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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
INTRODUCTION
SUMMARY
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present Application for Patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/873,513, entitled “DETERMINING TRANSMIT POWER BASED ON CATEGORIZATION OF ACCESS TERMINALS,” filed Sep. 4, 2013, assigned to the assignee hereof, and expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Aspects of this disclosure relate generally to telecommunications, and more particularly to transmit power management for small cells and the like.
A wireless communication network may be deployed to provide various types of services (e.g., voice, data, multimedia services, etc.) to users within a coverage area of the network. In some implementations, one or more macro access points (e.g., corresponding to different macro cells) provide wireless connectivity for access terminals (e.g., cell phones) that are operating within the coverage of the macro access point(s).
In some networks, low-power access points are deployed to supplement conventional network access points (e.g., macro access points). In general, these low-power access points provide more robust coverage and higher throughput for access terminals in the vicinity of the low-power access points. For example, a low-power access point installed in a user's home or in an enterprise environment (e.g., commercial buildings) may provide voice and high speed data service for access terminals supporting cellular radio communication (e.g., CDMA, WCDMA, UMTS, LTE, etc.). Typically, low-power access points connect to the Internet via a broadband connection (e.g., a digital subscriber line (DSL) router, a cable modem, or some other type of modem) that provides a backhaul link to a mobile operator's network. Thus, a low-power access point deployed in a user's home or business provides mobile network access to one or more devices via the broadband connection.
In different deployments, low-power access points may be implemented as or referred to as small cells, such as home NodeBs (HNBs), home eNodeBs (HeNBs), femto cells, femto access points, femto nodes, access point base stations, pico cells, pico nodes, or micro cells. Thus, it should be appreciated that any discussion related to small cells herein may be equally applicable to a variety of low-power access points in general.
Due to the scarcity of spectrum resources, small cells sometimes share the same frequency channels used by the macro cells (a.k.a., co-channel deployment). However, such co-channel deployment poses a challenge for interference management, since unplanned and unmanaged small cells may result in excessive radio frequency (RF) interference to the macro cell downlink (DL).
In some cases, small cell transmit power self-calibration is used to address this challenge. Conventionally, transmit power self-calibration for small cells is focused on closed (or hybrid) access small cells. In these scenarios, there is a hierarchy of access terminals. In closed access, only the access terminals allowed in the small cell have access to the small cell. In hybrid access, there is a preference that some access terminals will have higher priority to access the small cell than any other access terminals. In open access small cells, however, the small cell may allow any access terminal to obtain any type of service via the small cell.
Systems and methods for transmit power management for small cells in a wireless communication environment are disclosed.
An apparatus for communication is disclosed. The apparatus may comprise, for example, a communication device and a processing system. The communication device may be configured to receive information generated by a plurality of access terminals associated with an access point. The processing system may be configured to categorize the access terminals based on the received information, and determine transmit power for the access point based on the categorization of the access terminals.
A method of determining transmit power is also disclosed. The method may comprise, for example: receiving information generated by a plurality of access terminals associated with an access point; categorizing the access terminals based on the received information; and determining transmit power for the access point based on the categorization of the access terminals.
Another apparatus for communication is also disclosed. The apparatus may comprise, for example: means for receiving information generated by a plurality of access terminals associated with an access point; means for categorizing the access terminals based on the received information; and means for determining transmit power for the access point based on the categorization of the access terminals.
A computer-readable medium is also disclosed. The computer-readable medium may comprise, for example, code for causing a computer to: receive information generated by a plurality of access terminals associated with an access point; categorize the access terminals based on the received information; and determine transmit power for the access point based on the categorization of the access terminals.
In accordance with common practice, the various features illustrated in the drawings may not be drawn to scale. Accordingly, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. In addition, some of the drawings may be simplified for clarity. Thus, the drawings may not depict all of the components of a given apparatus (e.g., device) or method. Finally, like reference numerals may be used to denote like features throughout the specification and figures.
The disclosure relates in some aspects to determining transmit power for an access point based on categorization of access terminals associated with that access point. For example, access terminals associated with an access point may be categorized as 1) access terminals that need to be served by the access point; 2) access terminals that need to be protected from the access point; and 3) other access terminals. The transmit power to be used by the access point is determined via a compromise between the needs of these competing access terminals. For example, transmit power may initially be set to provide a target level of coverage for the access terminals that need to be served by the access point. The transmit power may then be adjusted to protect the other access terminals, if needed.
The disclosure also relates in some aspects to transmit power self-calibration for small cells (e.g., UMTS small cells) operating co-channel with a macro cell, in which the small cells are configured for open access. In such a deployment, transmit power control as taught herein may mitigate issues that may arise due to lack of active hand-in (AHI) support, or due to signaling load concerns. For example, the disclosed transmit power control may provide enhanced small cell performance in terms of providing sufficient small cell coverage and at the same time reducing interference to nearby macro cell users in the network.
Various aspects of the disclosure are described below. It should be apparent that the teachings herein may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and that any specific structure, function, or both being disclosed herein is merely representative. Based on the teachings herein one skilled in the art should appreciate that an aspect disclosed herein may be implemented independently of any other aspects and that two or more of these aspects may be combined in various ways. For example, an apparatus may be implemented or a method may be practiced using any number of the aspects set forth herein. In addition, such an apparatus may be implemented or such a method may be practiced using other structure, functionality, or structure and functionality in addition to or other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein. Furthermore, any aspect disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of a claim. For convenience, the term some aspects may be used herein to refer to a single aspect or multiple aspects of the disclosure.
FIG. 1
100
illustrates several nodes of a sample communication system (e.g., a portion of a communication network). For illustration purposes, various aspects of the disclosure will be described in the context of one or more access terminals, access points, and network entities that communicate with one another. It should be appreciated, however, that the teachings herein may be applicable to other types of apparatuses or other similar apparatuses that are referenced using other terminology. For example, in various implementations access points may be referred to or implemented as base stations, NodeBs, eNodeBs, Home NodeBs, Home eNodeBs, small cells, macro cells, and so on, while access terminals may be referred to or implemented as user equipment (UEs), mobile stations, and so on.
100
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Access points in the system provide access to one or more services (e.g., network connectivity) for one or more wireless terminals that may be installed within or that may roam throughout a coverage area of the system . For example, at various points in time the access terminal may connect to an access point or some other access point in the system (not shown). Similarly, the access terminal may connect to the access point , an access point , or some other access point.
110
Each of the access points may communicate with one or more network entities (represented, for convenience, by the network entities ), including each other, to facilitate wide area network connectivity. Two or more of such network entities may be co-located and/or two or more of such network entities may be distributed throughout a network.
110
A network entity may take various forms such as, for example, one or more radio and/or core network entities. Thus, in various implementations the network entities may represent functionality such as at least one of: network management (e.g., via an operation, administration, management, and provisioning entity), call control, session management, mobility management, gateway functions, interworking functions, or some other suitable network functionality. In some aspects, mobility management relates to: keeping track of the current location of access terminals through the use of tracking areas, location areas, routing areas, or some other suitable technique; controlling paging for access terminals; and providing access control for access terminals.
100
106
Some of the access points in the system (e.g., the access point ) may comprise small cells. As used herein, the term small cell refers to an access point having a transmit power (e.g., one or more of: maximum transmit power, instantaneous transmit power, nominal transmit power, average transmit power, or some other form of transmit power) that is less than a transmit power (e.g., as defined above) of any macro access point in the coverage area. In some implementations, each small cell has a transmit power (e.g., as defined above) that is less than a transmit power (e.g., as defined above) of the macro access point by a relative margin (e.g., 10 dBm or more). In some implementations, small cells may have a maximum transmit power of 20 dBm or less. In some implementations, small cells such as pico cells may have a maximum transmit power of 24 dBm or less. It should be appreciated, however, that these or other types of small cells may have a higher or lower maximum transmit power in other implementations (e.g., up to 1 Watt in some cases, up to 10 Watts in some cases, and so on).
Small cells may be configured to support different types of access modes. For example, in an open access mode, a small cell may allow any access terminal to obtain any type of service via the small cell. In a restricted (or closed) access mode, a small cell may only allow authorized access terminals to obtain service via the small cell. For example, a small cell may only allow access terminals (e.g., so called home access terminals) belonging to a certain subscriber group (e.g., a closed subscriber group (CSG)) to obtain service via the small cell. In a hybrid access mode, alien access terminals (e.g., non-home access terminals, non-CSG access terminals) may be given limited access to the small cell. For example, a macro access terminal that does not belong to a small cell's CSG may be allowed to access the small cell only if sufficient resources are available for all home access terminals currently being served by the small cell.
Thus, small cells operating in one or more of these access modes may be used to provide indoor coverage and/or extended outdoor coverage. By allowing access to users through adoption of a desired access mode of operation, small cells may provide improved service within the coverage area and potentially extend the service coverage area for users of a macro network.
FIG. 1
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In the example of , the access point includes a transmit power controller that specifies transmit power for the access point based on access terminal (AT) generated information and received from the access terminals and , respectively. The information and may include, for example, measurement report messages, cell update messages, and registration messages. The transmit power controller categorizes the access terminals based on the received information to identify, for example, access terminals that should be served by the access point, access terminals that should be specifically protected from transmissions by the access point, and other access terminals. The transmit power controller then calculates the transmit power for the access point taking these categories into account. Additional details regarding the received information, the categorization, and the transmit power calculation are set forth below.
In some aspects, the disclosed power control is advantageously employed in an open-access deployment model for small cells. As mentioned above, such a deployment model can offload users from the macro network and increase the overall system capacity and enhance user experience. Transmit power control (e.g., power self-calibration) for open-access small cell scenarios may address several issues. Firstly, small cell leakage outside an intended coverage area may impact the call quality of passing-by access terminals with active calls to the macro cell. In the absence of active hand-in (AHI) support, these passing-by access terminals will see stronger downlink (DL) interference from the small cell as they move closer to the small cell, and eventually will drop the calls. Secondly, small cell leakage will increase the unnecessary signaling load on the passing-by access terminals, as they will try to re-select to the small cell but will not stay long enough to request any service. If the deployment of small cells is very dense, then without small cell power self-calibration, there also may be a significant pilot pollution problem, where an access terminal can see multiple small cells with similar pilot strength. In this case, cell selection for the access terminal may ping-pong back and forth among these small cells.
For open-access small cells, there is no distinction between access point-permitted users and non-allowed users, so previous techniques that rely on the distinction of Home UE (HUE) and Macro UE (MUE) will not provide good performance. In contrast, power control as taught herein may resolve the above issues, at least in part, while providing sufficient coverage to small cell users. Through the use of the disclosed power control, signal leakage may be reduced which, in turn, may reduce the number of macro-to-macro inter-frequency handovers for users passing the coverage region of the small cell. Also, if no AHI support is available, the use of this power control may reduce signaling load and, as a result, reduce unnecessary idle reselection to the small cell from access terminals that are passing-by the small cell. Use of this power control also may mitigate the pilot pollution problem.
FIG. 1
For purposes of illustration, illustrates power control at an access point based on information from two access terminals. It should be appreciated that the teachings herein may be incorporated into other configurations. For example, transmit power for other access points may be controlled in a similar manner. Also, information may be received from a different number of access terminals. In addition, information may be received in different forms (e.g., via different types of signaling) in different implementations.
110
In some implementations, the transmit power calculations are performed by another entity on behalf of an access point. In this case, information generated by access terminals may be forwarded (e.g., by a serving access point) to the entity (e.g., one of the network entities ). For example, a message from an access terminal may be forwarded, or information may be extracted from a message and the extracted information forwarded. This other entity may then calculate the transmit power for the access point and send an indication of the transmit power to the access point. In some implementations, the entity may be a small cell management system (e.g., a HNB management system). In some implementations, the entity calculates transmit power for multiple access points.
FIGS. 2-6
FIGS. 2-6
FIG. 1
FIG. 7
FIG. 11
FIG. 12
Sample operations relating to determining transmit power in accordance with the teachings herein will be described in more detail in conjunction with the flowcharts of . For convenience, the operations of (or any other operations discussed or taught herein) may be described as being performed by specific components (e.g., components of , , , or ). It should be appreciated, however, that these operations may be performed by other types of components and may be performed using a different number of components. It also should be appreciated that one or more of the operations described herein may not be employed in a given implementation.
FIG. 2
illustrates an example of operations that may be performed by an access point, or some other suitable entity, in conjunction with determining transmit power for the access point. In a typical implementation, the access point comprises a small cell.
202
As represented by block , information generated by a plurality of access terminals associated with an access point is received. This information may be received in different ways in different implementations.
In some implementations, an access point may receive information directly, via radio frequency (RF) signaling, from access terminals. For example, an access point may receive messages from served access terminals and/or messages from access terminals that attempt to communicate with the access point.
In some implementations, an entity may receive information in a less direct manner. For example, a network entity may receive messages comprising the information generated by the access terminals. In this case, an access point that directly receives messages from access terminals may forward the messages to the network entity, extract information from the messages, and forward the information to the network entity, or forward the information in some other manner.
202
The information received at block may take different forms in different implementations. Several examples follow. In some aspects, the information may comprise at least one of: measurement report messages sent by the access terminals; cell update messages sent by the access terminals; or registration messages sent by the access terminals. In some aspects, the information may comprise at least one of: path loss information; cell update count information; or registration count information.
204
As represented by block , the access terminals are categorized based on the received information. For example, a first type of received information (e.g., measurement report messages, MRMs) may be used to identify those access terminals belonging to a first category (e.g., access points that need to be served by the access point), a second type of received information (e.g., cell updates) may be used to identify those access terminals belonging to a second category (e.g., access terminals that need to be protected from the access point), and a third type of received information (e.g., registrations) may be used to identify those access terminals belonging to a third category (e.g., access terminals not belonging to either of the first two categories).
The categorization may take different forms in different implementations. Several examples follow.
In some aspects, the categorization may comprise determining which of the access terminals sent a larger quantity of MRMs to the access point or determining, based on measurement report messages, which of the access terminals are associated with a smaller path loss to the access point. For example, the access terminals that sent the most MRMs (e.g., based on a defined percentage or threshold number) may be designated category one access terminals.
In some aspects, the categorization may comprise determining which of the access terminals sent a larger quantity of cell update (CU) messages associated with radio link failure to the access point. For example, the access terminals that sent the most CU messages (e.g., based on a defined percentage or threshold number), where the CU messages comprise a cause value of radio link failure (RLF), may be designated category two access terminals.
In some aspects, the categorization may comprise identifying at least a first category of the access terminals and a second category of the access terminals. Here, the first category may be based on a quantity of measurement report messages sent to the access point or on a path loss to the access point derived from the measurement report messages, and the second category may be based on a quantity of cell update messages sent to the access point (e.g., where the cell update messages are associated with radio link failure). In some aspects, the categorization may further comprise identifying a third category of the access terminals that comprises access terminals that are not in the first category or the second category.
In some aspects, the categorization may comprise identifying a first subset of the access terminals that most frequently obtain service from the access point. For example, the access terminals that obtain service from the access point most frequently (e.g., based on a defined percentage or threshold number) may be designated category one access terminals.
In some aspects, the categorization may comprise identifying a second subset of the access terminals that obtain service from at least one neighbor access point of the access point. For example, access terminals that frequently obtain service from one or more neighbor access points (e.g., based on a defined percentage or threshold number) may be designated category two access terminals.
In some aspects, the categorization may comprise identifying a first subset of the access terminals to be provided a target level of service by the access point. For example, the access terminals that need a given level of service from the access point may be designated category one access terminals.
In some aspects, the categorization may comprise identifying a second subset of the access terminals to be protected from interference from the access point. For example, the access terminals that are close to but not served by the access point may be designated category two access terminals.
206
As represented by block , transmit power for the access point is determined based on the categorization of the access terminals. For example, a transmit power may be selected to satisfy competing factors such as providing a target level of coverage for category one access terminals while protecting category two access terminals.
206
The type of transmit power determined at block may take different forms in different implementations. For example, the transmit power may comprise total transmit power, reference transmit power (e.g., pilot transmit power) that is used to specify other transmit powers, maximum transmit power, or some other type of transmit power.
The manner in which transmit power is determined may differ in different implementations. Several examples follow.
In some aspects, the determination of the transmit power may be based on a quantity of cell updates sent from at least one of the access terminals to the access point. As discussed herein, cell updates that are associated with radio link failure may be of particular interest. For example, the transmit power may be adjusted downward in the event one or more access terminals have sent a relatively large number of cell updates to the access point indicating that the access terminals experienced RLF when connected to the access point.
202
In some aspects, the determination of the transmit power may be based on a first type of the information (from block ) associated with a first category of the access terminals, and a second type of the information associated with a second category of the access terminals. In some aspects, the first type of the information may comprise path loss information, and the second type of the information may comprise cell update count information. In some aspects, the first category of the access terminals may comprise access terminals that sent a larger quantity of measurement report message to the access point or access terminals that are associated with a smaller path loss to the access point, and the second category of the access terminals may comprise access terminals that sent a larger quantity of cell update messages associated with radio link failure to the access point.
In some aspects, the determination of the transmit power may comprise: determining a nominal transmit power that provides a target signal quality for a target coverage range, wherein the determination of the nominal transmit power is based on a first subset of the information associated with a first category of the access terminals; and adjusting the nominal transmit power based on a second subset of the information associated with a second category of the access terminals. In this case, the first subset of the information may comprise path loss information; the second subset of the information may comprise cell update count information; the first category of the access terminals may comprise access terminals that sent a larger quantity of measurement report message to the access point or access terminals that are associated with a smaller path loss to the access point; and the second category of the access terminals may comprise access terminals that sent a larger quantity of cell update messages associated with radio link failure to the access point.
In some aspects, the determination of the transmit power may comprise: determining a nominal transmit power that provides a target signal quality for a target coverage range, wherein the determination of the nominal transmit power is based on path loss information associated with a first category of the access terminals that sent a larger quantity of measurement report message to the access point; and adjusting the nominal transmit power based on registration information associated with a third category of the access terminals that is mutually exclusive of the first category of access terminals and mutually exclusive of a second category of the access terminals that sent a larger quantity of cell update messages associated with radio link failure to the access point.
FIG. 3
illustrates a more comprehensive example of a transmit power control scheme implemented in accordance with the teachings herein. Again, these operations may be performed by an access point, or some other suitable entity, in conjunction with determining transmit power for the access point.
302
As represented by block , initial transmit power for an access point is determined. For example, this operation may be invoked when an access point is powered-up or reset so that the access point will transmit at an initial (e.g., relatively safe, yet effective) power level. This can either be a fixed power level (e.g., maximum power) or a power level determined using an initial power calibration algorithm (e.g., Network Listen based Power Calibration).
304
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The operations of blocks - are then invoked on a repeated (e.g., periodic) basis to calibrate (e.g., adjust) the transmit power based on network conditions. For example, at the end of every designated period, an update of the transmit power is determined and applied to the RF transmitter for the access point. This periodic operation may either continue until the access point is turned off or rebooted. Alternatively, only a configurable number of calibration periods may be invoked.
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As represented by block , access terminal (e.g., UE) statistics are collected based on received information. In an example implementation, the following three types of UE statistics are collected. Measurement report information statistics are collected from MRMs issued by UEs that are in an active call with the access point. Cell update information statistics are collected for those cell updates on the access point with cause value=radio link failure (RLF). In addition, UE registration information statistics based on access terminal registrations on the access point are collected.
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As represented by block , the access terminals (e.g., UEs) associated with an access point are categorized based on the statistics from block . In an example implementation, three UE categories are defined based on the three criteria that follow.
HUE
MRM
The first category is designated HUE since the access terminals in this category may be thought of as the Home UEs (HUEs) for the access point (even though in open access mode, there are no true HUEs). This is the top N(or less) UEs that have the most MRM reports in the HUE database. Each HUE also may need to satisfy a criterion (Threshold) regarding the minimum number of MRM reports needed to qualify as an HUE.
PUE
CU
The second category is designated PUE since the access terminals in this category are those that need to be “protected” from transmission by the access point. This is the top N(or less) UEs that have the most Cell Update (CU) messages in the CU database. Each PUE also may need to satisfy a criterion (Threshold) regarding the minimum number of CU messages needed to qualify as a PUE.
The third category is designated MUE since the access terminals in this category may be considered to be macro UEs (MUEs). This category may include all other access terminals that are not in HUE or PUE category.
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As represented by block , transmit power is then computed based on the categorization of block . In an example implementation, a power update procedure is performed using the HUE, PUE, MUE statistics, when applicable. In a first aspect of the procedure using the HUE reports, coverage range is estimated, RF mismatch correction is performed, and a nominal transmit power value is calculated. In a second aspect of the procedure, the transmit power is updated based on the PUE and/or MUE statistics and based on the nominal transmit power.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
450
460
470
illustrates an example of operations that may be performed in conjunction with generating statistics based on received information. As discussed herein, these operations may be performed on a repeated (e.g., periodic) basis. In this example, three types of statistics are generated, including first statistics , second statistics , and third statistics . It should be appreciated that no ordering is implied by the numerical designations or their depict sequencing in , as the different statistics may be determined in any order or in no order (e.g., in parallel). It should also be appreciated that different statistic types and/or a different number of statistic types may be generated in other implementations.
402
As represented by block , MRMs from access terminals that are in active call with an access point are received. Various information extracted from the MRMs may be obtained for later power update usage. For example, an access terminal identifier (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity, IMSI) associated with each MRM may be obtained. In addition, path loss information included in each MRM may be obtained. In some scenarios, the collection of information from MRMs of a given access terminal may be stopped. For example, if the duration of an active call for the access terminal exceeds a threshold time limit, collection may be stopped until the call ends.
404
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402
As represented by block , measurement report statistics are generated from the MRMs received at block . These statistics are then stored in a database for subsequent use. For example, the number of received MRMs may be tallied. In scenarios where access terminal identifiers are also acquired at block , the number of MRMs received from each access terminal may be tallied. Also, the magnitude of each reported path loss (e.g., in dB) between the access point and the access terminal may be recorded.
406
As represented by block , cell update messages having cause value=RLF are received. Various information associated with the cell update messages may be acquired for later power update usage. For example, an access terminal identifier of each access terminal that sent each cell update message may be obtained. Here, after receiving a cell update message from an access terminal, an access point may send a message to the access terminal requesting an identifier of the access terminal. Also, the transmit power being used at the time a cell update message was received may be recorded.
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406
As represented by block , cell update statistics are generated from the cell update messages received at block . These statistics are then stored in a database for subsequent use. For example, the number of received cell update messages may be tallied. In scenarios where access terminal identifiers are also acquired at block , the number of cell update messages received from each access terminal may be tallied.
In some implementations, cell update statistics are not maintained for access terminals that have been categorized as category one access terminals (e.g., HUEs). As discussed herein, a different category of access terminals (e.g., PUEs) may be defined based on cell update statistics. Given the potential conflicts between these categories (e.g., in terms of how transmit power is set), it is generally desirable to define the first and second categories of access terminals so that they are mutually exclusive.
410
As represented by block , registration messages (e.g., RRC Connection Request messages) are received. Various information associated with the registration messages may be obtained for later power update usage. For example, an access terminal identifier associated with each registration message may be obtained. In addition, the transmit power being used at the time a registration message was received may be recorded.
In some implementations, path loss information (e.g., path loss from the access terminal to the access point) included in a registration message may be recorded. This information may indicate, for example, the size of the coverage area (e.g., the coverage footprint) of the access point.
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As represented by block , registration statistics are generated from the registration messages received at block . These statistics are then stored in a database for subsequent use. For example, the number of received registration messages may be tallied. In scenarios where access terminal identifiers are also acquired at block , the number of registration messages received from each access terminal may be tallied. Also, the magnitude of any reported path loss between the access point and the access terminal may be recorded.
In some implementations, registration statistics are not maintained for access terminals that have been categorized as category one access terminals (e.g., HUEs) or category two access terminals (e.g., PUEs). For example, registration statistics might only be collected for MUEs.
FIG. 5
illustrates an example of operations that may be performed in conjunction with categorizing access terminals. As discussed herein, these operations may be performed on a repeated (e.g., periodic) basis. In this example, three types of categories are defined. It should be appreciated that different category types and/or a different number of category types may be generated in other implementations.
502
502
FIG. 4
As represented by block , access terminal information that is used for the categorization of the access terminals is obtained. For example, the operations of block may correspond to the operations of .
504
502
As represented by block , a first category of access terminals is identified based on a first subset of the access terminal information obtained at block . In some implementations, a set of HUEs is identified based on MRM information acquired via received MRMs. For example, assuming there are “N” unique IMSIs in an MRM report database, a descending sort of these “N” IMSIs is performed based on the number of MRMs associated with each IMSI. The top “X” IMSIs may then be selected. The top “X” IMSIs may be qualified in various ways. For example, any number of IMSIs having a number of MRMs that exceeds a threshold may be selected. As another example, a certain percentage (e.g., the top 15%) of the IMSIs may be selected. As yet another example, “X” may be a defined number.
In some implementations, a decision as to whether a given IMSI is to be categorized as a HUE may be based on the path loss to the corresponding access terminal. For example, in some cases, only those IMSIs associated with a path loss that is less than or equal to a threshold path loss are designated as HUEs.
506
502
As represented by block , a second category of access terminals is identified based on a second subset of the access terminal information obtained at block . In some implementations, a set of PUEs is identified based on cell update information acquired via received cell update messages. For example, assuming there are “N” unique IMSIs in a PUE report database, a descending sort of these “N” IMSIs is performed based on the number of cell updates associated with each IMSI. The top “X” IMSIs may then be selected. The top “X” IMSIs may be qualified in various ways. For example, any number of IMSIs having a number of cell updates that exceeds a threshold may be selected. As another example, a certain percentage (e.g., the top 15%) of the IMSIs may be selected. As yet another example, “X” may be a defined number.
As discussed above, the set of HUEs and the set of PUEs may be mutually exclusive. Thus, a check may be performed to determine whether of the IMSIs identified based on the PUE report database have already been characterized as HUEs. If so, these HUE IMSIs would not be included in the PUE category.
508
502
As represented by block , a third category of access terminals is identified based on a third subset of the access terminal information obtained at block . In some implementations, a set of MUEs is identified based on registration information acquired via received registration messages. For example, all of the IMSIs associated with received registration or other types of messages (e.g., MRMs and cell update messages) that have not been categorized under the first category (e.g., HUE) or the second category (e.g., PUE) may be assigned to the third category (e.g., MUE)
FIG. 6
illustrates an example of operations that may be performed in conjunction with determining the transmit power to be used by an access point.
602
602
FIGS. 4 and 5
As represented by block , access terminal information such as path loss information, the number of cell update messages, the number of registrations, and the categorization of the access terminals is obtained. For example, the operations of block may correspond to the operations of .
604
As represented by block , a target coverage range is estimated. For example, a target path loss may be determined by determining what path loss value will provide coverage for “X” percent (e.g., 95%) of the HUEs. This target path loss may be obtained, for example, from the MRM path loss information for the HUEs (e.g., by application of a cumulative distribution function on the HUE path loss values).
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As represented by block , a nominal (e.g., preliminary) transmit power is determined based on the target coverage range computed at block . In some aspects, this operation may involve determining the transmit power needed to achieve a target signal quality (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio) at the edge of the target coverage range. In some aspects, this operation may account for potential leakage into adjacent channels. For example, if it is determined that a transmit power calculated to meet the target coverage requirement will cause too much adjacent channel interference, adjacent channel protection may be employed whereby the transmit power is adjusted downward to some degree.
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As represented by block , a final transmit power is determined. For example, the nominal transmit power calculated at block may be adjusted upward or downward depending on current or past conditions (e.g., as indicated by the access terminal information obtained at block ). An example of an algorithm that takes these factors into account follows.
In a first part of the algorithm, a determination is made as to whether the number of received cell update messages is greater than or equal to a threshold. In various implementations, this determination may be based on the total number of cell update messages (e.g., irrespective of which access terminals sent the messages) and/or based on the number of cell update messages sent by individual access terminals (e.g., whether a threshold number of access terminals sent the threshold number of cell update messages).
If the threshold condition is met, the nominal transmit power may be reduced in an effort to mitigate interference to the access terminals that sent these cell update messages (e.g., the access terminals that experienced RLF). The manner in which the transmit power is adapted may differ in different implementations. In some cases, the transmit power is reduced by a pre-defined value. In some cases, the magnitude of the reduction in transmit power is based on the degree to which the number of received cell update messages exceeds a threshold. For example, the magnitude of the power reduction will be greater in a scenario where the number of received cell update messages exceeds a threshold by a large margin as compared to a scenario where the number of received cell update messages exceeds a threshold by a lesser margin. In cases where the number of cell update messages are maintained on an access terminal basis, the magnitude of the reduction in transmit power may be based on how many of the access terminals have received a quantity of cell update messages that exceeds a threshold.
A second part of the algorithm may be invoked if the first part of the algorithm does not result in a reduction of the nominal transmit power. For example, if the cell update message limit is not reached (e.g., the number of received cell update messages does not exceed a threshold), a check may be performed in the second part of the algorithm to determine whether the transmit power may be adjusted upward or downward based on some other factor or factors.
As an example of the second part of the algorithm, a determination as to whether power can be increased or needs to be decreased may be made based on registration statistics. For example, a determination is made as to whether the number of received registration messages is less than or equal to a threshold. In various implementations, this determination may be based on the total number of registration messages (e.g., irrespective of which access terminals sent the messages) and/or based on the number of registration messages sent by individual access terminals (e.g., whether less than a threshold number of access terminals sent the threshold number of registration messages).
If the threshold condition is met (e.g., the number of received registration messages is less than the threshold), the nominal transmit power may be increased since it is expected that at least some level of increase in transmit power can be achieved without significantly increasing interference to access terminals in the system. Conversely, if the threshold condition is not met (e.g., the number of received registration messages is greater than the threshold), the nominal transmit power may be reduced in an effort to mitigate interference to nearby access terminals (e.g., the access terminals that sent registration messages).
The manner in which the transmit power is adapted may differ in different implementations. In some cases, the transmit power is reduced by a pre-defined value. In some cases, the magnitude of the reduction in transmit power is based on the degree to which the number of received registration messages falls below or exceeds a threshold. For example, the magnitude of the power increase will be greater in a scenario where the number of received registration messages falls below a threshold by a large margin as compared to a scenario where the number of received registration messages falls below a threshold by a lesser margin. As another example, the magnitude of the power reduction will be greater in a scenario where the number of received registration messages exceeds a threshold by a large margin as compared to a scenario where the number of received registration messages exceeds a threshold by a lesser margin. In cases where the number of registration messages are maintained on an access terminal basis, the magnitude of the increase (or decrease) in transmit power may be based on how many of the access terminals have received a quantity of registration messages that fall below (or exceeds) a threshold.
In some aspects, the magnitude of a transmit power adjustment may be based on path loss information. For example, if the path loss distance of most MUEs (e.g., 95%) to the access point is at least 100 dB, and the target coverage range (for the HUEs) is 80 dB, then it should be safe to increase transmit power by 20 dB since this increase in power will generally only affect a small number of the MUEs (e.g., 5%).
FIG. 7
702
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illustrates several sample components (represented by corresponding blocks) that may be incorporated into an apparatus , an apparatus , and an apparatus (e.g., corresponding to an access terminal, an access point, and a network entity, respectively) to support transmit power control operations as taught herein. It should be appreciated that these components may be implemented in different types of apparatuses in different implementations (e.g., in an ASIC, in an SoC, etc.). The described components also may be incorporated into other apparatuses in a communication system. For example, other apparatuses in a system may include components similar to those described to provide similar functionality. Also, a given apparatus may contain one or more of the described components. For example, an apparatus may include multiple transceiver components that enable the apparatus to operate on multiple carriers and/or communicate via different technologies.
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The apparatus and the apparatus each include at least one wireless communication device (represented by the communication devices and (and the communication device if the apparatus is a relay)) for communicating with other nodes via at least one designated radio access technology. Each communication device includes at least one transmitter (represented by the transmitter ) for transmitting and encoding signals (e.g., messages, indications, information, and so on) and at least one receiver (represented by the receiver ) for receiving and decoding signals (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, and so on). Similarly, each communication device includes at least one transmitter (represented by the transmitter ) for transmitting signals (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, and so on) and at least one receiver (represented by the receiver ) for receiving signals (e.g., messages, indications, information, and so on). If the apparatus is a relay access point, each communication device may include at least one transmitter (represented by the transmitter ) for transmitting signals (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, and so on) and at least one receiver (represented by the receiver ) for receiving signals (e.g., messages, indications, information, and so on).
704
A transmitter and a receiver may comprise an integrated device (e.g., embodied as a transmitter circuit and a receiver circuit of a single communication device) in some implementations, may comprise a separate transmitter device and a separate receiver device in some implementations, or may be embodied in other ways in other implementations. In some aspects, a wireless communication device (e.g., one of multiple wireless communication devices) of the apparatus comprises a network listen module.
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FIG. 7
The apparatus (and the apparatus if it is not a relay access point) includes at least one communication device (represented by the communication device and, optionally, ) for communicating with other nodes. For example, the communication device may comprise a network interface that is configured to communicate with one or more network entities via a wire-based or wireless backhaul. In some aspects, the communication device may be implemented as a transceiver configured to support wire-based or wireless signal communication. This communication may involve, for example, sending and receiving: messages, parameters, or other types of information. Accordingly, in the example of , the communication device is shown as comprising a transmitter and a receiver . Similarly, if the apparatus is not a relay access point, the communication device may comprise a network interface that is configured to communicate with one or more network entities via a wire-based or wireless backhaul. As with the communication device , the communication device is shown as comprising a transmitter and a receiver .
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The apparatuses , , and also include other components that may be used in conjunction with transmit power control operations as taught herein. The apparatus includes a processing system for providing functionality relating to, for example, generating information for transmit power control as taught herein and for providing other processing functionality. The apparatus includes a processing system for providing functionality relating to, for example, transmit power control as taught herein and for providing other processing functionality. The apparatus includes a processing system for providing functionality relating to, for example, transmit power control as taught herein and for providing other processing functionality. The apparatuses , , and include memory devices , , and (e.g., each including a memory device), respectively, for maintaining information (e.g., information used for power control, thresholds, parameters, and so on). In addition, the apparatuses , , and include user interface devices , , and , respectively, for providing indications (e.g., audible and/or visual indications) to a user and/or for receiving user input (e.g., upon user actuation of a sensing device such a keypad, a touch screen, a microphone, and so on).
702
734
734
FIG. 7
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
For convenience, the apparatus is shown in as including components that may be used in the various examples described herein. In practice, the illustrated blocks may have different functionality in different aspects. For example, functionality of the block for the operations of may be different as compared to functionality of the block for supporting the operations of .
FIG. 7
FIG. 7
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The components of may be implemented in various ways. In some implementations, the components of may be implemented in one or more circuits such as, for example, one or more processors and/or one or more ASICs (which may include one or more processors). Here, each circuit may use and/or incorporate at least one memory component for storing information or executable code used by the circuit to provide this functionality. For example, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks , , , and may be implemented by processor and memory component(s) of the apparatus (e.g., by execution of appropriate code and/or by appropriate configuration of processor components). Similarly, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks , , , , and may be implemented by processor and memory component(s) of the apparatus (e.g., by execution of appropriate code and/or by appropriate configuration of processor components). Also, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks , , , and may be implemented by processor and memory component(s) of the apparatus (e.g., by execution of appropriate code and/or by appropriate configuration of processor components).
As discussed above, in some aspects the teachings herein may be employed in a network that includes macro scale coverage (e.g., a large area cellular network such as a 3G/4G network, typically referred to as a macro cell network or a WAN) and smaller scale coverage (e.g., a residence-based or building-based network environment, typically referred to as a LAN). As an access terminal (AT) moves through such a network, the access terminal may be served in certain locations by access points that provide macro coverage while the access terminal may be served at other locations by access points that provide smaller scale coverage. In some aspects, the smaller coverage nodes may be used to provide incremental capacity growth, in-building coverage, and different services (e.g., for a more robust user experience).
In the description herein, a node (e.g., an access point) that provides coverage over a relatively large area may be referred to as a macro access point while a node that provides coverage over a relatively small area (e.g., a residence, within a commercial building, etc.) may be referred to as a small cell. In various applications, other terminology may be used to reference a macro access point, a small cell, or other access point-type nodes. For example, a macro access point may be configured or referred to as an access node, base station, access point, eNodeB, macro cell, and so on. In some implementations, a node may be associated with (e.g., referred to as or divided into) one or more cells or sectors. A cell or sector associated with a macro access point or a small cell access point may be referred to as a macro cell or a small cell, respectively.
FIG. 8
FIG. 8
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illustrates a wireless communication system , configured to support a number of users, in which the teachings herein may be implemented. The system provides communication for multiple cells , such as, for example, macro cells A-G, with each cell being serviced by a corresponding access point (e.g., access points A-G). As shown in , access terminals (e.g., access terminals A-L) may be dispersed at various locations throughout the system over time. Each access terminal may communicate with one or more access points on a forward link (FL) and/or a reverse link (RL) at a given moment, depending upon whether the access terminal is active and whether it is in soft handoff, for example. The wireless communication system may provide service over a large geographic region. For example, macro cells A-G may cover a few blocks in a neighborhood or several miles in a rural environment.
FIG. 9
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illustrates an example of a communication system where one or more small cells are deployed within a network environment. Specifically, the system includes multiple small cells (e.g., small cells A and B) installed in a relatively small scale network environment (e.g., in one or more user residences ). Each small cell may be coupled to a wide area network (e.g., the Internet) and a mobile operator core network via a DSL router, a cable modem, a wireless link, or other connectivity means (not shown). As will be discussed below, each small cell may be configured to serve associated access terminals (e.g., access terminal A) and, optionally, other (e.g., hybrid or alien) access terminals (e.g., access terminal B). In other words, access to small cells may be restricted whereby a given access terminal may be served by a set of designated (e.g., home) small cell(s) but may not be served by any non-designated small cells (e.g., a neighbor's small cell ).
FIG. 10
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illustrates an example of a coverage map where several tracking areas (or routing areas or location areas) are defined, each of which includes several macro coverage areas . Here, areas of coverage associated with tracking areas A, B, and C are delineated by the wide lines and the macro coverage areas are represented by the larger hexagons. The tracking areas also include small cell coverage areas . In this example, each of the small cell coverage areas (e.g., small cell coverage areas B and C) is depicted within one or more macro coverage areas (e.g., macro coverage areas A and B). It should be appreciated, however, that some or all of a small cell coverage area might not lie within a macro coverage area . In practice, a large number of small cell coverage areas (e.g., small cell coverage areas A and D) may be defined within a given tracking area or macro coverage area .
FIG. 9
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Referring again to , the owner of a small cell may subscribe to mobile service, such as, for example, 3G/4G mobile service, offered through the mobile operator core network . In addition, an access terminal may be capable of operating both in macro environments and in smaller scale (e.g., residential) network environments. In other words, depending on the current location of the access terminal , the access terminal may be served by a macro cell access point associated with the mobile operator core network or by any one of a set of small cells (e.g., the small cells A and B that reside within a corresponding user residence ). For example, when a subscriber is outside his home, he is served by a standard macro access point (e.g., access point ) and when the subscriber is at home, he is served by a small cell (e.g., small cell A). Here, a small cell may be backward compatible with legacy access terminals .
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A small cell may be deployed on a single frequency or, in the alternative, on multiple frequencies. Depending on the particular configuration, the single frequency or one or more of the multiple frequencies may overlap with one or more frequencies used by a macro access point (e.g., access point ).
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In some aspects, an access terminal may be configured to connect to a preferred small cell (e.g., the home small cell of the access terminal ) whenever such connectivity is possible. For example, whenever the access terminal A is within the user's residence , it may be desired that the access terminal A communicate only with the home small cell A or B.
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In some aspects, if the access terminal operates within the macro cellular network but is not residing on its most preferred network (e.g., as defined in a preferred roaming list), the access terminal may continue to search for the most preferred network (e.g., the preferred small cell ) using a better system reselection (BSR) procedure, which may involve a periodic scanning of available systems to determine whether better systems are currently available and subsequently acquire such preferred systems. The access terminal may limit the search for specific band and channel. For example, one or more small cell channels may be defined whereby all small cells (or all restricted small cells) in a region operate on the small cell channel(s). The search for the most preferred system may be repeated periodically. Upon discovery of a preferred small cell , the access terminal selects the small cell and registers on it for use when within its coverage area.
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Access to a small cell may be restricted in some aspects. For example, a given small cell may only provide certain services to certain access terminals. In deployments with so-called restricted (or closed) access, a given access terminal may only be served by the macro cell mobile network and a defined set of small cells (e.g., the small cells that reside within the corresponding user residence ). In some implementations, an access point may be restricted to not provide, for at least one node (e.g., access terminal), at least one of: signaling, data access, registration, paging, or service.
In some aspects, a restricted small cell (which may also be referred to as a Closed Subscriber Group Home NodeB) is one that provides service to a restricted provisioned set of access terminals. This set may be temporarily or permanently extended as necessary. In some aspects, a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) may be defined as the set of access points (e.g., small cells) that share a common access control list of access terminals.
Various relationships may thus exist between a given small cell and a given access terminal. For example, from the perspective of an access terminal, an open small cell may refer to a small cell with unrestricted access (e.g., the small cell allows access to any access terminal). A restricted small cell may refer to a small cell that is restricted in some manner (e.g., restricted for access and/or registration). A home small cell may refer to a small cell on which the access terminal is authorized to access and operate on (e.g., permanent access is provided for a defined set of one or more access terminals). A hybrid (or guest) small cell may refer to a small cell on which different access terminals are provided different levels of service (e.g., some access terminals may be allowed partial and/or temporary access while other access terminals may be allowed full access). An alien small cell may refer to a small cell on which the access terminal is not authorized to access or operate on, except for perhaps emergency situations (e.g., 911 calls).
From a restricted small cell perspective, a home access terminal may refer to an access terminal that is authorized to access the restricted small cell installed in the residence of that access terminal's owner (usually the home access terminal has permanent access to that small cell). A guest access terminal may refer to an access terminal with temporary access to the restricted small cell (e.g., limited based on deadline, time of use, bytes, connection count, or some other criterion or criteria). An alien access terminal may refer to an access terminal that does not have permission to access the restricted small cell, except for perhaps emergency situations, for example, such as 911 calls (e.g., an access terminal that does not have the credentials or permission to register with the restricted small cell).
For convenience, the disclosure herein describes various functionality in the context of a small cell. It should be appreciated, however, that a pico access point may provide the same or similar functionality for a larger coverage area. For example, a pico access point may be restricted, a home pico access point may be defined for a given access terminal, and so on.
