawyvahamytaze.lphsbands.com/dharma-in-the-hindu-scriptures-and-in-the-bible-book-42984qw.php |
A mutation in the KIF5A gene, found in four Spanish siblings, causes a rare form of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) known as adult-onset distal SMA (DSMA), according to a case report. DSMA mainly affects the distal muscles, or those further from the center of the body.
The report, “Adult-onset distal spinal muscular atrophy: a new phenotype associated with KIF5A mutations,” was published as a letter to the editor in the journal Brain.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a group of heritable neuromuscular disorders that result in the loss of lower motor neurons — nerve cells that connect the spinal cord with skeletal muscles, regulating voluntary movement — and consequently is marked by muscle weakness and atrophy.
The distal form of SMA is rare, and characterized by slow progression of muscle weakness that starts in distal muscles of the upper and lower limbs (such as hands, feet, lower arms, and lower legs) and later extends to other muscle groups.
Distal SMA usually does not significantly affect sensory neurons — those responsible for transmitting sensory information — or a person’s lifespan.
More than 10 distal SMAs with varying symptoms and severities have been reported, each associated with a different gene. Some of these disorders resemble another neurodegenerative disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), which greatly affects not only motor but also sensory neurons.
Researchers discuss four people in a Spanish family with an adult-onset form of distal SMA caused by a mutation in the KIF5A gene.
These siblings (three men and one woman) had two healthy sisters and a brother who died of leukemia at age 12. They were all born to the same parents, who were from the Andalusia region in southern Spain. Their father, who died at 65, began showing similar muscle symptoms at age 40.
These four adults (ages 48 to 59) reported the first signs of muscle weakness between 44 and 50 years of age. All showed a slowly progressive weakness in the lower legs and feet, which became moderate to severe, and eventually progressed to muscles in the upper legs.
Later, one sister and two brothers developed mild-to-moderate muscle weakness in the lower arms, hands, and fingers. One of these two men also showed mild involvement of the upper arms, which the researchers noted was probably related to his cervical myelitis – inflammation in the cervical area of the spinal cord – due to primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
While the sister and one of the brothers were able to walk without help, the other two required aids — a cane, a walker, ankle foot orthotics, or a motorized wheelchair — for long distances.
Further examination of leg muscles in all four siblings showed signs of muscle atrophy, fat accumulation, denervation (loss of nerve supply), and impaired motor neuron function.
Genetic analysis discarded SMA linked to SMN1 mutations, finding instead these siblings all carried the same mutation in the KIF5A gene (c.G802A, p.A268T), which was not present in the two unaffected sisters. This mutation was predicted to be disease-causative, leading to a switch of an amino-acid — the building blocks of proteins — in the resulting protein.
Mutations in the KIF5A gene have been linked to several neurodegenerative diseases, including spastic paraplegia, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 (CMT2), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
But clinical data on the siblings were not consistent with any of these, and more indicative of a lower motor neuron disorder.
Their age at onset of slowly progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, predominantly affecting the lower legs and without sensory impairment, suggested an adult-onset form of distal SMA.
The KIF5A protein is involved in the transport of molecules in neurons through their axons — nerve cell extensions that allow signal to be transmitted to other cells. Interestingly, one of these molecules is VAPB, and mutations in the VAPB gene have been identified in people with Finkel type SMA (FSMA) — an adult-onset SMA form that primarily affects the proximal muscles — those closest to the center of the body — and ALS.
Animal studies have shown that mice lacking the KIF5A gene have poorer motor neuron growth and survival, but sensory neurons are unaffected. Since no signs of reinnervation (restoration of nerve supply; often a compensation seen in people with a motor neuron disease) was detected in the affected muscles of these siblings, the researchers hypothesized that this KIF5A mutation may limit motor neurons’ ability to effectively reinnervate the affected muscles.
“This work expands the [disease] spectrum of KIF5A mutations and indicates that mutations in KIF5A should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a distal spinal muscular atrophy,” the researchers wrote. | https://smanewstoday.com/2019/10/23/mutation-linked-to-adult-onset-distal-sma-in-spanish-siblings-case-study/ |
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Abstract
The relationship between urbanization, the brain, and human mental health is subject to intensive debate in the current scientific literature. Particularly, since mood and anxiety disorders as well as schizophrenia are known to be more frequent in urban compared to rural regions. Here, we investigated the association between cerebral signatures, mental health and land use indicators (Urban Fabric and Urban Green) within a 1 km radius around the home address of 207 well-characterized older adults. We observed a negative association between Urban Fabric coverage and a positive association between Urban Green coverage and grey matter volume in perigenual/subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (p/sACC). Although p/sACC has repeatedly been associated with depressive symptoms, neither brain structure nor land use categories were related to measures of mental health. However, resting-state measure in p/sACC showed a negative association with Urban Fabric in our healthy sample, reminiscent of previous reports on major depression where p/sACC is often found to be reduced in activation. Interestingly, hierarchical regression analyses showed that Urban Green accounted for additional variance in brain structure beyond Urban Fabric. We take this finding as an exploratory result that hints at potentially salutogenic elements of green spaces (e.g. terpenes, nature sounds) that go beyond the absence of the detrimental elements of urban contexts (e.g. traffic noise, air pollution), which may inform the future search of environmental factors affecting mental health and disease. | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/112424/ |
Seed are normally transported in plastic bags. If the transportation is longer than 6 hours, small bags of ice should be added into the boxes to reduce the water temperature and maintain it at oC. The ideal time for transportation is in the early morning or evening to avoid excessively high temperatures during the day, unless a covered vehicle is used.
To eliminate stress, the seed should be maintained in water of constant salinity for at least 1-week prior to transfer. The adjustment of salinity by about 3 ppt daily is advisable. Acclimation of seed to the water pH and temperature of the pond must be rendered upon arrival. Two common techniques are used for gradual acclimation of seed to the water conditions in the pond.
The first method is accomplished by placing the seed and water from the transported bag into a tank at the side of a pond containing an equal volume of well-aerated pond water. The seed will be kept for 0. The second method, the most favorable one, is to float the plastic bag in the pond until it has reached equilibrium. The bags are opened one by one and pond water is added gradually to an equal volume. After a further 30 min of acclimatization, the seed are released directly into the pond by distributing them throughout the area of the pond or into a nursing system.
The actual numbers of seed at stocking can be estimated by counting the PL individually in bags with a spoon or small net to attain the average number in each bag and multiplied by the total number of bags.
Marine shrimp farming
The nursing system will help in concentrating the seed in a limited area until they reach PL and in more accurate monitoring for survival and feeding of the PL. As a result, a farmer prefers to nurse the seed in an impoundment installed inside the pond, rather than in a separate pond. The same acclimation process should be performed during seed and juvenile stocking.
In this method, seed should appear in the lift net at days after stocking and the number of shrimp in the net should be counted at 2 hours after feeding once daily.
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The survival number of shrimp can then be estimated. Seed can be added up to 30 days post-stocking without causing a variation in size at harvest. Some farmers release seed directly into the pond. In this direct stocking method, the survival number of seed during the first 2 weeks post stocking may not be accurately estimated, since the shrimp will not approach the feeding trays during this period.
The use of feeds will improve shrimp production and increase profits. The availability of nutrients from feeds depends on the type and quality of the raw material used, the formulation, the feed processing, feed storage conditions and the feeding management. Therefore, feed and feeding practices for semi-intensive or intensive shrimp farming require a basic understanding of nutrition and feed requirements.
Shrimp diets may be supplementary or complete. In a extensive system the shrimps need a complete diet. Although natural food items have good conversion values but they are difficult to procure in large quantities and maintain a continuous supply. The feeding could be done by using automatic feed dispensers, or by broadcasting all over the pond.
If feeding trays are employed in selected pockets in the pond wastage in feed can be reduced. Shrimp requires approximately 40 essential nutrients. These nutrients are provided in various amounts by natural food and supplemental feeds. Although the nutrition principles are similar for all animals, the quality and quantity of nutrient requirements vary from species to species.
Shrimp Farming Guide
The recommended levels of nutrients and dietary components for black tiger shrimp are listed in table below. Recommended nutrient levels for shrimp feed on percentage fed basis. Shrimp consume dietary protein to obtain a continuous supply of amino acids for normal growth.
About 20 major amino acids make up most of the proteins and 10 are essential including methionine, arginine, threonine, tryptophan, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, valine and phenylalanine. Thus, essential amino acids must be provided in adequate quantities and qualities well-balanced in the diet. It is believed that post-larval shrimp require a higher protein level than larger shrimp. The lipid requirement of shrimp depends on their essential fatty acids and phospholipid content.
There are four fatty acids, which are considered essential for shrimp, namely linoleic n6 , linolenic n3 , eicosapentaenoic n3 and decosahexaenoic n3. In general, plant oils are high in The requirement for cholesterol ranges from 0. In addition, the recommended lipid level ranges from 6. The utilization and metabolism of carbohydrates by shrimp are limited.
Their type and level in the diet have been shown to affect shrimp growth. Starch as the carbohydrate source is utilized better than dextrin or glucose for Penaeus monodon.
Little is known about vitamin requirements in shrimp. In intensive farming, vitamins must be supplied in the diet for normal growth. Commercial shrimp feeds are usually over-fortified with vitamins to overcome shortfalls due to processing loss and feed storage. The minimum requirement for vitamin C, which is easily lost, is about ppm for Penaeus monodon. Shrimp can absorb or excrete minerals directly from the aquatic environment via gills and body surfaces.
The dietary requirement for minerals is largely dependent on the mineral concentration of the environment in which the shrimp are being cultured.
Among the other minerals, phosphorus is the most important, and is recommended at 0. Calcium is not considered to be a dietary essential.
Details from internet about "Shrimp Farming Guide"
However, its level in feed needs to be monitored because it is important to maintain calcium to phosphorus ratio of to Calcium should not exceed 2. The use of good quality feed will improve shrimp production and profits, and minimize the environmental pollution from shrimp farming. The practical indicators of good quality feed are:. An ideal FCR always results in model growth rate, healthy shrimp and clean pond bottom conditions.
Only the superior quality of feed can achieve an FCR of 1.
Starting a Shrimp Farming Business
According to recent data, an FCR as low as 1. Therefore, besides the feeding management, the FCR is also closely related to the quality of feed. Since shrimp are a slow feeder animal, the water stability of suitable feed should be over 2 hours for Penaeus monodon. Feed quality will rapidly deteriorate if feed is not packed well and properly stored. Feed should be stored in a dry, cool and well-ventilated place to maintain consistent moisture and temperature. Feed should not be stored in direct sunlight and should not be kept longer than 3 months from the time of processing.
The spoiled or old feed should not be used. A high FCR or high amount of feed required to produce unit weight gain indicates overfeeding, and consequently, a poor FCR is usually associated with poor growth rate, low weight gain, stressed shrimp, mediocre water quality and adverse pond bottom conditions. Therefore, the proper amount of feed is the most critical factor of feeding management. The guidelines for feeding adjustment to be made according to the mean body weight of the shrimp are shown in table below.
Since many factors are involved in shrimp feed consumption, careful and frequent observation of shrimp is the most reliable approach for determining the optimal feeding amount. There are many major key factors for successful intensive shrimp culture.
- How to Farm Giant Tiger Prawn | The Fish Site.
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Use of good quality feed with better feeding management by low feed conversion ratios and improved farm management are the important goals to farmers, not only for gaining greater profit, but also for minimizing the pollution of shrimp farming area. Water conditions in the rearing pond deteriorate through the production cycle due to uneaten food, animal's excretion, etc.
Generally, shrimp farmers use dissolved oxygen DO , pH, ammonia, water color and water odor as indicators to judge the water quality of the pond. These parameters are observed regularly by using either scientific equipment or the farmer's experience in order to control them within the optimum range. The amount of oxygen dissolved in the pond water is vital to the shrimp's health. The level of dissolved oxygen can be controlled in 3 ways.
Firstly, by increasing the water surface area by means of placing paddle wheels in the right position. This is not only causes proper water circulation, but also adds oxygen to the pond water. | https://madnessselra.tk/shrimp-farming-guide.php |
As a parent, we will likely experience a child with elevated body temp. Many people will jump for over the counter meds when their child starts to feel warm because we don’t know what to do for our children. Elevated body temp is a symptom rather than an illness. In babies, it could be because a tooth is coming through. Or could be a result of unwanted pathogens.
Children’s temperatures can raise from doing continuous exercise or other strenuous activity, so when taking the temperature for the first time, bear that in mind. Check the temperature every half an hour. Let the child lay down somewhere you can see them and check up on them regularly. Cover them up, but only with a light blanket or sheet. If a child shivers, it’s the body using another tool at its disposal to lose heat.
Prepare a bowl of lukewarm – not cold – water, to which you’ve added a total of 2 drops essential oil (choose from Lavender, Tea Tree Oil, Lemon, Eucalyptus Radiate, Roman Chamomile, Spearmint). 1 drop of Lavender and 1 drop of Eucalyptus Radiate is a good option. Use the water to sponge your child down.
Prepare a bowl of lukewarm water, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 3 drops of Lavender. Put a piece of cloth in the bowl, squeeze out the liquid completely and place it on your child’s forehead, don’t let any liquid drip into the eyes. When it heats up, remove it and repeat the procedure.
The following method may help your child sleep. Add the following essential oils to a bowl of cool (not cold) water.
Get medical help if the temperature reaches 103 degrees, or has been high for longer than 10 hours, if there are other symptoms present, or the child has a convulsion, or if your child is under 3 years of age.
Always use therapeutic grade essential oils on your children. Many essential oils can contain chemicals and fillers that could be toxic to your children or cause a reaction. Don’t always trust the label of the bottle, some of the essential oils will say 100% pure, but many of these oils have been tested and have come up with synthetic oils or they contain mostly filler oils and not the pure oil from the plant. Read this article to learn more. | http://essentialoilprincess.com/2016/07/14/how-to-use-essential-oils-for-a-fever/ |
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The Tiger 50 Challenge is a 50-mile hike continuous hike that must be completed within 20 hours. The hike takes place on the Frisco Highline Trail (a wide, well-maintained trail with minimal incline) and is supported by aid stations every 4-5 miles along the way. The Challenge derives from a directive Theodore Roosevelt issues to all officers in his command that they are able to compete “a march of 50 miles, to be made in three consecutive days and in a total of 20 hours, including rests, the march on any one day to be during consecutive hours.”
Event details and schedule
The Check-in location and start point for the hike is the Walnut Grove trailhead. Parking will also be located at Walnut Grove, with more parking available at Walnut Grove schools located ¾ mile away from the trailhead. Check-in will begin at 6:30 pm and the hike will begin at 7 pm.
Do I have to complete all 50 miles?
No. The Ozark 50 Fit is designed for you to challenge yourself at any fitness level. Set your personal goal and strive to achieve it. We’ll cheer you on.
Will there be first aid, food, or water stations along the trail?
Yes. Approximately every 4 miles there will be food, water, and a first aid station to assist you.
What happens if I cannot finish a full loop?
Those who unexpectedly find themselves unable to continue during the course can be shuttled back to the start point (and their vehicle) from any of our aid stations. We ask that participants plan to travel out (any distance up to 18 miles) and back without relying on our shuttles. But if need be, we can provide transportation assistance to those who are unable to continue.
What happens if there is bad weather?
In the event of inclement weather, we may have to cancel or postpone the 50-mile hike for the safety of all participants. We will notify you in advance if possible. | https://www.active.com/springfield-mo/hiking/tiger-challenge-50-mile-hike-2021?int=72-3-A1 |
Download the report of the conference.
The videos of the talks are now available under the Programme page.
Scope
The 2013 EMBO | EMBL Science and Society conference will focus on how the use of genomic information may benefit individual and public health.
The interdisciplinary group of speakers will present the status of genetic and genomic research and discuss the ethical, legal, economic and societal implications as well as the practical challenges of implementing new knowledge into medical care.
More information
Since the first draft of the human genome sequence more than a decade ago, and after advances in many areas of biomedical science, the role of genetics and genomics in medical research, practice and delivery of health care has been growing. Genetic information already plays an important role in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of some cancers. Recent advances in prenatal diagnostics allow detection of genetic diseases or conditions within the first trimester of pregnancy and the possibility to act on them before birth or immediately after.
Ideally, widespread use of genetic tools will allow the identification of diseases before the onset of clinical symptoms, the individualisation of drug treatment, and could induce individual behavioural changes on the basis of calculated disease risk. However, many challenges remain for the successful translation of genomic knowledge and technologies into health advances, such as medicines and diagnostics.
Some of these challenges are scientific: the relationship between genes and variants for most diseases and conditions is still not clear, nor how they interact with lifestyle and environmental factors. More research is needed to unravel these complex interactions.
Mechanisms to monitor and assess genomic medicine in comparison to current medical practices will have to be developed in order to guarantee clinical utility; health care economics will have to be considered as well.
Moreover, some policy challenges need to be resolved, including concerns about privacy and confidentiality of genetic information; the regulation and standardisation of genetic tests; and the role of general practitioners in the implementation of genetic advances.
Concerns about the possible impacts on society and individuals have also been raised, in particular on the effects of prenatal diagnostics of some genetic conditions, on the changing role of individuals and patients in making decisions about their own health, and on the psychological responses to personal genetic information.
These and other issues will be presented and discussed during the two days of the conference.
The Science and Society conference series
The aim of these joint meetings is to promote mutual interest, understanding, and dialogue between biologists, specialists from related disciplines, policy makers and members of the public interested in how modern biology affects society.
Everyone is welcome to attend. | http://events.embo.org/science-society-conference/past/2013/ |
Q:
The world that was split in half
Imagine there is a planet, which is populated by two entirely different intelligent species (though they may have some very distant common ancestor), but they are isolated from each other by some impassable by any simple means obstacle – imagine something along the lines of a huge unclimbable mountain range circling the Earth through the Pacific and Atlantic oceans – anything that could have prevented them from interacting and even knowing of each other. Of course, while they can't reach each other via ships, there is nothing to stop the airplanes, satellites, etc., but that's definitely requires very long scientific progress.
The urge for knowledge is impossible to hold back: the civilizations are at the level of about the middle of ours 20th century and one 'nation' accidentally stumbles upon another, very, very different from them – via the aforementioned satellites, maybe. Assuming that by that time people are smarter than in Columbus' times and that both civilizations have about the same level of technology so that one cannot easily conquer another – what could happen? To make the question more focused: is there a chance for a peaceful cooperation, or would xenophobic thoughts be too powerful? Assume that both species psychology is similar to ours, of course, for at least some chance of predictability.
UPD: As it turns out, my English is not as good as I thought, so to make it clear: I'm talking about the world where two civilizations are separated by something, which is impossible to get over without modern technology.
A:
At the equator an mountain range ringed the planet. The lowest pass was over 30,000 feet. While the existence of another hemisphere had been postulated for centuries, it could not be confirmed. Even with the invention of air travel, the prop planes could not be controlled as they approached the mountains due to the extremely powerful updrafts and constant thunderstorms on the slopes of the range.
For ages past, skeletons, well preserved corpses, and the occasional insane, haggard man were found on the slopes of the mountains. It was postulated that there were villages high in the mountains, filled with strange creatures. Those who found them often died of strange and painful diseases, and in Medieval times armies were sent to locate and destroy the source of the plague. Every decade or so, explorers attempted to climb the mountains. Few expeditions returned, and those who failed and came back often returned only to be sent to asylums, reduced to vegetables by hypoxia and cerebral edema. Bulky air tanks and other supplies were destroyed in freak accidents - but expeditions continued.
Mines were established in the mountains to locate rare metals needed for industry. These were used as refueling stations for the explorers as the deep mines had more air than the surrounding area. Some attempts were made to tunnel through the mountain, but miles of tunnels were met with no sign of an end, and the rapid geological changes caused frequent cave ins. Measurements of seismic activity suggested that the mountains did end (it wasn't all a plateau), but more than 200 miles of tunnel would be needed to reach the other side.
The first contact had been accidental. It was inexplicable interference on the wireless telegraph - at first attributed to atmospheric perturbations, and later determined to have a pattern. It took decades to establish 2 way communication because of the intense lightning storms in the vicinity of the mountains - eventually, it was determined to use a series of repeaters around the planet to bounce messages off of the upper atmosphere at sunset. Over time, both sides learned the others' language, and departments were set up in governments on both sides to establish relations with "the other side." Treaties led to information sharing to help the unseen allies, and wars one side led to diplomatic actions and even open fighting (see the French and Indian War in our own world).
The discovery that there was habitable land on the other side of the mountains, and that it was habited by people similar to them led to an immediate race for allies. A complex information-sharing system developed, where allies would research projects together and use espionage to tip the balance of power. A highly efficient technical pidgin developed, using simple electromagnetic pulses to encode information for allies on the other side. Doctors looked at schematics of devices sent across and determined that those on the other side were the strange mountain creatures of old.
[... Stuff happens ...]
Someone managed to develop a proxy to link the two internets. Super nerds developed the stack and began to form professional relationships. Facebook adapted easily, as most relationships were between people who had never met anyway...
[... more stuff ...]
Eventually it was determined that technologies had advanced enough to allow representatives of the two sides to meet in relative safety. It had been put off until the mid 21st Century (relatively speaking of course) because scientists were aware of the health risks of contact with such an alien species. The governments of two of the leading powers on each side determined to send a representative in space flight on a one-way trip to the other side, to become a permanent ambassador. This was scheduled to take place on the solstice, and the ambassadors would be monitored carefully by medical staff to determine what further contact was possible.
While perfect peace was impossible, the fragmented nations of both sides meant that local wars kept the peoples fighting those of their own kind, with technical assistance to allies on the other side. The ability to move any kind of fighting force across the divide would not be developed until manned space flight became cost effective. By that time, both sides possessed the technology to easily eliminate each other, so peace was the general rule.
A:
I believe that in the situation you described, hostility is inevitable and it will probably lead to war. There are several reasons why.
Differences
Because these two civilizations were apart for so long, there are going to be a lot of differences.
Language
Odds are, they can't speak the same language. Because of this, they will have trouble communicating, so it would be virtually impossible to form a peace contract. And if you can't have peace, then you must wage war.
Religion
Religion has been the cause of many wars. These civilizations will believe in different gods, or one might not even have any gods. Once again, this is reason to fight.
Looks
Living in completely different places will definitely make people evolve differently. They will look different. One might be taller, which is a reason to dominate. There is also the racial factor. For hundreds of years, white people kept black people as slaves. Slavery would probably happen after the war
Intelligence
Both of these civilizations are in the mid 20th century technology wise. From 1950-2015 there has been so many technological advancements. From the time that the civilizations are in now to where we are today, odds are one civilizations will be smarter then the other and develop faster. The more intelligent civilization will feel that they are better than the other civilization. They will also be able to overtake the other civilization because they are indeed better.
Power
People always want power. There will be power hungry leaders on both sides. They will want the land and resources that they don't have yet. Odds are one civilization has access to resources that the other one doesn't and once they see that, they will want it. Also, the civilization will want to double their land by taking over the other side of the planet.
Overall, war is imminent. It's impossible for it not to happen.
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Officer dismissed following multiple unauthorised computer searches
A Cambridgeshire Constabulary officer has been dismissed without notice after audit checks revealed she had made more than 70 unauthorised computer searches for non-policing purposes.
Police Constable Lorna Thorley first came to the attention of the force’s Professional Standards Department in June 2019 when a supervisor in the Child Abuse Investigation Unit became concerned that PC Thorley had contacted a member of their team to ascertain information regarding a person that was under investigation.
Subsequent checks revealed that between January 28, 2013, and February 18, 2019, PC Thorley had accessed police systems on 17 separate days, conducting 71 searches for non-policing purposes. All the searches related to members of her own family.
At a special case hearing, held at Cambridgeshire Constabulary headquarters in Huntingdon on June 12, PC Thorley was found to have breached standards in respect of orders and instructions, confidentiality, authority, respect and courtesy.
In his findings published at the conclusion of the case, Chief Constable Nick Dean said: “This has not been a ‘one- off’ incident which could have been seen as a lapse of judgment. Unauthorised access was over a sustained number of years, access which PC Thorley knew was seriously wrong.
“It cannot be clearer within the policing environment that to access data for non-policing purposes is wrong, whatever the apparent motivation for doing so. The data itself contained personal information of a sensitive nature relating to a number of individuals, the fact that these individuals were close family members matters not.
“Continual breaches of personal privacy were conducted. I have considered the submission that PC Thorley conducted the checks for ‘safeguarding reasons’, however I am not satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the information obtained was acted upon in this regard.
“PC Thorley has a service record that outlines her work within a specialist area, dealing and building confidence with vulnerable victims. Each breach was not a spontaneous act, with her background and experience it should have been at the forefront of her mind that to access this information was in breach of standards expected.
“The public trust the police service to hold and access data in line with the law; if that trust is eroded the wider confidence in us as a public service no longer exists. Misuse of police computer systems and information is a particular concern for the police service; this makes this case all the more serious; it has been subject of repeated misconduct procedures and the College of Policing guidance on outcomes in police misconduct proceedings provide that,‘’ personal reasons for accessing confidential police information such as general curiosity or a desire to check on criminal activity are not acceptable’’.
“The harm to the reputation of Cambridgeshire Constabulary and indeed the wider police service cannot be underestimated when cases such as this come to notice. | https://www.policeprofessional.com/news/officer-dismissed-following-multiple-unauthorised-computer-searches/ |
The purpose of this paper is to examine factors related to success in academic publishing for women in exercise science. Two trained investigators conducted hand searches of 7 prominent exercise science journals to ascertain the names of the most prolific women authors between 1991 and 1996. Seventeen (17) women, whose names will not be revealed (due to confidentiality), were identified. Following their identification, women were asked to submit a copy of their vita and complete a questionnaire related to scholarly productivity. Thirteen out of seventeen women agreed to participate in the study, yielding a response rate of 76%. Personal attributes that contributed most to their success in publishing were self-motivation, discipline, and perseverance. Situational or sociological factors mentioned were the availability of mentors, talented collaborators, and institutional or personal support. Some tips for maximizing productivity include having proper preparation and a narrow focus, and developing skills in writing, research design, and analysis. Women reported many gender-related barriers early in their careers, but these barriers faded with experience and reputation establishment. The two most frequent recommendations for ensuring successful collaborations with others were completing work in a timely fashion and being a team player. Sacrifices made for publishing included fewer social interactions and less time for leisure activities and vacations. With the exception of some barriers related to gender, our findings are in agreement with others who have examined correlates of productivity in mixed samples of men and women from a variety of fields.
Lynda B. Ransdell, Mary K. Dinger, Stacy Beske and Colleen Cooke
Zoe Rebecca Knowles, Daniel Parnell, Gareth Stratton and Nicola Diane Ridgers
Background:
Qualitative research into the effect of school recess on children’s physical activity is currently limited. This study used a write and draw technique to explore children’s perceptions of physical activity opportunities during recess.
Methods:
299 children age 7−11 years from 3 primary schools were enlisted. Children were grouped into Years 3 & 4 and Years 5 & 6 and completed a write and draw task focusing on likes and dislikes. Pen profiles were used to analyze the data.
Results:
Results indicated ‘likes’ focused on play, positive social interaction, and games across both age groups but showed an increasing dominance of games with an appreciation for being outdoors with age. ‘Dislikes’ focused on dysfunctional interactions linked with bullying, membership, equipment, and conflict for playground space. Football was a dominant feature across both age groups and ‘likes/dislikes’ that caused conflict and dominated the physically active games undertaken.
Conclusion:
Recess was important for the development of conflict management and social skills and contributed to physical activity engagement. The findings contradict suggestions that time spent in recess should be reduced because of behavioral issues.
Nicola D. Ridgers, Gareth Stratton and Thomas L. McKenzie
Background:
Children frequently engage in diverse activities that are broadly defined as play, but little research has documented children’s activity levels during play and how they are influenced by social contexts. Assessing potentially modifiable conditions that influence play behavior is needed to design optimal physical activity interventions.
Methods:
System for Observing Children’s Activity and Relationships during Play (SOCARP) was developed to simultaneously assess children’s physical activity, social group sizes, activity type, and social behavior during play. One hundred and fourteen children (48 boys, 66 girls; 42% overweight) from 8 elementary schools were observed during recess over 24 days, with 12 days videotaped for reliability purposes. Ninety-nine children wore a uni-axial accelerometer during their observation period.
Results:
Estimated energy expenditure rates from SOCARP observations and mean accelerometer counts were significantly correlated (r = .67; P < .01), and interobserver reliabilities (ie, percentage agreement) for activity level (89%), group size (88%), activity type (90%) and interactions (88%) met acceptable criteria. Both physical activity and social interactions were influenced by group size, activity type, and child gender and body weight status.
Conclusions:
SOCARP is a valid and reliable observation system for assessing physical activity and play behavior in a recess context.
Genevieve Fridlund Dunton, Donna Spruijt-Metz, Jennifer Wolch, Chih-Ping Chou, Michael Jerrett, Jason Byrne, Susan Weaver and Kim D. Reynolds
Background:
Efforts to increase community levels of physical activity through the development of multiuse urban trails could be strengthened by information about factors predicting trail use. This study examined whether reasons for trail use predict levels of physical activity on urban trails.
Methods:
Adults (N = 335) living within a 1-mile buffer zone of urban trails in Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles completed a self-report measure assessing demographics, reason for trail use, and physical activity on the trail. Accelerometers measured total daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Environmental features of the urban trail were assessed with the Systematic Pedestrian and Cyclist Environmental Scan for trails measure. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted that accounted for clustering of individuals within trail segments.
Results:
After controlling for demographic and environmental factors and total daily MVPA, reasons for trail use significantly predicted recreational but not transportation activity. Recreational trail activity was greater for participants who reported exercise and health reasons for trail use as compared with other reasons (ie, social interaction, enjoying nature, walking pets) for recreational trail use.
Conclusions:
To increase the use of urban trails, it may be useful to promote the health and exercise benefits of recreational trail use.
Arlene E. Hall
This study is an examintion of the effects of race and income on leisure-time physical activity among women (n = 116). Perceived benefits of and barriers to participating in leisure-time physical activity were also compared. A regression model utilizing social cognitive variables was used to explore factors which may predict physical activity participation. No significant differences emerged between the groups regarding the amount of physical activity they reported either by race or socioeconomic status. Time expenditure emerged significantly different by race (p < .001) and income (p < .000); middle-income women reported time as a barrier more than lower-income women and Whites were likelier to report time as a barrier more than Blacks. Middle-income women perceived greater (p < .01) physical performance benefits from exercise than lower-income women. Social interaction, time expenditure, and body mass index were the strongest predictors of physical activity. The data and findings could be useful for increaseing our understanding of economic and racial disparities in physical activity participation and garnish information for use in constructing interven programs.
Sunday Azagba and Mesbah Fathy Sharaf
Background:
In spite of the substantial benefits of physical activity for healthy aging, older adults are considered the most physically inactive segment of the Canadian population. This paper examines leisure-time physical inactivity (LTPA) and its correlates among older Canadian adults.
Methods:
We use data from the Canadian Community Health Survey with 45,265 individuals aged 50–79 years. A logistic regression is estimated and separate regressions are performed for males and females.
Results:
About 50% of older Canadian adults are physically inactive. Higher odds of physical inactivity are found among current smokers (OR = 1.52, CI = 1.37–1.69), those who binge-drink (OR = 1.24, CI = 1.11–1.39), visible minorities (OR = 1.60, CI = 1.39–1.85), immigrants (OR = 1.13, CI = 1.02–1.25), individuals with high perceived life stress (OR = 1.48, CI = 1.31–1.66). We also find lower odds of physical inactivity among: males (OR = 0.89, CI = 0.83 to 0.96), those with strong social interaction (OR = 0.71, CI = 0.66–0.77), with general life satisfaction (OR = 0.66, CI = 0.58–0.76) and individuals with more education. Similar results are obtained from separate regressions for males and females.
Conclusions:
Identifying the correlates of LTPA among older adults can inform useful intervention measures.
James E. Johnson
Integration and consumption of sport are often used to build community identity, enhance health, and promote positive social interactions. Those benefits informed the purpose of this project, which was to integrate service-learning education and behaviors into a graduate sport management leadership course. Project L.E.E.P. (Leadership through Education, Experience, and Photovoice) benefitted local communities by providing an interactive service-learning project that was mutually beneficial to graduate students and surrounding community partners. Eleven graduate students in a sport administration leadership course partnered with different community sport organizations to execute a series of assignments designed to assess, plan, deliver, and reflect on more than 40 hr of sports service. Among those assignments was a photovoice project intended to capture service learning through the students’ perspectives and give voice to the sporting needs of a community. This project aligned with the experiential learning approach in many sport management programs, as well as the societal and service benefits outlined in the North American Society for Sport Management’s purpose and position statements.
Hiroko Shimura, Elisabeth Winkler and Neville Owen
Background:
We examined associations of individual, psychosocial and environmental characteristics with 4-year changes in walking among middle-to-older aged adults; few such studies have employed prospective designs.
Methods:
Walking for transport and walking for recreation were assessed during 2003–2004 (baseline) and 2007–2008 (follow-up) among 445 adults aged 50–65 years residing in Adelaide, Australia. Logistic regression analyses examined predictors of being in the highest quintile of decline in walking (21.4 minutes/day or more reduction in walking for transport; 18.6 minutes/day or more reduction in walking for recreation).
Results:
Declines in walking for transport were related to higher level of walking at baseline, low perceived benefits of activity, low family social support, a medium level of social interaction, low sense of community, and higher neighborhood walkability. Declines in walking for recreation were related to higher level of walking at baseline, low self-efficacy for activity, low family social support, and a medium level of available walking facilities.
Conclusions:
Declines in middle-to-older aged adults’ walking for transport and walking for recreation have differing personal, psychosocial and built-environment correlates, for which particular preventive strategies may be developed. Targeted campaigns, community-based programs, and environmental and policy initiatives can be informed by these findings.
Lisa Groshong, Sonja A. Wilhelm Stanis, Andrew T. Kaczynski, J. Aaron Hipp and Gina M. Besenyi
Background:
Public parks hold promise for promoting population-level PA, but studies show a significant portion of park use is sedentary. Past research has documented the effectiveness of message-based strategies for influencing diverse behaviors in park settings and for increasing PA in nonpark contexts. Therefore, to inform message-based interventions (eg, point-ofdecision prompts) to increase park-based PA, the purpose of this study was to elicit insights about key attitudes, perceived norms, and personal agency that affect park use and park-based PA in low-income urban neighborhoods.
Methods:
This study used 6 focus groups with youth and adults (n = 41) from low-income urban areas in Kansas City, MO, to examine perceptions of key attitudinal outcomes and motivations, perceived norms, key referents, and personal agency facilitators and constraints that affect park use and park-based PA.
Results:
Participant attitudes reflected the importance of parks for mental and physical health, with social interaction and solitude cited as key motivations. Of 10 themes regarding perceived norms, influential others reflected participants’ ethnic makeup but little consensus emerged among groups. Social and safety themes were cited as both facilitators and constraints, along with park offerings and setting.
Conclusions:
Information about attitudes, perceived norms, and personal agency can increase understanding of theoretically derived factors that influence park-based PA and help park and health professionals create communication strategies to promote PA.
Maureen R. Weiss and Susan C. Duncan
Youth sport literature contends that the development of self-esteem is influenced by social interactions in the physical domain. However, little research has investigated the role of the peer group in developing perceptions of physical competence and social acceptance. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship, between competence in physical skills and interpersonal competence with peers in a sport setting. Children (N=126) completed measures assessing perceptions of physical competence and peer acceptance» perceptions of success for athletic performance and interpersonal skills, causal attributions for physical performance and interpersonal success» and expectations for future success in these two areas. Teachers' ratings of children's actual physical ability and social skills with peers were also obtained. Canonical correlation analyses indicated a strong relationship (r c = .75) between indices of physical competence and peer acceptance. Children who scored high in actual and perceived physical competence and who made stable and personally controllable attributions for sport performance also scored high in actual and perceived peer acceptance and made stable attributions for successful peer interactions. | https://journals.humankinetics.com/search?page=7&pageSize=10&q=%22social+interaction%22&sort=relevance |
OIG Finds Weaknesses in CBP’s Covert Testing
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has found issues with covert testing at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The watchdog found that CBP does not comprehensively plan and conduct its covert tests, use covert test results to address vulnerabilities, or widely share lessons learned.
OIG’s review found that neither of these two covert testing groups use risk assessments or collaborate with intelligence partners to plan and conduct tests that identify weaknesses throughout CBP. Inspectors also noted that the groups do not coordinate with each other to plan tests that prevent duplication of effort. In addition, the groups primarily design tests for single ports or sectors rather than planning repeatable tests for multiple locations, which would help identify systemic vulnerabilities.
In 9 of 10 test operations plans with 21 test scenarios OIG reviewed, OFTD did not document the risk-based rationale for choosing the test types or locations. Instead, the operations plans covered logistics, such as travel information and local points of contact.
In 2017, OFTD provided an intelligence assessment of operations at the Miami port and risks to the cruise industry. However, OIG could not connect any of OFTD’s subsequent testing activities to the priorities identified by the risk assessment. OFTD officials acknowledged that the risk assessment was not a typical product for them and they did not use it to direct testing, nor does it have plans to produce that type of risk assessment in the future. OFTD also could not demonstrate it prioritized tests based on available intelligence, and did not collaborate with intelligence divisions to produce overall risk assessments that aligned testing with highrisk areas.
Border Patrol also failed to prepare risk or intelligence assessments or document the rationale for the types of tests conducted. Lacking any central guidance, Border Patrol sector leadership independently chose the types of tests to conduct and which checkpoints to test, based on its preferences for type or location of the test.
The review also uncovered a lack of coordination between OFTD and Border Patrol, and found this was largely due to not being directed to do so by CBP leadership, and also because of the belief that different sectors and ports face different threats.
CBP does not plan system-wide covert tests to detect broad-based vulnerabilities. For an example of how to plan such tests, OIG examined policies and procedures of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) covert testing group. TSA’s process allows testers to use the same test scenario at multiple locations to determine whether a weakness, and thus a threat, exists throughout the component. TSA requires detailed project plans that include the purpose of the testing project, the threat item, scenario, and the test methodology. The procedures also typically require sections for assumptions, deliverables, milestones, and a testing schedule.
Conversely, neither CBP testing group plans or conducts repeatable, systemic covert tests. Officials told OIG that they have not been given the authority to do so. In addition, CBP testing groups are not conducting systemic tests because CBP has not established specific performance goals or measures that covert testing groups should accomplish or demonstrate.
OIG also found that the CBP groups are not sharing test results or lessons learned post-covert testing and that they only make recommendations in limited instances. Furthermore, the review found that neither group ensures that these recommendations to resolve the local vulnerabilities are acted upon. CBP also does not track the implementation of such actions.
According to OIG, CBP does not manage its covert testing groups to ensure data reliability, completeness, and compliance with security requirements. It said OFTD entered only 21 percent of covert testing results into the testing database. A new database is currently in development but staff told OIG they did not know when this would be ready for use.
OFTD also did not ensure its reported test results complied with security requirements. OIG reviewed 31 test reports marked classified by OFTD staff. All reports were missing some paragraph markings to indicate which sections of the document were classified, and 26 of the reports were missing classification blocks describing the author, classification authority, and declassification date. OIG could not determine whether supervisors reviewed reports prior to their dissemination because the reports were unsigned and undated. Further, OFTD officials could not specify why they classified the documents nor could they provide the classification guide they had used. OIG reported this to CBP’s point of contact for security classification issues, who later determined OFTD had over-classified the documents.
OIG attributes these ineffective management of data and security compliance issues to multiple leadership changes at the Office of Intelligence and CPMO and limited staff with competing priorities. Specifically, OFTD has had multiple directors and acting directors since its move to OI, which inhibited its ability to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) such as those used by TSA.
The Deputy Commissioner of CBP should study the effectiveness of maintaining multiple covert testing groups, and if CBP maintains multiple groups, OIG recommends specifying roles, responsibilities, and requirements for coordination to eliminate redundancies.
The CBP Executive Director of Policy should assign roles and responsibilities for planning and conducting covert tests, making recommendations, and overseeing corrective actions.
The Deputy Commissioner of CBP should assess organizational placement and resources of OFTD to determine the best placement in CBP’s organizational chart, and provide OFTD with the authority to plan and conduct independent, systemwide tests, make recommendations, and track corrective actions.
The Assistant Commissioner of OI and Border Patrol’s Chief of Law Enforcement Operations Directorate should direct covert testing entities to develop and implement both performance measures and standard operating procedures including processes for determining data to be included in test reports, data quality monitoring, and supervisory review.
The Assistant Commissioner of Office of Intelligence and Border Patrol’s Chief of Law Enforcement Operations Directorate should direct covert testing entities to develop and implement databases to record test results, recommendations, and the status of corrective actions.
The Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Intelligence should direct all OFTD staff to review all prior and future classified reports to ensure they are properly marked to protect national security information.
CBP concurred with the recommendations and aims to complete work to action these by April 30, 2021. It did however express concern that the OIG report contains “several inaccurate representations”, including the definition of risk applied to CBP’s testing methodologies. CBP asserted its senior managers drive the component’s covert testing activities to identify unknown risk versus known risk. The results of these tests inform its risk assessments instead of using risk assessments to inform covert testing. OIG argues that this methodology does not meet the risk-based testing requirement of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015. Further, the watchdog points out that the DHS Risk Lexicon defines risk-based decision making as determining a course of action predicated primarily on the assessment of risk and using the assessment of risk as the primary decision driver.
CBP also asserted that its covert test groups do not measure operational success by detection and interdictions. OIG argues that this statement conflicts with what CBP reports as key responsibilities for its staff, as well as factors CBP uses to support its annual budget requests.
Regardless of these interpretations, it is clear to see that improvement is needed to overcome the weaknesses addressed in OIG’s report, which were impacted by multiple leadership changes within the CBP testing groups.
Effective covert testing is an essential part of a multi-layered strategy for guarding against dangerous people and materials. Clear authority and direction, along with performance measurement and data sharing will get CBP covert testing back on track.
Kylie Bielby has more than 20 years' experience in reporting and editing a wide range of security topics, covering geopolitical and policy analysis to international and country-specific trends and events. Before joining GTSC's Homeland Security Today staff, she was an editor and contributor for Jane's, and a columnist and managing editor for security and counter-terror publications. | |
At the May 2017 OCUFA Policy Exchange conference, university governance was identified as one of three critical policy issues that are of concern to faculty. In particular, participants noted three main areas of concern: the composition and practices of Boards of Governors/Trustees, lack of transparency in the development of university budgets, and procedures for president, provost and other senior administrator hiring searches.
Over the past few years, OCUFA’s member associations have been reporting various barriers to collegial governance for faculty, a lack of meaningful input in university Senate decisions, and frustration with controversial decisions being made by increasingly corporatized Boards of Governors. Concerns about the way universities are being governed and the erosion of collegial governance have been coming up in all facets of OCUFA’s work.
To begin to address these concerns, and recognizing the current state of the postsecondary sector in Ontario, OCUFA has decided to develop a set of principles to guide collegial governance at our universities. The guidelines below are informed by the 2018 OCUFA university governance survey completed by every university faculty association in Ontario.
Collegial governance simply means a shared governance model often structured as a bi- cameral system in which both university Boards and Senates take on responsibilities to ensure the health and success of the institution. Further, functional collegial governance deliberations at the level of Board of Governors, include meaningful input from faculty who provide the instruction and research that is at the core of the academic mission.
Ontario universities are, in principle, public institutions; but our gathered data show that they are increasingly managed as if they were corporate entities. Many key decisions are no longer appropriately addressed through collegial governance models. Coupled with the chronic underfunding of universities and their increased reliance on precariously employed professors who are generally left out of the decision-making process, this failure to implement collegial governance has led universities in Ontario to function much less collaboratively than they have in the past.While postsecondary institutions need to change to adjust to changing political, social, economic, and cultural conditions, these changes need to be determined and implemented through collegial processes that involve the meaningful participation of faculty, staff, and students.