The teachings herein may be employed in a wireless multiple-access communication system that simultaneously supports communication for multiple wireless access terminals. Here, each terminal may communicate with one or more access points via transmissions on the forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from the access points to the terminals, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from the terminals to the access points. This communication link may be established via a single-in-single-out system, a multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) system, or some other type of system.
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A MIMO system employs multiple (N) transmit antennas and multiple (N) receive antennas for data transmission. A MIMO channel formed by the Ntransmit and Nreceive antennas may be decomposed into Nindependent channels, which are also referred to as spatial channels, where N≦min{N, N}. Each of the Nindependent channels corresponds to a dimension. The MIMO system may provide improved performance (e.g., higher throughput and/or greater reliability) if the additional dimensionalities created by the multiple transmit and receive antennas are utilized.
A MIMO system may support time division duplex (TDD) and frequency division duplex (FDD). In a TDD system, the forward and reverse link transmissions are on the same frequency region so that the reciprocity principle allows the estimation of the forward link channel from the reverse link channel. This enables the access point to extract transmit beam-forming gain on the forward link when multiple antennas are available at the access point.
FIG. 11
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illustrates a wireless device (e.g., an access point) and a wireless device (e.g., an access terminal) of a sample MIMO system . At the device , traffic data for a number of data streams is provided from a data source to a transmit (TX) data processor . Each data stream may then be transmitted over a respective transmit antenna.
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The TX data processor formats, codes, and interleaves the traffic data for each data stream based on a particular coding scheme selected for that data stream to provide coded data. The coded data for each data stream may be multiplexed with pilot data using OFDM techniques. The pilot data is typically a known data pattern that is processed in a known manner and may be used at the receiver system to estimate the channel response. The multiplexed pilot and coded data for each data stream is then modulated (i.e., symbol mapped) based on a particular modulation scheme (e.g., BPSK, QSPK, M-PSK, or M-QAM) selected for that data stream to provide modulation symbols. The data rate, coding, and modulation for each data stream may be determined by instructions performed by a processor . A data memory may store program code, data, and other information used by the processor or other components of the device .
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The modulation symbols for all data streams are then provided to a TX MIMO processor , which may further process the modulation symbols (e.g., for OFDM). The TX MIMO processor then provides Nmodulation symbol streams to Ntransceivers (XCVR) A through T. In some aspects, the TX MIMO processor applies beam-forming weights to the symbols of the data streams and to the antenna from which the symbol is being transmitted.
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Each transceiver receives and processes a respective symbol stream to provide one or more analog signals, and further conditions (e.g., amplifies, filters, and upconverts) the analog signals to provide a modulated signal suitable for transmission over the MIMO channel. Nmodulated signals from transceivers A through T are then transmitted from Nantennas A through T, respectively.
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At the device , the transmitted modulated signals are received by Nantennas A through R and the received signal from each antenna is provided to a respective transceiver (XCVR) A through R. Each transceiver conditions (e.g., filters, amplifies, and downconverts) a respective received signal, digitizes the conditioned signal to provide samples, and further processes the samples to provide a corresponding “received” symbol stream.
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A receive (RX) data processor then receives and processes the Nreceived symbol streams from Ntransceivers based on a particular receiver processing technique to provide N“detected” symbol streams. The RX data processor then demodulates, deinterleaves, and decodes each detected symbol stream to recover the traffic data for the data stream. The processing by the RX data processor is complementary to that performed by the TX MIMO processor and the TX data processor at the device .
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A processor periodically determines which pre-coding matrix to use (discussed below). The processor formulates a reverse link message comprising a matrix index portion and a rank value portion. A data memory may store program code, data, and other information used by the processor or other components of the device .
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The reverse link message may comprise various types of information regarding the communication link and/or the received data stream. The reverse link message is then processed by a TX data processor , which also receives traffic data for a number of data streams from a data source , modulated by a modulator , conditioned by the transceivers A through R, and transmitted back to the device .
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At the device , the modulated signals from the device are received by the antennas , conditioned by the transceivers , demodulated by a demodulator (DEMOD) , and processed by a RX data processor to extract the reverse link message transmitted by the device . The processor then determines which pre-coding matrix to use for determining the beam-forming weights then processes the extracted message.
FIG. 11
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also illustrates that the communication components may include one or more components that perform transmit power control operations as taught herein. For example, a power component may cooperate with the processor and/or other components of the device to control transmit power as taught herein. Similarly, a power control component may cooperate with the processor and/or other components of the device to provide information for controlling transmit power as taught herein. It should be appreciated that for each device and the functionality of two or more of the described components may be provided by a single component. For example, a single processing component may provide the functionality of the power control component and the processor and a single processing component may provide the functionality of the power control component and the processor .
The teachings herein may be incorporated into various types of communication systems and/or system components. In some aspects, the teachings herein may be employed in a multiple-access system capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., by specifying one or more of bandwidth, transmit power, coding, interleaving, and so on). For example, the teachings herein may be applied to any one or combinations of the following technologies: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Multiple-Carrier CDMA (MCCDMA), Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA, HSPA+) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, or other multiple access techniques. A wireless communication system employing the teachings herein may be designed to implement one or more standards, such as IS-95, cdma2000, IS-856, W-CDMA, TDSCDMA, and other standards. A CDMA network may implement a radio technology such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), cdma2000, or some other technology. UTRA includes W-CDMA and Low Chip Rate (LCR). The cdma2000 technology covers IS-2000, IS-95 and IS-856 standards. A TDMA network may implement a radio technology such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). An OFDMA network may implement a radio technology such as Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM®, etc. UTRA, E-UTRA, and GSM are part of Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS). The teachings herein may be implemented in a 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, an Ultra-Mobile Broadband (UMB) system, and other types of systems. LTE is a release of UMTS that uses E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, GSM, UMTS and LTE are described in documents from an organization named “3rd Generation Partnership Project” (3GPP), while cdma2000 is described in documents from an organization named “3rd Generation Partnership Project 2” (3GPP2). Although certain aspects of the disclosure may be described using 3GPP terminology, it is to be understood that the teachings herein may be applied to 3GPP (e.g., Rel99, Rel5, Rel6, Rel7) technology, as well as 3GPP2 (e.g., 1×RTT, 1×EV-DO Rel0, RevA, RevB) technology and other technologies.
The teachings herein may be incorporated into (e.g., implemented within or performed by) a variety of apparatuses (e.g., nodes). In some aspects, a node (e.g., a wireless node) implemented in accordance with the teachings herein may comprise an access point or an access terminal.
For example, an access terminal may comprise, be implemented as, or known as user equipment, a subscriber station, a subscriber unit, a mobile station, a mobile, a mobile node, a remote station, a remote terminal, a user terminal, a user agent, a user device, or some other terminology. In some implementations, an access terminal may comprise a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device having wireless connection capability, or some other suitable processing device connected to a wireless modem. Accordingly, one or more aspects taught herein may be incorporated into a phone (e.g., a cellular phone or smart phone), a computer (e.g., a laptop), a tablet, a portable communication device, a portable computing device (e.g., a personal data assistant), an entertainment device (e.g., a music device, a video device, or a satellite radio), a global positioning system device, or any other suitable device that is configured to communicate via a wireless medium.
An access point may comprise, be implemented as, or known as a NodeB, an eNodeB, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station (BS), a radio base station (RBS), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transceiver function (TF), a radio transceiver, a radio router, a basic service set (BSS), an extended service set (ESS), a macro cell, a macro node, a Home eNB (HeNB), a small cell, or some other similar terminology.
In some aspects, a node (e.g., an access point) may comprise an access node for a communication system. Such an access node may provide, for example, connectivity for or to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet or a cellular network) via a wired or wireless communication link to the network. Accordingly, an access node may enable another node (e.g., an access terminal) to access a network or some other functionality. In addition, it should be appreciated that one or both of the nodes may be portable or, in some cases, relatively non-portable.
Also, it should be appreciated that a wireless node may be capable of transmitting and/or receiving information in a non-wireless manner (e.g., via a wired connection). Thus, a receiver and a transmitter as discussed herein may include appropriate communication interface components (e.g., electrical or optical interface components) to communicate via a non-wireless medium.
A wireless node may communicate via one or more wireless communication links that are based on or otherwise support any suitable wireless communication technology. For example, in some aspects a wireless node may associate with a network. In some aspects, the network may comprise a local area network or a wide area network. A wireless device may support or otherwise use one or more of a variety of wireless communication technologies, protocols, or standards such as those discussed herein (e.g., CDMA, TDMA, OFDM, OFDMA, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, and so on). Similarly, a wireless node may support or otherwise use one or more of a variety of corresponding modulation or multiplexing schemes. A wireless node may thus include appropriate components (e.g., air interfaces) to establish and communicate via one or more wireless communication links using the above or other wireless communication technologies. For example, a wireless node may comprise a wireless transceiver with associated transmitter and receiver components that may include various components (e.g., signal generators and signal processors) that facilitate communication over a wireless medium.
The functionality described herein (e.g., with regard to one or more of the accompanying figures) may correspond in some aspects to similarly designated “means for” functionality in the appended claims.
FIG. 12
1200
1202
1204
1206
Referring to , an apparatus is represented as a series of interrelated functional modules. A module for receiving information generated by a plurality of access terminals associated with an access point may correspond at least in some aspects to, for example, a communication device (e.g., a receiver) as discussed herein. A module for categorizing the access terminals based on the received information may correspond at least in some aspects to, for example, a processing system as discussed herein. A module for determining transmit power for the access point based on the categorization of the access terminals may correspond at least in some aspects to, for example, a processing system as discussed herein.
FIG. 12
FIG. 12
1200
1202
1206
1200
1202
1204
1206
The functionality of the modules of may be implemented in various ways consistent with the teachings herein. In some aspects, the functionality of these modules may be implemented as one or more electrical components. In some aspects, the functionality of these blocks may be implemented as a processing system including one or more processor components. In some aspects, the functionality of these modules may be implemented using, for example, at least a portion of one or more integrated circuits (e.g., an ASIC). As discussed herein, an integrated circuit may include a processor, software, other related components, or some combination thereof. Thus, the functionality of different modules may be implemented, for example, as different subsets of an integrated circuit, as different subsets of a set of software modules, or a combination thereof. Also, it should be appreciated that a given subset (e.g., of an integrated circuit and/or of a set of software modules) may provide at least a portion of the functionality for more than one module. As one specific example, the apparatus may comprise a single device (e.g., components - comprising different sections of an ASIC). As another specific example, the apparatus may comprise several devices (e.g., the component comprising one ASIC and the components and comprising another ASIC). The functionality of these modules also may be implemented in some other manner as taught herein. In some aspects one or more of any dashed blocks in are optional.
FIG. 12
FIG. 12
In addition, the components and functions represented by as well as other components and functions described herein, may be implemented using any suitable means. Such means also may be implemented, at least in part, using corresponding structure as taught herein. For example, the components described above in conjunction with the “module for” components of also may correspond to similarly designated “means for” functionality. Thus, in some aspects one or more of such means may be implemented using one or more of processor components, integrated circuits, or other suitable structure as taught herein.
In some aspects, an apparatus or any component of an apparatus may be configured to (or operable to or adapted to) provide functionality as taught herein. This may be achieved, for example: by manufacturing (e.g., fabricating) the apparatus or component so that it will provide the functionality; by programming the apparatus or component so that it will provide the functionality; or through the use of some other suitable implementation technique. As one example, an integrated circuit may be fabricated to provide the requisite functionality. As another example, an integrated circuit may be fabricated to support the requisite functionality and then configured (e.g., via programming) to provide the requisite functionality. As yet another example, a processor circuit may execute code to provide the requisite functionality.
It should be understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as “first,” “second,” and so forth does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations may be used herein as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to first and second elements does not mean that only two elements may be employed there or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner. Also, unless stated otherwise a set of elements may comprise one or more elements. In addition, terminology of the form “at least one of A, B, or C” or “one or more of A, B, or C” or “at least one of the group consisting of A, B, and C” used in the description or the claims means “A or B or C or any combination of these elements.” For example, this terminology may include A, or B, or C, or A and B, or A and C, or A and B and C, or 2A, or 2B, or 2C, and so on.
Those of skill in the art would understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.
Those of skill would further appreciate that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, and algorithm operations described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware (e.g., a digital implementation, an analog implementation, or a combination of the two, which may be designed using source coding or some other technique), various forms of program or design code incorporating instructions (which may be referred to herein, for convenience, as “software” or a “software module”), or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and operations have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.
The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented within or performed by a processing system, an integrated circuit (“IC”), an access terminal, or an access point. A processing system may be implemented using one or more ICs or may be implemented within an IC (e.g., as part of a system on a chip). An IC may comprise a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, electrical components, optical components, mechanical components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein, and may execute codes or instructions that reside within the IC, outside of the IC, or both. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.
It is understood that any specific order or hierarchy of operations in any disclosed process is an example of a sample approach. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of operations in the processes may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various operations in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.
The operations of a method or algorithm described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module (e.g., including executable instructions and related data) and other data may reside in a memory such as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of computer-readable storage medium known in the art. A sample storage medium may be coupled to a machine such as, for example, a computer/processor (which may be referred to herein, for convenience, as a “processor”) such the processor can read information (e.g., code) from and write information to the storage medium. A sample storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in user equipment. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in user equipment. Moreover, in some aspects any suitable computer-program product may comprise a computer-readable medium comprising code(s) executable (e.g., executable by at least one computer) to provide functionality relating to one or more of the aspects of the disclosure. In some aspects, a computer program product may comprise packaging materials.
In one or more implementations, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A computer-readable media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Thus, in some aspects computer readable medium may comprise non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., tangible media, computer-readable storage medium, computer-readable storage device, etc.). Such a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., computer-readable storage device) may comprise any of the tangible forms of media described herein or otherwise known (e.g., a memory device, a media disk, etc.). In addition, in some aspects computer-readable medium may comprise transitory computer readable medium (e.g., comprising a signal). Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. It should be appreciated that a computer-readable medium may be implemented in any suitable computer-program product.
As used herein, the term “determining” encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, “determining” may include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, a database or another data structure), ascertaining, and the like. Also, “determining” may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), and the like. Also, “determining” may include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and the like.
The previous description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other sample aspects of the disclosure will be described in the detailed description and the claims that follow, and in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1
is a simplified block diagram of several sample aspects of a communication system adapted to support determining transmit power based on access terminal categorization;
FIG. 2
is flowchart of several sample aspects of operations that may be performed in conjunction with determining transmit power based on access terminal categorization;
FIG. 3
is flowchart of several sample aspects of operations that may be performed in conjunction with a transmit power algorithm;
FIG. 4
is flowchart of several sample aspects of operations that may be performed in conjunction with generating statistics based on received messages;
FIG. 5
is flowchart of several sample aspects of operations that may be performed in conjunction with categorizing access terminals;
FIG. 6
is flowchart of several sample aspects of operations that may be performed in conjunction with determining transmit power;
FIG. 7
is a simplified block diagram of several sample aspects of components that may be employed in communication nodes;
FIG. 8
is a simplified diagram of a wireless communication system;
FIG. 9
is a simplified diagram of a wireless communication system including small cells;
FIG. 10
is a simplified diagram illustrating coverage areas for wireless communication;
FIG. 11
is a simplified block diagram of several sample aspects of communication components; and
FIG. 12
is a simplified block diagram of several sample aspects of an apparatus configured to support transmit power control as taught herein. | |
When one attempts to look at the moral order of a religion, one must first look at its cosmology and what it posits as the center of the universe. With the Qur’an this means looking at the creation of the world and the creation of man, and how those two agents interact with one another. It becomes clear early into Qur’anic study that the the moral order is based around the centrality of human beings.
God created the world and views it as His masterpiece. He did not just create individual creatures though, but various intricate ecological systems that work together. These natural systems are described in sura 16:4-11. Throughout these descriptions it becomes clear that they all were created to serve humankind. “He made the night to serve you as also the day, the sun, the moon and the stars- all are made to serve by His command.” (Q 16:12) Even bees, the namesake of this sura, are given revelation and therefore produce more honey than they could ever consume in order for humans to be able to enjoy its sweetness. Unlike some schools of Hindu Traditions, which might conceptualize creation as the lila, or sport, of God, Islam views the intricacy of this Earth to point towards the fact that creation is not a game, but indeed a serious endeavour of the divine. Not only is creation a serious matter to God, but humans are God’s intermediaries and it is their responsibility to live a harmonious and moral life alongside creation.
The next logical question would be: why humans? What is it about the human race that makes them not only distinct, but sovereign over all of God’s other creations. Scientists might point towards opposable thumbs or enlarged brain capabilities but the Qur’an places the responsibility on something else. Mentioned at multiple points in the Qur’an, God fashioned human beings out of clay and then breathed His spirit into them. (Q 15:29, 38:72, 32:9) This makes humans the only beings to have an aspect of God’s spark inside them. Not even Angels or Jinn have this honor. In fact they were both made to prostrate to this new, superior creation. This spirit that is breathed into humans is not discussed in any sort of dualist manner. That is to say there is no separation of mind/soul/spirit and body as is found in other traditions. This means that all humans have the same “amount” (for like of a better term) of God-essence in them, enabling everyone to have the same attributes as Him. Therefore, human beings have the potential to be God-like and we should emulate His qualities. This is shown in Adam’s creation story, in which Angels protest the creation of “one who sows discord and sheds blood” (Q 2:30), and God responded with “I know what you do not.” He then proceeds to teach Adam to remember names, a skill that God possessed but Angels did not, which proved human’s potential.
Despite the broad potential of the human species, each individual does not have the same ability to act morally and in the name of God. God gives each individual person a select capacity and it is their choice to do with it what they please. This means that one person with a large potential to do good, who does less than their ability, is judged more harshly than someone with a small potential to do good who does the same amount. God gives us these capacities but we have the free will to act on them. All creation submits to God naturally except man, which “is the only being endowed with a free choice of obeying or disobeying the Command of God.” Being All-powerful, God could have made everyone pious but He gave humans this gift of free will to act within the allotment they received.
“To hold that the Qur’an believes in absolute determinism of human behavior, denying free choice on man’s part, is not only to deny almost the entire content of the Qur’an, but to undercut its very basis: the Qur’an by its own claim is an invitation to man to come to the right path.”
What complicates the piety of humans is the meddlings of one rebellious jinn who refused to bow to humans name Satan. Unlike in Christian theology, Satan is not an anti-God figure, but an anti-human figure who attempts to seduce men away from their straight path. The choice of people is less about whether or not to follow God, but whether to follow God or be led astray by Satan.
For those who are temporarily led astray by Satan, they need not lament as long they renounce his ways and embark on the path of righteousness. Omnipotent and omniscient as He is, God understands the fickle nature of humans and judges them, not on their worst actions, but on their best actions. In the heavily anthropocentric sura 16 already discussed, it is revealed that “Indeed, We shall recompense the patient with their wages, in accordance with the best of their deeds. Whoever does good, male or female, while having faith, We shall make him live a decent life, and We shall recompense them with their wages, in accordance with the best of their deeds” (Q 16:97) This is typical of the Qur’anic rewarding system. A punishment is equal to the crime committed while a reward is also much more than deserved- sometimes by tenfold. The moral order of the Qur’an is complex and intricate but the bottom line is that it is anthropocentric. Even behavior regulations that normally require or forbid a specific action are reversed if the action or lack thereof would save a life. | https://islam-and-friendship.oberlincollegelibrary.org/uncategorized/anthropocentric-morality/ |
Anatolian origin coins returned to Turkey
Anatolian origin coins returned to Turkey
ANKARA
After some two and a half years, 2,955 coins, seals and scales of Anatolian origin, seized from a Turkish citizen at the Bajakovo-Batrovci border gate between Serbia and Croatia, were returned to Turkey.
Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said that this was just the beginning of the Adana-based “Anatolian Operation,” which was carried out in 30 provinces and three foreign countries, adding that the smuggling of nearly 20,000 cultural assets abroad was prevented thanks to the operation.
Many coins and archaeological artifacts were seized from an unnamed Turkish citizen who attempted to cross the Bajakovo-Batrovci border gate between Serbia and Croatia on April 7, 2019.
The Anti-Smuggling Department of the Culture and Tourism Ministry General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums requested photographs of the artifacts and went to Croatia for an on-site inspection.
The examination revealed that the artifact, consisting of 2,955 coins, lead, seal impressions and weights, were of Anatolian origin. After the report was delivered to the Croatian authorities, the artifacts dating back to Roman and Byzantine periods in the fifth century B.C. were brought to Turkey on Dec. 1, 2021, and taken under protection at the Ankara Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.
With the testimony of the suspect, who was trying to cross the border to smuggle the historical artifacts, the first historical artifact smuggling operation in the history of the Turkish Republic has been launched.
Simultaneous operations were carried out in various locations in 30 different provinces within the scope of the “Anatolian Operation.” Nearly 20,000 cultural assets in Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria, were prevented from being smuggled abroad. The artifacts were delivered to the Adana Museum Directorate.
Nearly 20,000 cultural assets seized
A joint press conference on the seized artifacts and the operation was held on Dec. 21 by Soylu and Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
“The Anatolian Operation, supported by central and provincial organizations of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, is the first historical artifact smuggling operation in the history of the Turkish Republic. Many members of the organization were detained and 26 million euros were confiscated. Nearly 20,000 cultural assets were seized before being smuggled abroad and were handed over to the Adana Museum Directorate. Thanks to the work carried out by the police and gendarmerie units, many artifacts have been seized and many illegal excavations have been prevented,” Soylu said.
A special collection in homeland
Ersoy said that 525 works were brought from abroad, reaching the highest figure in the last 10 years in 2021.
Reminding that with the strenuous efforts made by ministry experts, it was revealed that the artifacts seized in Croatia were of Anatolian origin, Culture Minister Ersoy said: “We delivered a detailed report on the artifacts to the Croatian authorities. As a result, the artifacts were brought to Turkey on Dec. 1 and now are kept in the Ankara Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.”
Stating that the coins have differences in terms of period, region and usage, Ersoy said: “There are examples of Anatolian city coins, as well as the ones that were minted in the fifth century B.C. and were almost everywhere in Anatolia. There are the earliest examples of Islamic coins, which are also Arab-Byzantine minted. As for the civilization origins of the coins, we have Rome, Seleukos, Pontus, Cilicia, Umayyad, Ilkhanid-Seljuk and Ottoman coins. We can say that the coins cover a period of approximately 2,300 years. The gold coin belonging to the Ottoman Sultan Mahmut II is also in this collection. In terms of their metal properties, gold, silver and copper coins have been found. In short, an important and private collection has returned to its homeland.”
Ersoy noted that nine international agreements were signed with Iran, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, China, Peru, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the United States in order to prevent the smuggling of cultural property.
“We are having talks with Switzerland and Serbia for new agreements. I believe that it will be possible to crown our efforts with Croatia with a bilateral agreement,” he added. | |
The Last Mile Property Damage Investigator role executes the Property Damage (PD) program vision. We work closely with third-party claims adjusters, insurance providers, and Delivery Service Partners to ensure property damage claims are addressed efficiently and effectively, based on evidence. This person is an important partner in supporting the PD claims management program and ensuring that processes are followed.
Responsibilities:
- Leveraging multiple Amazon and third-party tools, follow PD processes and SOPs to execute our team’s vision for fast and fair customer claims management.
- Investigating and providing recommendations for complex complaints.
- Identifying opportunities for improving the customer/vendor/DSP experience, improving SOPs, and working collaboratively with team members to make improvements
- Escalate issues and pain points in the process to project managers
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, quickly changing environment
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- Attention to detail and organization skills
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Related posts: | https://careerjob18.com/amazon-jobs-in-washington/ |
Longevity of direct restorations in stress-bearing posterior cavities: a retrospective study.
The aims of this retrospective clinical study were to compare the longevities of direct posterior amalgam restorations (AMs) and resin composite restorations (RCs) that were subjected to occlusal stresses and to investigate variables predictive of their outcome. A total of 269 AMs and RCs filled in Class I and II cavities of posterior teeth were evaluated with Kaplan-Meier survival estimator and multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. Seventy-one retreated restorations were reviewed from dental records. The other 198 restorations still in use were evaluated according to modified US Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria by two investigators. The longevity of RCs was significantly lower than that of AMs (AM = 8.7 years and RC = 5.0 years, p<0.05), especially in molars. The prognostic variables, such as age, restorative material, tooth type, operator group, diagnosis, cavity classification, and gender, affected the longevity of the restorations (multivariate Cox regression analysis, p<0.05). However, among the restorations working in oral cavities, their clinical performance evaluated with modified USPHS criteria showed no statistical difference between both restoratives. In contrast to the short longevity of RCs relative to AMs, the clinical performance of RCs working in oral cavities was observed to be not different from that of AMs. This suggests that once a RC starts to fail, it happens in a rapid progression. As posterior esthetic restorations, RCs must be observed carefully with periodic follow-ups for early detection and timely repair of failures.
| |
The brain utilizes our past experiences to provide information on how to interpret our emotions in the present.
The brain is really good at relying on the past to make guesses about the future. As we develop throughout our lives, the brain can learn new things and develop a new lens, that’s why adults tend to be more emotionally- regulated than toddlers. But, trauma very easily disrupts this progression, and we can easily develop triggers associated with particular emotions that may not make sense or serve us in the present. This is why trauma recovery that engages the body is so vital. The logical mind may know one thing, but the limbic system may react to another.
Somatic therapy is using mindful awareness to notice old or stuck uncomfortable sensations, stories, emotions, movements, and/or beliefs as they show up and then making a conscious choice to focus our attention in different ways in order to create a new experience in the present. | https://www.embodiedlifetherapycenter.com/post/using-somatic-therapy-to-change-heal |
The Maenner | Minnich blog keeps you up to date on family law issues.
Important Changes to Custody and Parenting Time Laws
Are you thinking of modifying your parenting time or has someone made the request to modify your current schedule? The 2014 Legislative session provided a significant change to the manner in which Courts must analyze requests to modify parenting time schedules as...
Parenting Time Issues Surrounding School
As a parent, Labor Day weekend signals the end of the summer and a transition back to regular schedules for children in school. Separated parents of children face new dilemmas from the more relaxed days of summer. The top dilemmas we frequently see in our office...
Important Considerations in Vacation Schedules
Vacations with your children, whether traveling or simply spending extended time in your home, are important for all families. For separated families with parenting time schedules, however, vacations provide greater opportunities to support a family bond with...
Children’s Costs: Who is Responsible for What?
Following a divorce or custody determination, child support is calculated by the court. In most cases, the parties will follow the guidelines child support, a formula that takes into account both parents’ gross monthly incomes, if they have other children in the... | https://www.maennerminnich.com/blog/ |
The members of Wilton Rancheria are descendants of the Penutian linguistic family identified as speaking the Miwok dialect. The Tribe’s Indigenous Territory encompasses Sacramento County. The lands the Tribe’s ancestors inhabited were located along a path of massive death and destruction of California Indians caused by Spanish, Mexican, and American military incursions, disease and slavery, and the violence accompanying mining and settlements. Between March 1851 and January 1852, three commissioners hastily negotiated eighteen treaties with representatives of some of the indigenous population in California. The ancestors of the Tribe were party to the treaty signed at the Forks of the Cosumnes. The Treaty of the Forks of the Cosumnes River ceded the lands on which the Wilton Rancheria in Sacramento County was later established, but promised to establish a rancheria beginning at the Cosumnes River, “commencing at a point on the Cosumnes river, on the western line of the county, running south on and by said line to its terminus, running east on said line twenty-five miles, thence north to the middle fork of the Cosumnes river, down said stream to the place of beginning; to have and to hold the said district of country for the sole use and occupancy of said Tribe forever.”
The Tribe’s ancestors came back from nearly being annihilated only to have their children taken to boarding schools that stripped their indigenous language and culture further. Finally in July of 1928 the United State of America acquired land in trust for the Miwok people that were living in Sacramento County. A 38.77 acre tract of land in Wilton, Sacramento County, California was purchased from the Cosumnes Company which formally established the Wilton Rancheria. In 1958, the United States Congress enacted the Rancheria Act, authorizing the termination of federal trust responsibilities to 41 California Indian Tribes including Wilton Rancheria. The Tribe official lost its Federal Recognition in 1964.
Congress reconsidered their policy of termination in favor of Indian self-determination in the 1970s. In 1991, surviving members of Wilton Rancheria reorganized their tribal government and in 1999 they requested the United States to formally restore their federal recognition. Ten years later a decision of a U.S. District Court Judge gave Wilton Rancheria restoration, restoring the Tribe to a Federally Recognized Tribe in 2009. Wilton Rancheria is a federally recognized Indian Tribe as listed in the Federal Register, Vol. 74, No. 132, p. 33468-33469, as “Wilton Rancheria of Wilton, California”. The Tribe passed their constitution in 2011. It stated its four branches of government that includes the Office of the Chair & Vice Chair, the Tribal Council, a Tribal-Court, and the General Council. The Tribe’s administration office is located in the City of Elk Grove, Sacramento County in California.
As stated in the Federal Register, Vol. 78, No. 176, Notices 55731, on September 11, 2013 the Tribe was designated the geographic boundaries of the Service Delivery Area (SDA) of Sacramento County in the State of California. As the only Federally Recognized Tribe in Sacramento County it is designated administratively as the Tribe’s SDA. To function as a Contract Health Service Delivery Area (CHSDA), for the purpose of operating a Contract Health Service (CHS) program pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistant Act (ISDEAA), Public Law 93–638. | http://wiltonrancheria-nsn.gov/Home/TribalHistory/tabid/305/Default.aspx |
Text description provided by the architects. The challenge of this site was how to make the best of a spectacular aspect and view while creating a private and liveable apartment building. The parcel of land runs north-south with views to the north and east up to the neighbouring over-scaled apartment building.
We developed a simple and strong diagram, comprising of three components:
1. A large dark-grey block, predominantly containing building utilities, which forms the building’s visual foundation.
2. A series of three-storey high, light coloured cantilevered blades that splay towards the north-east allowing each bedroom and living area to have a view of the water while maintaining a sense of privacy from the neighbouring building and public staircase.
3. An excavated, retained and planted ground plane, which will develop into a lush, green garden setting with tall ivy-covered walls.
The details and materials used, were selected to reinforce the clarity of this diagram and withstand the pressures of time in a corrosive environment. Durable finishes that did not require painting were used – such as low-profile concrete blocks (hand-cut from concrete pavers), and natural stone pavers and cladding where the building connects to the ground.
The interiors have been reduced to the same level of simplicity as the overall form. The building’s utilities such as bathrooms, laundry, elevator and fire stair are grouped together to form a simple core, allowing each of the rooms with a splayed wall to line up in a row. These rooms are configured differently on each floor to allow the top two apartments to be split over three floors and the lower floors to engage with the excavated ground plane. The building’s interiors blend effortlessly with the external areas. This is reinforced through the use of the same stone for the external balconies and internal spaces and, by using a raised floor system on the balconies so that the floor material can be flush.
While the materials are modest, the details are impeccable, providing for another level of interest for those who look beyond the uncompromising form.
In order to achieve the client’s spatial objectives and not adversely affect the neighbours – including by overshadowing/excessive bulk/view loss (we actually enhanced the ocean view for many neighbours) – we used several engineering based technologies. For example, siphonic drainage keeps the roof profile to an absolute minimum and enabled us to conceal the gutters, down pipes and roof flashings. A profiled metal fascia panel, which marries with the expressed primary steel structure, forms the edge to the roof and conceals the retractable louvres. By using these technologies, we avoided having bulk heads in any of the rooms and could make the louvres fully retractable from the window pane to maximise the incredible view. In addition, the floor-to-floor heights are very low yet maintain 2.65m from floor-to-ceiling. We achieved this through highly engineered thin concrete slabs with block outs for each of the ceiling fixtures, enabling a flush appearance for lighting speakers etc., with only a 20mm ceiling void.
The most dramatic feature of this building, however, are the bold and uncompromising concrete block panels, which cantilever without visible support from the dark grey core. Within each panel, is a subtle expression of the floor slabs where the brickwork is recessed 20mm from the face of each blade on all sides. Stainless steel shelf angles and steel reinforced mortar beds, all of which are concealed, enabled us to achieve this tailored appearance in an effortless manner. These tall blades, capped with flat steel plates, cantilever vertically past the top floor by approximately 1.2m and maintain their stability through the use of concealed steel framing, to further reinforce the building's form without complication.
To articulate and emphasise this drama, the vertical glass slot windows run from floor-to-ceiling on all floors, including the glass balustrades on the fifth level. We achieved this by using fire-rated clear glass for the spandrel panels and by using concealed stainless steel reinforcing in the aluminium sections. The west facade of the building, which accommodates the building's services, has a composition of slot windows, light brick panels and rectangular profiled louvres, which perfectly align with the brick courses of the building.
Excellence in ESD is prevalent throughout, by the inclusion of solar hot water heaters, passive solar design, cross ventilation, rain water collection, and energy & water efficient appliances and fittings.
As we developed the design for this building, we discussed the great yet understated buildings of the world, often designed by the likes of Mies Van Der Rohe, that are loved by architects. Our objective was to achieve this through a clear diagram, a modest selection of materials, and refined detailing. With this in mind, and by employing rigorous engineering and design development, we have achieved the illusion of simplicity. | https://www.archdaily.com/150653/pacific-sixteen-smart-design-studio |
Are You Curious About LIFE?
Why Do We Hiccup
All people hiccup. Babies begin to hiccup before birth, in the womb. What is the meaning of this mechanism and what does the body signal in this way? Let's try to figure it out.
The diaphragm and nerves that penetrate our body are "to blame" for the occurrence of hiccups. The diaphragm is a powerful muscle located just below the lungs. Hiccups are abrupt contractions of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles.
The provoking factors are unhealthy diet, excessive swallowing of air, distension of the stomach when overeating, uncomfortable posture, consumption of carbonated and alcoholic beverages, etc.
Most people hiccup more often during childhood, and as they age, seizures become rarer but do not go away at all. In most cases, hiccups are harmless and last only a few minutes. But sometimes hiccups can be a real problem, especially when they last for hours, days or weeks.
People are aware that holding or breathing in a paper bag increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the lungs and relaxes the diaphragm, stopping the spasms of hiccups. There is no definitive way to stop hiccups, and there is no guarantee that this remedy works for everyone, but it may be effective in some people. | https://www.helpinguide.com/curiosity/why-do-we-hiccup |
Background
==========
Consistently, studies show that patients with chronic illnesses do not receive optimal treatment \[[@B1],[@B2]\]. Redesigning primary care by separating acute care from planned management of chronic conditions has been proposed to close the quality chasm between current practices and optimal standards \[[@B3]\]. Of all chronic conditions, care for diabetic patients is probably the most manifest and widely spread example of primary care development \[[@B4],[@B5]\]. In the Netherlands, 85% of patients with Diabetes Mellitus type 2 are treated within primary care \[[@B6]\].
The creation of practice teams with a clear division of labour is an important aspect within this context \[[@B7]\]. Nurses and nurse assistants both are generally involved in management of patients with diabetes. Therefore, key elements of teamwork, such as sharing clear goals, division of labour, training and communication \[[@B8]\] are suspected to potentially improve care for these patients \[[@B7],[@B9]\]. Studies showed positive associations between higher levels of teamwork and such outcomes as clinical performance \[[@B10]\], absence of hospital physicians due to sickness \[[@B11]\], job satisfaction \[[@B12]\], and patient outcomes such as satisfaction of patients with their care \[[@B12]-[@B15]\]. A related construct that is increasingly described in quality improvement research is organizational culture. This interest is based on the increasing recognition that cultural changes are needed alongside the structural changes to secure gains in quality \[[@B16]\]. Some studies showed that organizational cultures that support teamwork and quality improvement may contribute to achieving high quality care \[[@B17]-[@B20]\]. However, it has also been shown that a mix of cultures was associated with higher levels of team effectiveness \[[@B21]\], whereas several other studies failed to find associations between culture and performance \[[@B22],[@B23]\].
In most countries, primary care practices are small, office-based organizations, usually consisting of no more than a handful of people. Although evidence for the possible relevance of teamwork and culture is growing, most evidence for these-intuitively appealing-concepts is based on studies in hospital settings. In this study we therefore investigate whether higher levels of teamwork and specific types of organizational culture are associated to diabetes care in small office-based general practices.
Methods
=======
Design and population
---------------------
The present cross sectional study was embedded in an intervention study, in which 350 practices in three regions in the middle and south of the Netherlands were invited to participate. Forty general practices agreed to participate (response rate 11.4%), and they were paired on stratification criteria and randomly allocated to intervention or control group \[[@B6]\]. A researcher visited intervention practices at the beginning of the intervention period, in February to April 2003, to discuss the current practice procedures for diabetes care with the staff. Situations in which various staff members shared tasks was a special topic of discussion. Then a diabetes passport was introduced, a patient-held booklet with important personal information that can be used to track results, record treatment targets and give (educational) information. The professionals discussed how the passport could best fit in the practice routines and work processes. The researcher summarized the various responsibilities involved in diabetes care and the use of the passport on a desk-top card. In the first three months, patients received their passport. Three months later, a researcher visited the practice to discuss the progress of the project and to see whether the division of tasks was being maintained as planned. After 6 months, all patients completed a short questionnaire on the use of the diabetes passport, after which each practice received benchmarked feedback on the introduction and use of the passports \[[@B6]\]. At post-intervention, in May to July 2004, all practice members in the 40 practices who indicated to be actively involved in medical care for patients with diabetes type II (general practitioners, nurse practitioners, and practice assistants) were invited to complete questionnaires on team climate and organizational culture. Team and culture measures were combined with data of diabetes mellitus type II patients younger than 80. The study was approved by the ethics committee Arnhem-Nijmegen. Written, informed consent was received from all study participants.
Measures
--------
Clinical outcomes were HbA1c level, systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol levels. A fourth outcome was clinical performance which was measured with a sum score of 10 process indicators of diabetes care quality, based on national guidelines on diabetes care \[[@B24]\] (see Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}; measured at the level of the individual patients, Chronbach\'s alpha 0.86). A patient could be given a score between 0 and 10, because each indicator was scored either done (1) or not done (0). All outcomes were derived by scrutinizing the electronic medical record systems (EMR) by trained research personnel at post-intervention in July 2004.
{#F1}
Independent factors
-------------------
To measure organizational culture, we used the \'Competing Values Framework\' (CVF) in which respondents were asked to distributed 100 points across four sets of organizational statements according to the description that best fits their own organization in five questions \[[@B25]\]. This approach recognizes that no organization exhibits only one culture or set of values, but that multiple cultures and values coexist simultaneously and compete for attention. The framework distinguishes two dimensions: \'internally oriented\' versus \'externally oriented\', and \'stability\' versus \'flexibility and change\', resulting in four ideal types of culture. The *group*culture emphasizes teamwork, cohesiveness, and participation. The *developmental*culture is characterized by the promotion of innovation and risk-taking, and is oriented towards growth. The *rational*culture emphasizes achievement and meeting objectives; people are rewarded to achieve organizational goals and working efficiently. Finally, the *hierarchical*culture emphasizes stability, rules, regulations and coordination. The statements reflect the four culture types. For each question, non blank respondent errors (i.e. the allocation of more or less than 100 points) were corrected by proportionally adjusting the responses to sum up to 100. For each practice, we determined the mean scores on the four types of culture. Internal consistency reliability for the four culture types, using Cronbach\'s alpha, were 0.64 for group culture, 0.51 for developmental culture, 0.55 for hierarchical culture, and 0.46 for rational culture. In addition, we calculated how well the scores for the different organizational types of culture were in balance, using the Blau index that has been described in previous studies \[[@B21],[@B22]\]. The hypothesis underlying this measure is that it is the relative balance among the four culture types that is associated with team effectiveness. Higher scores on this index indicate a more even distribution of points among the four culture types, so practices that distributed their points in a 25/25/25/25 pattern had the highest score on \'culture balance\' (1), whereas practices with more points for one or the other culture type had lower balance scores (\< 1).
Teamwork was measured with the 14 item short version of the \'Team Climate Inventory\' (TCI) \[[@B26],[@B27]\], answered on 5-point Likert scales. The underlying theory argues that group innovations often result from team activities which are characterized by 1) focusing on clear and realistic objectives in which the team members are committed (vision), 2) interaction between team members in a participative and inter-personally non-threatening climate (participative safety), 3) commitment to high standards of performance and, thus, preparedness for basic questions and appraisal of weaknesses (task orientation), and finally, 4) enacted support for innovation attempts including, e.g. cooperation to develop and apply new ideas (support for innovation). For each scale, mean scores were calculated per individual and then averaged to practice-level scores. Chronbach\'s alphas were 0.81, 0.79, 0.78, and 0.82 respectively, and correlations (r) ranged from 0.49 to 0.53. We finally combined these to one single score \[[@B15]\]. Overall Chronbach\'s alpha for the 14 questions was 0.91. Correlations between scales and the overall measure ranged from 0.75 to 0.84.
We translated both the team and culture instruments into Dutch according to guidelines for cross-cultural translation \[[@B28]\]. Analysis of variance tests verified that individual level responses to the culture and team climate instrument could be validly aggregated to the level of the teams for all but one scale. The within-team variability of responses was less than the between-team variability (F values ranging from 2.29 to 3.90 (p \< 0.005)). This test was not significant for the hierarchical culture scale (F value 1.3; p = 0.19).
The following-possibly confounding-factors were included: whether the practice had special diabetes consulting hours, and whether it was an intervention or control practice, measured by a checklist that was completed by a member of each practice personnel at the start of the project. Finally, age and gender of the patients were included, derived from mailed patient questionnaires, and the baseline measures of the four outcomes derived from the EMR.
Analysis
--------
We performed multi level regression analyses (mixed models) with patients (level 1) nested within the practices (level 2). We examined bivariate correlations to check for high correlations (Pearson\'s correlation and cross tabulations with χ^2^test and studied single relationships between the outcomes and all predictors before adding the control variables. Since we were interested in the effect of each of our variables of interest separately (different types of organizational culture and team climate), we used separate models to study one of these variables at a time. Thus, for each outcome, six models were conducted; four different models examined the four organizational cultures, one examined the balance among these culture types, and one examined team climate. Each model controlled for patient age, sex, and the baseline measure on the particular outcome, whether the practice had special diabetes consulting hours, and whether it was an intervention or control practice. All analyses were performed using SPSS version 12.0.1.
Results
=======
Practice characteristics
------------------------
In total, 146 practice members in 40 practices were invited to complete the questionnaires. We obtained team climate and culture data from 92 respondents, 46 general practitioners (response rate 71%), 8 practice nurses (response rate 73%) and 38 practice assistants (response rate 54%) working in 39 practices (overall response rate: 63%). The analysis on organizational culture and team climate was restricted to the practices in which at least two practice members returned the questionnaires. Therefore, we excluded 9 practice members in 10 practices in which this was not the case. The mean number of appointed members per practice was 3.7 (SD 1.0) and did not differ significantly for excluded practices as compared to included practices (3.4, range 2 to 5 and 3.8, range 2 to 6 respectively, p = 0.2). Also, excluded practices were as often single handed practices as included practices (p = 0.3).
Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"} shows the characteristics of the practices. Single handed practices were underrepresented in our sample as compared to the national mean (40% versus 60%) \[[@B29]\]. Among the four types of culture, group culture by far received most of the points (mean across practices = 51.6), followed by hierarchical (19.7), developmental (16.9) and finally rational culture (11.8). The balance among these values of culture was 0.60 on average. We also explored the data for the dominant culture \[[@B17]\] (the culture scoring highest in each practice; data not shown). In only 3 practices, hierarchical culture received the highest amount of points. All the other practices had a dominant group culture. The overall mean score on team climate was 1.94. Scores on the four scales were 1.84 for vision, 1.83 for participative safety, 1.96 for task orientation and 2.16 for support for innovation; data not shown).
######
Characteristics of practices (N = 30)
%/Mean (SD)
------------------------------------ -------------
Type of practice (% Single handed) 40%
Special diabetes consulting hours 36.7%
Group culture (0 -- 100) 51.6 (13.2)
Developmental culture (0 -- 100) 16.9 (7.4)
Hierarchical culture (0 -- 100) 19.7 (8.0)
Rational culture (0 -- 100) 11.8 (5.6)
Cultural balance (0 -- 1) 0.60 (0.10)
Team climate (1 -- 5) 1.94 (0.39)
Patient characteristics
-----------------------
In 40 practices, 2106 patients received questionnaires. Response rates were 68% for the first, and 69% for the second questionnaire, which resulted in data from 993 patients. Since we excluded 10 practices, 241 patients were excluded, leaving 752 patients for this study. Excluded patients did not differ significantly from included patients with respect to age, sex, and our outcomes.
Inspection of Table [2](#T2){ref-type="table"} learns that the mean age of the patients was 63 years, and 48.7% was male. Mean systolic blood pressure was 144.2; mean total cholesterol was 81.5 and mean HbA1c was 7.0. Scores on diabetes care quality differed considerably, and varied from 0 to 9, with a mean score of 5.82.
######
Characteristics of patients (N = 752)
N %/Mean (SD)
------------------------------------ ----- --------------
Gender, % male 752 48.7%
Age, years (SD) 752 63.0 (9.7)
Systolic blood pressure (SD) 716 144.2 (19.4)
Total Cholesterol (SD) 716 81.5 (9.6)
HbA1c 696 7.0 (1.2)
Quality of diabetes care (0 -- 10) 752 5.82 (2.8)
Table [3](#T3){ref-type="table"} shows that none of the selected clinical patient outcomes (HbA1c, systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol) showed significant associations with team climate or culture. However, we did find significant relations with clinical performance. A higher score on group culture was associated with lower scores on diabetes care quality (p = 0.04) with a coefficient of -0.04. This means that every 10-unit change on the group culture score (e.g. from 20 to 30 points) resulted in a 0.4 lower score on the diabetes care quality indicator. In theory, if a practice would move from the lowest group culture score to the highest (a difference of 55.6 points in this sample), the score on the quality indicator would decrease by 5.6 \* 0.4 = 2.24 points. Since the range in the mean scores for the quality indicator was from 0 to 9 points, 2.24 points therefore represents a maximum decrease of 24.9%. In total, 15.6% of the variation in the quality indicator outcome was determined by our model that included group culture of which 2.7% was accounted for by group culture. On the other hand, maintaining a balance between the different culture types was positively associated with quality (β = 5.97, p = 0.03), representing a maximum 27.6% of the nine point practice range in our quality indicator. A 0.1-unit change in the balance score (e.g. from 0.6 to 0.7) resulted in a 0.6 higher score on the quality indicator. Our model including cultural balance explained 16.2% of the variation in the quality indicator, of which 3.5% was explained by cultural balance.
######
Associations between team climate, organizational culture and HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and the aggregated diabetes process quality indicator, measured at patient level (N = 752).
HbA1c Systolic blood pressure Total cholesterol Clinical performance
----------------------- ------- ------------------------- ------------------- ---------------------- ------ ------------- ------- ----------------
Group culture -0.01 -0.02, 0.00 -0.08 -0.25, 0.10 0.00 -0.01, 0.00 -0.04 -0.08, 0.00 \*
Developmental culture 0.00 -0.02, 0.01 0.11 -0.16, 0.39 0.01 -0.01, 0.02 0.04 -0.03, 0.11
Hierarchical culture 0.01 0.00, 0.02 0.10 -0.14, 0.34 0.00 -0.01, 0.01 0.03 -0.03, 0.09
Rational culture 0.02 0.00, 0.03 -0.11 -0.44, 0.23 0.00 -0.01, 0.02 0.04 -0.05, 0.12
Cultural balance 1.35 -0.03, 2.72 9.70 -14.53, 33.93 0.65 -0.42, 1.72 5.97 0.66, 11.28 \*
Team climate -0.22 -0.50, 0.05 2.06 -2.53, 6.64 0.09 -0.13, 0.30 -0.57 -1.76, 0.76
\* sign \< 0.05
Discussion
==========
Overall, we found that high group culture scores were negatively correlated with adherence to diabetes guidelines in primary care practice (β = -0.04), whereas maintaining a balance among the different types of culture on the other hand was positively correlated to managing diabetes care well (β = 5.97). None of our variables of interest showed associations with our clinical patient outcomes.
Comparison with other studies
-----------------------------
This study confirmed results of recent studies in primary care in the UK, using the CVF, by showing that primary care organizations primarily have group cultures \[[@B22],[@B30]\]. In one of those studies managers of primary care trusts pointed out the possible disadvantages of group cultures, such as a tendency to be \'inward looking\'. They expected quality improvement to be hard to achieve unless practices change their culture to one that valued greater collaboration and sharing of expertise, and a willingness to be more flexible in the way that they operated \[[@B31]\]. In our study, high scores on the group culture variable were negatively correlated with indicators for managing care well. This might be explained in light of the suggestion that different culture types are related to those aspects of performance that are valued by that specific dominant culture type \[[@B16]\]. In other words, for example for *changing*routines (in quality improvement projects), a more team-focused and developmental culture type with a focus on flexibility might be helpful in attaining good results, whereas for *performing routine tasks*, such as inspecting feet every 3 months, aspects valued in the more control orientated rational or hierarchical culture types, with a focus on policies, procedures and production might be needed. Therefore, one could also argue that -to reach *and*sustain high quality care for chronic diseases such as diabetes-teams need to find the balance between flexible and control oriented culture types since continuous measuring and improvement, good teamwork, a drive to gain better results, and working according to protocols are equally important. This might be in line with the fact that we found that a high balance between the different types of culture was positively correlated to high quality diabetes care. An earlier study on the role of perceived team effectiveness in improving chronic illness care reasoned that it would be the relative balance among culture values of participation, achievement, openness to innovation and adherence to rules that is most likely to be associated with perceived team effectiveness. Indeed, this study showed an association between a culture balance and team effectiveness, although it was rather marginal \[[@B21]\]. A recent study in primary care hypothesized that a high score on cultural balance would be associated with high levels of team climate, which was not confirmed by the data \[[@B22]\].
Although previous studies suggested the relevance of teamwork in diabetes care \[[@B9],[@B13],[@B15]\], we failed to find significant associations between team climate and our outcomes, as did a recent UK study \[[@B22]\]. Again, the type of outcome might shed some light on this topic, since studies that did find associations often included outcomes such as work satisfaction \[[@B12]\], absence from work due to sickness \[[@B11]\] and satisfaction by patients with their care \[[@B12]-[@B15]\]. Interestingly, climate scores were also quite low as compared to other studies \[[@B32],[@B33]\]. This might point to the fact that different practice members involved in diabetes care may not experience their relationships as a \'true\' team when it comes to diabetes care \[[@B23],[@B34]\]. The varied nature of clinical problems in primary care practice make team building especially challenging as compared to \'single specialty practices\' \[[@B8]\].
Our study failed to find associations between our organizational factors of interest and intermediate clinical patient outcomes. These findings are consistent with recent findings in studying and reviewing the link between safety-factors and risk-adjusted patient outcomes \[[@B35],[@B36]\]. Although the selection of a clinical outcome is recommended, the selection of such a specific variable may just be too narrow to reflect the complexity of modern patient care \[[@B37]\].
Strengths and limitations of this study
---------------------------------------
To gain better insight on organizational factors influencing health care quality, it has been suggested that studies should preferably focus on factors on different levels (e.g. organizational as well as team), include patient outcomes and use multi level data analyses to correct for clustering effects \[[@B38]\]. In the current study, we have taken these suggestions into account. However, some limitations need to be addressed.
First, the relative small sample size in our study may have limited the power to find associations. Since general practices are generally small office-based organizations, the number of participants who returned our questionnaire on organizational culture and team climate was relatively low (varying from 2 to 4). Previous studies using the TCI excluded practices if less than 30% of respondents completed questionnaires \[[@B12],[@B22]\]. However, the number of GPs and other care providers per practice seems generally somewhat lower in the Netherlands than in -for instance-UK practices \[[@B13],[@B29],[@B39]\]. In this study, we also excluded the practices in which only one person returned our questionnaire. The low numbers of respondents could impact the validity of our culture and team climate measures. Low Cronbach\'s alphas for the culture measures for instance, and the low F-value for the aggregation of the scores on the hierarchical culture scale might point to that. In addition, the fact that primary care practices-both in our study and in the UK \[[@B22],[@B30]\] -- tend to have predominantly group cultures raises questions about the sensitivity of the CVF in this setting, especially if culture is analyzed as categorical variable. We have taken this point partly into account by using continuous culture variables in the analyses, however, this cannot fully clear away some concerns about the appropriateness of use of this particular instrument in small practices. Although this instrument has some clear advantages over others, such as the fact that it has been used in several other studies in varying settings, and the fact that it measures \'culture typologies\' rather than simple variables \[[@B16]\], the factors measured may have a different meaning in different health care settings.
Also, and partly related to our previous point, since climate and culture are considered to be shared attributes, individual measures are aggregated to practice level. Yet, this ignores the fact that different subgroups may have different opinions (for instance general practitioners may experience the culture differently from the practice nurses or assistants) \[[@B12],[@B16]\]. Especially in very small practices (for instance with only one general practitioner and two practice assistants), it is debatable whether the aggregated score is a valid measure of the reality. However, for subgroup analysis researchers would need much bigger samples of respondents, which raises questions about the feasibility of survey based methods in measuring these complicated constructs.
Further, our process measure was assessed by scrutinising the EMR. However, a considerable gap may exist between what the practice members record, and what they actually do in practice. Especially preventive or counselling activities, such as advising physical exercise, have been found to be under recorded \[[@B40]\]. Also, the guideline indicated that smoking behaviour should be discussed with all patients on a yearly basis, even if they are non-smokers. Therefore, we may have underestimated the scores on the quality indicator. However, it is likely that this holds for all practices to the same extent since they all used an EMR. We cannot rule out the possibility though that other confounding factors may have played a role, such as whether or not a physician received feedback or reminders in the EMR, which may have prompted these GPs to perform and register particular preventive activities. At the time of the study, no specific arrangements with insurance companies existed that may have influenced diabetes management. Some practices had a practice nurse who performed tasks related to care for patients with chronic diseases, however, the availability of practice nurses was equal for all regions in the Netherlands. Single handed practices were underrepresented in our study. However, previous research showed no difference in delegation of preventive tasks and treatment of chronic diseases between GPs in single handed practices compared to GPs in group practices \[[@B41]\] so we can assume that our sample is representative for Dutch practices.
Finally, it is important to note that it is not possible to conclude we showed causal linkages between culture and our outcomes, since the results were based on cross sectional data. We therefore do not know whether high scores on group culture lead to poor diabetes management, or -the other way around-practices in which quality of care is managed in a certain way develop certain types of culture, or culture and performance emerge together in a reciprocal and reinforcing manner \[[@B16]\].
Conclusion
==========
This study contributes to the discussion around the evidence for intuitively appealing features such as culture and teamwork that have been suggested as a lever for health care improvement. We did find some significant associations between culture and high quality diabetes care, but the relations were rather marginal. On the one hand, one could argue that if organizational culture would have only limited influence on many aspects of care during a long period of time, the resultant of that might still add up to a substantial level. On the other hand, feasibility of current measurements of constructs such as climate and culture is still debatable-especially in primary care settings-, given the fact that response rates are low, and scores are aggregated, which causes power reduction and loss of information. Further, we failed to find any associations with our clinical outcomes, which begs the question if and exactly how these constructs can contribute to evidence based care, and -eventually-healthier patients.
Future studies in primary care should preferably combine quantitative and qualitative research methods and use more complex designs to get a better insight into these complex constructs and possibly mediating or moderating factors. Also, it would be worth exploring possible associations between culture and climate and changes in health care quality, as well as the use of other measurement instruments and methods that are more sensitive to -for instance-different subcultures that might exist within organizations, especially in primary care practices where people work in very small teams and deal with a big variety of clinical problems.
Competing interests
===================
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors\' contributions
=======================
MB, RD, MW, TvdW and RG designed the study. MB performed the data collection and data analyses, and all other authors contributed to interpreting the data. MB wrote the first draft, which was critically revised by RD and then by all others. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Pre-publication history
=======================
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:
<http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/8/180/prepub>
Acknowledgements
================
We thank all participating health care personnel and patients.
Funding Source: European Commission, Fifth Framework, Rebeqi project, contract nr. QLRT-2001-00657
| |
UCAT Quantitative Reasoning (QR) is a section that divides students – there are theadept mathematicians who breeze past it and then there’s the not-so-number-savvy students.
The good news: there is always room for improvement. A lot of this test is about having a solid understanding of the fundamentals. Learn how to lay these foundations and improve your score.
If you've already started preparing, try some free UCAT practice questions, to get an overview of all the sections.
How to Prepare for the Quantitative Reasoning Test
The fact: Most students find the majority of QR questions easy. You are tested on basic concepts like percentages and rates, not integration or complex numbers.
The mystery: Then why don’t most students score highly in this section?
The answer: Time, time and time. When you only have 41 seconds per question, you don’t have time to think deeply about how to approach the problem - you just have to ‘get it’ it as you read the question. These tips should help you just ‘get it’ more often.
Check out our UCAT FAQs article for UCAT basics, such as cost, dates and much more.
1. Know all the key question types inside-out
The UCAT QR section asks GCSE-level maths questions around the key areas of percentage, unit conversions, rates and averages.
Focus your UCAT revision around these mathematical concepts, giving particular attention to the areas that you don’t feel that confident in.
2. Think about timing and pace
Answering 36 questions in 25 minutes gives you 41 seconds per question.
Remember that this is an average - some questions can be solved in under 30 seconds whereas others may take a minute or longer due to their difficulty or requirement for multiple steps.
Learn more about UCAT timing (this is one area you really need to get comfortable with).
3. Refine your mental calculation skills
Develop mental calculation skills to save precious time that can be used to tackle the harder questions.
4. Don’t hesitate to use the calculator when you need to
The UCAT has an inbuilt calculator (Medify’s calculator is identical).
When you face a question outside the scope of your mental maths skills, pull out your onscreen calculator.
8.5 tips to master your primary QR tool (the calculator!)
5. Use the memory function on the calculator
Have you ever wondered what those ‘M’ buttons are on the calculator? These are memory functions.
- Press M+ to add a number to the memory
- Press M- to remove the stored number
- Press MRC to recall the stored number
This is often useful for multi-step questions.
6. Practise using a computer with a number pad
The number pad is ergonomically designed to increase efficiency when typing compared to the horizontal number keys.
Use a keyboard with a number pad for your UCAT practice, as you will have access to one in a real exam.
7. Master the keyboard shortcuts
- Use Alt+C to open and close the calculator.
- Use the Backspace button for ON/C (clearing the calculator)
- Use the keyboard (+,-,*,/) for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
8. Use the whiteboard and pen
For questions involving a number of mathematical operations, the whiteboard and pen provided at the test centre can be useful for jotting down key intermediate working steps.
9. Don’t be afraid to guess
There is no negative marking in the UCAT. For difficult questions, narrow down your choices and guess the answer before moving on.
10. Flag and move on if you are stuck
It is easy to become obsessed with getting a question right and dwell on it for minutes, when you could’ve answered three other questions!
If you face a question that you have no clue how to solve, have a quick guess, flag it, and move on. Flagging allows you to revisit a question at the end of a section, if there is time left over.
11. Repetition is the key
When you solve practice questions regularly, you soon realise that many questions have a pattern. It’s then just a matter of recognising which numbers to pull together.
At first, start working on your practice questions without worrying about the time limit. Gradually increase your speed and build momentum towards your UCAT exam.
Our UCAT skills trainers work with repetition to build core UCAT skills into your muscle memory. They're free with all UCAT courses.
12. Get into the habit of interpreting charts and graphs
Some UCAT QR questions require you to interpret data from graphs (e.g. histograms, pie charts, line charts) and tables.
Get into the habit of interpreting data presented in TV news, magazines, newspapers and other media outlets to weave UCAT preparation into your daily life.
13. Know your units and how to convert them
14. Familiarise yourself with common fractions and percentages
Know how to convert common fractions to percentages and vice versa to save time:
15. Be comfortable converting between hours and minutes
Always be mindful of your units and become familiar with the common minute-hour equivalents.
16. Understand compound interest
Interest compounds over time and a 5% return in one year does not mean a 10% return in two years. The return in the second year will be the original amount x 1.05 x 1.05.
There are often distracting answer options that don’t include the compound interest.
17. Understand tax brackets
Questions involving tax brackets are often featured in the QR section. The key to understanding the tax bracket is knowing that you don’t calculate the tax at a flat rate.
Instead, the first specified portion of the income is taxed at a low rate (or no tax), and the next specified portions gradually get taxed at higher rates.
For example, in England and Wales, the following rates apply to taxable incomes:
Based on the above tax bracket, the tax payable for a doctor earning £170,000 would be:
- Tax on first £12,500 = £0
- Tax on next £37,500 = £37,500 x 0.2 = £7,500
- Tax on next £100,000 = £100,000 x 0.4 = £40,000
- Tax on next £20,000 = £20,000 x 0.45 = £9,000
Total tax payable = £0 + £7,500 + £40,000 + £9,000 = £56,500
18. Areas and volumes
Know the formulas for the areas and volumes of common shapes.
19. Get into the zone
Most people are prone to making mistakes under stress. For example, you might forget to enter a decimal point in the calculator.
You need to stay calm throughout the question-solving process:
- First, remember that the questions are no harder than GCSE mathematics and you have all the skills to tackle the questions.
- Second, practise under timed conditions to emulate the pressure of exam conditions so that you can get used to it.
The graph below shows that some stress is good. Performance actually increases with stress until an optimal point. After that, performance drops off rapidly. The key is to channel your stress into targeted exam practice, and realise when you need to take a step back.
20. Sit mock exams under timed conditions to find your weaknesses
Practise answering UCAT QR questions under timed, pressured conditions to accurately diagnose your weaknesses.
Medify’s mock exams use an enormous data set to compare your performance against the average time users take to reach the correct answer.
We’ve updated all of our mocks and mini-mocks to reflect the latest changes to the UCAT UK 2022 Quantitative Reasoning section.
Summary
- Fully understand the type of questions asked in the UCAT QR section.
- Be mindful of the time limit and don’t dwell on one question. Make educated guesses, flag and come back if required.
- Get up to speed with your mental maths calculations and use of the provided tools (whiteboard and pen, calculator).
FAQs
Is quantitative reasoning for UCAT hard? ›
The level of mathematics required for Quantitative reasoning is not difficult (typically corresponding to year 10 or below) – but this not a maths test! The difficulty comes from the time pressure, the amount and complexity of information, and the complexity of the questions.
Is QR easy in UCAT? ›
QR is literally the easiest section, don't worry about it all. In fact, I know people who completely neglected preparing for QR [because of how easy it was in the exam according to people who had taken the exam] and still managed to score in the 700s. You'll be fine.
How can I improve my VR UCAT? ›
- Practise Your Speed Reading. You need to hone your ability to scan text as quickly as possible. ...
- Read The Question First. ...
- Find The Keywords. ...
- Don't Miss Multiple Keywords. ...
- Take Statements At Face Value. ...
- Don't Waste Time On All The Answers. ...
- Use The Flag And Guess Method. ...
- Practise Questions In A Realistic Environment.
What does M mean on UCAT calculator? ›
The Backspace key clears all the digits at once, i.e. it is equivalent to pressing the ON/C button. There are no other buttons or keyboard shortcuts to delete one number at a time during calculations. The following memory functions are available: M+ = Memory Plus M- = Memory Minus MRC = Memory Recall / Memory Clear.
How can I improve my QR UCAT timing? ›
- Fully understand the type of questions asked in the UCAT QR section.
- Be mindful of the time limit and don't dwell on one question. Make educated guesses, flag and come back if required.
- Get up to speed with your mental maths calculations and use of the provided tools (whiteboard and pen, calculator).
What's the hardest UCAT section? ›
2. The time limit for Verbal Reasoning makes it the most difficult section.
What is the hardest section in the UCAT? ›
VR is often considered to be the hardest section in terms of timing. Read our tips and tricks articles above to create your revision plan, as targeting your weaknesses and sticking to routines increases your speed. Ultimately, the best way to improve your timing is by doing timed UCAT practice questions.
Is medify harder than actual UCAT? ›
Far higher than what my Medify mocks had suggested. Now it may be that I was extremely lucky on test day, or the UCAT gods were on my side, but I'd suggest Medify mocks are slightly harder than the real UCAT.
How many UCAT questions should I do a day? ›
This gives applicants around 2 months to prepare for the first UCAT exams. We estimate that students complete an average of 40 questions a day along with learning UCAT techniques and understanding the different sections of the test.
What is a good UCAT score in 2022? ›
Therefore, a score of 2830 or over can be considered as a good UCAT score in 2022, and a score of 2980 or higher can be considered as very competitive. Each university uses the UCAT ANZ in different ways.
How do you guess UCAT? ›
Strategy 4: Answer every question
There is no negative marking in the UCAT. Therefore, to maximise your UCAT score, make sure you answer every single question even if you need to guess some of your answers. Eliminate the answers that you know to be wrong and then make your best guess from those that are left.
How do you get 900 in VR UCAT? ›
- Tip 1: Learn to Speed Read. ...
- Tip 2: Read the Question! ...
- Tip 3: Search for Key Words. ...
- Tip 4: Make Inferences Carefully. ...
- Tip 5: Get in The Zone.
What is the average UCAT score? ›
What Is An Average UCAT Score? The average UCAT score changes each year – but is generally between 620 and 630. In 2021 the average UCAT score was 625, or a total of 2,499 in the UK. This is just below the 5th decile, or the 50th percentile.
What is a good VR score? ›
What Is A Good Score For Verbal Reasoning? A good verbal reasoning score would be above 580, according to the 2021 scores. A high VR score of 650+ would put you in the top 20% of test takers in the same year.
Can I use my own calculator in UCAT? ›
While you are not allowed to bring in your own calculator or any other electronic devices, the UCAT provides a basic on-screen calculator for the decision making and quantitative reasoning subtests. You can access this calculator by clicking the icon at the top left of the screen.
Are you allowed a piece of paper in UCAT? ›
No pen and paper for notes
are allowed.
Are you allowed scrap paper on the UCAT? ›
You will need to store all items that you have brought with you, including bags, coats, scrap paper, books, pens, watches, wallets, keys, mobile phones, food and drink. Note that nothing is allowed into the UCAT testing room aside from you and the indoor clothes you are wearing.
How can quantitative be improved? ›
- Start from the Basics. ...
- Focus on Rare Problems. ...
- Check Up on Your Speed. ...
- Focus on Your Weaker Links. ...
- Grasp the Numbers. ...
- Percentage Trick. ...
- Profit and Loss. ...
- Train Relative Speed.
Is medify abstract reasoning harder? ›
This means medify over prepares you which may actually work against your favour since you will spend a lot of time trying to find complicated patterns. In general, it seems medify abstract reasoning questions are harder than what you may expect in the real thing. | https://b2u6.com/article/20-ucat-quantitative-reasoning-tips-and-techniques-you-need-to-know-blog-medify |
Did I say beef stew? Ummm what the hell is a beef stew recipe doing on my blog? I’m a vegetarian aren’t I?
The truth is – I still cook meat … for Brad. I sometimes worry that I will be judged by other vegetarians for this. But oh well. I do all the meal prep here (while Brad does all of the dishes and other cleaning chores) and so this is just how it goes in our house.
I KNOW I’m not the only person out there who’s a vegetarian with a non-vegetarian spouse.
The groove we’ve gotten into lately is that all of our dinners are vegetarian while Brad’s lunches have meat.
This week I made a video for y’all to follow along with my recipe. Or just watch for your viewing pleasure even if you’re not making beef strew.
I’m going to start making more videos because they are super fun to shoot (it’s the editing I’m going to have to get used to.) Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel … pretty please!!!!!
Here’s the recipe:
Beef Stew Recipe
- one package of stewing beef
- 1 container of broth (900 ml)
- 1 can of tomato paste
- 4 large white mushrooms
- 5 stalks of celery
- 3 carrots
- 3 large potatoes
- 2 parsnips
- 1 large onion
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- 6 cloves of garlic
Heat oil in your large pot at medium-low heat. Add beef and allow all sides to brown. Remove from pot. Add in onions, cook for 3 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add celery and saute for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, stir to coat all veggies. Cook the the veggies in the paste for about 10 minutes, if needed reduce the heat just a little to avoid burning. Then add rosemary. Stir into all veggies and cook for a minute. Then add broth and add the beef back in. Bring this mixture to a boil (put the lid on for this step) then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes. At this point add in the carrots, potatoes, and parsnips. Turn heat up just above low, put the lid back on and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Stir often.
Et voila! Makes 5-6 servings.
How’d you guys like the video? Any video topics you’d like to see covered? If you live with someone with a totally different diet than you, how do you jive those two worlds? | http://www.lifeafterbagels.com/blog/2012/03/26/beef-stew-recipe-my-own-cooking-show/ |
Commutative Algebra provides the foundation to study modern uses of Algebra in a wide array of settings, from within Mathematics and beyond. The techniques of Commutative Algebra underpin some of the most important advances of mathematics in the last century, most notably in Algebraic Geometry and Algebraic Topology. This unit will teach students the core ideas, theorems, and techniques from Commutative Algebra, and provide examples of their basic applications. Topics covered include affine varieties, Noetherian rings, Hilbert basis theorem, localisation, the Nullstellansatz, ring specta, homological algebra, and dimension theory. Applications may include topics in scheme theory, intersection theory, and algebraic number theory. On completion of this unit students will be thoroughly prepared to undertake further study in algebraic geometry, algebraic number theory, and other areas of mathematics. Students will also gain facility with important examples of abstract ideas with far-reaching consequences.
|Code||MATH4312|
|Academic unit||Mathematics and Statistics Academic Operations|
|Credit points||6|
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Prerequisites:
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Corequisites:
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|Prohibitions:
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|Assumed knowledge:
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|Familiarity with abstract algebra, e.g., MATH2922 or equivalent|
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
Unit outlines will be available 2 weeks before the first day of teaching for the relevant session.
Key dates through the academic year, including teaching periods, census, payment deadlines and exams. | https://www.sydney.edu.au/units/MATH4312 |
Government guidance to date has been silent on the subject of how furloughing staff will affect annual leave. Kate Shawcross, employment solicitor at Harrison Drury, takes a look at some common questions surrounding this.
Will holidays continue to accrue for employees who have been furloughed?
It is likely that employees will continue to accrue their statutory 5.6 weeks’ leave, while on furlough, given they remain employed. An employer who offers additional annual leave may attempt to agree with furloughed employees that the enhanced element of annual leave will not accrue during the period of furlough, although care should be taken when agreeing any variation of terms.
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Will employees who have been furloughed be able to carry-over any untaken holiday, into the next leave year?
The government has recently passed emergency legislation permitting the carryover of up to four weeks’ leave (the minimum leave entitlement prescribed under the EU’s Working Time Directive) where it was not reasonably practicable to take it in the leave year it was due, “as a result of the effects of the coronavirus (including on the worker, the employer or the wider economy or society)”. Under these new regulations, any such carried-over leave may be taken in the two leave years immediately following the leave year in respect of which it was due.
We consider below whether annual leave can be taken while furloughed, although, even if it cannot, in many cases it could be taken afterwards. However, there will still be furloughed employees who have been unable to take all their entitlement, either because of the way the holiday year falls as against the period of furlough leave, or because they have been ill, for example. Employers will therefore have to consider each case on its facts and determine whether the employee is entitled to carry over any outstanding annual leave under the coronavirus legislation.
Can holidays be taken during a period of furlough leave?
The government guidance is still completely silent on how holidays may affect reimbursement of wages under the CJRS. Accordingly, there is a risk that annual leave may not be treated as furlough leave and so the pay may not be recoverable. Employers should therefore also consider the impact on whether annual leave might interrupt the period of furlough. Thus, they should take into account the length of furlough vis-à-vis the length of annual leave to be taken, bearing in mind that under the CJRS, furlough needs to be for a minimum period of three weeks.
All that said, ACAS has updated its own guidance to suggest that employees may take annual leave without it interrupting the period of furlough, and we are inclined to agree with this view. Note, however, that HMRC is not obliged to follow ACAS guidance and so employers should not take this guidance at face value and should
exercise caution.
On that basis, employers may wish to consider preventing any annual leave being taken during a period of furlough. Given that it would be possible to carry such leave forward for the next two years, this would certainly be the safest option.
Can an employer require an employee to take annual leave while furloughed?
If the ACAS guidance is correct, and a period of annual leave does not interrupt a period of furlough, then it stands to reason that an employer may require employees to take annual leave at specified times. Employers should not, however, abuse the Working Time Regulations and run their employees’ holidays down during the period of furlough, but they could certainly still insist that some holiday could be taken during this period. If that is the case, the usual notice rules will apply, meaning that employers will have to give notice of a period twice the length of the period of holiday to be taken (so for a holiday of one week, an employer must give at least two weeks’ notice).
What should an employee be paid for annual leave taken while furloughed?
Assuming that holiday can be taken without impacting furlough, it is our (and indeed ACAS’s) view, that holiday pay in these circumstances should be calculated in the usual way (i.e. not reduced to reflect the temporary reduction in pay under furlough leave). The employer should be able to recover the furlough pay under the CJRS and will have to top up the balance itself. This follows the principles set out in the guidance for enhanced maternity pay, which states that where an employee is on maternity leave, any enhanced pay (i.e. over and above statutory maternity pay) provided for under the contract of employment, would fall within the CJRS and be treated as wage costs for the purposes of claiming a reimbursement. | https://www.lancschamber.co.uk/policy-news/furloughing-staff-will-it-affect-annual-leave/ |
School Education C1
Hands On Food Activity workshop 1. The first HOFA workshop will be dedicated centrally to de-construct and discuss the L4H HOFA instruments in order to prioritize and qualify those instruments. Detailed plans for the refinement of the instruments in subsequent workshop-based training events will be made. Necessary adjustments will be made to these tools as to allow standard evaluation. Other adjustments will be made to adapt them to differences in food and learning cultural contexts. The draft short list comprise the following.
1. Farm2School link. Pupils visit farms and learn about the production and distribution of the food they eat. Farmers go to school to inform food curricular activities. If possible, farmers engage in food sourcing as co-suppliers to school.
2. Sapere Taste Education. Taste classes at school based on the Sapere hands-on fruit and vegetable educational tool.
3. Food2School links. Locally organized sourcing of food for canteen from close-to suppliers. Suppliers engages as co-teachers.
4. School Gardening. Growing plant outside schools Edible School Yard. Growing plant foods inside schools including roof top gardening.
5. Food’n Science. Using food problems in PrBL based science teaching involving math, physics, chemistry, biology, ICT and home economics.
6. Adolescents Teach Kids. Secondary pupils act as supervisors and co-teachers for primary school pupils in PrBL (Problem-based learning) events.
7. Entrepreneur Teach Kids. Business people and farmers teaches entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation at school.
8. Theme Project Weeks. Food and health theme projects with family and outside school participation.
9. Food Trucks and cooking classes. Developing teaching instruments based on contemporary approach to school food such as healthy street foods brought to school and cooked outside.
10. Lifelong Food Literacy Learning. Teaching food and agricultural literacy from 1st to 3rd generation (Grand Parents Guest Teaching)
11. Foraging in Nature. Learning through wild plant and produce hunting in the local wood. The instrument will be pilot tested and a revised list will be developed and inform the development of the HOFA evaluation protocol as well as the evaluation tool and the HOFA handbook.
12. The grand chili experience. An instrument that combines chile growing with learning about chemosensory properties of chili varieties, basic chili cooking and learning about
calibration of the Scoville scale with the facial expression FaceReading. | http://learn4health.eu/school-education-c1/ |
Because the apparent lethality of the coronavirus is growing, especially in Lombardy
The relationship between the number of deaths and that of people who have Covid – 19 touches 5% on a national scale, and with the figure of last night it reached 6, 37% in Lombardy. This has to do with the calculation method, but above all with the level of stress reached by the regional health system
(photo: Kontrolab / Getty Images)
We were told that the lethality of the coronavirus , i.e. in substance the probability of not surviving the infection and possible interstitial pneumonia caused by Sars-Cov-2, was very low , probably less than 3% and perhaps even below 1%. Yet, if you look at the official numbers provided by our Civil Protection, you find quite the opposite: with the calculation updated at 18: 00 on Sunday 8 March, we are at 366 deaths out of a total of 7. 375 people overall tested positive for coronavirus. That is to say a calculated lethality of 4, 96% . A fact that, read without further explanation, could exacerbate the already widespread concern. But what do these numbers really tell us?
First of all, as the experts have repeatedly stated, the percentage value that we can calculate directly from the sofa at home does not represent the lethality actual of the coronavirus, but the apparent lethality . Apparent – as the word itself suggests – because that is what transpires from the pitiless official data. However, they certainly have an underlying weakness, all contained in the denominator of the fraction . In order for the apparent lethality to coincide with the actual lethality, in fact, it would be necessary to be aware of the exact total number of infected persons . Which, of course, is not practically possible, so much so that different scientists have provided different estimates of how much the count of positive people is an underestimation of reality , but everyone agrees that the official data is largely by default . How much does this largely – if it is a factor of 2, 5, 8 or 100 – it is difficult to say. And maybe it's not even that important at this stage.
The other widely discussed comparison, from the conspiracy theorists but also by experts , it is that between the apparent lethality in Italy and in other countries , European and non . Armed with a calculator, it is easy to see that the global data (at the time of writing) is 3, 47%, the Iran is at 2, 95%, France 1, 69% and South Korea stops just 0 68% . China , which is based on a much larger sample than any other country, records a 3.7% .
It is difficult to believe, however, that our health system records the worst performances in the world . Much more likely, the comparison between different countries is vitiated by some underlying inhomogeneities : number of positive cases identified compared to total positives in the population, criterion of admissibility to the execution of pharyngeal swabs, demographic factors , zeal in identifying deceased coronavirus positive patients, any small genetic differences between the different viral strains, and so on.
Just to cite an example, the president of the Higher Institute of Health Silvio Brusaferro in the last press conference he explained that, dividing the deaths by age groups and calculating the relative apparent lethalities, the data of our country is actually better (i.e. lower) than that of China , despite the overall percentage suggests the opposite. In other countries, Iran above all seems to have a good foundation on the hypothesis that the number of people death because of Covid – 19 is well above the official figure provided to the World Health Organization. And for the other European states, finally, it should be borne in mind that most of the diagnoses are very recent (i.e. the disease has not yet had time to possibly worsen), and that in general the statistical sample is much smaller.
The decisive factor is time
There is instead a data, always on apparent lethality, which is extremely significant: the evolution over time of this percentage value, day by day, in our country. On 1st March our apparent lethality was of 2,01% , March 4 was at 3, 47% and on March 8 it reached the aforementioned 4, 96%. And in Lombardy , especially after the 113 regional deaths recorded on Sunday, the percentage is 6, 37% .
Again, this trend can be explained by a series of elements, which are not necessarily mutually exclusive. A first aspect is the usual question of the denominator , because with the new policy of swabs we have probably decreased our ability to identify carpet the new cases. This causes a decrease in the denominator and therefore, forcefully, a increase in apparent lethality .
A second element is instead more substantial. It should be taken into account, in fact, that as time passes, more and more is under pressure on sanitary system. Not only in the sense that the medical staff is enduring an increasingly greater effort, but also that the intensive and sub-intensive care units are reaching (or have already reached) their maximum capacity . This may mean having to transfer some patients elsewhere, or in the worst case scenario to start choose to dedicate the best care to those who have the most chance of surviving. In both cases, the effect is an inevitable decrease in the quality of the rescues and treatments, which despite the priceless human effort of health workers translates into a higher probability of seeing worsen one's own clinical picture .
This effect is precisely what all citizens (and obviously institutions) are called to to try to prevent , because only the slowdown of the epidemic curve and the number of infections can restore some oxygen – it is appropriate to say it – to the hospital system, and guarantee everyone adequate assistance . Conversely, there is a risk of being at the beginning of that potential collapse of health care which must be absolutely avoided, and which in Regions other than Lombardy are estimated to have an even more worrying effect.
To give substance to this reasoning, so far rather abstract, are also the official data . Already with the numbers updated to March 7, in fact, it was evident that the growth trend of the number of people who died were faster than the number of patients hospitalized in intensive care : this graphic by Enrico Bucci, for example, illustrates the situation. With the update of 8 March, then, the situation has become even more evident : in Lombardy the number of deaths increased by 113 unit , that of hospitalizations in intensive care of sole (in reality they are however very high numbers) 40 .
THE STATE OF THINGS.
1. The simple news that we would have found ourselves in the red zone, irresponsibly spread by …
Published by Enrico Bucci on Sunday 8 March 2020
Of course these numbers will have to be evaluated in a longer period trend including data from the next few days, but could be a first statistical indicator of the fatigue of the Lombard health system . Also because the rest of the peninsula shows an apparent lethality much lower than that of Lombardy and equal to 3, 11%, pushed upwards especially by the data of the Emilia-Romagna (4, 75%) and Veneto (2, 69%). Outside of the three regions currently most affected by the epidemic, the apparent lethality is stopped at 1, 87% . | |
This disclosure relates to a system and method for excavating a formation, such as to form a well bore for the purpose of oil and gas recovery, to construct a tunnel, or to form other excavations in which the formation is cut, milled, pulverized, scraped, sheared, indented, and/or fractured, (hereinafter referred to collectively as “cutting”). The cutting process is a very interdependent process that preferably integrates and considers many variables to ensure that a usable bore is constructed. As is commonly known in the art, many variables have an interactive and cumulative effect of increasing cutting costs. These variables may include formation hardness, abrasiveness, pore pressures, and formation elastic properties. In drilling wellbores, formation hardness and a corresponding degree of drilling difficulty may increase exponentially as a function of increasing depth. A high percentage of the costs to drill a well are derived from interdependent operations that are time sensitive, i.e., the longer it takes to penetrate the formation being drilled, the more it costs. One of the most important factors affecting the cost of drilling a wellbore is the rate at which the formation can be penetrated by the drill bit, which typically decreases with harder and tougher formation materials and formation depth.
There are generally two categories of modern drill bits that have evolved from over a hundred years of development and untold amounts of dollars spent on the research, testing and iterative development. These are the commonly known as the fixed cutter drill bit and the roller cone drill bit. Within these two primary categories, there are a wide variety of variations, with each variation designed to drill a formation having a general range of formation properties. These two categories of drill bits generally constitute the bulk of the drill bits employed to drill oil and gas wells around the world.
Each type of drill bit is commonly used where its drilling economics are superior to the other. Roller cone drill bits can drill the entire hardness spectrum of rock formations. Thus, roller cone drill bits are generally run when encountering harder rocks where long bit life and reasonable penetration rates are important factors on the drilling economics. Fixed cutter drill bits, on the other hand, are used to drill a wide variety of formations ranging from unconsolidated and weak rocks to medium hard rocks.
In the case of creating a borehole with a roller cone type drill bit, several actions effecting rate of penetration (ROP) and bit efficiency may be occurring. The roller cone bit teeth may be cutting, milling, pulverizing, scraping, shearing, sliding over, indenting, and fracturing the formation the bit is encountering. The desired result is that formation cuttings or chips are generated and circulated to the surface by the drilling fluid. Other factors may also affect ROP, including formation structural or rock properties, pore pressure, temperature, and drilling fluid density. When a typical roller cone rock bit tooth presses upon a very hard, dense, deep formation, the tooth point may only penetrate into the rock a very small distance, while also at least partially, plastically “working” the rock surface.
One attempt to increase the effective rate of penetration (ROP) involved high-pressure circulation of a drilling fluid as a foundation for potentially increasing ROP. It is common knowledge that hydraulic power available at the rig site vastly outweighs the power available to be employed mechanically at the drill bit. For example, modem drilling rigs capable of drilling a deep well typically have in excess of 3000 hydraulic horsepower available and can have in excess of 6000 hydraulic horsepower available while less than one-tenth of that hydraulic horsepower may be available at the drill bit. Mechanically, there may be less than 100 horsepower available at the bit/rock interface with which to mechanically drill the formation.
An additional attempt to increase ROP involved incorporating entrained abrasives in conjunction with high pressure drilling fluid (“mud”). This resulted in an abrasive laden, high velocity jet assisted drilling process. Work done by Gulf Research and Development disclosed the use of abrasive laden jet streams to cut concentric grooves in the bottom of the hole leaving concentric ridges that are then broken by the mechanical contact of the drill bit. Use of entrained abrasives in conjunction with high drilling fluid pressures caused accelerated erosion of surface equipment and an inability to control drilling mud density, among other issues. Generally, the use of entrained abrasives was considered practically and economically unfeasible. This work was summarized in the last published article titled “Development of High Pressure Abrasive-Jet Drilling,” authored by John C. Fair, Gulf Research and Development. It was published in the Journal of Petroleum Technology in the May 1981 issue, pages 1379 to 1388.
Another effort to utilize the hydraulic horsepower available at the bit incorporated the use of ultra-high pressure jet assisted drilling. A group known as FlowDril Corporation was formed to develop an ultra-high-pressure liquid jet drilling system in an attempt to increase the rate of penetration. The work was based upon U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,327 and is documented in the published article titled “Laboratory and Field Testing of an Ultra-High Pressure, Jet-Assisted Drilling System” authored by J. J. Kolle, Quest Integrated Inc., and R. Otta and D. L. Stang, FlowDril Corporation; published by SPE/IADC Drilling Conference publications paper number 22000. The cited publication disclosed that the complications of pumping and delivering ultrahigh-pressure fluid from surface pumping equipment to the drill bit proved both operationally and economically unfeasible.