We note that collegial governance models do and must involve staff and students. To respect the autonomy and voice of these groups, however, and to avoid speaking on their behalf, this document is written with particular attention to the role of faculty in collegial governance and from a faculty perspective. The term faculty here refers to all those who hold academic appointments, including academic librarians, and those who teach under precarious employment arrangements.
Policy statement
The following principles have been organized under three main categories: representation on governance bodies, processes and practices of governance, and procedures regarding senior administrator searches and appointments.
1. Representation:
a) University governance should be based on principles of collegiality, inclusivity, meaningful representation, shared participation, and shared accountability.
b) Collegial governance participation should be a right of ALL faculty.
c) On all governance bodies, faculty should be elected by, and accountable to, their constituencies.
d) Faculty must not be expected to relinquish their association or union membership in order to sit on university governing bodies.
e) University Boards’ membership should be representative of the diversity of the community in which the university is located, and representatives must be committed to the public mission of the university.
f) Appointments to the Boards should be based on open collegial practices and include an open nomination process.
g) Membership of Board subcommittees should be open to all Board members.
h) Contract faculty should participate in university governance bodies and be fairly compensated for their participation.
2. Processes/practices of governance:
a) University governance practices should be based on principles of shared information, shared responsibility, open processes and planning exercises, open consultation, and shared decision-making.
b) Values of the university are not necessarily the same as those held by the corporate sector.
c) Values of academic freedom, open discussion and respect for the diversity of voices should be at the core of university governance practices.
d) The principles and traditional decision-making practices of Indigenous peoples must be respected.
e) Faculty should be meaningfully included in the budgetary and financial discussions and decisions of the institution, all of which bear upon its academic mission.
f) Faculty should be duly consulted on any contracts with external donors.
g) University Senates must engage in free and open debate on matters under their purview.
h) The in-camera content of governance meetings should be limited and justified. Closed debate should be rare and limited to exceptional circumstances.
i) Conflict of interest policies should be fully enforced with respect to all internal and external members of a governing body.
j) Where one or more members of a governing body may have a conflict of interest regarding matters being addressed, the preferred method for resolving the conflict should be recusal from discussion and voting on those matters rather than general exclusion from that committee. It should be recognized that faculty and other representatives can simultaneously represent the good of the university. The good of the university is not at odds with the good of the university community and its members.
k) Appropriate training and education should be offered to all representatives on governance bodies to ensure informed decision-making and adherence to the public and academic mission of universities.
l) Service should be duly recognized and compensated as a key responsibility of faculty.
m) The chair or speaker of the Board and the Senate should be elected by the membership of each body, respectively. The chair or speaker should not have another administrative post within the university.
3. Searches and appointments
a) All senior administrative hiring searches should be open and transparent.
b) The presidential and provostial search committees should be inclusive and consist of representatives from different constituencies including full-time faculty, contract faculty, students, staff, and the Board.
c) The members on the search committee should be elected by their constituencies and mindful of the role they play in representing them.
d) All members of a search committee should have equal voice and vote.
e) Community consultation should not be limited to the job posting and setting of criteria for searches. Consultation should also include the final review of shortlisted candidates.
f) The shortlist of candidates should be provided to the campus community.
g) The campus community should be provided with an opportunity to meet shortlisted candidates and engage with them.
h) A mechanism for meaningful consultation must be provided to the community and Senate for their assessment of shortlisted candidates. | https://www.utfa.org/content/ocufa-s-statement-principles-collegial-governance |
The variegated ocean - a view from space: The sea is a patchwork of blues and greens, coloured by the pigments in tiny planktonic plants. Satellite images of the changing hues can tell us much about the course of the greenhouse effect
LATE in October 1978, a rocket left Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with a payload destined to revolutionise biological oceanography. One of the instruments on the Nimbus-7 satellite carried aloft that day was the Coastal Zone Colour Scanner (CZCS). The scanner’s job was to discover whether we could see the changing colours of the oceans from space. The images built up during the eight-year mission – seven years longer than originally anticipated – revealed an ocean far more dynamic, and far more important in the global carbon cycle, than anyone imagined. Scientists now recognise that the dynamics of the variegated ocean, seen for the first time in many of the images that accompany this article, are crucial to understanding how the Earth’s climate is likely to change in the coming decades.
Those who have travelled by ship, or enjoyed the idle pleasures of viewing the sea from aircraft, know that the ocean is a constantly changing mosaic of different colours. The deep azure of clear tropical waters and the grey-green of coastal waters are just two ends of a spectrum of possibilities. For most of the ocean, away from the influence of runoff from land, the variations in colour are due to the concentration of pigments derived from living phytoplankton, the microscopic, freely drifting organisms that form the base of the marine food chain. The colour of the sea is directly related to its biological productivity.
The oceanic phytoplankton are plants: by the process of photosynthesis, they produce the organic matter necessary to sustain other organisms ranging from microscopic animals to the largest …
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School Kids Chowing Down on Healthier Foods, But Who Are the Food Safety Cops?
The good news for kids this year is that they’re getting healthier foods in the meals they eat at school, thanks to new USDA standards that include a call for more servings of fruit and vegetables, some of which will likely be fresh produce from local farms. But with recent media reports peppered with stories about fresh produce such as cantaloupes, mangoes and lettuce (from specific farms and distributors) being recalled due to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and three deaths from contaminated cantaloupes, this question comes to mind: Who are the food-safety cops and what are they doing to keep school kids safe from foodborne illnesses such as E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria and Campylobacter? That’s especially important when it comes to food being served to children. According to the World Health Organization, young children are at more risk for foodborne diseases because their immune systems are still developing and the protection afforded by resident gut flora is not as effective as it is in adults. In addition, children consume more food in proportion to their weight than adults, which means they absorb more toxins and contaminants that cause foodborne illnesses. Then, too, foodborne illnesses are often more severe in children than in healthy adults. How do we get there? As a starter, each school site that participates in the National School Lunch and National School Breakfast programs is required to go through two food safety inspections annually, conducted by a state or local governmental agency. USDA also requires all schools to have a coordinated approach to food safety based based on a preventive program, Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points, which is designed to ferret out problems where they are likely to occur. In addition, schools — and the foods served in them — are subject to the same federal, state and local regulations that protect the food offered in all retail establishments, such as grocery stores, restaurants and hospitals. Then, too, most states and school districts have additional food safety safeguards in place, such as providing training for staff, requiring food-safety certifications and having additional food safety requirements for foods purchased commercially. But when all is said and done, it turns out that USDA’s requirements for more servings of healthy foods don’t come with a detailed road map for the safety of foods purchased from farms, although federal and state governments do provide plenty of guidance to help school districts find their way. That leaves school districts across the country tasked with the responsibility of deciding what policies they need to adopt. In Washington state, Fred Berman, a food safety official for the state’s Agriculture Department, told Food Safety News that each school district sets its own food safety standards for buying food from farms. Some require no product liability insurance coverage while others require up to $5 million before a farmer can do business with them. Some require good agricultural practices (GAPs) certification while others do not. Some require a third party certifier but most do not. “In other words,” Berman said, “food safety isn’t always their number one concern but rather, a safe food supply is assumed (as a requirement).” Berman’s colleague, Tricia Kovacs, who has been working with small- and mid-sized farms to help them improve food safety practices, said that food safety is “a strong concern” for schools. “There are no requirements for food safety certification of produce for school meals,” she told Food Safety News, “but it is a national topic and most are discussing it relation to USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices.” These standards are based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables” and are generally recognized as the best practices to prevent microbial contamination of fruits and vegetables. They range from providing proper handwashing facilities for farmworkers to regular testing of the water used to irrigate and wash the crops to ensure that the water doesn’t contain harmful bacteria. Kovacs says school districts are seeking guidance about what they should require, and many are considering GAPs or are using questionnaires or otherwise asking farmers about their on-farm food safety practices. But she also says the state recognizes that qualifying for GAPs certification can be a challenge for small- and mid-sized farms. With that in mind, it has launched a project called “Bridging the GAPs,” which is funded by a USDA Specialty Crop block grant. This project helps participating growers find cost-effective ways to meet food-safety standard on their farms and also to work closely with state food-safety auditors. The state currently has 200 to 240 farms with a successful USDA GAPs audit. Many are onion or potato farms, but Kovacs said that more fruit and vegetable growers are getting the audits or looking into doing so. “We see more apples, cherries, berries and diversified row crops on the list now,” she said. In the case of potatoes, Kovacs said that many spud farmers saw the wisdom of becoming GAPs certified because their buyers were requiring it. That push from the buyers is consistent for many farmers across the nation. Southwest Washington blueberry grower Nik Pitharoulis, owner of Black River Blues Blueberry Farm is a good example of that. His blueberry operation is GAPs certified, which is a requirement of one of his customers, the Rochester School District. The farm’s blueberries are served every week in the district’s elementary school breakfasts and twice a week at lunch. In Skagit County, Washington, Georgia Johnson, food service manager for the La Conner School District, which has 700 students — 450 of whom qualify for reduced or free lunches — is no newcomer to getting fresh fruits and vegetables into kids’ meals. Newly hired in her current position in 2004, she introduced a salad bar to the lunchroom. She also makes sure the kids are getting at least three fresh fruits and two raw veggies each week in their lunches. When asked how she determines if the farms she buys from are following strict enough food-safety standards, she told Food Safety News that she takes a tour of the farms before buying anything from them. She’s currently buying from five farms. “I want to have a personal connection with the farmers,” she said. She also asks the farmers if they feed the food they grow to their own families, a question that she believes reveals how safe they think their food is. But she conceded that based on trust, she “assumes” that the water they’re washing the produce with is from a source that’s been tested for cleanliness and free of harmful bacteria. Likewise, she assumes that the farmers are keeping the produce at the right temperatures from harvest through pickup because when she picks it up, it’s always in the cooler. She readily admits that it would be helpful to learn more about the food safety practices the farmers are using. For example, what water they’re using for irrigation. “I’ll be asking more specific questions,” she said. “I know that it’s got to start at the very beginning, with the soil.” In the works at her school district, she said, is the requirement that farms that sell to the district fill out paperwork about how their food is grown, harvested and processed. In California, Stephanie Enright, child nutrition consultant with the state’s Department of Education, said that prior to being approved for the national breakfast and lunch programs, schools must provide a copy of their health permit to the California Department of Education. In addition, every school is required to have a food safety program in place to minimize the risk of foodborne illnesses. Carol Chase Huegli, nutrition education administrator for the state’s Department of Education, said that a key goal in Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Toriakson’s initiative, Team California for Healthy Kids, is offering students fresh foods and buying them locally when possible. Nutrition education consultant Elizabeth Moreno, also with the state’s Department of Education, said that school districts in the state use purchasing specifications that ensure safety and traceability of fresh produce. “When districts purchase directly from local farmers, they look for documentation that good agricultural practices and good handling practices are being used,” she said. In addition, districts also have procedures in place when they receive fresh produce, including checking the condition of the fresh produce and the transportation vehicles used to bring the produce to the schools to make sure certain food safety specifications are being met. Ronald Owens, spokesman for the state’s Department of Public Health, told Food Safety News that there are currently no regulations that set forth requirements for small farming operations or for community or school gardens intending to provide food to schools. But on the permitting front, local health departments are the primary permitting and inspection agencies for school cafeterias. Owens said that schools should work with their local health departments to ensure they are obtaining foods from approved sources and that produce growers are following good agricultural practices designed to protect the foods they produce from potential sources of contamination. What about food-service distributors? Sysco is a good example of a food service distributor that puts the focus on food safety. As such, it requires that all the farms from which it sources ready-to-eat produce be GAPs certified. Such produce includes, but is not limited to, lettuce, broccoli, celery, tomatoes, grapes, herbs, green onions, bell peppers and berries. “It (GAPs certification) puts more teeth into it,” said Pat Cipolla, director of produce marketing for Sysco Kansas City, referring to USDA’s food safety guidance for schools. “You can’t get safe enough.” Saying that all food should be as safe as possible for everyone, Cipolla, nevertheless, puts kids in a special category. “We have to look out for the kids,” he said. “They don’t know enough about food safety to do it for themselves. We can help out by helping the schools choose the right things.” He told Food Safety News that he always talks about food safety first when he meets with potential customers or farmers who want to sell to Sysco. “That’s more important than anything,” he said. “Food can be the best quality but if it isn’t safe, then nothing else matters.” Sysco Kansas City’s main supplier of locally grown food is a Mennonite community in Rich Hill, Missouri. Cipolla said it is believed to be the first Mennonite grower community in the country to be GAPs certified. Some of the Amish farms in the region that sell to Sysco are also GAPs certified. As steeped in traditional ways as they may be — the Amish use horses for farming and transportation, for example — Cipolla said that “they understand the direction food safety is going.” He refers to Diana Endicott, who, with her husband Gary, raises cattle and chickens and owns and operates a USDA federally inspected processing plant, as the “catalyst” for GAPs certification. Endicott is also at the helm of Good Natured Family Farms, an alliance of more than 150 local farms and small businesses working together to supply the Kansas City metro area with fresh food from within a 200-mile radius. Teaming up with the farms in the alliance, Sysco, and the USDA, Endicott took on the challenge of helping guide participating farmers towards GAPs certification. Some of that involved setting up training sessions, providing manuals and visiting the farms. Endicott describes it as an ongoing process with several goals for food safety improvement chosen each year. She also said that the farmers see it as “their program” and that it involves the entire farm. As the owner and operator of a meat processing plant, Endicott came to this endeavor with a head start since the plant must meet USDA’s food safety standards. Endicott told Food Safety News that the farms that became GAPs certified did so in large part because they had the opportunity to sell to Sysco. That represented a good business opportunity for them because some of them — the Mennonite and Amish farms with more than a combined 400 acres, for example — were producing a lot of food. “The buyer was mandating it,” she said. “It has to be driven by the buyer. When it is, the farmer will rise to the occasion.” With Good Natured Family Farms promoting eating fresh — and with Sysco seeing growing demand for locally grown food — Endicott says it’s obvious that farms are going to have to have food safety plans in place when selling to schools. “It’s not like before when a farmer would take some carrots to a school cook,” she said. “We’re looking at a lot of food being redistributed, and there have to be some food safety standards. If you want to supply schools, you’re going to have to do it. You need to for your own self-assurance and for your livelihood.” She also pointed out that should there be a foodborne illness outbreak caused by locally grown food served at a school, small- and mid-sized farms everywhere will see their credibility questioned. “We need to be cautious,” she said. “We’re representing small farms across the country. Just one accident can diminish the trust buyers have in all of us.” She sings the praises of the USDA in helping farms come up with ways they can become GAPs certified. “If you’re willing to put the time and energy into this, they’re here to guide you,” she said. When asked about small- and mid-sized farmers who are worried about the expense and time of becoming GAPs certified, Endicott’s advice is to get a copy of USDA’s GAPs checklist. “Do a self-audit,” she said. “Put it all down in a notebook. Maybe you can’t afford to get certified, but at least you’ll be able to show good intent.” She also advises farmers to look at Cornell University’s “Food Safety Begins on the Farm,” an information-packed publication for fruit and vegetable growers. What about USDA? USDA foods, which are the foods purchased and distributed by USDA to state agencies, which further distribute them to schools, make up about 15 to 20 percent of what is served in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), according to information supplied by the USDA. Also according to the USDA, the remaining 80 to 85 percent of foods served in the NSLP are purchased by schools commercially. State agencies that administer the NSLP and individual school districts may have specific food safety requirements for commercial purchases. Many jurisdictions have additional requirements, but some do not. The agency’s Food and Nutrition Service provides training on best practices for safely purchasing and handling fresh produce to help state agencies and school districts. Go here for some of the training sources. The USDA also provides ongoing technical assistance and training through the National Food Service Management Institute. It has also established the Center of Excellence for Food Safety Research in Child Nutrition at Kansas State University. Coming Soon to a School Near You October has been proclaimed National Farm to School Month. Go here for more information about the connections that are happening all over the country between schools and local food. | https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/09/school-kids-chowing-down-on-healthier-foods-but-who-are-the-food-safety-cops/ |
2021 Federation of American Hospitals Conference & Business Exposition
Three partners in Foley’s health care industry team—Monica Chmielewski, Jana Kolarik, and Lori Rubin—attended the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH) Conference and Business Exposition from June 6-8, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. The conference is widely regarded as one of the health industry’s leading health policy events focused on supply-chain and procurement-centered issues and topics. Those who attended included hospital buyers and suppliers across the country, including Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), Integrated Delivery Networks (IDNs), and vendors including medical device companies, oxygen suppliers, and pharmaceutical companies. Described in further detail below are key takeaways from the conference:
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Data solutions are needed for early warning signals that a drug, medical device or product is beginning to experience heightened levels of demand. GPOs are looking to expand services and offerings to assist hospitals in areas beyond traditional procurement.
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Consideration needs to be given to how a provider can ameliorate the stockpiling of needed resources in times of emergency. Transparency in the supply chain is needed so that suppliers can direct supplies where they are needed the most; however, there are challenges due to a perceived desire of providers to put their patients first. Competitive (and anti-competitive) concerns also present potential obstacles to data sharing.
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Telehealth experienced incredible growth over the last year with many attendant benefits; challenges remain as to quality tracking of telehealth visits and certain challenges in diagnosing patients. With the expansion of telehealth, panelists agreed that cybersecurity needs to continue to be a main focus.
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Many hospital leaders are keenly focused on health care equity in their communities.
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The health care labor force is experiencing high levels of burnout, anxiety, and depression.
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GPOs are typically focused on competitive pricing for fungible, competitive products, but certain GPOs are also addressing clients’ needs for purchased services beyond laundry, lawn services, etc. to include professional staffing services.
Monday discussions focused on the response of the Federal and State governments and agencies, GPOs, IDNs, vendors, and hospital supply chains during the major impact period of the COVID-19 pandemic and leveraging lessons learned in preparing for the next disruption. Panelists—including hospital executives, GPO executives and device executives—expressed hopes for improved transparency and data analytics during times of emergency or shortfalls when there is surge demand for certain products. They discussed implementing early warning systems to predict upcoming surge demand, shortening the time from surge demand to delivery, and data solutions to head off stock piling due to slow federal/state action and direct supply to where it is needed the most. Panelists also raised concerns regarding the apparent difference between how not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals were treated.
There were further discussions on telehealth and cybersecurity, with particular focus on expanded patient reach thanks to telehealth, quality tracking of telehealth visits, challenges of diagnosing over telehealth consultations, and telehealth aiding in separating infectious patients from vulnerable ones. There were also important conversations regarding health care equity and capital, with a focus on potential capital spend and allocation in the coming “post-COVID” era. The health care labor force was also at the forefront of discussion, with speakers covering a variety of topics from heroes in the pandemic, the global nursing shortage, and rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout in health care workers. One session covered the effect of COVID-19 on disease management, including the modification of management strategies to reduce the risk of infection, delayed or cancelled services causing worsened outcomes in patients with chronic conditions, and, the lingering psychological effects of COVID-19 on patients. Another session, led by executives from three (3) different GPOs, discussed purchased services (not items) in a post-pandemic world and costs and issues associated with same.
Finally, the conference also focused on policy and the current political climate in Washington, D.C. including the potential impact on provider, supplier and manufacturer operations. | https://www.natlawreview.com/article/2021-federation-american-hospitals-conference-business-exposition |
Crisp spring sunlight pours into buttercup curtains filling the room with the warmth of a morning blush. Quite at her leisure, a young dancer wrinkles her brow smoothing over the furrows of sleep. Reaching out for the ultimate twenty-first century tool, the laptop, she senses a sharp torsion of happily burnt muscles. Crossing the room with no small amount of deft precision and care she examines the war-wounds in the looking-glass. An impressive collection she observes; two colourfully bruised knees, swollen elbows, the familiar ache of a damaged shoulder once again less than delicately used to cushion a fall and finally the crowning glory of a bruised nose for being accidentally punched. Far from discomfort, however, a knowing smile spreads across her face: these are medals of commitment to a whirlwind snapshot into the work of a remarkable choreographer, Akram Khan. So with an intoxicating mug of fresh coffee at hand, I sit in the familiar euphoria of new enrichment and try to encapsulate this education into words. For that is what I go to the theatre for; not simply to escape or to be amused, but to learn, be challenged and changed by what I find there, and to be moved.
I have been lucky enough in the past week to view Akram’s critically acclaimed work ‘Bahok’ on its second tour, observe in a post-show talk with the company’s international array of dancers and attend a workshop led by two of his dancers based on the work. Akram has made his choreography accessible to enthusiasts in this range of mediums, allowing for an in-depth experience far from simply viewing the work as an audience member.
During the post-show talk, Indian born dancer Sanjay grinned ear to ear animatedly responding to the audience’s questions. He beamed brightly recalling the anecdote of Akram’s inspiration: ‘Akram was abroad staying in a hotel in Japan where some kind of world summit meeting was taking place. Using an elevator to get to his room he was surrounded by many people of various cultures, languages and dialects none of his own or any common to another. The lift broke down and in the enclosed space the people were forced to try to communicate without the use of language. This is what inspired Akram to create a piece about international identities and how we can break the communication boundaries without the use of common language.’
The work was first shown in 2007 in Beijing and was a thirteen week process to create for the company on this second tour. It uses eight international dancers from a range of origins including India, Spain, Korea and Slovakia. The process by which the dance was created included much improvisatory work from each dancer, the material created was very personal as the work focuses on the journey and identity of the individual. Sanjay explained that each dancer was asked to bring something to the initial rehearsals that epitomised a feeling of their home. It could be an anything from a physical object to a sound which was then used as a stimulus to movement material directed and guided by Akram into the work. This follows a modern trait in contemporary dance where the choreographer moves away from being the soul creator, tapping into the strength and creativity of his or her dancers and favouring the role of direction. This is not to say however that the artistic intention is not still fully decided and maintained by Akram among others within their repertoire. In this case for example, Akram’s signatory kathak training and movement style can be seen especially in the fast paced unison sections. The implementation of a swinging pendulum style arm gesture beginning in cannon and falling into unison is another brain-child of his.
The work itself is quite simply awe inspiring; the dancers all have immense physical talent and portrayed such sensitivity towards every aspect of performance, travelling from quick witted comedy to a heartfelt need for belonging. The piece is set in a place of travel interchange; the most common and frequent place for cultures to collide. Akram includes the innovative use of a large electronic notice board (similar to those arrival/ departure boards found in airports or train stations) to show text conveying key messages. This key architectural feature hangs central from the ceiling within a basic set of sparsely placed chairs and props to accessorise the scattered bodies on stage. My mind is still stumbling over the breadth of aspects considered here as I attempt to file all this information into a few sentences. This is because to watch Akram’s company is to be given a full experience, to escape into a total world in search of meaning. As we learn more about each individual we start to raise more and more questions about ourselves, what reminds us of home, how our origin defines us and what we take with us from those roots into our new routes and life journey. The beauty here is that we can follow a narrative getting to know the young Indian man animatedly talking on his phone, the Korean fellow who speaks not a word of English and his friend who tried to translate whilst being transfixed on her own home by walking in her father’s shoes. We follow the journey of a Spanish lady who seems very unclear about where she comes from, she clutches papers and seems erratic, is this due to the lack of clear origin? Whilst engaging with this sense of fantasy we are also able to question, to debate and to interpret as we will what the overall statement might be. The paradigm of communication without language allows us to explore the relationship between nationality and identity, the idea that a lack of origin means imbalance and puts into question our practical boundaries (such as language) and how they can be overcome. There is a special sense of both individuality and universality that speaks true of life present here.
The fast-paced work is constantly evolving and far too interesting to tear your eyes away from. The piece is truly multi-dimensional and inter-disciplinary. It demands that each dancer can execute the challenging physicality of movement within the group whilst bringing individual flair and creativity to solo movement. Each performer has a dual purpose as a dancer and actor. They must interact with one another both physically and dramatically whilst manipulating props in a similarly dualistic way. There is a powerful use of speech in both English and several other native languages. The work is made relevant by addressing current issues of the immigration process, working visa and illegal importation of goods such as DVDs. Akram portrays two practical examples of miscommunication caused by the language barrier when a migrant worker enters the country. Suddenly personal effects can become illegally imported goods. Vital legal documents are not so forthcoming when the simple request for them is ‘lost in translation’.
A relentless commitment and energy is displayed by all characters throughout supported by a fantastic commissioned score created in collaboration with the choreography. The fearless dynamism of the work builds into several climactic points of movement interest which constantly embody the drive and determination of grounded kathak style. This idea of embodiment is continued in the individual flavour of each dancer’s movement unified by the sense that every individual is so completely present that the movement is somewhat a carefully calculated surprise. Perfectly seamless despite seeming impulse-based and driven by the simple organic wish of the body to move itself rather than the regimented intention of the mind being in command, this style is related to improvisatory technique and is absorbing to watch. All of the body goes with each impulse, towards the intention of each movement entirely fluid with intricate detail symbolising the dynamic of the movement to the very finger tips. All this creativity and grace is maintained even when performing the most athletically demanding feats of strength. I cannot help but give particular mention to the Spanish lady and her use of a shoulder roll into standing. It is so complex a movement as I have never seen before. It was so faultless even on several repeats that I could barely breathe for disbelief and admiration.
When discussing the concept of the piece in the post-show talk, Sanjay explained the group had itself gone through a similar feat as Akram in the Japanese elevator, there had been many interpreters involved in rehearsals as many of the dancers are not fluent in English. Despite this boundary he expressed a true enjoyment in the process… “Enriching… the culture cross-over was amazing for us!”
The workshop was delivered by the Indian and Slovakian dancers in the piece, both freelance dance artists alongside being company members for roughly two and a half years. The first half of the session focused on improvisatory experimentation. The exploration was based on free movement through each level from the floor, to sitting to standing then movement using all three. Our tutor then explained the premise of three states of movement important to the piece architectural (this is direct balanced movement) off-balance and running to falling. Sanjay then took over the session to lead some repertory work from ‘Bahok’: first a small section based solely on the hands which is a defining feature of Akram’s work, then a short full body section. The work was extremely physically demanding and requires a high level of technique to execute correctly: the movement occurs moment to moment giving little time to analyse, so the dynamic intention of the movement must be fully understood. Both of the dancers encouraged questions and aided different members of the group in improving sections of the movement. A friendly and humorous approach was taken to the class though it was taught in a hard-hitting professional fashion requiring absolute focus and embodiment.
This discussion is merely a window into a vast world of dance discovery, when indulging in Akram’s dance paradigm expect to be captivated, inspired and most importantly, permanently addicted. | https://splendidfredmagazine.com/2010/04/10/an-insight-into-akram-khans-bahok-by-bev-wass/ |
AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY:
Reporting to the Supervisor, Customer Service, this role is responsible to coordinate and analyze the intake of escalated customer service inquiries from all channels (social media – 2 platforms, telephone and email). Develop and execute project initiatives to meet annual goals. Ensure the Transit Contact Centre meets customer expectations by demonstrating judgment and independence in meeting operational needs and corporate service standards. Establish and disseminate procedural updates for Contact Centre staff. Provide functional guidance and sets daily priorities to ensure service delivery within prescribed timelines. Monitor customer service performance and responses. Coaches and assigns daily work tasks and maintains timekeeping and scheduling for staffing purposes
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- OPERATION SUPPORT
- Provide organized and proactive coordination of responding to customer inquiries through social media – twitter and Facebook, telephone and email;). answer questions to meet operational needs and corporate service standards.
- Responsible for background research and analysis on specific issues and customer service trends and makes recommendations on resolution and handling.
- Create work schedules and associated timekeeping based on demand, ensuring compliance with the Employment Standards Act and the Collective Agreement.
- Assist with call monitoring, evaluation and coaching to ensure proper standards of performance are maintained.
- Provide input into performance and disciplinary handling.
- Investigate and responds to escalated public complaints.
- Provide training to staff and ensure they possess knowledge in policy and practice guidelines.
- Demonstrate sound knowledge of Presto systems and processes and provide analysis to customers.
- Provide after-hours support to assist with the communication of service alerts.
- Handle confidential and sensitive information and escalates issues, as required.
- CUSTOMER SERVICE
- Act as a key source of contact and provide guidance, advice and support to ensure coordination meets Contact Centre quality component standards and corporate service standards.
- Respond and handle escalated customer enquiries; prioritize requests and escalate for resolution as required to meet corporate service standards.
- Build and maintain a relationship with cross-functional departments, team, management and externally, to foster and support coordination while carrying out accountabilities.
- Uses knowledge and insights gained in working with customers to determine trends and respond to internal customer service inquiries.
- Follow the established protocols when responding to various media forms (Social Media – twitter and facebook, telephone and email)
- COMMUNICATION AND REPORTING
- Prepare standard correspondence, reports, presentations, statistical reporting, data and other relevant materials as required accurately by established timelines.
- Utilize transit-specific software (Hastus and Infor) to generate and track customer inquiries.
- Review, analyze and advise on customer financial transaction histories using external software (Presto) and uses judgement and independence to determine courtesy reimbursements.
- Ensure effective communication between Operations Control Centre and Customer Service staff.
- Maintain up-to-date files, documentation and correspondence using the corporate filing system and ensure necessary sign-offs and approvals meet policies and confidentiality.
- Act as first level support to section to ensure service updates and responses are efficient and effective.
- Establish quality control standards and measures and provides measure/trends for improved customer service handling.
- CORPORATE CONTRIBUTION
- Conduct research using internal and external resources to gain insight of current programs, processes and practices to assist management in ways to support operational needs.
- Maintain knowledge of collective agreements, City policies and practices, legislation, regulations and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- BUDGET SUPPORT
- Use of effective resource and expense management at all times to meet corporate policies and guidelines.
- TEAMWORK AND COOPERATION
- Assist in special projects as required.
- Work well within diverse groups to support operational goals and objectives.
- Demonstrate corporate values at all times.
- Participate as a member of cross-functional team.
- Provide support/backup as necessary.
SELECTION CRITERIA:
EDUCATION:
- Post-secondary certificate in Business/Office Administration or equivalent or related experience/training.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:
- 3-5 years front-line customer service experience.
- Knowledge of Transit Operations is an asset.
- Supervisory experience in a unionized environment is an asset.
OTHER SKILLS AND ASSETS:
- Knowledge of Municipal, Regional, Provincial and Federal Governments and applicable Legislations is an asset
- Ability to identify business needs, initiate and coordinate project resource requests.
- Superior customer service and telephone communication skills including good etiquette, voice quality, articulation and listening skills.
- Solid organizational skills; detail oriented, and able to coordinate and multi-task to accomplish a variety of tasks and activities meeting conflicting priorities and timelines.
- Analytical skills for complex problem solving.
- Computer proficiency in Microsoft office/software.
**Various tests and/or exams may be administered as part of the selection criteria.
Alternate formats will be provided upon request.
Interview: Our recruitment process will be completed with video conference technology.
As part of the corporation’s Modernizing Job Evaluation project, this position will undergo an evaluation which may result in a change to the rate of compensation. Any changes affecting this position will be communicated as information becomes available.
If this opportunity matches your interest and experience, please apply online by clicking the button above quoting reference #104809 by May 23, 2022 and complete the attached questionnaire. We thank all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. The successful candidate(s) will be required, as a condition of employment, to execute a written employment agreement. A criminal record search will be required of the successful candidate to verify the absence of a criminal record for which a pardon has not been granted.
As part of the application process, applicants will be invited to complete a self identification survey. The survey is voluntary. Participation in the survey will have no impact on hiring decisions. All information collected is confidential and will not be shared with the hiring manager. The surveys will be anonymized and will be kept separate from applicant or employee files, such that the individuals who completed the surveys will not be identifiable. The results of the survey will assist in the analysis of disaggregated metrics for organizational planning purposes and our commitment to advance and foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. The City may use anonymized data to produce aggregate reports for internal or external use.
Please be advised, the City of Brampton uses email to communicate with their applicants for open job competitions. It is the applicant’s responsibility to include an updated email address that is checked daily and accepts emails from unknown users. As we send time sensitive correspondence via email (i.e. testing bookings, interview dates), it is imperative that applicants check their email regularly. If we do not hear back from applicants, we will assume that you are no longer interested in the Job Competition and your application will be removed from the Competition. | https://thisjob.ca/transit-customer-service-coordinator/ |
The annual Nordic Green panel discussion of 2021, themed “Nordic Green Talks: Reducing our Carbon Footprints” will be held in conjunction with the annual Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) on 28 October.
More about the event:
With global demand for a greener future, nations worldwide like the Nordics and Singapore are strengthening efforts and visions relating to sustainable developments. The Nordic Region has developed sustainability solutions and policies for decades, and the Vision 2030 is to become the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030.
With extensive experience in cross-border green collaborations, generating and sharing knowledge, the Nordics can find new and innovative solutions by engaging people, international organizations, and global partners.
Similarly, in Singapore, the Green Plan 2030 (greenplan.gov.sg) is a whole-of-nation movement to advance Singapore’s national agenda on the city in nature, energy reset, sustainable living, green economy, and resilient future. Charting ambitious and concrete targets over the next 10 years, Singapore aims to achieve long-term net-zero emissions aspiration as soon as viable.
In this year’s Nordic Green edition, we bring together Nordic Ambassadors to Singapore and leading Nordic companies in the Asia Pacific to discuss and learn more about their commitment to a clear transition pathway for global carbon reduction by 2030. Some key takeaways include:
– The Nordic experiences and challenges in building a sustainable future.
– International cooperation in the environmental footprint agenda.
– Nordic innovations addressing carbon footprint that are relevant for Singapore and Southeast Asia. | https://scandasia.com/join-the-annual-nordic-green-panel-discussion-in-singapore/ |
- Remember, students with disabilities are “qualified students”. They have met the same requirements as their non-disabled peers to enter college. They have, more often than not, very high intelligence, and can be over achievers in some areas, but have some type of obstacle that makes it very difficult to achieve at the same level of their peers in other areas. Students with disabilities do not get by with less work. Often they must work harder than other students.
- Students with disabilities will sometimes be shy or too embarrassed to ask for help. If you see any warning signs, please refer the student to Student Accessibility Services.
- Students with disabilities can take up to 3 to 4 times longer to read and/or process than their non-disabled peers and have to go back and re-read 2 to 3 times to understand what is being read.
- The reason the student is allowed extra time to complete exams is because of the length of time it takes them to read and re-read a question! They are in no way given an advantage over their non- disabled peers!
- Treat each student as an individual.
- Every person has limitations. Students with disabilities may have some additional limitations. Do not overestimate those limitations, and try not to accommodate the student beyond what is reasonable.
- Expect students with disabilities to meet the same standards of academic performance as other students.
- Students with disabilities enrolled at SCSU have met academic qualifications for admission. They are here because of their abilities, not their disabilities.
- Make a general announcement at the beginning of the semester when going over the syllabus to encourage students to seek out services who may need it. Include an accommodations statement in your syllabus.
- Instructors can help at the start of the semester with a general announcement of their willingness to discuss individually a student’s special needs. Do not disclose any student information you obtain in mailings from the SAS office.
- Students with disabilities are the best sources of information. Do not hesitate to ask them questions about how you can facilitate their participation. Do No Pry.
- Don’t apply blanket accommodations. Each student has unique needs.
- All accommodations are not automatically applicable to all students with disabilities. Disabilities can vary in terms of the degree of limitation, the length of time the person has been disabled and the stability of the condition.
- Students with disabilities are not getting unfair advantages.
Disability Specific Suggestions
Vision Impairments
Suggestions for working with students who are blind or with visual impairments:
- Your cooperation in allowing tape recording of lectures would be greatly appreciated. It allows the student to listen to the lecture again and is a reasonable accommodation.
- Preferential seating is important for a student with visual impairments. Since visual cues may not be available, you may want to make sure he/she is getting all the auditory cues possible. If the student is using a guide dog, it would help if the student were given an assigned seat so that the dog can aid him/her in getting there. The guide dog is not to be treated as a pet. When a guide dog is with their owner they are working. Ask the student if it is okay before interacting with the animal. Guide dogs must be allowed in the classroom with the student.
- Give students plenty of notice in the event that research papers are assigned. Someone may have to aid in the literature search, both in finding materials and reading them. You may want to extend deadlines for the student.
- To assist students with visual impairments when using the blackboard, lessen the glare as much as possible and write in large letters.
- Important information written on the blackboard should also be emphasized verbally.
Hearing Impairments
Suggestions for working with students who are deaf or with hearing impairments:
- Make sure you have a deaf student’s attention before speaking. A light touch on the shoulder, a wave or some other signal will help.
- Look directly at the person with a hearing loss during a conversation, even when an interpreter is present. Speak clearly, without shouting. If you have problems being understood, rephrase your thoughts. Writing is a good way to clarify.
- Make sure that your face is clearly visible. Keep your hands away from your face and mouth while speaking.
- Maintain eye contact. If you turn away from a deaf person, hold your conversation until eye contact is re-established.
- Use facial expressions and gestures to help clarify your message. Pointing to appropriate objects or using visual aids can also be very helpful.
- If you are in a group situation, only one person should be talking at a time.
- Circular seating arrangements offer deaf or hard of hearing students the best advantage for seeing all class participants.
- Allow the student the same anonymity as other students (ie. Avoid pointing out the student or the alternative arrangements to the rest of the class).
- When in doubt about how to assist the student, ask him or her.
Mobility Impairments
Suggestions for working with students with mobility impairments:
- Most students who use wheelchairs will ask for assistance if needed. Don’t automatically assume that assistance is required. Offer assistance if you wish, but do not insist and accept a “no, thank you” graciously.
- If a classroom or faculty office is inaccessible it will be necessary to make the area accessible to the student or locate an alternate class site that is accessible.
- If breaks between their classes are short, a student who uses a wheelchair or has difficulty walking may frequently be a few minutes late. Student may have to wait for an elevator, take a circuitous but accessible route or wait for assistance in opening doors. Please do not penalize the student for being late.
- In a class that involves fieldwork or a field trip, ask the student to participate in the selection of sites and modes of transportation. If possible announce field trips early so that students can plan ahead for their transportation.
- Classes taught in lab settings usually require some modifications of work stations. Considerations include under counter knee clearance, work and counter top heights, horizontal working reach and aisle widths. Working directly with the student may be the best way to determine needed modifications.
- Students are not “confined” to wheelchairs. Some who use wheelchairs can walk with the aid of canes, braces, crutches or walkers. Using a wheelchair some of the time does not mean an individual is “faking” a disability. It may be a means to conserve energy or move about more quickly.
Psychiatric Disabilities
Suggestions for working with students with psychiatric disabilities:
- Students with a history of psychiatric disabilities can be intelligent, sensitive, creative, and interesting and may have difficulty with responding to change, screening out environmental stimuli, sustaining concentration, interacting with others, responding to negative feedback, etc.
- Address a variety of learning styles (e.g. auditory, visual, kinesthetic, experiential, or a combination of styles).
- Incorporate experiential learning activities.
- Be prepared to set behavioral expectations for all students in your class.
- Embrace diversity to include people with psychiatric disabilities.
- May need prearranged or frequent breaks.
Learning Disabilities/Cognitively Impaired
Suggestions for working with students with learning disabilities/cognitive impairments:
- Provide a detailed course syllabus.
- Clearly define expectations before courses begin, eg. grading, materials to be covered, due dates.
- Start each lecture with an outline of materials to be covered during that class period. At the conclusion of class briefly summarize key points.
- Write new or technical vocabulary on the board or use handouts. Terms should be used in context to convey greater meaning.
- Give assignments both orally and in written form to avoid confusion.
- Announce reading assignments well in advance for students who are using taped materials. It may take up to two weeks for the SAS office to tape materials or access E-texts.
- Your cooperation in allowing tape recording of lectures would be greatly appreciated and in some cases is a reasonable accommodation for certain disabilities. Usually the SAS office will indicate this on the materials sent to you regarding students.
- Provide study questions for exams that demonstrate the format and content of the test. Explain what constitutes a good answer and why.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Suggestions for working with students who have ADHD or ADD:
- A quiet work area and seating away from windows, doors, or other distractions.
- Provide opportunities for movement and tactile input.
- Reformatting documents to minimize clutter and provide documents in alternative formats.
- Give clear and specific instructions.
- As the semester progresses, keep reminding students of impending deadlines.
- Avoid making assignments orally, since students with ADHD may miss them. Always write them on the board or pass them out in written form.
Systemic Disabilities (Cancer, Diabetes, MS, etc.)
Suggestions for working with students with other health issues:
- The condition of a student with a medical disability may fluctuate over time, causing the need for a type of accommodation to vary.
- Some of these conditions may cause the student to exceed an attendance policy. A reasonable accommodation should reflect the nature of the class requirements and the arrangements initiated by the student for completing the assignments.
- A student may need to leave the classroom early and unexpectedly; the student should be held accountable for missed instruction. The faculty should be accommodating with this.
- Ask the student if he or she will need assistance during an emergency evacuation and assist in making a plan if necessary.
- Ask the student if you are unsure about something.
For more assistance on how to create the best possible classroom and learning environment visit The Faculty Room or contact SAS to discuss solutions. | https://www.stcloudstate.edu/sas/faculty-staff/suggestions.aspx |
What notes are in the B-flat scale?
B-flat major is a major scale based on B♭, with pitches B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two flats.
What is B-flat in bass clef?
1. B-flat note. This step shows note B-flat on two octaves, on the piano, treble clef and bass clef. Another name for Bb is A#, which has the same note pitch / sound, which means that the two note names are enharmonic to each other.
What pitch is B flat?
Designation by octave
|Scientific designation||Helmholtz designation||Frequency (Hz)|
|B♭1||B♭͵ or ͵B♭ or BB♭||58.27|
|B♭2||B♭||116.541|
|B♭3||b♭||233.082|
|B♭4||b♭′||466.164|
What are the major scales in the bass clef?
Major scales from sharp key signatures in the Bass clef. Major scales from flat key signatures in the Bass clef: (no sharps) (1 sharp) (2 sharps) (3 sharps) (4 sharps) (5 sharps) (6 sharps) (7 sharps) (1 flat) (2 flats) (3 flats) (4 flats) (5 flats) (6 flats) (7 flats) Notice that each scale uses ONLY the accidentals used in the
How many spaces does a bass clef have?
The first (or bottom) space in the Bass Clef represents an “A”, the second space is “C”, the third space is “E” and the fourth space is “G”. What are the notes on the spaces of the bass clef staff? Starting from the bottom of the bass clef staff, the spaces are A, C, E, and G.
What are the notes to the bass clef?
Bass Clef Notes. The notes on the bass clef staff follow the same pattern as other staves. That is E – G – B – D – F – A – C, etc. They are just in different positions. The bottom stave line on the bass staff is a G note. Starting on the G, the stave line notes are therefore G – B – D – F and A.
How to change the treble clef to a bass clef?
Click the Clef tool,then double-click any measure to enter a clef change at the beginning of the measure. | https://thisisbeep.com/what-notes-are-in-the-b-flat-scale/ |
The second milk auction in November was successfully held in New Zealand (Global Dairy Trade). Will the NZDCAD quotations grow?
Their increase indicates the strengthening of the New Zealand dollar against the Canadian dollar. Global Dairy Trade Price Index rose on 1,7%, after rising on 3.7% at the previous auction. Trading volume fell slightly by 1.8%. The dairy industry generates more than 7% of New Zealand’s GDP, therefore, its indicators affect the local currency rate. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) decided to maintain the rate of 1% at its last meeting in 2019. Now the interest rate will stay unchanged until the next meeting on February 12, 2020. The negative factor for Canadian dollar is the decline in international oil prices due to production increase and a delay in US-Chinese trade talks. Carolyn Wilkins, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada spoke about the risks to the global economy. Investors fear that this may be a hint of willingness to decrease the rate. The inflation in Canada for October will come out in November 20, which may affect the dynamics of the Canadian dollar.