Another effort at increasing rates of penetration by taking advantage of hydraulic horsepower available at the bit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,871. This development employed the use of a specialized nozzle to excite normally pressured drilling mud at the drill bit. The purpose of this nozzle system was to develop local pressure fluctuations and a high speed, dual jet form of hydraulic jet streams to more effectively scavenge and clean both the drill bit and the formation being drilled. It is believed that these hydraulic jets were able to penetrate the fracture plane generated by the mechanical action of the drill bit in a much more effective manner than conventional jets were able to do. ROP increases from 50% to 400% were field demonstrated and documented in the field reports titled “DualJet Nozzle Field Test Report-Security DBS/Swift Energy Company,” and “DualJet Nozzle Equipped M-1LRG Drill Bit Run”. The ability of the dual jet (“DualJet”) nozzle system to enhance the effectiveness of the drill bit action to increase the ROP required that the drill bits first initiate formation indentations, fractures, or both. These features could then be exploited by the hydraulic action of the DualJet nozzle system.
Due at least partially to the effects of overburden pressure, formations at deeper depths may be inherently tougher to drill due to changes in formation pressures and rock properties, including hardness and abrasiveness. Associated in-situ forces, rock properties, and increased drilling fluid density effects may set up a threshold point at which the drill bit drilling mechanics decrease the drilling efficiency.
Another factor adversely effecting ROP in formation drilling, especially in plastic type rock drilling, such as shale or permeable formations, is a build-up of hydraulically isolated crushed rock material, that can become either mass of reconstituted drill cuttings or a “dynamic filtercake”, on the surface being drilled, depending on the formation permeability. In the case of low permeability formations, this occurrence is predominantly a result of repeated impacting and re-compacting of previously drilled particulate material on the bottom of the hole by the bit teeth, thereby forming a false bottom. The substantially continuous process of drilling, re-compacting, removing, re-depositing and re-compacting, and drilling new material may significantly adversely effect drill bit efficiency and ROP. The re-compacted material is at least partially removed by mechanical displacement due to the cone skew of the roller cone type drill bits and partially removed by hydraulics, again emphasizing the importance of good hydraulic action and hydraulic horsepower at the bit. For hard rock bits, build-up removal by cone skew is typically reduced to near zero, which may make build-up removal substantially a function of hydraulics. In permeable formations the continuous deposition and removal of the fine cuttings forms a dynamic filtercake that can reduce the spurt loss and therefore the pore pressure in the working area of the bit. Because the pore pressure is reduced and mechanical load is increased from the pressure drop across the dynamic filtercake, drilling efficiency can be reduced.
There are many variables to consider to ensure a usable well bore is constructed when using cutting systems and processes for the drilling of well bores or the cutting of formations for the construction of tunnels and other subterranean earthen excavations. Many variables, such as formation hardness, abrasiveness, pore pressures, and formation elastic properties affect the effectiveness of a particular drill bit in drilling a well bore. Additionally, in drilling well bores, formation hardness and a corresponding degree of drilling difficulty may increase exponentially as a function of increasing depth. The rate at which a drill bit may penetrate the formation typically decreases with harder and tougher formation materials and formation depth.
When the formation is relatively soft, as with shale, material removed by the drill bit will have a tendency to reconstitute onto the teeth of the drill bit. Build-up of the reconstituted formation on the drill bit is typically referred to as “bit balling” and reduces the depth that the teeth of the drill bit will penetrate the bottom surface of the well bore, thereby reducing the efficiency of the drill bit. Particles of a shale formation also tend to reconstitute back onto the bottom surface of the bore hole. The reconstitution of a formation back onto the bottom surface of the bore hole is typically referred to as “bottom balling”. Bottom balling prevents the teeth of a drill bit from engaging virgin formation and spreads the impact of a tooth over a wider area, thereby also reducing the efficiency of a drill bit. Additionally, higher density drilling muds that are required to maintain well bore stability or well bore pressure control exacerbate bit balling and the bottom balling problems.
When the drill bit engages a formation of a harder rock, the teeth of the drill bit press against the formation and densify a small area under the teeth to cause a crack in the formation. When the porosity of the formation is collapsed, or densified, in a hard rock formation below a tooth, conventional drill bit nozzles ejecting drilling fluid are used to remove the crushed material from below the drill bit. As a result, a cushion, or densification pad, of densified material is left on the bottom surface by the prior art drill bits. If the densification pad is left on the bottom surface, force by a tooth of the drill bit will be distributed over a larger area and reduce the effectiveness of a drill bit.
There are generally two main categories of modern drill bits that have evolved over time. These are the commonly known fixed cutter drill bit and the roller cone drill bit. Additional categories of drilling include percussion drilling and mud hammers. However, these methods are not as widely used as the fixed cutter and roller cone drill bits. Within these two primary categories (fixed cutter and roller cone), there are a wide variety of variations, with each variation designed to drill a formation having a general range of formation properties.
The fixed cutter drill bit and the roller cone type drill bit generally constitute the bulk of the drill bits employed to drill oil and gas wells around the world. When a typical roller cone rock bit tooth presses upon a very hard, dense, deep formation, the tooth point may only penetrate into the rock a very small distance, while also at least partially, plastically “working” the rock surface. Under conventional drilling techniques, such working the rock surface may result in the densification as noted above in hard rock formations.
With roller cone type drilling bits, a relationship exists between the number of teeth that impact upon the formation and the drilling RPM of the drill bit. A description of this relationship and an approach to improved drilling technology is set forth and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,300 issued May 14, 2002. The '300 patent discloses the use of solid material impactors introduced into drilling fluid and pumped though a drill string and drill bit to contact the rock formation ahead of the drill bit. The kinetic energy of the impactors leaving the drill bit is given by the following equation: Ek=½ Mass(Velocity)2. The mass and/or velocity of the impactors may be chosen to satisfy the mass-velocity relationship in order to structurally alter the rock formation.
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Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Insilico Medicine on the deal.
Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd., a leading innovation-driven international healthcare group in China, and Insilico Medicine, an end-to-end artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery and development company, announced that they have entered into a collaboration agreement to advance the discovery and development of drugs targeting a number of different targets globally through the use of AI technology.
The agreement includes an AI-driven drug discovery research and development (R&D) collaboration on four biological targets, as well as the co-development of Insilico’s QPCTL program. Insilico will receive a total upfront payment of $13 million for the R&D collaboration projects and the co-development of the QPCTL program, potential milestone-based payments, and share commercialization profits from the QPCTL program. In addition, Fosun Pharma will make an equity investment in Insilico.
The Wilson Sonsini team included IP attorneys Karen Wong (Picture), Alex Key, and Chi-Fei Wang, and corporate attorneys Weiheng Chen, Jie Zhu, Xuchao Dong, and Athena Yu. | https://globallegalchronicle.com/insilico-medicines-drug-discovery-collaboration-with-fosun-pharma/ |
Let’s say you want to grow a plant. You pick a big ol’ tropical plant, bordering on four feet tall…and then you plant it in a pot that’s six inches across, and expect it to grow well there.
Sound likely?
No, it doesn’t, does it? However, that’s how many people treat new ideas and projects – they start trying to grow them, without giving them any space first. When you want to create something new, you need to actively and intentionally create a space and a structure for it. In other words, you need to decide how, where, and when you’re going to work on this project. And here’s the key: you need to do this before you start working on it.
Where
Usually, deciding where this project will be worked on is easy enough – it’ll probably be the same space where you do the rest of your work. Make sure that that’s a good fit, though, as our workspaces have a huge impact on our actual work itself. One example from Making Ideas Happen, which you might remember from last week’s post, is that a study showed that smaller, more confined spaces helped people focus and get their work done, whereas wider, more open spaces with higher ceilings tended to be great for brainstorming. Interestingly, you can get roughly the same results by manipulating your perception of the space, even if the space itself isn’t changed any. Optical illusions, anyone?
Another good idea is to designate a specific space for keeping track of your progress on this project and collecting any notes or ideas you might have. Whether it’s a physical notebook or a notebook on Springpad, having a dedicated place to keep track of everything makes it much easier to re-find that brilliant idea you had or that note you took down when reading a relevant book.
When
Depending on how well you work within a schedule, you might do anything from setting aside a specific chunk of time to having a full day of the week to work on it.
One thing to consider is that creative work tends to be best when done in larger chunks of time (three hours or so). Think about it: if you take 15 minutes to get into a flow state working on a project, then you’ll only get 45 minutes of flow-state work done on that project if you’ve set aside an hour for it. And then, the next time you come back to it, it’ll take you another 15 minutes to get back into that state. To minimize the time cost of switching tasks, work in the largest possible amount of time you can. (While, of course, still scheduling in short breaks every 45-60 minutes to get something to drink or take a stretch.)
If you’re having trouble finding the time for this project, try tracking your time for a few days (RescueTime can help, if you want to get a really accurate view) and seeing if you have any large time leaks that you could eliminate to streamline things. You might also see if there’s any daily activities that need replaced. For example, consider your current routines – see if you’re wasting time on any unnecessary systems that were put in place for a reason, but have now lost their purpose. If you used to use the first hour of your day to plan the rest of your day, which was necessary two months ago, but now you’re only using 15 minutes of that hour to plan your day and the rest is going to puttering around in email, then you can use that time elsewhere.
Last but not least, make sure that the time you’re planning to work on this project is during your peak productivity times of the day.
How
Once you have the where and the when taken care of, the how of working on the project usually solves itself. After all, you know what your objectives are for this project, right? (Right?) If not, set aside some time to pick out your first and foremost objective with this project, and then your secondary objectives (usually 3-5) as well.
In The Accidental Creative, Todd Henry suggests phrasing these in questions – for example, when he and his team were developing an online collaboration tool for teams, they had questions like “What are the key functions teams need to collaborate on?” and “How can team members share inspiration for projects?” Using this technique gives you something to focus on immediately when starting the project, outlines your priorities, and makes it easier to start gaining momentum.
One roadblock that you might run into is focus and lack thereof. Without focus, you can’t get good work done, but finding and keeping your focus can be ever-more-difficult in this era of constant connection.
The easiest approach is a preventative one. If you keep the distractions from happening in the first place, you don’t have to worry about having the willpower to ignore them. If you must work in a browser window, use only one tab, or use an extension like Controlled Multi-Tab Browsing to keep your tab limit low. You can also use a browser extension to block distracting websites during certain hours (goodbye, Twitter!) – here’s one for Firefox, one for Chrome, and one for Safari. If you have writing work to do and don’t have to work in a browser, then OmmWriter is the program for you – zero distractions, zen backgrounds, what more could you want?
These digital structurings are meant to compliment physical preventions. Close your office door, have earplugs or headphones if you have noisy neighbors or people doing lawn work outside – you get the picture.
The process of laying out where, when, and how you’re going to work on your latest project might seem superficial or too simple, but it has a huge effect on the amount of work you’ll get done. Instead of having to figure out each day or week where you’ll fit it in, you’ve already consciously carved out a space for it in your life – which makes it a lot easier to work on, which makes it a lot likelier to get shipped. | http://www.bombchelle.com/2011/dont-let-your-projects-die-give-em-space-to-thrive/ |
Back in June, U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups dismissed $48 million in assorted white collar charges filed against real estate entrepreneur and alleged Ponzi scheme architect Rick Koerber of Utah County. Earlier this month, he expanded on the ruling by dismissing the case with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be refiled. Judge Waddoups pointed to the prosecution’s handling of the case as key factors in his decision, citing “neglect” and “questionable ethical conduct.”
Koerber Permanently Cleared of Criminal Charges
The American legal system (and every participant and procedure within it) is bound to detailed and rigorous regulatory codes. Trials and other court proceedings are strictly governed by rigid deadlines and rules of conduct — and when those rules and deadlines are violated, the result can sometimes be the complete dismissal of charges against a defendant.
That seems to be precisely what happened earlier this month in the case of Claude “Rick” Koerber, who spent five years at the center of 18 criminal charges pointing to one of the largest alleged fraud schemes in Utah’s history, valued at a staggering $48 million.
Koerber was originally indicted in May of 2009. The case continued over the next several years, with Koerber pleading not guilty to a long list of white collar charges including money laundering, tax evasion, mail fraud, wire fraud, and the sale of unregistered securities. Prosecutors alleged Koerber had orchestrated a massive Ponzi scheme with his companies Founders Capital and FranklinSquires.
Koerber, however, has consistently denied the accusations, stating in 2009, “I can’t say we’ve never paid interest with new capital. That’s not a big deal, and all our investors know that.”
In light of the latest ruling, Koerber describes himself as “vindicated,” stating, “It is absurd to anyone who looks at the records to suggest this business was a Ponzi scheme. The people I did business with were grown men and women who knew what we were doing who took some risks. We made some and we lost some and most of the people who did business with me walked away profitable.”
But what thought process went into that ruling? What prompted Judge Waddoups to dismiss the case specifically with prejudice?
Judge Waddoups: “A Pattern of Widespread and Continuous Misconduct”
The procedural issues with the Koerber trial can primarily be traced back to 18 U.S. Code Chapter 208, also known as the Speedy Trial Act. Under 18 U.S. Code § 3161(c)(1), “In any case in which a plea of not guilty is entered, the trial of a defendant charged in an… indictment with the commission of an offense shall commence within 70 days from the filing date… of the information or indictment, or from the date the defendant has appeared before a judicial officer of the court in which such charge is pending, whichever date last occurs.”
In his 17-page decision, Judge Waddoups pointed to “the government’s pattern of neglect and dilatory conduct,” adding, “But in addition to this administratively dilatory conduct and pattern of neglect, the court has already found significant problems with the substantive prosecution of this case essentially amounting to ‘a pattern of widespread and continuous misconduct.'”
Koerber’s defense attorney, Marcus Mumford, was supportive of the judge’s ruling, stating, “We’ve been as troubled as the court now confirms it was in what I think he [Judge Waddoups] calls the sordid history of the case, what the court refers to as… widespread and continuous misconduct.”
Judge Waddoups also criticized the U.S. Attorney’s Office in its application of potentially tainted evidence, saying interviews conducted with Koerber in February of 2009 represented “a tactic of illegally planning and conducting impermissible ex-parte interviews.” Judge Waddoups is referring to ABA Rule 4.2: Communication with Person Represented by Counsel, which states that “a lawyer shall not communicate about the subject of the representation with a person the lawyer knows to be represented by another lawyer… unless the lawyer has the consent of the other lawyer, or is authorized to do so by law or a court order.”
Department of Commerce Executive Director Francine Giani, who brought the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office after Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff didn’t initiate prosecution, is sorely disappointed in the outcome of the case.
“I am appalled,” stated Giani, adding, “I do not anticipate ever referring cases to federal prosecutors again.”
“I just know that we didn’t prosecute him because my staff attorneys said the evidence was insufficient to charge him,” says Shurtleff.
If you have been charged with fraud or other white collar crimes in Utah, an experienced Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer can help fight the allegations and protect your legal rights. To set up a free and confidential case evaluation, call attorney Darwin Overson at (801) 758-2287, or contact us online today.
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Beware of Job Scammers!
Please Never Pay Money To Get A Job!
Beware of Job Scammers!
Please Never Pay Money To Get A Job!
|AJIRALEO|
Jobs in Tanzania 2019: Snr Risk Mgmt & Compliance Adv New Job Vacancy Dar es salaam at UNHCR | Deadline: 11th March, 2019
AJIRA TANZANIA 2019 / NAFASI ZA KAZI 2019
Job Title: Snr Risk Mgmt & Compliance Adv
Job ID 16448
Location Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania-U.R.Of
Salary Grade P5
Hardship Level B
Family Location Type Family
Procedures and Eligibility
Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.
Duties and Qualifications
Senior Risk Management and Compliance Advisor
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
UNHCR has been taking calculated risks in its daily work since its establishment. However, the organization has adopted a formal risk management system only in 2014. The progress made by the organization in institutionalizing risk management, albeit in a light form, has been acknowledged both internally and externally. At the same time there is a growing realization that the organization needs to further strengthen risk management, responding to the evolution of its operating environment, which is becoming increasingly complex and prone to more risks, both internal and external.
UNHCR¿s Risk Management 2.0 initiative will increase investment in and attention to risk management and oversight to better identify, mitigate and respond to important risks in field operations. Key operational risks that affect delivery and impact will be reviewed with particular attention being paid to risks of fraud, corruption, terrorism, money laundering and sexual exploitation and abuse of refugees as well as harassment among team members.
The aim is to achieve a more risk-informed management of Operations by reinforcing the continuum between risk identification, root-cause analysis, implementation of risk mitigation measures and response to risks.
Read Also:
NEW TANZANIAN JOBS OPPORUNITIES 2019 (450+ POSTS)
The incumbent is engaged for a specific period of time to support operational managers in effective risk management and compliance thereby improving risk culture and integrity in the organization.
NEW TANZANIAN JOBS OPPORUNITIES 2019 (450+ POSTS)
The incumbent is engaged for a specific period of time to support operational managers in effective risk management and compliance thereby improving risk culture and integrity in the organization.
The incumbent shall review the adequacy of risk management and compliance systems, structures, procedures and capacities across the Operation. The incumbent will make recommendations as appropriate for their strengthening and assist operations management in their implementation.
The incumbent shall actively engage with internal stakeholders, including with the Bureau and Headquarters¿ Divisions, as appropriate, to ensure alignment in reforms at the country-office level with relevant efforts/reforms at the Headquarters and Regional levels.
The incumbent will be part of a network Risk Management 2.0 practitioners and will work in close collaboration with the Chief Risk Officer and the Geneva-based Enterprise Risk management (ERM) capacity to ensure coherence of approach, identify and address systemic root causes requiring a corporate-level response, the sharing of best-practice.
Keeping the Representative informed, the incumbent shall also actively engage directly with external stakeholders including relevant Government offices, implementing and operational partners, donors, contractors and refugee/host communities for the purposes of maximizing collective efforts to manage risk, strengthen compliance and maximize the quality of services provided for the benefit of refugees and other persons of concern.
The incumbent may manage relevant personnel/functions relating to compliance, quality and risk management.
Due to the temporary nature of the engagement, the incumbent shall ensure that efficiency of operations management is improved through: close collaboration with the operations management team; clarity of roles; improved skills in risk management; and full integration of risk management, compliance and quality assurance actions into core operational activities.
The incumbent reports directly to the Representative, with a functional reporting line to ERM Unit.
FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
Accountability
- Systems, structures, procedures and capabilities relating to risk management, compliance and quality assurance are assessed across the entire operation and recommendations are made on how to strengthen same at country, regional and/or Headquarters/global levels.
- Agreed/endorsed recommendations referred to above are implemented in accordance with agreed milestones and budgets.
- Coordination mechanisms are established and effective between UNHCR, other UN organizations, implementing partners, operational partners, and relevant Government authorities so as to maximize collective efforts to manage risks, ensure compliance and maximize quality.
- Donors and other stakeholders in the Operation are kept abreast of efforts, achievements and obstacles in the management of risk, in ensuring compliance and in ensuring quality of results.
- Approved actions resulting from recommendations of audits, studies, reviews, management implication reports etc. are implemented within agreed timeframes.
Responsibility
- Provide advice and support to the Representative on risk management, compliance, and oversight matters;
- Ensure that risk management considerations are integrated into decision making, planning, monitoring, evaluation, reporting and contingency activities in the Operation;
- Promote collaboration of different functions within the office structure to address cross cutting issues;
- Conduct research and in-depth analysis of risk management, compliance, and oversight findings and recommendations. In coordination with other expertise in the region and at HQs, identify lessons learnt and root cause(s) of recurring systemic issues in the Operation that present high risks to the Organization. Prepare summary reports, with recommendations, on significant matters requiring management action or intervention;
- Support the Representative in the implementation of oversight recommendations to improve risk management, compliance and quality of outputs;
- In close consultation with the Chief Risk Officer, assess the methodology, tools and practices related to the implementation of risk management activities in the Operation to strengthen integrity and unearth root causes of risks, and propose mitigating measures with a focus on prevention;
- Represent the Operation locally in relevant internal and external task forces/meetings on risk management and oversight matters;
- In collaboration with other units at Headquarters, the IGO and LAS, prepare, review and provide input to oversight information that may need to be shared outside the Organisation.
- Work closely with internal and external oversight entities, develop and implement a system and procedures to collect relevant data and efficiently track and report specific issues, trends and cross-cutting matters representing a high risk to the Operation;
- Prepare or review and provide input to management reports to external stakeholders (including country reports and presentations to locally based UN organisations, donor countries, interagency meetings and UNHCR partners on risk management and oversight).
- Assist the Representative in formulating the Operation¿s communication strategy on risk management, compliance, quality and oversight related matters.
- With assistance from and in close coordination with the ERM, Global Learning Centre, and other Headquarter Services, as required, develop and disseminate training and communication material on risk management and compliance responsibilities in the Operation to ensure knowledge and skills gained are sustainable.
- Promote best practise in risk management, compliance, quality, and oversight within and outside the Operation.
- Provide regular updates to the Representative, the Bureaux Director, Chief Risk Officer and Inspector General.
Authority
- Have access to all persons, records, reports, and assets under the ownership or control of the UNHCR Operation required to perform his/her work.
- Make decisions on the content of reports and presentations to the Representative and HQs on lessons learnt and root causes to address systemic and recurring high risks or emerging trends in the Operation.
- Make decisions on the implementation of the tools and procedures to manage risk and management data in the Operation.
- Represent the Representative in relevant internal and external task forces/meetings within areas of the responsibility.
- Represent the Operation as required in UN meetings dealing with risk management and oversight matters.
- Decide on administrative approaches and procedures pertinent to areas of the responsibility.
ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master¿s) plus minimum 11 years of previous work experience relevant to the function. Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) plus 12 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 10 years of previous relevant work experience may also be accepted.
- At least 6 years of experience in a senior managerial/leadership position involving, amongst other things, responsibilities relating to risk management, compliance and/or quality of results.
- Excellent judgement with proven ability to deal with complex interrelated issues and strong analytical and problem solving skills to develop solutions that address root causes.
- Excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills.
- Strong management skills in collaboration, team building, capacity development and with ability to deliver quality results on time.
- Exposure to and experience in UN or humanitarian field operations and emergencies in various geographical locations.
- Demonstrated high level of integrity, objectivity, impartiality and fairness.
- Excellent drafting skills and capacity to communicate complex matters to a wide non-expert audience as well as to experts involved in the area of responsibility.
- Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Good working knowledge of UNHCR¿s mandate, field operations, organizational structure, and policies.
- Good working knowledge of another UN language.
- Working experience in an oversight function within the UN.
- Knowledge of and working experience with Enterprise Risk Management frameworks.
- Knowledge of additional UN languages.
This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR Senior Risk Management and Compliance Advisor positions. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.
Position Competencies
C001L4 - Accountability Level 4
C002L4 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 4
C003L4 - Communication Level 4
C004L4 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 4
C005L4 - Client & Result Orientation Level 4
C006L4 - Organizational Awareness Level 4
M001L4 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 4
M002L4 - Managing Performance Level 4
M006L4 - Managing Resources Level 4
M005L4 - Leadership Level 4
M003L4 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 4
M004L4 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 4
X005L4 - Planning and Organizing Level 4
X001L4 - Analytical Thinking Level 4
X008L4 - Stakeholder Management Level 4
Additional Information
The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
See below for this postion's Operational Context
Additional Information
For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage them – before deciding to apply- to read the country specific security and welfare country profiles which can be found on the Intranet under Support Services - Duty of Care (https://intranet.unhcr.org/en/support-services/duty-of-care.html). Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care.
Staff after having applied to High Risk Duty Stations will have access to country specific information webinars with Field Safety Section (FSS) and Staff Welfare Section (SWS) colleagues and provided with a tool to test their psychological preparedness for serving in High Risk Duty Stations. Applicants who applied for a position in a High Risk country will receive, after the deadline for applications has expired, a joint invitation from the Staff Welfare Section (SWS) and the Field Safety Section (FSS) to participate in these webinars. During the Webinars, latest updates on security and well-being will be provided, and FSS and SWS will address questions raised by participants. Applicants are highly encouraged to benefit, when applicable, from all measures as they provide most up-to-date security and well-being information helpful to assess staff’s readiness to serve in a High Risk Duty Station. A Staff Welfare Officer will also be available, if and when required, to discuss with interested applicants the results of the psychological preparedness tool as well as readiness for assignment in High Risk Duty Stations.
Desirable Attributes
The applicant for this position must have a sound understanding of enterprise risk management with demonstrated experience with implementation of a risk management framework (ERM FP in the field/HQs, exposure to risk management practices, etc.)
Having past field experience in complex humanitarian or development operations and preferably previous emergency managerial experience with direct operations management responsibilities with direct programming, budgeting, and operations management responsibilities (e.g. Senior Operations Manager, Senior Program Officer, Senior Admin/Finance Officer roles) or internationally recognized certificate in risk management is a requisite for this position.
Work experience in different geographical locations, high-risk environments and diverse functional roles are essential for the post. Candidates who have continuously served in the same functional category (i.e. only finance, security, IT, admin, etc.) will not be considered as the most suitable applicants.
S/he must possess solid managerial and leadership competencies and be adept at building relations and consensus among a wide range of actors with the ability to promote strategic goals, the need for change, and strengthened risk management.
In addition, experience in managing partnerships, government stakeholders, and external stakeholders is required to successfully perform as a risk advisor in the field. Knowledge of internal controls and demonstrated experience in dealing with audit and compliance matters are required.
For the external applicants, experience in organizations with multi-country presence and wide operational coverage, preferably in the public sector, NGOs or United Nations is essential, with similar responsibilities as elaborated above. Demonstrated understanding of the humanitarian field is required.
Excellent drafting, communications and presentation skills in English, as well as involvement in the development of control/risk management frameworks.
Current Situation
Tanzania is hosting some 326,942 refugees and asylum seekers mainly from Burundi and DRC. 87% of the persons of concern are in 3 refugee camps in North Western Tanzania while the remaining 12.9% in the Old Settlements and Kigoma villages and the 0.1% in urban areas.
Tanzania is a signatory to the 1951 Convention, its 1967 Protocol and the 1969 OAU Convention and these instruments have been domesticated through the 1998 Refugees Act, and 2003 Refugee policy. However, the practical implementation and the interpretation of the Refugee Act and Policy by the authorities remain restrictive constraining the freedom of movement of refugees within and out of the camps, in turn hampering access to out-of-camp labour market, business, education and other livelihood-related opportunities.
The political context and protection environment in Tanzania continues to evolve with noticeable increase in restrictions on access to territory and asylum mainly resulting from security concerns of the GoT.
On the Solutions front, the operation is engaged in local integration and/or alternative solutions for the 1972 Burundian refugees; resettlement for Congolese and other person¿s at risk; as well as voluntary repatriation for the post 2015 Burundian refugees. UNHCR is supporting the return based on the principles of voluntariness and informed decision. From September 2017 to end of December 2018, some 57,865 Burundian refugees and asylum seekers were assisted to return.
Such dynamic, complex and continuously evolving operation will demand regular assessment, identification and prioritization of risks for efficient/effective response to operational needs. The incumbent will be responsible to ensure the operation has the means and is effectively able to assess, identify and prioritize risks and develop actions to manage the risks accordingly. S/he in coordination with MFT shall also advise on implementation of context specific risk management and treatment action plan/s
Working and Living Conditions
Dar es Salaam is the major city of the United Republic of Tanzania where the Representation office is situated. The location of the Representation Office is in Masaki, Rufiji Street, and Off Haile Selassie Road. Most international staff members live in the seaside neighborhoods of Masaki and Oyster Bay, and to a lesser extent in Msasani and Mikocheni all of which cluster in and around a peninsula to the north of the city Centre. Masaki and Oyster Bay share the advantages of having a good concentration of internationally-oriented housing and amenities including shops, schools and medical facilities; all are comparatively secure, and of course, enjoy the benefit of being close to the sea. The cost of living is considered high.
Security Considerations
The duty station can be described as relatively safe with a stable political environment. However, caution should be exercised when walking in the dark.
Additional Factors
Under the direct supervision of the Representative, the Senior Risk Management and Compliance Advisor will lead the implementation of the Risk Management 2.0 initiative in Tanzania by reinforcing the existing initiatives between risk identification, root-cause analysis, implementation of risk mitigation measures and response to the identified risks.
The incumbent will have a functional reporting line to the Chief Risk Officer/Snr ERM Coordinator and will be part of the Risk Advisor Network under the Risk Management 2.0 initiative.
This position is embedded in the operation for a specific period of time (one to two years) reporting to the Representative, helping operations management teams and leaving a strengthened capacity in place when phased out.
We would like to draw your attention to the fact that with the progress of the initiative the duration and location of some positions may be revisited. | https://www.ajiraleo.com/2019/02/snr-risk-mgmt-compliance-adv-new-job.html |
Our stunning main dining room, inspired by the grand cafés of Europe.
The Phoenix restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. We offer à la carte and a buffet breakfast as well as special event menus.
We serve an eclectic mix of dishes taking inspiration from both traditional Maltese and European flavours.
Our Executive Chef Daniel takes full advantage of the daily catch and our menu often features fresh fish of the day.
Our Terrace is the place to be seen in the heart of Valletta. As long as the weather is on our side, the Terrace is open year round.
Phoenix is open for breakfast from 07:00 to 10:30, lunch from 12:30 to 15:00 and for dinner from 19:00 to 22:00.
below is a sample of the kind of dishes you can expect to find on the menu.
Please inform us of any allergens and/or dietary requirements.
Our menu may contain traces of nuts and gluten. | https://www.campbellgrayhotels.com/the-phoenicia-malta/restaurants/the-phoenix/ |
ABSTRACT Twelve Step Facilitation (TSF) is an effective method of treating alcohol and drug dependency. Yet, controversy remains regarding its use with offenders, based in part on spirituality as a motivational basis for change. The following examines the model of treatment, its relevance for a forensic setting, and treatment effectiveness.
4 Citations
Voices from the rooms and programs: recovery capital speaks
- MedicineJournal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions
- 2021
This study conceptualized recovery capital to include Alcoholic Anonymous, spirituality, social support, and physical capital, and reviewed these factors through a historical and empirical discussion of Alcoholics Anonymous and treatment effectiveness.
How does AA?s 12 Steps and Membership of the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous Work for Addressing Drinking Problems?
- Psychology
- 2015
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the world?s largest and most recognisable recovery ?program?, and central to its philosophy is the 12 Step Program. AA is a global organisation of 2.2 million members…
Correlates of Recovery from Substance Use Disorders
- PsychologyJournal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions
- 2018
A sample of 263 respondents from 2 recovery networks were surveyed to explore the role recovery capital contributed to their recovery. Recovery capital was conceptualized as social support,…
References
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Integrating spirituality into treatment : resources for practitioners
- Psychology, Philosophy
- 1999
Psychology was originally concerned with mind, body and spirit. This volume re-establishes the importance of spirituality while integrating it into the mainstream of sound psychological practice.…
Women in Prison: Approaches in the Treatment of Our Most Invisible Population
- Sociology
- 1998
Abstract The issues and needs of addicted women are for the most part invisible in the criminal justice system. Historically, treatment, research and recovery have been based on men's lives, often…
A comparative evaluation of substance abuse treatment: I. Treatment orientation, amount of care, and 1-year outcomes.
- Psychology, MedicineAlcoholism, clinical and experimental research
- 1999
Findings support the effectiveness of 12-Step treatment and show that patients with substance use disorders who become more involved in outpatient care and self-help groups tend to experience better short-term substance use outcomes.
Substance abuse treatment.
- Medicine, PsychologyHospital & community psychiatry
- 1994
Peak Wellness Center offers proven treatment for substance abuse, based on the latest research and more than 50 years of experience helping people recover from addictions.
An Effective Model of Prison-Based Treatment for Drug-Involved Offenders
- Psychology
- 1997
The results support the effectiveness of a multistage therapeutic community model for drug-involved offenders, and the importance of a work release transitional therapeutic community as a component of this model.
After drug treatment: are 12-step programs effective in maintaining abstinence?
- PsychologyThe American journal of drug and alcohol abuse
- 1999
It is suggested that weekly or more frequent 12-step participation is associated with drug and alcohol abstinence, and the wisdom of a general policy that recommends weekly orMore frequent participation in a 12- step program as a useful and inexpensive aftercare resource for many clients is pointed to.
Social and community resources and long-term recovery from treated and untreated alcoholism.
- Medicine, PsychologyJournal of studies on alcohol
- 1997
It is not surprising that short-term interventions have little long-term impact, but social and community resources that are readily available for long periods are more likely to have a lasting influence on the course of alcoholism.
Using AA and other 12-step programs more effectively.
- MedicineJournal of substance abuse treatment
- 1994
Private substance abuse treatments: are some programs more effective than others?
- MedicineJournal of substance abuse treatment
- 1993
FEDERAL PRISON RESIDENTIAL DRUG TREATMENT REDUCES SUBSTANCE USE AND ARRESTS AFTER RELEASE*
- MedicineThe American journal of drug and alcohol abuse
- 2001
Individuals who entered and completed in-prison residential treatment were less likely to experience the critical postrelease outcomes of new arrests and substance use during the first 6 months following release. | https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Twelve-Step-Facilitation%3A-A-Necessary-Treatment-for-Sheehan/60f7be05b20004bea47f8a0fef6c73cb9c28bd20 |
Improving health and engagement in the workplace tops companies’ 2016 priorities.
Improving health and engagement in the workplace
The top priority for 66% of people who participated in the Human Resources Trends survey by Morneau Shepell will primarily be to improve health and engagement in the workplace. For this, employers can take action on environmental stress factors by the effectiveness of their managers, such as reduction of red tape and reduction of psychological risk factors in the workplace. But employees also have their own role to play, mainly by developing their ability to adapt in order to survive changes.
Improving training and development programs
It’s no wonder then that the second priority is improving training and development programs (cited by 60% of respondents), since they can especially help managers to progress and also teach employees to manage their stress, define their priorities and become more effective both from a technical point of view and in terms of personal development.
Promoting mental health at work
The third place goes to mental health, a priority for 45% of respondents. Employees especially plan more promotion of their EFAP (Employee and Family Assistance Program) and to set up training to improve the ability for adaptation and resilience, which is the main point of the study. They also intend to train managers in mental health, and finally to conduct surveys to assess mental health risks.
Improve communication on overall pay
To be effective, a pay system must not only be fair and consistent, it must be understood by all. This is why 45% of those interviewed plan to make communication on this subject a priority in 2016. It should be noted that Canadian employers believe that salaries should increase 2.5% on average this year, a reduction compared to 2015, where the average raise was 2.8%. This prudence is due to the falling price of oil as well as the current slight recession.
Reducing the costs of short term disability
Finally, costs incurred by absenteeism and disability are a major concern for employers, and especially for 44% of them. For this problem, they again count on their managers to help them cope, with17% of them in the process of training them and 36% planning to train them in the next 12 to 18 months. They also intend to set up resources resources for mental health, update their policies and procedures in this area, and improve back to work procedures to facilitate the transition. | https://www.hrjob.ca/employers-five-main-priorities-for-2016/ |
Presently working on Metaheuristic Algorithms and MCDMs and their applications.
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Introduction
Currently working at the Department of Mathematics, National Institute of Technology Agartala, India. Interested on Applied Mathematics such as Evolutionary Algorithms, Swarm Algorithms, Feature Selection, Image Processing, Multi-Criteria Decision Making, Waste Management, Waste Recycling etc.
Skills and Expertise
Additional affiliations
April 2006 - February 2019
National Institute of Technology, Agartala India
Position
- Professor (Assistant)
Description
- Teaching and Research.
Publications
Publications (169)
Whale optimization algorithm was developed based on the prey-catching characteristics of the humpback whales. Due to its simple structure and efficiency, the researchers employed the algorithm to address numerous disciplines’ numerous problems. The profound analysis of the whale optimization algorithm discloses that the algorithm suffers from low e...
The sine cosine algorithm (SCA) is a population-based metaheuristic strategy that has been demonstrated competitive performance and has received significant attention from scientists in various fields. Regardless, like other population-based techniques, SCA also has a tendency to get stuck in adjacent optima and uneven exploitation. Given the short...
Migration from a linear to a circular economy (CE) has become inevitable to reduce waste by making reusable products and materials. The present health care waste (HCW) management development has also been reformed due to this change. Since there is a strong connection between HCW management and CE, in this study, the HCW recycling technology select...
Moth flame optimization (MFO) algorithm is a relatively new nature-inspired optimization algorithm based on the moth’s movement towards the moon. Premature convergence and convergence to local optima are the main demerits of the algorithm. To avoid these drawbacks, a modified dynamic opposite learning-based MFO algorithm (m-DMFO) is presented in th...
Differential evolution (DE) is one of the highly acknowledged population-based optimization algorithms due to its simplicity, user-friendliness, resilience, and capacity to solve problems. DE has grown steadily since its beginnings due to its ability to solve various issues in academics and industry. Different mutation techniques and parameter choi...
The whale optimization algorithm (WOA), a biologically inspired optimization technique, is known for its straightforward design and effectiveness. Despite many advantages, it has certain disadvantages, such as a limited exploration capacity and early convergence as a result of the minimal exploration of the search process. The WOA cannot bypass the...
Abstract: The Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) has been extensively utilized in numerous scientific and engineering fields for its simple and efficient behavior. However, it has some deficiencies, like slow convergence, stagnating at local optima and poor stability. To tackle these deficiencies, an improved variant of WOA, called QFWOA is introdu...
Fermatean fuzzy set (FFS) is an expedient tool in today’s world for coping with uncertainty, ambiguity, and incompleteness that emerge in many decision-making processes. In light of the relevance of FFS, this work offers a Multi-Criteria Group Decision Making (MCGDM) method together with Bonferroni mean and weighted Bonferroni mean operators in FF...
Abstract: The transverse-orientation process is at the heart of the new and innovative moth-flame optimization (MFO) technique, which draws inspiration from nature. This device incorporates a specialised form of navigational techniques that are symbolic of the direct flight of moths toward the moon at night. Although MFO has been successfully app...
The local optima stagnation is a major issue with all meta-heuristic algorithms. In this paper, a hybrid slime mould algorithm (SMA) is proposed with the aid of quadratic approximation to address the aforesaid problem to expedite the explorative strength of slime mould in nature. As quadratic approximation performs better within the local confineme...
This paper proposes an improvement to the dwarf mongoose optimization (DMO) algorithm called the advanced dwarf mongoose optimization (ADMO) algorithm. The improvement goal is to solve the low convergence rate limitation of the DMO. This situation arises when the initial solutions are close to the optimal global solution; the subsequent value of th...
Recycling the essential components of lithium ion batteries (LIBs) has become more important than ever because these batteries include combustible and hazardous elements. At the same time, recovery of major components from LIBs might provide some economic benefits. The goal of this paper is to utilize a multi-criteria group decision making (MCGDM)...
This paper uses the Butterfly Optimization Algorithm (BOA) with dominated sorting and crowding distance mechanisms to solve multi-objective optimization problems. There is also an improvement to the original version of BOA to alleviate its drawbacks before extending it into a multi-objective version. Due to better coverage and a well-distributed Pa...
Because of its importance and numerous applications, the selection of the best supplier from a pool of accessible suppliers is gaining importance across the world. To reduce the cost of supply chain and to improve the quality of the products, selection of a relevant supplier has become one of the crucial decisions. The objective of this study is to...
In material handling, warehousing, manufacturing and construction applications, forklifts are vital equipment, which are used to engage, lift and move palletized items. So, selection of the most appropriate forklift is an essential task for transportation of materials in warehouses for optimal use of the equipment. The present treatise introduces a...
Due to the synergic interaction of matrix and reinforcement, the workability of polymeric composite materials has shown its dependency on compositions. In the present study, Weighted Aggregate Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) has been applied for ranking the developed sustainable polymeric composite materials. The different properties of composite m...
The Moth flame optimization (MFO) algorithm belongs to the swarm intelligence family and is applied to solve complex real-world optimization problems in numerous domains. MFO and its variants are easy to understand and simple to operate. However, these algorithms have successfully solved optimization problems in different areas such as power and en...
This paper proposes a hybrid sine cosine butterfly optimization algorithm (m-SCBOA), in which a modified butterfly optimization algorithm is combined with sine cosine algorithm to achieve superior exploratory and exploitative search capabilities. The newly suggested m-SCBOA algorithm has been tested on 39 benchmark functions and compared with seven...
A retaining wall is a structure used to resist the lateral pressure of soil or any backfill material. Cantilever retaining walls provide resistance to overturning and sliding by using backfill weight. In this paper, the weight and cost of the cantilever retaining wall have been minimized using a hybrid metaheuristic optimization technique, namely,...
Whale optimization algorithm (WOA) has been developed based on the hunting behavior of humpback whales. Though it has a considerable convergence speed, WOA suffers from diversity in the solution due to the low exploration of search space. As a result, it tends to trap in local optima and suffer from low solution accuracy. This study proposes a nove...
The Moth Flame Optimization (MFO) algorithm shows decent performance results compared to other meta-heuristic algorithms for tackling non-linear constrained global optimization problems. However, it still suffers from obtaining quality solution and slow convergence speed. On the other hand, the Butterfly Optimization Algorithm (BOA) is a comparativ...
Because of their superior problem-solving ability, nature-inspired optimization algorithms are being regularly used in solving complex real-world optimization problems. Engineering academics have recently focused on meta-heuristic algorithms to solve various optimization challenges. Among the state-of-the-art algorithms, Differential Evolution (DE)...
Moth flame optimization (MFO) algorithm is a relatively new nature-inspired optimization algorithm based on the moth's movement towards the moon. Premature convergence and convergence to local optima are the main demerits of the basic MFO algorithm. To avoid these drawbacks, a new variant of MFO algorithm, namely a modernized MFO (M-MFO) algorithm...
An intuitionistic fuzzy random variable (IFRV) handles ambiguous, incomplete and ill-known data or information along with statistical variability, and deals with fuzzy number, grade of membership and non-membership functions and probability distribution function. So, taking such advantages of IFRV, we extend the classical continuous review inventor...
Deep learning (DL) models are becoming pervasive and applicable to computer vision, image processing, and synthesis problems. The performance of these models is often improved through architectural configuration, tweaks, the use of enormous training data, and skillful selection of hyperparameters. The application of deep learning models to medical...
The exposition of any nature-inspired optimization technique relies firmly upon its executed organized framework. Since the regularly utilized backtracking search algorithm (BSA) is a fixed framework, it is not always appropriate for all difficulty levels of problems and, in this manner, probably does not search the entire search space proficiently...
Nature-inspired meta-heuristics have demonstrated superior efficiency in the solution of complicated nonlinear optimization problems than conventional techniques. In this article, an enhanced moth flame optimization (EMFO) is designed using the mutualism phase from the symbiotic organism search (SOS) algorithm. The suggested approach is examined on...
Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is field-coupled nanotechnology that achieves high device density, high switching speed, and low power dissipation. The flow of information within QCA is fully controlled by the position of the electrons only. A proper cell placement and its respective clock zone for the correct logic operation become the utmost...
Backtracking search algorithm (BSA) is a nature-based optimization technique extensively used to solve various real-world global optimization problems for the past few years. The present work aims to introduce an improved BSA (ImBSA) based on a multi-population approach and modified control parameter settings to apprehend an ensemble of various mut...
Though the Butterfly Bptimization Algorithm (BOA) has already proved its effectiveness as a robust optimization algorithm, it has certain disadvantages. So, a new variant of BOA, namely mLBOA, is proposed here to improve its performance. The proposed algorithm employs a self-adaptive parameter setting, Lagrange interpolation formula, and a new loca...
Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) has gained an exclusive research focus on the current CMOS due to low power dissipation, less circuit area occupancy, and computational speed. The effectiveness of a QCA circuit is affected by the primary logic (majority vote and inverter). Hence, the minimization of these primitives for QCA logic circuit synthes...
The operational performance of hydropower plants (HPPs) is largely affected as the output from the plant entirely depends on the rainfall and demand from consumers both of which are compromised due to the vulnerability in climatic patterns and rapid change in urbanization rate. Although, not all the parameters are equally affected and the present s...
Abstract: The combined economic and emission dispatch (CEED) problem is a highly non-linear multi-objective problem with equality and inequality constraints and is considered as crucial task in operation and planning of power systems problem. Due to the conflicting nature of the objectives of CEED, it is popular among the researchers. On the other...
A new pandemic disease named as novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) was discovered during end of 2019 in Wuhan city of China and was quickly spread throughout the globe. But, till now no medicine is available to fight against the infection caused by the disease. The infection may also be transmitted easily from person to person through highly inf...
The symbiotic organisms search (SOS) algorithm was introduced by considering the relationships among the creatures in a natural ecosystem. Despite the superior efficiency of SOS, it has been observed that fixing benefit factors of mutualism phase at 1 or 2; the algorithm obstructs itself from an extensive and diverse search of the search region. Mo...
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a massive disaster in every human life field, including health, education, economics, and tourism, over the last year and a half. Rapid interpretation of COVID-19 patients' X-ray images is critical for diagnosis and, consequently, treatment of the disease. The major goal of this research is to develop...
The significant physical challenges of Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology drives it on the brink of ultimate limit. With the surfacing of tremendous research findings, Quantum dot cellular automata (QCA) has emerged as a new technology in nanoscale era as a viable alternative to CMOS technology. Besides its wide acceptance, Q...
The search for food stimulated by hunger is a common phenomenon in the animal world. Mimicking the concept, recently, an optimization algorithm Hunger Games Search (HGS) has been proposed for global optimization. On the other side, the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) is a commonly utilized nature-inspired algorithm portrayed by a straightforward...
Differential evolution and its variants have already proven their worth in the field of evolutionary optimization techniques. This study further enhances the success history-based adaptive differential evolution (SHADE) by hybridizing it with a modified Whale optimization algorithm (WOA). In the new algorithm, the two algorithms, SHADE and modified...
Quantum dot Cellular Automata (QCA) are a prominent nanotechnology that is widely employed in digital circuits and systems. In comparison to complementary metal–oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, QCA is a remarkable and challenging alternative with many attractive aspects such as fast execution and low power use. To accomplish all arithmetic pr...
The transistor-based CMOS technology is facing tremendous physical challenges in nano-scale design. The Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) have attracted the research focus as a prospective viable alternative to CMOS technology for future designs in the nano-scale. The cell interaction property helps in information propagation in QCA. The 3-input...
The preparedness of Indian states and union territories (UTs) against the COVID-19 pandemic has been evaluated. Ten parameters related to demographic, socioeconomic, and healthcare aspects have been considered and the performances of 27 states and three UTs have been evaluated applying the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process. Opinions of medical exper...
Convergence analysis of any random search algorithm helps to verify whether and how quickly the algorithm guarantees convergence to the point of interest. Butterfly optimization algorithm (BOA) is a popular population-based stochastic optimizer introduced by mimicking the foraging behaviors of butterflies in nature. In this paper, we have developed...
The present CMOS VLSI technology is facing some challenges like working in nano scale, device density, power dissipation, operating frequency, fast execution, which demands a proper alternative. Quantum dot Cellular Automata (QCA) is one of the feasible substitutes for the same. In QCA, clocking is the primary driving source of power, and the flow...
Notwithstanding the superior performance of the Whale optimization algorithm (WOA) on a wide range of optimization issues, the exploitation in WOA gets more preference during the search process, thereby compromising the solution accuracy and diversity and also increases the chance of premature convergence. In this study, a novel modified WOA (m-SDW...
Symbiotic Organisms Search (SOS) algorithm is characterized based on the framework of relationships among the ecosystem species. Nevertheless, it is suffering from wasteful discovery, little productivity, and slack convergence rate. These deficiencies cause stagnation at the local optimum, which is hazardous in deciding the genuine optima of the op...
The present article discusses the solute transport process in steady laminar blood flow through a non-Darcy porous medium, as a model for drug movement in blood vessels containing deposits. The Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer drag force formulation is adopted to mimic a sparsely packed porous domain, and the vessel is approximated as an impermeable cyli...
Induced fuzzy infi topological space is already introduced by Saha and Bhattacharya [Saha A.K., Bhattacharya D. 2015, Normal Induced Fuzzy Topological Spaces, Italian Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics, 34, 45-56]. In this paper for the said space, we further analyse some properties viz. fuzzy I-continuity, fuzzy infi open mappings and fuzzy i...
The uncontrolled extraction followed by technological advancements and increasing population has induced an increase in Green House Gas concentration in the atmosphere and the outcome was global warming followed by the change in climatic pattern in different places of the world has reduced per capita availability of water. Due to climate change, wa...
In India, water shortages and poor water quality continue to be major challenges in both domestic and industrial sectors. The methods that aim to optimize Water Treatment Systems can go some way towards addressing these pressing challenges. The change in climate and large scale urbanization has imbibed vulnerabilities in water and energy use of Sur...
Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is gaining worldwide popularity due to its higher device concentration, lower power indulgence, and better switching speed. The information flows in QCA with the polarization state defined by the placement of electrons instead of current flow. The cell interaction principle under the influence of the clocking zon...
The conventional Butterfly Optimization Algorithm (BOA) does not appropriately balance the exploration and exploitation characteristics of an algorithm to solve present-day challenging optimization problems. For the same, in this paper, a novel hybrid BOA (MPBOA, in short) is suggested, where the BOA is combined with mutualism and parasitism phases...
The ever-increasing population and their energy demand have raised the stress on conventional energy sources manifold. As the quantity of power supply is receding, the supplied energy consumption is required to be optimized for maximum utilization. The distribution of available energy must be so that the need of the consumer can be satisfied. But i...
In recent years large-scale conversions of land use have been taking place worldwide to sustain the ever-growing population. As a result, parameters such as vegetation type, air temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture, and movement of the wind have been markedly affected. Many studies have examined the impact of urbanisation on temperature or...
In geotechnical engineering, investigation of seismic earth pressure coefficient is a fundamental theme of study for retaining wall. During this study, the seismal active earth pressure coefficient on the rear of the wall supporting c − Φ backfill has been formulated by the help of limit equilibrium method. This type of problems is highly complex n...
Nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithms along with their improved and hybrid versions have been gaining intrinsic popularity in solving nonlinear constrained complex real-world problems. On this presentation, a new hybrid butterfly optimization algorithm (BOA), viz. BOSCA combined with sine cosine algorithm (SCA) is suggested to develop a balanced...
Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) has emerged as one of the alternative technologies for current CMOS technology. It has the advantage of computing at a faster speed, consuming lower power, and work at Nano- Scale. Besides these advantages, QCA logic is limited to its primitive gates, majority voter and inverter only, results in limitation of cos...
Introduced an upgraded version of the moth flame optimization (MFO) algorithm named modified MFO algorithm (in short m-MFO) to reduce the shortcomings of the basic MFO algorithm.
The significant physical challenges of Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology drives it on the brink of ultimate limit. With the surfacing of tremendous research findings, Quantum dot cellular automata (QCA) has emerged as a new technology in nanoscale era as a viable alternative to CMOS technology. Besides its wide acceptance, Q...
One of the main issues with heuristics and meta-heuristics is the local optima stagnation phenomena. It is often called premature convergence, which refers to the assumption of a locally optimal solution as the best solution for an optimization problem and failure in finding the global optimum. Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) has demonstrated it...
The study investigates the effect of wall reaction on the species transport in a pulsatile flow of Casson fluid through an annulus. The transport process is analyzed by means of the dispersion coefficient, which uses the technique of the method of moments. The equations of momentum along with the statistical moments are solved numerically using a f...
The mathematical model of hydrodynamic dispersion through a porous medium is developed in the presence of transversely applied magnetic fields and axial harmonic pressure gradient. The solute introduce into the flow is experienced a first-order chemical reaction with flowing liquid. The dispersion coefficient is numerically determined using Aris’s...
In the consumerist world, there is an ever-increasing demand for consumption in urban life. Thus, the demand for shopping malls is growing. For a developer, site selection is an important issue as the optimal selection involves several complex factors and sub-factors for a successful investment venture. Thus, these tangible and intangible factors c...
Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) gains a notable attraction in the emerging nanotechnology to get the better of power consumption, density, nano-scale design, the performance of the present CMOS technology. Many designs have been proposed in QCA for an arithmetic circuit like adder, divider, parity checker and comparator etc. Most of the designs...
The population-based efficient iterative evolutionary algorithm (EA) is differential evolution (DE). It has fewer control parameters but is useful when dealing with complex problems of optimization in the real world. A great deal of progress has already been made and implemented in various fields of engineering and science. Nevertheless, DE is pron...
Improved Whale Optimization Algorithm
The uncertainty in the water-based renewable energy systems reduces the plant capacity. However, real-time monitoring of hydropower plants ensures optimality and continuous faultless performance from the plant. But the implementation of real-time systems has always increased the overall operation cost of the power plant due to the continuous monito...
The present study tries to utilize the advantage of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods in the selection of an ideal location for installation or relocation of surface water treatment plant (SWTP). But among the existing MCDM methods, the selection of features and their importance is determined by the decision-maker. Also a decision from... | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Apu-Kumar-Saha |
17 April 2018–For centuries people have claimed that strange behavior by their cats, dogs and even cows can predict an imminent earthquake, but the first rigorous analysis of the phenomenon concludes that there is no strong evidence behind the claim.
The paper published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America instead suggests that most of this “evidence” consists of single observations and anecdotes that cannot be tested rigorously. Its authors suggest a series of questions that researchers should use in analyzing the evidence that abnormal animal behavior predicts earthquakes.
Heiko Woith and colleagues at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences say scientists must determine whether the link between the animal behavior and the earthquake is based on clearly defined rules (such as the animal’s distance from earthquakes of a certain magnitude), whether the animal behavior has ever been observed and not followed by an earthquake, whether there is a statistical testing hypothesis in place to examine the evidence, and whether the animal population is a healthy, among other questions.
These questions are rarely asked, making it difficult to systematically analyze the evidence for animal prediction, the researchers concluded after studying 729 reports of abnormal animal behavior related to 160 earthquakes.
“Many review papers on the potential of animals as earthquake precursors exist, but to the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a statistical approach was used to evaluate the data,” said Woith.
The researchers collected reports on potential earthquake predictions across a variety of animals, from elephants to silkworms. Most reports were anecdotes rather than experimental studies, and the majority of the reports came from three events: the 2010 Darfield earthquake in New Zealand, the 1984 Nagano-ken Seibu earthquake in Japan, and the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake in Italy.
The unusual behaviors occurred anywhere from seconds to months prior to the earthquakes, and at distances from a few to hundreds of kilometers from the earthquake origins. Only 14 of the reports record a series of observations of the animals over time—most reports are single observations.
These weaknesses in the data make it difficult to confirm that these behaviors are predictive—meaning they signal an earthquake event before the event begins—rather than random occurrences or behaviors linked to the initial stages of an earthquake, such as foreshocks.
Foreshocks and abnormal animal behavior strongly cluster together in the statistical analysis by Woith and colleagues, suggesting that at least some of the behaviors may be related to physical phenomena from a seismic event already underway.
“The animals may sense seismic waves—it could P, S or surface waves–generated by foreshocks,” Woith suggested. “Another option could be secondary effects triggered by the foreshocks, like changes in groundwater or release of gases from the ground which might be sensed by the animals.”
One of the biggest problems with the animal data, Woith says, is the lack of continuous, long-term observations of animals experiencing earthquakes. “Up to now, only very few time series with animal behavior exist at all, the longest being just one year.”
Without a long record, Woith said, researchers cannot be sure that their observations relate to an earthquake and not some other kind of environmental change or long-term fluctuation in the health of an animal population or its predators.
For instance, one study analyzed by Woith and colleagues found that toads were behaving “abnormally” for half of the total observation time recorded in the study—both before and after the earthquake.
Future studies should include a stricter, quantitative definition of just what constitutes “unusual or abnormal behavior” on the part of the animals, as well as a physical explanation for the change in behavior, the researchers note. | https://www.seismosoc.org/news/can-animals-predict-earthquakes/ |
Find the original article here.
In this article, Drinane, Owen, and Tao (2018) examined the concept of cultural concealment in psychotherapy, specifically whether cultural concealment predicted psychotherapy outcomes. Cultural concealment refers to the phenomenon of clients hiding aspects of their identity and culture related experiences in therapy. Clients may unconsciously or consciously avoid discussing their oppressed identities or identities that are salient for them depending on their personal experiences and histories, therapeutic alliance, and identities or behaviors related to their therapist. Given that many clients hide aspects of their lives and behaviors from their therapist, Drinane et al. sought to investigate whether clients are engaging in cultural concealment, whether some therapists are more likely to have clients who engage in this behavior, and whether cultural concealment is associated with outcomes in therapy.
In their study with 37 therapists and 233 clients at college counseling center, they found that cultural concealment had a negative relationship with treatment outcomes within therapists’ caseloads, that is clients who reported higher levels of cultural concealment were less likely to improve in therapy compared to clients who reported lower levels of cultural concealment who were working with the same therapist. Their results also indicated that therapists who on average had clients who endorsed higher levels of cultural concealment had worse treatment outcomes compared to therapists who an average had clients who endorsed lower levels of cultural concealment. They found that therapists’ average client endorsement of cultural concealment had a stronger relationship with outcomes than individual client endorsement of cultural concealment. This study has significant clinical implications for therapists and how they work with clients from diverse backgrounds and how they approach cultural content in therapy. Given that therapist effects had stronger relationship with outcomes, it is imperative that therapists continuously reflect on their worldviews, their clients’ worlds views, and how that impact their work together. The researchers recommended that therapists practice cultural sensitivity in the forms clients complete, the initial assessment, and the physical office space. They can also initiate conversations about how culture affects their work with the client within their sessions. | https://societyforpsychotherapy.org/the-association-between-cultural-concealment-and-psychotherapy-outcomes/ |
Growing Guides are the body of OpenFarm; they are the primary piece of content that capture the methodology of growing a Crop based on a single author’s perspective. Growing Guides are both creative and highly structured documents. They are fixed in concept while fluid in detail, as the exact data they convey changes not only on what the author decides to share, but also on who is reading the Guide, where they live, and their farm or garden’s environmental conditions. The data is not only meant for humans to read, but machines and other applications too. Guide content can be translated across hemispheres, units, and languages alike. Guides are complex, and yet I think we are approaching a beautifully simple interface and experience for creating and consuming them.
This blog post is a story of how the Growing Guide has evolved since I started thinking about OpenFarm nearly one year ago.
The Initial Intention:
My primary project is FarmBot – an open-source CNC farming machine. When I published the FarmBot Whitepaper in September of 2013, OpenFarm was a mere small paragraph, a sub-component of the larger FarmBot ecosystem:
To help FarmBot owners create and manage their farms, there will be options to share and publish many different data types. I hope that an Open Data Repository will be created that can help centralize and make accessible and free all of the information needed to grow every type of plant, in every location, in every condition….In addition, the data repository may have it’s own frontend interface for browsing, searching, and downloading the data. This will allow other applications and technologies to use the data for their own purposes as well through an open API.
And so the initial idea of OpenFarm was very much tied to FarmBot – it was just a means for FarmBot owners to create very detailed growing instructions for their machines to use, and then a platform to share the instructions with others. In fact, there is no mention of ordinary farmers and gardeners contributing or consuming content.
The first mockup I made in November 2013 heavily reflects this intention. You can see that the ‘Plant Page’ is broken down to be day by day – how precise! Who would ever want to (or even have the knowledge to) enter in data for how much to water every. single. day? Probably only FarmBot nerds, and maybe not even them.
A Switch of Perspective
Once I began assembling the FarmBot team, the ideas around what OpenFarm needed to be began coming together, and I needed to answer some questions. Where was the initial data going to come from? What if FarmBot owners are not the experts at growing all the things they want to grow? If we built this resource, why should it be exclusive to ‘FarmBot and other applications and technologies’ rather than just be open to everyone?
And so I had a switch in perspective about what OpenFarm could and should be. It was from then on going to be a standalone service, one that was completely independent of the FarmBot Project, with the only tie being the API such that it was now FarmBot and the API that was a small component of OpenFarm.
This switch allowed me to put a different user story in my mind: an ordinary farmer or gardener using OpenFarm to learn and to share. The ‘Plant Page’ had to be fun, intuitive, easy to understand, and rather than hide information that FarmBot was going to automate, show it!
In this April 2014 mockup, I added the ‘Plant Requirements’ section and the Compatibility score – glanceable pieces of information that everyday people can understand to determine if the content is suited for their needs or not, rather than leaving this information to a behind the scenes algorithm within the FarmBot software.
More Content, More User Friendly
In this June 2014 mockup, I added an author and their description of the Guide to make it more creative and human. Ratings allow feedback to be given about the content, allowing future readers to be more informed of its quality. I changed the granularity of the Guide’s data to be from Daily to based on ‘Life Stages’ – a more descriptive and recognizable period of time that everyday people can grasp and understand that the growing instructions must change. The Timeline shows valuable information that was going to be hidden from view because the FarmBot software would know what to do when and so there was no need to show it previously. A future idea for what OpenFarm could become made its way in: the ‘Recipes and Usage’ section. This was also the first time I started calling this page a ‘Growing Guide’ rather than a ‘Plant Page’.
Rainbow Overload
I got excited about color in late June. Too excited one might say (including me). But hey, this is the mockup that 1,605 people gave us $24,293 for so I’m not complaining! In this mockup, I removed the water and other operations graph because I felt it was too technical or constraining feeling. However, I am now having second thoughts that it might still be useful for users to more visually understand how actions change during different times of the plant’s life.
Cleanup and Reconsideration
This is today’s mockup for the Growing Guide. It is considerably less colorful and it breathes much more via negative space and page gutters. It puts the compatibility score higher on the page as that is determined to be of high importance. The ‘Prerequisites’ was renamed to ‘Basic Needs’ to feel friendlier and less set-in-stone, and the ‘Growing Instructions’ section was renamed to ‘Life Stages’ to be cleaner and less lecture-y and more advice-like. The 5 star rating was replaced with a ‘Green Thumbs Up’ button to play on with mother nature and to stray away from the 1-star or 5-star stratification that commonly happens on the web in favor of positive-only reviews. The ‘Growing Instructions’, now called ‘Life Stage Actions’, are displayed in sentence format rather than data table format. This may not be technically feasible though with internationalization efforts.
Where will the design go next? Who knows! Now that we are actually building OpenFarm though, I’m excited to see! I think the design is beautiful as it stands today though I know it can always be improved! Everything is an evolution. | https://blog.openfarm.cc/2014/11/14/the-growing-guide-an-evolution/ |
Heart valve replacement surgery is performed in cases of severe dysfunction or disease to the heart valves that require the valves to be either repaired or replaced in order to maintain life.
The heart valves control blood flow from the heart to the body or from the body to the heart. The valves open to allow blood to flow through and close to prevent blood from flowing backward.
In most cases, heart valve replacement surgery requires an open heart surgical procedure. Open heart surgery is, by definition, any surgical procedure that requires the chest to be opened in order to operate. However, in some cases, the replacement surgery is able to be performed through minimally invasive surgery.
About the Heart Valves
There are four types of valves in the heart, each with its own function: aortic valve, mitral valve, tricuspid valve, and pulmonary valve.
Aortic valve: Located between the left ventricle and the aorta. In a properly functioning aortic valve, when pressure rises in the left ventricle over that of the aorta, the aortic valve opens to allow blood to exit the left ventricle and flow into the aorta
Mitral valve: This valve opens as a result of increased pressure from the left atrium as it fills with blood. When the valve opens, it facilitates passive blood flow to the left ventricle
Tricuspid valve: This valve functions to prevent blood from flowing back into the right ventricle
Pulmonary valve: When the pressure in the right ventricle rises above the pressure in the pulmonary artery, the pulmonary valve will open; it will close once the pressure in the right ventricle falls
Though each valve has a different function, they all prevent blood from flowing in the opposite direction and are essential to a fully functioning heart.
Causes For Heart Valve Replacement Surgery
Improperly functioning valves require repair – valves that do not properly close will allow blood to flow backward in a problem called regurgitation. In contrast, valves that do not properly open will limit blood flow to the body – this is called stenosis.
A heart valve replacement surgery may become necessary if tests prove that the changes in heart valves are beginning to significantly affect the heart’s functionality. Additional causes include an infected heart valve, the need to replace a heart valve already replaced during a previous procedure, or problems such as blood clots, infections, or bleeding. Other heart valve defects may cause extreme symptoms, such as angina (chest pains), shortness of breath, syncope (fainting spells), and heart failure. Doctors may opt to replace heart valves if there are already existing causes for open-heart surgery.
The Heart Valve Replacement Surgery
In preparation for the heart surgery, an anesthesiologist will administer general anesthesia to ensure that you are in a deep sleep and will feel no pain or other sensations during the course of the surgery. The surgical team will administer a cut approximately eight to 10 inches long down the chest before opening the breastbone to access the heart.
In most cases, a heart-lung bypass machine will take over the function of the heart during the procedure, pumping oxygen and blood through the body while the heart is stopped.
Alternately, minimally invasive surgery will utilize several much smaller cuts or a catheter through the skin.
Once the Cardiac surgeon has access to inspect the valves, they can assess whether the valve is repairable or will require replacement due to too much damage.
In the case that the valve(s) is repairable, the surgeon will likely utilize one of the following:
- Ring annuloplasty — The surgeon will sew a plastic, cloth, or tissue ring around the valve to repair the ring-like portion
- Valve repair – The surgeon shapes, trims, or rebuilds one or more valve leaflets, which open and close the valve.
If the surgeon determines that the valve has sustained too much damage and will require replacement, the surgeon will remove the existing valve and replace it with a mechanical, biological, or pulmonary valve. | https://theglobalhealthnews.com/how-heart-valve-replacement-surgery-is-performed/ |
The infographic above was designed in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) and highlights interim guidance for life support when caring for COVID-19 patients1. Check out their full list of COVID-19 resources for resuscitation here.
Reduce Provider Exposure
When caring for confirmed COVID-19 cases, it is essential for healthcare providers to protect themselves from exposure as best they can. Healthcare providers who contract COVID-19 can increase the burden on an already strained workforce, especially if they become critically ill1. It is important to ensure all healthcare providers don PPE that guards against both airborne and droplet particles before entering a resuscitation scene1. Furthermore, it is critical to limit healthcare providers in the room to only essential personnel, especially in a resuscitation setting. When appropriate, utilizing mechanical CPR devices in place of manual chest compressions can help reduce the number of rescuers required in the resuscitation room1.
Prioritize Strategies with Lower Aerosolization Risk
With confirmed COVID-19 cases, healthcare providers should aim to prioritize oxygenation and ventilation strategies with lower aerosolization risks1. When intubating, consider utilizing a closed circuit using a cuffed endotracheal tube connected to a ventilator with a HEPA filter in the path of exhaled gas and in-line suction catheter to significantly lower risk1,2.
Other oxygenation and ventilation strategies that lower aerosolization include1:
- Using a bag-mask with a HEPA filter or a non-rebreather face mask covered with a surgical mask before intubation
- Attaching a HEPA filter to any ventilation device in the path of exhaled gas before breaths are administered
- Intubating cardiac arrest patients with a cuffed tube at the earliest opportunity
- Delegating intubation to the health care provider who has the best chance at first-pass success to decrease the risk of failed intubations
- Pausing chest compressions when intubating
- Considering use of video laryngoscopy
- Minimizing disconnections once the patient is intubated on a closed circuit
Consider the Appropriateness of Resuscitation
Never forget that CPR is a high-intensity rescue measure1,3. Mortality for critically ill COVID-19 patients is high and increases with comorbidities1. Consequently, ensure that the patient’s age, comorbidities, and severity of the illness is considered when determining the appropriateness of resuscitation1,4–8. Confirming that goals of care have been addressed early with COVID-19 patients or their proxy can help set expectations if or when increased levels of care are needed1.
References: | https://canadiem.org/cpr-algorithm-adjustments-when-caring-for-suspected-or-confirmed-covid-cases/ |
The main portion of what appears below was published in the March 2002 issue of Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, pp. 374-375.
In our earnest desire to educate our students about the great importance and significance of the number "pi" by celebrating with special mathematical activities on March 14, we just may be teaching a concept that we had not intended, or that we are overlooking altogether. I am referring here to the fundamental concept of the "place value structure" of our decimal number system.
To begin with, pi is an irrational number that begins 3.141592653… and those are merely the first nine digits of a theoretically infinite string of digits with no apparent pattern or repeating cycle. So to bring things down to a manageable size, especially when one is not using a calculator with a pi key, we have traditionally rounded the value to the nearest hundredth: 3.14. From there, we have altered that number into a common style of writing dates - 3/14 - meaning 3rd month (March), 14th day. Hence, the big day for pi is March 14.
This all seems fine and logical until we look deeper into the matter. The great tendency these days for reading such "decimal" numbers as 3.14 is to say: "three-point-fourteen", or "three-point-one-four", whereas its true name is "three and fourteen hundredths." In the latter form its place value meaning is clearer, meaning we have 3 full units (which is the diameter of a circle, of course) with an additional 14/100 of another (diameter) unit.
On the other hand, writing the 3 and 14 as a date involves two different bases. The "3" is based on the 12 months of the year, and the "14" is based on the 31 days of the month of March. Interesting to note that while each year has 12 months, the number of days in a given month is not uniform (31, 30, 29, or 28). And as a means of measuring a quantity of time it is not even equivalent to such mixed base times as 4:15 p.m., indicating 4 full units of hours (base of 12) followed by an additional 15 units of minutes (base of 60). The latter case is consistent with other measurements in math such as a board that is 2 feet 5 inches long, or a new-born baby who tips the scale at 6 pounds 10 ounces. They all share the "addition" concept even though they have dual bases for their numbers. The date of 3/14 lacks this essential property if it is to be considered related to the common value of pi - 3.14.
Perhaps by now you are asking yourself: "What is the big concern here with this?" And I will respond by citing a simple story problem, and giving the way many students might react to it.
Randy can walk at a speed of 4 miles per hour. He needs
to walk a distance of 9 miles. How long will it take him
to do this?
John promptly picks up his calculator and begins pressing keys. First, the 9, then the division key, followed by the 4, and finishes with the equals key. He quickly looks at the display, and seeing 2.25, proudly raises his hand and announces, "Two hours, twenty-five minutes." Of course, we gently point out to John his misinterpretation of the fact that "twenty-five hundredths", or "25/100", is really "one-fourth of an hour", which is then "1/4 of 60 minutes", or just "15 minutes". So the correct response should be "2 hours, 15 minutes." Sheepishly, John says, "Oh yeah, I just forgot."
Has that ever happened to you in your class? I'm almost certain it has. I've observed it many times in my career. I feel it's largely a result of our inconsistent manner of reading "decimals" these days. In fact, it seems that the "N-point-M" style is winning the battle. Therefore, we need to devote a little time in our classes to point out this distinction. And what better time to do it than on Pi-Day, March 14.
I'm not really against celebrating about pi at all. In fact, I'd like to suggest some additional ways to observe it. Let's consider these alternatives:
Once a month we could have Pi-Hour; the 3 means 3rd day of the month, and the 14 means the 14th hour (2 p.m.) of that day. The only drawback here is that many students don't have their math class scheduled at that hour, so they would miss out on all the fun.
Once a day we could have a Pi-Minute, 3:14 p.m.; the 3 means the 3rd hour after 12 noon, and the 14 is the 14th minute of that hour. However, this is often after many schools have dismissed the students to go home. But perhaps the math staff could meet in the teachers' lounge and share a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. Unfortunately it would be necessary to eat it within 60 seconds, because soon it would be 3:15, and no longer be Pi-Minute. [By the way, 3:14 a.m. doesn't sound too promising for celebrating as most folk are sleeping at that time.]
Finally, we could have Pi-Second, 3:14. Here the 3 means the 3rd minute after every hour, and the 14 is the 14th second of that minute. Now what could you do in one second? My suggestion is that the teacher could play the role of a choir conductor. As the big moment approaches, he/she raises a ruler/baton in the air and asks the students to stand beside their desks. At the proper moment by the teacher's watch, the ruler is lowered and everybody calls out in chorus, "I like pi!" It would appear to me that this type of celebration has the advantage of probably reaching almost every student.
Maybe we could even find other days to have Pi Day. If we interpret the additive aspect of the value 3.14 as 3 full months, then have the 0.14 pass to the following month (0.14 x 30 = 4.2, rounded to 4), we obtain April 4 as Pi Day. Or, let's convert pi to other bases. In base-5, it is 3.03232214303…. Rounding this to two places after the "point" yields 3.04. This tells us that, converting by the dual base method, March 4 is Pi Day (base-5). For those who love number trivia as I do, notice the 143 embedded in the sequence of digits. If we write this as "14/3", we have "14 of March" as it is commonly expressed here in Latin America, where I live. I can only surmise that may be the reason I don't hear any talk about celebrating Pi Day in our schools. But this alternate method of writing dates might suggest we observe Pi Day on July 22, because the reverse notation, 22/7, doubles as the famous fraction form of pi. (In fact, some places do just that, calling it Pi Approximation Day.)
Please don't interpret this little essay as advocating that we not celebrate Pi Day on March 14. Just that we show our students the mathematical liberty that we are taking when we convert 3.14 to 3/14, thus making them more aware of the essential difference in our place-value notation system and dual-base systems. Then maybe John won't make the error that he committed in the problem about Randy's walking time.
Footnote: If Pi Day this year (March 14, 2002) is written in digits like this - 31402 - then those digits in that order can be found embedded in pi beginning at the 219770th position.
Consequently if you are rounding, you should look at ALL the following digits...
until you hit one that is not a 2.... if the first non-2 you hit is a 0 or 1,
round down; if the first non-2 you hit is a 3 or 4, round up.
another way to approach the problem:
add (1/2) the last digit-location to the number, then drop all trailing
"decimal" places.
so to round to the nearest 125th... if you have
3.21324
that rounds to 3.214
but
3.21321 rounds to 3.213
equivalently... add 1/250 = 0.000222222222222222222222222222222222222222
to the number, then drop all but the first three places after the
"decimal" point.
Additional information about Pi Day celebrations can be found at the Math Forum's T2T FAQ by clickinghere.
For more discussion about Pi Days in different cultural or religious calendars, go to this site in the Math Forum:
Here's another idea I propose... use calendars from other cultures and religions to find their Pi Days! Then the math task becomes finding the equivalent date in the Gregorian calendar currently in use.
For example, there are Jewish, Islamic, Chinese, and Bahá'í calendars, and probably more. The Jewish and Islamic are lunar ones, which brings in added factors for problem solving. Their Pi Days fall on different Gregorian dates over time. I'm not sure about the Chinese calendar, but surely internet research would be a good idea.
But I do know the Bahá'í one quite well. [I'm a Bahá'í, in fact.] You see, we have a solar calendar, so Gregorian dates always correspond 1-to-1 with Bahá'í dates. We have 19 months of 19 days each [4 intercalary days, 5 in leap years, tucked between the 18th and 19th months, so all comes out the same]. Our New Year's Day is March 21, the first day of spring [symbolizing a new beginning and it is related to a specific astronomical event, too: the spring equinox].
So here is the problem... What is the Gregorian date that corresponds to Pi Day in the Bahá'í calendar? It's fairly easy to do.
Thanks, Roya. Now we have another flavor (calendar) for pi day to add to our smorgasbord from my previous posting. Like any good restaurant presenting many kinds of pies to eat, this Pi Day project also deserves more than one calendar.
Roya also has found some nice websites containing valuable information related to this topic. She writes:
Update April 3, 2002
The following letter was received from its author, Lisa Fiorante. It was originally sent to the editors of MTMS.
I am writing in response to the very timely article, "Let's Take Another Look at Pi Day" by Terrel Trotter Jr. (March 2002). At the time, our school had recently completely many Pi activities. Mr. Trotter brings up many interesting ways in which we could extend the traditional celebrations of Pi. I think that elementary school students would first need a solid background and some understanding of the concept of Pi. Perhaps it would be beneficial to use some of the ideas mentioned in the article after first celebrating Pi in the usual manner.
I would like to share some of our activities celebrating Pi Day 2002. We decided to involve all of the students in the school (Pre-school to Grade 8) on some level with our celebration. We set out to break the world record of longest Pi Chain. We found this activity on Christopher Herte's website mentioned in the NCTM Bulletin. (mathwithmrherte.com) We used a different color for each digit and each grade was assigned one color and cut the strips to use in the chain. Our chain, which had 2400 links, was hung around our entire parking lot for all to see. We currently hold the Illinois record for longest chain. Algebra students went to each room earlier in the week and demonstrated the calculation of Pi using a circle and gave the students some background information on the meaning of Pi and how it is used. We also had a song contest where over 200 families submitted song lists with songs that had Pi related words (circle, world,
around, etc.) in their titles. (The top families received gift certificates for pies) Our winning family found over 1000 such songs. It was truly a great experience for the entire school and for our families. The Algebra students, who actually assembled and hung the chain, finished the celebration by eating "pie".
Thanks to Mr. Trotter's article, we have several new ways to celebrate Pi in the upcoming years. Imagine the fun in celebrating Pi in a different month, during a particular hour, or even a particular second. Perhaps the students could even determine their own new times to celebrate Pi.
| |
NMOS offers two research grants each year to help support research on New Mexico birds:
- The Ryan Beaulieu Research Grant, for $1000, is presented in memory of Ryan Beaulieu. Following the wishes of Ryan’s family, this grant will support research projects that do not involve the collection of birds. For more information about Ryan Beaulieu and his bird research interests, see the Audubon magazine article, Band of Brothers, about Ryan and his friends Raymond VanBuskirk and Michael Hilchey and their Rosy-Finch project.
- The NMOS Research Grant is also available for $1000.
Bioth grants are open to projects that meet these criteria:
- The grant money must be spent while conducting research on birds in New Mexico;
- The recipient must either present a paper based on the research at an annual NMOS Meeting or submit an article based on the research to the NMOS Bulletin; and
- Preference will be given to student applicants.
A short research proposal (2 pages maximum) must be submitted describing the nature of the project and how the allocated funds are to be spent (e.g., on gas, tape recording, specific equipment, etc.). Each proposal should state clearly whether the project does or does not involve collection of birds. Each proposal should include two letters of reference, one of which should be from a graduate advisor if the applicant is a graduate student. References should comment on the applicant’s commitment to New Mexico ornithology and ability to design and carry out creative, independent research. All proposals will be evaluated together and up to two proposals will be awarded grants. The Ryan Beaulieu Research Grant will fund a project that does not involve the collection of birds; the NMOS research grant is open to all projects that meet the criteria above.
Please submit your electronic proposal, with “NMOS Grants” in the subject line, to:
Matt Baumann, [email protected]
The deadline for 2022 Research Grant proposals is 1 March 2022. All applications will be acknowledged within a week of proposal receipt. If no acknowledgement is received, it is the applicant’s responsibility to follow up with their submission to ensure consideration. | http://www.nmbirds.org/research-grants/ |
Summary/Abstract: Both formal and informal institutions are usually perceived as constraints that structure and limit human behavior. This is understandable when we use them as an addition to neoclassical economics and as an attempt to overcome its deficiencies. Yet institutions also enable behavior which would otherwise probably be inexistent. This paper aims to highlight the enabling feature of institutions and briefly recognizes selected consequences of it. We argue (1) that because institutional arrangements cause specific distribution results thus the process of institutional change is virtually infinite and does not have to lead to socially optimal effects and (2) that informal institutions (social norms) have today important explanatory and creative power for the existing social order and economic development. We conclude by suggesting that more interdisciplinary approach to economics may contribute to our better understanding of socioeconomic reality and indicate promising threads of current research. | https://ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=442595 |
The Comprehensive Plan is the City's official policy guide for future development-related decisions. It is general and long-range in nature and provides a picture of how the community wishes to develop over the next 15 to 20 years. As a policy document, the plan provides a framework for residents and decision makers to conceptualize how the city should look and function, as well as the best methods and strategies for achieving those goals.
An updated revision of the Comprehensive Plan was prepared by the Planning Commission and the Department of Community Development and Planning and officially adopted by the City Council on February 12, 2019. The newly adopted plan is presented for download below.
Plan Components
- Cover, Table of Contents, and Acknowledgements
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Land Use
- Chapter 3: Multimodal Transportation
- Chapter 4: Environment and Sustainability
- Chapter 5: Economic Vitality
- Chapter 6: Community Services
- Appendix A: Chesapeake Bay Preservation Plan
- Appendix B: Transportation Practices and Policy
- Index
- 2035 Comprehensive Plan Implementation Guide
You may also download the entire Comprehensive Plan.
- City Council Resolution No, R-19-03 Approving and Adopting the City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan
- Planning Commission Resolution No. PC-18-02 Approving and Recommending Adoption of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan for the City of Fairfax
Completed Studies, Projects & Plans
Past studies, projects, and plans that helped guide formation of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan can be found here.
Comprehensive Plan Resources
Events, videos, presentations, and other documents key to the creation of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan can be found here.
Timeline
Information on the Comprehensive Plan's progress and adoption can be found here. | https://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/community-development-planning/planning/current-comprehensive-plan |
German physicist Heinrich Rubens became very famous among nerds in 1905 when he created a tube that uses fire to picture standing sound waves. When there is no sound served into the tube, the flames upsurge to the same height. When a sound is produced into the tube, the waveform truly marks the amount of gas that is served through each hole.
At the point of extreme displacement on the wave, the gas density varies. The pressure is maximum when the wave peaks and the gas is pressed nearer to the hole, which powers more fuel out and bases the flame to grow higher. When the wave impulses down into the trough, it can’t really pull the gas back in. The flame has enough gas and oxygen to continue burning higher until the wave crests at that point once more.
The portion of the wave which marks the midline and rests unaffected is referred to as the node. Obviously, volume plays a big part on how these flames will act. The above explanation relates when the volume is great, but if the arriving sound is silent, the crest of the wave isn’t enough to override the opposite pressure of the trough, and the anti-nodes essentially appear smaller than the nodes.
Physicists and chemists have established an apparatus with 2,500 holes in the top. The key modification is that these holes are not all in a line like an old Rubens tube, but really cover an whole plane. | http://www.physics-astronomy.com/2014/05/amazing-2d-rubens-tube-visualizes-sound.html |
Such arguments are made both in support of temporary as well as permanent relief. Such arguments do not always carry the day, but it is often a consideration that influences judges, even if they deny it. If custody is in issue or you really want to keep the house, try to stay put until the temporary relief hearing, which is your first opportunity to legally compel the other party to move out.
Divorce is actually a legal procedure between you and your spouse, so, in order to satisfy legal requirements, you must properly notify your spouse that legal action is being taken against them. In a divorce proceeding, this is called Service of Process, and involves delivering copies of the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and Summons along with supporting documents to your spouse in a timely manner.
The guidelines use each parent's monthly gross income and consider basic, medical and child care support. A parent's monthly gross income is reduced by the amount of spousal maintenance or child support that the parent is ordered to pay from other support orders. Minnesota law allows a deduction from a parent's monthly gross income for a maximum of two non-joint children in their home.
In order to make custody determinations the court evaluates the best interests of the children using 13 key factors which are defined in MN 518.17.In addition to being financially expensive, formal custody evaluations are also often highly adversarial and emotionally damaging for all involved, especially the children. In the end, a “victory” is often bittersweet and both parents will have some amount of court ordered parenting time. Rather than seek to prove that one parent is better than the other, it is critical to recognize that both parents are important in different ways – each providing that which can only be given by a mother or a father. You are the experts about your life and your children. You are the best qualified to make decisions about how to restructure your family and parenting time after divorce. As your mediator, I help you evaluate and discuss parenting time options and make child-focused decisions about how each of you will remain significantly involved with your children.
In some cases, a spouse may be reluctant to attend mediation due to misperceptions they have regarding the mediation process. One party may feel the mediator will decide crucial issues without input. In reality, a divorce mediator cannot compel either spouse to do—or refrain from doing—anything. Others may feel a mediator can single-handedly “fix” all issues in the divorce. If one spouse fails to disclose all relevant facts related to the case, the mediator will be unable to achieve real results. In some cases, women may feel their husband will fare better during the mediation.
Under Minnesota law, divorce is called dissolutionof marriage. Divorce cases are decided in family court. The court "dissolves" or ends the marriage when the final papers are entered in the court's records. These final papers are called the Judgment and Decree. The Judgment and Decree contains the court's final decision on other questions too. These include custody, parenting time, child support, and division of debts and property.
Note: State laws are always subject to change through the passage of new legislation, rulings in the higher courts (including federal decisions), ballot initiatives, and other means. While we strive to provide the most current information available, please consult an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
At Dwire Law Offices, P.A., we offer trustworthy, personal service and practical, experienced representation. You are treated as a person who has a legal problem that needs solving, not as just another case file. Our attorney, Todd Dwire, has been guiding people through divorce and family law issues in Lakeville and the surrounding areas for over 17 years. We also provide estate planning services.