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On the daily timeframe, NZDCAD: D1 is correcting upwards from the lowest since August 2015. It has breached up the resistance line of the downtrend. Various technical analysis indicators have generated signals to increase. The further growth is possible in the case of positive data in New Zealand and negative data in Canada.
- The Parabolic Indicator gives a bullish signal.
- The Bollinger bands have narrowed, which indicate low volatility. Both Bollinger Lines Slope Up.
- The RSI indicator is above the mark of 50. It has formed a divergence to increase.
- The MACD indicator gives a bullish signal.
We expect that the bullish movements may develop if NZDCAD exceeds the upper Bollinger line and its last upper fractal and the upper Bollinger line: 0,853. This level can be used as an entry point. The initial stop loss may be placed below the Parabolic signal, the lower Bollinger line and the low since August 2015: 0,823. After opening the pending order, we shall move the stop to the next fractal low following the Bollinger and Parabolic signals. Thus, we are changing the potential profit/loss to the breakeven point. More risk-averse traders may switch to the 4-hour chart after the trade and place there a stop loss moving it in the direction of the trade. If the price meets the stop loss level (0,823) without reaching the order (0,853), we recommend canceling the order: the market sustains internal changes, which were not taken into account. | https://www.countingpips.com/2019/11/nzdcad-analysis-in-new-zealand-the-economic-data-was-positive/ |
Five Tips to A Healthier Mind, Body, And Spirit
Did you know that the things you do on a daily basis can affect your health and well-being? Eat a balanced diet and maintain regular physical activity to look good and feel good, or engage in destructive, unhealthy habits and you end up looking and feeling bad. When you think about it, health can be a direct representation of your mind, body, and spirit. So, if you want to live healthier, consider these five tips which helps in memory care:
- Eat right – What you eat matters, and when you consume a lot of processed foods that contain a lot of sugar, fat, and salt, you increase your risk of developing chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney problems, and make yourself susceptible to having a stroke or a heart attack. Eating junk food and too much sugar can make you at risk for obesity, too. So, consider eating healthy, balanced meals, with natural ingredients that are free of pesticides, chemical processing, and genetically modified organisms.
- Minimize intake of certain foods – Some dairy products, carbohydrates, and refined sugars are bad for you, especially when taken in excessive amounts every day.
- Keep moving – Exercise, not only to remain fit and to maintain your figure, but for mental well-being, too. When you exercise, your brain released endorphins, the natural hormones that help relieve stress and feelings of anxiety. These feel-good hormones make you feel happy, too. Moreover, exercising boosts your heart rate, improves circulation, and enhances your body’s ability to process glucose for energy to balance your insulin levels.
- Avoid stressful situations – Think positive and practice strategies that can help reduce stress, such as deep breathing exercises, Yoga, and Tai Chi. Consider taking breaks every now and then and engage in your favorite sport or hobbies to refresh your mind.
- Get enough sleep – “Sleep is for the weak,” they say, but you will end up becoming weak anyway if you do not get enough of it. Keep in mind that the body recuperates as you sleep, and it needs enough time, around seven to eight hours to do so. With decreased sleep, you won’t only feel lethargic all day, but your vitamin D and energy levels will drop, your cognitive function will be affected, your metabolism slows, and you are likely to become moody. | http://www.seasonsalzcare.com/five-tips-to-a-healthier-mind-body-and-spirit/ |
Taken from: http://nickelridge.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Cortisol-Circadian-Rhythm.png
The inability to sleep can be a direct affect of being hypothyroid. Whether its trouble getting to sleep or the inability to stay asleep – sleep is one of the most common issues people struggle with daily.
It can also be one of the easiest to fix and alone can yield you the greatest amount of positive influence over your health and wellbeing.
Lets begin by pointing out anything that stresses or over stimulates the body will inhibit sleep.
Why?
Because your sleep, or your inability to sleep, has everything to do with your ability to regulate your cortisol rhythms.
At this point you are probably well aware of the variety of roles cortisol plays in your overall health, particularly stress. However, you may not be as well aware of cortisols relationship to your circadian rhythm. An important characteristic of cortisol you need to understand if you are to gain deeper insight into exactly what is happening in your body during each day.
Circadian Rhythm is a term used to describe the ebb and flow of cortisol levels in the body over the course of a 24-hour time period. These rhythms are controlled from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) that resides in the hypothalamus and is responsible for helping every human being maintain a 24-hour sleep/wake cycle.
Cortisol levels (influenced by the light of day) are highest in the morning and signal your body the day has begun. While cortisol works to rouse us from our slumber, the adrenals and brain quickly go to work to produce the hormones we need to function throughout the day.
Cortisol levels begin to decline as the morning progresses, while at the same time metabolic processes increase, reaching their highpoint, along with core body temperature and pulse (a pattern we track using body temperature and pulse as a tool to help regulate circadian rhythms).
As the day progresses, and afternoon turns to evening, cortisol levels continue to decline, metabolism slows, body temperature drops and serotonin gets converted to melatonin working to induce sleepiness. Your body has a very specific time clock and as the daylight recedes your body prepares you for rest and recovery.
Essentially, this would be the optimal time to end the day and retire to bed. A habit not practiced by many and even when there is a valid effort being put forth, you find yourself tossing and turning, staring at the wall, counting sheep, whatever you may do when you lay awake hour after hour trying to get to sleep.
Hypothyroidism and Circadian Rhythms
You wanna throw a wrench into your circadian rhythms, hypothyroidism or low cellular energy production will do the job!
Why?
Because it is a chronic stress to the body, which means even when the body is not suppose to release cortisol it must to compensate for low energy production. This creates yet another stress, which then creates another stress and so on and so forth.
When the body is in a chronically stressed state the body has to produce high levels of cortisol throughout the day causing the HPA axis to break down. The body receives faulty messages and when cortisol levels should be elevated they are low and when they should be low they are elevated.
In this vicious cycle, the body is being told cortisol is needed at times it shouldn’t be. Like when your body should be preparing for sleep and while you are sleeping.
In addition, blood sugar naturally falls at night as a result of fasting. During this time the body relies on stored glycogen from the liver for energy. Anytime blood sugar begins to drop adrenaline and cortisol begin to rise. This particular fluctuation naturally begins to occur almost as soon as a person goes to bed.
Hypothyroid people store very little to no glycogen so when this natural fluctuation begins to occur adrenaline and cortisol are released in excess.
Naturally adrenaline peaks between 1-3am, while cortisol peaks around dawn in preparation for the new day. Some people wake up during the adrenaline peak with a pounding heart and have trouble getting back to sleep.
Simple solutions to restore circadian rhythms and get back to sleep
Address your biggest stressor. Blood sugar levels are one of the most regulated activities of the body because is it so critical to our survival. When levels fall too high or too low the body senses this as a stress and begins implementing survival responses (stress response ie. cortisol).
Regulation of blood sugar is important to many hormones and various nutrients. Insulin and potassium play a role in keeping blood sugar levels down while glucagon, cortisol, adrenaline, growth hormone and thyroid hormone increase blood sugar levels.
Providing your body with optimal fuel every 2-3 hours is essential to pulling the body out of the vicious cycle of stress it gets pulled into when fuel storages are deficient. The more chronically deficient you are, the more frequent you will need to eat. **It is important to remember this looks very different for every body.
Over time, as your system heals, your liver will become much more efficient at storing glycogen and releasing glucose to your cells as needed throughout the day and while sleeping.
As this occurs you will be able to go longer period of time between meals without it being such a huge stress to your body.
Most importantly, regulating your blood sugar will help restore your cortisol rhythms (circadian rhythms) therefore getting you back to sleep.
Cold showers before bedtime.
When we consciously come into a stressful experience (ie. cold shower) that deepens and accelerates our breathing, our nervous system reacts differently. The body realizes there is not real danger and is facing a challenge on the conscious level.
A cold shower is a situation of energetic overload, which causes us to accelerate our breathing, tense up or even hold our breath. But in reality we are in a stable and safe environment through the conscious decision to be there.
This is an example of Hormesis; toxins in small doses can have healing effects. When we correlated this with breathing in a cold shower, it means that the stress is more of a eustress (positive) vs a distress (negative). You are improving stress resilience by being in control of your breathing, autonomic nervous system (ANS) and therefore your overall physiology. With this practice you begin to learn how to endure stress, regenerate and recover.
How to…
60s warm shower/30s cold shower (titrate to your liking)
When the water is warm: nose-nose controlled hyperventilation x 20, then hold breath for 15-30s. When you release your breath recover through the nose.
When the water is cold: inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose as slow as you can.
Repeat 3-4x
Avoid exercise before bedtime. Exercise can be a good stress or a bad stress. When performed following a long day of go, go, go in compounded with poor food frequency, low caloric intake and poor food choices, exercise can easily induce excitation therefore elevating cortisol at a time your body is trying to prepare for rest.
The goal would not be to omit the exercise entirely but to modify the intensity, length and volume to meet your body where it is in the healing process. The correct time to exercise and the type of exercise just right for you can easily be determined by taking a couple days to track your metabolic patterns using body temperature and pulse.
P.S. Before you go, we’d love to hear from you! If you have a few minutes please stop by and share your personal sleep successes or challenges.
If you are struggling with your sleep and want some support to get you sleeping again, feel free to contact us directly here. | https://eastwesthealing.com/sleep-and-hypothyroidism/ |
Perception of effort, not muscle fatigue, limits endurance performance
(PhysOrg.com) -- The physiological theory that underpins all endurance training and coaching for the last 100 years has just been disproved.
Mar 19, 2010
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The physiological theory that underpins all endurance training and coaching for the last 100 years has just been disproved.
Mar 19, 2010
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Researchers have discovered evidence that endurance exercise, such as running, swimming, cross-country skiing and cycling, will help you age better than resistance exercise, which involves strength training with weights.
Nov 27, 2018
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Every week, there seems to be another story about the health benefits of running. That's great—but what if you can't run? For the elderly, obese or otherwise mobility-limited, the rewards of aerobic exercise have long been ...
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Some people respond well to both aerobic exercise and strength training, while others don't. And some of us respond well to only one of those things, but not both. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center now have uncovered a ...
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There is growing evidence that high levels of intense exercise may be cardiotoxic and promote permanent structural changes in the heart, which can, in some individuals, predispose them to experience arrhythmias (abnormal ...
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Rats fed a high-fat diet show a stark reduction in their physical endurance and a decline in their cognitive ability after just nine days, a study by Oxford University researchers has shown.
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A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that long-term endurance training in a stable way alters the epigenetic pattern in the human skeletal muscle. The research team behind the study, which is being published ...
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(Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers with members from several institutions in Belgium has found that endurance exercise may play a role in the regulation of telomere transcription. In their paper published in the journal ...
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We all know that we can quickly lose cardiovascular endurance if we stop exercising for a few weeks, but what impact does the cessation of exercise have on our brains? New research led by University of Maryland School of ...
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The neurotransmitter brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) acts in the muscle, so that during strength training endurance muscle fiber number is decreased. Researchers at the University of Basel's Biozentrum have more ...
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Endurance (also called Sufferance, Stamina, or Durability) is the ability for a human or animal to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. In humans, it is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise. The definition of 'long' varies according to the type of exertion - minutes for high intensity anaerobic exercise, hours or days for low intensity aerobic exercise. Training for endurance can have a negative impact on the ability to exert strength unless an individual also undertakes resistance training to counteract this effect. | https://medicalxpress.com/tags/endurance/sort/popular/all/ |
Dr Rajan Thiagarajah is the founder and Senior Pastor.
A convert to Christianity whilst studying in England, Dr Rajan devoted his life to Jesus Christ more than 30 years ago. He exemplifies the role of a servant leader, and has a passion to share the Gospel wherever he goes. He also has a deep commitment to mentoring Christians, to assist them discover the breadth and wealth of knowledge in the Word of God, for them to apply this in practical everyday living, as well as develop spiritual insight, about the Kingdom of God, and it’s King.
The power of and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are evident in his ministry, demonstrated in an Apostolic calling and strong expository teaching, of the Word of God. He is an anointed servant of the Lord, having fully submitted himself to the Holy Spirit’s tutelage, and passionately preaches and teaches the Word of God, which has the power to convict, heal, deliver, and bring people to repentance, and embrace a new way of livingin Jesus Christ.
Dr Rajan is a dynamic and well researched speaker and author, who travels widely, ministering at many conferences and churches throughout the world. His weekly radio programme and ‘Life in the Spirit’ television programme is broadcast globally, and is heard and seen by millions around the world.
A co-founder of the ministry, Pastor Ruby has been an unwavering and dedicated support to the ministry, having served alongside Dr Rajan since its inception.This single minded commitment to the ministry has been instrumental to its growth and establishment.
An individual who fervently embraces the power of prayer, she is passionate about the Gospel, its relevancy and application to Christian living, and shares preaching commitments in the Church when called upon.
She is a strong advocate for women to participate in Church activities, as well as encourages them to raise families devoted to God. She inspires women to take active roles in the Church, to assist in establishing and sharing the Gospel in their areas of influence, whether at home or in the workplace. Pastor Ruby and Dr Rajan have a son, Josiah who also serves in the Ministry.
The Associate Pastorand a Church Elder in the ministry, Pastor Ala migrated to Australia from Nigeria. An Oil & Gas Engineer by profession, he worked in various parts of the world including Europe and India. This exposure to diverse cultures and populaces, led to him to developing a strong desire, to share the Gospel, and see its influence positively impact and change lives.
After spending some time working in Academia at a local University in Perth, he responded to the call of God in his life, and undertook a teaching degree, to both teach and mentor youth and young Christians, in the educational system. Pastor Ala teaches Physics and Maths at High School level.
He is a dedicated, loyal and a passionate servant of the Lord, and has been a mainstay in this ministry, always willing to assist in whatever capacity, whenever needed. He embodies a lifestyle, committed to others growing in Christ, and finding their identities in serving and worshiping God.
Pastor Ala is responsible for the Home Altar Groups and Church Prayer Ministry, and also shares in preaching engagements in the Church when needed. He has a love for Gospel music and is married with three adult children.
An Assistant Pastor and Church Elder in the Ministry, Pastor Marlon is a finance professional who has dedicated his life to serving God. An inspiring and enthusiastic preacher of the Word of God, he shares the Gospel with spiritual insight and humour, wrought with encouragement. He is a role model who typifies a dedicated and loyal servant attitude.
Pastor Marlon is responsible for the Evangelicalor ‘Fisherman’s Catch’ Ministry that is active in the local communities in the vicinity of Church, reaching out with the Gospel to both influence and encourage individuals and families to explore and adopt Christian living, as the way of life.
He also assists the Senior Pastor with general duties in the Church, as well as personally leads two Home Altar Groups in monthly sessions of teaching the Word of God and participating in Group prayers.
Pastor Marlon is married with one son, and shares preaching engagements in the Church, when required. | https://www.goodsuccess.church/pastors/ |
"Robinson Crusoe" author Daniel Defoe used almost 200 pen names, such as "A Converted Thief" and "Betty Blueskin." more...
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May 19 , 1964 : The State Department reported that over 40 microphones were found in the US embassy in Moscow. more...
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A Baroque flute is a type of flute that was used during the Baroque era, which lasted between the 17th and 18th centuries. This period saw important changes in the areas of music, art, and architecture. During this time, the flute underwent substantial design changes that greatly improved its sound. Many believe that the sound of the Baroque flute is still superior to that of any others.
The flute is one of the world’s oldest musical instruments, dating to the 9th century B.C. It is an instrument that is part of the woodwind family, which includes various flutes, clarinets, oboes, and saxophones. With the possible exception of the drum, it is thought to be the oldest instrument in human history. A simple flute is a hollow tube that can produce sounds when air is blown through it. Holes made in the flute tube can create musical sounds when covered and uncovered with the fingers. By the Baroque era, the flute was a finely crafted concert instrument.
The type of flutes used at the start of the Baroque era were “transverse flutes.” The flutist blew into an “embouchure,” which is a mouth hole on the side of the flute near its closed end. It was divided into three sections: a head, middle, and foot. There were six key holes which played all the major scales. The “bores” of the holes, the interior chambers where the air passed through, were all cylinder shaped.
As the Baroque era progressed, changes were made to the transverse flute, the “transvoso,” which resulted in what today is still called a baroque flute. The flute began to be constructed in two “joints,” the head and the body. The head joint contained the embouchure, which retained its cylindrical bore. From the head down, the newly designed flute used cone-shaped bores. This resulted in a much richer sound quality.
Composers such as Antonio Vivaldi, in Italy, and Johann Sebastian Bach and George Handel, in Germany, began to write music specifically for the Baroque flute. It became very popular as a solo instrument, and was increasingly used in scores for ballets, operas, and chamber music.
Later, in the Classical period of music, Theodore Boehm introduced the “Boehm flute.” It reintroduced cylindrical bores and altered the shape and sizes of the finger holes, giving the flute greater ranges of scale and making physically easier to play. The Boehm has been criticized for sacrificing sound quality to ease of use. Many still consider the Baroque flute a superior instrument because of its beautiful tone.
One of our editors will review your suggestion and make changes if warranted. Note that depending on the number of suggestions we receive, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Thank you for helping to improve wiseGEEK! | https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-baroque-flute.htm |
Top Undergraduate Studies in Architecture in Johannesburg South Africa
Students interested in applied mathematics might choose to pursue architecture studies. Many classes teach individuals how to design cost-effective, visually eye-catching and structurally feasible homes and buildings by stressing engineering principles and problem-solving techniques.
Johannesburg city is the largest source of gold and diamond in southern Africa. It is the base of South Africa’s Constitutional court and is the largest and wealthiest city in the Gauteng Province. It is home to University of Johannesburg.
Top Bachelor in Architecture in Johannesburg in South Africa
2 Results in Architecture, Johannesburg Filter
BTech Hons in Architectural Technology
University of Johannesburg
This program aims to produce candidates for registration as Senior Architectural Technologists, an upper mid-level registration category defined by the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (S.A.C.A.P.). The program carries S.A.C.A.P., R.I.B.A. and C.A.A. Part 1 accreditation.
Bachelor of Architecture
University of Johannesburg
The Department of Architecture offers the Bachelor of Architecture, which has unconditional validation from the Architectural Profession (SACAP) and the Commonwealth Association for Architecture (CAA). | https://www.bachelorstudies.ng/Bachelor/Architecture/South-Africa/Johannesburg/amp/ |
A new study from DigiCert, Inc., the provider of TLS/SSL, PKI and IoT security solutions, reveals that enterprises have begun sustaining significant monetary losses stemming from the lack of good practices as they move forward with incorporating the Internet of Things (IoT) into their business models. In fact, among companies surveyed that are struggling the most with IoT security, 25 percent reported IoT security-related losses of nearly £257,333 in the last two years.
These findings come amid a ramping up of IoT focus within the typical organisation. Seventy-one percent of respondents indicated that IoT is extremely important to them currently, while 91 percent said they anticipate IoT to be extremely important to their respective organisations within two years.
The survey was conducted by ReRez Research in September 2018, with 700 enterprise organisations in the US, UK, Germany, France and Japan from across critical infrastructure industries.
Top concerns
Security and privacy topped the list of concerns for IoT projects, with 82 percent of respondents stating they were somewhat to extremely concerned about security challenges.
“Enterprises today fully grasp the reality that the Internet of Things is upon us and will continue to revolutionise the way we live, work and recreate,” said Mike Nelson, vice president of IoT Security at DigiCert. “Securing IoT devices is still a top priority that many enterprises are struggling to manage; however, integrating security at the beginning, and all the way through IoT implementations, is vital to mitigating rising attacks, which can be expected to continue. Due diligence when it comes to authentication, encryption and integrity of IoT devices and systems can help enterprises reliably and safely embrace IoT.”
Top vs. bottom performers
To give visibility to the specific challenges enterprises are encountering with IoT implementations, respondents were asked a series of questions using a wide variance of terminology. Using standard survey methodology, respondents’ answers were then scored and divided into three tiers:
• Top-tier: Enterprises experiencing fewer problems and demonstrating a degree of mastery mitigating specific aspects of IoT security.
• Middle-tier: Enterprises scoring in the middle range in terms of their IoT security results.
• Bottom-tier: Enterprises experiencing more problems that were much more likely to report difficulties mastering IoT security.
IoT security missteps
Respondents were asked about IoT-related security incidents their organisations experienced within the past two years. The difference between the top- and bottom-tiers was unmistakable. Companies struggling the most with IoT implementation are much more likely to get hit with IoT-related security incidents. Every single bottom-tier enterprise experienced an IoT-related security incident in that time span, versus just 23 percent of the top-tier. The bottom-tier was also more likely to report problems in these specific areas:
• More than 12 times as likely to have experienced IoT-based Denial of Service attacks
_• More than 12 times as likely to have experienced Unauthorised Access to IoT Devices
_• Nearly 16 times as likely to have experienced IoT-based Data Breaches
• 6 times as likely to have experienced IoT-based Malware or Ransomware attacks
These security incidents were not trivial. Among companies surveyed that are struggling the most with IoT security, 25 percent reported IoT security-related losses of nearly £257,333 in the last two years.
Meanwhile, although the top-tier enterprises experienced some security missteps, an overwhelming majority reported no costs associated with those missteps. Top-tier enterprises attributed their security successes to these practices:
“When it comes to accelerating implementations of IoT, it’s vital for companies to strike a balance between gaining efficiencies and maintaining security and privacy,” Nelson said. “This study shows that enterprises that are implementing security best practices have less exposure to the risks and resulting damages from attacks on connected devices. Meanwhile, it appears these IoT security best practices, such as authentication and identity, encryption and integrity, are on the rise and companies are beginning to realise what’s at stake.”
Recommendations
The survey points to five best practices to help companies pursuing IoT realise the same success as the top-tier performing enterprises:
1. Review risk: Perform penetration testing to assess the risk of connected devices. Evaluate the risk and build a priority list for addressing primary security concerns, such as authentication and encryption. A strong risk assessment will help assure you do not leave any gaps in your connected security landscape.
2. Encrypt everything: As you evaluate use cases for your connected devices, make sure that all data is encrypted at rest and in transit. Make end-to-end encryption a product requirement to ensure this key security feature is implemented in all of your IoT projects.
3. Authenticate always: Review all of the connections being made to your device, including devices and users, to ensure authentication schemes only allow trusted connections to your IoT device. Using digital certificates helps to provide seamless authentication with binded identities that are tied to cryptographic protocols.
4. Instill integrity: Account for the basics of device and data integrity to include secure boot every time the device starts up, secure over the air updates, and the use of code signing to ensure the integrity of any code being run on the device.
5. Strategise for scale: Make sure that you have a scalable security framework and architecture ready to support your IoT deployments. Plan accordingly and work with third parties that have the scale and focus to help you reach your goals so that you can focus on your company’s core competency. | |
- Do you have a history of delivering impactful cultural change?
- Can you engage and communicate across all levels of an organisation?
- Apply today to join CSIRO's Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Centre of Excellence!
The Culture, Diversity and Inclusion team is a Centre of Excellence for prioritising and implementing CSIRO’s strategy to increase the diversity of our people and to embed culture, diversity and inclusion into the organisation as a whole. The Engagement team operates within this function to specialise in leading the delivering of programs and initiatives that enable a shift towards the desired organisational culture at CSIRO.
The Engagement Specialist role is a critical support position in the Culture, Diversity and Inclusion team, reporting to the Engagement Manager. The role is responsible for delivering core engagement programs to achieve positive business impacts in alignment with CSIRO’s broader organisational goals. The Engagement Specialist will act as a subject matter expert and a trusted advisor in facilitating, connecting, and building expertise for our people on key topics and will work across People in an integrated matter providing strategic input to enable a culture that enables a more inclusive workplace and addresses long-standing organisation wide problems.
Your duties will include:
- The delivery of programs and initiatives which enable a shift toward the desired organisational culture at CSIRO.
- Designing, delivering and evaluating core engagement programs to ensure they have business impacts in alignment with broader organisational goals.
- Operating as a subject matter expert to facilitate the delivery of key organisational programs which connect our people on key topics that enable a culture which effects a more inclusive workplace.
- Acting as a trusted advisor, the real underlying organisational needs, identifying and adapting quickly to market changes, and providing expert solutions and strategic advice.
- Capturing and disseminating the requirements regarding pathways for external accreditations.
- Partnering with the Evaluation and Strategy team to deliver culture survey and insights support for business leaders.
Location: Adelaide, SA; Brisbane, QLD; Canberra, ACT; Clayton, VIC or Hobart, TAS
Salary: AU$102k - AU$111k plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Indefinite
Reference: 77941
To be considered you will need:
- A relevant qualification in Human Resource Management, Organisational Development, Organisational Psychology or another relevant discipline with at least 5 years’ relevant demonstrated experience in the delivery of engagement activities across a range of sizes and complexity.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a wide variety of stakeholders with varying levels of seniority including executive level.
- A strong track record of effectively initiating, implementing and effecting impactful organisational change evidenced by business impact, in alignment with the strategic direction of the organisation.
- A proven ability to integrate multiple perspectives, inclusive of Diversity and Inclusion, Culture, Organisational Effectiveness, Enterprise Change and Leadership Performance, in order to deliver and influence organisational outcomes aligned to organisational objectives.
- Demonstrated track record of contributing to an integrated program of work, encountering frequent ambiguity and constantly changing environments.
- Excellent facilitation skills, evidenced by experience facilitating internal and external network or working groups coupled with strong interpersonal skills exemplified by experience establishing and maintaining strong partnerships. Strong ability to engage with internal and external stakeholders.
For full details about this role please review the Position Description
Eligibility
To be eligible to work in CSIRO you must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or either hold, or be able to obtain, a valid working visa.
The successful applicant will be required to obtain and provide a National Police Check or equivalent. Additional integrity checks may be required for specific roles which require security clearance for working with children, Australian Government cybersecurity requirements or other identified security roles.
Flexible Working Arrangements
We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work.
Diversity and Inclusion
We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish.
About CSIRO
At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact.
Join us and start creating tomorrow today!
How to Apply
Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.
Applications Close
Thursday 21 October 2021, 11:00pm AEST
Job Summary
- Closing Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Location:
-
VIC
QLD
ACT
SA
TAS
- Salary:
- AU$102k - AU$111k plus up to 15.4% superannuation
- Work Type:
- Full Time
- Category: | http://federal.governmentcareer.com.au/jobs/5810-csiro/74479 |
What are Infographics?
“It is by the aid of statistics that law in the social sphere
can be ascertained and codified.”
– Florence Nightingale
What are infographics?
Infographics are visual graphic presentations of data, information or knowledge intended to display that information clearly and quickly. They help understanding because of their ability to help us see patterns and trends more easily. The most dramatic example of the use of infographics I can think of was by Florence Nightingale. By creating detailed graphs of the statistics of wounded soldiers in the Crimean War, Nightingale was able to convince the British military of the need for more sanitary hospital conditions and better living conditions for soldiers. Her work laid the foundation for professional and modern nursing.
Whether it is a map, diagram, chart or table, the conversion of larger concepts or dry statistics into legible “images” of typography with shapes, symbols, colours or aligning arrows, graphics and organizing rules (lines) is a sophisticated and subtle art form. Recently, free tools to convert data into infographics have become readily available. However, these auto-pilot programs often miss the important point of what really needs to be communicated. Solutions might look slick and organized, but upon further inspection, the real message is often lost. The most important idea is to understand that infographics need to be read easily to be understood. Neat and tidy alignments are only part of good design. Titles and explanations need to be in sync with labels and captions. Infographics should tell stories and have a real purpose. We have created work-plan diagrams, icons, system maps, signage systems and detailed systems of tables, charts and graphs for a range of clients in different sectors.
How do we read charts and infographics?
1. We don’t read charts in a predetermined sequence.
Unlike a written report where readers know to start at the top left and read across and down, with a chart or graphic, a reader’s eyes flit from title, key, plotted statistics, axes, explanations and summaries etc.
Solution: Use hierarchies, clear differences, editing and layout to guide the reader. Predictable design will make it easier to understand.
2. Readers are attracted to different emphatic signals.
Large titles or headlines, a peak or valley in a chart, bright colours, density of graphics, intersection points, outliers, graphics, and arrows all attract the eye.
Solution: Align visual emphasis with the key message to be communicated. Use restraint and editing to make the most important information easy to understand.
3. We can only see and understand a limited number of things at once.
More than eight colours, or too many variables will cause overwhelm or confusion
Solution: Judiciously edit every element. Use only the correct amount of info, no more. Decorative shadings or 3D effects just add clutter and confusion.
4. Readers will seek meaning and try to make connections
Patterns, groupings, alignments, and similarities will send messages about relationships.
Solution: Be very conscious of visual cues that cause connections or links. Do not make mistaken, unimportant or irrelevant connections by colour, clusters, proximity or positions.
5. Conventions and traditions are powerful forces in reading and understanding.
We read from left to right, top to bottom. We understand importance through position such as high and low or top to bottom. We use left to right to understand sequence. Colour understandings too, are often based on a general acceptance of beliefs. Red means hot, active or alarm, blue means cool or established, green means safe or good. Light shades are empty, darker shades often mean full or dense. A gradient implies progress.
Solution: Embrace these conventions, flouting them may cause confusion. A good infographic should help the reader make a “short cut”. A bad infographic will make a reader parse information more than necessary. Good charts coalesce complex data into clear ideas.
These observations about how we read infographics come from “Good Charts: The Harvard Business Review Guide to Data Visualization” by Scott Berinato
Integrate writing and design
The full integration of writing and design of infographics is essential. From the title of a table or a chart, to explanations, summaries and other details, the writer and graphic designer must work with the same goal and common understandings.
Titles
Titles of infographics should help to tell the story. Avoid generic or “so what?” titles. Write informative titles with smaller subtitles to give more detail if necessary.
Captions
Captions can be a very important device to draw readers in, give extra information and explain diagrams, or charts in more detail. Captions should give more than just obvious label information.
Explanations
A brief summation of a series of infographics or a report is an important tool when creating effective communication design. Whether it is “this information at-a-glance”, “Executive Summary” or “How to read this report”, a consolidated high-level outline and synopsis of information is nearly always welcome.
Writing at-a-glance texts
Explanatory texts should use titles and brief descriptions to “chunk” important takeaways to create a precise encapsulation of the salient points. User friendly, conversational titles should help the reader navigate. Such as:
- Who should read this report?
- What should I do with the information?
- What should I do next?
Some at-a-glance sections might include:
- How to read these reports
- Accomplishments and ongoing goals
- The need for this information
- What these charts can tell us
Another explanatory text could be a “Frequently Asked Questions” list – FAQs – To create this, use team and user input and critical thinking to determine probable reader enquiries. The questions should be written in a direct and friendly manner. They can cue readers to next steps or point out missed details. | http://kerrsmithdesign.com/2021/09/what-are-infographics/ |
He first stated the law in as a Latin anagram and he published the solution of his anagram in as, ut tensio, sic vis.
If the liquid wets the contacting surfaces then this pressure difference is negative i. Also, because it is a close approximation of all solid bodies as long as the forces of deformation are small enoughnumerous branches of science and engineering as also indebted to Hooke for coming up with this law.
These can include anything from inflating a balloon and pulling on a rubber band to measuring the amount of wind force is needed to make a tall building bend and sway. It is also the fundamental principle behind the spring scalethe manometerand the balance wheel of the mechanical clock.
He derived the formula, the Euler formula, that gives the maximum load that a long, slender. The law is named after 17th-century British physicist Robert Hooke. Thermoelastically - There is coupling of mechanical with thermal responses, in general, thermoelasticity is concerned with elastic solids under conditions that are neither isothermal nor adiabatic.
The elasticity stiffness matrix C i j has 5 independent constants and these engineering moduli are experimentally determined. The wavelength and frequency of the motion can also be observed and calculated.
The ductility of a material is referred to as toughness.
At the microscopic scale, the effects of red blood cells become significant. This type of material exhibits hexagonal symmetry, so the number of independent constants in the elasticity tensor are reduced to 5, the tensors of electrical resistivity, permeability, etc.
Stress dependence of this depends on the creep mechanism. However, as the diameter of the vessel decreases further 4. Soft tissue has been defined as nonepithelial, extraskeletal mesenchyme exclusive of the reticuloendothelial system, the characteristic substances inside the extracellular matrix of this kind of tissue are the collagen, elastin and ground substance.
Viscoelasticity — Viscoelasticity is the property of materials that exhibit both viscous and elastic characteristics when undergoing deformation. This ratio affords a means of classifying columns and their failure mode, the slenderness ratio is important for design considerations.
While all these approaches have been successful, all also have experimental, environmental, during the design phase, there are multiple approaches to estimating stress concentration factors.
At bottom, pictures of spring states corresponding to some points of the plot; the middle one is in the relaxed state no force applied.
To reduce this a small undercut is taken between shank and threaded portion, the term stress raiser is used in orthopedics, a focus point of stress on an implanted orthosis is very likely to be its point of failure. In soft tissues the collagen limits the deformation and protects the tissues from injury, human soft tissue is highly deformable, and its mechanical properties vary significantly from one person to another.
This ability to return to a normal shape after experiencing distortion can be referred to as a "restoring force".Hooke's law is a law of physics that states that the force (F) needed to extend or compress a spring by some distance x scales linearly with respect to that distance.
That is: = −, where k is a constant factor characteristic of the spring: its stiffness, and x is small compared to the total possible deformation of the spring.
The law is named after 17th-century British physicist Robert Hooke.
Hooke's law is a principle of physics that states that the force (F) needed to extend or compress a spring by some distance x scales linearly with respect to that distance. That is: =, where k is a constant factor characteristic of the spring: its stiffness, and x is small compared to the total possible deformation of the spring.
The law is named after 17th-century British physicist Robert Hooke. Hooke's law is a principle of physics that states that the force (F) needed to extend or compress a spring by some Hooke's law: the force is proportional to the extension Image: Hookes law nanoscale.
Illustration of Hooke’s Law, showing the relationship between force and distance when applied to a spring. Credit: GSU/hyperphysics In addition to governing the behavior of springs. Hooke's law is a principle of physics that states that the force (F) needed to extend or compress a spring by some distance X is proportional to that distance.
That is: F = kX, where k is a constant factor characteristic of the spring: its stiffness, and X is small compared to the total possible. Hooke's Law is a principle of physics that states that the that the force needed to extend or compress a spring by some distance is proportional to that distance. | https://pemumiy.dfaduke.com/a-principle-of-physics-governing-the-behavior-of-springs-in-hookes-law-8058wt.html |
On December 22, just two days before Libya’s presidential election was scheduled to take place, the electoral board announced the postponement of the vote. The High National Electoral Commission (HNEC) suggested January 24, 2022, as a new date for the polls, after a parliamentary committee tasked with overseeing the elections deemed them “impossible” to conduct on December 24 as originally planned.
However, until now, there is no agreement about the new date or the electoral procedures, or on whether presidential and parliamentary elections should be held on the same day or not. But the lack of consensus on these logistical matters is by far not the biggest problem.
There are major unresolved issues polarising the country right now and, in the absence of an open dialogue to settle them, holding the elections on January 24 or any other future date risks plunging the country into a new cycle of violence.
Past election conundrums
Conducting elections amid severe political polarisation has already proven disastrous for peace in Libya. After longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011, Libyan actors and foreign players rushed to elections in order to jumpstart the country’s political transition. But instead of bringing stability, the polls only worsened political and social tensions, which resulted in repeated episodes of deadly violence.
On July 7, 2012, Libya held its first parliamentary vote since the collapse of Gaddafi’s regime to elect the 200-member General National Congress (GNC). Although they were lauded as “free and fair” by major Western powers and the UN, the elections did not bring stability to the country.
Major social and political cleavages had not been addressed which led to unrest before and after the vote. Old grievances of eastern and southern regions reemerged, as their residents saw the unequal geographic distribution of seats as a sign that their marginalisation by Tripoli would continue in post-Gaddafi Libya as well.
Furthermore, local political actors sought to weaken the GNC. Ahead of the vote, the legislative body was deprived of key powers, such as appointing a committee to draft the constitution and debating its provisions. Thus, the Tripoli-based GNC was born weak, suffering from limited powers and a lack of legitimacy. The cabinet it elected was similarly debilitated.
This allowed rogue political actors to take advantage of inter-regional tensions for their own political gain. In February 2014, General Khalifa Haftar, a senior officer in Gaddafi’s army who had turned against him, launched his Operation Dignity, urging Libyans to rebel against the GNC. In May, his forces stormed the GNC building in Tripoli and launched an offensive against armed groups in Benghazi.
With its mandate having expired and the country slipping into war, the GNC was forced to schedule new parliamentary elections in June. Amid violence and record-low turnout, the House of Representatives was elected. Many GNC members, mainly from the west, contested the results and refused to hand over legislative power to the new body. Forces loyal to the GNC prevented the newly elected deputies from starting work. In November, the Libyan Supreme Court ruled that the June 25 elections were unconstitutional, but the House of Representatives, which had received UN recognition, ignored the resolution.
Thus, by the end of the year, the country was effectively divided between two camps: the General National Congress located in Tripoli, which acted as the executive and was eventually replaced in 2015 by the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), and the House of Representatives, which had moved from the capital to the eastern port city of Tobruk.
One of the main reasons elections failed to move the country forward was the absence of agreement between the different political actors in Libya and commitment to basic political principles of the democratic transition. Prior to undertaking these votes, no guarantees were put in place to ensure acceptance and compliance of all parties with the final results. There were no significant measures taken to resolve historic grievances of marginalised groups and safeguard their representation in the new state institutions. There was also no proper reconciliation between communities and tribes that had been involved in past violence.
The absence of these important elements of the transitional process led to its eventual collapse. Gradually, the division over legitimacy and state representation dragged the country into a civil war between rival camps supported by regional players.
It then took the international community and Libyan civilian forces several years to try to jump-start the transition process. In 2020, a ceasefire was negotiated to end Haftar’s failed offensive on Tripoli. The Libya Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) was then launched, supported by the UN Mission in Libya (UNSMI) and regional and international actors, such as Egypt, Turkey, Russia, France, the US, and Italy – each with their own interests in Libya.
In 2021, the Government of National Unity (GNU) was formed as a provisional institution to move forward the political process in the country, and presidential elections were scheduled for December 24. Despite initially approving the GNU, the House of Representatives eventually passed a no-confidence vote against it in September.
Continuing polarisation
Well ahead of the vote, it was clear that old divisions continue to fester and undermine the transition. There have been several sticking points, which reflect the wide-raging polarisation in Libya and which have undermined the electoral process.
First, the election law, which outlined electoral procedures and the post-election institutional setup, was not accepted by all parties. The provisions of the law were written and passed by the House of Representatives, which did not consult properly with other Libyan state institutions, such as the GNU, the Presidency Council and the High State Council (HSC).
The law was also drafted in a way that set up Libya’s political system as a presidential one, endowing the presidency with significant powers. Provisions in the law also allow current office-holders to run in the elections and then return to their positions if they lose.
Second, no consensus candidates, who could unite a divided Libya, were put forward ahead of the election. In fact, the front-runners in the race were all divisive figures. Those included: GNU Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh who decided to run despite having promised not to; Aguila Saleh, the chairman of the House of Representatives and a close ally of Haftar; Haftar himself; and finally, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, one of Gaddafi’s sons, who is accused of crimes against humanity and is wanted by the International Criminal Court and the general prosecutor in Tripoli.
Saif al-Islam’s candidacy, in particular, has caused much outrage among Libyans, who are appalled that an election meant to put the country back on its democratic transition path could bring the Gaddafi regime back. While he is the most controversial of these front-runners, the rest are also quite problematic. It is clear they all want to run in order to restore or protect their positions and privileges and would be unable to de-escalate tensions, bring the country together and find acceptance from all regional players.
Third, just like in 2012 and 2014, there appears to be no consensus on the “rules of the game” ahead of the presidential vote. The main political actors – backed by various armed groups – have clearly been in disagreement about what would happen after the election, how the transfer of power would occur and how the recognition of the results by all would be guaranteed.
Additionally, there are no neutral security forces or unified army that could guarantee the peacefulness of the vote, no neutral judiciary system that could tackle disputes, and no independent media that could keep the Libyan people properly informed. Most importantly, there is no reconciliation between Libyans, as old and new grievances continue to fester and various communities continue to face marginalisation.
The way forward
The UN, along with the international community, has tried to turn a blind eye to the internal divisions between main Libyan actors and pushed Libyans to hold elections at any cost, just as it has done in the past, to the detriment of the nation.
Clearly, holding elections under these circumstances, which are quite similar to those in 2012 and 2014, if not worse, will not lead to peace and stability in Libya. That is why the postponement of the vote should be seen as an opportunity to pull the country back from sliding into another cycle of violence.
In order to put Libya back on a peaceful transition path, the country needs a new national dialogue supported by the UN and the international community. It should bring together all Libyan stakeholders, including civil society, representatives of ethnic minorities (like the Amazigh and Tebu), marginalised areas (like Fezza) and marginalised groups (like women and youth) and seek to establish consensus on the electoral process, relevant lawmaking, transfer of power, and division of powers among state institutions.
The main political actors should declare publicly their commitment to the electoral process, pledge to respect the final results and prepare to hand over their power. The dialogue should also come up with a roadmap to address other critical issues of the transitional period, such as drafting a new constitution, the reunification of state institutions – particularly the army – the reform of the security sector, and reconciliation between Libyans.
A decade after the fall of Gaddafi’s regime, it is time that Libya and its international partners learn from past mistakes. Rushing Libyans to hold one more election amid severe polarisation and simmering grievances will lead to more instability and violence. Libya has the potential to emerge from its failed state circumstances, but in order to do so, it needs the support of the international community to hold a national dialogue and move towards peace and reconciliation.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. | https://ngapel.com/before-they-vote-libyans-need-to-talk-opinions/ |
BY BOSCO R. ASIIMWE
The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 57/129, designated May 29, every year as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. It’s a Day to pay tribute to all the women and men, who have served as military, police or civilians in UN Peacekeeping operations. On this Day, we honour their courage, sacrifice, professionalism, dedication and pay tribute in the memory of those, who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.
Participation in Peace Support Operations (PSOs) is Rwanda’s principled decision with roots in the country’s tragic experience. After the loss of more than one million innocent souls during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda government felt it had a moral duty to prevent similar tragedy from happening elsewhere and was passionate about protection of lives in conflict affected areas.
The first Rwanda National Police (RNP) Peace Keeping Mission took place in 2005 when Police officers were deployed to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) later to be renamed United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). This was just five years of RNP’s existence as a young force that was created on June 16, 2000 with just 3500 total force.
As a young force, RNP spared part of it personnel to restore peace in other affected countries and to equally live Rwanda’s “moral duty.” Over the last 15 years, more than 7700 Rwanda Police officers have participated in peacekeeping duties across the globe, of which over 1400 of them are women.
Today, Rwanda continues to live the country’s “moral duty” as the 2nd largest Police contributing country to UN Peace Support Operations with over 1000 officers.
Rwandan Police Officers are deployed in South Sudan (UNMISS), Central African Republic (MINUSCA), Darfur (UNAMID) Haiti (BINUH) and Abyei (UNSFA).
Over the last 15 years of the RNP peacekeeping journey, we have also participated in restoring peace and security in Ivory Coast, Mali, Liberia and deployment of FPUs in Haiti; Police Professional staff in the United Nations Headquarters in New York as well as heading the Police components (Police Commissioner) in Ivory Coast (UNOCI) and South Sudan (UNMISS).
UN contingents have the duty to protect human life in detailed mandated tasks including patrols, monitoring of human rights, public order management, protection to UN personnel as well as training and mentoring host nation Police, among others.
RNP has been lauded for their resilience, discipline, professionalism and for exported Rwandan cultural values like promotion of dignity for women to the host nation. Rwandan peacekeepers have also introduced home grown solutions, like Umuganda, supporting vulnerable groups like orphans and building or renovating houses for the less privileged, medical assistance; all of which contribute to the general welfare of the people, inspire confidence and partnership among the indigenous population.