Civil lawsuits- those involving land, inheritance, or services provided, are most often moved to the end of any Court’s calendar. Often, a civil matter will not be heard before a judge for more than two years after the case is filed with the Court. This long delay for justice/resolution, together with the high costs of trial, often make litigation impractical. It is not uncommon for attorney fees, expert witness fees, filing fees, court reporter fees and other related costs to exceed the amount in dispute.
The date on which earnings (including retirement contributions and other income) becomes separate property again, is the so-called “valuation date.” The valuation date is the date of the initially scheduled prehearing settlement conference, unless the parties agree to a different date, or the court finds that a different date is fair and equitable. In my experience, the Court seldom exercises its discretion to use a different date. One situation warranting a different date is where the parties have been separated for years prior to commencement of the divorce, and have been living separately, with separate accounts, insurance, bills, etc., during the separation period.
In most cases, divorce is a difficult and painful process, both emotionally and financially. The traditional practice of hiring a lawyer and litigating in court to end a marriage is not only expensive, but can lengthen the process, increase contention, and cause additional and unnecessary stress on you, your spouse, and your children. Because of this, more and more couples are looking to mediation to walk them through the intricacies of divorce and help navigate parenting agreements. While divorce is rarely an easy event, the goal of mediation is to encourage and support you in developing the best solutions for your individual situation, in a collaborative way and on your time line, which ultimately lessens the negative impact of divorce on you and your family.
As the number of divorces has increased, divorcing couples have frequently become frustrated with the excessive costs and delays associated with an overburdened, adversarial litigation system, and have sought ways to play a greater role in determining the details of their divorces. Likewise, the court system has recognized the importance of developing methods of handling disputes outside of the courtroom, and so court-related mediation programs have increased in popularity around the country.
When deciding which party to award a marital pet, a compelling argument is the pet’s attachment to the children. If there are minor children involved, who are very attached to the pet, the Court will likely award the pet to whichever parent has primary residence of the children. Another compelling argument is which party cares most for the pet. If you can prove that you were the one primarily responsible for feeding the pet, taking it to the vet, walking it, etcetera, then you will be much more likely to be awarded the pet.
The information contained on this page is not to be considered legal advice. This website is not a substitute for a lawyer and a lawyer should always be consulted in regards to any legal matters. Divorce Source, Inc. is also not a referral service and does not endorse or recommend any third party individuals, companies, and/or services. Divorce Source, Inc. has made no judgment as to the qualifications, expertise or credentials of any participating professionals. Read our Terms & Conditions.
The court will order a reasonable amount of child support to be paid by the non-custodial parent. Minnesota law has guidelines that say how much support should be paid. The court can also order either parent to pay medical insurance premiums or expenses and to pay part of child care costs. The court considers the parent's income or ability to earn income and the number of children supported.
Christine Callahan has completed the certified training and is on the court roster for counties in the southwest metro to conduct Social Early Neutral Evaluations (SENE, for custody and parenting time) and Financial Early Neutral Evaluations (FENE for support and property division). For more information about the Early Neutral process in Minnesota, please see our articles.
If you do move out, take steps to guard against destruction of property. Videotape the contents of the home (e.g., furniture, art and other valuables) and make copies of important documents (birth certificates, account statements, deeds and insurance policies) before you leave. You may also consider taking your own family heirlooms and other personal, irreplaceable items with you.
5. Neither party absolutely needs a personal attorney to handle this process. A neutral lawyer can complete your paperwork and file relevant court documents. Some parties even opt to use pro se forms and submit all paperwork themselves. However, even if your divorce appears simple and amicable, you can benefit from speaking with an experienced Minnesota family lawyer about your case.
James Rainwater has provided professional neutrality for court-ordered and private mediations since 2002. He is qualified to conduct both General and Family Law mediations. Mr. Rainwater is experienced in mediating matters involving Family Law, Child Abuse and Neglect, Insurance, Contract Disputes, Personal Injury, Real Estate, Probate, Property ... more
There is one advantage to being the petitioner. If the parties reside in different counties, the petitioner determines venue (location) by filing for divorce in the county of choice. Venue can be critical because judicial views on custody and alimony vary from county to county. The respondent can request a change in venue, but will need to show a good reason for the change.
We are a full service divorce mediation office. We help each couple reach agreement on all issues, then facilitate drafting, notarizing and mailing of the legal documents to the court. Kent's focus is on helping each family through this difficult change, so the family experiences less conflict, less damage to important relationships and lower f ... more
Usually the petitioner's attorney calls the petitioner's witnesses first. Each witness is sworn under oath and answers the attorney's questions. Then the other attorney may question the witness. Sometimes the court may ask questions. Sometimes the petitioner's attorney will ask additional questions. When the petitioner's attorney has called all of his or her witnesses, including the petitioner, the attorney tells the court that the petitioner rests his or her case. Sometimes the attorneys will present their argument in writing.
In order to maintain the status quo while the divorce is being processed, spouses are allowed to file Motions for Temporary Relief in order to temporarily order child custody, child support, spousal support and any other issues that occur day to day that must be handled while the divorce is being processed. Once the divorce decree is finalized and signed by a judge, the temporary order will expire and the final divorce procedures will go into effect.
You can access most of the necessary divorce forms at the Minnesota Judicial Branch website. Remember, there may be additional documents required by your county's circuit court, so please check with your circuit court before filing to assure that you have all the correct forms. If you feel like you need more help, you can use Rocket Lawyer to Find a Lawyer who's right for you.
What is the difference between legal separation and divorce in Massachusetts? Spouses can live separately, but there is no “legal separation” status in Massachusetts family law. You are either married or divorced. It is, however, possible to be married, live separately, and receive “separate support” for spousal support or child support. This requires filing a Complaint for Separate Support.
This is a common fear which is rooted in the adversarial legal system. The reality is that many parents who are mediating their divorce separate before the divorce is final, some even purchase a second home. Living together after a decision has been made to divorce is extremely difficult. Separation provides many people the distance they need to more successfully manage the challenges and difficulties of divorce. During mediation you have many opportunities to be creative and solve problems in a cooperative and mutually beneficial manner.
The court can also consider a change if the parent with custody has denied or interfered with the parenting time of the other parent. However, parenting time problems alone are usually not enough to change custody. Denying or interfering with a parenting time schedule is a factor that a court may consider in deciding to change custody. A judge can also change custody based on the “best interests of the child,” if both parents agreed to use that standard in a writing approved by the court.
Many of the facts and circumstances that a divorcing spouse feels are important, are likely to be of little importance to the court. It‘s unrealistic to assume a judge can review all of the circumstances that led to the divorce. The issues are simply too complex, the court lacks time to hear all of it, and in the end, they aren’t usually relevant to the case, especially in a no-fault state like Minnesota.
2. Take with you all of the household goods and furnishings, and other items of personal property which you want to have, and inventory what you take. Although it is not a law, the old adage “possession is nine tenths of the law” is very applicable here. The reason boils down to the fact that litigating personal property issues is usually prohibitively expensive, because it normally costs more to litigate than the stuff is worth. So if you ever want to see it again, it is much simpler and easier to take it with you when you leave. [Caveat: don’t get too greedy. If you empty the place out and leave the spouse and children to sleep and eat on a bare concrete floor, you will not look good].
In some cases, the court may order spousal maintenance for a limited time while the spouse returns to school or trains for employment. Permanent spousal maintenance may be awarded if the court finds that one of you will not be able to adequately support yourself. The court will consider age, health, education, work experience, skills and other factors. | https://ydnt.info/child-custody-extracurricular-activities-maple-lake-mn-55358.html |
Event Description:
Are you good at identifying logos? Then put your skills to the test and see just how much you really know about logos in this fun quiz game! The goal of this game is to identify logos by selecting the logo you recognize, then correctly typing the company name that the logo represents. Identify as many logos as possible to unlock more levels. As you complete each level, the difficulty will increase. Having trouble? Use one of the various hints to help guide you as you identify the logos. Challenge yourself and see just how far you can go
There are two-Rounds….
Round 1:
We will display LOGO’s and you will need to find out which company name the logo is?
Round 2:
You need to answer the Tag lines/Captions of the company LOGO’s as shown.
Pre-requisites:
Team with 2-members minimum
Registration should be done before the event with the Event Manger. | http://bomma.ac.in/WW-LogoMania.aspx |
In 2007 Professor Lynne Turner-Stokes applied for a programme grant to set up a UK national database of outcomes after rehabilitation, particularly for patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation for complex problems seen after acute onset disability. Most had neurological damage, but this is an observed fact and was not a specific intention. The British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine was one of the supporting organisations. The database became known as the UKROC database – the UK Rehabilitation Outcomes Collaborative when the programme started in September 2008. Its development slightly preceded the development of rehabilitation services for people after major trauma, but UKROC and major trauma rehabilitation services are inextricably intertwined.
The United Kingdom Rehabilitation Outcomes Collaboration, known universally by anyone involved as UKROC, was associated with three developments in rehabilitation services in the UK. One was developing so-called Level I, II and III rehabilitation services within the UK. Second, it provided data to create a fair costing and commissioning basis for rehabilitation. Last, it helped the development of trauma rehabilitation services. It is a tribute to the vision, determination and sheer hard work of Professor Lynne Turner Stokes that it has achieved so much. The late Professor Bipin Bhakta was also a co-applicant on the original application. This page outlines some of the outputs based on or derived from the original programme. It starts with an overview of the context in which it developed. The website giving further details about UKROC, including how to obtain research access to the database, is available here.
Context of development
The foundation of the UKROC programme was a series of systematic reviews conducted in the 2000s that demonstrated the solid evidence base for the effectiveness of coordinated multidisciplinary rehabilitation. A Cochrane review (here) showed the benefits of early and ‘continuous chain’ rehabilitation from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) following acquired brain injury, and a further systematic review (here) assimilated and compared the evidence from RCTs and non-randomised studies.
In a proof-of-principle study in 2006, Lynne Turner-Stoke et al. demonstrated that data collected in the course of ‘real life’ routine clinical practice showed rehabilitation provided value for money through savings in the cost of ongoing care. (here)
An extensive national engagement process with rehabilitation professionals from around the country followed. (here). This process led to a reasonable agreement on a set of tools that clinicians could use in routine clinical practice to measure
- an individual’s needs for rehabilitation,
- the inputs provided to meet those needs and
- the outcomes that result (in terms of improved independence.
- the combination allowed cost-efficiency to be calculated.
All the tools used in the UKROC dataset have been subject to rigorous psychometric validation, summarised in the programme report. (here)
The output associated with and derived from the programme covers many aspects, and I will cover them in separate sections.
Studies on costing and payment
In 2012 three papers were published describing the cost of rehabilitation services. They give the foundation of current payments. The first (here) was a Rehabilitation in Practice article in Clinical Rehabilitation on “International case-mix and funding models: lessons for rehabilitation.”. It discusses how case mix can and has been used to develop costing models for rehabilitation services. For anyone interested – and arguably we should all be very interested – this gives a sound basic introduction to costing problems.
The following two covered the position in the UK. One, “A cost analysis of specialist inpatient neurorehabilitation services in the UK” (here), investigated the cost of inpatient rehabilitation services and showed that staff costs accounted for two-thirds of costs. Direct costs were 83% of all costs, and only 7% were overheads. Variation between units arose from differences in staff costs.
The other paper, “Healthcare tariffs for specialist inpatient neurorehabilitation services: rationale and development of a UK case-mix and costing methodology.” (here), describes and explains how commissioners and providers of rehabilitation services could use the data to calculate a fair price for services. Commissioners still use the method, adjusting staff costs in line with changes in payment rates.
Studies on costs and effects
Following the development of a costing model, agreed upon and used by NHS England in commissioning and paying for inpatient rehabilitation services, the UKROC team wrote a series of five papers on cost-effectiveness. These used UKROC data provided by rehabilitation teams across the UK.
The first, published in 2016 and entitled “Cost-efficiency of specialist inpatient rehabilitation for working-aged adults with complex neurological disabilities: A multicentre cohort analysis of a national clinical dataset.” (here), studied the reduction in daily care costs that occurred during an inpatient rehabilitation spell. The study authors calculated how long it was before the decline in ongoing daily care costs exceeded the costs of the rehabilitation costs. The answer was 14 months for high-dependency patients and 22 months for medium-dependency patients. Of course, many of the savings probably accrued to a Social Care budget, not an NHS budget, although continuing healthcare is likely to have benefitted in some cases.
A similar paper was published later in 2016, analysing costs and benefits associated with the relatively rare hyperacute units that take patients during the acute phase of recovery while they are still medically unstable. This paper was: “Cost-efficiency of specialist hyperacute inpatient rehabilitation services for medically unstable patients with complex rehabilitation needs: a prospective cohort analysis.” (here) These units are yet more costly. Nevertheless, there was a saving in overall costs after 28 months. It is worth noting that many of these patients will live for 10-40 years and that the price probably does not drop much after final discharge from rehabilitation.
A third paper, published two years later, further emphasised the societal and often NHS cost savings. Estimated Life-Time Savings in the Cost of Ongoing Care Following Specialist Rehabilitation for Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in the United Kingdom. (here)] This paper showed that, as expected, there were no cost savings for people admitted solely to assess prolonged disorders of consciousness. Moreover, people discharged unable to move or feed themselves also showed no cost savings. All other groups did.
The conclusion was: “Specialist rehabilitation proved highly cost-efficient for patients severely disabled by severe TBI, despite their reduced life expectancy, generating an estimated total of over £4 billion savings in the cost of ongoing care for this 8-year national cohort. his makes rehabilitation one of the most cost-effective interventions in healthcare and supports the case for increased access to specialist inpatient rehabilitation services nationally.“
The fourth paper investigated a very different population admitted for inpatient rehabilitation – people with multiple sclerosis. [ cost-efficiency of specialist inpatient rehabilitation for adults with multiple sclerosis: A multicentre prospective cohort analysis of the UK Rehabilitation Outcomes Collaborative national clinical dataset for rehabilitation centres in England. here.]
Despite being a very different population, with a disease where progression is typical and spontaneous improvement rare except immediately after a relapse, this study involving 1007 people found that all patients benefited, with the most significant savings in care costs seen in the most dependent group. The period to recoup the cost of rehabilitation was 12-14 months in the most dependent group and 77 months in the least dependent group.
A recent paper investigated inpatient rehabilitation in neurological rehabilitation centres, not spinal cord injury centres, after spinal cord injury. [Functional outcomes and cost-efficiency of specialist inpatient rehabilitation following spinal cord injury: A multicentre national cohort analysis from the UK Rehabilitation Outcomes Collaborative (UKROC)] (here)
This study showed that approximately a third of patients who access specialist inpatient rehabilitation following spinal cord injury (SCI) in England are managed in the Specialist Level 1 and 2 neuro-rehabilitation units rather than in the eight designated national SCI Centres. Despite admitting progressively more complex and dependent patients over eight years, these specialist rehabilitation units continue to provide highly cost-efficient care. The mean annual savings amount to £25,500 per patient. With a mean admission rate of 425 patients each year, the cohort would generate savings above £10 million per year. The paper demonstrated that specialist rehabilitation services play an essential but under-recognised role in the spinal cord injury care pathway.
These are cohort studies, as opposed to randomised trials with a discharged control group. The earlier reviews of randomised trials have shown effectiveness. The e studies have the advantage of representing real-life clinical practice. They are very consistent and provide strong support for rehabilitation being cost-effective. The extent of saving is less certain, but the combination of cost reduction and undoubted patient benefit shown in randomised studies makes a strong case for inpatient expert rehabilitation services. The interventions are those outlined by me here.
Assessment forms
Many of the assessments used in UKROC were developed before the programme started. I will not discuss them specifically. They can be seen on the website here. Other measures were created as part of the UKROC programme or concerning the development of rehabilitation pathways initially precipitated by the Major Trauma service developments, which occurred as the UKROC database was developed. The following assessments are closely associated with UKROC.
The Northwick Park Dependency Scale, and
The Northwick Park Care Needs Assessment.
Both these scales are of central importance in UKROC. (here) The Northwick Park Dependency Scale, developed in the 1990s to measure nursing dependency, is widely used and has excellent and well-established psychometric properties. (here, here) The dependency scale translates, through a computerised algorithm now built into the UKROC database, into a directly costed measure of care needs in the community – the care needs assessment. (here) The Care Needs Assessment can estimate the nursing staff required on a ward. (here) A tool to assess therapy staff needs has also been developed. (here)
FIM+FAM
This assessment is the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) plus the Functional Assessment Measure (FAM); the former is used widely around the world, but the latter was never fully developed by the originators and is used mainly in the UK, specifically in the UKROC database. The FAM adds 12 items to the original 18-item FIM, measuring cognitive and psychosocial functions. (here) An additional module measures extended activities of daily living such as shopping, cooking, other domestic activities, and managing finances. (here)
There is extensive guidance available online here. Much of the work concerning these measures pre-dated UKROC (e.g. here), but papers from UKROC have investigated aspects of FIM+FAM.
The psychometric properties of the Functional Assessment Measure were reported in a systematic review of studies of the FIM+FAM. Thi systematic review is within a paper entitled A comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the UK FIM+FAM. (he e) The second half of this paper reports an analysis of data derived from 459 patients, investigating the psychometric properties directly. The analysis generally supported the use of two subscales (Motor (16 items) and Cognitive (14 items), with the EADL items forming a separate module for use were relevant to the goals of rehabilitation.
A later study [Rasch analysis of the UK Functional Assessment Measure in patients with complex disability after stroke] on 1318 patients from the UKROC database who were receiving inpatient rehabilitation after a stroke investigated its scale properties using Rasch analysis. (here) The investigation is complex (but explained in the paper). It suggests three factors exist (Motor, Communication, Psychosocial), but with a suitable weighting of each item’s score, the items are on a single scale. The authors note that, despite several studies showing that weighted item scores give an interval scale (i.e. the scores are parametric and ten is twice five), clinicians do not use them.
Rehabilitation Complexity Scale
The UKROC team developed this scale when the programme grant application was being put forward (here), and its purpose was closely linked to the UKROC. The definitive publication, The Rehabilitation Complexity Scale: A clinimetric evaluation in patients with severe complex Neurodisability, was published in 2010. (here) Further development led to an extended version. (here) Although it is arguable whether it is a measure of complexity, (here) it has proved helpful in categorising patients, which was the intention. There are now four versions for use in different circumstances, and they are available here.
Neurological impairment set.
The Neurological Impairment Set (NIS) is a list of impairments seen in people with neurological disorders attending rehabilitation, intended to be used both to describe patients seen and contribute to prognostication. This scale, now called the Neurological Impairment Scale, has two versions (the second for use after trauma), and they are available here.
The paper, The Neurological Impairment Scale: reliability and validity as a predictor of functional outcome in neurorehabilitation (here), showed it had good psychometric properties.
The patient categorisation tool.
The UKROC team devised this assessment to measure the “complexity of needs in a mixed population of patients presenting for specialist neurorehabilitation.”. An analysis of data from 5396 patients on the UKROC database was undertaken and reported in The patient categorisation tool: psychometric evaluation of a tool to measure complexity of needs for rehabilitation in a large multicentre dataset from the United Kingdom. (here) There was some validity evidence, but its sensitivity and specificity were only 75%. There seemed to be two factors: ‘physical’ and ‘cognitive/psychosocial’.
A later study on 8,222 patients from the UKROC database reported in Dimensionality and scaling properties of the Patient Categorisation Tool (PCAT) in patients with complex rehabilitation needs following acquired brain injury, and using Rasch analysis, showed that a unidimensional scale could be formed. (here) The scale is available here.
Rehabilitation Prescription.
The rehabilitation prescription was put forward to improve rehabilitation after trauma. It is a patient-held tool setting out the patient’s individual needs for rehabilitation and the plan to provide for them. It is intended to improve access to rehabilitation and to record unmet needs. The National Clinical Audit of Specialist Rehabilitation following major Injury (NCASRI) (here) provides proof of principle for its use within the Major Trauma networks, demonstrating that only 40% of the patients who required further specialist rehabilitation after discharge from the major trauma centres got this. (here)
Over the last eight years, the Rehabilitation Prescription has slowly improved and become more used. Its potential is considerable, but success depends upon easy-to-use digital technology – the paper version is easily lost. It is now considered a general tool for all hospital patients needing rehabilitation, for example, after Covid-19. A copy of the current Rehabilitation Prescription is available, combined with PICUPS (See below), and it is available here. (The Rehabilitation Prescription is the second half of the document you download from the site.)
PICUPS.
The Post Intensive Care Unit Presentation Screen (PICUPS) was developed by the National Post-ICU Rehabilitation Collaborative (here) to identify the rehabilitation needs of people leaving the intensive care unit. Cov d-19 was a major precipitant of this development. Two papers were published in February 2021: The Post-ICU Presentation Screen (PICUPS) and Rehabilitation Prescription (RP) for Intensive Care survivors Part I: Development and preliminary clinimetric evaluation. (here) and The Post-ICU Presentation Screen (PICUPS) and Rehabilitation Prescription (RP) for Intensive care survivors part II: Clinical engagement and future directions for the National Post-Intensive Care Rehabilitation Collaborative. (here)
The PICUPS has been widely tested on many patients (500+) and in 26 intensive care units. The tool has 24 items covering four domains: “a) Medical and essential care, b) Breathing and nutrition; c) Physical movement and d) Communication, cognition and behaviour.” It showed good psychometric properties and detected people needing further rehabilitation input.
Implementation and other outputs
The UKROC database and programme have, directly or indirectly, affected many aspects of rehabilitation within the UK.
Services: commissioning, audit, delivery.
Since the end of the NIHR-funded programme grant, NHS England has commissioned UKROC to provide its commissioning dataset. UKROC provides quarterly activity and benchmarking reports on quality and outcomes for all Level 1 and 2 services in England. The UKROC dataset was mandated, and completeness of reporting is now between 95 and 100% across the Level 1 and 2a services. The data are used for clinical purposes (tracking and monitoring), commissioning and audit, and they now flow to the National Commissioning Data Repository. In April 2017, UKROC became a ‘clinical registry’, meaning that it currently collects identifiable data (the NHS number), which supports tracking individual patients to determine whether they receive the rehabilitation they need.
UKROC provides the only accurate information on activity and patient-level costs in rehabilitation. This information will become even more critical as the NHS approaches its latest overhaul of commissioning and payment for services. Devolution of commissioning from NHSE to the new Integrated Care Systems and the change from activity-based funding to block contracts (based on a blended payment model) will require accurate data. Only UKROC can currently provide this standard NHS datasets still contain virtually no reliable data on rehabilitation.
A key focus of the programme is to provide valuable and meaningful tools to clinicians in their daily decision-making. UKROC is currently working with NHS England and NHS Digital to review the dataset to minimise the burden of data collection while retaining the valuable information – and also to make it easier to access the data for monitoring and service planning and to link with other datasets. Fut re plans include the development of a cloud-based system.
Trauma rehabilitation audit
One central area of shared interest has been the development of expert rehabilitation services for people after trauma. These services have been the subject of a national clinical audit, published as The National Clinical Audit of Specialist Rehabilitation for Patients with Complex Need following Major Injury. The audit was a collaboration between the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Trauma Audit and Research Network, and UKROC. Further information about the audit, and a copy of the audit, are both available here.
The summary given was:
The report highlights a shortage of Specialist Rehabilitation beds across the country and estimates that approximately 330 additional beds are needed to meet the shortfall in capacity and relieve pressure on the acute services across the country
However, the findings also demonstrate the cost-efficiency of rehabilitation following major trauma with mean net lifetime savings in the cost of ongoing care amounting to over £500,000 per patient, so that any investment in additional beds would be rapidly offset by long-term savings to the NHS.
UKROC report to NIHR.
UKROC submitted a formal report to the National Institute of Health Research in 2015. (here) It is no doubt a mine of information. Unfortunately, at 307 pages, it is rather daunting. I salute Lynne Turner Stokes for writing such a report, and I am glad that the critical material has been published in smaller chunks.
This page shows what a unified multi-professional rehabilitation enterprise can achieve. The hard work of a large number of people from many different professions, organisations and locations (all in England, unfortunately) has delivered a range of important papers that are clinically and politically useful. Of course, Lynne Turner Stokes has been critical, as she has maintained the vision and given her energies to ensuring data are not only collected but analysed and promulgated. We should all thank Lynne, and we should also be proud of our collective achievements. I thank her personally for reviewing this page, clarifying the mistakes I made, and generally improving it. Whether planned or not, her work over 20 years has been a coherent attempt to set rehabilitation in the UK upon a sound evidential basis. | https://rehabilitationmatters.com/rehabilitation-in-uk/bsrm-pages/ukroc-database/?amp |
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The conventional furrow irrigation system is inherently inefficient in wolaita zone, while the suboptimal management and operation (inflow discharge and cutoff time) are considered as one of the main reasons for satisfactory hydraulic performance. Addressing these issues, the furrow irrigation system which is only practiced in the study area was evaluated on three fields under routine farmer management in wolaita zone. The study consisted of field experiments and simulation modeling. Irrigation performance including application efficiency, Potential Application Efficiency, Adequacy and distribution uniformity, runoff ratio and deep percolation ratio of two irrigation events were evaluated using surface irrigation evaluation and simulation Model WinSRFR 4.1.3. The study revealed satisfactory irrigation efficiencies, with higher distribution uniformity and water losses. Therefore, hydraulic performance of the study area had a value of application efficiency (55% to 73%), low quarter adequacy (0.96 to 1.28) and low quarter distribution uniformity (0.89 to 0.96), runoff ratio (7% to 38%) and deep percolation ratio (1% to 25%) on farms. In addition, irrigation over irrigation status practiced was found in study area with the average low quarter adequacy of 1.14. The existing irrigation application efficiencies of irrigated fields at ETANA SSIS are poor having a mean value of AE and LQDU are 62% and 0.93. | http://www.medcrave.com/articles/det/20121/Evaluation-of-hydraulic-performance-a-case-study-of-etana-small-scale-irrigation-scheme-wolaita-zone-Ethiopia |
The use of face masks in outdoor spaces will be mandatory again in Spain from Christmas Eve. This is the latest measure imposed by the central government to combat the spread of the coronavirus, especially the new Omicron variant, which has been revealed to be more contagious.
According to the new Real Decree approved on Thursday by the Council of Ministers, for Spaniards the use of face masks will be mandatory in public spaces or in spaces open to the public for all people over six years of age since they leave home.
This measure has been highly criticized by some experts and health workers, who question its effectiveness. They believe that it is a more cosmetic than effective restriction.
However, the Spanish authorities have established several "exceptions" after receiving criticism of thousands of citizens in social media, health experts and even some regional governments and politicians. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the return of the mask outdoors in his meeting with regional presidents on Wednesday.
For example, it will be allowed to remove the mask to practice sports individually (go for a run) and also in natural spaces (for example on the beach, in the mountains or on excursions to the countryside) as long as a minimum social distance of 1.5 meters is maintained with people who do not live under the same roof.
The use of masks will also not be mandatory for ship passengers in their cabins or in closed spaces for public use that are the place of residence of a group, such as centers for the elderly, if they have a percentage of people with a complete guideline of more than 80 % and booster dose.
A temporary measure
The Minister of Health, Carolina Darias stressed that in all other cases, people will always have to wear masks to go out, even if they are in a rural town in Spain.
Darias has stressed that this is a temporary measure, which will be in force for the essential time until the current epidemiological situation improves.
The use of the mask will continue to be mandatory, in closed spaces for public use, in public transport of any kind, as well as in complementary private spaces with up to 9 seats, if the occupants do not live at the same address. | https://www.thenomadtoday.com/articulo/coronavirus/government-allows-exceptions-to-mandatory-use-of-masks-outdoors/20211223140629015660.html |
- Location:
Do you get ghosted by prospective employers on the regular? Have you found yourself with ‘FOMO’ when your peers are landing their dream jobs? Do you struggle to find businesses that genuinely align with your values? We are hosting ‘Empowering Gen Z: From Classroom to Boardroom’, exploring how the next generation can ‘yeet’ themselves into their careers. We will highlight the various traditional and non-traditional routes into employment, discuss personal branding and how to find employment that aligns with your personal and professional values and goals in a session that will uncover what more businesses need to do to attract the most ‘woke’ generation in history.
According to Forbes (2021), Generation Z otherwise known as ‘digital natives’ are set to shake up business culture and the working world. But how can we bridge the gap between the classroom and the boardroom when it comes to empowering the Zoomers to finesse the workplace? Join us on 7th June for another forward-thinking panel discussion.
Book your place for our next networking initiative on 7th June here. | https://www.broadgatesearch.com/broadgatesocial/webinar-5-trinnovo-talks-empowering-gen-z-from-classroom-to-boardroom-293823/ |
Staci Catron, a self-described history and plant geek, and Director of Cherokee Garden Library at Atlanta History Center, has teamed with Mary Ann Eaddy, historic preservationist, to create Seeking Eden: A Collection of Georgia’s Historic Gardens. Staci manages the Georgia Historic Landscape Initiative, a documentation project of historic landscapes and gardens in cooperation with The Garden Club of Georgia, the National Park Service, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Mary Ann is a former educator and retiree from the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. She brings the message that each gardener “will make her own mistakes” and hopes that will encourage gardeners to relax and enjoy working in their spaces.
Bees Need the Garden, Too!
At the young age of 13, Ted Dennard started tending3 0 beehives on the family land on St. Simons Island. After graduating from college, he joined the Peace Corps and taught beekeeping in Jamaica. Today he is described as a “modern day bee whisperer”, living in Savannah, Georgia where the company he founded in 2002, The Savannah Bee Company, employees 150 (including locations in Atlanta and
Charleston), and keeps 100 beekeepers in business. He also founded The Bee Cause Project, a nonprofit that installs beehives in schools, helping teach the next generation to understand, love and protect the honeybees.
Gardening with Coastal Natives
Eamonn Leonard was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. His Horticulture degree from Auburn University was followed by an MS in Plant Ecology focusing on invasive species from Utah State University. Currently working with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, he has completed a habitat mapping project that covered the 11 coastal counties of Georgia and is now working on projects focused on promoting native species and assessment and management of invasive species on state lands in coastal Georgia Eamonn sits on the Conservation Task force for Cannons Point on Saint Simons Island, chairman of Coastal WildScapes, chairman of the Coastal Georgia Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area, vice chair of the Savannah Pest Risk Committee, treasurer for the Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, and secretary for the Coastal Plain Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society.
Bringing the Gardens Indoors
Stacy Bass is a much loved and known about town true Southern gentleman who simply loves to entertain! He hails from South Georgia. He is sophisticated and elegant, yet a downhome salt of the earth fella. He loves what he does and it shows! His company, Straton Hall Events, started as a small concept in 1998, that flourished and exploded into a Coastal empire now serving up style for over 20 years. Featured in numerous style and wedding magazines, as well as every major floral design publication nationally and internationally, the company was recently voted Golden Isles BEST PARTY PLANNER and BEST CATERER via Elegant Island Living magazine.
Description of Tours offered at the Deep South Convention, March 2019
Load up the Tram and join us on a specially designed tour of the Historic District! Landscape Architect Cliff Gawron narrates as we learn the reasons for site location of the original Jekyll Island Club, historic garden designs, choices in maintaining historic gardens including restoration vs. modification for new use vs. maintain in ruined state, considerations with maintenance vs. replanting of old trees, landscape recovery after hurricanes, and landscape design considerations on the island.
Island Environments from Sand Dunes to Forests 2:30 - 4:30 PM Tuesday, March 12 $33
The island is small, only 5700 acres of land. Yet the ecosystems found here represent beaches, sand dunes, salt marshes, even maritime forests. On this tour specially designed for our group, tour participants will travel by bus to various spots on the island that represent different environments, stepping off the bus to witness animal, plant and reptile species living in these spots. Learn how each species adapts to the sometimes harsh environment, learning not only how to survive, but also how to thrive.
Turtle Center Tour 2:30 - 3:30 PM Wednesday, March 13 $18
Get up close and personal with the current residents of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center! A short bus ride up the street will deliver participants to the only Sea Turtle and Rehabilitation Center in Georgia. Interactive displays, direct views into the operating room, and a visit in the rehabilitation center will introduce our guests to the five species of sea turtles found on the Georgia coast. We will learn about threats to all of these at risk marine reptiles and the efforts made to protect them, particularly the loggerheads who come ashore in the area to lay their eggs on nearby beaches.
Workshop & Tri-Refresher Info
Afternoon Workshops - 2019 Deep South Convention -
Jekyll Island, GA
Building Underwater Homes 2:30 - 3:30 PM Tuesday, March 12
Join DNR Coastal Resources Division Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Unit Leader January Murray as she describes the efforts to create fish habitats in the waters of the Atlantic. Materials deployed at these sites become encrusted with oysters, barnacles, and other marine life creating shelter and feeding opportunities for a variety of fish species popular with recreational anglers.
From the Backyard to the Beach 3:30 – 4:30 pm Tuesday, March 12
Lydia Thompson is well known in the Georgia Ornithological world. Her conservation efforts recently earned her the prestigious Earle R. Greene award for lifetime achievement from the Ornithological Society. Her passion is connecting people with birds. She will discuss the habitats that are needed by these small creatures that defy some of the more powerful weather known to man, and help participants understand how they can create a protective environment whether along the seashore or inland.
Hurricane Impacts from Shores to Mountains 2:30- 3:30 pm Wednesday, March 13
Karl Burgess, Assistant Director of the GA DNR Coastal Resource Division, helps to manage Georgia's marshes, beaches, and marine fishery resources. We have all heard about the ravages of hurricanes from the weather folks, but this time, we’ll be taking a look at the impact of those forces of nature on the environment beyond the human impact. Most of us enjoy a relaxing visit to the seashore, basking in the sun, enjoying the sound of the waves rolling in. But then the hurricane strikes. Karl will discuss the dynamics of the shoreline before the hurricane and the altered state after. He will tell how Georgia is building resistancy. Since we all know how hurricanes move inland and create different problems there, Karl will also talk about those impacts. | http://www.dsgardenclubs.com/p/2019-convention-on-jekyll-island.html |
ICF seeks a Senior Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Specialist (Human Trafficking) to perform a range of analytical, writing, editing, problem-solving and related work in support of the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC). Can you plan and coordinate the delivery of training, technical assistance, education and outreach services to the Human Trafficking field on behalf of the OVC? Specifically, you will be charged with ensuring that training and technical assistance (TTA) services are delivered to OVC Human Trafficking grantees through assessing needs and developing, overseeing, and implementing TTA plans. Do you have a thorough knowledge of victim services as required? Do you have experience with providing direct services with victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect, and experience with trauma informed service delivery? Are you ready to travel occasionally?
If the answer is yes to these questions, we need you to apply!
Key Responsibilities:
- Responding to the human trafficking (HT) related training and technical assistance that includes proactive and intensive approaches for the OVC HT grantees. This will include doing programmatic needs assessments, providing monthly TA check-ins, and engaging in quarterly communities of practice sessions with grantees.
- Supporting the field-requested TA application process from beginning to completion, including; conducting a thorough assessment of the requestor's needs, recommending and supporting speakers or subject matter experts, tracking and reviewing budgets related to consultant activity and travel, and tracking customized TA application progress using the OVC TTAC management information system to ensure program objectives are met in an efficient and cost-effective matter.
- Effectively interacting and providing responsive information to representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice and other Federal bureaus and offices, state government offices, as well as members of the allied professions, victim service and advocacy organizations, statewide coalitions and also survivors of crime.
- Providing logistical and content support for grantee site visits and other onsite TA assignments as indicated by OVC.
- Supporting and coordinating with HT team, quarterly webinars for OVC grantees on a variety of human trafficking related topics.
- Supporting the Human Trafficking team with data analysis and report writing and aggregate data collection and database functions and support.
- Working with OVC TTAC teams to expand the reach of OVC by performing direct outreach and building relationships with local and statewide programs, to communicate OVC’s vision and mission to the field and to improve delivery of TTA services to the field.
- Attending onsite TTA events as necessary to monitor, observe content and assist participants as needed. When appropriate and approved by OVC.
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in the social sciences, criminal justice, victimology, or related field.
- 5+ years of experience working in a system or community-based victim service program.
- Knowledge of the impact to victims, family members, responders and communities impacted by human trafficking and the poly-victimization and intersections of other crime categories such as domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect, and forced criminality.
- Knowledge of trauma and the impact on victim service providers and other stakeholders and partners.
- Experience building successful community and system based partnerships and how to sustain effective collaborative relationships.
- Experience in the development, delivery, and management of training and technical assistance.
- Working knowledge of the mission and programs of the Office for Victims of Crime.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills including meeting facilitation, public education, and trauma sensitive communications.
- Demonstrated sensitivity to and knowledge of issues involved in working with diverse victim populations and service organizations.
Preferred Skills/Experience:
- Master’s degree in social work, sociology, or related social sciences field.
- Demonstrated ability to conduct needs assessments and develop plans for delivery of services based on needs assessment.
- Knowledge of national, state, and local organizations and allied professionals that serve victims of human trafficking.
- Knowledge of components of the Office of Justice Programs.
- Familiarity with working in a corporate culture.
Professional Skills:
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
- Ability to produce high quality work.
- Ability to be flexible, detail-oriented, and manage multiple activities simultaneously in a fast-paced, changing environment.
- Ability to exercise good judgment, discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Solid customer service skills.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision making capabilities.
- Strong team player with the ability to take initiative and work well independently.
- Strong outreach abilities and interpersonal skills.
Working at ICF
Working at ICF means applying a passion for meaningful work with intellectual rigor to help solve the leading issues of our day. Smart, compassionate, innovative, committed, ICF employees tackle unprecedented challenges to benefit people, businesses, and governments around the globe. We believe in collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and opportunity for growth. If you’re seeking to make a difference in the world, visit www.icf.com/careers to find your next career. ICF—together for tomorrow.
ICF is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity at all levels. (EOE – Minorities/Females/ Protected Veterans Status/Disability Status/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity)
Reasonable Accommodations are available for disabled veterans and applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please email [email protected] and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations. Read more about non-discrimination: EEO is the law and Pay Transparency Statement. | https://www.icf.com/careers/jobs/R1904409 |
Medical emergency response teams, also known as rapid response teams, can play a vital role in the reduction of respiratory and/or cardiac arrests and improve patient outcomes. These teams usually consist of healthcare professionals who bring critical care knowledge to the patient’s bedside.
The idea for rapid response teams was born after the Institute for Healthcare Improvement developed a plan to improve patient safety. Six initiatives were developed and implemented by the institute, including rapid response teams.
It is important to understand the factors that contribute to a patient’s declining condition not being identified until a life-threatening situation develops. In some cases, a patient may develop cardiac or respiratory arrest without prior warning, but in most instances there are warning signs and a gradual deterioration of the patient’s condition. These early warning signs may not be recognized for a few common reasons.
One reason a patient’s decline may not be identified prior to a life-threatening event is a failure in communication. Failure in communication may occur either between the patient and the staff or between staff members. Essentially, things slip through the crack. For example, during patient report at the change of shift, relevant information may not be given or heard. In other cases, a patient may not report symptoms to the nurse. Not having all the available information can prevent a clear picture of what is going on with the patient.
Another reason why some conditions are not caught early is failure to recognize a change in status or a patient’s deteriorating condition. In other cases, symptoms are recognized too late to prevent respiratory failure or cardiac arrest.
By identifying unstable patients who may be headed for respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, stroke or another serious situation, staff can intervene and prevent such an event. For example, patients often develop signs such as increased respiratory rate, anxiety and changes in mental status before a cardiac arrest. Identifying a patient in the early stages of decline can prevent a worsening situation.
Members of a rapid response team are trained and have the expertise to recognize early signs of many conditions, such as stroke, sepsis, myocardial infarction and impending respiratory failure. By identifying these conditions early, appropriate interventions and treatments can be implemented.
According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, rapid response teams can decrease the number of cardiac arrests, deaths from cardiac arrests, number of days in the intensive care unit after cardiac arrest and number of impatient deaths. Knowing the benefits of having a rapid response team, it is not surprising that increasing numbers of healthcare facilities are using these teams.
In order to develop a successful rapid response team, consider some of the suggestions below.
Include team members with varied expertise: A critical component of a rapid response team is the varied expertise the team members bring. When implementing such a team, careful consideration of which healthcare professionals will be part of the rapid response team is important. This may seem easy and obvious, but making sure your team has diverse knowledge will make for a well-rounded group. The number of members of a rapid response team may vary. Some hospitals choose to have one or two team members while others have five or six.
In many instances, hospitals choose to include a critical care nurse, respiratory therapist and nursing supervisor. Some hospitals also include a physician or a physician’s assistant and a pharmacist as part of the rapid response team. Whichever team members are included, they must be able to respond to a page immediately.
Develop protocols: It is helpful to develop protocols that team members can utilize when responding to any given situation. For example, instead of having to call the physician for an order to draw an arterial blood gas, an ABG can be part of the standard RRT protocol. Having protocols saves time in obtaining physician orders and may allow for faster assessment of the situation and subsequent treatment.
Establish criteria for activating the rapid response team: Make sure healthcare staff have a clear understanding of the criteria used to call an RRT. Nurses and other healthcare professionals in all patient care areas should be aware of the indications to activate a rapid response. Examples of criteria for a rapid response may include an acute change in heart rate above 130 or below 40, decrease in the level of consciousness or a decrease in oxygen saturation below 90 percent with supplemental oxygenation.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Establish a Rapid Response Team. http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/Changes/EstablishaRapidResponseTeam.aspx Accessed July 2014.
National Institute of Health. Rapid Response Teams in Hospitals Increase Patient Safety. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2873718/ Accessed July 2014. | https://acls.com/free-resources/knowledge-base/bls-acls-surveys/medical-emergency-teams-rapid-response-teams-purpose-and-benefits |
Patient and Public
One of the things we most value is the continued relationship with our patients and their supporters. In addition to our research strategy we are very committed to keeping patients and families fully informed of new advances in mitochondrial research and explaining the complexities of mitochondrial disease.
The main role of mitochondria is to convert energy, and they are often referred to as the powerhouses of the cells.
What do Mitochondria look like?
For many decades mitochondria were believed to be shaped like a baked bean, and when we look under high powered microscopes at the mitochondria they often do. However mitochondria are often not found like this and the majority of the time they join together to form beautiful branched networks that fill the cell they are in (see picture above) These networks are constantly changing and reshaping.
The Newcastle Mitochondrial Clinic deals with the complex issues of diagnosis and subsequent management of mitochondrial disease.