Under the grand vision and guidance of our leadership, RNP will continue to increase its participation in Peace Keeping Operations with the prime objective of contributing to peace where it is most needed.
Gender
The theme for this year’s Day is “Women in Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace.” This Day, therefore, coincides with the 20th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
H.E President Paul Kagame, once said: “Gender equality is not a favor, it is your right. It is the way it should be. The right to equality is not something that can be given or taken. It begins with each of you believing in your equal ability to achieve.”
In line with this Rwanda’s perspective and in respect of the UN gender concept, our participation in peacekeeping over the years, has considered this gender aspect. Today, Rwanda ranks the top female Police contributors to UN peacekeeping across the globe.
Employing women in peacekeeping help reduce the chances of conflict and community confrontation. It provides a broader sense of security to local populations, including women and children. In this regard, we are practically supporting the UN's ambition to increase the percentage of female peacekeepers deployed.
Tribute to fallen comrades
The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers offers a chance to honour more than 3,900 peacekeepers that lost their lives serving under the UN flag since 1948, including 102 last year alone. Of course, Rwandan Police officers are among those, who have paid the ultimate price while in line of duty. We honour and salute them for their sacrifice; their efforts were not in vain.
Even the current serious threat of COVID-19 did not deter our peacekeepers from executing their mandate selflessly, under the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on the pandemic Prevention.
While addressing delegates at a conference on peacekeeping, in Kigali, in May 2015, President Paul Kagame said: “The central purpose of peace operations is the protection of civilians. This cannot be said often enough. It is not the protection of peace agreements or UN mandates, even peacekeepers for that matter, much less the protection of politicians. The mission is to protect the ordinary people who, in most cases, are at most risk.”
Rwanda’s contribution to UN Peacekeeping Operations is, therefore, meant to lend its support as a responsible member state of the international community. Any peace undertaking is for the people, particularly civilians—including vulnerable groups. If civilians are not protected from armed violence and all sorts of abuse, then it defeats the purpose of peace-agreements. The people should be at the center of peacekeeping mandates.
The Kigali Principles on Protection on Civilians calls for proper training, generating suitable capabilities, and seeks accountability for failure to protect civilians, among others.
Our pre-deployment trainings put all these aspects into consideration. The Peacekeeping Training Centre—as a Regional Centre of Excellence on peacekeeping—which is one of the Police Training School (PTS) Gishari wings, was established in 2012 to prepare not only Rwandan Police officers but also those from other countries as well as international courses on peacekeeping, for these peace and security duties. | https://police.gov.rw/media-archives/news-detail/?tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=15202&cHash=e0e1f4cb42e55942771103c578782b12 |
Why do athletes dope? asks Vaughters in the opinion section of the Sunday edition of the New York Times. He answers the question by recounting the story of his own career as an athlete that began in middle school and ended when he retired from professional cycling at age 29.
His own story, he argues, makes the case for the importance of supporting the strongest possible anti-doping measures, and he admits that he deeply regrets the decision he made to dope as an athlete. "The answer is not to teach young athletes that giving up lifelong dreams is better than giving in to cheating," he writes. "The answer is to never give them the option."
Vaughters’ confession comes after he paints a picture of his younger self, who dreamed of riding the Tour de France during his daily rides to school. It's poignant stuff. The bike offered an escape from the painful realities of growing up. Who can’t relate to that need and the dreams that come with it? Vaughters’ talent and stubborness took him a long way down the road to his dreams, but not all the way. He casts the choice to dope at the time he competed as an all-or-nothing proposition. He could dope or he could quit.
"The choice to kiss your childhood dream goodbye or live with a dishonest heart is horrid and tearing," he writes. "I’ve been there, and I know. I chose to lie over killing my dream. I chose to dope. I am sorry for that decision, and I deeply regret it."
This confession from Vaughters is not unexpected. Over the past few years, Vaughters has moved inch by hinting inch toward this point. Two weeks ago, he reopened the conversation by publicly inviting speculation about why he had left cycling before his career had run its course. Vaughters retired from Crédit Agricole at age 29. One of his teammates at Crédit Agricole the year he retired was Jens Voigt. Now aged 40, Voigt is still racing.
The conversation took a while to get to the point, but at last it did. Vaughters wrote that Crédit Agricole, then managed by Roger Legeay, held a firm line against doping. And indeed, that was the image the team had at the time, even during the depth of cycling’s EPO inferno. Vaughters inched closer to the edge of confession. “I hated letting them down when I couldn’t win,” he wrote, as if to say that he had only won before, because he crossed the line where Legeay held fast.
A read through the race results helps to fill in some of the story. In 1999 riding for U.S. Postal, Vaughters won an individual time trial up the Mont Ventoux at the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. He set a course record and beat Alexandre Vinokourov and Vladimir Belli for the stage victory.
The following year, Vaughters transferred to Legeay’s Crédit Agricole where he spent three seasons. There was a stage victory at the 2001 Dauphiné Libéré, but not much else. Vaughters picked off results in races like the Red Zinger Classic in the United States, but the international results proved few and far between. He also never finished the Tour de France.
Since he began running the teams under Slipstream management, Vaughters has been out-spoken in his public statements in calling for more effective testing. Against cycling’s dark history, it can be hard to trust these statements, but Vaughters contends that the sport is changing.
During this year’s Tour de France, Vaughters argued that doping was steadily diminishing in cycling and that this year’s edition of the race, famous for its long history of doping scandals, was cleaner than in the past. The stricter testing regimes, he asserted, made it more difficult to reap an advantage through artificial means, and he pointed to the lower wattage numbers in the high mountains as evidence that the tide was turning in the sport.
After Pierre Rolland won on the Alpe d’Huez at the 2011 Tour, British journalist Edward Pickering wrote in CycleSport, “Today the racers took back the Tour de France.” Rolland was the first French rider to win on the storied climb since the pre-EPO era of the 1980s. It was the kind of signpost that suggested to many observers that the turning point was coming, despite continued scandals, such as the one that saw 2010 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador lose his title.
For Vaughters, the goal of anti-doping regimes is not necessarily the utopian goal of eradicating doping in sport. But rather, his public statements suggest he wants to make it harder to make the wrong choice, and easier to make the right one. “I made the wrong decision, but I know that making that right decision for future generations must begin by making the right choice realistic,” he asserts in the Times story. “They must know, without doubt, that they will have a fair chance by racing clean.” Vaugthers offers a rebuke to recent stories arguing that trying to control doping was futile and effective testing is a chimera.
Of course, there are plenty of skeptics who are not convinced. They criticize Vaughters for waiting too long to tell the truth. They suggest that he is out to manipulate public opinion ahead of damning evidence that might emerge from the Armstrong case now following parallel torturous paths through the civil courts and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s arbitration process. They argue that he is acting out of self-interest rather than altruism.
It’s difficult to read Vaughters’ New York Times piece only as cheap manipulation when it’s placed in the context of the history of the team he owns, his contributions to the sport more broadly, and his experience as an athlete during a time when doping controls were largely ineffective to the extent they existed at all. In 1997, the UCI began testing riders' hematocrit levels. Riders above the 50% level were required to stop racing, but there was no test for EPO until the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
“If the message I was given had been different, but more important, if the reality of sport then had been different, perhaps I could have lived my dream without killing my soul,” he writes in one of the more eloquent formulations in the Times piece.
The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. The time is right, but it’s also a cause — stronger doping controls and enforcement — that Vaughters has consistently embraced since his early retirement from cycling. | https://www.podiumcafe.com/2012/8/12/3237216/jonathan-vaughters-admits-to-doping-calls-for-more-effective-testing |
An environmental scan includes an industry analysis where you will discuss the external environmental factors that have, or could have, an impact on business operations. Information for conducting an environmental scan can be found in the sources below.
What to investigate
Who are your leading competitors? What are their products or services and how do they compare to your product? What market segment do they target? How easy is it for new competition to enter this market? What are your competitors' strengths and weaknesses – and how this can help you distinguish your company? What can you learn from watching your competition?
What to investigate:
What economic indicators are most relevant for your company? What economic trends might affect your business? What is the buying power of your target market?
Local Information:
What to investigate
Internet, e-commerce, and social media trends. How technology has/will have an impact on your product or service.
Information Sources:
There are several good websites tracking consumer trends:
What to investigate:
Legal factors such as health and safety, product safety, advertising regulations, product labeling and legal laws.
Political factors such as trade regulations, taxes, and government stability.
Sources of Information:
What to investigate
Factors such as education levels, age distribution, consumerism, income level, population growth, expectation of society from the business. | http://guides.matc.edu/marketingplan/mpes |
Celebrating academic achievement
With all classes canceled at Marietta College on Wednesday, Joe Andler ’15 spent his morning making homemade ice cream outside in the Kremer Amphitheatre.
But his preparation techniques were a little unconventional.
“He’s making the ice cream with liquid nitrogen,” said Dr. Dennis Kuhl, Rickey Associate Professor of Physics.
During the fifth annual All Scholars Day, all day classes were canceled so the campus community could either present research or attend research and poster sessions that were held throughout Wednesday.
“There are more than 140 unique presentations and exhibitions scheduled today, and the number of student presenters, faculty and staff involved in this day exceeds 250 participants,” said Dr. Suzanne Parsons, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Investigative Studies Program. “I want to thank scholars and their mentors for the excellent work that they’ve done this year, and for sharing their research results, class projects, senior capstones, experiential learning and honors theses with the campus community.”
Andler and some of his classmates in various science clubs hosted a morning of science fun. Before making homemade ice cream using liquid nitrogen, he and a few of his Physics Club members experimented with a baby pool filled with water and corn starch to create a suspension, which has the feel of a solid when being handled but reverts back to a liquid when it is left alone. Several students stopped by the amphitheatre to observe the experiment and wade their hands through the pool of white, ruddy liquid.
But once Andler began mixing heavy cream, milk, vanilla and sugar into a tempered thermos, the crowd of observers began to grow. Once he mixed the ingredients, he began shooting the cold from the liquid nitrogen into the small vat. Bit by bit, the cold mixture was dumped into a large bowl, where a fellow student whisked the contents until firm ice cream was formed.
“Wow, this tastes really good, actually,” Andler told the onlookers, who were ready to build their own sundaes with the chocolate candy and whipped cream provided. “It tastes just like vanilla ice cream.”
That comment was enough to draw a rush of students to the experiment table.
Nearby, Molly Mays ’16 and Anna Cooper ’17 potted plant clippings to give to students to grow in their residence halls. They also had a few other interesting items to show off to their fellow classmates.
“We are with the Biology Club, and we’re here to provide a science fun day exhibit,” Mays said.
One of her displays included a baby corn snake — “He’s really tame and is used to being handled,” she said. The other display was much more disconcerting.
“So the other specimen we brought is the Madagascar hissing cockroach,” Mays said, as she scooped the 3-inch-long bug from its habitat and allowed it to crawl from the palm of her hand to her forearm. “They’re also used to being held.”
Cooper, though only in her sophomore year, had an Honors Fellowship Research poster presentation later that afternoon.
“My research focused on sickness behavior in mice,” Cooper said. “I studied how sick mice behaved within a group of healthy mice, and wanted to know if a sick mouse would act sick while in a group. What I found is that they obviously don’t act normal, but also, they don’t act sick. They don’t behave the same way as the healthy mice do.”
Justin Vecchio ’18 attended chemistry research presentations in the Rickey Science Center. Five different group projects were presented, ranging from the analysis of fingerprint oils using gas chromatography, to bioengineering Thymopentin; toxicity and phototoxicity studies of parabens. | https://www.marietta.edu/article/celebrating-academic-achievement |
It doesn’t take a significant medical error to cost a patient their life. According to a study by Johns Hopkins Medicine, nearly 10 percent of fatalities in the United States are caused by preventable medical errors, between 250,000 to 440,000 lives lost every year. Millions of other patients experience a range of serious and life-threatening injuries, most of which medical safety protocols should have prevented.
Healthcare providers and medical facilities have a responsibility to protect and heal their patients, not cause them more harm. From March 8 to March 14, safety organizations around the country will be observing National Patient Safety Awareness Week. This is the perfect time to grow awareness around the topic of patient safety in your community and to inspire improvements regarding the quality of care in your local medical facilities. Here’s the information you need to know to help get you started:
Top 5 Medical Errors
There are millions of medical errors that can occur on any given day, most of which have safety protocols to prevent them in the first place. Some medical errors are known for causing more harm to patients than others. According to U.S. News & World Reports, these are the top 5 preventable medical errors most commonly reported in the industry:
– Medication Errors: Over 1.5 million people suffer from the negative effects of medication errors each year. These errors include giving a patient the wrong drug, wrong dose, or giving a patient medication or a combination of medications that cause a known adverse reaction.
– Too Many Blood Transfusions: Blood transfusions increase a person’s risk for infections. The more transfusions that a patient receives, the higher their risk for complications. Nearly 60 percent of blood transfusions globally are deemed “inappropriate,” and sometimes, unnecessary.
– Too Much Oxygen for Babies: Premature babies often receive oxygen until they are healthy enough to leave the hospital. But oxygen overdoses have become too common and can lead to long-lasting complications such as blindness.
– Infections (Healthcare-Associated): At least 1 in every 25 patients in the hospital contracts a preventable infection that could have life-threatening consequences. Healthcare-associated infections can be reduced by practicing basic safety methods such as handwashing, wearing protective gear, and proper sterilization. Sadly, these steps don’t always occur.
– Infections (Central Lines): Tubes of medicine and fluids can be breeding grounds for bacteria. Hospitals that do not practice care in this area risk the possibility of causing serious infections that can rapidly spread throughout the body, such as sepsis.
Hospital-Acquired Injuries
Most hospital-acquired injuries are a result of patient negligence. The Leapfrog Group finds pressure ulcers and traumatic injuries to be the most common when medical professionals neglect to provide quality care:
– Pressure Ulcers: These injuries, also referred to as “bedsores,” occur when patients are left in one position for too long. Pressure ulcers can arise when a patient is lying or sitting in a bed, wheelchair, or other resting surfaces in a medical facility. Ulcers that are left untreated for too long can cause serious pain, infection, and a prolonged hospital stay. In severe cases, amputations and deaths have been reported as a result.
– Traumatic Injuries: Patients who slip and fall are often unattended by staff or left without fall protection equipment. Falls can result in broken bones, crushing injuries, dislocations, and burns. These injuries can also lead to prolonged hospital stays, which increases a patient’s risk for further complications.
What’s Causing Errors
Medical institutions appear to run more smoothly than they do. Health experts have found significant flaws in how some of these facilities are run that put patients at risk before they walk in the door. A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (N.C.B.I.) highlights the following risk factors that can lead to medical errors:
– Inadequate policies to prevent errors.
– Communication problems between staff and patients.
– Poor information flow between staff.
– Human error (distractions, poor documentation, mislabeling)
– Technical failures of equipment and programs.
– Infective staffing patterns and workflow.
– Errors in patient charts and records.
– Lack of organizational transfer of knowledge.
– Doctor and nurse fatigue and burnout.
Medical errors occur most often due to lack of oversight, ineffective policies, or utter negligence. Hospitals and medical centers are responsible for evaluating their facilities to reduce preventable harm to patients. But sometimes, it takes the strong voice of the community to ensure that facilities are held accountable for their care.
Get Involved!
Everyone is a patient at some point in their life. Therefore, it’s up to all of us to do our part in advocating for safer medical practices and better quality of care. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement makes the following suggestions for how you can get involved:
– Take the Pledge: Take the pledge to reduce harm in the health care system to the best of your ability. Each of us is capable of inspiring change in our own way. Start by choosing the pledge for healthcare providers or consumers.
– Join Together: Join other health and safety advocates in your community by creating a local initiative or organization. Organizations that support Patient Safety Awareness Week serve as a model to others and help on how to advocate for better health practices. The more people who get involved, the larger pool of resources you will have to make a real difference.
– Recognize Safety Advocates: If you work in a healthcare facility, highlight individuals who go above and beyond what it takes to prevent medical errors on the job. Encourage these employees to become leaders and inspire others to prioritize patient safety in similar ways.
– Ask the Patients: Medical facilities can get involved during Patient Safety Week by turning to their patients for advice. Sometimes, the most obvious medical errors are the ones only patients can see. Help give them a voice this week and ask for feedback.
– Raise Social Awareness: Spread your message where the majority of the world is looking the most— social media! Use hashtags such as #PSAW20 to share facts, resources, and stories to inspire others to get involved.
NYC Medical Malpractice Lawyers
There is no excuse for medical errors when protocols are set in place to prevent them. If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or illness due to medical negligence, our winning team of medical malpractice lawyers is here to fight for your rights. The law firm of Pazer, Epstein, Jaffe & Fein has been successfully advocating for NYC patients for over 60 years.
Contact us using our convenient online form or feel free to phone us in New York at 212-227-1212, or in Huntington/Long Island at 631-864-2429. | https://pazerandepstein.com/patient-safety-awareness-week/ |
This outstanding book is a comprehensive source for scales,arpeggios,and exercises. Topics covered include: major,minor and chromatic scales; major,minor and seventh chord arpeggios; diatonic harmony; finger strength and independence; trills,hand-over-hand,and repeated-note exercises; and touches on styles such as boogie-woogie and ragtime.
| |
PSYC06010 2016 Applied Child Psychology (Infants and toddlers)
In this module the psychological changes that take place throughout childhood, with particular emphasis on early childhood (0-3 years), will be explored. Emphasis will be placed on the physical, social, emotional, linguistic and cognitive development of babies and toddlers. Theoretical perspectives in psychology and key ideas in relation to child development will be presented and discussed. As observation, recording and assessment of children's development and behaviour are considered invaluable professional skills, child observation methods will be introduced and explained in this module. Application of theory to practice is a central feature of the module with the overall aim being to produce competence in the learner's ability to apply the principles of developmental psychology when working with babies and toddlers.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;
Examine the contribution of significant psychological theories to our understanding of child development
Describe the milestones of prenatal development, identify neonatal reflexes and discuss sensory perceptual capacities.
Explain the course of physical growth and describe the structure and development of the human brain
Discuss attachment theory, describe early social and emotional development, cognitive and language development.
Apply psychological knowledge to child development issues and recognise the contribution of ethical child observation techniques in professional practice
Teaching and Learning Strategies
One hour lecure to cover psychological theory and two hour tutorial to link theory to practice
Module Assessment Strategies
short answer questions (CA)
Two hour final examination
Repeat Assessments
..
Indicative Syllabus
Introduction and overview
Introduction to the module and overview of psychological perspectives and theories in child development including learning, cognitive, psychodynamic, biological and ecological.
The beginnings of life
Milestones of prenatal development, prenatal environmental influences, the neonate, reflexes, early learning, and sensory perceptual capacities.
Physical development (0-3 years)
Motor development and dynamic systems theory, the course of physical growth, basic sequences, and common patterns. Introduction to the structure of the human brain and brain development.
Cognitive and language development (0-3 years)
Theories of cognitive development including Piaget, Vygotsky and the information processing approach. The development of communication and language, pre-linguistic development and the sequence of language development. Theories of language development, including behaviourist, nativist and interactionist perspectives.
Personality and social development (0-3 years)
The function of emotions, development of emotional expression, emotional regulation, temperament, development of attachment, theories of attachment, types and development of attachment, child care and attachment, parenting styles, self-concept, self-esteem, socialisation, developing social skills.
Introduction to child observation
Observation and assessment: ethics and child observation, observation techniques, observation records, developing the skill of observation.
Applying psychological theory to practice
Applying psychological knowledge to support children's physical, social, emotional, linguistic and cognitive development.
Coursework & Assessment Breakdown
Coursework Assessment
|Title||Type||Form||Percent||Week||Learning Outcomes Assessed|
|1||SAQ||Continuous Assessment||Assessment||40 %||Week 30||2,3,4|
End of Semester / Year Assessment
|Title||Type||Form||Percent||Week||Learning Outcomes Assessed|
|1||Final examination||Final Exam||Closed Book Exam||60 %||End of Term||1,5|
Full Time Mode Workload
|Type||Location||Description||Hours||Frequency||Avg Workload|
|Lecture||Lecture Theatre||Lecture||1||Weekly||1.00|
|Tutorial||ECCE Skills Laboratory||Tutorial||2||Weekly||2.00|
Required & Recommended Book List
2007-12-12 From Birth to Five Years: Children's Developmental Progress Routledge
ISBN 9780415423656 ISBN-13 9780415423656
From Birth to Five Years, based on the pioneering work of Mary Sheridan, has become a classic guide to the developmental progress of pre-school children. It is widely recognised as an invaluable reference for professionals training or working in health, education and social care.
Features of this completely revised edition include:
- Charts describing key stages in the development of motor, perception, communication, play, independence and social skills, updated in the light of recent research and supported by over 120 illustrations
- Information on what we know about how children develop.
- A new section on the development of attention and self-regulation
- Guidelines for the assessment of children through observation and interaction
- Advice on when to refer to specialist services
Guidance is offered on ages at which children typically achieve key stages, whilst recognising individual variation in the rate of development and the influence of the childs environment. Based on an ethos of health promotion and the need for a common assessment framework, the book will be welcomed by all those who work with infants and young children.
Dr Ajay Sharma is a Consultant Community Paediatrician in Southwark, London
Helen Cockerill is a Consultant Speech and Language Therapist, working at the Evelina Childrens Hospital in London.
2013-03-22 Human Growth & Development: An Irish Perspective Gill & Macmillan Ltd
ISBN 071715629X ISBN-13 9780717156290
Updated edition of this popular book introducing human growth and development from conception to old age, with reference to an Irish context. * New to this edition: * Updated for the Human Growth and Development award (5N1279) * New chapter emphasises the application of knowledge to practical, work-based problems and scenarios * Greater prominence given to the older stage of lifespan development with reference to the Creating Excellence in Dementia Care report 2012 * Irish and international facts, research, cases and statistics are used to: * explain normal patterns of lifespan development; * introduce variations within the normal range; * highlight the factors that can affect development throughout the lifespan. * Examines the stages from infancy to old age within the framework of physical, cognitive and socio-emotional theories. Written For: NFQ Level 5 Human Growth and Developemnt component module, as part of: * Early Childhood Care & Education (5M2009) * Applied Social Studies (5M2181) * Community Care (5M2786) * Health Service Skills (5M3782) * Healthcare Support (5M4339) * Nursing Studies (5M4349) * Community Health Services (5M4468) Also suitable for: * CACHE courses in Childcare and Health and Social Care * Montessori courses and Returning to Education courses * Introduction to Psychology courses
2003-10-17 Introducing Child Psychology Wiley-Blackwell
ISBN 0631216286 ISBN-13 9780631216285
Introducing Child Psychology is for all those who want to find out what psychology can tell us about the nature and development of children.
- A non-technical introduction for all those who want to find out what psychology can tell us about the nature and development of children.
- Presents the major topics of child development investigated by psychologists.
- Pays particular attention to the most recent research findings.
- Consistently relates psychological knowledge to practical situations, showing what psychology has to offer in real life situations involving children.
- Learning is supported by study boxes, summaries, definitions and suggestions for further reading.
2013-07-25 Child Development Theory & Practice, 2nd edition Trans-Atlantic Publications
ISBN 1292001011 ISBN-13 9781292001012
The second edition of Child Development: Theory and Practice 0-11 has been fully revised and updated while retaining the authoritative, accessible and well structured writing style that proved popular in the first edition. The text is infused with the authors' passion and enthusiasm for the subject and their anecdotes provide engaging real-life examples of child development in practice. | https://amm.itsligo.ie/en/module/web/20/PSYC06010/201600/999999 |
Amur tiger at Seneca Park Zoo dies
Anastasia, a 12-year-old Amur tiger at Seneca Park Zoo, died after weeks of illness, the zoo announced on Friday.
The tiger had "metastatic lymphatic cancer in her trachea and lungs," according to Jeff Wyatt, director of animal health and conservation at the zoo.
"She was born here, so the Zoo staff and community have, in a sense, grown up with her. She was a magnificent animal that inspired Zoo guests to care about wildlife in general, and about Amur tigers in particular," said Pamela Reed Sanchez, executive director of the Seneca Park Zoo Society.
Anastasia was born in 2005, and has a sister, Katya, still in the zoo.
Zoo keepers "don't expect Katya to display any reaction to the absence of Anastasia," said zoo director Larry Sorel. The sister tigers have lived separately for years.
Anastasia had been sick for about six weeks. Although experts provided "extraordinary care, her condition continued to decline, and the decision was made to euthanize the tiger," according to a statement released by the zoo.
According to the zoo, "Amur tigers are native to Russia, China and northern Korea." The tigers are considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Only 540 Amur tigers are alive in their natural range, the statement said.
"The loss of Anastasia impacts us all deeply," Reed Sanchez said. | https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2017/09/22/anastasia-amur-tiger-seneca-park-zoo-dies/692484001/ |
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Restaurant Delivery Management Software Market 2020-2026:
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TMR, in its recently published Market research report, supplies an understanding of the many different facets of the market that is Barbeque Machines . This market’s all-purpose evaluation throws light and depicts the data. Even the demand-side and supply-side trends are monitored to give a crystal clear picture of the industry scenario.
As per the research, the Barbeque Machines market is anticipated to Attain a value of ~US$XX at the end of 20-19 and grow at a CAGR of ~XX% throughout the forecast period (2019-2029). The different parameters that are likely to cultivate the growth of the market while within the decade are discussed within the analysis.
The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industry’s value chain.
A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.
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A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent market
Important changes in market dynamics
Market segmentation up to the second or third level
Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume
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Market shares and strategies of key players
Emerging niche segments and regional markets
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Note: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMR’s reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.
The report offers detailed coverage of Disposable Laparoscopic Trocars industry and main market trends. The market research includes historical and forecast market data, demand, application details, price trends, and company shares of the leading Disposable Laparoscopic Trocars by geography. The report splits the market size, by volume and value, on the basis of application type and geography.
At the same time, we classify Disposable Laparoscopic Trocars according to the type, application by geography. More importantly, the report includes major countries market based on the type and application.
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---
author:
- 'Simon Birrer,'
- 'Cyril Welschen,'
- 'Adam Amara,'
- Alexandre Refregier
bibliography:
- 'BibdeskLib.bib'
title: 'Line-of-sight effects in strong lensing: Putting theory into practice'
---
Introduction
============
Gravitational lensing is a unique probe for measuring dark matter and dark energy by mapping the mass distribution of the universe on different scales. On the largest scales, weak gravitational lensing surveys measure the linear and non-linear regime of structure formation (see e.g. reviews of [@Bartelmann:2001vu; @Refregier:2003xq] and references therein). On scales of individual galaxies, time-delay cosmography measures angular diameter distance relations ([@Refsdal:1964pi; @Kochanek:1996so] or [@Treu:2016ul] as a recent review), which gives us information on the background expansion of the universe. On sub-galactic scales, the abundances of dark substructure that can be studied using strong lensing is sensitive to the physical properties of dark matter [@Metcalf:2001ig; @Dalal:2002tk; @Yoo:2006br; @Amara:2006gl; @Keeton:2009lg; @Moustakas:2009ym].
These different gravitational lensing regimes each developed formalisms to connect their observables with the underlying physical distribution of dark matter being studied. The distinction between these domains effectively reflected the simplifying assumptions they each used. For example, the simplest approach in modeling strongly lensed systems is to describe the process in terms of a single strong perturber and to neglect contributions of other masses along the line-of-sight (LOS). On the other hand, for weak lensing studies, the focus is on integrated tidal distortions due to structure along the LOS, but higher order non-linear stronger lensing effects are typically not included. However, with increasing volumes and quality of data, this distinction between the different regimes is no longer sufficient and an integrated approach to lensing problems needs to be adopted.
There are several examples in strong lensing where the LOS needs to be considered carefully. One is the inference of dark matter substructure properties from Quasar flux ratios [@Kochanek:1991xt], where LOS structure can have a significant impact on this observable and therefore can affect the interpretation of the data [@Xu:2012kk; @Inoue:2015a; @Takahashi:2014yl; @Xu:2015va]. Another example is strong lens cosmography [@Refsdal:1964pi; @Kochanek:1996so; @Schechter:1997sw; @Oguri:2007fv] since integrated LOS structure in the vicinity of galaxy scale strong lens systems can have a significant impact on relative time-delay measures. These must be taken into account to perform precision cosmographic estimates [@Bar-Kana:1996xj; @Momcheva:2006oh; @Wong:2011wq; @Jaroszynski:2014xy; @McCully:2016jy].
Early work studying external shear and ellipticity in gravitational lensing described the impact of LOS mass distribution as an equivalent additional mass sheet at the redshift of the main deflector with uniform surface mass density $\kappa_{\text{ext}}$ [@Schneider:1997wt; @Keeton:1997zi]. In the literature, the LOS structural parameter $\kappa_{\text{ext}}$ is typically estimated using: (i) imaging and spectroscopy of objects in the neighborhood of the lensing systems [e.g. @Keeton:2004fp; @Fassnacht:2006dt; @Momcheva:2006oh; @Anguita:2009ul; @Suyu:2010jq; @Wong:2011wq; @Fassnacht:2011zs]; (ii) weak lensing [e.g. @Nakajima:2009fv]; and (iii) using comparison with cosmological numerical simulations [e.g. @Greene:2013wb; @Collett:2013bh]. Recently, a general multi-plane lensing framework has been introduced [@McCully:2014uf]. The authors later use this approach to test their accuracy in modelling LOS structure using mock position data [@McCully:2016jy] for quadrapole lens systems. They point on the need for properly accounting for LOS structure in precision lens modeling.
In this work, we present a set of simplified approximation of the multi-plane framework for accounting for LOS structures. These give reliable reconstructions for strong lens systems around the Einstein ring. The advantage of this is that accuracy is maintained while also allowing us to separate the calculations of the LOS effects from the strong lensing deflections of the main lens. This, in turn, allows us to incorporate LOS modelling into our modelling tools [@Birrer:2015yo; @Birrer:2016zy] that aim to reconstruct the full extended lens system. We apply our modeling formalism to the lens system COSMOS0038+4133 and demonstrate the power gaining insights into the LOS structure through strong lens image reconstruction.
The paper is structured as follows: In section \[sec:multi\_plan\_lensing\] we revisit the geometry of multi-plane gravitational lensing, review the approaches being taken in the literature and introduce our notation. In section \[sec:CSB\], we state our approximations, the phenomenological modeling parameterization for strong lens image reconstruction, provide the link to the physical mass distribution in the universe and present test on mock data. In section \[sec:cosmos\_lens\], we apply our modelling formalism to a strong lens in the COSMOS field. Independently, we perform an environmental analysis based on the galaxies in the vicinity of the lens and show the strength of the combination of strong lens and environment analysis. Finally, in section \[sec:conclusion\] we draw our conclusions and implication for further work.
Throughout this work, we assume a flat $\Lambda$CDM cosmological model with parameters $\Omega_{\Lambda} = 0.7$, $\Omega_m = 0.3$, $H_0 = 67$ km s$^{-1}$Mpc$^{-1}$.
Multi-plane gravitational lensing {#sec:multi_plan_lensing}
=================================
In this section, we review multi-plane gravitational lensing, the joint effect caused by multiple lens planes at different distances. We further introduce our notation and state suitable approximations to the full non-linear multi-plane ray-tracing in the regime of one main strong lens. Mathematical aspects of multi plane strong gravitational lensing were studied in [@Levine:1993bs; @Kayser:1993fq; @Petters:1995mk; @Petters:1995qx; @Petters:2001vl]. Of practical use for our analysis is the multi-plane lens equation [@Blandford:1986so; @Kovner:1987zz; @Schneider:1992vp].
![Illustration of different approximations of the light path on which to compute the LOS effects. Strong lens deflected Born approximation (SLB, red line): Computation along the strong lens deflected path, which is accurate but leads to non-linear couplings to the strong lens. Undeflected Born approximation (noSLB, green dotted line): Born approximation ignoring the strong lens. This method is inaccurate for accounting of the effects of background perturbers. Critical Sheet Born approximation (CSB, blue dashed line): Replacing the strong lens deflected path (SLB) by a critical mass-sheet deflected path (see section \[sec:CSB\]). Full ray-tracing (FRT, thin black line): No approximations and every (small) deflector is modeled as a single lens plane.[]{data-label="fig:light_path_approx"}](Strong_lens_diagram.pdf){width="120mm"}
General description {#sec:general_description}
-------------------
In gravitational lensing, the mapping from source to image is given by the lens equation [e.g. see @Narayan:1996yp for background material] $$\label{eqn:lens_equation}
\vec{\beta}=\vec{\theta}-\vec{\alpha}(\vec{\theta}),$$ where $\vec{\theta}$ is the un-lensed angular position, $\vec{\beta}$ is the post lensing position and $\alpha$ is the deflection angle. When studying strong lens systems, the thin lens approximation is widely used. This models the light travel path as straight between lens planes with sharp deflections at the positions of the lenses. In the case of a single lens, the lens equation becomes, $$\label{eqn:thin_lens_approximation}
\vec{\beta}=\vec{\theta}-\vec{\alpha}(\vec{\theta}) = \vec{\theta} - \frac{D_{ds}}{D_s} \vec{\hat{\alpha}}(D_d\vec{\theta}),$$ where $\vec{\hat{\alpha}}(D_d\vec{\theta})$ is the physical bending angle that is linked to $\vec{\alpha}(\vec{\theta})$ through the angular diameter distance $D_s$ (the angular diameter distance from the observer to the source), $D_d$ (the angular diameter distance from the observer to the lens) and $D_{ds}$ (the angular diameter distance from the lens to the source).
In the case where there are $n$ thin lenses along the LOS, the total mapping is the sum of all the deflections, weighted by their distance relations and evaluated at the light path as $$\label{eqn:multi_thin_lens}
\vec{\beta}_{s}=\vec{\theta} - \frac{1}{D_s}\sum_{k=1}^n D_{ks} \vec{\hat{\alpha}}_{k}(D_k\vec{\beta}_{k})$$ where $\vec{\beta}_{k}$ is the angle under which the $k$’th lens deflects the light ray and $\vec{\beta}_{1} = \vec{\theta}$. The ordering in $D_k$ follows the backwards light path such that the light passes the lens at $k$ before $k-1$ (see also [@McCully:2014uf] for a different notation of the same expression).
Case of one strong deflectors and several weak ones
---------------------------------------------------
Often in strong lensing, the dominant deflection is due to one single object at a specific redshift with additional deflectors causing secondary weaker effect. This case has been discussed extensively in [@Schneider:1997wt]. The black path shown in Figure \[fig:light\_path\_approx\] shows an illustration of the light travel path through a multiple lens system (full ray-tracing FRT). One way to simplify the calculation is to treat the smaller additional lenses as tidal perturbers (neglecting higher order terms), i.e.
$$\vec{\hat{\alpha}}_{k}(\vec{x}) \approx \frac{\partial \vec{\hat{\alpha}}_{k}}{\partial \vec{x}} \vec{x}.$$
Higher order effects (flexion) are small for LOS perturber (see e.g. [@McCully:2016jy]). The differential form of the lens equation for weak perturbers can be written as
$$\label{eqn:perturber_general}
\frac{\partial \vec{\beta}}{\partial \vec{\theta}}
= \delta_{ij} - \frac{D_{ks}D_k}{D_s}\frac{\partial \vec{\hat{\alpha}}_{k}}{\partial \vec{x}} \frac{\partial \vec{\beta}_{k}}{\partial \vec{\theta}}.$$
This tidal approximation depends on the light path $\vec{x} \equiv D_k\vec{\beta}_{k}$. In general, for a strong lens, the light path $\vec{\beta}_k$ can be highly non-linear for perturbers between source and strong lens ($k > d$).
The undeflected Born approximation (noSLB, green dotted line in Figure \[fig:light\_path\_approx\]) computes the light path ignoring any deflector ($\vec{\beta}_{k} = \vec{\theta}$). The noSLB approximation leads to a linear distortion in the lens equation that is given by the distortion matrix ($\Gamma_{ij}$):
$$\label{eqn:tidal_distortion}
\Gamma_{ij}\equiv {\partial \beta _{i} \over \partial \theta _{j}}
\equiv \left[{\begin{array}{c c }1-\kappa -\gamma _{1}&\gamma _{2}\\\gamma _{2}&1-\kappa +\gamma _{1}\end{array}}\right]$$
where $\kappa$ is the convergence and $\gamma_1$, $\gamma_2$ are the shear components of the linear distortion matrix. Another approach, we call it "strong lens deflected Born approximation” (SLB), takes the main deflector into account when evaluating the effects of the LOS perturbers (the red path shown in Figure \[fig:light\_path\_approx\]). The advantage of this approach is that this approximation replicates that of the full ray-tracing calculation with high fidelity relative to noSLB. The problem, however, is that the tidal effect can only be calculated after the light path has been found. This coupling between the ray-tracing and the impact of the secondary lenses makes such a calculation more complex when modelling strong lens systems. Furthermore, a parameterized representation of each individual perturber leads to a high dimensional parameter space whose inference and the covariances between the perturbers and the strong lens is impractical. For this reason, there are significant advantages to finding further simplifications that are able to separate the two computations. The most commonly used method for achieving this is to perform ray-tracing for the main lens (red in Figure \[fig:light\_path\_approx\]) with the additional effect from the secondary lenses calculated along the un-lensed path (noSLB, green dotted path of Figure \[fig:light\_path\_approx\]).
As we will demonstrate later, ignoring the bending of the main deflector can lead to significant inaccuracies in strong lens calculations. To over come this problem we introduce a new approximation (detailed in the next sections) that better captures effects of secondary perturbers close to strong lenses without a coupling to the ray-tracing by the main lens.
Critical Sheet Born Approximation (CSB) {#sec:CSB}
=======================================
Since most of the information from strong lens systems typically comes from regions close to the Einstein radius $\theta_E$, we focus on finding an approximation that is valid in this region. In particular, we are interested in an approximation of the light path $\beta_k$ that goes through the Einstein radius that is independent of the specific lens model.
It turns out that replacing the actual strong lens by a critical mass sheet provides an accurate description of the light path $\beta_k$ at the Einstein radius and leads to the same LOS effects around the Einstein radius compared to SLB. We call this approximation the Critical Sheet Born (CSB) approximation. In Figure \[fig:light\_path\_approx\], CSB is indicated with the blue dashed line. With such a description of the light path in computing LOS effects, we can avoid non-linear coupling between main deflector and LOS perturbers. In the following, we go through the assumptions and derive the approximations of our approach and provide validity tests based on mock data.
Formalism {#sec:math_csb}
---------
The distortion effects in equation \[eqn:perturber\_general\] depend on the light path. At the Einstein radius, the light path gets bent such that $\vec{\hat{\alpha}}_{d} = \frac{D_d}{D_{ds}}\theta_E$. A straight path with this one deflection involved is given by $$\beta(\theta_E) =
\begin{cases}
\theta_E& \text{if } k < d\\
\left(1 - \frac{D_{dk}}{D_k} \frac{D_s}{D_{ds}}\right) \theta_E & k>d.
\end{cases}$$
This equation is still dependent on the lens model through $\theta_E$. We adopt a generalized form, that does not explicitly require $\theta_E$ and incorporates the light path above is given by $$\label{eqn:crit_sheet_path}
\beta \approx
\begin{cases}
\theta& \text{if } k < d\\
\left(1 - \frac{D_{dk}}{D_k} \frac{D_s}{D_{ds}}\right) \theta & k>d.
\end{cases}$$ This equation describes the solution of the light paths of a critical mass sheet at the strong lens position. Furthermore, it results in a linear description of the distortion effect. In addition to equation \[eqn:crit\_sheet\_path\] to compute the distortions, we incorporate the linear distortion effect of the foreground LOS perturbers on the strong lens. With those stated approximations, the lens equation \[eqn:thin\_lens\_approximation\] can be written as $$\label{eqn:combined_approx}
\vec{\beta}_s = \vec{\theta} - \frac{D_{ds}}{D_s} \vec{\hat{\alpha}}_d(D_d\Gamma^{A}_{ij}\vec{\theta})
- \left(\Gamma^{B}_{ij} + \Gamma^{C}_{ij} \right) \vec{\theta},$$ where $\vec{\hat{\alpha}}_d$ is the physical deflection angle of the main deflector, $\Gamma^{A}_{ij}$ is the distortion matrix at the deflector plane caused by foreground perturbers $$\label{eqn:distortion_lens}
\Gamma^{A}_{ij} = \delta_{ij} - \sum_{k<d} \frac{D_{k} D_{kd}}{D_d} \frac{\partial \hat{\alpha}^{i}_{k}}{\partial x_j},$$ $\Gamma^{B}_{ij}$ is the distortion caused by the same foreground perturbers at the source plane $$\label{eqn:distortion_ol_source}
\Gamma^{B}_{ij} = \sum_{k<d} \frac{D_{k} D_{ks}}{D_s } \frac{\partial \hat{\alpha}^{i}_{k}}{\partial x_j},$$
and $\Gamma^{C}_{ij}$ is the distortion caused by background perturbers on the source plane $$\label{eqn:distortion_ls_einstein_ring}
\Gamma^{C}_{ij} = \sum_{k>d} \frac{D_{k} D_{ks}}{D_s}\left( 1- \frac{D_{dk}}{D_k} \frac{D_s}{D_{ds}} \right) \frac{\partial \hat{\alpha}^{i}_{k}}{\partial x_j}.$$
The only explicit deflection in equation \[eqn:combined\_approx\] is the main deflector $\hat{\alpha}_d$. As pointed out by [@McCully:2016jy], the non-linear effect of the term $\Gamma^{A}_{ij}$ on $\hat{\alpha}_d$ is important and not taking this effect into account can lead to significant biases in the lens model inference. Furthermore, the LOS structure close to the source plane is of less importance as the light rays are bent and get closer to each other and reduced the induced tidal distortion.
Phenomenological parameterization {#sec:phenom_csb}
---------------------------------
In this section, we discuss what the observables from strong lensing image reconstruction are when the underlying description is approximated by equation (\[eqn:combined\_approx\]). The effect on the lens equation of the LOS structure can be expressed as tidal distortions (equation \[eqn:tidal\_distortion\]). Equation \[eqn:combined\_approx\] becomes
$$\label{eqn:framework_true}
\vec{\beta}_{\text{true}} = \vec{\alpha}_{\text{true}}\left(\left(1-\kappa_d\right) D_\text{d}^{\text{bkgd}}\left[{\begin{array}{c c }1 -\gamma' _{1,d}&\gamma' _{2,d}\\\gamma' _{2,d}&1 +\gamma' _{1,d}\end{array}}\right]\vec{\theta}\right)
+ \left(1-\kappa_s\right)\left[{\begin{array}{c c }1 -\gamma' _{1,s}&\gamma' _{2,s}\\\gamma' _{2,s}&1 +\gamma' _{1,s}\end{array}}\right] \vec{\theta},$$
where $\gamma' = \gamma/(1-\kappa)$ is the reduced shear. $\vec{\beta}_{\text{true}}$ and $\vec{\alpha}_{\text{true}}$ indicate that in the stated form above including the true physical lens model is recovered. $D_\text{d}^{\text{bkgd}}$ states the cosmological background angular diameter distance. Additionally to the main deflector, 6 additional parameters, namely the shear and convergence terms to the lens ($\gamma_{1,d}$, $\gamma_{2,d}$, $\kappa_d$) and the source plane ($\gamma_{1,s}$, $\gamma_{2,s}$, $\kappa_s$) describe the LOS effect.
The convergence terms $\kappa_d$ and $\kappa_s$ lead to particular degeneracies with other lensing effects. A non-zero convergence $\kappa_d$ changes the angular diameter distance according to $D_{\text{d}}^{\text{lens}} = \left(1 - \kappa_d \right) D_{\text{d}}^{\text{bkgd}}$. The angular diameter distance $D_{\text{d}}^{\text{lens}}$ must be considered when computing other physical quantities of the lens, such as lensing potential and kinematics. The angular diameter distance $D_{\text{d}}^{\text{lens}}$ can not be determined from strong lens image reconstruction without relying on other information. The effect of $\kappa_s$ leads to a rescaling of the lens equation (Equation \[eqn:lens\_equation\], \[eqn:combined\_approx\] or \[eqn:framework\_true\]) without changing image observables. The physical interpretation of the rescaled quantities can change significantly. This is known as the mass-sheet degeneracy [@Falco:1985no; @Schneider:1995ga; @Saha:2000zr; @Wucknitz:2002he].
The convergence effects can be decoupled from the image reconstruction. Instead of modeling $\vec{\alpha}_{\text{true}}$, $\vec{\beta}_{\text{true}}$ $\kappa_d$ and $\kappa_s$ one can model a rescaled lens equation $$\label{eqn:framework_obs}
\vec{\beta}_{\text{scaled}} = \vec{\alpha}_{\text{scaled}}\left(D_\text{d}^{\text{bkgd}}\left[{\begin{array}{c c }1 -\gamma'' _{1,d}&\gamma'' _{2,d}\\\gamma'' _{2,d}&1 +\gamma'' _{1,d}\end{array}}\right]\vec{\theta}\right)
+ \left[{\begin{array}{c c }1 -\gamma' _{1,s}&\gamma' _{2,s}\\\gamma' _{2,s}&1 +\gamma' _{1,s}\end{array}}\right] \vec{\theta}.$$ The physical interpretation of the inferred deflection angle $\vec{\alpha}_{\text{scaled}}$, source scale $\vec{\beta}_{\text{scaled}}$ and shear terms on the lens plane $\gamma_d''$ change according to the convergences. The actual physical deflection relates to the scaled one as $\vec{\alpha}_{\text{true}} = \left(1-\kappa_d\right)\left(1-\kappa_s\right)\vec{\alpha}_{\text{scaled}}$. The source plane coordinate scales as $\vec{\beta}_{\text{true}} = (1-\kappa_s)\vec{\beta}_{\text{scaled}}$ and the shear induced on the main deflector $\gamma_d''$ scales as $$\label{eqn:reduced_shear_lens}
\gamma''_d = \frac{\gamma_d}{\left(1-\kappa_d\right)^2\left(1-\kappa_s\right)}.$$
Validity test {#sec:validity_approx}
-------------
To test the accuracy of the approximations stated in Section \[sec:math\_csb\], we construct a test scenario and compare the full multi-plane ray-tracing solution with our proposed formalism. For this purpose, we position a singular isothermal sphere (SIS) lens with velocity dispersion $\sigma_v=200$ km s$^{-1}$ at a redshift $z_d = 0.5$ and a source at $z_s=2$. The Einstein radius of this configuration is $\theta_{\text{E}}=0.73"$. We place a single perturber in the form of a Navarro-Frank-White (NFW) profile [@Navarro:1997tb] with an angular separation of 8" away from the center of the SIS profile. We chose the mass within a mean over-density of 200$\rho_c$ as $M_{200} = 10^{13}M_{\odot}$. We vary the redshift of the perturber ($z = [0.1,0.3,0.5,0.7,0.9]$) to test our formalism for different LOS positions.
The perturber is a group scale halo close to the main deflector. This is a relatively strong LOS perturber. Any perturber less massive and/or further away in angular separation will have a weaker impact on the deflection angles and will be approximated as well or better in our formalism. The integrated lensing effect from multiple perturbers adds linearly on the shear and convergence terms. The accuracy of multiple perturbers should be valid as long as second order terms are of comparable strength as the single group scale halo. Our formalism is accurate as long as the Born approximation is accurate between observer and main deflector and main deflector and source.
### Convergence maps {#sec:convergence_maps}
We first test the accuracy of the predicted convergence map. In Figure \[fig:environment\_z\_kappa\], we compare the computed convergence maps of the full ray-tracing (FRT) with the approximation of our formalism (CSB). The convergence map for FRT is computed with differential ray-tracing. The top panel of Figure \[fig:environment\_z\_kappa\] shows the deviation of the convergence map of CSB to the full solution (FRT) $(\kappa_{CSB} - \kappa_{FRT})$. The lower panel shows a same comparison with the Born approximation (noSLB) of the LOS perturber $(\kappa_{noSLB} - \kappa_{FRT})$. The Einstein radius is plotted in black dashed lines.
The main differences in accuracy occur when the perturber is placed in front of the lens ($z<z_d$). The non-linear effect on the lens model can be well captured by CSB whereas noSLB ignors those effects and leads to significant residuals in the convergence map. The higher order distortion effects of the LOS perturber results in $\Delta \kappa < 0.01$ at the Einstein radius for CSB.
When the perturber is placed between the source and the lens ($z_d>z>z_s$), the two approaches have different predictions but neither of them can predict the convergence map accurately over the entire area of the lensing system to a precision better than $\Delta \kappa \approx 0.1$. The main difference is that CSB reproduces the mean convergence within the Einstein radius while noSLB over-estimates the convergence induced by the perturber significantly. CSB reproduces the mean convergence within the Einstein radius by construction while the induced error in the mean convergence in the noSLB is $\Delta_k \approx 0.05$. This behavior of the two approximations becomes emergent when looking at extended surface brightness simulations (see section \[sec:ext\_surface\_bfightness\] below).
{width="160mm"}
### Extended surface brightness {#sec:ext_surface_bfightness}
To test how well extended lensed surface brightness information can be predicted and reproduced by the CSB formalism, we take the same test case of \[sec:convergence\_maps\] and model a Gaussian source surface profile with a width $\sigma = 0.02"$ in the source plane positioned in line with the center of the main deflector. In the absence of external perturbers, this configuration leads to a perfectly circular Einstein ring in the image plane. In Figure \[fig:environment\_z\_image\], the simulated mock images are shown for the different computations of the LOS structure. For the moment, we do not include any observational effects into the simulation (e.g. PSF and noise). In the top row, the full ray-tracing (FRT) simulations are shown. In the middle row, the predictions of the CSB formalism are shown. We see no distinguishable effect in the image plane. In the bottom row, the predictions with a Born approximation (noSLB) is shown when interpreting the shear terms from the standard weak lensing formalism. This test shows that the CSB approximation provides a good description for lens and source configurations that form an Einstein ring-like extended structure. We also see that the features in the image are not predicted accurately by a noSLB approximation. In particular, for foreground perturbers (first two columns in Figure \[fig:environment\_z\_image\]), the real feature is a sheared Einstein ring/ellipsoid. Lens models that can reproduce elliptical Einstein rings have a non-spherical extended deflection with a point like inner caustic. This requires a particular class of lens models, among which a non-linear sheard spherical lens model is a simple solution to. A SIE, or any other simple elliptical lens models, can not produce an elliptical Einstein ring.
For background perturbers, the CSB approximation for the light paths is valid around the Einstein ring and can accurately predict the observational features. A noSLB approximation overestimates the physically induced tidal distortion and convergence (see also [@McCully:2016jy]).
{width="160mm"}
Testing the constraining power of LOS inference {#sec:inference_test}
-----------------------------------------------
We analyze the information content of strong lens imaging data on constraining the LOS structure parameters. To do so, we set up a test case with realistic observational conditions and source surface brightness. We then do a parameter inference and test the recovery of the LOS induced effects.
Specifically, we generate a mock image of a source at redshift $z_s=2$, a main deflector at redshift $z_d = 0.5$ and a LOS perturber at $z_{\text{los}} = 0.1$. The main lens is modeled as a SIS with velocity dispersion $\sigma_v = 200$km s$^{-1}$. The LOS perturber is positioned 8" from the main deflector with an NFW profile with mass $M_{200} = 10^{13.5}M_{\odot}$. We model the extended light emission from the source as a Gaussian light profile with width $\sigma_s = 0.02"$. We compute the observable light emission with sub-pixel resolution ray-tracing, convolution with a HST-like PSF and adding Poisson noise on the observed flux and a Gaussian noise realization of the background comparable to HST image quality of the COSMOS field.
We reconstruct the mock imaging data described above to infer the lens model parameter posteriors (including the LOS terms of Equation \[eqn:framework\_obs\]). For the lens model, we choose a smooth power-law elliptical mass profile (SPEMP), which allows for arbitrary elliptical mass distributions and power-law slopes. In the reconstruction modeling, we rescale the source size by $1/(1-\kappa_s)$ to ensure that the same source description is applied in the reconstruction. Source size - power-law slope degeneracies are known and highly depend on the source reconstruction technique applied (see e.g. [@Birrer:2016zy]). The more general lens model compared with the mock realization tests more rigorously the capability of recovering the LOS structural parameters. The inference is done with the formalism presented in [@Birrer:2015yo] with a Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC), implemented in the `CosmoHammer` [@Akeret:2013nl] software. In Figure \[fig:parameters\_mock\], the inferred parameter posteriors are illustrated. Red vertical and horizontal lines indicate the input parameters for the lens model and the expected scaled shear parameters caused of the LOS perturber. The inference accurately recovers the expected lens and shear terms provided by the CSB formalism and shows that a separability of main deflector and LOS structure can be made with the given lens model assumptions. The posteriors in the ellipticity of the lens and the external shear terms are degenerate but the effects in the image (i.e. the ellipticity of the ring) can not be fully reproduced by an elliptic lens model configuration of the specifically used parameterization. The marginalized constraints on all the shear terms results in constraints of $\pm 0.003$ (statistical error), a high precision measurement of the reduced shear field at a specific angular position on the sky.
{width="160mm"}
The strong lens COSMOS0038+4133 and its environment {#sec:cosmos_lens}
===================================================
In section \[sec:CSB\], we used mock data to show that strong lensing systems can allow us to infer scaled shear terms of the LOS structure with high precision.
The prediction of the same environmental quantities can be independently inferred by specifically modeling the LOS structure. Additionally, an explicit modeling of the mass structure enables us to simultaneously infer the external convergences $\kappa_d$ and $\kappa_s$.
We next apply our formalism to the strong lens system COSMOS 0038+4133 and its environment to test the capabilities of our method on real data. The lens system COSMOS 0038+4133 ($\mbox{R.A.}=10^{\mbox{\scriptsize h}}00^{\mbox{\scriptsize m}}38.2^{\mbox{\scriptsize s}}$ $\mbox{DEC}=+02^\circ 41{\mbox{$^\prime$}}33{\mbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}}$ J2000) was chosen as our primary target as the configuration is close to an Einstein ring and there are massive galaxies in its close proximity that potentially add significant external shear and convergence contributions to the lens system. Detailed information about the lens system is provided in appendix \[ap:lens\_description\] and the data, catalogs and derived stellar masses of the galaxies in appendix \[ap:cosmos\_data\].
First, we perform the strong lens modeling in section \[sec:sl\_modeling\]. Second, we perform the independent LOS structure modeling based on galaxy catalogs in section \[sec:cosmos\_environment\]. Third, we combine the constraints of the two approaches and show the results on the inferred external convergence and on the halo mass of specific galaxies in the vicinity in section \[sec:cosmos\_combined\].
The external convergences are important for many strong lens studies that involve the knowledge of the physical scales at the lens and/or source plane. The mass-sheet degeneracy prevents one from constraining the convergence terms from the strong lens modeling alone. An independent LOS structure modeling predicts both, shear and convergence. The combined constraints on the shear terms form strong lens modeling and LOS reconstruction enables constrain the convergence terms of the LOS modeling more precisely.
Strong lens reconstruction {#sec:sl_modeling}
--------------------------
We model a 120$^2$ pixels cutout centered on the lensing galaxy. The lensing galaxy light profile is modeled with an elliptical Sérsic profile [@Sersic:1968rm]. The source is modeled with shapelet basis sets [@Refregier:2003eg] with $n_{\text{max}} = 10$, which corresponds to 66 basis functions. The shapelet scale is chosen to be $\beta = 0.016"$, which provides a good fit to the data (modulo mass-sheet transform, see e.g. [@Birrer:2016zy]). For the lens model, we model a Singular Isothermal Ellipsoid (SIE) and in addition the external reduced shear components of Equation (\[eqn:framework\_obs\]). We use the framework of [@Birrer:2015yo] as in Section \[sec:inference\_test\] to infer the parameter posteriors. In this particular inference, we further assume that the lens mass of the SIE is centered at the position of the luminous profile of the lensing galaxy.
Figure \[fig:COSMOS0038\_4133\] shows the original HST F814W image (left), the best fit reconstructed model (middle) and the reduced residuals (right). In Table \[tab:parameter\_constraints\] the lens model parameter posteriors are stated for COSMOS0038+4133. We see that the precision on the shear terms is comparable to the mock example in Section \[sec:inference\_test\] (Figure \[fig:parameters\_mock\]). With the stated model assumptions, the shear parameters associated with the LOS structure can be inferred with an uncertainty of $\pm 0.002$.
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max likelihood 1-$\sigma$ posteriors
-------------- ---------------- -----------------------
$\theta_E$ 0.663 $0.663\pm0.001$
$e_1$ -0.105 $-0.104\pm0.006$
$e_2$ 0.018 $0.017\pm0.004$
$\gamma_1^d$ -0.114 $-0.115\pm0.002$
$\gamma_2^d$ -0.061 $-0.061\pm0.002$
$\gamma_1^s$ -0.219 $-0.218\pm0.003$
$\gamma_2^s$ -0.034 $-0.035\pm0.002$
: Lens model parameter inference for COSMOS 0038+4133. Not included in this list are the lens light model parameters. The column labeled "max likelihood” shows the parameter position of the global maximum in the likelihood. The image reconstruction of this lens model is shown in Figure \[fig:COSMOS0038\_4133\] middle panel. The second column shows the 1-$\sigma$ marginal posteriors.[]{data-label="tab:parameter_constraints"}
Halo rendering {#sec:cosmos_environment}
--------------
We estimate the mass distribution in the vicinity of COSMOS 0038+4133 by linking the galaxies in the catalog (see appendix \[ap:cosmos\_data\] for details about the galaxy catalog used) to the underling matter distribution. Similar approaches have been taken by [e.g. @Anguita:2009ul; @Faure:2011jx] on the COSMOS field. Direct halo mass measurements come for example from galaxy-galaxy lensing [e.g @Brainerd:1996bu; @Leauthaud:2010mx]. Indirect methods use galaxy clustering [e.g @Seljak:2000cz; @Zehavi:2002yt] or abundance matching [e.g @Kravtsov:2004go; @Guo:2010rj; @Behroozi:2010yr]. Phenomenological evolutionary models incorporating galaxy evolution in dark matter halos are presented in [e.g. @Behroozi:2013iu; @Birrer:2014em].
We use the stellar-to-halo mass relation (SHMR) by [@Leauthaud:2012qj], which is based on simultaneously modeling galaxy-galaxy lensing, galaxy clustering and abundance matching on data from the COSMOS survey. The scatter in the SHMR is described as a log-normal probability distribution function $M_* = f_{\mbox{\tiny SHMR}}(M_h)$ and its inverse [@Behroozi:2010yr]. We use the best fit parameters found in three redshift bins, which can be found in [@Leauthaud:2012qj Table 5]. For $z>1$ we use the same parameters as for $z\in [0.74, 1]$.
Uncertainties in the involved stellar mass estimates propagate non-linearly through the SHMR and affect the halo mass function, in particular it leads to a more frequent sampling of rare high mass halos. This is in contradiction to the method applied to determine the SHMR, which is based on a given fixed halo mass function. To avoid this inconsistency, we apply a conditional rendering on a fixed halo mass function.
For the spacial distribution of the mass, we assume spherical symmetric Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profiles [@Navarro:1996ko]. The masses inferred are taken to be the masses enclosed in a mean over-density of 200$\rho_{\text{crit}}$. The mass and redshift dependence of the NFW concentration parameter $c$ is taken from [@Neto:2007fu; @Ludlow:2014fs]. The object-by-object dispersion in $c$ at fixed halo mass and redshift is assumed to be log-normal as 0.08 dex. The lensing distortions of the NFW profiles are computed following e.g. [@Bartelmann:1996an; @Wright:2000og]. Uncertainties in the measurements and modeling (i.e. stellar mass, SHMR, mass-concentration relation, redshift) can be incorporated by rendering different realizations of the uncertain quantities and propagate their uncertainties through their dependencies.
We only model over-dense regions of the universe explicitly. This leads to a manifestly over-dense universe compared to the assumed underlying cosmological model. [@McCully:2016jy] compensated this effect by ray-tracing through a homogeneous under-dense universe populated with over-dense halos. We chose a different approach. The necessary and sufficient requirement to keep the mean curvature of the universe to the one imposed by the background is that the mean convergence of all angular directions in the universe to all redshifts is zero $\left<\kappa\right> = 0$. A homogeneous under-dense mass distribution contributes a negative convergence $\kappa_{m<0} < 0$. The model thus has to satisfy
$$0 = \left<\kappa_{\text{halo}} + \kappa_{m<0}\right> = \left<\kappa_{\text{halo}}\right> + \kappa_{m<0}.$$
This results in a shift of the convergence estimate of $$\kappa_{\text{render}} = \kappa_{\text{halo}} - \left<\kappa_{\text{halo}}\right>.$$ The term $\left<\kappa_{\text{halo}}\right>$ is the mean convergence in a randomly sampled distribution of the galaxies in the field. This method is valid when the universe is homogeneous on the scale being rendered.
{width="140mm"}
Figure \[fig:shear\_field\] illustrates the environment of COSMOS0038+4133 and the influence on the shear of the nearby galaxies in two different zoom-out regions. The shear estimate converges with a mask of 6.5 arcmin around the strong lens system. For the final sampling, we take a mask of 13 arcmin around the strong lens system. In the selected area, more than 22’000 galaxies are found in the catalog and the contribution to the shear and convergence of each of them is rendered individually and summed up according to equation \[eqn:distortion\_lens\], \[eqn:distortion\_ol\_source\] and \[eqn:distortion\_ls\_einstein\_ring\].
The conservative stellar mass estimate uncertainties of the galaxies and the uncertain SHMR, especially at high stellar masses, results in weak constraints on the shear and convergence estimates. Nevertheless, a clear direction (sign) of the shear components is inferred (see Figure \[fig:shear\_comb\] and further discussions in section \[sec:cosmos\_combined\]). Furthermore, the mass rendering indicates a highly over-dense LOS, which is not surprising given the way we selected the lens system.
Combining mass rendering and strong lens inference {#sec:cosmos_combined}
--------------------------------------------------
Figure \[fig:shear\_comb\] shows the posterior distributions of the scaled reduced shear components. We see a consistent inference of the two independent methods in all the four shear terms. The strong lens image analysis leads to much tighter constraints on the shear terms as compared to the halo rendering approach.
From the halo rendering, we can compute the probability distribution $$P_{\text{halo}}(\gamma_{1,d},\gamma_{2,d}, \kappa_d, \gamma_{1,s},\gamma_{2,s} \kappa_s, M_h^1, c^1, ..., M_h^n,c^n),$$ which involves all the galaxies (mass and profile parameters) and the lensing quantities, including the external convergence terms. The strong lens modeling provides the probability $P_{\text{SL}}(\gamma''_{1,d},\gamma''_{2,d}, \gamma'_{1,s},\gamma'_{2,s})$. For the combined analysis, the two probability distributions can be taken as two independent unnormalized likelihoods as
$$P_{\text{Halo+SL}} \propto P_{\text{Halo}} \cdot P_{\text{SL}}.$$
The two probabilities $P_{\text{Halo}}$ and $P_{\text{SL}}$ are represented by a discrete sample. To numerically combine the two likelihoods, we use kernel density estimators for $P_{\text{SL}}$ to evaluate for each sample in $P_{\text{Halo}}$ a probability weight from the strong lens analysis. The marginalized errors on the parameters of interest come from the samples of $P_{\text{Halo}}$ with their weights from $P_{\text{SL}}$. This is a simple Monte Carlo approach [see e.g. @Busha:2011wh for an other application in astronomy].
{width="140mm"}
Figure \[fig:convergence\_combined\] shows the inferred external convergence at the lens plane $\kappa_d$ (left) and the source plane $\kappa_s$ (right). The halo rendering only constraints are drawn in green and halo rendering and strong lens reconstruction joint constraints are drawn in blue. The tight constraints on the reduced shears of the strong lens image reconstruction leads to a significant increase in precision of the inferred convergence values.
{width="140mm"}
The additional constraints on the scaled shear terms from the strong lensing image reconstruction can also help constrain the halo masses of individual galaxies neighboring the strong lens system. Figure \[fig:halo\_mass\] shows the constraints on the halo mass for a selected massive and nearby galaxy. The strong lens inference implies for this particular galaxy that a very high halo mass can be ruled out. In particular for a nearby massive galaxy, including the strong lens information, the posterior on the halo mass shifted by 0.4 dex to lower halo masses. The statistics of one single strong lens system does not allow to draw significant constraints on the SHMR. Joint constraints of multiple strong lens systems may add valuable information to the galaxy-halo connection.
![Halo mass constraints for the galaxy 62 arcsec away along the LOS of the strong lens system at $z=0.342$. This is the galaxy with the large blue circle in the lower right half of Figure \[fig:shear\_field\], right side.[]{data-label="fig:halo_mass"}](mass_updates_single.pdf){width="80mm"}
Conclusions {#sec:conclusion}
===========
We have presented a method to infer line of sight integrated lensing effects for galaxy scale strong lens systems through image reconstruction. Our approach enables us to separate weak lensing line of sight effects from the main strong lens deflector and allows a physical interpretation of both effects in parallel without relying on additional estimates in the image reconstruction. In particular, our approach reconstructs the observed shape and structure of extended arc and ring structure in strong lens systems and the approximations of the light paths and the parameterization allows us to decompose non-linear shear effects caused by intervening structure from the main deflector. We validated our method on mock data and demonstrated that strong lens systems can be accurate and precise probes of cosmic shear. In a second step, we applied our formalism to the COSMOS field. We reconstruct the HST image, including the extended strong lens features. Independently, we modeled the LOS structure inferred from halo rendering using galaxy position, redshift and stellar mass estimates. When performing a combined analysis of our formalism with the halo rendering approach, we improve the constraints on the external convergence by a factor of two compared with a halo-rendering only analysis of the environment.
Strong lenses also allow a very precise direct shear measurement at few specific positions on the sky. This is complementary to galaxy shape weak lensing measurements. Including strong lensing constraints in large scale lensing surveys might thus help in calibrating galaxy shear measurements and constraining the mass distribution in the universe. Furthermore with increasing samples of strong lenses, one can gain insights into the galaxy-halo connection by combining strong lens image modeling and halo rendering of their environments.
Acknowledgments {#acknowledgments .unnumbered}
===============
We acknowledge the import, partial use or inspiration of the following python packages: CosmoHammer [@Akeret:2013tg], FASTELL [@Barkana:1998sk], numpy [^1], scipy [^2], astropy [^3]. This work has been supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant 200021\_149442/1 and 200021\_143906/1). This research has made use of the NASA/ IPAC Infrared Science Archive, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The strong lens COSMOS 0038+4133 {#ap:lens_description}
================================
The strong lens COSMOS0038+4133 was discovered and first quantified by [@Faure:2008gd]. This system has a lensing arc including four images of a source object, see Figure \[fig:COSMOS0038\_4133\] left panel. The redshift of the lens in [@Faure:2008gd] was calculated with the publicly available *Le Phare* photometric redshift estimation code using 8 bands, to be $z=0.89^{+0.05}_{-0.03}$ at 68% confidence level. [@Ilbert:2009at] released a revisited redshift estimate inferred from 30 bands at $z=0.733^{+0.008}_{-0.012}$ at 68% confidence level. In this analysis we take the more recent redshift estimate of the lens. The Einstein radius is about $\theta_E = 0.73"$ and the effective radius of the lens galaxy $R_{\text{eff}} = 0.72"$. The magnitude of the lensing galaxy was determined mag$(I_{814w}) = 20.4$ and the maximum brightness of the ring as mag$"^{-2}(I_{814w}) = 20.5$. The (unknown) redshift of the source was placed to be at twice the co-moving distance to the lens at $z_s = 2.7$ for their lens kinematics and mass estimates. This choice maximizes the lensing efficiency and therefore provides lower bounds on the mass of the lensing galaxy. We adopt the same choice in our analysis for the source redshift.
COSMOS data and catalogues {#ap:cosmos_data}
==========================
The COSMOS field (see e.g. [@Scoville:2007rq]) has been continuous covered by the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Wide Field Channel (WFC) in filter F814W. The median exposure depth is $2028\,\mbox{s}$ and the limiting point-source depth is F814W$_{AB}=27.2\,(5\sigma)$. This results in a 50% completeness for galaxies with a radius of $0.25{\mbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}}$ at $I_{AB}=26.0$ mag. The images were combined with the MultiDrizzle software [@Jedrzejewski:2005ul] where the final resolution of the drizzled data is $0.03{\mbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}}/\mbox{pixel}$. We use the third public release v2.0 of the COSMOS ACS data (31. Oct. 2011) [^4]. Details of HST ACS/WFC observations, the data calibration and processing procedures are explained in [@Koekemoer:2007hf]. The raw data of the ACS WFC were corrected for the charged transfer inefficiency by [@Massey:2010dg].
The COSMOS field provides, apart from the HST coverage, a wealth of additional data products to reconstruct the environment of the lens. Detailed information of the HST observations can be found in [@Scoville:2007rq]. We take the redshifts and magnitudes from the COSMOS photometric redshift release [@Ilbert:2009at] for the neighboring galaxies, including apparent magnitudes provided by [@Capak:2007jq].
The photometric redshifts in [@Ilbert:2009at] were calculated using fluxes in 30 different bands (broad and narrow bands covering UV, visible near-IR and mid-IR). Up to $z\sim2$ the accuracy is $\sigma_{\Delta z/(1+z_s)}=0.06$ at $i_{\mbox{\tiny AB}}^+ \sim 24$, where $\Delta z = z_s - z_p$ and $z_s$ are the spectroscopic redshifts of a comparison sample. We do not include the redshift uncertainty in our analysis as they are of order the cosmological uncertainties.
We use the NIR $K$ band to calculate luminosities and the broad bands $g^+$ and $i^+$ as a color indicator to estimate the mass-to-light ratios. We take the color dependent mass-to-light ratio by [@Bell:2001jz; @Bernardi:2003ok] in the functional form of [e.g. @Bell:2003bh]
$$\label{eq:masstolightratio}
\log\left(\frac{M}{L_\mathcal{B}}\right) = a_\mathcal{B}^\mathcal{C} + b_\mathcal{B}^\mathcal{C} \cdot \mathcal{C}\;,$$
where in our case $\mathcal{C}=(g^+ - i^+)$ and $\mathcal{B}=K$. To calibrate the coefficients $a_\mathcal{B}$ and $b_\mathcal{B}$ we use a sample of stellar masses from the COSMOS group membership catalog [@George:2011wb] where the stellar masses are calculated according to the method described in [@Leauthaud:2010mx]. We split the calibration sample in six redshift bins and infer the coefficients for the different redshift samples independently.
[^1]: www.numpy.org
[^2]: www.scipy.org
[^3]: www.astropy.org
[^4]: STScI-MAST: <http://archive.stsci.edu/> or IPAC/IRSA: <http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/data/COSMOS/>
| |
Here’s my quick and dirty guide to studying for the Instrument Rating-Airplane oral exam.
Draw an ILS approach and its components and explain how it operates
Draw a pitot static system and explain how it operates
Draw a vacuum system and explain how it operates
Draw your airplane’s electrical schematics and explain how it operated
Describe human illusions in instrument flight –– Coriolis illusion, the leans, somatogravic illusion, elevator illusion, inversion illusion.
Describe compass errors
Describe pitot/static errors
Describe an airport’s alternate minimums and takeoff minimums
Describe weather charts – area charts, prognostic charts, convective outlook charts, winds aloft forecasts.
Describe the types of VOR checks. For how long is a VOR check valid?
Describe the methods of entering a hold
Describe protocols for lost communications
What are the types of AIRMETS? Describe Airmets Sierra, Tango and Zulu
What are the three types of notams?
Describe the types of in-flight weather advisories that are available?
What are the types of fog?
What are the four basic cloud groups?
What are the stages of a thunderstorm?
Describe the requirements for maintaining currency?
Describe the types of precision vs. nonprecision approaches
Describe each segment of an instrument approach
What is a standard rate turn vs. a half-standard rate turn?
What equipment is required for IFR flight?
What inspections are required for our aircraft?
What are the required ATC readbacks?
What are the mandatory ATC reports?
What are IFR fuel requirements?
Describe reverse sensing.
What airspeed restrictions exist in a holding pattern?
What preflight checks are required for an IFR flight?
Describe the types of icing?
What anti-ice equipment do we have onboard our aircraft?
When is an instrument rating required?
Define: indicated airspeed, calibrated airspeed, true airspeed.
Describe how our gyroscopic instruments work
How many degrees of variation for a single dot represent on a receiver for an ILS approach? For a GPS approach? VOR?
Describe VOR service volumes
How can you tell when a VOR is undergoing maintenance? How do we know it’s operational?
Describe the cone of confusion
When is DME required?
What are the differences between VOR, VORTAC and TACAN?
How does GPS work?
What is WAAS?
What is the useable range of a glideslope?
Describe Obstacle Departure Procedures vs. Standard Instrument Departures
What information should be included in a position report? | https://michaelcastellon.net/2019/04/ |
The direct ophthalmoscope is used for examining the interior structures of the eye, especially the retina.
DM6CA is available with AA alkaline
Halogen Bulb power: 2.5V, 1.6W.
Smart design and comfortable operation.
Suitable for small pupil.
19 lenses from 0D to ±20D: 0D, ±1D, ±2D, ±3D, ±4D, ±6D, ±8D,
±10D, ±15D, ±20D.
5 Standard Apertures-Aperture wheel: red-free filter, Large spot, small spot, hemispot.
Small spot, Large spot, Red free filter, Slit, Fixation aperture. | https://sunlifemedic.com/product/zumax-ophthalmoscope/ |
Update to U.S. Education Dept. ‘Fresh Start’ Initiative To Lift 7.5 Million Student Loan Borrowers Out Of Default.
Fulfilling a campaign promise, Biden is erasing $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those with incomes below $125,000 a year, or households that earn less than $250,000. He’s going further, canceling an additional $10,000 for those who received federal Pell Grants to attend college. Student loan forgiveness could help more than 40 million:
More than 40 million Americans could see their student loan debt reduced — and in many cases eliminated — under the long-awaited forgiveness plan President Joe Biden announced Wednesday, a historic but politically divisive move in the run-up to the midterm elections.
It’s seen as an unprecedented attempt to stem the tide of America’s rapidly rising student debt, but it doesn’t address the broader issue — the high cost of college.
[B]iden also extended a pause on federal student loan payments for what he called the “final time.” The pause is now set to run through the end of the year, with repayments to restart in January.
“Both of these targeted actions are for families who need it the most: working and middle class people hit especially hard during the pandemic,” Biden said at the White House Wednesday afternoon.
The cancellation applies to federal student loans used to attend undergraduate and graduate school, along with Parent Plus loans. Current college students qualify if their loans were issued before July 1. For dependent students, their parents’ household income must be below $250,000.
The New York Times reports, Biden to Cancel $10,000 in Student Loan Debt; Low-Income Students Are Eligible for More:
President Biden announced student loan debt relief on Wednesday for tens of millions of Americans, saying he would cancel $10,000 in debt for those earning less than $125,000 per year and $20,000 for those who had received Pell grants for low-income students.
The debt forgiveness, although less than what some Democrats had been pushing for, comes after months of deliberations in the White House over fairness and fears that it could exacerbate inflation before the midterm elections.
“All of this means people can start finally to climb out from under that mountain of debt,” Mr. Biden said in remarks from the White House. “To finally think about buying a home or starting a family or starting a business. And by the way, when this happens the whole economy is better off.”
Mr. Biden also announced that a pandemic-era pause on student loan payments, which has been in effect since March 2020, would expire at the end of the year [it was set to expire Aug. 31.] The debt relief plan will almost certainly face legal challenges, making the timing of any relief uncertain.
Across the United States, 45 million people owe $1.6 trillion for federal loans taken out for college — more than they owe on car loans, credit cards or any consumer debt other than mortgages.
Mr. Biden has been agonizing over how to address student loan debt for months. He has been under pressure from progressive Democrats who say debt forgiveness is necessary to address racial disparities in the economy. But critics say widespread debt forgiveness is unfair to those who tightened their belts to pay for college, and Republicans and some Democrats contend that it will add to inflation by giving consumers more money to spend.
Canceling debt is not a government stimulus payment. People have been choosing which bill gets paid each month. They will simply be paying what they already owe, instead of defaulting on their mortgage or car payment, or making their rent and paying for utilities. That’s a good thing. That’s a humanitarian thing.
The White House sought to address those economic concerns by carefully targeting the relief.
Students who received Pell grants will be eligible for $20,000 in debt forgiveness. Around 60 percent of borrowers have received Pell grants, and the majority come from families making less than $30,000 a year. The Education Department estimates that 27 million borrowers will qualify for up to $20,000 in relief.
Millions of other borrowers will be eligible for $10,000 in debt relief, as long as they earn less than $125,000 a year or are in households earning less than $250,000. Current students are also eligible for the debt relief; if they are dependents they will be assessed based on their parents’ income.
Borrowers will be assessed based on the income they reported in 2021 or 2020.
“I was standing in my dorm room when I heard this and I just let out a scream,” said Marlene Ramirez, who relied on Pell grants and other aid to pay for her undergraduate studies.
Ms. Ramirez, whose parents immigrated from Mexico, was the first in her family to go to college. She used the grants to cover two years of study at a community college, than transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles, and graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. Scholarships and aid covered her tuition, but she has $25,000 in federal loans that she used to cover her housing and living expenses.
“This will almost wipe that out,” said Ms. Ramirez, 25, who is finishing a master’s degree at the London School of Economics. “I’m shaking right now — this is life-changing.”
But [GQP] critics said Mr. Biden’s move was deeply unfair.
Loan forgiveness and government bailouts are only for Wall Street banks and corporations, dontcha know.
On its face, the move could cost taxpayers about $300 billion or more in money they effectively lent out that will never be repaid. But the true cost is harder to calculate, and likely to be smaller, because much of that debt was unlikely to ever be repaid. More than eight million people — one in five borrowers with a payment due — had defaulted on their loans before the coronavirus pandemic. Many of those people carried fairly small balances and will now be eligible for loan cancellation.
Mr. Biden also proposed various changes to the repayment system — which would need to be implemented through rule-making by the Education Department — that would slash many borrowers’ monthly bills. He is seeking to let those with undergraduate loans cap their payments at 5 percent of their discretionary monthly income, down from the 10 percent ceiling currently in place on most income-based payment plans.
He is also seeking to have the government cover the monthly interest for those making payments — even if their payment is zero, because their income is low — so that borrowers’ balances won’t balloon. Under the current system, interest still accrues, and many borrowers find themselves falling deeper into debt even as they make their monthly payments.
Many Democratic lawmakers and progressive groups had argued that addressing economic racial disparities would require forgiving $50,000 of debt, citing reports showing that Black and other nonwhite borrowers end up with higher average loan balances than their white peers.
“Targeting twice as much relief to Pell recipients helps close the racial wealth gap,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, who has pressed for widespread student debt cancellation.
Ms. Warren said she would “keep asking for more and making the case, but it’s so important not to lose sight of what’s just happened. It’s historic. No president in history has reached so directly into the lives of so many millions of working people and said, ‘You invested in yourself to get an education, and the rest of the country wants to help you with that.’”
Representative Tony Cárdenas, a California Democrat who met with the White House to advocate debt cancellation, said even the limited relief could be the galvanizing factor Mr. Biden’s party needs before the midterms in November.
“That’s a lot of young people that are going to be able to have a sigh of relief,” Mr. Cárdenas said. He said the plan would let them “look forward to buying a house soon; they could look forward to starting a family sooner.”
He and other members of the Hispanic Caucus helped ramp up pressure on Mr. Biden this spring, when they said he indicated in a private meeting that he intended to provide some form of debt relief for Americans. Shortly afterward, the president publicly said he was considering the move and would announce details in the coming weeks.
But inside the White House, Mr. Biden’s top aides were debating the political and economic ramifications of the decision. According to people familiar with his thinking, the president was concerned that loan cancellation would be seen as a giveaway that would be an affront to those who had paid their or their relative’s tuition. Some top aides also argued that Mr. Biden lacked the legal authority to move forward with the sweeping loan forgiveness and that he should work with Congress instead of using executive action.
Soaring inflation also complicated the process.
Mr. Biden’s economic advisers, however, made the case that by resuming loan payments and pairing the loan forgiveness with income caps, the cancellation would have a negligible effect on rising consumer prices. Arindrajit Dube, an economist at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst who consulted with administration officials on student loans, said in an interview that the additional consumer spending spurred by the bill would be a “drop in the bucket” in the U.S. economy and unlikely to add to inflation.
“There are principled reasons to be both supportive and opposing” of the plan, Mr. Dube said, including questions of economic fairness and who benefits from loan forgiveness. But, he said, “I just don’t see inflation being the issue here.”
The president’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, advised Mr. Biden that providing relief could galvanize young voters who are increasingly frustrated with him.
Senate Democrats continued to make direct appeals to the White House for loan forgiveness in the days leading up the decision. Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the majority leader, as well as Ms. Warren and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, met with Mr. Klain and Brian Deese, one of Mr. Biden’s top economic advisers.
Legal challenges are expected, although who would have the standing to press their case in court is unclear. A recent Virginia Law Review article argued that the answer might be no one: States, for example, have little say in the operation of a federal loan system.
Many economists warned the move could have damaging consequences for students and taxpayers in the future, by encouraging colleges and universities to raise prices with the federal government footing the bill.
It is up to Congress to revamp the student loan program which colleges and universities have abused for years for profit, making the cost of a college education prohibitively expensive.
Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces Student Loan Relief for Borrowers Who Need It Most.
Federal Student Aid: The Biden-Harris Administration’s Student Debt Relief Plan Explained. | https://blogforarizona.net/promise-kept-president-biden-announces-plan-for-federal-student-loan-debt-relief/ |
Many people today lack self-esteem. Technologies and modern presentation tools have helped a small group of people to become more self-confident and build a higher level of self-esteem, as others, often called followers are living, by dreaming of success that small group of people has achieved. According to research, conducted by the American Psychology Association, 39% of people in the US are suffering from low self-esteem. The UK based institute – CIPD – has identified that almost 38% of the people in UK lack self-esteem at work and that causes serious damage to their personal life.
With such a big percentage of people, suffering from low self-esteem it is not hard to imagine how the performance, positive thinking and potential suffer in modern society.
Self-esteem, as defined by Adler & Stewart, refers to a person’s overall sense of his or her value or worth. It can be considered a sort of measure of how much a person “values, approves of, appreciates, prizes, or likes him or herself”
But even if we read this definition, still most of us want to get the answer to their question: “How to increase the level of self-esteem at work?” Even if you don’t say it loudly in your unconscious YOU these questions make you struggle with the answer, with the plan of how to make your life better by increasing your self-esteem. There are people how suffer from low self-esteem at work. Maybe you have seen some of them. They look down, like they lack energy for completing anything, always look like if they are sick, with negative expressions and positions. These people are often the cause for gossiping in the office, they are the ones who live the office on time, scared that if they stay, they may be pushed to do something they are not able to finish and that will lead to embracement for them.
But self-esteem is not something that comes when we make a wish. To sustain a high level of self-esteem we need to work hard to first achieve the level of self-esteem that makes us feel comfortable and then plan a strategy to sustain it in time.
Working on building high-level self-esteem is not an easy task. If you want to build it, you will have to overcome your internal fears, build self-confidence, step out from the shadows and add value to your and your co-workers’ work and show your leadership skills in tuff situations.
These are the prepositions to build your self-esteem. Let’s say you have moved through them. Your proactive behavior has added value to others’ work, your position and thoughts are highly appreciated in the group and team discussion on different topics all connected with leadership approach, performance and sustainable results in your company. You have achieved your first goal and your self-esteem has grown together with all your achievements up to now. Now the question you will need to ask your self is: “How to sustain in time the high level of self-esteem, even if you go through hard times?”
Here is a shortlist of tips to help you with that:
Follow your passion
Even if you dedicate 10-15 minutes a day take time everyday to invest in something you are passionate about at work and at home. This can be reading a book, research your next travel destination, connect with a friend or relative you haven’t talked to in a while, etc. Doesn’t matter what it is, it just has to be something you are passionate about. Dedicate a small amount of your time to learn something new about your work, maybe a new skill, or theoretical information that can allow you to do something new or experiment. View your work as passion to learn something new. That will boost your self-esteem with the speed of learning new things that make you more valuable as professional and partner in your work.
Track your efforts
We all have done more than we realize. The bad thing is that after a particular moment we tend to accept it as something that happens naturally. If you want to build your self-esteem don’t forget the small things you have done. Keep track of everything you have achieved. Make a daily list of the things you have achieved and store it somewhere where you can see it. If you write between 3 and 5 things you have achieved in one day, at the end of the week you will have between 12 and 15 things you can be proud of for the whole week.
Create your self-esteem poster
Yes, I mean it. Start by creating your poster with detailed information on what you have achieved. After including a whole week on the poster you will see how much work you have achieved and how many tasks you have completed. After you add to the list of achievements and tasks completed, the skills you have used to finish them, you will get a full picture of how you develop, perform and grow as a human and professional. Once you have a hard time you will only need to look at the poster and your attitude will easily change in a positive direction.
Stop your inner negative talk
It is nothing new. We all do that. There is this little voice in our heads that is always ready to say something negative. That is our IT as Sigmund Freud has described it, it is our “internal critic”. But you must know that you have control over that internal voice. Turn that “internal critic” to a positive builder by focusing on what you can do to move forward n a situation you are part of. Stop being self-pity and focus on finding ways to solve problems, etc. If you are a driver you know that when you see a STOP sign on the road you must stop. Try to create your internal STOP sign about negative thoughts and unproductive behavior and store it somewhere where you can easily see it. Then start using it when you see that you are moving in a negative direction to help you stop the negative behavior and turn it to positive productivity. A short example of that is when you make a mistake. In this case, people start thinking how guilty they are instead of thinking about how they can learn from what happened. In simple sentence this looks like that:
“I’m hopeless.” – the first negative reaction is always misery and guilt. When you think In a positive way this same negative sentence can be transformed into a positive one:
For example: Well it happened, now what can I learn from this situation, to change?
After you learn how to shift from negative thoughts to positive behavior and consequences this will change your life and level of self-esteem at work in a positive direction.
IN CONCLUSION:
Self-esteem is the reason while we succeed, procrastinate or fail. When lacking it people become lazy, slow and stubborn. Working on to boost your self-esteem is a strategy that will ensure a sustainable growth strategy in and outside the work environment. Self-esteem is the crucial element who, when missing can cause you to feel like a loser and have insufficient performance, but when built and sustain properly can help your personal, professional and leadership growth. | https://h-place.org/2019/12/17/4tips/ |
AppDynamics automatically calculates the baseline performance for your applications, that is, the prevailing performance characteristics of those applications. Once it establishes a baseline, it can detect anomalous conditions for your application.
AppDynamics calculates baselines on the fly by using the underlying hour data. A baseline can be calculated for every metric in the controller.
The time over which accumulated data should be considered in calculating the baseline.
Segmented, in which the hour of the day, day of the week, and so on, is considered.
A retail application may experience heavier traffic on the weekend than the rest of the week.
A payroll application may experience higher load at the beginning and end of the month compared to the rest of the month.
A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application may experience heavy load during business hours Monday through Friday, but relatively light traffic over the weekend.
To account for this variation, you can use a rolling time period as the baseline context. A rolling time period, or dynamic baseline, establishes the baseline against data from the current hour taken at a daily, weekly or monthly interval over the course of the time period.