Our Patient Days
Annually we invite over 100 of our patients to attend a patient day in Newcastle. We provide an opportunity for patients to interact informally with each other and with our scientists. | https://www.newcastle-mitochondria.com/wp-content/cache/all/patient-and-public-home-page/index.html |
Select Case in Excel VBA
Another way to select a value from a list of possible values is with a Select Case statement. For example, suppose you had three colours, Red, Blue and Green. You want to test which value a user has selected. You could use an IF Statement. Like this:
If User_Choice = "R" Then
MsgBox "Red"
ElseIf User_Choice = "G" Then
MsgBox "Green"
ElseIf User_Choice = "B" Then
MsgBox "Blue"
Else
MsgBox "None"
End If
But you can use Select Case for this instead. Examine the following:
Select Case User_Choice
Case "R"
MsgBox "Red"
Case "G"
MsgBox "Green"
Case "B"
MsgBox "Blue"
Case Else
MsgBox "None"
End Select
A Select Case statement begins with the words Select Case. You then type the thing you're testing for. This can be a variable, a number, text in double quotes, and even a built-in Excel function. For each possible answer, you then have one Case. Each Case is evaluated to TRUE or FALSE. If it's TRUE then the code for that Case gets executed. Only one Case per Select statement will get executed. The whole thing ends with the words End Select.
In the code above, we're saying "If it's the Case that the variable User_Choice contains the letter R Then display a message box saying Red." If it's not TRUE then VBA drops down to the next Case and check if that's TRUE. You can have an optional Case Else to catch anything else that the value at the beginning could be. So if User_Choice does not contain an R, a G or a B then we display a message saying "None".
You can check for more than one value by using the word To. For example, if you want to check a range of ages you can do it like this:
Case 0 To 35
Now, VBA will check if the value is 0 to 35.
You can also check several values at once. Simply separate each one with a comma:
Case 10, 20, 30, 40
VBA will now only see the above Case as TRUE if the value you're selecting for is 10, 20, 30, or 40. Any other values and this Case will evaluate to FALSE. | https://www.homeandlearn.org/vba_select_case.html |
Ascentech Services Limited – Our client, a top Food Ingredient Manufacturing company, is in need of a qualified candidate to fill the position below:
Job Title: Area Sales Manager
Location: Enugu
General Skills and Requirements
- B.Sc. / HND in Marketing, Business Administration or any related relevant discipline
- Establishing, maintaining and expanding your customer base
- Servicing the needs of your existing customers
- Increasing business opportunities through various routes to market
- Setting sales targets for individual reps and your team as a whole
- Minimum of 3 years of experience as an Area Sales Manager
- Minimum of 6 years of sales experience
- Experience working in the FMCG industry
- Must be familiar with Enugu and Ebonyi market
- Maintaining and increasing sales of your company’s products
- Reaching the targets and goals set for your area
Deadline: 28th August, 2020.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV to: [email protected] using the “Job title and Location” as subject of the email.
Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. | https://www.jobfetcher.org/jobs/view/area-sales-manager-at-ascentech-services-limited |
In his opening speech, Dr Ahmed Bin Kalban, the CEO of Specialised Healthcare Services Sector at the Dubai Health Authority, DHA, stressed that the field of orthopaedics has been witnessing important advancements with the emergence of new technologies, techniques and artificial intelligence, AI, and that the Authority is constantly working to stay up to date with these advancements.
"The DHA is keen to develop all its specialised medical departments in its hospitals, health centres and medical clinics, across all DHA facilities, especially in the field of orthopaedics, which is why it has adopted the latest therapeutic facilities, equipment and techniques in its facilities," he said.
The congress brings together experts in the field to cover a range of topics within orthopaedics.
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Technique guide are not considered high yield topics for orthopaedic standardized exams including the ABOS, EBOT and RC.
(OBQ05.52)
You are planning operative treatment of the injury shown in figure A. If the MCL is intact, in what position should the elbow and forearm be splinted at the end of the case?
Review Topic
extension and pronation
2%
(14/638)
extension and supination
6%
(36/638)
extension and neutral rotation
5%
(34/638)
flexion and pronation
46%
(291/638)
flexion and supination
40%
(256/638)
Select Answer to see Preferred Response
(OBQ13.232)
A young gymnast fell awkwardly onto an outstretched hand during a competition. At the time of impact, his forearm was positioned in supination. Axial and posterolateral forces were loaded along the forearm into the elbow and the elbow underwent a significant valgus thrust. What injury pattern is most likely to result from the combination of these forces at the elbow?
Review Topic
Extension-type supracondylar fracture
8%
(298/3922)
Flexion-type supracondylar fracture
1%
(44/3922)
Anterior olecranon fracture dislocation
0%
(18/3922)
Coronoid fracture, olecranon fracture and elbow dislocation
3%
(128/3922)
Coronoid fracture, radial head fracture and elbow dislocation
87%
(3404/3922)
(OBQ06.81)
A 35-year-old woman presents with an elbow injury which includes a coronoid fracture involving more than 50%, a comminuted radial head fracture, and an elbow dislocation. What is the most appropriate treatment?
Review Topic
closed reduction and early range of motion
(10/1091)
radial head resection and lateral collateral ligament reconstruction
(4/1091)
radial head resection and coronoid open reduction internal fixation
(32/1091)
radial head arthroplasty and coronoid open reduction internal fixation
9%
(101/1091)
radial head arthroplasty, coronoid open reduction internal fixation, and lateral collateral ligament repair
86%
(933/1091)
(OBQ12.250)
A 26-year-old male sustains a fall from a ladder onto his outstretched right hand. He is evaluated in the emergency room and is found to have a closed injury to his elbow without evidence of neurovascular compromise. Plain radiographs are obtained and are shown in Figures A and B. During surgery a sequential approach is used to treat each element of this injury. Which part of the procedure is felt to add the most to rotatory stability?
Review Topic
Radial head replacement
13%
(647/4828)
Radial head ORIF
11%
(517/4828)
Capsular plication
(43/4828)
Lateral collateral ligament complex repair or reconstruction
64%
(3096/4828)
Medial collateral ligament complex reconstruction
10%
(500/4828)
(OBQ09.168)
At the elbow, the anterior bundle of the medial collateral ligament inserts at which site?
Review Topic
Radial tuberosity
(12/1787)
3mm distal to the tip of the coronoid
14%
(254/1787)
Anteromedial process of the coronoid
80%
(1429/1787)
Medial border of the olecranon fossa
(41/1787)
Radial side of ulna at origin of annular ligament
(45/1787)
(OBQ05.127)
A 62-year-old man slips on ice and sustains an elbow dislocation. Post-reduction imaging reveals a highly comminuted radial head fracture and coronoid fracture through its base. What is the most appropriate treatment? | https://www.orthobullets.com/trauma/1021/terrible-triad-injury-of-elbow |
Day 1: Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast we drive to Lake Manyara National Park and enjoy a game drive in this picturesque park that is the perfect place to end your safari. Manyara is a shallow, alkaline lake that is part of the Rift Valley wall; the lake is at the base of this dramatic western escarpment giving it a beautiful and serene setting. In addition to this peaceful setting, Lake Manyara’s main attractions are its rich bird life, tree climbing lions and its hippos which you can see at a closer range than any other places. Stay overnight at a Lodge.
Day 2: Lake Manyara – Lake Natron – Ol Donyo Lengai
Today we drive from Lake Manyara to Lake Natron, passing some varied landscape, from dry rocks to lush plains, along the way. Lake Natron is one of the most original landscapes in East Africa. It is a wide soda lake that is home to the Maasai, which live here still in traditional ways and are hardly influenced by the modern culture. It is also the home for millions of birds, and therefore great for bird watching. Late afternoon we will take a walk to the lake for a close look at the hundreds of flamingos with the amazing massive Ol Donyo Lengai volcano in the backdrop. Tonight we recommend you go for an early night as you will wake up at midnight to start your climb of Ol Donyo Lengai. Stay overnight at a Lodge.
Day 3: Ol Donyo Lengai Trek (2,896 meter above sea level)
The trek up Ol Donyio Lengai, an active volcano, the highlight of your Tanzanian safari! Ol Donyio Lengai is located in the heart of the Great Rift Valley and has erupted fifteen times in the past century. This challenging hike to the top of the “Mountain of God” offers an opportunity to view molten lava. From there you have great views of the surrounding landscapes, including the plains of the Serengeti. It is very steep and we will walk slowly with our Masaai guide. It takes about 5 hours to reach the summit, just in time for sunrise and 4 hours to come down. Stay overnight at a Lodge.
Day 4: Drive to Serengeti
We leave Ol Donyio Lengai for a drive to the Serengeti where breathtaking landscapes, endless plains and abundant wildlife await you. The Serengeti is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world. The Western corridor of the Serengeti is the ideal location for marvelling at the annual migration of large herds of animals at this time of the year. Often spotted in the Serengeti are elephants, hippos, lions, zebras, wildebeests, cheetahs, leopards and more. Stay overnight at Serengeti in a Lodge.
Day 5: Western Serengeti
Today is a full day of game drive. We continue to explore the vast plains of the Serengeti and we look for prides of lions and large herds of wildebeests pounding the plains, while hungry predators such as lions, leopards and cheetahs try to prey upon the youngest and weakest members of the herds. Stay overnight at Serengeti in a Lodge.
Day 6: Serengeti – Olduvai – Ngorongoro Crater
Today we leave the Serengeti and drive to Ngorongoro Crater passing some very scenic landscapes. En route to the Ngorongoro crater we stop by Olduvai Gorge, a world-renowned archeological site that has been called the “Cradle of Mankind”. Stay overnight at a Lodge.
Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater
Today is a full day of exploring the Crater floor for a very rewarding day of wildlife viewing. The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world covering approximately 260 km with walls rising 600 meters from the crater floor. Before the Ngorongoro Volcano exploded and collapsed 2 million years ago, it was one of the world’s tallest mountains. Now, it is home to more than 30,000 large mammals – mainly gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and warthog – and has the highest predator density in the world. By the late afternoon drive to a Lodge for overnight stay.
Day 8: Drive back to Arusha
This morning we drive back to Arusha for an overnight stay in Hotel or for a transfer at the airport onto your next destination. | https://lemcarnivorestours.com/hiking-west-central-serengeti-safari/ |
Before starting any painting job, read first the label on the can. Every label contains safety symbols and precuationary text. The possible risks for health and personal safety are described together with measurments you have to take to ensure safe working conditions.
General rules for safety and health
- Open cans with care.
- Mix base and hardener of two component products carefully, unsaturated polyester materials and epoxies without solvents may react rapidly increasing the temperature of the mixture.
- Remove spilled paint immediately.
- Do not eat or eat inthe neighbourhood of paint or curing paint files. Do not store food and drinks in the working area.
- Do not smoke.
- Use suitable protective gloves when working with paint, thinners and degreasers.
- Always use safety goggles.
- Ventilate the working area, arrange proper exhaust of fumes or use a suitable mask.
- Always read the instructions for use on the label of the can or consult the technical literature before mixing and applying the material.
Warning symbols
The following symbols on the label will give important information for safe use. Please read the health and safety instructions carefully:
|
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Corrosive
This paint contains components which may be corrosive to the eyes and/or skin.
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Health hazard
This paint contains components with an aspiration hazard or components which may cause respiratory irritation or other dangerous effects.
|
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Exclamation mark
This paint may contain components which may be irritating to the eys and/or skin.
|
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Flammable
This paint contains solvents. Open fire, sparks or a lighted cigaret may cause fire.
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Dangerous to the environment
This paint contains components which may be harmful for aquatic life and may cause long lasting harmful effects to aquatic life.
Personal safety
Avoid swallowing paint. Do not eat or drink and do not store food and drinks in the working area. In case of accidentally swalling paints, please seak medical attention immediately. The patient should remain calm and should not induced to vomit.
Do not breathe fumes. You may avoid breathing of solvents, harmful dust and fumes using proper ventialtion or extraction fans. When ventilation is not sufficient, adequate breathing equiment should be used. In ill-ventilated areas a fresh air mask is advised. Fumes of solvents are heavier than air and will push normal air upwards. When you breathe fumes you may become dizzy and desorientated and might get headaches. Read documentation carefully to ensure proper personal protection is used. Spray application will give additional risks of exposure to fumes and solvents. Do not inhale spray mist.
Avoid contact with eyes. We recommend the use of sagety goggles during application. Protective goggles are widely available.and worth the investment. When accidentally paint enters the eyes, remove contact lenses and rinse with clean fresh water for at least 15 minutes and seak medical assistance immediately.
Avoid contact with the skin. When in contact with paints the skin might get irritated. Use always suitable protective gloves.Use clothing which protects body, arms and legs. Us a protective barrier cream for hands, beofre and after work. This will keep the skin in good condition and might prevent skinproblems. Additionally, the barrier cream facilitates cleaning of the skin. Remove paintsplatter immediately with a clean cloth and rinse with plenty water and soap. Never use solvent or thinner to clean your skin.
Risk of fire and explosion
Some paints and coatings contain solvents. Some of the solvents evaporate when the can is opened. A few simple precautions will reduce the risks of fire and explosion to a minimum:
- Prevent open fire in areas where paint is stored or applied.
- Do not smoke in the workarea.
- Store paints ina well ventilated, dool and dry place, away from heat and direct sunlight.
- Keep the lid well closed during storage.
- Avoid sparks using manual tools, when using the on- or off switch of electrical equipment or by faulty electric wiring.
- Do not leave cloths and rags soaked in paint on the workarea, including the pockets of overalls and other clothing.
Paint and environment
Dispose of empty paint cans according to local regulations. De not throw cans or brushes in the environment. Empty cans with not fully cured oaint should be disposed as hazardous waste. Used brushes, rollers and roller trays should be as hazardous waste. Left overs of solvents, thinners, paints and other materilas should be disposed as hazardous waste.
Additional information
The safety datasheets of each product is available under the headings Download or Product Overview. | https://de-ijssel-coatings.nl/en/aquatics/veilig-werken |
Arc jet wind tunnel facilities are used to evaluate thermal protection system materials for re-entry vehicles. The high speed, high temperature flowfield generated by the arc jet can simulate the extreme aerodynamic heating environment experienced during re-entry so that the survivability of heat shield materials and performance of various designs options can be tested. Although the re-entry heating environment can be approximated in the arc jet facility, the flowfield only partially simulates the actual re-entry flight conditions. Reynolds numbers are not matched so that surface shear stress distributions and mass transfer rates due to ablation or other mechanisms are not modeled correctly. Unlike flight conditions the arc freestream air is in non-equilibrium because of the rapid expansion that occurs in the supersonic nozzle. To properly study the actual re-entry flow environment, computational fluid dynamics, computational chemistry and radiation models must be used. Arc jet tunnel tests serve to validate these models. To perform accurate simulations inlet and boundary-conditions are needed, which come from measurements of the flowfield. The present study is concerned with measurements in the plenum region of an arc heater. In the past, conditions in the arc heater flowfield have been predicted using simulations since conventional measurement techniques could not be used in the harsh extremely high temperature environment. The present study is part of a recent push to utilize optical techniques to help better characterize the arc jet flowfields. Emission measurements have been made in the shock layer and the constrictor section of the arc heater to determine temperatures and species number densities. LIF measurements have been made in the free stream to determine temperature and velocity.
Document ID
19970010166
Document Type
Other
Authors
Donohue, Jim
(Santa Clara Univ. CA United States)
Fletcher, Doug
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 17, 2013
Publication Date
October 1, 1996
Subject Category
Research and Support Facilities (Air)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted. | https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19970010166 |
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Analysis of the 19 Y-STR and 16 X-STR loci system in the Han population of Shandong province, China.
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C++ has emerged as the best performing programming language in a benchmark test conducted by Google.
The company came up with with a compact algorithm, which did not use language specific features, to test the performance of C++, its own programming language Go, Java and Scala, Computing (opens in new tab)reports.
The benchmark tests conducted on the languages were done to determine the factors of difference, Google said.
"We find that in terms of performance, C++ wins out by a large margin," Google said in a research paper, but added that the language requires the “most extensive tuning efforts, many of which were done at a level of sophistication that would not be available to the average programmer”.
Scala had very powerful language features which allowed developers to easily optimise complex code.
Java, which forms a major component of Google’s Android platform, was the simplest to implement, according to Google but added that it was extremely hard to analyse performance on the platform.
Meanwhile, Google’s own programming language, Go, which has been under development since 2007, was unable to compete when tested against its older counterparts. Google concluded that the platforms compiler was ‘immature’. | https://www.itproportal.com/2011/06/07/googles-rates-c-most-complex-highest-performing-language/ |
Cornerstone Care, Inc. is seeking a Full time Family Medicine Physician to provide the full scope of primary care services, including but not limited to diagnosis, treatment, coordination of care, preventive care and health maintenance to patients in accordance with our mission-driven team.
Requirements for this position include: Board Certified or Board Eligible in Family Medicine; Current PA License; Current DEA License; Knowledge of Electronic Health Records; Ability to provide quality, comprehensive, continuity of medical care in a compassionate manner with minimum supervision.
We are a Non-Profit, Federally Qualified Health Center with nine locations and a mobile unit, serving communities throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania, and Northern West Virginia. Our mission is to improve the health of our patients and all the residents of the communities we serve, with special concern for the medically underserved and low-income populations.
This position will be located at our newest site in Clairton, PA.
Cornerstone Care offers a variety of benefits including a competitive salary, medical and life insurance, long term disability insurance, a generous paid time off policy, including 6 holidays. | https://www.snagajob.com/search/w-morgantown,+wv/q-communication |
The University of St. Thomas invites applicants for a tenure-track assistant professor of North American history before 1820 to begin September 1, 2022. We are seeking faculty whose research and pedagogy engage with topics such as Native North America, colonial and revolutionary America, early national America, and US constitutional or legal history.
The successful candidate should demonstrate a strong research agenda and a commitment to teaching historical content, skills, and methods to undergraduates. The teaching load of three courses per semester involves some combination of the following: HIST 113 Early America in Global Perspective in fulfillment of the core requirement as well as upper-level courses in their area of specialization for undergraduate history majors and minors. The History Department is interested in candidates who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in teaching, research or service toward building an equitable and diverse scholarly environment.
St. Thomas is a dynamic, urban university with 10,000 students and 450 full-time faculty. Located in the vibrant Minneapolis-St. Paul area, one of the nation’s top 25 metro centers, we are a liberal arts institution that values excellence in teaching and research and actively promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion as an expression of our mission
The University of St. Thomas embraces diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity for all. Our convictions of dignity, diversity, and personal attention call us to embody and champion a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. We welcome applicants of diverse races, ethnicities, geographic origins, gender identities, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, religions, work experience, physical and intellectual abilities, and financial means. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. This commitment is consistent with our mission: Inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition, the University of St. Thomas educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good.
A PhD in History is required (U.S. or Foreign Equivalent), or alternatively ABD will also be considered at the initial rank of instructor. All applicants must have demonstrable skills necessary for excellence in teaching.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply online at https://www.stthomas.edu/jobs/. After creating and submitting an applicant profile, you will be taken to the job-specific application. Here you will be asked to copy/paste a cover letter, detailing your interest in the position. Additionally, upload the following materials to your profile:
1) Curriculum vitae
2) Complete the reference section of the application by providing contact information for 3 professional references. No references will be contacted without first getting the permission of the candidate.
3) Statement on Philosophy of Teaching and Research
The written materials should address specifically how diversity, equity and inclusion are part of your teaching and research goals
Further application materials may be requested at a later date but no additional materials beyond those requested above are asked of you at this time.
To ensure full consideration, all application materials must be received by Friday, November 5, 2021. The position will remain open until filled. Questions about the position should be directed to the department chair (Kari Zimmerman; [email protected]). If you encounter issues with the application process, please email Human Resources ([email protected]).
In light of its commitment to create and maintain a safe learning and working environment, employment with the University of St. Thomas requires consent and successful completion of a background screening.
The University of St. Thomas, Minnesota Human Resources Department advertises the official job listing on its website at www.stthomas.edu/jobs. | https://facultyemployment-stthomas.icims.com/jobs/5598/early-north-american-history-tenure-track-faculty/job |
For over three decades, the capability approach proposed and developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum has had a distinct impact on development theories and approaches because it goes beyond an economic conception of development and engages with the normative aspects of development. This book explores the new frontiers of the capability approach and its links to human development in three main areas. First, it delves into the philosophical foundations of the approach, re-examining its links to concepts of common good, collective agency and epistemic diversity. Secondly, it addresses its 'operational frontier', aiming to give inclusive explanations of some of the most advanced methods available for capability researchers. Thirdly, it offers a wide range of the applications of this approach, as carried out by a mix of renowned capability scholars and researchers from different disciplines. This broad interdisciplinary range includes the areas of human and sustainable development, inequalities, labour markets, education, special needs, cities, urban planning, housing, social capital and happiness studies, among others.
|Original language||English|
|Title of host publication||New Frontiers of the Capability Approach|
|Editors||Flavio Comim, Shailaja Fennell, P. B. Anand|
|Place of Publication||Cambridge|
|Publisher||Cambridge University Press|
|Chapter||23|
|Pages||571-596|
|Number of pages||15|
|ISBN (Print)||978-1-108-42780-7|
|DOIs|
|Publication status||Published - Oct 2018|
Keywords
- Inclusion
- adaptive preferences
- capability approach
- special educational needs
- teacher attitudes
- teacher training
FingerprintDive into the research topics of 'Other People’s Adaptations: Teaching Children With Special Educational Needs to Adapt and to Aspire'. Together they form a unique fingerprint. | https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/publications/other-peoples-adaptations-teaching-children-with-special-educatio |
Premuda 27/Biancamaria 28
Transformation for residential use, with commercial activities on the ground floor, is the key feature of the former office building. The project was carried by Asti Architetti by revolutionizing the original image with a complete makeover of the façades. A new open-pore travertine enclosure adds compactness and elegance to the overall image.
The fronts are marked by a rhythm of glazed openings, interspersed with the wood cut-outs of the windows and doors, as well as the soffits of the terraces and the structural glass of the parapets. The same refined elegance can be found in the luxury apartments on the upper floors which were conceived in the spaces and architectural details with a varied combination of precious and natural materials. | https://astiarchitetti.it/en/projects/premuda-27-2/ |
A significant part of the urban structures and infrastructures heritage is made up of riveted metal structures. However, the evolution of urban uses and needs may imply a replacement of these structures or their adaptation. However, when considering their adaptation or the reuse of certain metal parts, the design offices encounter difficulties during the assessment of their degree of damage, or during the reinforcement phases. These difficulties are exacerbated in the case of old structures that are of acute heritage interest.
Civil engineering structures and infrastructures are subjected to static and dynamic stresses (mechanical and thermal loads) responsible for their deterioration as well as to aggressive environments favoring the development of corrosion. These two phenomena, combined or not, can accelerate ageing and even lead to the destruction of the constituent elements. Structural elements under load are the most threatened by this damage. In the case of riveted structures, it is still difficult to assess the degree of damage to riveted connections. In this context, investigations on structural assessment tools are necessary in order to propose a relevant method for assessing the degree of damage, which could also allow monitoring of the structural health during the life of the structure or structural element.
Old structures were designed and built according to different codes and techniques than today. Their understanding is often incomplete. This leads, for precautionary reasons, to repair or reinforcement measures which can be invasive from a heritage point of view and heavy on the budget. An inventory of existing methods is necessary, as well as a proposal for a selection methodology. The latter must be based on experimental investigations to evaluate their effectiveness.
In this context, this thesis aims to propose and validate a methodology including an evaluation (inspection) and monitoring approach of riveted metallic structures, and a selection approach of the repair/strengthening method(s) of metallic structures assembled by riveting. The techniques for assessing the health of these structures to detect structural failure will be carried out at two scales, global and local. An analysis and an interpretation of the results will be made to propose in a second step a method of repair and/or reinforcement of these structures allowing to adapt them to new constraints, to reuse them, but also to make them more resilient towards climate change.
Nowadays, the metal trusses with rectilinear crossbeams from the second half of the 19th century constitute a family of structures that is still very much represented, with common assembly typologies. A good understanding of the functioning of the connections and supports is essential for the evaluation of their overall bearing capacity. In the absence of more detailed analysis, the stiffness of the connections is modelled in an idealized way: most of the connections are assumed to be hinged to favor normal forces in the structural elements, while the supports are assumed to be perfectly slippery so that the lower members of the trusses function well in tension. The strength check of the connections is neglected. This leads to an approximate, not necessarily conservative, assessment of the structural behavior and to the recommendation of perhaps unnecessary or inappropriate interventions.
In the first year, a bibliographical study will be carried out on the subject. Particular attention will be paid to the identification of the main pathologies and to the existing or possible non-destructive testing or inspection methods to assess their degree of damage. These methods will be implemented on a series of riveted lattice girders in order to assess their relevance, reliability and ease of implementation. The vibratory method will be investigated in particular in continuation of the work of H. Franz (Thesis in progress at SMC Laboratory). On the basis of these results, a first selection of methods will be made.
The second year will aim to damage all or part of the lattice girders studied in order to study the capacity of the selected methods to assess their degree of damage. For example, measurements will be carried out after some rivets have been loosened and replaced by bolts, or prestressed bolts with different tightening levels. This will enable the most appropriate inspection or structural assessment method to be defined and its implementation parameters to be reproduced on site. A survey of repair/reinforcement methods will also be carried out. Among these methods, recent solutions involving the use of structural bonding will be studied in particular in order to propose several repair/reinforcement methodologies.
The third year will be devoted to the on-site implementation of the defined structural assessment methodology, as well as to the performance of several experimental investigations aimed at validating the proposed reinforcement/repair solutions. In the end, an approach for the choice of the reinforcement/repair strategy will be determined.
The thesis will take place in the Laboratory of Metallic and Cable Structures of the Gustave Eiffel University in France. This laboratory has strong competences on the subject, with an experienced team of supervisors and experimental means adapted to the subject of the thesis (instrumentation, mechanical testing means, competences on repair/reinforcement techniques, knowledge on riveting). This project will allow the PhD student to acquire knowledge in the field of metallic structures and works essential to the energy transition, to contribute to the circular economy by proposing technical and technological solutions allowing to reduce the costs of maintenance and repairs of riveted structures. The candidate will develop these skills in numerical analysis and in conducting tests in the laboratory and on site.
Funding category: Financement de l'Union européenne
MSCA-Cofund
PHD Country: FranceOffer Requirements Specific Requirements
cf. | https://www.searchaphd.com/job/adaptation-of-urban-riveted-steel-structures-development-of-an-assessment-and-strengthening/3191 |
Since the baseline v1.0.0 release on 30 September 2019 of the Consumer Data Standards (CDS), the Data Standards Body (DSB) has continued to liaise with the broader ecosystem participants to develop and refine the standards in support of the Australian Government’s Consumer Data Right regime. The standards are intended to make it easier and safer for consumers to share access to the data collected about them by businesses, and – with their explicit approval – to share this data via application programming interfaces (APIs) with trusted, accredited third parties.
The DSB is pleased to announce the 31 January 2020 release which is expected to become the binding baseline for the Phase 2 implementation of the standards for the Consumer Data Right (CDR) regime. The version 1.2.0 release of the CDS represents the baseline for implementation in accordance with the rules and phasing timetable made by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
In this version v1.2.0 release of the standards we are publishing the latest versions of the:
- The
Consumer
Data Standards containing the API standards and Information Security
profile;
- The
Consumer
Experience Standards containing mandatory requirements; and
- The Consumer
Experience Guidelines containing guidance and examples for putting key
standards and rules into effect.
You can access the v1.2.0 of the Consumer Data Standards in full here and the Release Notes here.
Please note that we continue to
encourage interested participants to provide on-going feedback on the Consumer
Data Standards through GitHub.
All such feedback will be included in the backlog list for consideration in
future versions of the standards.
The community is also invited to provide feedback on the CX Standards,
Guidelines, and related decision proposals on the relevant CX consultation page and on GitHub.
For further information or any
questions, please email [email protected]. | https://consumerdatastandards.gov.au/2020/02/31-january-2020-standards-v120-release |
UEBT partners with various governmental and non-governmental organisations to achieve our mission and promote sourcing with respect for people and biodiversity.
We support this capacity building initiative to help countries develop effective policies for access and benefit sharing (ABS) and the private sector to ensure their supply chains are compliant with ABS rules.
We collaborate with this UN body to measure public awareness, put biodiversity on the corporate agenda and promote good practices in access and benefit sharing, all in support of the convention’s objectives.
We work with CONABIO to develop methods for assessing and improving the impacts of small business initiatives within local and indigenous communities.
We partner with EcoEnterprises Fund to support investment in small businesses that actively contribute to conserving biodiversity and improving livelihoods for local communities. UEBT also supports EcoEnterprises Fund on issues such as supply chain verification, monitoring and evaluation, and access and benefit sharing. Read Tammy Newmark, EcoEnterprises Fund interview: here.
We have joint programs with this certification programme on herbal tea and vanilla in order to promote the uptake of our two standards.
We joined forces with the Global Nature Fund to increase private sector action on biodiversity. One example includes a biodiversity action plans manual we developed to enhance the biodiversity benefits of farming.
We partner with the Swiss development corporation agency on projects to promote ethical BioTrade as a source of sustainability and livelihood development. E.g. Regional Southeast Asia BioTrade project.
UEBT was created through UNCTAD in 1997 with the aim of increasing private sector engagement in BioTrade. We are currently working with the UNCTAD BioTrade Initiative to review the BioTrade principles and criteria, disseminate best practices, and promote the global uptake of ethical sourcing in BioTrade. | https://www.ethicalbiotrade.org/partners |
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released interim advice to the public about the use of facemasks and respirators in certain public (non-occupational) settings during an influenza pandemic. There is very little research about the value of masks to protect people in public settings; these interim recommendations are based on the best judgment of public health experts who relied in part on information about the protective value of masks in healthcare facilities.
The CDC's guidance stresses that during an influenza pandemic, a combination of actions will be needed, including handwashing, minimizing the likelihood of exposure by distancing people who are infected or likely to be infected with influenza away from others and treating them with antiviral medications, having people who are caring for ill family members voluntarily stay home, and encouraging people to avoid crowded places and large gatherings. When used in conjunction with such preventive steps, masks and respirators may help prevent some spread of influenza.
"Pandemic influenza remains a very real threat. We continue to look for ways to protect people and reduce the spread of disease," HHS secretary Mike Leavitt said. "The guidance issued today is a good step forward in the broader, multifaceted federal effort to prepare the nation for an influenza pandemic."
"During an influenza pandemic, we know that no single action will provide complete protection," said CDC director Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH. "We also know that many people may choose to use masks for an extra margin of protection even if there is no proof of their effectiveness. If people are not able to avoid crowded places, large gatherings or are caring for people who are ill, using a facemask or a respirator correctly and consistently could help protect people and reduce the spread of pandemic influenza."
Gerberding noted that while studies are underway in an effort to learn more about whether masks and respirators can provide protection from influenza and how people would use such devices, the CDC guidance was designed to be a "best estimate" based on what is currently known. It is designed to help guide people's decisions regarding the use of masks.
In the guidance, the CDC recommends that people should consider wearing a facemask during an influenza pandemic if ...
* They are sick with the flu and think they might have close contact with other people (within about 6 feet).
* They live with someone who has the flu symptoms (and therefore might be in the early stages of infection) or will be spending time in a crowded public place and thus may be in close contact with infected people. During a pandemic, people should limit the amount of time they spend in crowded places and consider wearing a facemask while they are there.
* They are well and do not expect to be in close contact with a sick person but need to be in a crowded place. Again, people should limit the amount of time they spend in crowded places and wear a facemask while they are there.
People should consider wearing a respirator during an influenza pandemic if...
* They are well and will be, or expect to be, in close contact (within about 6 feet) with people who are known or thought to be sick with pandemic flu. People should limit the amount of time they are in close contact with these people and wear a respirator during this time.
These recommendations apply if people are taking care of a sick person at home (and if a respirator is unavailable, use of a mask should be considered).
Dr. Michael Bell, associate director for infection control in CDC's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, noted that facemasks and respirators have different qualities and offer different types and levels of protection. According to Bell, the primary factor that a well person should consider before deciding whether to wear a facemask or a respirator for personal protection during a pandemic is whether they are going to be in contact with someone who has pandemic influenza.
"Facemasks are not designed to protect people from breathing in very small particles, such as viruses," said
A flu pandemic is a global outbreak caused by a new flu virus that spreads around the world. The virus will spread easily from person to person, mostly by close contact (within about 6 feet) with individuals who are infected, and mostly through coughing and sneezing. Because the virus will be new to people, everyone will be at risk of getting it.
Much of the transmission will most likely occur in non-healthcare settings, such as schools, public gatherings, mass transit, and households. The severity of the infection from an influenza virus in a pandemic cannot be predicted. Severity could range from a level comparable to seasonal influenza to the level that occurred in the pandemic of 1918.
Facemasks are loose-fitting, disposable masks that cover the nose and mouth. These include products labeled as surgical, dental, medical procedure, isolation, and laser masks. Facemasks help stop droplets from being spread by the person wearing them. They also keep splashes or sprays from reaching the mouth and nose of the person wearing the facemask. They are not designed to protect the person wearing it against breathing in very small particles. Facemasks should be used once and then thrown away in the trash.
A respirator (e.g., an N95 or higher filtering facepiece respirator approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is designed to protect people from breathing in very small particles, which might contain viruses. Most of the time, N95 respirators are used in construction and other jobs that involve dust and small particles.
Healthcare workers, such as nurses and doctors, also use respirators when taking care of patients with diseases that can be spread through the air. "N95" means the filter on the respirator screens out 95 percent of the particles (0.3 microns and larger) that could pass through (and higher numbers mean a higher percentage of particles are screened). The filter and the tightness of fit together determine overall effectiveness of a respirator. To be most effective, these types of respirators need to fit tightly to the face so that the air is breathed through the filter material. Fit testing is the usual method for assuring proper fit in workplaces where respirators are used. Respirators are not designed to form a tight fit on people with small faces (e.g., children) or facial hair. Men who have beards need to shave before using. N95 and higher respirators are less comfortable to wear than facemasks because they are more difficult to breathe through. If people have a heart or lung disease or other health condition, they may have trouble breathing through respirators and should talk with their doctor before using a respirator.
Like surgical masks, most N95 respirators should be worn only once and then thrown away in the trash. Reusable respirators are available, but special precautions need to be followed when using them. For more information about respirators, see NIOSH Safety and Health Topic: Respirators (www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/).
For more information on the proper use and removal of masks and respirators, or to learn more about these (including pictures) and other issues relating to pandemic influenza, visit http://www.pandemicflu.gov. | https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/personal-protective-equipment/cdc-issues-interim-guidance-use-facemasks-and-respirators-public |
The works by the 17 Danish contemporary artists are selected with respect for the interior architecture of the Maersk Tower. Large, monumental works with a simple expression were selected to complement the interior space, which is characterized by sculptural shifts in level and a stunning spiralling staircase that offers views of several floors in one glance.
‘We see it as important to bring art into such a significant institution of education and research as the Faculty of Health of Medical Sciences of the University of Copenhagen. Moreover, the Maersk Tower is a landmark in the urban space. We selected 17 artists for the decorative project, among them Marie Lund, Farshad Farzankia, Per Kirkeby, Tal R and Peter Linde Busk. The decorative project offers a good representation of contemporary art at this moment in time and also demonstrates that art can add a unique potential for insight to a building. Visual art shows us imaginary landscapes that may inspire us to rethink the world – and it helps shape us as whole human beings,’ says Stine Høholt, member of the board for the New Carlsberg Foundation.
Organic copper shapes
Five copper sculptures by the Danish artist Marie Lund are mounted on a raw concrete frieze a couple of metres above the floor in the canteen. The five organic shapes are made of copper sheets that have been exposed to heat and twisted around their own axes. The golden material interacts with the building’s exterior copper shutters on the facade and adds a warm note that complements the white tables and lamps in the room. In an additional effect, the shiny surface sparkles in the light from the windows and reflect the surrounding space.
With their abstract forms, the copper sculptures appear as small individual bodies that have gone exploring. At the same time, however, they also convey a common narrative about a coherent group of individual elements, a family of organic tubular formations that have found their place in the industrial space.
Marie Lund always aims to create art that supports and contributes to the space where her works are placed. She trained and lives abroad and has built an international career with exhibitions in some of the world’s leading museums.
Aspects of Danish contemporary art
The decorative project at the Maersk Tower shows the varied expressions and materials that make up Danish contemporary art, from painting, silk-screen printing, copper and Laserchrome prints on Plexiglas to crocheted newsprint and bent neon tubes.
On some of the top floors Per Kirkeby is represented with works that give shape to geological strata, while Christian Lemmerz’s piece places the individual and the human body centre stage. In the panoramic viewing hall on the 15th floor is a large painting by the Danish-Iranian artist Farshad Farzankia, who is known for his colourful, figurative paintings. The project further includes works by other important Danish visual artists, including Tal R, John Kørner, Peter Linde Busk and Malene Landgreen.
The Maersk Tower was completed in 2017 with support from the private foundation A.P. Møller Fonden. The 15-storey science tower is part of the University of Copenhagen, an extension to the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences in Copenhagen’s Nørrebro district. | https://www.ny-carlsbergfondet.dk/en/science-tower-danish-contemporary-art |
Today begins with a typical undergraduate English research education session of about seventy-five minutes. A Yale English professor (I’ll call her Pam) contacted me earlier in the term asking if I could meet with her and the fifteen students enrolled in her first-year writing seminar focused on an introduction to the study of literature in order to give them an introduction to Yale Library resources for their upcoming term paper, which she calls “Essay #4: Research-Based Argument Essay.” Pam and I have collaborated on many such sessions over the years, and she is always a joy to work with because she often chimes in when I introduce a concept or topic to the students. This dialogue that we create has the effect of showing the students that their instructor cares about the library and values the contributions that librarians can make to the success of classes like hers. The students pay more attention and participate more readily when they witness this interactive method of instruction. This co-taught type of session is far preferable to those in which the professor sits in silence while I conduct the class solo, or worse, those in which the professor is absent. In the latter two cases the students are likely to get the message that the professor wants or needs a day off, and if that means subjecting her students to a “boring” library instruction session, so be it.
This section of this first-year writing seminar has as its theme “Writing Exile,” which was Pam’s idea. The students will be writing about one or more of Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear, Nabokov’s novel Pnin, Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis (the graphic novel, not the film), Aleksandar Hemon’s novel The Lazarus Project, Colm Tόibin’s novel Brooklyn, and the film The Grand Budapest Hotel. Pam told me in advance that she wants the students to see how to find a book or anthology of articles (and order one through our consortial lending partnership with the other Ivies if it’s not available at Yale), as well as how to find scholarly journal articles on the texts and theory in two library databases: Academic Search Premier and the MLA Bibliography. She mentions that given the course theme of exile, the students may be interested in finding theoretical sources about exile as well as about the literature they are writing about. She cautions that because some of the readings and the film are quite recent, there may not be much scholarship published on the texts themselves.
We meet in one of the “electronic classrooms” in Yale’s Bass Library, the recently renovated intensive-use underground library that has proven popular among undergraduates. Bass lies below Cross Campus, the green in front of the gothic cathedral-like Sterling Memorial Library. The electronic classroom is nicely equipped with state of the art computers for both students and teacher and a projector that lights up a self-retracting screen. I introduce myself, brag a bit about Yale libraries and how lucky the students are to have such rich resources at their fingertips, and then launch into my spiel about how to search the library catalog and the databases for works of criticism about exile in literature as well as the books and film they are studying. Pam chimes in and highlights points I make as usual, and we generally have a great and productive session. The students, who are always polite, thank me sincerely at the end of the session, as does Pam. That is one of the joys of being a librarian: hearing “thank you” on a regular basis!
I devote the remainder of the day to a writing project to which I committed myself some time ago: authoring a chapter on academic libraries for a forthcoming Library Science textbook edited by the director of San Jose State’s Library School, Sandra Hirsh. While this project falls outside my duties as a Yale librarian, it is considered a valuable contribution to the profession and will contribute to the list of accomplishments I can claim in the “employee comments” section of my annual Performance Appraisal. For more junior librarians, writing, presenting, and publishing are just a few of the many activities that can count toward promotion through the ranks. If you are interested in reading more about rank and promotion within academic libraries, you can read my article called “Academic Librarians and Rank,” from the Chronicle of Higher Education. | https://phdsatwork.com/week-in-the-life/todd-gilman-tues/ |
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Anderson talks almost exclusively about his work during the thirties with particles of high energy involved in nuclear reactions. He covers in detail his discovery of the positive electron, his pair production work with gamma rays, his expedition to Pike’s Peak with Neddermeyer and their discovery of the mesotron. He mentions that it was in his speech accepting the Nobel Prize in 1936 that he first mentioned the possibility of negative and positive particles of intermediate mass.
Recollections of Solvay and Volta Conferences, associations with Franck, Bohr and Mme. Curie; development of AHC’s cosmic ray interest, world cosmic ray expeditions 1931-34, anecdotes and memories of places visited; Compton-Millikan controversy; comments on Century of Progress Exposition 1933; memories of stay at Oxford on AHC’s Eastman Professorship 1934-35, associates at Oxford; recollection of European colleagues Aston, Fermi, Heisenberg and Sommerfeld. About AHC: Chairman of Physics Dept. | https://www.aip.org/history-programs/oral-histories/search?amp%3Bf%5B1%5D=field_institutions%3A2676&%3Bamp%3Bf%5B1%5D=field_institutions%3A3001&%3Bamp%3Bf%5B2%5D=field_institutions%3A2856&%3Bamp%3Bf%5B3%5D=field_institutions%3A1801&f%5B0%5D=field_subjects%3A4386&f%5B1%5D=field_has_audio_excerpt%3A1 |
Apollo was the Greek god of medicine and music, both of which once were practiced by the same authority figures. Over time, music and medicine became increasingly specialized, with little to no overlap between them.
“But something has been lost,” said Dr. Richard Kogan, a psychiatrist and concert pianist who spoke at the recent Rotenberg-Drimmer Memorial Lecture at Reading Hospital.
Music has a place in medicine and can help heal the mind, contended Kogan, who has a private psychiatry practice in New York City.
Ludwig van Beethoven and his mental and physical health problems perfectly represent the benefits of incorporating music and medicine, Kogan said.
Though much of Beethoven’s life was tragic, Kogan interspersed his lecture with humor and by playing several of Beethoven’s better-known pieces at different points during the lecture.
The lecture series was established by Dr. Larry Rotenberg, a Reading Hospital psychiatrist, and his wife, Alison, to enhance understanding between people. It honors the memory of Dr. Rotenberg’s father, mother, brother and grandmother, all of whom perished in the Holocaust.
Clinical studies provide evidence that music can be used as an alternative therapy in treating depression, autism, schizophrenia and dementia, as well as problems of agitation, anxiety, sleeplessness and substance abuse, Kogan said.
Listening to music or creating it — basically any involvement with it — can alleviate some negative symptoms of mental illness, Kogan said. Music can improve mood, reduce anxiety and ease pain.