For example, say you have a baseline that uses the weekly trend and with the time period configured for 90 days, one of the baselines in the default Controller configuration.
At a given day and time, say Monday 10:30 AM, the baseline in effect is one that considers only the data accumulated on the same hour and day of the week over the last 90 days. This is illustrated by the following diagram.
Baselines are not available immediately upon startup. It takes time and application load for the AppDynamics platform to collect data and create its initial baselines. The time depends on the type of baseline being used, whether daily, weekly, monthly, or none. None requires several hours before a baseline is available, daily takes several days, weekly takes several weeks, and so on.
There are fewer than 20 calls per minute. You can configure the calls per minute threshold by setting the minimum.cpm.baseline.comparison property.
The time range is greater than 2 hours.
A baseline deviation is the standard deviation from a baseline at a point in time, represented as an integer value. You can set health rule conditions based on baseline deviations. For example, you can configure a warning condition as 2 standard deviations from the baseline and a critical condition as four standard deviations from the baseline.
How is the baseline deviation calculated?
A is the sum of the data values.
B is the sum of the squared data values.
N is the number of data values.
You can view built-in baselines and add new ones from the Configuration > Baselines page.
The daily trend is the default baseline. This is the baseline used by health rules if another baseline is not specified during health rule creation.
You can choose another as the default by selecting the baseline in the baseline list and choosing Set as Default. However, note that changing the default baseline changes the actual baseline for all existing health rules that rely on the default—that is, that do not specify another baseline. Be aware of your existing baselines and health rule definitions before you select this option.
Fixed time range: from some specific date and time to a second specific date and time. For example, if you have a release cycle at a specific time you might limit your data collection to that specific time.
Rolling time range: in which the most recent X number of days is used. This is the more common choice.
For full-screen viewing, click How Does Automatic Baselining Work? | https://docs.appdynamics.com/display/PRO45/Dynamic+Baselines |
District Storage Systems are used as decentralized battery storage systems in settlements, residential areas or urban quarters. They act mainly as intermediate storage for locally generated electrical energy - mostly from PV systems, but also from combined heat and power plants (CHP). From a technical point of view, they represent an alternative to home storage. In Germany, only a limited number of district storage systems have been currently installed, but regulatory initiatives at the EU level are expected to increase the use of these storage solutions in the future.
Housed in buildings or in containers, district storage is either connected to the public grid or operated in a self-managed grid infrastructure within a shared-energy community. District storage helps increase self-consumption of renewable energy in a local service area, saving space and resources compared to the use of individual home storage. Furthermore, compared to individual storage solutions, district storage can be more easily used for multi-use purposes. These include business models such as providing grid services, local peak shaving, arbitrage, and flexible charging structures for e-vehicles. | https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/en/key-topics/stationary-battery-storage/district-storage.html |
This is a beautiful cutwork design on a silk saree blouse. The leaves are outlined with zigzag stitches and inner lining with blue thread. The green cloth beneath the cutwork is the colour of the saree. Very little use of stone chain makes the blouse neat and trendy. The sleeve border is also designed with the same cutwork design.
Cut work embroidery
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This is a very cute fancy design done with simple aari embroidery techniques. We have used Kundan stones zardosi and cutdana for the flowers...
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This is a beautiful fancy leaf motif embroidery with Color sugar beads and sequins. The stitches are very simple and easy. But we have used ... | https://www.uniquedesignerstheni.in/2019/03/cut-work-embroidery.html |
User trust is key to data-driven business. When people use online data-driven services they interact with their data in sometimes complex ways. For them to have trust in this experience, it's important that they understand it.
Companies share a challenge with regulators and policymakers in finding appropriate ways to communicate to people how their data is used in a way that doesn't disrupt their experience. They are looking for ways that clarify, not muddle, their understanding of how their data is used in context, so that they can make meaningful and well-informed choices.
Using the guidelines offered by the GDPR, design an innovative user interface for your service that gives people contextual transparency about the use, storage and processing of their personal data through interactions within the app, while also providing a great user experience.
We welcomed experts from a variety of disciplines, including the Dublin design community as well as industry, public bodies and data protection regulators, law firms, not-for-profits and academics.
"The thing that unites everybody is the fact that we're tackling a problem that affects everybody: we're all end users. We can only solve problems like this if we bring a diverse group of people together."
Chris Downs, Managing Director at Normally
Below is an outline of the stages and exercises that took place at this Design Jam. For everything that you need to facilitate your own workshop, please follow the links to the relevant part of our toolkit.
Discover
On the morning of the Jam, participants were welcomed and Introduced to Design Jamming. They then took part in discovery exercises around stations, including Understand users to explore the role of personas in building empathy as well as Deconstruct transparency and Design with words.
Participants were addressed by subject matter experts, including presentations from the Irish Data Protection Commission on transparency requirements, Chris Downs from Normally on designing for data and collaboration, and Assistant Professor Florian Schaub from the University of Michigan on designing effective privacy notices and controls.
All participants then worked to Identify opportunities by writing How Might We's on Post-Its during these presentations, and these notes were collected by the facilitation team who placed them on the wall of the day, grouping them into key thematic areas. Some of the unique groupings of questions that emerged from this Design Jam included ideas on how might we:
Ideate & Prototype
After lunch, the wall of the day was reviewed before moving into the Team kickoff. The facilitators Set brainstorming rules and introduced the teams to Sketching ideas.
Each multidisciplinary team focussed on imagining transparency-focussed design patterns for different areas of fictional mobile apps:
Teams moved from sketching ideas and receiving Feedback from other teams to Building digital prototypes of a single idea. Each team Ceated a pitch, telling the story of their design patterns back to the whole group and receiving Feedback from experts at the end of the day. | https://www.ttclabs.net/event/Dublin_Design_Jam |
1. The molecular mechanism of NMDA receptor-dependent LTD (NMDAR-LTD). NMDAR-LTD is a long-lasting form of synaptic plasticity that leads to decreases in synaptic strength. It is known that NMDAR-LTD is required for the development and modification of synapses. It is unclear, however, how it contributes to synapse development and synaptic pathology associated with mental illness, in part due to the fact that our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying NMDAR-LTD is still inadequate. Lack of such knowledge hampers the design of modalities to prevent synaptic dysfunction and to develop effective preventive and therapeutic tools for mental illness. The induction of NMDAR-LTD is predominantly mediated by removal of AMPA receptors from postsynaptic membranes through endocytosis (Carroll, Lissin et al. 1999, Lee, Liu et al. 2002). Although the protocol to induce LTD was published two decades ago (Dudek and Bear 1992), we have yet to completely understand how activation of NMDA receptors provoke AMPA-receptor endocytosis. Before 2010, it was known that when NMDA receptors open, calcium influx and subsequent activation of the serine/threonine phosphatases calcineurin/PP2B and PP1 are required for AMPA receptor endocytosis (Malenka and Bear 2004). Precisely how PP2B and PP1 induce AMPA-receptor endocytosis, however, remains unclear. Our earlier studies show that activation of caspase-3, an effector caspase that can execute cell death apoptosis (a form of programmed cell death), is required for NMDAR-LTD (Li, Jo et al. 2010, Jiao and Li 2011). In contrast to apoptosis, however, caspase-3 activation in LTD is moderate and transient and does not induce cell death. The mechanism by which active caspase-3 promotes LTD, however, remains to be elucidated. The cellular functions of caspases are primarily mediated by proteolysis of their substrates. Although >1000 caspase substrates in apoptotic cells have been reported to date (http://bioinf.gen.tcd.ie/casbah/)(Luthi and Martin 2007), substrates responsible for caspases non-apoptotic functions remain largely unknown. We addressed this question by collaborating with Dr. Sandy Markey (NMIH). We employed the recently developed subtiligase-capture-mass-spectrometry method to identify caspase-3 substrates in neurons undergoing LTD. Subtiligase is an engineered peptide ligase that conjugates esterified peptides onto the N termini of proteins or peptides (Abrahmsen, Tom et al. 1991). Because the majority of eukaryotic proteins are N-terminal acetylated and therefore blocked for subtiligase labelling (Brown and Roberts 1976), synthetic tag peptides can be coupled selectively to the free N-terminal α-amines of proteins derived from proteolysis. The peptide-conjugated proteolytic products can then be affinity-purified and sequenced by mass spectrometry to determine putative caspase cleavage sites within the substrates. Using subtiligase mass spectrometry to interrogate the LTD degradome, we identified 85 putative aspartate cleavage sites in 56 proteins (including 13 proteins that are newly identified caspase substrates) in neurons undergoing LTD. To our knowledge, this is the first proteomic study of caspase substrates in neurons. By examining the cleavage of exogenously expressed substrates in apoptotic cells, and using an in vitro assay that tests the cleavage of recombinant substrates by recombinant caspase-3, we confirmed that three identified substratesGap43, Drebrin (Dbn1) and brain acid soluble protein 1 (BASP1)are true caspase-3 substrates. Perhaps most surprisingly, we found that cleavage of Gap43 (a protein primarily known for its function in axon growth and regeneration) by caspase-3 in postsynaptic neurons is required for AMPA receptor endocytosis and LTD induction. Our manuscript on this study is currently being revised for Molecular and Cellular Proteomics. 2. The molecular mechanism of synaptic pathology associated with schizophrenia. Synaptic pathology has been well recognized in mental disorders. For example, neuroimaging studies show that functional connectivity between neurons in the brains of schizophrenic patients are impaired (Stephan, Baldeweg et al. 2006). Also, interneuronal connections between neurons derived from iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells of schizophrenic patients are severely impaired (Brennand, Simone et al. 2011). However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying synaptic pathology. To address this question, we investigated the mechanism underlying synaptic pathology of schizophrenia. In particular, we investigated the role of D2R in the development of dendritic spines and neuronal circuitry in the hippocampus, a key region for episodic memory which is one of the predominantly impaired cognitive functions in persons with schizophrenia. All antipsychotics antagonize D2R, and their antipsychotic potencies correlate with their D2R-binding affinities, indicating that D2R plays an important role in the psychopathology of schizophrenia (Miyamoto, Duncan et al. 2005). Indeed, an increase in the density of D2R is consistently found in schizophrenic brains (Howes and Kapur 2009). Genetic studies also show that some genes strongly associated with increased risks of schizophrenia encode proteins that regulate D2R, such as dysbindin, which controls trafficking of D2R to the cell surface (Iizuka, Sei et al. 2007, Ji, Yang et al. 2009). Although effective for psychosis, however, antipsychotic medications in adults have little effect on cognitive impairment, which is a core symptom of schizophrenia and a major determinant of disability (Miyamoto, Duncan et al. 2005, Green 2007). In this study, we show that D2R modulates the density and morphogenesis of dendritic spines in hippocampal CA1 neurons of mice via GluN2B- and cAMP-dependent mechanisms. Intriguingly, we found that D2R regulates spines only during postnatal week 3-6, but not in adulthood; and that in mice with deficient expression of the schizophrenia-risk-gene dysbindin, D2R hyperactivity during this period leads to a reduction in the number of spines. More importantly, we demonstrated that even transient suppression of spine development during adolescence by hyperactive D2R has remarkable adverse effects on the connection between the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex and working memory in adulthood, and that these effects can be alleviated by blocking D2R during adolescence. These findings identify a novel function of D2R in the structural development of neurons, show that anomalous D2R activity contributes to neuronal dysconnectivity, and suggest a critical temporal window for interventions of the spine pathology and cognitive impairment associated with D2R hyperactivity.
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The audience was primed; the dancers were pumped. It was one of those special events in dance when diverse generations come together in the tradition of passing the legacy.
Carmina Burana, choreographed by Dance Kaleidoscope artistic director David Hochoy to music by Carl Orff, has been a staple of DK's repertoire since its premiere in the 1994-95 season. The 20th anniversary performance brought award-winning designer Barry Doss back to witness how amazingly fresh his costumes look, vividly evoking the early centuries of Christiandom. To our delight Laura E. Glover continues to be on hand to recreate the lighting that pulses with the amazing choreography that this new cast embraced, emboldened and embellished.
At the Oct. 25th show, watching the younger dancers stepping into Orff’s music, alternately throbbing and thrilling with passion and yearning, it became clear the humor in the piece was being ramped up, thus creating sharper contrasts between the lighter and darker episodes. We were thrilled witnessing the evolvement from the opening lamentation about the wiles of “Fortune, Empress of the World” to its haunting repetition at the close. | http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/review-dance-kaleidoscopes-carmina-burana/Content?oid=2957911 |
Suzanne Arca Design brings together a selected group of individuals who collaborate to consistently create custom outdoor living spaces that are functional, sustainable and extraordinary. For over 30 years this Bay Area design and build firm has been specializing in the design, construction and maintenance of outdoor spaces. Our team is made up of degreed professionals in landscape architecture, landscape contractors, a certified horticulturalist, construction specialists and maintenance gardeners. Suzanne believes that an exceptional landscape starts with imagination, vision, planning and a strong desire to produce spaces that tread lightly on the earth and harmonize with the existing site conditions. We are committed to integrating our client’s desires and budget with our creative skills, utilizing our knowledge of horticulture, sustainability and construction to produced personalized garden spaces that are aesthetically and botanically pleasing, green and of the highest quality of workmanship. Our work has been highlighted in local garden tours, periodicals, books, newspapers, and won the Judges Award from the CLCA and Best in Category and Best in Show Awards from the APLD. Member of ASLA, Green Business Certified, Bay Friendly Certified. | http://www.apldca.org/directory/listing/suzanne-arca-apld |
Jenner was born in Berkeley, England, the third son and youngest of six children of Stephen Jenner, a clergyman of the Church of England. He was orphanedat age five and was raised by his older brother, also a clergyman. When Jenner was thirteen years old, he was apprenticed to a surgeon. Then in 1770, he moved to London, England, to work with John Hunter (1728-1798), an eminent Scottish anatomist and surgeon who encouraged Jenner to be inquisitive and experimental in his approach to medicine. Jenner returned to Berkeley in 1773, andset up practice as a country doctor. His curiosity about natural phenomena and dedication to medicine ultimately earned him status as a pioneer of virology and immunology, as well as the founder of the practice of vaccination.
During and prior to Jenner's lifetime, smallpox was a common and often fataldisease worldwide. Many centuries before Jenner's time, the Chinese had begunthe practice of blowing flakes from smallpox scabs up the nostrils of healthy persons to confer immunity to the disease. By the seventeenth century, theTurks and Greeks had discovered that, when injected into the skin of healthyindividuals, the serum from the smallpox pustule induced a mild case of the disease and subsequent immunity. This practice of inoculation reached Englandby the eighteenth century. However, it was quite risky as those who were inoculated frequently suffered a severe or fatal case of smallpox. Despite the risk, people willingly agreed to inoculation because of the widespread incidence of smallpox and the fear of suffering from terribly disfiguring pockmarks that resulted from the disease.
As a young physician, Jenner noted that dairy workers who had been exposed tocowpox, a disease like smallpox only milder, seemed immune to the more severe infection. He continually put forth his theory that cowpox could be used toprevent smallpox, but his contemporaries shunned his ideas. They maintainedthat they had seen smallpox victims who claimed to have had earlier cases ofcowpox.
It became Jenner's task to transform a country superstition into an acceptedmedical practice. For up until the mid-1770s, the only documented cases of vaccinations using cowpox came from farmers such as Benjamin Jesty of Dorsetshire who vaccinated his family with cowpox using a darning needle.
After observing cases of cowpox and smallpox for a quarter century, Jenner took a step that could have branded him a criminal, just as easily as a hero. On May 14, 1796 he removed the fluid of a cowpox from dairymaid Sarah Nelmes,and inoculated James Phipps, an eight-year-old boy, who soon came down with cowpox. Six weeks later, he inoculated the boy with smallpox. The boy remainedhealthy. Jenner had proved his theory. He called his method vaccination, using the Latin word vacca, meaning cow, and vaccinia, meaning cowpox. He also introduced the word virus.
The publication of Jenner's An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of theVariolae Vaccinae set off an enthusiastic demand for vaccination throughout Europe. Within 18 months, the number of deaths from smallpox had dropped by two-thirds in England after 12,000 people were vaccinated. By 1800, 100,000people had been vaccinated worldwide. As the demand for the vaccine rapidlyincreased, Jenner discovered that he could take lymph from a smallpox pustuleand dry it in a glass tube for use up to three months later. The vaccine could then be transported.
Jenner was honored and respected throughout Europe and the United States. Athis request, Napoleon released several Englishmen who had been jailed in France in 1804 while France and Great Britain were at war. Across the Atlantic Ocean, Thomas Jefferson received the vaccine from Jenner and proceeded to vaccinate his family and neighbors at Monticello. However, in his native England,Jenner's medical colleagues refused to allow him entry into the College of Physicians in London, insisting that he first pass a test on the theories of Hippocrates and Galen. Jenner refused to bow to their demands, saying his accomplishments in conquering smallpox should have qualified him for election. Hewas never elected to the college.
Nearly two centuries after Jenner's experimental vaccination of young James,the World Health Organization (WHO) declared smallpox to be eradicated. However, when WHO announced its plan to destroy the last remaining stocks of the smallpox virus (which was used for research) on June 30, 1999, not everyone was pleased with the decision. Some scientists believe the stockpiled virus could still prove beneficial in terms of research to help fight other deadly viruses, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS. | http://www.faqs.org/health/bios/95/Edward-Jenner.html |
The common eland (Taurotragus oryx), aka southern eland or eland antelope, is the world’s second-largest savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa.
In Uganda, the common eland is found in Lake Mburo National Park, Kidepo Valley, and Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.
It is slightly smaller than the giant eland, which measures over 1.8 metres and can be bulkier than a buffalo.
Common eland males are much larger than females, weighing 200-400 kilos more than females.
It has a rather bovine appearance: fawn-brown, with a large dewlap and short, spiralled horns, and in some cases, light white stripes on its sides. Its hide is a uniform fawn colour with some vertical white striping on the upper parts.
A dewlap, thought to be an adaptation for heat dissipation, hangs from the throat and neck. Heavy horns are twisted in a corkscrew fashion and grow up to 4 ft. long on males and 2.2 ft. on females. It has a short mane on the nape, and males have long hairs on the throat.
Common eland herds in Uganda usually reach 25 individuals, although larger temporary herds of females and calves occur during the wet season. They may have more than one adult male in a flock, but a strict dominance hierarchy controls access to breeding females.
Home ranges of females, which make extensive movements during the wet season, are much more populated than male territories, which occur primarily in wooded areas.
Common elands fight with horns; they feel out each others’ horns and then push with all their might.
The common eland is a browser, utilizing a wide diversity of plant species consisting of grasses, herbs, tree leaves, bushes, and succulent fruits.
They generally forage in open areas. They can exist for long periods without open water but rely on the fruits of Tsamas and Gemsbok Cucumbers to meet their water requirements.
Dominant males mate with multiple females. Gestation lasts from 8.5-9 months, and only single young are born.
Small calves lie in concealment rather than remaining with their mothers and wean their young after six months. Eland is sexually mature at three and can live to 25 years. | https://destinationuganda.com/animals/common-eland/ |
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Respected Editor,
I have read the research article entitled "Predictors of Acute Kidney Injury and Mortality in an Intensive Care Unit" by Luis Alberto Batista Peres, Vanessa Wandeur and Tiemi Matsuo, published in your prestigious journal "Brazilian Journal of Nephrology" (2015; 37:38-46).1 I want to congratulate the authors for this successful research article, and make some contributions.
In the research article, authors have made vigorous efforts to identify significant predictors of acute kidney injury (AKI) and mortality among patients attending intensive care unit (ICU). For this purpose, authors provided comprehensive comparisons i.e. AKI versus non-AKI, mortality versus no mortality and dialysis versus non-dialysis. Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), serum creatinine and urea were found to be significant predictors of AKI while IMV, urea, hypernatremia and lactate were significant risk factors of mortality in this study.
AKI in ICU is usually defined on the basis of serum creatinine (SCr) or urine output (UO) as did by authors their study.2 In Table 4, authors included SCr and UO in univariate analysis and SCr in multivariate analysis. We think analysis of these variables in AKI cases is not appropriate, especially since all of them are markers of kidney function based on which the criteria for AKI has been defined. It might be a reason of very high odds ratios in both univariate and multivariate analysis i.e. UO: 2936.00 (univariate) and SCr: 96.08 (univariate), 67.65 (multivariate).
Additionally, the wider 95% confidence interval (CI) in logistic regression further strengthens that inclusion of these variables has misled regression model. We did not come across any study evaluating SCr or UO as independent predictor of AKI, as they serve to define AKI rather than to predict it. To the best of our knowledge, almost all studies evaluating risk factors of AKI excluded variables that were directly related to the presence of AKI from the regression analysis.3-5
Electrolyte disturbances are usual manifestations of AKI and authors also tested these manifestations (hyper and hyponatremia, hyper and hypokalemia, bicarbonate) in univariate analysis that may further impair robustness of the regression model. The variables directly related to the AKI (SCr, BUN, low UO, urinary sedimentations and electrolyte disturbances) should be excluded from analysis as they are cardinal features of AKI (dependent variables).
Indeed, authors provided detailed and comprehensive data of patients attending ICU. More careful selection of independent variables for regression analysis will identify important predictors of AKI and mortality. Exclusion of SCr, UO and electrolyte disturbances from logistic regression may provide some other useful predictors of AKI and may result in a robust regression model. | http://bjn.org.br/details/1908/en-US/careful-selection-of-predictor-variables-of-aki-for-robust-regression-model-in-intensive-care-unit |
a statement that relates Waldens vision and mission to your professional and academic goals as they relate to your program/specialization and to your becoming a scholar-practitioner. Include how you plan to incorporate social change into your professional and academic goals. https://catalog.waldenu.edu/- walden Vision and mission (My degree is in clinical psychology with a specialization in Forensics). career goal is to become a forensic psychologist in the criminal justice system.
A study once found that for any given year there was a positive correlation between ice cream consumption and the crime rate (during the summer months). If ice cream consumption was high for a given year the crime rate was also high; if consumption was low the crime rate was also low. What can explain this phenomenon?
A recent difficult decision I have made involves work and family and trying to balance the two. As a public speaker I was asked to attend a fundraiser and speak at it for the closing ceremony which I was absolutely interested in doing. However the dates that were decided fall on my five-year wedding anniversary and my sons second birthday (they are one right after the other). As someone who is growing her public speaking career it is important that I am available for as many opportunities as possible and that I get my voice heard. As a wife and mother my familys life events also hold high importance to me and considering missing them is painful. My options included going to the event and celebrating my familys milestones on alternative days or turning down the event and being at home for these milestones on their respective days. Weber and Johnson (9) discuss how characteristic of the decision maker can affect how they go about making their decision noting such characteristics as gender age cognitive traits/style age personality and health. In discussing gender they note that women can be more risk-averse and they perceive decisions to be higher risk when they lead to more emotional discomfort (Weber & Johnson 9). Weber and Johnson (9) also note that womens risk aversion is not biological but instead comes from a place of lower social standing in society and the belief of perceived risk being larger in all areas except for social risk. As a career focused woman and working mother I am constantly trying to balance this belief of risk versus reward with decisions that affect my family and I often find that how I perceive the potential consequences are quite different than how my husband does when we discuss options. Weber and Johnson (9) further discuss that when making decisions elements that affect our decisions are the information we have (including internal and external information and information that we must seek) the evaluation of this information through cognitive and affective processes and our internal state including beliefs values goals and prior experiences (p. 77). Not only would my husbands internal state be different from mine but how he evaluates the information provided will also be different influenced by his gender upbringing and so on. As decision making continues to be studied researchers are becoming more interested in the process of decision making. This has resulted in a better understanding of what can impede decision making. Two common impediments to decision making include heuristics and cognitive biases (Cherry 2020). Heuristics are judgements based on previously garnered information that allow for quick decisions to be made (Cherry 2020). Two types of heuristics are representative heuristics (judging the likelihood of an outcome based on a prototype we already have of that outcome) and availability heuristic (judging the likelihood of an event based on how quickly you can pull up other similar events) (Cherry 2020). Secondly cognitive biases can distort decision making (Cherry 2021). Cognitive biases come in many forms and they are a result of limited attention plus heuristics or mental shortcuts and their purpose is to help speed along decision making (Cherry 2021). Though biases influence decision making it does not only result in negative influence. Most importantly one must be well informed about potential biases and their influence over thoughts and decisions. In my situation I have biases involving both women in the workplace and the negative effect of them taking time for their family as well as the overrepresentation of women sacrificing for families. To make my decision I had to sift through the heuristics cognitive biases and distortions and try to determine which choice held the best reward for the risk. Reference: Cherry K. (2020). Problems in Decision Making. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/problems-in-decision-making-2795486. Cherry K. (2021). List of Common Cognitive Biases. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/cognitive-biases-distort-thinking-2794763. Weber E. U. & Johnson E. J. (9). Mindful judgment and decision making. Annual Review of Psychology 60 53“85
A scale is a tool that researchers create to measure concepts. Each of the many different types of scale designs has has a purpose and situations for which it is more or less appropriate. For instance when measuring opinions on abortion you may need to know more than whether a person agrees or disagrees that it should be legal. It may be more useful to know howstronglythat person agrees or disagrees in which case a Likert scale of 1“4 may be the most appropriate scale. In this scale 1 would be strongly disagree and 4 would be strongly agree (with no neutral response possible). This is just one possible solution. In survey research investigators must use reliable and valid scales to measure constructs. A standard 12-inch ruler is an example of a reliable tool”it will always measure 12 inches. Even if you have a tool that is reliable however you still need to know if the construct you are measuring is valid. For example many scales used in survey research measure stress. You also would need to determine whether the scale you are using is measuring the specific type of stress you are targeting and not a different type of stress or a similar construct such as anxiety. Validity is the idea that empirically your tool measures what it is intended to measure in that includes truth and meaning related to the construct. In psychology psychometrics is the area of statistical analyses related to the reliability and validity of tools. For reliability and validity you use standardized procedures and even a language to assess and describe the empirical reliability and validity aspects of your tools. In other disciplines you will see the termssociometrics econometrics biometrics and others”all of which focus on the properties for constructs. Taking reliability validity and psychometrics into consideration think of two factors you must consider when choosing or designing appropriate measurement scales in survey research. Then reflect on the role of psychometrics in scale development and assessment with emphasis on why it is critical from a utility and generalizability standpoint. Finally think of two examples of research question formats (e.g. agree/disagree subjective continuum) that you could use for your Research Proposal and why these formats are appropriate. With these thoughts in mind: By Day 4 Post by Day 4a brief description of two important factors you must consider when selecting and designing appropriate measurement scales in survey research. Then explain the role and importance of psychometrics in scale development and assessment. Finally provide two research questions formats that you could use for your Research Proposal and explain why each is appropriate.
A parent is at his or her wits end over a seeming lack of ambition and drive in his 8-year-old son and has come to you for help. The parent reports that all the child wants to do is play video games. As a professional counselor how might you separately counsel both the parent and the child? Formulate your response around your understanding of physical development and multiple-intelligences theories as well as parenting styles. 150 words It is said that childrens social behaviors and attitudes are influenced by what they see on TV whether it be violence prosocial skills or a distorted view of women and minorities. Do you agree or disagree? Why? Support your response with research and personal anecdotes. 150 words
a paper on bullying. The must include what is bullying; have you ever been bullied; have you ever bullied anyone (anonymous); do you know anyone that was bullied (anonymous); what measures can be implemented to deter or stop bullying. paper must be written in the APA format have a cover page a works cited page six complete pages the cover and works cited pages are not counted as pages double spaced 12 font Times New Roman indent paragraphs that are too long numbered at the top right of the page. The works cited must be in alphabetical order no blue ink. No cover page. Incorrect format of works cited page. Incorrect font and if not Times New Roman. Not answering the bullying questions as indicated. | https://maestrowriter.info/category/psychology/ |
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Explainer: Biometric ATMs
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Explainer: What is Biometric Identification? | https://www.biometricupdate.com/companies/go4it-consulting-ltd |
I am so delighted to have been asked as a guest, to share a bit about myself and about the things that I create in the kitchen.
I am a food lover for sure. Growing up in a family of gourmet food brokers, I learned to appreciate the very best in terms of the flavor and quality of things which pass my lips. I was exposed to the most amazing tastes on earth. Experiences that I will never forget have much to do with the foodie environment of my youth. I will also be forever grateful to my mother for the blessing and the curse of my kitchen creativity. Unable to ever follow a recipe, she has passed along the gift to me of the ability to create some of the most astounding things on earth to ever touch the palette. Yet, this blessing is accompanied by the impossibility of precision in replication, as recording, measurements, and even recollection of items, ingredients, and methods are few and far between. As a result, I believe my madness in the kitchen creates flavorful and delectable inspirations.
I have an overwhelmingly complex relationship with food. My culinary creations, though, have become my artist’s portfolio. I daydream about the possibilities of flavor combinations and the perfect melange of taste, texture, and color in what I create. When I sense, smell, or see a perfectly ripe tomato or discover the existence of vanilla truffle salt, I am filled with excitement and awe until I can possibly get to work in my kitchen canvas.
I mulled for some time over the perfect recipe to share on Alisa’s blog. She creates such wonderful recipes herself, I was determined to compose something fabulously fantastic for her readership. I wanted to use the finest and freshest seasonal produce, my favorite herbs and spices, but also challenge myself a bit as well. Neither of us are particularly fond of pork, so I decided to take it upon myself to compose an utterly fantastic dish using the “other white meat” that would have us salivating simply at the sound and sight, but also in the end, when all is said and done, craving4more.
Bacon Basil Fig and Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
- 1 lb. pastured pork tenderloin
- Sea salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat grill to medium heat. Liberally salt and pepper all sides of the tenderloin. Reducing grill heat to medium-low, grill tenderloin until it has reached juicy, moist perfection. Depending on your grill, this is usually 7 minutes to sear the first side, 6 minutes for the second side, and 5 minutes for the final side. Allow to “rest” approximately 5 minutes before slicing.
Bacon Basil Fig Balsamic and Tomato Salsa (it’s a mouthful to say, and an amazing mouthful to savor)
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes, chopped
- 6 large fresh figs, chopped
- 1/4 c. fresh basil leaves, minced
- 2 thick slices pastured bacon, coarsely chopped and fried until crispy
- 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt and pepper
Directions:
Combine all salsa ingredients and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes. Serve atop the grilled tenderloin.
This truly is better than good. It’s pretty darn spectacular. I hope you enjoy it!
I know food. My relationship with food is both vast and intimate. I know the chemistry of food, I know the art of food, and I oh so know the emotion of food. I adore food and yet I grieve it. My goal, though, is to respect food for what it is – nourishment. My hope is to entertain, educate, bless and fill your cravings. May you be truly nourished and full. Most importantly, though, smile. Meanwhile, you can visit me over at Craving4more, and find me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. | https://paleoinpdx.com/2013/09/09/guest-post-bacon-basil-fig-balsamic-pork-tenderloin/ |
ARRO Community:http://hdl.handle.net/10540/86082
Tue, 31 Mar 2015 20:43:12 GMT2015-03-31T20:43:12ZReflections on the newly qualified social worker's journey : From university training to qualified practicehttp://hdl.handle.net/10540/347147
Title: Reflections on the newly qualified social worker's journey : From university training to qualified practice
Authors: Walker, Clare
Abstract: This qualitative research study explores the experience of graduating social workers making the transition from university training into work as qualified social work practitioners. Most studies in this area look at the practice readiness of the newly qualified professional. This study looks at the participants’ experience in the work place. How do participants experience this journey of transition? What skills, particularly reflective practice and supervision, learned in training, are important to them?
Eight graduates were interviewed three times as they began to practice, after six months and at the end of year one. Four people worked in children’s services, four in adult services. The methodology adopted for this research was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
These findings suggest there is a process of transition that has three strands, phased development, a professional strand and a psychological /emotional strand. These strands are unique and taken together give a holistic view of an individual’s journey of transition. Across the eight participants there were commonalities and divergences between transition experiences. However a model of transition did emerge which may be applicable to other professional spheres.
Reflective practice and supervision appear to be key elements of a newly qualified social workers practice. All participants received supervision; for the majority supervision was focused on case discussions and the social workers decision making: Little place was given to reflection on practice this was seen as an activity that worker’s carried out on their own in their car following a home visit, or on the way home at the end of the working day. There was no clear model of reflective practice used.
A further finding concerns the methodology IPA, particularly this researcher’s experience of bracketing and research journaling as part of the research process.Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10540/3471472014-04-01T00:00:00ZWhat works: Researching success in parental mental health and child welfare work.http://hdl.handle.net/10540/346870
Title: What works: Researching success in parental mental health and child welfare work.
Authors: Diggins, Marie
Abstract: This study investigates success in parental mental health and child welfare work. Research has established the potential direct and indirect impacts of mental illness on parenting, the parent–child relationship, and the child, and the extent to which this poses a public health challenge. Problems with how adult and children’s services understand and deliver support to parents with mental health problems and their children have also been identified. In contrast, there has been little research about how parents with mental health difficulties and their children can be supported successfully. ‘What works’, or what constitutes success in parental mental health and child welfare work is missing from the literature. This study aims to begin to address this gap by providing an original contribution to conceptualising and evaluating success in parental mental health and child welfare work.
This is an exploratory study, and as such covers a diverse population, i.e. different family members, different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, parents with different diagnoses, and statutory and voluntary sector agencies. The main issue here is to cover diversity; in terms of exploring different opinions of success – both in outcomes and processes – rather than to ensure applicability of the findings to all families in which there are parents experiencing mental illness.
An interpretative approach was chosen for the study (within that data) to explore these issues. This was obtained by undertaking a multiple embedded case study methodology (Yin, 2003) with 12 families and their key workers from community mental health, children’s social care and the voluntary sector. Data collection was undertaken in three stages: individual interviews with parents, children and the professionals who support them; a review of the agency case files kept about the same families; and three focus groups. Participants were asked to identify successful situations that had occurred in each case study family during the 18 months prior to interview and give details about why these situations worked out well. The focus groups were convened to discuss the emerging findings from the first two phases of data collection.
An examination of emerging themes, and the interplay between themes, gives insight into the shared ideas about what works and the shared methods and practices that are associated with successful outcomes. On the basis of these similarities, the findings offer a contribution to knowledge and practice about a mode of working which seems to make it possible to succeed in helping families previously considered beyond help. What is more, the practitioners also benefit from the helping relationship in this context.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10540/3468702013-04-01T00:00:00ZIcarus Paradox: the interplay between entrepreneurial cognition and internal stakeholder perception.http://hdl.handle.net/10540/346869
Title: Icarus Paradox: the interplay between entrepreneurial cognition and internal stakeholder perception.
Authors: Miller, Lianne Bernadette
Abstract: This thesis focuses on how entrepreneurial cognition interacts with internal stakeholder perception in established entrepreneurial organizations. In addition, the influence of interdependent factors of cognitive biases, temporality, growth
and performance on the interaction has been examined.
The study is exploratory, phenomenological and framed within an interpretive research paradigm. Primary data was gathered using a qualitative multiple case study methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted every three
months over an eighteen-month period with entrepreneurs and internal stakeholders of nine organizations in Phase I and three organizations in Phase II.
This research is original because it focuses exclusively on the interaction between concepts of entrepreneurial cognition and biases, temporality, internal stakeholder perception, organizational factors, growth and performance for
established entrepreneurial organizations. The empirical evidence highlights that cognitive diversity and differences in perception and expectations have an impact on entrepreneurial and internal stakeholder interrelationships in established
entrepreneurial organizations. Furthermore, entrepreneurial decision-making leads to the Icarus Paradox of confidence-success-attribution cycle that either moderates or mediates organizational growth and performance. The consequence of longer communication chains is limited information flow that
results in cognitive dissonance.
The research contributes to closing the gap in literature on the interdependent nature of entrepreneurial cognition and internal stakeholder perception on organizational growth and performance. The contribution to practice therefore is that in established entrepreneurial organizations the entrepreneurs and internal stakeholders can focus on performance by understanding the cause and effect influence of their interactions. This sets the foundation for further research on
the interaction between entrepreneurial cognition and other organizational concepts.Sat, 01 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10540/3468692014-02-01T00:00:00ZTowards the development of ‘priest researchers’ in the Church of England.http://hdl.handle.net/10540/346224
Title: Towards the development of ‘priest researchers’ in the Church of England.
Authors: Barley, Lynda.
Abstract: The Church of England is living through a time of significant change in attitudes towards local church ministry, congregational participation and pastoral practices. As it seeks to respond with integrity to changes in contemporary society the Church’s dialogue with empirical social research is beginning to develop more fully. This thesis focuses on a pioneer national project to explore the effectiveness of pastoral ministry in contemporary church weddings. The social science research methods used in this project revealed insights into the ministry of contemporary church weddings with the intention of shaping responsive parochial wedding policies. This thesis considers the potential for further local enquiry by individual marrying clergy to understand the ordinary theology (proposed by Astley) of their communities using methods of ordinary research alongside a shared reflective practice. It highlights the socio-theological interface within reflective empirical theology by pastoral practitioners in the Church.
A model of participatory action research incorporating online clergy forums and change agent groups is explored to stimulate parochial and institutional change among clergy in partnership with each other. The role of priest researchers is proposed and identified in other pastoral contexts to examine factors that motivate clergy to participate in the development of pastorally responsive national policies. A methodology of personal diaries, focus groups and one to one interviews is used to explore the responses of clergy to participating in reflective praxis.
The findings point to key factors in developing pastoral practice and policies involving the place of ministerial development and attitudes towards collaborative working. A typology of pastoral ministry is developed towards identifying priest researchers in the Church. The research affirms the contribution of pastoral practitioners towards the development of pastorally responsive national policies but the nature of parochial deployment and clergy relationships with each other and the Church institutions frequently preclude much of this contribution.Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10540/3462242014-04-01T00:00:00Z
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In this article, we will go over:
Groups Overview
Groups are used to help filter Users in order to display appropriate content. There are 3 primary purposes of Groups:
Segment content based on audience: Every piece of content is assigned to a Group. If the post can be seen and shared by everyone on your platform, assign it to the 'All' Group. Otherwise, you can decide which Groups see what content. For example, only sharing content in French to users in the Quebec Group.
Segment data for reporting & analytics: You can pull reports based on the performance of the different Groups in the platform. This can be leveraged to send downloadable Group reports to the team leads of those Groups so they have visibility into who is sharing and who isn’t. These analytics can be found in the Admin view, under 'Analytics', then 'Groups'.
Set up multiple leaderboards & run specific contests: You can set up multiple Leaderboards when there are region or department specific contests. As well, if your program is very large it may make more sense to keep the Leaderboards divided by the different Groups.
Map Your Groups
Use this exercise to determine how to divide your employees into Groups:
How to Create Groups
Let's go over how to create a Group:
Step 1: Select 'Team', and then 'Groups'
Step 2: Select 'Create New Group'
Click on 'Create New Group' on the top right corner.
Step 3: Name and place the group
Give your new group a name and place in the hierarchy. Users and content can now be added to that group.
Best Practices
We recommend Admins set Groups up based on the following criteria: region (i.e., North America, South America, etc), department, language, or any other segmentation you need based on reporting, leaderboards or content segmentation.
Users can be a part of many Groups, but we recommend limiting it to 3 groups, if possible. Users belonging to too many Groups can skew the Group reporting data as they will be counted across the multiple Groups, multiple times.
Related Articles: | https://help.postbeyond.com/en/articles/5486168-best-practices-for-groups |
Every morning a team gathers in the 6 West unit of the Roswell Park hospital. The group includes bedside nurses, the nurse in charge of the unit, physicians, a social worker, a dietitian and a physical therapist. Together they discuss the needs of all 18 people currently in their care, and then it’s time for questions: If Patient A will need additional care at home, has the family been taught how to provide it? If not, who will teach them? What other things have to be done before the patient is discharged from the hospital?
This practice, called medical rounding, helps the staff identify and address the needs of every patient — a goal that can be challenging, given the many issues patients may face in addition to their diagnosis. “Patients aren’t coming here with just a cancer diagnosis,” says Kara Eaton-Weaver, MA, Executive Director of the Patient/Family Experience. “They’re coming with financial issues, social issues, possibly drug and alcohol addiction, and we have to treat the whole patient.”
Lem Mogavero, Jr., BSN, RN, Clinical Nurse Manager on 6 West, says daily rounding — with everyone sitting at the same table — reduces the risk that messages will get lost in the hectic pace of the medical oncology unit. If an issue comes up during rounding that requires assistance from Social Work or Nutrition, “Someone from Social Work is right there. Someone from Nutrition is right there.”
Sharing information with everyone in the same room helps ensure that all members of the patient’s team are aware of any new problems or concerns, and that steps are in place to address them. For example, “When we know a person is struggling to pay for their care, we can talk about resources to help them through that,” says Mogavero. Patients may also need referrals or assistance for issues ranging from palliative care to legal matters such as appointing a health care power of attorney.
The idea is to provide better coordination of care, which can improve both safety and patient satisfaction, says Eaton-Weaver. “It means clearer, more concise and organized communication on a daily basis.”
Launched at the beginning of February, the multidisciplinary rounding program is off to a smooth start. Mogavero says the practice has been “very well received by the staff. The nurses picked it right up, and the physical therapists and dietitians have been at every single meeting. It’s a welcome change, and it’s been a great rollout. | https://www.roswellpark.org/cancertalk/201903/6-west-team-huddle-every-morning |
Banerjee, J.
1. This is an appeal against the order of the District Judge of Burdwan, appointing the respondent as the guardian of a minor Hindu widow; and the only question raised before us is whether the respondent, who is the brother of the minor, or the appellant, who is her husband's sister's son, and the reversionary heir, has the preferential right to the certificate.
2. It appears that a certificate had been granted to the minor's mother-in-law which was subsequently recalled by reason of her unfitness to manage the property owing to her extreme old age; and the only reason assigned by the learned Judge for giving preference to the minor's paternal relations seems to be the fact of a certificate having once been granted to one of her husband's relations and of its having been subsequently recalled.
3. That in our opinion would be no good reason for passing over the claims of other relations on her husband's side, if no other reason is made out against them, and if under the Hindu law they are entitled to the certificate in preference to the widow's paternal relations.
4. Now under the Hindu law, we think that the relations of her deceased husband are entitled to be the guardians of a Hindu widow in preference to her paternal relations. This is clear from the text of Narada, Chapter XIII verses 28 29 cited in the Dayabhaga, Chapter XI, Section 1, paragraph 64 That text runs thus: -' When the husband is deceased, his kin are the guardians of his childless widow In the disposal of the property and care of herself as well as in her maintenance they have full power. But if the husband's family be extinct, or contain no male, or be helpless, the km of her own father are he guardians of the widow, if there be no relations of her husband within the degree of a sapinda.' This text has been followed in three cases one to be found in Macnaghten's Principles and Precedents of Hindu Law Volume II, page 203; another, Kitten Mohan Mittter v. Khettermoni Dassi 2 Hay 196, Marsh. 313; and a third, the case of Bat Kisar v. Bat Gunga 8 Bom. A.C. 31.
5. This we think is ample authority in support of the appellant's contention, and the certificate in this case ought therefore to be granted to the appellant against whose fitness nothing has been said.
6. The result is that the appeal will be allowed with costs. | https://www.legalcrystal.com/case/856356/bonwari-lal-roy-vs-khudiram-mookerjee |
Few Filipinos have visited the Natuna archipelago of Indonesia’s Riau province. It straddles one of the world’s potentially largest gas fields. And over the last two months, Indonesia twice accused Beijing of claiming part of Natuna, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
In so doing, China succeeded in shifting Indonesia, from moderator between China and other South China Sea states, to opponent, notes the SCMP commentary “Peril of Price and Prejudice.” It was written by Philip Bowring, who has covered Asia for four decades.
The Indonesian shift comes when other Southeast Asian countries have had bruising conflicts with China over its “nine-dash line.” Beijing’s map claim “line” sweeps in almost 90 percent of the sea—and barges into exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of other countries.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President Aquino approved last Thursday an agreement that unsnarled their countries’ once-overlapping EEZs in the Celebes and Mindanao Seas. “This is a good example that any border disputes… can be resolved peacefully, and not through military might,” Yudhoyono said.
Beijing anchors its claims on “history.” That ignores the existence of other peoples and seafaring and trading going back 2,000 years. Indonesians, for example, colonized Madagascar 1,000 years before Zheng He. Southeast Asians absorbed more of India and the Islamic world than of China, Bowring notes.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, rights to waters are derived from rights to land, the Jakarta Post reports. Indonesia pressed Beijing for reassurance and sought precise coordinates. None has been given.
Instead, China used force. In March 2013, Indonesian officials boarded a Chinese boat illegally fishing in the Natuna Islands. Chinese armed vessels demanded the release of the fishermen. Outgunned, the Indonesians complied.
There is a “good scenario” and a “less benign one” for this region’s future over the next two decades, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the Nikkei Conference in Tokyo Thursday. One would be a region at peace, with countries working to secure shared interests. The other would be a region splintered by territorial disputes and protectionism. These two scenarios will play out in the context of how the United States, China and Japan interact.
Lee’s forecast: In 2034, the United States will remain the world’s preeminent superpower. Japan will still be one of the world’s largest economies, with great strengths in science and technology. The biggest change will be the growth of China’s power and influence.
US-China relations are the most important bilateral relationship in the world. But it can easily spiral out of control should a flash point escalate into violence. The Korean peninsula’s “status quo will prevail, with repeated brinksmanship and tensions, but hopefully no war….” (Still), failure to denuclearize poses a continuing risk.
One scenario is Asia remains at peace. The US and China relationship will deepen and the Japanese economy rebounds. A stable strategic environment will foster regional economic cooperation. Greater economic interdependence will raise standards of living for all.
The alternative is a “riven fractious Asia.” If China’s growth forces “an imbalance in the region and in the US-China pivot, Asia may be confronted by another, less benign scenario”: one rocked by territorial disputes and nationalist populism.
The dangers are implicit in the “maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas and recent anti-China protests in Vietnam, Asean nations will be forced to choose sides. And Southeast Asia could morph into “a proxy battleground” for friction between the superpowers.
Lee says the next 20 years is a “historic opportunity” for Asia.
Today, Filipino and other nationals of Asean countries can visit the Natuna archipelago without getting a visa from Indonesia. China, in contrast, would demand one. | http://filipinoexpress.com/juan-l-mercado/1451-alternative-scenarios |
Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) devices such as actuators, sensors, wearable devises, robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles, facilitate the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) to Command and Control and battlefield services. IoBT devices have the ability to collect operational field data, to compute on the data, and to upload its information to the network. Securing the IoBT presents additional challenges compared with traditional information technology (IT) systems. First, IoBT devices are mass produced rapidly to be low-cost commodity items without security protection in their original design. Second, IoBT devices are highly dynamic, mobile, and heterogeneous without common standards. Third, it is imperative to understand the natural world, the physical process(es) under IoBT control, and how these real-world processes can be compromised before recommending any relevant security counter measure. Moreover, unprotected IoBT devices can be used as “stepping stones” by attackers to launch more sophisticated attacks such as advanced persistent threats (APTs). As a result of these challenges, IoBT systems are the frequent targets of sophisticated cyber attack that aim to disrupt mission effectiveness.
Internet of Things (IoT) technology is emerging to advance the modern defense and warfare applications because the battlefield things, such as combat equipment, warfighters, and vehicles, can sense and disseminate information from the battlefield to enable real-time decision making on military operations and enhance autonomy in the battlefield. Since this Internet-of-Battlefield Things (IoBT) environment is highly heterogeneous in terms of devices, network standards, platforms, connectivity, and so on, it introduces trust, security, and privacy challenges when battlefield entities exchange information with each other. To address these issues, we propose a Blockchain-empowered auditable platform for IoBT and describe its architectural components, such as battlefield-sensing layer, network layer, and consensus and service layer, in depth. In addition to the proposed layered architecture, this paper also presents several open research challenges involved in each layer to realize the Blockchain-enabled IoBT platform.
The blockchain technology has emerged as an attractive solution to address performance and security issues in distributed systems. Blockchain's public and distributed peer-to-peer ledger capability benefits cloud computing services which require functions such as, assured data provenance, auditing, management of digital assets, and distributed consensus. Blockchain's underlying consensus mechanism allows to build a tamper-proof environment, where transactions on any digital assets are verified by set of authentic participants or miners. With use of strong cryptographic methods, blocks of transactions are chained together to enable immutability on the records. However, achieving consensus demands computational power from the miners in exchange of handsome reward. Therefore, greedy miners always try to exploit the system by augmenting their mining power. In this paper, we first discuss blockchain's capability in providing assured data provenance in cloud and present vulnerabilities in blockchain cloud. We model the block withholding (BWH) attack in a blockchain cloud considering distinct pool reward mechanisms. BWH attack provides rogue miner ample resources in the blockchain cloud for disrupting honest miners' mining efforts, which was verified through simulations.
Quantitative risk assessment is a critical first step in risk management and assured design of networked computer systems. It is challenging to evaluate the marginal probabilities of target states/conditions when using a probabilistic attack graph to represent all possible attack paths and the probabilistic cause-consequence relations among nodes. The brute force approach has the exponential complexity and the belief propagation method gives approximation when the corresponding factor graph has cycles. To improve the approximation accuracy, a region-based method is adopted, which clusters some highly dependent nodes into regions and messages are passed among regions. Experiments are conducted to compare the performance of the different methods. | https://cps-vo.org/node/488/biblio/author/14590 |
While the urban population was bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, farmers in rural areas too found it difficult to survive. The essential supplies were curtailed and the farming activities were also affected.
Farmers, especially the small-scale farmers who's only income was the earrings from their small farms were left devastated as they could not take the crops to the market and at times was forced to sell them at a throwaway price or even abandon them as the prices they were offered were so low that it won't even cover the harvest and transportation charges.
While this is the story of the majority, a small group of women farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri not only survived the hardships but also managed to increase their incomes by changing their agricultural habits and by supporting each other.
Oxfam India
Raj Rani, a marginal farmer from Samarsepur village of Lakhimpur Kheri owns less than 2 bigha (0.5 hectare) of agricultural land in which she cultivates crops and vegetables. Her family of seven is dependent on agricultural produces in the land.
Like many in the village, Rani too used conventional farming methods and seeds which meant that it was not always cost-effective.
However, in 2018, she switched to Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) practices and scientific methods of cultivation.
She used better quality seeds and scientific farming techniques along with organic manure instead of chemical pesticides.
Oxfam India
This brought down her costs and at the same time improved the yield, which meant that her family was able to earn more than what they would have usually made in a year.
Rani told Indiatimes that this year, she has cultivated wheat, tomato and brinjal on her farm and is expecting a higher income than the previous year.
"Last year we also built a water tank and other irrigation facilities that have helped to better water our plants. Since we have started using organic manure on the advice of experts the expense of fertilizers have also come down," Rani said.
Oxfam India
Sarojini Devi, from Rampurwa village in Lakhimpur Kheri also has a similar turn-around story. The family of six used to struggle to make ends meet from husband, Munna Lal’s, income as a migrant worker and whatever she could earn from their two bigha of land. In addition to this, she also used to do farming on some leased land that, she could not continue due to financial constraints.
Sarojini also switched to CRA and became a part of a women farmer group.
Since then she said she has been able to adapt better agriculture practice and with the help of the collective, irrigate her land.
Oxfam India
These women are among the nearly 3,000 farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri who in the past few years have seen their incomes increase.
They were trained and supported by AIM Trust and Oxfam India, as part of the Virtual Trailwalker Challenge.
The initiative that was launched in Uttrakhand was extended to UP's Lakhimpur Kheri in 2016.
"Our aim is to help increase the income and economic empowerment of small farmers, especially women through CRA. Lakhimpur Kheri had a history of droughts and crop failures and a solution for this was CRA. We trained women farmers in CRA and helped them set up irrigation facilities like tanks and pipes," Binod Kumar Sinha, Program Coordinator, Oxfam India said.
Oxfam India
According to him since the adoption of scientific farming and organic manure, which included locally available items and compost the women have been able to increase their incomes by up to 30 per cent.
He said that initially, the women were apprehensive about changing from their agricultural practices but after seeing the results of those who made the switch, more and more came forward.
"In addition to training the women farmers, we also set up a resource center in the village, run by the same people. From this center, they were able to rent irrigation equipment that they would otherwise struggle to buy," he said.
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Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency celebrates Mandela Day
The Mpumalanga Tourism and parks agency together with the Tourism Safety Stakeholders held a clean-up campaign, as part of the Mandela Day 2022 celebration. The event was held at George Mhaule Primary School, where the members of the community, EPWP workers, Working for Water, and Kruger National Park along with MTPA decided to use the 67 minutes for Mandela to clean the road from White River to Kruger National Park. Their motive was to ensure that all the rubbish thrown beside the road is cleared up so that the tourists visiting Mpumalanga finds the road in a good and clean state.
“I am glad that even the ward committees were also part of the campaign because they will go out to the community and educate them that throwing of rubbish on the road and by the river because the water in the river is a source of life to everyone. I encourage everyone to take a stand against littering” said Ms. Dudu Twhala from DCSSL. The SANParks spokesperson has applauded the wonderful work done by all the stakeholders who were present during the clean-up campaign and has urged the community members and everyone present to take care of the environment and plant more trees, which will help in fighting climate change. “Do what you can with what you have, where you are” said Lufuno Shadi. The Mdluli chieftaincy and school principal added by thanking the stakeholders and pleaded with them to continue with this initiative to other communities and schools around Mpumalanga and beyond. | https://www.bushbuckridgenews.co.za/mpumalanga-tourism-and-parks-agency-celebrates-mandela-day/ |
Q:
Testing divisibility of Ints by 11
I'm struggling with this code right now. I want to determine whether an integer is divsible by 11. From what I have read, an integer is divisible to 11 when the sum (one time +, one time -) of its digits is divisible by 11.
For example: 56518 is divisible by 11, because 8-1+5-6+5 = 11, and 11 is divisible by 11.
How can i write this down in Haskell? Thanks in advance.
A:
A number x is divisible by y if it's remainder when divided by y is 0. So you can just do
divisibleBy11 x = x `rem` 11 == 0
A:
ifan I'm sure you know that in real life you would use mod or rem for this simple example, but the algorithm you are asking about is interesting. Here's a fun way to do it that emphasizes the functional nature of Haskell:
digits = map (`mod` 10) . takeWhile (> 0) . iterate (`div` 10)
divisible11 = (== 0) . head . dropWhile (>= 11) . iterate (reduce11 . digits)
where
reduce11 [] = 0
reduce11 (d:ds) = foldl combine d $ zip (cycle [(-), (+)]) ds
combine d (op, d') = d `op` d'
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Sem 1 2012
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GRAP2454
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City Campus
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Undergraduate
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350H Fashion & Textiles
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Face-to-Face
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Sem 1 2014,
Sem 1 2019
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GRAP2672
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Brunswick Campus
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Undergraduate
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350H Fashion & Textiles
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Face-to-Face
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Sem 1 2016,
Sem 1 2017,
Sem 1 2018
Course Coordinator: Sang Thai
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2983
Course Coordinator Email: [email protected]
Course Coordinator Location: 511.03.008
Course Coordinator Availability: Please email for an appointment
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
You should have satisfactorily completed the prerequisite course GRAP2671 Fashion Design Professional Practice 1 before you commence this course.
Pre & Co-requisites
Note it is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the prerequisite/s and agree to concurrently enrol in co-requisite courses before enrolling in a course.
For your information, the RMIT Course Requisites policy can be found at: https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/enrolment/course-requisites
Course Description
In this course you will learn the fundamental principles of entrepreneurial fashion practice. Through a guest lecture series you will hear from industry practitioners about business planning and management, branding, marketing and sales strategies.
Projects will involve independent research to critique current industry issues and a simulated WIL project to develop your innovative entrepreneurial capabilities and to foster positive collaborative working relationships between you and your peers.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:
1. Operate professionally critically, and ethically in local and /or global practice within fashion design or across design boundaries
2.Gain insight into your own creativity, and develop efficient work practices to allow you to plan, produce and deliver fashion projects either as an independent design practitioner or in a team environment within a small, medium or large organization
3. Apply conceptual, critical and creative thinking that addresses relevant issues and informs imaginative and innovative design proposals, so you can make advanced decisions independently with clarity and maturity
5. Reflect upon and assess the global context of the fashion system, so as to apply your advanced skills for life-long learning and enable you to confidently contribute to an industry that is always evolving
6. Engage in research within the broader context of design, utilising digital and information systems, discipline specific discourse, conceptual frame- works, evaluation of relevant issues and with reference to the work of others in the field
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- critically evaluate various approaches to entrepreneurial fashion practice
- demonstrate a creative, innovative approach to business development for a defined fashion market
- articulate an informed, critical perspective on current issues impacting the commercial fashion industry
- produce written, verbal and visual presentation material appropriate to professional business situations
- operate productively and ethically within individual and collaborative project
Overview of Learning Activities
This course provides you with a diverse range of learning experiences, including: self-directed research, analysis, reflection, discussion, and peer and industry interactions.
You will engage in various modes of research and methods of communicating findings and will work individually and within a team.
You will articulate your learning through a mix of written, oral and creative projects in a variety of mediums.
Lectures, studio workshops, excursions, collaborative projects and interactive class activities provide the platform for information sharing and learning.
Overview of Learning Resources
RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.
A list of recommended learning resources will be provided by your lecturer, including books, journal articles and web resources. You will also be expected to seek further resources relevant to the focus of your own learning.
RMIT Library provides extensive resources for fashion and textiles students.
Search the library and consult the Fashion and Textiles subject guides for more information.
The library also provides guides on academic referencing and assistance is available via phone, chat and email.
Watch this short video on Getting started with fashion and textiles library resources
Overview of Assessment
You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.
If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to adjust aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the Program Manager or the Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/support-and-facilities/student-support/equitable-learning-services
The statement of student responsibilities summarises your responsibilities as an RMIT student as well as those of your teachers.
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/rights-and-responsibilities/student-responsibilities
Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies and procedures which are described online at: | http://www1.rmit.edu.au/courses/045692 |
Independent power company Globeleq, energy and chemicals multinational Sasol and Mozambique State-owned power utility Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) have announced financial close of the Central Termica de Temane (CTT) power project.
Located at Temane, in the Inhambane province, CTT comprises a 450 MW gas-fired power plant, which will supply power to EDM under a 25-year tolling agreement.
CTT is expected to provide electricity to meet the demand of 1.5-million households and will contribute about 14% of the electricity supply capacity available to meet demand in Mozambique. The project is expected to provide first power in 2024.
Debt financing for the $652.3-million project is being provided by development finance institution the International Finance Corporation (IFC), together with its B-loan participants FMO and Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund, which together are providing $253.5-million; the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), which is providing about $191.5-million; and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund), which is providing $50-million.
The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency has provided up to $251.3-million in political risk insurance to the private sector equity investors, Globeleq, Sasol and EDM said in a joint statement issued on December 8.
"The project is aligned with the Paris Agreement and will support Mozambique's longer-term sustainable energy transition to net zero by 2050. CTT's flexible technical and commercial configuration allows for a variable supply of baseload and dispatchable power and will deliver complementary power so that Mozambique can maximise renewable energy generation projects on its grid and pursue lower carbon energy development.
"In addition, the Siemens SGT-800 turbines chosen for the plant can be upgraded to handle high hydrogen content, further reducing the plant's carbon impact," the companies said.
Further, CTT also anchors a new 563 km high-voltage transmission line, the Temane Transmission Project (TTP), and secures the first phase of the interconnection of the southern grid to the central and northern grids of Mozambique.
This will establish a corridor of electrification and ensure a more stable and secure grid, and enable the connection of future renewable generation projects.
The TTP is owned by EDM and will be funded using grant and concessional finance provided by the World Bank, the Africa Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the OPEC Fund and the Norwegian government.
The entire value chain, namely gas development, gas-fired power plant and transmission infrastructure, will see an investment of more than $2-billion.
"This pioneering project has the potential to deliver significant economic and social benefits by helping meet Mozambique's growing demand for power, and supporting the country's economic recovery and the region's energy transition. This is our third power investment in Mozambique, and we remain committed to supporting the sustainable development of the country's electricity sector," says IFC regional industry director for infrastructure: Middle East and Africa Linda Munyengeterwa.
Additionally, DFC financing for this project will support people and businesses throughout Mozambique by reducing the cost of electricity and increasing generation. These are important development gains that will spur further economic development in communities across the country.
"As a country that is at risk from the worst effects of climate change, our government fully supports the Paris Agreement. We are working on our long-term decarbonisation plans in line with that Agreement and CTT is fully in line with our transition, which also includes developing hydro, solar and wind projects," said Mozambique Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Ernesto Max Elias Tonela.
The project will be built by the Spanish contractor TSK, using efficient and well-proven Siemen's gas turbine technology. TSK has extensive experience in designing and constructing similarly sized combined-cycle power plants and will leverage its in-country construction experience during the 34-month construction period.
CTT is expected to generate around 830 jobs during construction and 90 permanent jobs during operations. This excludes engineering and other work performed off-site. Mozambicans will be prioritised for jobs during both construction and operations. It is estimated that the project will support the creation of 14 000 indirect jobs and livelihoods when it becomes operational in 2024.
"The OPEC Fund supports the development of the Temane power plant, as well as the complementary transmission infrastructure through its private and public sector loan facilities. Our assistance reflects our commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 7- Affordable and Clean Energy," OPEC Fund director-general Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said.
"Once completed, CTT will increase the supply of efficient and affordable energy to households, businesses and industries, contributing to social and economic development in Mozambique and the region," he said.
Further, Globeleq CEO Mike Scholey said it was committed to supporting the Mozambique government's aim of achieving universal electricity access by 2030 and positively impacting the regional energy landscape.
"The government of Mozambique, through EDM, is a strategic partner for Globeleq as we grow to develop other projects in renewables, such as the Cuamba solar and battery project and other wind and solar developments under way," he added.
"Sasol is proud to partner with EDM and Globeleq in this exciting Temane project, which will create jobs, enable sustainable and lower carbon energy supply and long-lasting in-country benefits. Sasol is committed to a meaningful contribution towards the development Mozambique," said Sasol energy business executive VP Priscillah Mabelane.
"A new phase is opening in the energy sector, with EDM leading the processes of generating increasingly cleaner electricity to promote the country's industrialisation and export to the regional market," said EDM chairperson Marcelino Gildo Alberto. | https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/central-termica-de-temane-power-project-in-mozambique-reaches-financial-close-2021-12-09/rep_id:4136 |
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Background:
The Learning Policy Institute conducts and communicates independent, high-quality research to improve education policy and practice. Working with policymakers, researchers, educators, community groups, and others, the Institute seeks to advance evidence-based policies that support empowering and equitable learning for each and every child. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the Institute connects policymakers and stakeholders at the local, state, and federal levels with the evidence, ideas, and actions needed to strengthen the education system from preschool through college and career readiness.
Core duties: The intern will work directly with members of the policy and research teams to:
- Assist with a broad set of activities that support policy advancement at the federal and state level, such as legislative research, legislative briefing/hearings attendance, and memo drafting.
- Complete research tasks as assigned, such as conducting literature reviews and background research; finding, organizing, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data; and preparing memos, briefs, reports, and presentations.
- Other administrative duties as assigned.
Skills and Qualifications: We’re looking for undergraduate or graduate students or recent graduates interested in the intersection of research, public policy, and education. The ideal candidate will possess:
- Demonstrated knowledge of or experience working on education research, national reform efforts, policy and advocacy, federal/state policies and processes, or within the education field.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Familiarity and experience with qualitative and quantitative research and analysis.
- Strong computer skills, including proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
To apply: The application deadline for the fall 2020 internship cycle has passed. We are no longer accepting applications. We will begin accepting applications for spring 2021 internships in October.
Internship positions are paid. The stipend amount for full-time interns ranges from $2400-$3000 per month, commensurate with experience and education.
Questions about the internship? Please email [email protected].
The Learning Policy Institute is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. | https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/careers/policy-and-research-intern-ca |
Iberia Bank Corporation
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SBA Senior Lender - Orlando or West Palm, Jacksonville area
at Iberia Bank Corporation
Job Description
The SBA Senior Market Support actively prospects for new relationship opportunities and participates in community affairs to provide representation for the bank. This position will also train IBERIABANK relationship managers in the identification of eligible SBA credits to generate internal referrals.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Review opportunities with IBERIABANK Relationship Managers to initially assess credit quality, determine program fit and eligibility.
- Accompany IBERIABANK Relationship Mangers on physical or phone calls with SBA 7(a) loan prospects.
- Support IBERIABANK Relationship Manager to clearly communicate program benefits, terms, pricing and process.
- Work with IBERIABANK Relationship Mangers, CRA’s and SBA 7(a) loan prospects to obtain necessary loan documentation.
- Serve as a source of knowledge of SBA regulations, IBERIABANK credit guidelines, and secondary market interest rate appetite to IBERIABANK Relationship Managers and SBA 7(a) loan prospects.
- Maintain a presence in the market to aid in the direct origination of SBA opportunities.
- Establish and maintain an efficient and productive working environment within the department based on continuous and effective staff communication.
- Achieve established departmental goals within defined timelines, as well as define and implement a measurement of acceptable staff performance in order to safeguard the Bank’s loan portfolio.
- Responsible for adhering to and complying with all Bank policies and Federal and State banking laws and regulations.
- Performs all other duties as assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
In some situations, this position may assist with directing, coordinating, and evaluating designated units or certain personnel in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities may include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; providing pay change recommendations; disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Additionally, the qualifications listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required in this position:
- Bachelor degree with minimum of 7 years of experience working in a SBA role within a bank or for a SBA lender
- Knowledge of SBA underwriting regulations
- Ability to analyze financial/credit information required
- Analytical, written, and verbal communications skills
- Knowledge of financial accounting theory and logic, loan structuring, commercial products and service
- Strong interpersonal and presentation skills
- Ability to interpret and discuss analytical data
- Ability to excel in a team environment, manage multiple tasks concurrently, and prioritize
- Proficient with computers, software and applications
- Willingness to travel
COMPUTER AND OFFICE EQUIPMENT SKILLS
The following computer skills are required to perform the essential duties of this job: Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and other support systems. | https://florida.jobing.com/iberia-bank-corporation/sba-senior-lender-orlando |
An impartial third party performs a business’s financial audit of the financial accounts and reporting procedures. Financial audits are designed to provide reasonable assurance to investors, directors, and other stakeholders that financial statements are accurate, complete, and in compliance with auditing standards and regulations.
Financial auditors use several techniques to assess whether the controls and systems necessary to create accurate financial statements are in place. An audit of an organization’s accounting processes can aid in the expansion of that organization’s revenue stream.
Here are some benefits of auditing your financial statements:
1. Safety
The future of auditing will combine analytics to gauge quality and transparency and real-time risk analysis so that you can address any problems as soon as they arise. If you want peace of mind knowing that everything is in working order, go for an internal audit.
While many businesses are compelled by law to have an audit completed, more progressive firms will proactively have an audit performed to ensure that they are fulfilling industry standards and benchmarks while safeguarding themselves against fraud.
2. Risk Evaluation
A financial audit is a good risk management technique for companies to improve their internal controls and to take the time to consider them. You’ll get ideas on how to reduce the risk of fraud before it becomes worse.
When it comes to organizational structure and segregation of roles, auditors are a valuable source of knowledge. It is easier to mitigate asset misappropriation by adding a simple method, such as having an external employee deposit money to the bank.
3. Sound Discussion
A financial audit provides the opportunity to discuss the company’s profit and loss. The discussion of earnings and losses is not always as frequent in some businesses. In some cases, determining the root cause of a company’s losses can be difficult
Line items showing losses can be clarified, and solutions to improve profitability can be discovered while examining your financials. The results of a financial audit might help you evaluate if your pricing strategy is in line with industry norms. With the help of a financial audit, it is possible to identify areas where you may be overcharging or undercharging your customers.
4. Overview of Financial Position
An audit can help you pinpoint problem areas and potential solutions. However, it may also reveal inefficiencies in your financials that need to be addressed. An audit can help you determine if your company’s internal controls are adequate.
A financial audit can help uncover a blatantly inefficient procedure that is stifling your company’s growth. Internal controls can be fine-tuned over time by conducting an annual financial audit.
Are you looking for reliable accounting professionals to have your financial statements audited? Advance Tax Defense and Accounting provides excellent business financial audits for its clients. We also provide top-notch virtual bookkeeping and tax services to our customers. Contact us to avail premier quality services of one of the best small business accounting firms in West Palm Beach. | https://ataxdefense.com/benefits-of-auditing-your-financial-statements/ |
The online edition contains mental maps of all major Russian macroregions & some regions & cities of Russia, representing ethnic, cultural & geographical specificity of the territories. Unique regional images & their localization are combined in vivid textual & visual materials, mental maps & regional onomasticons.
For the experts specialized in cultural geography & geihumanities, regional & local studies, cartography, and for a wider audience of those interested in geographical diversity of Russia.
Different meanings of the term “GeoHumanities” (“humanitarian geography”) in Russian are considered. GeoHumanities is argued to be regarded as a specific Russian interdisciplinary research tradition. The links between the notions of “cultural geography” & “geohumanities” are analyzed, as well as the differences between geohumanities & similar traditions in the international context (new cultural geography, humanistic geography, geography & the humanities)
Two special kinds of mental maps emerging from the Russian geohumanities are described in the article. Russian geohumanities are regarded as a specific Russian Post-Soviet tradition of cultural geography that is focused on space perceptions & interpretations. The semiotic model of ‘place as palimpsest’ typical for Russian mythogeography is used to describe the multilayered structure of a place, formed by different cultures’ visions of one & the same place. Two opposing meanings of mental maps are stated, namely, 1) mental spatial information, representing the image of the city & the orientations schemes, & 2) cartographical geovisualization, which reflects individual or group perception of space. Mental maps, combining the traits of both big classes with the example of K. Lynch’s generalized urban maps based on the results of individual cities’ perceptions gained by various research methods, are argued to be the most prospective. Urban ‘mythogeographical’ mental maps from the Russian geohumanities are regarded as another kind of that compromise, being transformed from the diagram-like ‘image-geographical’ maps by localizing place myths into ‘sign places’ of a city.
The aim of the paper is to discuss different approaches to the toponyms and their usefulness for the study of the historical culture in the urban space. In this discussion author adresses Soviet toponimical heritage and particularly to the case of "Sovietskaya street" which is rather common for (Post) Soviet cities.
Cultural geography is a rather young and not completely institutionalized geographical science in the Russian realm. There are no cultural geographical atlases present in the state of the art, Russian classifications of thematic atlases, though one of the options includes “the atlases of culture”. A series of S.Ya. Suschiy’s atlases of the history of Russian culture and regional historical and cultural atlases may serve as some examples of atlases using the materials of cultural geography. These atlases are rarely original in terms of the means of cartographic visualizations. They are often merely historical or even hardly include any maps being only formally named as atlases while in reality looking like regional encyclopedias. The phonomena of cultural geography have received a certain development among thematic maps of complex atlases. Though the maps of cultural artifacts prevail in this case there are the traditions emerging of mapping cultural heritage and also of cultural geographical regionalization. There are such examples present in the volume “History. Culture” of the National atlas of Russia and also in some thematic products of neighboring disciplines like ethnic, ethnographic and ethnogeographic atlases. However, one can hardly witness any specific for cultural geography mapping means or approaches even in these latter cases. Mental maps could be regarded as potentially prospective trend for creating atlases specifically within cultural geography. In this regard, there is a need to overcome the existing dichotomy of mental maps like graphic means of picturing the human perceptions of their environments and traditional cartographic products focusing on mental representations. The prospect is likely to be focused on the complex cartographic decisions linking spatial representations and certain cultural landscapes.
There have been no cultural geography in the USSR for half a century, and human geography was narrowed to economic geography alone. However the tradition of Russian anthropogeography (L. Berg) of the 1910s was one of the first in the world to focus on cultural landscapes.
The representatives of the official Soviet geography, from N. Baransky in the 1930s to V. Gokhman in the 1980s, stated the need for ‘social & cultural geography of Soviet nation(s)’. Landscape studies were ideologically suppressed and were focused strictly on natural landscapes.
When cultural geography finally emerged after the collapse of the USSR, it turned out to be rooted neither in Russian anthropogeographic tradition, nor in Anglo-American cultural geography. Making their own way, Russian cultural geographers were inspired rather by French philosophers and gave birth to a specific framework of ‘gumanitarnaya geografiya’ (‘humanitarian geography’ in word-by-word translation), which I argue to be likely to be translated as ‘GeoHumanities’.
This GeoHumanities doesn’t look like traditional Sauerian cultural geography. Its main themes seem similar to those of new cultural / humanistic geography, but its trends & prospects differ a lot, as there were no revolutionary changes like those between Sauerian vs. new cultural / humanistic vs. critical geography. There’s no other cultural geography research in Russia, except GeoHumanities school focused on cultural landscapes, geographical images, spatial myths & regional identities, majorly in modern urban areas & deeply rooted in literature & art discourses with case-studies mostly presenting the imageries of historical towns. | https://publications.hse.ru/en/chapters/173244495 |
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Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a complex inherited disease. It is associated with mutations in a wide variety of genes with many different functions. These mutations impact the integrity of rod photoreceptors and ultimately result in the progressive degeneration of rods and cone photoreceptors in the retina, leading to complete blindness. A hallmark of this disease is the variable degree to which symptoms are manifest in patients. This is indicative of the influence of the environment, and/or of the distinct genetic makeup of the individual.The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has effectively proven to be a great model system to better understand interconnected genetic networks. Unraveling genetic interactions and thereby different cellular processes is relatively easy because more than a century of research on flies has enabled the creation of sophisticated genetic tools to perturb gene function. A remarkable conservation of disease genes across evolution and the similarity of the general organization of the fly and vertebrate photoreceptor cell had prompted research on fly retinal degeneration. To date six fly models for RP, including RP4, RP11, RP12, RP14, RP25, and RP26, have been established, and have provided useful information on RP disease biology. In this chapter, an outline of approaches and experimental specifications are described to enable utilizing or developing new fly models of RP.
Cellular pathways; Drosophila melanogaster; Genetics; Retinal disease
National Center for
Biotechnology Information, | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30324448 |
It seems like a long way to go about getting some fresh saffron to frost a birthday cake with, but it was worth it. I’ve been plotting for months with my friend, Sarah Fioroni, to let me get involved with the saffron harvest at her family’s farm in San Gimignano.
It’s not the first time I’ve celebrated my birthday with a saffron theme on the farm at Fattoria Poggio Alloro — there was this pumpkin and saffron risotto too. It’s rather a nice thing to have your birthday coincide with the precious and short season for harvesting saffron from crocus flowers.
Saffron, one of the world’s most expensive spices, has been grown in these parts for nearly 1000 years (records in the town archives show how saffron was just as prized then as it is now and was used even as a form of currency in San Gimignano in 1228) but only recently did it get prestigious ‘DOP’ (protected designation of origin) status.
It struck me as strange that for something that has been cultivated in these parts for so long had very little culinary traditions, but then I realised saffron wasn’t used for food in the Middle Ages. It was a colour. It tinted textiles a bright, beautiful gold. It was ground into pigments for paint. The closest it came to food was its use in liqueurs (digestivi) and tonics and as a medicine to treat inflammation, teething in babies, cuts and burns and other ailments.
In Italian food traditions, saffron is best known for risotto alla milanese, a simple dish of saffron, rice and Parmesan cheese. Named for Milan, it seems to have little to do with Tuscan cuisine, until I read a sweet little anecdote from the Middle Ages (quite possibly made up by the locals but sweet nonetheless). According to the legend, there was a Milanese painter who worked in San Gimignano. A lover of the bright golden yellow produced by the saffron, he used it so much to the point where a Florentine painter joked to him, “Why don’t you put this yellow into your risotto too!” And to challenge him, he did.
San Gimignano’s saffron, which obtained its DOP status in 2005, is made under a certain set of rules. It must be organic. The flowers and the stigmas, or threads, must be harvested by hand, then dried and sold whole – this guarantees that the product is genuine. Saffron powders are notorious for being cut with other products (I’ve heard of things from ground turmeric and paprika to crushed red bricks being added to the powder), so are best avoided.
After finally experiencing the saffron harvest with my own eyes and hands, I completely understand why there is a certain cost for this most precious spice. You need about 200 of these pretty, purple crocus (crocus sativus) flowers, each with 3 scarlet red stigmas (the saffron itself), to produce just 1 gram of fresh saffron. The saffron then has to be completely dry to be sold and used (when fresh, like many herbs, spices or even tea, it is not as intense in flavour or colour), so you actually need about double the amount for 1 gram of dry saffron. Which means 350-400 flowers for 1 gram of saffron. All hand picked. Just a pinch of saffron strands – roughly 0.1 grams – is enough to make risotto for 4, or as it has it, to colour about 500 grams of ricotta frosting.
We set off for the fields to pick purple flowers on bent knees, fighting with bumble bees, who get drunk on their pollen and heady scent – the crocus is a member of the Iris family, a basket full of these flowers is simply intoxicating. Traditionally this is done first thing in the morning, while the flowers are still closed to protect them from the night air – it makes for more efficient picking – but we spent a good afternoon here, under an unusually warm autumn sun, retreating only when the last rays fell behind the towers of San Gimignano, then it was off to the dining room’s long table to start the process of picking the threads out of each flower.
Full baskets were tipped out and flowers filled the middle of the long table. The fireplace crackled, wine was poured, and we got to work, chatting, and meditatively pulling out threads from each flower, one by one. Slowly more friends joined us, until we had a full, long table of people pulling out threads and adding them to little, soft piles of vermillion strands, until it was dinner time, when we feasted on my favourite pumpkin and saffron risotto, bistecca and roast vegetables, all from the farm.
Since it was my birthday, I decided to bring a triple-layer birthday cake that celebrated the harvest and made this cake, a chocolate and olive oil cake, with a frosting of saffron and ricotta. I used the same recipe you can find on this earlier blog post, but added a pinch of saffron diluted first in a shot glass of boiling water, to half of the frosting. Let the liquid, along with the threads, sit in the frosting for as long as you can to draw out as much colour as you can (the day before, for example) before using. I used the saffron-toned frosting on the top half only, the normal frosting in between layers and on the bottom and then blended the tones together with a spatula.
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, just one written full of love for a place that is very special and close to my heart! I became such good friends with the Fioroni family because of frequenting the farm so often and helping photograph Sarah Fioroni’s farm cookbook, Recipes From a Tuscan Farm. You’ll see if you visit. It’s hard not to fall in love! I mean look at this view.
I love this story, post and flowers. What a joyous birthday and I love that Mariu’s outfit matches the flowers.
Gorgeous post Emiko, and stunning photos. I like the idea of using saffron in sweets too. A lovely way to spend a birthday.
Thanks Carmen, it was a truly memorable birthday!
Wow!! What a treasured experience Emiko! Wish I could have gone with you. I had not heard of Italian saffron until Juls told me about it a couple of months ago. Very informative post on picking the saffron and when it is harvested.
A very Happy Birthday to you! I have Sarah’s book and now will go get it and make something from it. Your photos are lovely as usual.
This is a wonderful post, Happy Birthday! Beautiful view I am extremely jealous!
Beautiful post, thanks. A much needed injection of colour into my gun-metal north of England afternoon! | http://www.emikodavies.com/blog/saffron-and-ricotta-frosting-for-a-birthday-cake/ |
I was delighted to commence another round of athletic development training with the 11 to 17 year olds from Michael Cusacks GAA club in Galway this week.
The focus of this programme is on good movement, speed, agility, balance and co-ordination. Sessions consist of running technique exercises, speed drills, foot work, mobility and balance work – with the older age groups also undertaking plyometrics, core stability training and medicine ball exercises.
Having completed two similar blocks with this group in the past 12 months, it is brilliant to observe the improvements which the children and teenagers are making. | https://mypcoaching.ie/new-block-of-athletic-development-training-with-michael-cusacks-gaa-club/ |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DEFINITIONS
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Examples
The invention relates to paper making. In particular, the invention relates to novel paper or board structures and their manufacturing methods. Generally, the present structures include a nanocellulose-based web. In the method, a web is formed from a nanocellulose-containing suspension, and the web is dried in order to form paper or board.
For more than 200 years the conventional papermaking process is based on a filtration process of aqueous suspensions of woodfibers. Due to the large flocculation tendency, which can cause optical inhomogenities in the final paper structure, typically low consistencies of about 0.5-2% (by weight) woodfibers are used in paper furnishes. A large part of the production energy is consumed by the drying process, as water forms typically about 50% (by weight) of the wet web structure after filtration and pressing, and has to be evaporated in the drying section of the process.
Paper-like products have also been manufactured from non-cellulosic raw materials (e.g. ViaStone or FiberStone). Such products may consist of 80% calcium carbonate and 20% synthetic polymer resin, for example. By such materials, water consumption can be reduced or even avoided.
In certain applications, woodfibers have been replaced with nanocellulose as the raw material. This enables opportunities for new products, and new papermaking processes.
Cellulose Nanopaper Structures of High Toughness, Biomacromolecules,
Henriksson et al, 2008, 9 (6), 1579-1585 discloses a porous paper comprising a network of cellulose nanofibrils. The preparation of the paper starts from nanofibril-water suspension, where the water is removed so that a cellulose nanofibril network is formed. First, a 0.2% (by weight) stirred water suspension is vacuum filtrated in a filter funnel. The wet films obtained is dried under heat and pressure. Porosity of the product was increased by exchanging the water as a solvent for methanol, ethanol or acetone before drying.
US 2007/0207692 discloses a nonwoven transparent or semitransparent highly porous fabric containing microfibrillated cellulose. The fabric can be obtained by a similar process as in the abovementioned article of Henriksson et al. by forming a web from aqueous suspension of microfibrillated cellulose, exchanging the water solvent for organic solvent and drying. According to the examples, the consistency of the aqueous suspension is 0.1% (by weight) before web-forming. Both the abovementioned methods utilize nanocellulose fibers that are smaller in size than the cellulose fibers (wood fibers) used in conventional paper making. Sheets manufactured from nanocellulose fibers are reported to have high toughness and strength. However, due to their transparency and/or exceptionally high porosity they are not very suitable as such for printing purposes, for example.
In addition, there is a need for more efficient methods of manufacturing paper, paperboard or the like products from nanocellulose.
It is an aim of the invention to produce a novel method for manufacturing opaque nanocellulose-containing products and a novel nanocellulose-containing paper, board or paper- or board-like product (for simplicity, hereinafter referred to as “paper or board”). A particular aim of the invention is to achieve an opaque paper or board which can be manufactured with reduced water consumption and a method reducing the energy consumption of paper making.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method where paper is manufactured from a suspension comprising nanocellulose fibers, the water content of the suspension at the time of beginning of the drying being 50% or less by weight of liquids so as to form a paper or board having an average pore size between 200 and 400 nm.
It has been found that when the paper or board is dried from non-aqueous suspension, a product having an opacity of 85% or more, in particular 90% or more, and even 95% or more can be produced even without any opacifying additives. In other words, the web is dried from non-aqueous mass which is rich in nanocellulose fibers. The suspension typically comprises at least 50%, in particular at least 75%, preferably 95% (by weight) organic solvent, such as alcohol. The inventors have found that such suspensions significantly contribute to achieving high opacity, the screening of fiber-fiber interactions takes place and capillary forces are considerably reduced during the drying process. Thus, pore structures in the range of 200-400 nm can be achieved, the range being about half of the wavelength of the visible light (400-800 nm). While pores below 100 nm and above 800 nm do not scatter light efficiently, the light scattering is optimal exactly in this pore size range of half of the wavelength of visible light. In contrast, water-based nanocellulose papers are dense and therefore are not opaque but transparent, as will be shown later by experimental data. On the other hand, known nanocellulosic sheets are too porous and transparent to be used as a substitute for paper, e.g. in printing applications.
According to a preferred embodiment at least 30% of the volume of the pores of the paper or board is contained in pores having a size between 200 and 400 nm. This ensures that high opacity is achieved at all wavelengths of visible light.
10-90% by weight of solids nanocellulose fibers,
10-75% by weight of solids reinforcing macrofibers and/or filler, and
0-10% by weight of solids other additives,
the total amount of said components amounting to 100% by weight of solids. The macrofibers and filler contribute to achieving a product which has mechanical and/or optical properties comparable to those of conventional printing papers, increase the bulk of the product and help to reduce nanocellulose consumption.
According to a particular embodiment, the paper or board comprises
In addition to high opacity, by means of the invention, considerable energy savings are achieved because the heat of vaporization of non-aqueous solvents is typically lower than that of water. Moreover, it has been found by the inventors, that owing to the small particle size, flocculation of the nanofibers is about negligible for the optical homogeneity of the final web structure. This enables the use of suspensions with higher consistencies for drying and, if desired, even for high consistency web forming. The consistency of the suspension can be 0.5-90% (by weight). A relatively high consistency at this range further assists in achieving the desired pore size distribution and high opacity. According to a particular embodiment, the consistency is 1-50% (by weight), preferably at least 3% (by weight). Thus, the amount of liquids is initially significantly lower than in conventional papermaking. No special equipment is needed for nanocellulose-based high-consistency web forming.
Another advantage of the use of nanocelluloses compared to conventional woodfibers is the immense increase of contact points of the formed fiber web, which enables the use of non-aqueous suspensions during drying. Due to the reduced fiber-fiber interaction, woodfibers do not form any comparable, mechanically stable paper structures from typical non-aqueous (e.g. alcoholic) suspensions. In contrast, mechanically stable, porous and highly opaque paper-like web structures can be formed from alcoholic suspensions of cellulose nanofibers. Owing to a lower evaporation energy, the drying of nanocellulose webstructures from alcoholic suspensions is much more energy efficient compared to water-based web formation processes. Due to the much higher number of binding sites, also higher porosities and mechanical stabilities can be achieved using the same amount of nanocellulose compared to woodfibers, which allows reduction in raw materials use and higher contents of filler particles.
It has also been found by the inventors that cellulose particles with a high specific surface area form mechanically stable sheet-like structures (like paper) also from non-aqueous systems (e.g. ethanolic suspensions). This is a great improvement as compared with conventional sheets made from non-aqueous suspensions using wood-fibers, which do not hold together very well due to the much lower surface area of the much larger wood-fibers and the resulting much lower contact area.
The potential of the described new papermaking process compared to the conventional papermaking process is about 100% water savings, 60% energy savings, and 30-50% raw materials savings.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a novel paper comprising a network of nanocellulose fibers and reinforcing macrofibers and inorganic filler as additives.
According to one embodiment, the high-consistency non-aqueous suspension or the paper formed contains 10-90% (by weight of solids), in particular 25-75% additives such as macrofibers (in contrast to nanofibers) and/or filler. The macrofibers are preferably organic macrofibers, such as wood fibers used in conventional paper making. Macrofibers have been found to have a significant reinforcing effect on the paper. The filler is preferably organic (e.g. cellulosic) or inorganic filler such as pigment, in particular mineral pigment having an additional opacifying, whitening, brightening or coloring effect on the paper.
According to one embodiment, the amount of organic macrofibers is 1-30% (by weight of solids), in particular 1-10%. By this embodiment, mechanically more stable products can be manufactured.
According to one embodiment, the amount of filler is 10-75% (by weight of solids), in particular 25-75%. By this embodiment, the specific volume (bulk) or visual appearance, such as whiteness, brightness, color or opacity can be increased, depending on the type of filler. According to one embodiment, the suspension contains hydrophobization agent, such as sizing agent. The content of such agent can be, for example, 0.1-5% by weight. For example, alkenyl-succinic anhydride (ASA), can be used as the hydrophobization agent, in particular in the amount of 1-3 wt-%. One purpose of the hydrophobization agent is shielding of fiber-fiber interactions by hydrogen bonding and adjusting the porosity and/or bulk of the end product. Another purpose of the hydrophobization agent is to adjust the hydrophobic/lipophilic interactions for improved wettability, which is of importance in printing applications.
Organic solvent-based suspensions are compatible also with most other conventional additives used in papermaking.
According to a preferred embodiment, the porosity of the product is in the range of 10-50%, which is considerably smaller than achieved in US 2007/0207692 and allows the product to be used in printing applications, for example.
non-aqueous suspension is conveyed from suspension container to means for forming a web from the non-aqueous suspension,
the formed web is conveyed to drying zone for solvent removal,
the dried web is guided out of the drying zone for storage, and
optionally, solvent is collected (e.g. condensed) at the drying zone and recovered or circulated back to the process.
According to one embodiment, the paper of board is manufactured, i.e. formed and dried, directly from non-aqueous suspension. Such method comprises the following steps:
This embodiment has the advantage that even higher consistency suspensions can be used for web-forming as organic solvents have a significant positive effect on the rheology of the suspension and broaden the usable consistency range.
an aqueous suspension is conveyed from suspension container to means for forming a web from the aqueous suspension,
the aqueous solvent is exchanged with organic solvent,
the formed web is conveyed to drying zone for solvent removal,
the dried web is guided out of the drying zone for storage, and
optionally, solvent is condensed at the drying zone and recovered or circulated back to the process.
According to another embodiment, the web is formed from aqueous suspension, after which the aqueous solvent is exchanged with an organic solvent for drying. Such method comprises the following steps:
This embodiment has the advantage that aqueous suspensions, in which nanocellulose is typically produced, can be directly used for web-forming. In the solvent exchange step, at least 50%, typically at least 90% (by weight) of the aqueous solvent is replaced with non-aqueous solvent.
2
2
The grammage of the resulting paper is preferably 30-160 g/mand the grammage of the resulting board is preferably 120-500 g/m.
The term “nanocellulose” in this document refers to any cellulose fibers with an average diameter (by weight) of 10 micrometer or less, preferably 1 micrometer or less, and most preferably 200 nm or less. The “cellulose fibers” can be any cellulosic entities having high aspect ratio (preferably 100 or more, in particular 1000 or more) and in the abovementioned size category. These include, for example, products that are frequently called fine cellulose fibers, microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) fibers and cellulose nanofibers (NFC). Common to such cellulose fibers is that they have a high specific surface area, resulting in high contact area between fibers in the end product. The term “nanocellulose-based” paper or board means that the paper or board comprises a continuous network of nanocellulose fibers bound to each other so as to form the backbone of the paper or board.
The terms “macrofibers” (“woodfibers”) refer to conventional (wood-originating) cellulose fibers used in papermaking and falling outside the abovementioned diameter ranges of nanocellulose.
The term “non-aqueous suspension” refers to content of water in the suspension of 0.01-50%, typically 0.01-20%, in particular 0.01-5%, by weight of the total liquid phase of the suspension. Thus, the majority of the liquid phase of the suspension is other liquid than water, for example alcohol. In practice, a minor amount of water is contained in all technical qualities of organic solvents, such as alcohols. This is, in fact, necessary, as a small amount of water is needed for the hydrogen bonding of the nanofibers. However, even a water content of significantly less than 1% (by weight) is sufficient.
The term “high consistency” of suspension refers to a consistency significantly higher than the cellulose suspension of conventional paper making, in particular a consistency of 5% (by weight) or more. Although high consistency suspension is preferred due to the reduced need of liquid removal and increased runnability, it is to be noted that the invention can generally be applied to low-consistency suspensions too. The preferred consistency range is about 0.05%-90%, in particular about 1-50% (by weight).
The term “filler” includes all non-fibrous raw materials which can be bound to the pores of a nanocellulose-containing web. In particular, such materials comprise pigments, such as mineral and/or polymer pigments, optical brighteners and binders. Examples of pigments are particles selected from the group consisting of gypsum, silicate, talc, plastic pigment particles, kaolin, mica, calcium carbonate, including ground and precipitated calcium carbonate, bentonite, alumina trihydrate, titanium dioxide, phyllosilicate, synthetic silica particles, organic pigment particles and mixtures thereof.
Next, embodiments and advantages of the invention will be discussed in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.
The invention describes water-free paper production processes based on nanocelluloses, and sheet-like products made by these processes. The term water-free refers to cellulose suspensions which are not water-based (e.g. including hydrocarbon solvent, such as bio-ethanol). Low amounts of water can be still present, as it is typically the case in technical qualities of alcohols. The water-content of the liquid phase of the cellulose suspension has to be lower than 50%, preferably below 5% (by weight).
According to one embodiment, the relative permittivity of the solvent is at least 10 (e.g. ethanol: 24).
The process is characterized by the use of non-water based suspensions, which can be used at moderately high to high consistencies between 0.5% and 90%, preferably between 1 and 50%, typically 3-20% (by weight). High consistency of the suspension in the beginning of web-forming process minimizes the need of solvent removal/circulation and thus energy consumption. High-consistency organic solvent based forming thus has major positive economic and environmental effects. In conventional wood fiber-based paper making, high-consistency forming has required special high consistency formers, which have a different operating principle as in conventional low-consistency forming. Organic solvents have a significant effect on the rheology of the suspension and broaden the consistency range of conventional forming techniques at paper mills.
2
2
The specific area of the nanocellulose used within the invention is preferably at least 15 m/g, in particular at least 30 m/g. The cellulose fibers may be prepared from any cellulose-containing raw material, such as wood and/or plants. In particular, the cellulose may originate from pine, spruce, birch, cotton, sugar beet, rice straw, sea weed or bamboo, only to mention some examples. In addition, nanocellulose produced partly or entirely by bacterial processes can also be used (bacterial cellulose).
As concerns the manufacturing of nanocellulose, we refer to methods known per se, for example, as disclosed in US 2007/0207692, WO 2007/91942, JP 2004204380 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,381,294. The aqueous suspensions obtained by such method can be converted to non-aqueous suspensions within the meaning of the present invention by solvent exchange either before of after web-forming. However, it is also possible to produce directly alcoholic suspensions of nanocelluloses, e.g. by grinding ethanolic suspensions of dry pulp.
The web formation process can be performed by filtration of the non-aqueous suspension, e.g. vacuum filtration on a porous support, or by drying of the wet web structure on a non-porous support, e.g. belt drying, or by combinations of these methods.
The drying of the web can be performed by employing thermal energy, e.g. IR irradiation, or generating thermal energy in the wet web structure, e.g. microwave drying. Belt drying as the preferred drying process enables 100% retention of the raw material and of any additives to improve product performance or processability. Combinations or cascades of different drying techniques may also be employed.
Further possible process steps can be included, such as condensation and circulation of the solvent, and calandering or wetting of preformed sheets e.g. for the formation of layered structures.
As organic solvents are more expensive than water, recovery or circulation of the removed solvent is a preferred option.
FIG. 1
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
17
11
18
shows schematically the manufacturing process according to one embodiment of the invention. In the process, aqueous or non-aqueous suspension is conveyed from suspension container to a high-consistency (>1%) web former . If the suspension is aqueous, the formed web is subjected to a solvent exchange process. The formed non-aqueous web is conveyed using a belt conveyer , through drying zone containing a drier and solvent condenser . Dried web is guided out of the drying zone for storage. From the solvent condenser , the liquid solvent is circulated back to the suspension container through a circulation conduit .
FIG. 2
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided as a starting material a nanocellulose-based furnish including inorganic filler particles as additives. The range of filler content is typically 1-90%, preferably 10-75% (by weight). As nanocellulose-based paper structures prepared from such furnishes have relatively low tensile stiffness compared to conventional paper (see Table 2, ), wood fibers can be used as an additional additive to improve both tensile stiffness and tear strength. The wood-fiber content ranges from 1 to 30%, preferably from 1 to 10% (by weight).
FIG. 2
The preparation from non-aqueous furnishes is compatible also with other additives used in papermaking, e.g. sizing agents which can be used for nanofiber hydrophobization (see Table 2 and ). Hydrophobized nanofibers can be used for adjusting the porosity, bulk and/or hydrophobic/lipophilic interactions. Thus, the formed paper or board can be designed suitable for high quality printing applications, in which the porosity and wettability, in particular, must be in a desired range.
25-75% (by weight) nanocellulose fibers,
1-30% (by weight) reinforcing macrofibers, and
0-75% (by weight) fillers,
0-10% (by weight) other additives,
the total amount of components amounting to 100%.
According to one advantageous embodiment, the present nanocellulose-based paper comprises
Table 1 shows examples of nanocellulose-based papers including additives (filler and wood-fibers). The filler used for the samples shown in Table 1 was ground calcium carbonate (GCC) (Hydrocarb HO, supplied by Omya, Finland). Reinforcing wood fibers were obtained from bleached birch Kraft pulp. All listed compositions have been found to be processable from non-aqueous suspensions and to the porosity range according to the invention.
TABLE 1
Grammage
Filler
Enforcement
(g/m<sup>2</sup>)
amount
fibres
NFC 100-5 +
80
0%
—
filler
80
50%
—
80
50%
2%
80
50%
5%
80
50%
10%
NFC 100-5 +
120
0%
—
filler
120
25%
—
120
50%
—
120
75%
—
Table 2 shows grammage examples of nanocellulose-based papers prepared from aqueous suspensions (ethanol), including the use of sizing agent (ASA). All listed paper grades have been found to be processable from non-aqueous suspensions and to the porosity range according to the invention.
TABLE 2
Material
grammage (g/m<sup>2</sup>)
NFC 100-5
30
60
120
NFC (2%) ASA
60
FIG. 2
5
9
2
8
Table 3 shows measurement data on mechanical and optical properties of papers according to the invention and comparative papers. The data is shown graphically in . NFC and NFC refer to the ‘water-free’ papermaking approach, compared also to other NFC sheet structures made from aqueous suspensions, like NFC and NFC .
2
5
8
9
The NFC and NFC papers were composed of 100 wt-% plain nanofibrillated cellulose 100-5 (ground beech fibers) and the NFC and papers were composed of 100 wt-% ASA-treated nanofibrillated cellulose 100-5 (ground beech fibers) (amount of ASA 2 wt-%). The raw NFC 100-5 was obtained from Rettenmaier & Sohne GmbH, Germany. No other additives, pigments, wood-fibers have been used for those NFC films were contained in the samples tested.
For film formation suspensions of NFC and ASA-NFC, respectively, were prepared in water or ethanol with concentrations in the range of 0.2-1 wt %. The suspensions were homogenized by using a Waring 38-BL40 laboratory blender. Subsequently the sheets were formed in a Büchner funnel by filtration under reduced pressure. The obtained wet NFC sheets were dried at 50° C. between glass plates in a Memmert 400 drying oven.
TABLE 3
tensile
air
bright-
tensile
Tensile
energy
tensile
TEA
grammage
thickness
bulk
permeance
ness
opacity
strength
index
stretch
absorption
stiffness
index
(g/m2)
(microns)
(cm3/g)
(ml/min)
(%)
(%)
(kN/m)
(Nm/g)
(%)
(J/m2
(kN/m)
(J/g)
copy paper MD
82.2
103
1.25
836
97.5
90.8
4.8
58.4
1.1
34
712
0.414
copy paper CD
82.2
103
1.25
836
97.5
90.8
1.68
20.4
3.4
45
207
0.547
NFC 2
NFC 100-5
76.7
75.8
0.99
1
76.6
35.9
4.45
58.0
3.2
110
321
1.434
NFC 5
NFC 100-5
72.3
139
1.93
6
91.7
93.6
1.68
23.2
3.8
47.6
155
0.658
(ethanol
NFC 8
NFC (2% ASA)
55.4
72.8
1.31
3
86.8
71.2
1.83
33.0
1.9
23.2
166
0.419
NFC 9
NFC-2% ASA
72.4
190
2.62
413
93.2
95.2
0.437
6.0
2.4
8.2
39.6
0.113
(ethanol)
5
9
2
8
As can be seen from Table 3, ethanol-based suspensions (NFC , NFC ) resulted in thicker, more bulky, brighter and more opaque papers than the comparison papers manufactured from water-based suspensions (NFC , NFC ). Also other properties measured indicate that such papers have the potential of being widely used in similar applications as conventional copy papers.
5
2
The pore size distributions of NFC and NFC test papers were measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The method is based on the gradual intrusion of mercury into the pores of the formed NFC sheets. For this purpose a high pressure station, Pascal 440 (Thermo Scientific), was been employed. It allows measurements at high pressures up to 400 MPa and by this the intrusion of pores in the single nanometer range. The experimental data is obtained in form of dependence of filled pore volume upon the applied pressure. These data are converted into a pore size distribution histogram by applying the Washburn equation describing the relation between mercury pressure and pore radius.
FIGS. 3
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
a
b
a
b
3
5
2
Results of the measurements are shown in and , respectively. The relative pore volume is shown in percentages as vertical bars for a plurality of pore diameter ranges and the cumulative pore volume is shown in cubic centimeters per gram as a curve. As can be seen, the sheet dried from alcohol-based suspension (NFC , ) contains almost two orders of magnitude smaller pore size than the sheet dried from aqueous suspension (NFC , ). The average pore size of the former lies in the advantageous range of 200-400 nm, whereas average pore size of the latter is over 20 μm. The indicated dominant geometry of the pores of the NFC sheets is cylindrical.
The embodiments and specific examples disclosed above and issuprated in the attached drawings are non-limiting. The invention is defined in the attached claims which are to be interpreted in their full scope taking equivalents into account.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
illustrates schematically manufacturing apparatus according one embodiment.
FIG. 2
shows measured properties of exemplary ethanol suspension-based nanocellulose papers, conventional copy paper and aqueous suspension-based nanocellulose papers.
FIGS. 3
a
b
3
and show pore size distributions of paper sheets manufactured from non-aqueous and aqueous suspensions, respectively. | |
Mark Lawrence and Joe McGranaghan host Bucknell professors Dr. Alexander ‘Tristan’ Riley, Professor of Sociology, and Dr. Chris Ellis, Associate Professor of Political Science, on the upcoming series of speeches and discussions asking the question—are colleges still places for free speech, or has ‘safe space’ censorship taken over? We talked about a groundbreaking series of talks aimed as asking if all ideas are welcome… Below is the full schedule of speeches and discussions talked about on OTM.
Later, on open phones, we talked about the Climate Strike, Climate Summit, and the pushback against Greta Thunberg.
The Bucknell Program for American Leadership and Citizenship presents: Campus Politics and the Liberal Arts 2019-20 speaker series
BPALC Events 2019-20 Campus Politics and Civil Liberties
Are colleges still places where people can speak their minds and debate ideas? Or have they become havens for censorship and “political correctness” run amok? Are they supposed to be places of safety, where students can develop in a nurturing and supportive environment? Or places of exploration and risk, where students are taught the value of being uncomfortable? Should there be limits to free expression and due process rights on campus that do not exist off campus? What is the relationship between political activism and scientific research? Is there such a thing as a “non-political” social science?
This series will explore these and other questions as part of a broader program designed to better understand the changing climate at Bucknell and on campuses nationwide. We will host an ongoing series of speakers from a diverse set of political and cultural backgrounds whose research and teaching interests, personal experiences, or professional qualifications lead them to care deeply about the importance of engaging in intellectual, civil dialogue on important political questions.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019: Sam Abrams, Professor of Politics at Hamilton and resident fellow, AEI. Abrams writes on political diversity among faculty and administrators. This anodyne New York Times op-ed made him the subject of vandalism and death threats at Hamilton.
Thursday, October 3, 2019: Lee Jussim, Professor of Psychology, Rutgers University. Jussim has been very active in publicizing and writing about the politicization of social psychology and related disciplines, and the implications of this politicization for academic and scientific integrity. He is a founding member of Heterodox Academy, a group dedicated to viewpoint diversity in American universities, and the co-editor of The Politics of Social Psychology. Here is an article in Quillette discussing his efforts to reveal the political biases of psychological research on stereotyping.
Thursday, November 14, 2019: Heather Mac Donald, J.D., Stanford University, Manhattan Institute. Mac Donald is the Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor of City Journal, and a New York Times bestselling author. She is a recipient of the 2005 Bradley Prize. Mac Donald’s work at City Journal has covered a range of topics, including higher education, immigration, policing, homelessness and homeless advocacy, criminal-justice reform, and race relations. Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, and The New Criterion. Mac Donald’s newest book, The Diversity Delusion: How Race and Gender Pandering Corrupt the University and Undermine Our Culture (2018), argues that toxic ideas first spread by higher education have undermined humanistic values, fueled intolerance, and widened divisions in our larger culture.
Thursday, December 5, 2019: Jason Manning, Associate Professor of Sociology, West Virginia. He is the co-author of The Rise of Victimhood Culture: Microaggressions, Safe Spaces, and the New Culture Wars. This book is one of the most thorough efforts to describe and explain the moral debates taking place in modern universities and, increasingly, elsewhere in American society. Here is a blog run by the book’s authors dedicated to the book and discussion of related issues.
Thursday, March 19, 2020: Laura Kipnis, Professor of Communications, Northwestern University. She is the author of Unwanted Advances: Sexual Paranoia Comes to Campus. The book is an expansion of a long Chronicle of Higher Education essay (“Sexual Paranoia Strikes Academe”) documenting the authoritarian nature of a colleague’s Title IX investigation. Kipnis’ essay earned her a Title IX investigation of her own.
Monday, April 6, 2020: Peter Boghossian, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Portland State University. Boghossian was one of the primary figures in the “Grievance Studies affair,” in which he and colleagues James Lindsay and Helen Pluckrose published a number of hoax papers in academic journals as part of their criticism of the politicization and lack of scholarly standards in a set of fields including women’s and gender studies. As a result, Portland State University initiated a research misconduct investigation of him in 2018.
Questioning American Identities
In recent years a number of commentators have described American society as slipping into a “cold civil war.” Much of the division relates to identity–what is essential about it, what is fluid, and how it relates to being American, if at all. Trying to shed light on this phenomenon and what it means to be American in the presidential election year of 2020, prominent public thinkers and scholars will examine key issues that raise questions about American identities today for civil debate on campus.
Thurs., Oct. 24–Prof. Allen Guelzo (Princeton University): American National Identity: Lincoln at Gettysburg. Prof. Guelzo is one of America’s most distinguished Civil War historians, and expert on Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and the Gettysburg campaign (in which the Bucknell community had firsthand involvement), and their significance in shaping a common American national identity as a constitutional republic. Prof. Guelzo is an unprecedented three-time winner of the Lincoln Prize, for his books Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America, and Gettysburg: The Last Invasion. He will explore a foundational argument for American national identity emerging from the Civil War.
Thurs., Feb. 6–Prof. Michael Anton (Hillsdale College), American Citizenship and the 2016 Election. Michael Anton is former Deputy Assistant to the President for Strategic Communications on the National Security Council, and current Lecturer and Research Fellow in Politics of the Kirby Center of Hillsdale College, in Washington, DC. He is author of the book After the Flight 93 Election): American Citizenship and the 2016 Election, and his 2016 essay “The Flight 93 Election” helped galvanize skeptical conservative and centrist support for then-candidate Trump’s presidential bid. He will examine the contested meaning of citizenship in relation to current debates over American identity involving class and ideology related to the last presidential election and continuing today.
Tues., Feb. 18–Rod Dreher (author of The Benedict Option) and Dr. Andrew Sullivan (editor of Same-Sex Marriage Pro & Con: A Reader), American Religious and Sexual Identities: Coexistence or Cold Civil War? Dreher, Senior Editor for The American Conservative, is a popular blogger and advocate for religious freedoms for traditional faith communities in 21st-century America. Sullivan, likewise a well-known blogger, is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Both identify as religious believers, and share a history of sometimes sharp public intellectual disagreements, in which they nonetheless have developed a mutual respect in trying to understand each other’s position. Together at Bucknell they will debate current national division over secular sexual identities vs. religious freedoms, and whether that will preclude or permit a common American culture, or any consensus on pluralism as a marker of American identity today.
Wed., Jan. 22–Prof. Jennifer Silva (Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs), Class, Politics, and American Identity in Flyover America. Silva is an ethnographer who conducted extensive research among working-class black, Latino, and white men and women in rural Pennsylvania in the years leading up to the 2016 Presidential election. Her new book (We’re Still Here: Pain and Politics in the Heart of America) provides an intimate, often poignant portrayal of the transformations rippling through rural America and their consequences.
Tues. March 24–Prof. Victor Davis Hanson (Hoover Institution, Cal State Fresno, Hillsdale College), America’s Identity in the World: The Korean War, 70 years On. An eminent classicist and military historian who received the National Humanities Medal in 2007, he is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow in classics and military history at Stanford’s Hoover Institution and Visiting Professor at Hillsdale College. His scholarship has tracked the cultural significance of war from ancient times to the present, in works including Why the West Has Won: Carnage and Culture from Salamis to Vietnam, and The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won. His talk will explore how America’s global role in the Cold War both expressed and helped to define modern American identity, focusing on the legacy of the Korean War on its 70th anniversary, a struggle in which Bucknellians also participated. Prof. Hanson’s visit to Bucknell will also include a public Conversation on The Case for Trump, his most recent book, in dialogue with BPALC-related faculty. | http://www.wkok.com/podcast/9-24-19-on-the-mark-joe-mark-host-drs-ellis-and-wiley-from-bucknell-full-bpalc-sked-here/ |
Ideally, engineers would work side-by-side with ethicists when developing new technology, according to journalist and academic Waleed Aly.
Take self-driving cars. In the creation of the technology that drives those cars, engineers are required to tell the car what to do when it’s faced with a collision with a pedestrian. Should the car be programmed to swerve, missing the pedestrian, even if it means killing the driver? Or should the driver’s safety be paramount?
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If that were a regular car, the decision would be made in a split second by the driver. In the case of self-driving cars, the ethical conundrum is placed on those who build it.
“Who should decide this? Should we leave this to car manufacturers, or software manufacturers, who are going to be creating these cars?” Aly asks.
“Does Google make this decision for us? Is that appropriate? Should it be the government? Should it be the driver? We’re talking about the moral fibre of society really. Is there something ethically different about a split-second decision that can be critiqued afterwards, or one that is made well in advance?
“These are ethical questions that you cannot escape merely by technology.”
Aly was speaking on the topic of ethics in technology at the Above All Human conference in Melbourne on Tuesday. He says it’s important to examine the reasons behind developing new technology, in order to be aware of, and to accept the ethical implications of such decisions.
“I would just ask you to think about it. If you can ask yourself a series of questions about what it is you’re about to unleash, that perhaps you weren’t asking before, and you could perhaps talk to other people,” Aly says.
“Shouldn’t engineers and ethicists be in the same room when they’re designing these (self-driving) cars? If not, that’s when we have a problem.”
A good ethicist won’t tell developers what to think, Aly says, rather they will ensure that engineers understand and are comfortable with the implications of their actions.
“We’re not used to having ethical conversations because we don’t have people that we have access to that are very good at them, and we don’t recognise what they look like when we do have them,” he says. | https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/news/local/why-ethicists-and-engineers-need-to-start-talking-to-each-other-waleed-aly/ |
Hitachi has announced that it has further developed 3D holographic technology. It is now claimed that it is possible to project a 3D image into mid-air using a rotating mirror system. The technology works via a rapid spinning action of mirrors placed around a displayed object. Hitachi says the technology could end up in schools and museums as well as industry.
It’s not hard to guess where the inspiration came from the 3D holographic technology (see Star Wars image) and it’s no surprise that the futuristic technology has now been developed. It is predicted that the technology will be best used in engineering and manufacturing where the design process could be greatly aided by a holographic 3D model.
Three years ago Hitachi first announced that it had developed a way to make a 3D display, which worked by capturing 24 angles of an object and transmitting them to form objects of upto 10cm in height. It was also announced that an image as complex as that of a human could be formed. | https://www.pcr-online.biz/2007/08/14/3d-holographics-tuned-up-by-hitachi/ |
This Caprese Salad or the Insalata Caprese is a classic Italian dish that is loaded with juicy, perfectly ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fragrant basil. It's topped with olive oil and a delicious balsamic glaze. The balsamic glaze brings together all the favors for an incredible Italian inspired meal, appetizer or snack. It is super easy to whip up, vibrant, yet incredibly tasty and naturally low carb.
Prep Time
10
mins
Total Time
10
mins
Course:
Salad
Cuisine:
Italian
Keyword:
caprese salad
Servings:
2
servings
Calories:
424
Author:
Ioana Borcea from LowCarbSpark.com
Ingredients
2-3
Tomatoes
sliced ~1/2 inch thick
8
oz
Fresh Mozzarella
sliced ~1/4 inch thick
1/4
cup
Fresh Basil
1
tbsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
to tast
Pepper to taste
to taste
Mixed Greens
Optional
Balsamic Glaze
2
cups
balsamic vinegar
1/4
cup
honey
optional
Instructions
Slice tomatoes and mozzarella.
Alternate the slices of tomatoes and mozzarella on a large plate.
Sprinkle chopped pieces of fresh basil on top.
Drizzle olive oil and balsamic glaze and serve immediately.
Balsamic Glaze
Add 2 cups balsamic vinegar to a medium pot or saucepan and place over medium heat.
Bring to boil then reduce heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until it starts to thicken. You’ll know it done when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Allow cooling before serving.
Nutrition
Serving:
1
serving
|
Calories:
424
kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
7
g
|
Protein:
26
g
|
Fat:
32
g
|
Saturated Fat:
15
g
|
Cholesterol:
89
mg
|
Sodium:
717
mg
|
Potassium:
377
mg
|
Fiber:
1
g
|
Sugar:
4
g
|
Vitamin A:
1950
IU
|
Vitamin C:
17.4
mg
|
Calcium:
590
mg
|
Iron:
0.9
mg
|
Net Carbs: | https://www.lowcarbspark.com/wprm_print/32291 |
March 15th, 2019 – Nogales, Arizona.
“Social Responsibility is our commitment as the employer to care for our workers. The workers feel there is a commitment from the company and this is the first thing they are aware of”.
– Francisco Campaña (Director & Owner of Campaña Agricultores).
“Having social programs in place is important because it’s the right thing to do. We don’t ask for anything of our employees that we’re not able to do ourselves. If we’re on the other side of the table, we would like to be treated like that”.
– Horacio Campaña (Co-director & Owner of Campaña Agricultores).
“Agriculture companies benefit from Social Responsibility because it contributes to higher returning rates from the workers. The industry is passing through a phase, and for the first time in Mexico, we’re facing a labor crisis. Only the places most desirable will have employees return. Our employees already like what we do. It is always our goal to have workers come back next year”.
– Francisco & Horacio Campaña.
“It’s good business to have Social Responsibility. The workers like to have direction, principles, and clear rules to follow. It gives them certainty of what to do and what not to. It makes our team feel good to know they are doing the right thing. Without a guide or supervision, the moral of the company could decline, so being socially responsible keeps us consistent. A happier worker, is a more productive worker”.
– Horacio Campaña (Co-director & Owner of Campaña Agricultores).
“Our team is important to the company. We couldn’t do it without them”.
Livier Ugalde (Social Responsibility & Certifications Manager).
“I don’t know if this is much like a cliché but, if you give your employees better treatment, it creates a better working environment and better work results. I remember when certifications started or audits, as we called them, we thought it was an extra cost or something that will increase our costs and with time we saw the people, the workers, they like to have clear instructions and rules and they follow them and, little by little, they started washing their hands always, and having their caps on; it was something we didn’t expect. We’re trying to improve every season, but we’re far from perfect. The rest of the Agriculture industry has a lot of work to do“.
– Francisco Campaña.
For more information, please contact:
Michael DuPuis
Public Relation Coordinator, Divine Flavor, LLC
+1 (520)-281-8328
[email protected]
Chaparral - Tombell
To see more about the actions and programs of Social Responsibility clic here. | https://divineflavor.com/2019/03/13/campana-social-responsibility-because-its-the-right-thing-to-do/ |
Disturbing election casts shadow over U.S. ideal of freedom
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The sun rose over New York harbour at 6:33 on Monday, the day before Americans were finally to vote in the ugliest U.S. election anyone can remember. The horizon glowed pink against the grey morning waves. Gulls circled in the early light. A plane traced a white thread across the eastern sky.
Off in the distance, a figure came into view, her arm held high. As the first full rays bathed her towering form, the green of her copper robes showed against the sky’s blue backdrop and the gold flame in her upraised torch seemed to glow.
The United States is not just the most powerful country in the world. It’s the most powerful idea: the idea of freedom. If that idea becomes tarnished and the torch dims, the whole world stands to suffer.
That is one reason this election has been so disturbing: It has thrown a shadow over the American idea. The country that likes to call itself the world’s greatest democracy has just put on a shocking display of political dysfunction.
A vulgar demagogue who can barely open his mouth without uttering a lie, a slur or a boast has come within striking distance of the White House. The descent of American democracy has spread doubts among its allies and chagrin among its admirers.
Its rivals, meanwhile, lick their chops. Freedom House, a U.S. think tank, reports that 2015 saw “the 10th consecutive year of decline in global freedom.”
Even at its worst moments, the United States has always stood for something. The Statue of Liberty is the embodiment of the hope that Americans, and people around the world, place in its experiment with “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
Lady Liberty sprang from the imagination of a Frenchman. Historian Édouard de Laboulaye was a student of the U.S. Constitution who believed that freedom was an inalienable right. As an admirer of the United States, he thought that honouring its virtues would help boost the struggle for democracy back home. When the Union victory in the Civil War seemed to affirm the strength of American democracy, the time was right for a grand gesture.
With the help of, among others, sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the statue took shape: a woman, formed of copper sheets, holding a torch in her right hand and, in her left, a tablet carrying the date that the U.S. Declaration of Independence was adopted. Broken chains at her feet stand for the broken bonds of tyranny.
Most statues and monuments commemorate a historical figure or event. This one aimed to promote an idea. In case anyone should miss the point, it was formally named Liberty Enlightening the World.
Today, about four million people a year visit the Statue of Liberty National Monument and its companion, Ellis Island, once the country’s main centre for clearing new immigrants. On the ferry to the islands, a recorded announcement tells visitors the statue is “a universal symbol of our nation’s freedom.”
The idea that American democracy could be beacon to the world has endured since the statue was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland on Oct. 28, 1886. Ronald Reagan, borrowing a phrase from an early pilgrim, John Winthrop, called his country a “shining city on a hill” – a “tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace.”
Hillary Clinton, who faces Donald Trump in Tuesday’s election, has said that “I believe we are still Lincoln’s last, best hope of Earth. We’re still Reagan’s shining city on a hill.”
But many Americans are beginning to doubt the country can even govern itself, much less be an example to the world. A recent New York Times/CBS News poll found that, as the Times put it, “an overwhelming majority of voters are disgusted by the state of American politics.”
After this campaign, it is hard to blame them. In the famous sonnet by Emma Lazarus that visitors can read when they come to the Statue of Liberty, the “mighty woman with a torch” proclaims, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” How does that square with a candidate for president who called for a ban on Muslim visitors and proposes to build a wall on the border with Mexico? Even if Mr. Trump goes down to defeat in Tuesday’s balloting, polls suggest he will get the support of more than 40 per cent of those who vote.
On Liberty Island on a bright and blustery Monday, some visitors said they were discouraged by what they witnessed in this election. Elorise Harris, 29, of Dubuque, Iowa, was pushing her daughter in a stroller and enjoying her first-ever visit to the statue, a “magnificent, beautiful thing” to see. “It is a beacon of hope,” she said, “but in this election, it just doesn’t seem we are showing that.”
French visitor Céline Lemoine simply shook her head when asked about the election. “For we French,” she said, “it seems a little crazy.”
Others said they had not lost hope for the United States and its ideals. International polls, the Times notes in a report published Sunday on the country’s tarnished reputation, still find that it is the world’s most admired country.
Colette Jones, 56, a property manager from England, said it might not be a bad thing that Americans were “speaking up and standing up” for what they believe, even if the debate is raucous. She said the United States has righted itself before and could do it again after letting off steam.
This is certainly far from the first crisis in U.S. democracy. The post-Second World War period alone has seen upheavals over the Vietnam War, riots over racial injustice, the Richard Nixon Watergate scandal, the Bill Clinton sex scandal and the trauma of 9/11. The mighty woman’s torch has shone through it all, a lasting symbol of hope in the promise of freedom and the strength of American democracy.
As the sun set at 4:45 on Monday, the statue stood in silhouette against an orange sky. A group of onlookers on a harbourside pier let out a cheer as the sun dropped below the horizon. Just before darkness, Liberty’s torch lit up, a beacon for all who could see it.
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Q:
Periodic orbits
Let $x\in\mathbb R$ be a periodic point with lenght 2 of the recursion $x_{n+1}=f(x_n)$
My book about Dynamic systems says that this recursion has a fixed point now, because a periodic point with length 2 exists.
May you could help me to prove this statement?
A:
In general if $f$ is continuous, and there exists an integer k>1 and a real number $a$ such that $f^k(a)=a$ then there exists a real number $r$ such that $f(r)=r$.
Proof: Let $g(x)=f(x)-x$. Since:
$g(a)+g(f(a))+g(f^2(a))+...+g(f^{k-1}(a))=f^k(a)-a=0$, therefore either one of the numbers $g(a),g(f(a)),g(f^2(a)),...,g(f^{k-1}(a))$ is zero (in this case we are done) or one of these numbers is positive and another number is negative. Assume WLOG that the second case holds. Let $g(f^i(a))g(f^j(a))<0$ (it means that they have different signs). Since, $g$ has a sign change in the interval $[\min(f^i(a),f^j(a)),\max(f^i(a),f^j(a))]$, thus $g$ has a root.
| |
The Facts About Job Satisfaction
SummaryJob satisfaction is an attitude that employees have about their work and is based on numerous factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic to the individual. Job satisfaction is important from the perspective of maintaining and retaining the appropriate employees within the organization; it is about fitting the right person to the right job in the right culture and keeping them satisfied.
Job satisfaction is an attitude that employees have about their work and is based on numerous factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic to the individual. Job satisfaction is important from the perspective of maintaining and retaining the appropriate employees within the organization; it is about fitting the right person to the right job in the right culture and keeping them satisfied. 1,2
Today's business environment is characterized by weak economies, rapidly changing technology, organizational re-engineering, shortened length of tenure, and outsourcing of peripheral business activities. The pharmaceutical industry is reflective of this environment. Under these circumstances, managers should concentrate on removing sources of dissatisfaction from the workplace in order to keep employees busy, productive, and satisfied. At the same time, employees need to take responsibility for their own satisfaction in their job. 2
*A theory of job satisfaction
Herzberg developed one of the earliest theories relating to job satisfaction in the 1950s. His "two-factor" theory emphasizes that there are factors in the workplace that create satisfaction (motivators) and those which lead to dissatisfaction if they are not present (hygiene factors). There are four motivators in the theory: achievement, recognition, responsibility, and advancement; and five hygiene factors: monetary rewards, competent supervision, policy and administration, working conditions, and security. The implication of the theory is that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not opposite ends of the same scale and that job satisfaction may merely be an absence of job dissatisfaction.2 Herzberg argues that it is necessary to have hygiene factors at an acceptable level simply to reach a neutral feeling about the job. The theory has not been without its critics from the perspective of both the methodology of the studies and the underlying assumption that all individuals behave in a similar way in the workplace. However, the theory is simple and has a common sense appeal3,4, and it supports the argument that today's manager should concentrate on removing the dissatisfiers from the workplace and concentrate on employing and developing the right people on the job.
*Personality: A key to satisfaction
That employees are predisposed to greater or lesser job satisfaction has been studied by Staw and his coworkers.2,5 Staw argues that individuals with a positive outlook on life, or who are optimistic, will have higher job satisfaction irrespective of the job or workplace they are in. It is an individual's personality that causes consistent behaviour in given situations and which lends itself to either a positive or negative outlook on life. Personality is a relatively stable set of characteristics that give rise to the patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving within a person's environment.6 One element of personality that relates to job satisfaction is optimism. Daniel Goleman7 discusses optimism and its relationship to an individual's outlook in life. He argues that optimism is an attitude that allows individuals to cope in the face of adversity, which prevents them from becoming apathetic and depressed. Further, underlying optimism is the concept of self-efficacy, which relates to an individual's belief that they can successfully complete tasks and meet objectives. A high level of self-efficacy translates to a strong belief in one's own ability.5 Thus, personality must have a strong influence on job satisfaction. It follows, then, that managers must be aware of the personalities of their employees and how they fit into the job, the work environment, and indeed the organizational culture. They must ensure that the work environment is conducive to bringing out the best in their employees' personalities by removing dissatisfiers from the workplace.
*What managers need to do?
Job satisfaction and its relationship to dispositional factors supports the notion that managers must concentrate on employing the right people for the organization in order to maximize on the possibility that employees will be satisfied. Satisfied employees will stay with the company for a relatively long period. Thus, they must concentrate on removing dissatisfiers from the workplace to enable employees to get on with their own satisfaction in an environment that is conducive to achieving both their own needs and those of the organization.
*The workplace and satisfaction
Harry Onsman8 discusses a retrospective Gallup study of one million employees in North America. This study showed that the elements in the workplace that contribute to a state of job satisfaction are all "group-level" items. Group-level items are those that relate to workplace relationships with colleagues, managers, and workplace friends. In the study there were twelve core elements which were important in job satisfaction and which had an influence on attracting and retaining the most productive employees. These are summarized as follows, in order of importance:
1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the past seven days, have I received recognition of praise for good work?
5. Does my supervisor or someone else at work seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions count?
8. Does the mission of my company make me feel like my work is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the past six months, have I talked with someone about my progress?
12. At work, have I had the opportunity to learn and grow?
A review of these elements confirms a couple of pertinent points. Firstly, referring back to Herzberg's two-factor theory, most of the elements can be related to the "motivators." Secondly, most of the elements relate to the workplace at the group level and not the corporate level, where managers have traditionally concentrated their efforts. Since the elements mostly relate to group-level issues, these are more easily managed if the employees working within the organization have values that fit with those of the organization. Moreover, it follows that there is more likely to be an environment of job satisfaction if these elements can be achieved through the individuals themselves. The corporate-level dissatisfiers must be removed from the workplace in order that individuals are not distracted by them and that they have the space to develop the work group-level elements.
*An illustration
That managers need to concentrate on employing the right person for the job (including management jobs) and the organization in order to facilitate job satisfaction can be shown through illustration. The Body Shop (Australia) is an example of an organization that employs people who fit the organizational culture and as a result enjoys high levels of job satisfaction among its employees. Nicholas Way9 reports that The Body Shop employs people whose values and personal goals are synchronized with the aims and ethos of the organization. The Body Shop staff "seem to fit the culture" of the organization. They make statements such as "this is where I want to stay" when discussing the experience of working for the organisation. The figures on staff turnover and tenure reflect that the organisation is successful in retaining staff.
*Satisfaction: A joint responsibility
In today's pharmaceutical industry, managers must ensure that they employ the right people for the jobs within their organization, a concept that applies to the entire organization and includes the managers themselves. At the same time, management must create a work environment that is free from dissatisfiers in order that employees can go about achieving the aims and mission of the organization that are in line with their own career goals and objectives. Managers should encourage employees to take responsibility for their own job satisfaction by developing an environment that allows them the scope to perform well. In this environment, employees need to accept that responsibility and take steps to build on their own satisfaction.
References
1. Ross, Emily. 2001. "Love the Job." Business Review Weekly, 23 : 56-59.
2. Crow, Stephen M. & Hartman, Sandra J. 1995. "Can't Get No Satisfaction." Leadership & Organization Development Journal. 16 : 34-38.
3. Mitchell, Terence R., Dowling, Peter J., Kabanoff, Boris V. & Larson, James R. 1988. People in Organizations: An Introduction to Organizational Behavior in Australia. Sydney: McGraw-Hill.
4. Knowles, Michael C. Organization Behavior: Changing Concepts and Applications. Sydney: Harper & Row.
5. Ivancevich, J., Olekalns, M. & Matteson, M. 1997. Organizational Behavior and Management. Sydney: McGraw-Hill.
6. Huczinsky, Andrzej & Buchanan, David. 1991. Organizational Behavior, an Introductory Text. London: Prentice Hall.
7. Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. 1995. London: Bloomsbury.
8. Onsman, Harry. 1999. "The Secret of a Happy Office." Business Review Weekly. 21 .
9. Way, Nicholas. 2000. "The Kings of Culture." Business Review Weekly. 22 : 100-104. | https://www.pharmiweb.com/article/the-facts-about-job-satisfaction |
Is cooking on black charcoal bad?
Charcoal is often a preferred method of cooking, but as with any form of grilling, it does come with dangers. One obvious danger of charcoal grilling is the risk of fire, but what causes the fire is sometimes less predictable. For example, while cooking, oils can drip onto the charcoal and lead to flare-ups.
Can you cook food directly on charcoal?
To bump up flavor even more, roast vegetables directly in the coals without any foil and cook chicken, beef or pork on the grill grates above. … Brush the meat with butter or olive oil, then nestle it in the coals and turn it every 1½ minutes.
Is charcoal smoke bad for food?
Cooking food close to the coals, in a smoky environment or for prolonged periods, can create high levels of PAHs in your food. This in turn may increase your risk of cancer. There are ways to minimise your exposure to PAHs from the barbecue.
Is it safe to cook on charcoal?
Grilling with charcoal can be dangerous if not done properly. Using too much lighter fluid, or substances such as gasoline and other flammables to ignite the charcoal could result in very serious burns. Using a charcoal grill in an enclosed space can cause carbon monoxide poisoning that can result in death.
How long should charcoal burn before cooking?
Let the charcoal or briquettes burn until they’re covered with white-gray ash (it takes about 5 to 10 minutes for the coals to get to high heat and 25 to 30 minutes to get to medium heat).
What can I cook over charcoal?
7 Things That Are Better Grilled Over Charcoal
- Chicken-and-Seafood Paella. …
- Barbecued Brisket and Burnt Ends. …
- Smoky Barbecued Chicken. …
- Turkey Breast Escabeche with Onions Poblanos. …
- Charred and Smoky Belgian Endives. …
- Ember-Roasted Baba Ghanoush. …
- Swordfish Steaks with Smoky Tomato Ketchup.
Is charcoal cancerous?
Charcoal itself is not a carcinogen, but cooking with charcoal does have a link to cancer. There are two main reasons for this. The first risk of charcoal use is that you’re cooking foods at very high temperatures, the second is that charcoal cooking creates a lot of smoke.
Why is smoked meat bad for you?
The grilling and smoking processes that give meats that charred appearance and smoky flavor generate some potentially cancer-causing compounds in the food. Charred, blackened areas of the meat – particularly well-done cuts – contain heterocyclic aromatic amines.
Can you get sick from charcoal?
The few adverse effects of activated charcoal are: nausea and vomiting after drinking it, often in response to the gritty feeling of the mixture, and. vomiting and inhaling (aspirating) the activated charcoal. This could happen if the patient is very drowsy.
Which is healthier gas or charcoal grill?
But when you ask health experts, the answer is clear: Gas grilling wither either propane or natural gas is healthier than charcoal for your body and the environment. “It’s better to grill on a gas grill because it’s easier to control the temperature,” says Schneider. … Mother Earth also prefers gas grills over charcoal.
Does charcoal taste better than gas?
Charcoal gives a feel of the traditional, typical flavor that comes from wood chips, whereas a propane gas grill imparts a bacon-like taste. … As mentioned above, charcoal gives a smokier taste. When the meat drippings meet the flame, they become vaporized, and a portion penetrates the food. | https://the-chefs-wife.com/cooking-outdoors/can-you-cook-food-on-black-charcoal.html |
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