Early trouble
Born in 1770 in what is now Bonn, Germany, Beethoven had a musician father, Johann, who was an alcoholic with relatively limited musical skills, Kogan said.
He administered brutal music lessons to his son, often after returning at midnight from a tavern and making Ludwig practice until dawn.
Johann would become enraged when his son improvised musically, Kogan said.
Ludwig was not raised or schooled very well, never learned much beyond basic arithmetic and became a withdrawn, unhappy child, Kogan said.
As a result, Ludwig van Beethoven withdrew into his world of music and fantasy, Kogan said.
Part of that fantasy was that his parents weren’t really his parents and that he was actually descended from royalty.
That’s not an uncommon type of belief among children, though the vast majority outgrow such a delusion, Kogan said.
But Beethoven’s belief became more fervent as he got older, Kogan said.
“Friends urged him to refute the ’rumor,’ but he absolutely refused to do so,” Kogan said.
He also told his friends that there had been and would be thousands of princes.
“ ‘But there is only one Beethoven,’ ” Kogan said the composer said.
Hearing loss
In his late 20s, Beethoven noticed signs of hearing loss.
“Not surprisingly, he panicked,” Kogan said. “Deafness is a hardship for anybody, but for a musician it is catastrophic.”
He wrote a letter to his brother in which he said only his music was keeping him from suicide.
He also wrote that he yearned to spend one day of pure joy but feared he never would.
However, once his hearing was gone, Beethoven was able to compose strictly from his own imagination and was free from the influence of his contemporaries, Kogan said.
Beethoven didn’t care if nobody could master playing his compositions.
One violinist asked Beethoven to alter a piece of music so the violinist could more comfortably play it, Kogan said.
Beethoven replied: “Do you think when the spirit calls to me that I think for even a second of your wretched violin?”
Much of Beethoven’s great music is due to him using it to cope with the trials and tribulations he had with women.
Kogan said Beethoven seemed to have two conditions for a woman to gain his attention.
First, they must be members of the aristocracy.
Second, they had to be married or firmly romantically attached to someone else, Kogan said to laughter.
Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” was written for a countess, Kogan said, “who spurned him, well, for her husband.”
When his brother, Carl, died in 1815, Beethoven began to make wild claims, such as that he was the father of Carl’s son, Karl, and he began a protracted custody dispute with his sister-in-law, Johanna.
“During this period, he was clearly psychotic,” Kogan said.
Also, his musical output dropped.
A history of alcoholism, depression and insanity on both sides of his family had caught up to him.
Death and legacy
However, he soon overcame many of those problems as he continued to compose. Nonetheless, Beethoven died in 1827 at age 56. The cause of death has been in dispute since then.
Kogan said he is uncertain how he would diagnose Beethoven’s mental state if he were Kogan’s patient today, but that he would be able to confirm that the composer had an exceptional ability to translate his own melancholia and mania into music.
Beethoven tried to heal both the world and himself through music, Kogan contended. | https://www.centredaily.com/entertainment/this-weekend/article42808449.html |
Enrich Office & Academy
The client brief called for a vibrant, yet relaxing, space that evinces the brand’s ethos of consistency in terms of deliverance, creativity and pioneering ideas. Moving away from an ad-hoc approach to space increments, that typically accompanies the growth of an organization, commemorating twenty years of the brand, the Head office and the academy finally are located within the same space. The space uses a warm and grounded design strategy, centered around wood as a material, and renders a sophisticated look without cluttering the floor space- keeping the space simplistic, open and functional. The overall design celebrates the concepts of renewal and serenity. The unfinished concrete walls and ceiling blends an eclectic approach to create an interesting contrast, when paired with soft-edged furniture.
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Silver gray metal plate with small perforations, copper rods and stained glass. Excellent condition. The specific melting technique makes each design unique.
This 70s wall light, created by Raak's design team, reminds of the map of a ‘galaxy far, far away…’ or a Star Trek computer. It is a wonderful example of how the 'Space Age' was present in all areas of the early sixties until the late seventies. Fascination with new developments in space technology influenced fine arts, architecture, industrial and interior design. Space entered people's living rooms through television and gave shape to objects in their daily environment.
The Collage derives its captivating charms mainly by the beautiful melting technique with stained glass. There is hardly any other material that spreads such an atmospheric glow and creates these picturesque effects. Every colorful circle reminds of a planet with microscopic details, revealing themselves through light. The tight framing of these organic light sources creates a perfect balance between chaos and order and gives this beautiful sculpture its timeless look. | https://www.nate-lights.com/collections/wall-1/products/collage-by-raak |
What is the lactose tolerance test?
The lactose tolerance test is a test for diagnosing an intolerance of ingested lactose. Lactose intolerance is a genetic condition in which individuals are unable to digest and absorb the lactose sugar in cow's milk.
What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest the sugar in milk, lactose. Milk is an important source of nutrition for children and even some adults. With normal lactose tolerance, all of the lactose is broken down (digested) in the intestine by an enzyme into two smaller sugars (galactose and glucose) which then are absorbed into the body. As a result, normally no lactose reaches the colon.
On the other hand, in individuals with lactose intolerance who lack the intestinal enzyme that breaks down the lactose, the ingested lactose is neither digested nor absorbed in the small intestine and reaches the colon where it is used by the bacteria in the colon. The bacteria produce chemicals that cause diarrhea, and also produce gas. Abdominal pain also may occur.
How is the lactose tolerance test done?
The lactose tolerance test requires an individual to drink a liquid that contains lactose. In the small intestine among lactose tolerant individuals, the ingested lactose is split into galactose and glucose which then are absorbed from the intestine and go into the blood. Several blood samples are taken over a two hour period following the ingestion of the lactose to measure the blood glucose level. If lactose tolerance is normal, the glucose level in the blood rises due to the absorption of glucose from the intestine. If there is lactose intolerance, the glucose level does not rise.
What other tests can detect lactose intolerance?
Many clinicians simply make this diagnosis based on improvement of symptoms when lactose is withheld from the patient's diet and affravation when it is re-introduced. Other tests used to detect lactose intolerance include the lactose hydrogen breath test and stool acidity test, the latter is primarily used in infants and very young children. There also is a genetic test which can determine whether an individual has or does not have the intestinal enzyme that is required for the digestion and absorption of lactose.
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Top Lactose Tolerance Test Related Articles
What Causes Abdominal Pain?Abdominal pain can have many causes that range from mild to severe. Some of these causes include bloating, gas, colitis, endometriosis, food poisoning, GERD, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), ovarian cysts, abdominal adhesions, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, gallbladder disease, liver disease, and cancers. Signs and symptoms of the more serious causes include dehydration, bloody or black tarry stools, severe abdominal pain, pain with no urination or painful urination. Treatment for abdominal pain depends upon the cause.
Colonoscopy Procedure and PreparationA colonoscopy is a procedure whereby a docotor inserts a viewing tube (colonoscope) into the rectum for the purpose of inspecting the colon. Colonoscopy is the best method currently available to diagnose, detect, and treat abnormalities within the colon.
DiarrheaDiarrhea is a change is the frequency and looseness of bowel movements. Symptoms associated with diarrhea are cramping, abdominal pain, and the sensation of rectal urgency. Causes of diarrhea include viral, bacterial, or parasite infection, gastroenteritis, food poisoning, and drugs. Absorbents and anti-motility medications are used to treat diarrhea.
Digestive Health: Why Am I Bloated?Bloating is a sign and symptom of gas in the stomach or GI tract. Certain foods or health problems like constipation may cause it. Bacteria and certain foods like lactose can cause it. Learn the symptoms and causes of bloating to feel healthier.
Indigestion (Dyspepsia, Upset Stomach Pain)Indigestion (dyspepsia) can be caused by diseases or conditions that involve the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and also by some diseases and conditions that do not involve the GI tract. Indigestion can be a chronic condition in which the symptoms fluctuate in frequency and intensity. Signs and symptoms that accompany indigestion include pain in the chest, upper abdominal pain, belching, nausea, bloating, abdominal distention, feeling full after eating only a small portion of food, and rarely, vomiting.
Endoscopy (EGD) Procedure
Endoscopy is a broad term used to described examining the inside of the body using an lighted, flexible instrument called an endoscope. Endoscopy procedure is performed on a patient to examine the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum; and look for causes of symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, or intestinal bleeding.
What Is Flexible Sigmoidoscopy?Flexible sigmoidoscopy is a procedure used to examine the lower colon and rectum. Flexible sigmoidoscopy can investigate the possible cause of rectal bleeding, bowel changes, and symptoms such as rectal pain, diarrhea, or constipation. During the procedure, a biopsy of tissue can be taken for further examination, or polyps may be removed.
How Much Lactose Can I Tolerate?People with lactose intolerance can typically tolerate up to 12 grams of lactose. This is equal to one large cup or about 8 ounces of milk. Some can even have up to 12.5 ounces of milk without experiencing any symptoms.
Hydrogen Breath TestThe hydrogen breath test uses the measurement of hydrogen in the breath to diagnose several conditions that cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Gastrointestinal symptoms diagnosed by the hydrogen breath test include lactose intolerance, celiac disease, small bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine, and pancreatic insufficiency.
Intestinal Gas and Gas PainGas (intestinal gas) means different things to different people. Everyone has gas and eliminates it by belching, burping, or farting (flatulence). Bloating or abdominal distension is a subjective feeling that the stomach is larger or fuller than normal. Belching or burping occurs when gas is expelled from the stomach out through the mouth. Flatulence or farting occurs when intestinal gas is passed from the anus. Causes of belching or burping include drinking too rapidly, anxiety, carbonated drinks, habit, and swallowing air. Learn about causes of intestinal gas, foods that cause gas and bloating, treatments that reduce excessive gas and soothe gas pain, and much more.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a common problem where a person's digestive system cannot digest lactose. Signs and symptoms include:
- Diarrhea
- Gas
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal bloating
- Abdominal distention (swelling)
- Nausea
There are several tests to diagnose lactose intolerance. Treatment is generally made with dietary changes, supplements, and adaptation to small amounts of milk.
Stool Acidity TestA stool acidity test diagnoses lactose intolerance. During a stool acidity test, the patient is given lactose to drink. In people who are lactose intolerant, some or all of the lactose is not digested and absorbed in the small intestine and reaches the colon. This causes the stool to become acidic. The acidity of stools that are passed after ingestion of the lactose then is measured.
The Digestion Process (Parts, Organs, and Functions)Digestion is the complex process of turning the food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food. Learn more about digestion and the body parts that make it possible, including the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, anus, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. | https://www.medicinenet.com/lactose_tolerance_test/article.htm |
The goal of the work proposed in this grant application is to complete an ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind chemoprevention trial using a placebo tablet or a tablet containing 200 ug high-selenium brewer's yeast per day, given for a duration of six months. Blood, urine and sputum specimens are being collected at two baseline time points, and after 3 and 6 months of intervention. Endobronchial biopsies are obtained at the end of the study. Our specific aims are stated in the following questions. Does selenium supplementation decrease the frequency of cellular dysplasia detected in sputum? Sputum dysplasia is an established risk factor for lung cancer. We will determine if supplementation with selenium decreases the incidence of this risk factor as well as the occurrence of metaplasia/dysplasia in endobronchial biopsy specimens. Since sensitivity to detect changes mediated by selenium may be limited using cellular dysplasia as an endpoint, we will also determine if selenium induces changes in the nuclear morphometry of cells in sputum that are reflective of changes in lung cancer risk. Does selenium supplementation decrease indicators of oxidative cellular damage in either blood, urine or the lung? A cascade of complex inflammatory events are associated with both the malignant and nonmalignant sequelae of asbestos exposure. Given the protective role of some selenoproteins in oxidant-mediated cell damage, our population of asbestos-exposed individuals is an ideal cohort in which to directly assess whether selenium decreases oxidative damage to cellular macromolecules in individuals that are oxidatively challenged, and that may have higher nutritional requirements for antioxidant defense due to oxidative stress. To evaluate this question, we will measure several indices of oxidative damage reported to be elevated in asbestos-exposed individuals. These markers include 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in DNA of lymphocytes isolated from blood and in urine, malondialdehyde (MDA) in plasma, sputum, and urine, and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2-alpha (8-EPG) in urine. Levels of these indices will be determined at baseline (both visits) and after 3 and 6 months of selenium supplementation. In addition we will determine the degree of cellular DNA damage in pulmonary epithelial cells from endobronchial biopsy and sputum using the comet assay (in the presence and absence of endonuclease III or FPG), a single cell gel electrophoresis assay that detects DNA strand breaks as well as oxidative damage to purines and pyrimidines. This project will contribute to understanding whether intermediate biomarkers for lung cancer can be altered by selenium, a finding of potential clinical and public health importance. This study will also establish whether selenium has any effect on nuclear morphometry, a promising new cytological marker of lung cancer risk. Furthermore, our study addresses the question of whether the much-discussed antioxidant activity of selenium is a relevant mechanism of chemopreventive action.
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Introduction: It is claimed that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a negative impact on mental health. However, to date, prospective studies are lacking. Moreover, it is important to identify which factors modulate the stress response to the pandemic. Previously, sense of coherence (SOC) has emerged as a particularly important resistance factor. Objective: This prospective study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on mental health and to investigate the ability of pre-outbreak SOC levels to predict changes in psychopathological symptoms. Methods: This study assessed psychopathological symptoms and SOC before and after the COVID-19 outbreak as well as post-outbreak COVID-19-related traumatic distress in a German-speaking sample (n =1,591). Bivariate latent change score (BLCS) modeling was used to analyze pre- to post-outbreak changes in psychopathological symptoms and the ability of SOC to predict symptom changes. Results: Overall, there was no change in psychopathological symptoms. However, on an individual-respondent level, 10% experienced a clinically significant increase in psychopathological symptoms and 15% met cut-off criteria for COVID-19-related traumatic distress. Using BLCS modeling, we identified a high-stress group experiencing an increase in psychopathological symptoms and a decrease in SOC and a low-stress group showing the reversed pattern. Changes in SOC and psychopathological symptoms were predicted by pre-outbreak SOC and psychopathological symptom levels. Conclusions: Although mental health was stable in most respondents, a small group of respondents characterized by low levels of SOC experienced increased psychopathological symptoms from pre- to post-outbreak. Thus, SOC training might be a promising approach to enhance the resistance to stressors. | https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/publications/impact-of-covid-19-on-public-mental-health-and-the-buffering-effe |
5 Proven Narrative Writing Tips
A narrative needs to do more than just tell a good story. It also needs to convey that there is a meaning to the story as well. In order to develop an effective narrative, there is a certain process which can be helpful to follow. This will allow you to take the narrative further so that it can capture the imagination of the reader while communicating the specific points you wish to make in your story.
Step #1: Prewrite the Narrative
The goal of this first step is for you to gather your thoughts as a writer. If you were writing an autobiography, you would select the memories and stories you’d wish to share. If you were writing a novel, you might think about the backgrounds of each character and what the role each will play in your story.
When you can make an emotional connection as a writer through this prewriting process, you can begin to create a narrative which will connect on multiple levels with a future reader. It can still work without emotion, but it will be less effective. It’s one part outline, one part personal investment, and one part creativity.
Step #2: Draft the Narrative
This is a good place to begin developing the actual voice of the narrative. You can choose from first, second, or third person voice depending on what type of written work you are creating. A personal narrative will generally be first person, but a fictional novel could be third person.
During this draft, make sure the narrative doesn’t ignore any details. A reader has no knowledge about the events which are taking place. They need the narrative to give them detailed descriptions, illustrative words, yet still within a conversational tone so it can be pictured as the words are read.
If the work is non-fiction in nature, put these details into the facts being presented. This will give the information more life so that it can be recalled more effectively by the reader later on.
Step #3: Give the Narrative a Second Draft
In this step, you’re basically going to rewrite everything that you just wrote in the previous step. The goal here is to make sure the narrative unfolds in a logical format. You can’t just go from Step #1 to Step #4 to Step #6 to Step #2 and have the narrative make sense to the reader unless you’re creating a new Choose Your Own Adventure story.
In this step, you’ll want to specifically look for places where the reader has been included with the experience. See if you can details to enhance the experience. See if details need to be eliminated because they are too distracting. Be descriptive, but also be informative.
Step #4: Edit the Narrative
This is supposed to be the easiest part of the narrative writing process, but it usually ends up being the most time consuming and frustrating step of all. As much as you can read something on a screen or even on paper, there are mistakes that are going to be missed. The most effective way to edit your narrative is to read it out loud. This editing process works if you’re by yourself, but if you can read your narrative to someone else, you’ll be able to get some extra feedback about what you’ve written.
It might also be a good idea to have a trusted friend or family member give the narrative a good read and offer some suggestions. An extra set of eyes never hurts and the fresh perspective can add more depth to the final result.
Some writers may choose to have a professional take care of this step for them. There’s nothing wrong with doing that, but professional editing services can be several thousand dollars if the narrative is the length of a novel.
Step #5. Get It Published
This is the final step in the narrative process. It’s exciting because you get to share your work with other people. It’s also a very nervous step to take because every writer is a little sensitive to the feedback others will have about their work. That sensitivity can be so great, in fact, that some writers choose not to publish their narrative because they don’t want to experience negative feedback at all.
That’s why this final step has been included as part of the process. If you do get negative feedback, use it to make your next narrative be even better than this one.
These narrative writing tips can help your writing evolve to the next level. Take your time, keep the voice of your narrative consistent, and you’ll be able to write something that will have an impact on everyone who happens to read it. | https://networlding.com/5-proven-narrative-writing-tips/ |
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken some important steps to expand broadband access to historically underserved communities. These developments have had a tremendously positive impact on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities nationwide, especially in rural parts of the country where nearly 40 percent of Americans still lack access to broadband wireless services.
It goes without saying, but the AANHPI community relies on high-speed internet to stay connected to friends and family, pursue vital education and employment opportunities, and access a range of services, from e-commerce to telemedicine. However, in far too many of our communities, a lack of reliable broadband connectivity acts as a barrier to accessing these opportunities. Accelerating the deployment of broadband internet to connect more rural AANHPI communities nationwide is essential for our continued growth and success.
Fortunately, FCC has made broadband expansion a key priority, implementing initiatives that take aim at the lack of broadband access too many Americans, including the AANHPI community, face every day. These, along with other actions by the administration and 115th Congress, show slow but steady progress toward addressing this issue.
The Mobility Fund Phase II (MF-II), for example, is an FCC program that will provide up to $4.53 billion in funding for the next decade to communities that currently lack sufficient access to high-speed mobile voice and broadband service. The current phase of the funding program was advanced in early 2017 to help provide seamless nationwide access—including across rural America and in Tribal lands.
The program collected data from the major carriers to create a map of eligible areas for MF-II funding based on the regions without sufficient 4G LTE service. Released in February 2018, this initial map was then subject to a five-month period during which anyone could challenge its accuracy, beginning March 29, 2018. That five-month period just concluded at the end of August.
This crowdsourcing approach to improving the accuracy of MF-II data allowed rural and other communities—including their residents, businesses, local and state governments, and more—to challenge the map if an area not identified as needing additional funding was in fact found to have insufficient wireless broadband coverage. This inclusive effort to engage underserved communities provided a tremendous opportunity to help improve and target broadband expansion efforts where they are most needed.
Another FCC program—the Connect America Fund (CAF)—is also making considerable progress to address the lack of sufficient broadband internet connectivity in many rural and underserved communities. The CAF could help expand broadband service to 1.7 million rural Americans.
In late August, the FCC completed the reverse auction phase of this program, during which hundreds of companies bid to deliver broadband service using the FCC funds. This process helped ensure communities benefit from the best possible service at the lowest possible price. This resulted in a nearly half-a-billion-dollar savings that can now be applied to future efforts to improve connectivity nationwide.
These programs—along with the Presidential Executive Orders easing regulations in order to spur broadband expansion as well as pending legislation in Congress—are adding up to incremental progress toward a more connected America, particularly in the rural regions that need it most. However, there is still so much more that can and should be done.
The FCC must press forward with both MF-II and CAF programs while continuing to work with the administration and Congress to implement more measures that will help strengthen broadband service in rural, AANHPI, and other underserved communities across the country. | http://www.ilfnational.org/fcc-actions-strengthen-our-communities-and-underserved-populations/ |
The Making of Modern Turkey: Nation and State in Eastern Anatolia, 1913–1950 is a book by Uğur Ümit Üngör, published by Oxford University Press in 2011. The book focuses on population politics in the transition between the late Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey, especially in the Diyarbekir region.
. . . The Making of Modern Turkey . . .
The book’s cover is a ruined Armenian church,Arakelots Monastery near Muş. Following Erik-Jan Zürcher, Üngör considers that the “Young Turk era” spans the Ottoman Empire and Republic of Turkey after its 1923 founding, “due to compelling continuities in power structure, ideology, cadre, and population policy”. The book focuses on the history of the Ottoman administrative region of Diyarbekir Vilayet and contains five chapters: “Nationalism and Population Politics in the late Ottoman Empire”, “Genocide of Christians, 1915–16”, “Deportations of Kurds, 1916–34”, “Culture and Education in the Eastern Provinces”, and “The Calm after the Storm: The Politics of Memory”. Üngör’s central argument is “that from 1913 to 1950, the Young Turk regime subjected Eastern Turkey, an ethnically heterogeneous area, to various forms of nationalist population policies aimed at ethnically homogenizing the region and including it in the Turkish nation state”. He states that “The genocide heralded the coming of a new era and stipulated the parameters of a formative Turkish nation state, or an empire with a dominant Sunni Turkish core and a marginalized periphery.”
. . . The Making of Modern Turkey . . . | https://www.aqua-royal.ml/blog/2022/01/07/the-making-of-modern-turkey/ |
Hi Dr. Hoppe! Do you have any nicknames?
Hoppe, G, Hoppitude
In your words, what is your job at Frontier?
My job as a Veterinarian at Frontier is to help support the human animal bond by doing my best to make sure your pets are healthy and comfortable for as long as possible. My goal is to help educate owners on preventative care and advocate for the needs of our patients so that owners feel confident about the care of their pets. Our pets are part of the family now more than ever and I want to see them happy like you do!
Why did you decide to work at Frontier?
I wanted to work somewhere where there was a sense of community and family as well as a culture of collaboration among staff and Doctors. I am new to the team at Frontier but could feel those things in the environment right from the start.
Do you have any pets?
Seamus is our 3 year old Brittany Spaniel. He loves to protect our yard from squirrels and will do almost anything for a piece of cheese.
Lucy is a wonderful 10 year old Cavachon whom we adopted this year from family. She is happy as long as she has her people around and a lap to sit on. She does enjoy following Seamus around the yard and LOVES the word “w-a-l-k”.
Tell us a little known fact about you!
Not sure how I acquired this skill but I am fairly decent at table tennis! I also enjoy playing soccer and painting and at one point in my life was fluent in Japanese although I am a little rusty now! | https://frontiervet.com/dr-gina-hoppe/ |
12 F.2d 575 (1926)
HARTFORD FIRE INS. CO.
v.
NANCE et al.
No. 4513.
Circuit Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.
April 9, 1926.
C. G. Myers, of Chicago, Ill. (Myers & Snerly, of Chicago, Ill., and Carlyle & George, of Youngstown, Ohio, on the brief), for plaintiff in error.
W. A. O'Grady, of Wellsville, Ohio, for defendant in error.
Before DENISON, DONAHUE, and MOORMAN, Circuit Judges.
MOORMAN, Circuit Judge.
This is an action on a fire insurance policy issued to Thomas and Lucy Nance. There was a recovery in the court below. Defendant relied, among other defenses, upon the breach of a stipulation of unconditional and sole ownership of the property. This was based on a *576 provision in the policy, vitiating it "if the interest of the insured be other than unconditional and sole ownership, or if the subject of the insurance be a building on ground not owned by the insured in fee simple." The policy also provided that none of its terms or conditions could be waived, except in writing indorsed on the policy. Plaintiffs alleged that they were the "owners and seized in fee" of the property. This the defendant denied, setting up the first provision referred to as a defense. The proof showed that Thomas Nance owned an undivided half interest in the property, but that Lucy Nance owned only a life estate in the other half, the remainder being in her infant children. There was evidence to the effect that the soliciting agent was informed of the condition of the title and the interests of the children.
A statute of Ohio makes the one who solicits insurance or procures the application therefor the agent of the insurance company. Section 9586, Gen. Code. The trial court treated the stipulation as to unconditional ownership as having no binding effect. It is contended in support of the judgment, although there is no pleading to that effect, that the provision conceded ordinarily to be valid was waived by the company when it issued the policy because of its knowledge of the interests of the insured, or, if not waived, the company is estopped, because of that knowledge, from asserting incomplete ownership as a defense.
The question is argued here as if pleaded against the defense. We take it into account because it was treated at issue in receiving the evidence below and is vital to the case, assuming, as the evidence tends to show, that the agent of the company who wrote the policy knew that Lucy Nance did not own the fee to any part of the property. We also assume but do not decide, in view of Insurance Co. v. Hilton-Green, 241 U. S. 613, 36 S. Ct. 676, 60 L. Ed. 1202 that the effect of the Ohio statute was to charge the responsible officers of the insurance company with the information possessed by its soliciting agent.
Undoubtedly the parties to a contract of insurance may stipulate that its terms cannot be waived or changed, except in writing. Penman v. St. Paul Insurance Co., 216 U. S. 311, 30 S. Ct. 312, 54 L. Ed. 493. They may also make the liability of the insurer depend upon the observance or accuracy of reasonable stipulations inserted in the contract, such as sole ownership. Insurance Co. v. Coos, 151 U. S. 452, 14 S. Ct. 379, 38 L. Ed. 231. The question, then, is not one of waiver, but of estoppel whether in a suit at law to collect the insurance the company is estopped from setting up the provision in question as a defense against liability. Plaintiffs contend that in this case estoppel would be available under the state law, and that the contract, not only as respects its validity but also respecting permissible methods of reformation and enforcement, is controlled by that law.
The validity of a contract, of course, depends upon the applicable statutes and decisions of the state where the contract is made or to be performed. Pritchard v. Norton, 106 U. S. 124, 1 S. Ct. 102, 27 L. Ed. 104; Union Trust Co. v. Grosman, 245 U. S. 412, 38 S. Ct. 147, 62 L. Ed. 368. It is also true that the federal courts, in construing contracts, will follow the state courts, where a statute or local rule of property is involved. If the case turned on either of these principles, we would be bound to follow the Ohio law. It is upon the premise that it does that plaintiffs insist on the application of Foster v. Insurance Co., 101 Ohio St. 180, 127 N. E. 865, where it was held that the insurer was estopped, by its knowledge of the breach of a provision similar to this, from setting up the breach as a defense against liability. We think the state law does not control, because neither the validity of the contract nor any statute of the state or local rule of property is involved. The contract was valid under the Ohio law. What we must finally determine is not a matter of validity or interpretation; it is whether the terms of a written contract where the contract itself prohibits modification except in writing may be varied by parol evidence for the purpose of asserting estoppel. This, we think, is a matter of general jurisprudence. Carpenter v. Insurance Co., 16 Pet. 495, 10 L. Ed. 1044; Liverpool Steam Co. v. Phenix Insurance Co., 129 U. S. 443, 9 S. Ct. 469, 32 L. Ed. 788; Insurance Co. v. Moore, 231 U. S. 543, 34 S. Ct. 186, 58 L. Ed. 356.
The availability of a provision of this character as a defense was considered in Assurance Co. v. Building Ass'n, 183 U. S. 308, 22 S. Ct. 133, 46 L. Ed. 213. That case was taken by the court on certiorari because of the conflict in the different circuits, it having been decided below (101 F. 77, 41 C. C. A. 207) under the rule of Nebraska, where the case originated, that estoppel was an available defense. This was in accord with the later New York cases and the Ohio rule and was seemingly supported by Insurance Co. v. Wilkinson, 13 Wall. (80 U. S.) 222, 20 L. Ed. 617. Those decisions rested on the *577 ground that, if the company had full knowledge of the facts at the time the policy was issued, it would be a fraud on the insured to permit it to plead a breach of one of the conditions. In repudiating that doctrine the court said: "This mode of reasoning over-looks both the general principle that a written contract cannot be varied or defeated by parol evidence and the express provision that no waiver shall be made by the agent, except in writing indorsed on the policy" holding that it was indifferent whether the condition turned on facts existing when or before the contract was made or on facts subsequently occurring. The opinion proceeds on the idea that to permit the insured to show in an action of this kind that the company issued the policy, knowing that one of its conditions had not been and would not be observed by the insured, would be a subterfuge for permitting the introduction of parol evidence to contradict the written instrument; and the insured was relegated to his right to an action in equity to reform the contract on the ground of fraud or mutual mistake in its execution. This course was later pursued. 203 U. S. 106, 27 S. Ct. 27, 51 L. Ed. 109.
The principle was again announced in Lumber Underwriters v. Rife, 237 U. S. 605, 35 S. Ct. 717, 59 L. Ed. 1140. That case cannot be distinguished by the absence of a statute making the soliciting agent the agent of the insurance company, nor upon the ground that the critical condition of the premises was of a temporary character, easily remedied. The fuller statement of facts in the Circuit Court of Appeals opinion, 204 F. 32, 122 C. C. A. 346, shows that such a statute would not have charged the company with any knowledge that it did not already have in the report of its inspector, which was at the home office when the policy was issued, and showed both the existence and permanency of a forbidden condition of the premises. These authorities, we think, are controlling.
Judgment reversed.
DONAHUE, Circuit Judge.
I concur in the judgment of reversal, because the pleadings present no question of estoppel and the evidence upon which estoppel is now claimed is somewhat vague and indefinite, and apparently was not offered, received, or considered for the purpose of raising that issue. I do not concur in the reasons stated in the majority opinion upon which this reversal is based.
The Hartford Fire Insurance Company is a Connecticut corporation. As a condition of its doing business in Ohio it must comply with the laws of that state. National Ins. Co. v. Wanberg, 260 U. S. 71, 75, 43 S. Ct. 32, 67 L. Ed. 136; Hooper v. California, 155 U. S. 648, 652, 15 S. Ct. 207, 39 L. Ed. 297, and cases there cited. The business of insurance companies is not interstate commerce, but purely an intrastate transaction, governed by the local law; Hooper v. California, supra; Insurance Co. v. Wanberg, supra; Miller v. Maryland Casualty Co., 193 F. 343, 113 C. C. A. 267; Hancock Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Warren, 181 U. S. 73, 75, 21 S. Ct. 535, 45 L. Ed. 755; New York Life Ins. Co. v. Deer Lodge County, 231 U. S. 495, 34 S. Ct. 167, 58 L. Ed. 332; Orient Ins. Co. v. Daggs, 172 U. S. 557, 19 S. Ct. 281, 43 L. Ed. 552; New York Life Ins. Co. v. Cravens, 178 U. S. 389, 20 S. Ct. 962, 44 L. Ed. 1116. The validity and construction of a contract depends upon the applicable statutes and decisions of a state in which the contract is made or to be performed. Union Trust Co. v. Grosman, 245 U. S. 412, 38 S. Ct. 147, 62 L. Ed. 368; Pritchard v. Norton, 106 U. S. 124, 1 S. Ct. 102, 27 L. Ed. 104.
The insurance business is affected with a public interest, and the state in which insurance contracts are written and to be performed has the right to regulate and control that business, whether it be conducted by a foreign or domestic corporation. National Ins. Co. v. Wanberg, supra; German Alliance Ins. Co. v. Lewis, 233 U. S. 389, 34 S. Ct. 612, 58 L. Ed. 1011, L. R. A. 1915C, 1189; Waters-Pierce Oil Co. v. Texas, 177 U. S. 28, 20 S. Ct. 518, 44 L. Ed. 657. The laws of Ohio apply to all companies engaged in the insurance business. There is no discrimination, and no denial of the equal protection of the law. A state can certainly do with foreign corporations what it may do with corporations of its own creation. Hancock Life Ins. Co. v. Warren, supra; National Ins. Co. v. Wanberg, supra. An express agreement in the application or the policy cannot avoid the law of the state in which the policy is written. National Ins. Co. v. Wanberg, supra; New York Life Ins. Co. v. Cravens, supra; Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Hill, 193 U. S. 551, 24 S. Ct. 538, 48 L. Ed. 788.
Nor does it appear that there is any conflict between the cases above cited and Assurance Company v. Building Association and Lumber Underwriters v. Rife, cited in the majority opinion. So far as appears from the opinions in these cases, no statutes of the states in which the insurance contracts were written were involved. In the absence of local regulations, it may well be said that *578 the validity and construction of such contracts are questions of general jurisprudence. It would seem from the foregoing cases that the Supreme Court of the United States has settled beyond further controversy that contracts of insurance are local contracts, that they are affected by a public interest and subject to the control and regulation of the state, and must be construed and their validity determined by the local law and public policy of the state in which they are written and are to be performed.
Section 9586 of the General Code of Ohio provides that a person who solicits insurance and procures the application therefor shall be held to be the agent of the company issuing the policy, anything in the application or policy to the contrary notwithstanding. In Foster v. Scottish Union, 101 Ohio St. 180, 127 N. E. 865, a case in which the facts as to title were substantially identical with the facts in this case, the Supreme Court of Ohio held that, where the company's agent had full knowledge of the assured's title to the property, and with such knowledge and on behalf of the company issued the policy and accepted payment of the premium, the company was estopped to assert as a defense to its liability on the policy that the insured was not the absolute owner in fee simple of the property insured. In construing and applying section 9586, G. C., the court further held that under its provisions a person who solicits insurance and procures the application therefor is the agent of the company, that the knowledge of such agent is the knowledge of the company, and that plaintiff could recover, notwithstanding a clause in the policy provided that "no officer, agent, or other representative of this company shall have power to waive any condition or provision of this policy, except by agreement indorsed hereon or added hereto." This Ohio statute was in force and this decision was announced some years prior to the writing of the policy in suit. Necessarily the law of Ohio, as construed and applied by the court of last resort of that state, entered into and became a part of this contract of insurance, the same as if it had actually been written therein.
If the majority of the court is correct in the assumption that the question of estoppel was presented by the introduction of this evidence, and the evidence is sufficient to show knowledge on the part of the agent as to the title of the insured, then under the law of Ohio this judgment is right, and ought to be affirmed, without requiring the defendant to bring a suit in equity to reform the contract. This action was brought in the Ohio court. It was removed by the insurance company to the federal court upon the sole ground of diversity of citizenship. If the cause had continued to final judgment in the Ohio court, then, under the law and public policy of Ohio, as declared by statute and the court of last resort of that state, the plaintiffs would have been entitled to judgment upon proof that the agent was fully informed as to her title.
It was declared by the Supreme Court of the United States, in Union Trust Co. v. Grosman, 245 U. S. 412, 418, 38 S. Ct. 147, 148, 62 L. Ed. 368, that, "if the decree would have been right in a court of the state of Texas it was right in the District Court of the United States sitting in the same state," citing Pritchard v. Norton, 106 U. S. 124, 129, 1 S. Ct. 102, 27 L. Ed. 104. If, on the other hand, a federal court refuses to apply the laws of a state in reference to a contract of insurance made and to be performed within that state, which contracts the state has a right to regulate and control, because they are affected with a public interest, there can be no harmony between state and federal decisions. Nor can there be uniformity in a state system of insurance, if domestic insurance companies must comply with the law and public policy of a state, and foreign insurance companies, in direct competition with the domestic companies, may avoid compliance therewith, when the amount in controversy exceeds three thousand dollars, by merely transferring the cause from the state court to the federal court on the sole ground of diversity of citizenship. Miller v. Maryland Casualty Co., supra.
A state cannot permit its system of insurance to be operated upon other than a uniform system, under which foreign and domestic insurance companies will be liable alike and the policy holders equally protected, regardless of whether their property is insured in a foreign or domestic corporation. This uniformity is not possible under the rule announced in the majority opinion that, notwithstanding local regulations, questions of this character are of general jurisdiction, and therefore federal courts are not required to enforce the law and public policy of a state in which the insurance contract is written and to be performed. Foreign corporations cannot be denied the right to remove a cause from a state to a federal court. It follows that the only way in which a state can preserve the uniformity of its insurance system is to deny to foreign insurance companies *579 the right to do business therein. No doubt foreign insurance companies would much prefer to do business upon equal terms with domestic insurance companies, rather than to be denied the privilege of doing business in that state.
It is also said in the majority opinion that the question for determination in this case is "whether the terms of a written contract where the contract itself prohibits modification, except in writing may be varied by parol evidence." I do not so understand this record. On the contrary, it is a question of estoppel on the part of the defendant to insist upon the provisions as to plaintiff's title to this property, when it knew at the time it issued this policy and accepted payment of the premium, the exact condition of that title. There is a well-recognized distinction between waiver and estoppel. The first implies a voluntary agreement, express or implied, to relinquish a known right. Estoppel is not predicated upon contract, but upon the principle "that, where one party has by his representations or his conduct induced the other party to a transaction to give him an advantage which it would be against equity and good conscience for him to assert, he would not in a court of justice be permitted to avail himself of that advantage." Insurance Co. v. Wilkinson, 13 Wall. (80 U. S.) 222, 223, 20 L. Ed. 617. It was first established by courts of equity, and has since been extended to courts of law. McAfferty v. Conover, 7 Ohio St. 99, 70 Am. Dec. 57.
If the insurance company, at the time it issued this policy, intended to insist upon this provision as to title, then the policy was worthless when issued, and the company knew it was worthless. It also knew that the defect in the title was of a permanent nature, and not a mere temporary condition, that might easily be remedied by the assured, as in the Rife Case. It also knew that, even if Lucy Nance did later secure the fee-simple title to the undivided half of this property, it would have no effect upon the validity of this contract.
It is perhaps unnecessary to extend this opinion in reference to the doctrine of estoppel so clearly established by the Supreme Court of the United States and the state of Ohio; nevertheless I desire to call attention to the facts in this case for the purpose of demonstrating that, if any question is presented by the record, it is a question of estoppel, and not a question of varying the terms of a written contract by parol evidence.
Under the settled public policy of Ohio, the knowledge of the agent as to the title of the property insured is the knowledge of the insurance company he represents. The company, therefore, knew that, prior to the death of Frank Nance, Thomas Nance and Frank Nance were the owners in fee simple of this property. It had insured it in their name for several years. It knew that Frank Nance was dead, leaving a widow, Lucy Nance, and several children; that Lucy Nance was also the administratrix of Frank Nance, and as such administratrix, applied for the renewal of the policy that had expired, or was about to expire. It knew that as widow and administratrix Lucy Nance was not the owner of the undivided half interest therein, but as widow she was the owner of an undivided one-third of one-half interest for and during her life; that this was an insurable interest, and that Thomas Nance was the owner in fee simple of the undivided half of this property. With this knowledge as to the title of Thomas and Lucy Nance, the insurance company issued to them its policy of insurance, and accepted the premium thereon without complaint or objection as to the title until the loss occurred. The presumption naturally obtains that, if no loss had occurred during the life of the policy, no objection would have been made, and the premium would have been retained by the company.
It is not claimed that Lucy or Thomas Nance fraudulently concealed or misrepresented any fact, or intended any fraud upon this company. To permit this defense now would be in effect to hold that this insurance company purposely perpetrated a fraud upon these plaintiffs, accepted their money for the premium, and issued to them a policy that it had no intention whatever of paying in case of loss. That, of course, was not the purpose and intent of this insurance company. It was not organized, and its business is not conducted, for the purpose of defrauding widows and orphans, or for that matter any one else, by accepting money for the premium and issuing a policy that it has no intention whatever of paying in case of loss; yet there is absolutely no theory upon which the conduct of the insurance company can be reconciled with honesty and fair dealing, except upon the theory that it intended to insure this property, regardless of the defect in the title of which it then had full knowledge.
It is said by the Supreme Court of the United States in Insurance Co. v. Wilkinson, supra: "It is in precisely such cases as this *580 that courts of law in modern times have introduced the doctrine of equitable estoppels, or, as it is sometimes called, estoppels in pais." The decision of the Ohio Supreme Court in Foster v. Scottish Union, supra, is based upon this principle, so clearly stated by the United States Supreme Court in Insurance Co. v. Wilkinson, and this has been the uniform holding in Ohio. Richards v. American Fire Brick & Clay Co., 69 Ohio St. 359, 69 N. E. 616, 100 Am. St. Rep. 679; Siders v. Concrete Co., 13 Ohio Cir. Ct. R. (N. S.) 481, affirmed without opinion 87 Ohio St. 519, 102 N. E. 1124; Ins. Co. v. Roberts, 27 Ohio Cir. Ct. R. (N. S.) 10.
Of course, there is a substantial difference between a subsequent breach and an existing condition known to parties at the time the contract was made, and which, if insisted upon, would make the contract void at the time it was executed. No presumption obtains that parties to a writing purporting to be a valid contract were intending to do a vain and foolish thing. The doctrine of estoppel, when the facts are fully known to the insurance company at the time the policy is issued, is not only consistent with modern ideas as to uselessness of barren technicalities in the administration of justice, but also consistent with the public policy to prevent a multiplicity of suits. If all these facts may be proven in an action to reform a contract, there is no sound reason for holding that they may not be proven to establish estoppel in an action on the contract.
The Ohio Code provides that there shall be but one form of action, to be known as a civil action. Many other states have likewise departed from ancient forms and useless distinctions, that hinder, obstruct, and delay litigation to no purpose. To the same intent is the Act of Congress of March 3, 1915 (see section 274b, Judicial Code [Comp. St. § 1251b]), which expressly authorizes equitable defenses in an action at law. It is said by the Supreme Court in Liberty Oil Co. v. Condon Bank, 260 U. S. 235, 242, 43 S. Ct. 118, 121, 67 L. Ed. 232: "Section 274b is an important step towards a consolidation of the federal courts of law and equity, and the questions presented in this union are to be solved much as they have been under the state Codes" citing United States v. Richardson, 223 F. 1010-1013, 139 C. C. A. 386. Under the provisions of this act a federal court now, if it did not before its passage, has the same jurisdiction as the Ohio state court to hear and determine the question of estoppel, without requiring the added expense and delay of a separate suit in equity to reform the contract.
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No history of the practice of sound therapy would be complete without the pioneering work of Peter Guy Manners who, for over 50 years, blazed a trail for using combinations of vibrations to alleviate disturbances of both body and mind. At his clinic in Worcestershire (UK) he treated many who could not find any relief from traditional medicine by applying a special electronic device that he called the Cymatic instrument. He called his methods Cymatics, meaning “wave forms”, which he borrowed from his colleague Hans Jenny. His knowledge of sound/vibration from its physics to its healing capacity was vast and can be attested to by this writer who spent several days with him in 1988. His great achievement was the actual invention, with the help of an engineer, of the Cymatic instrument which, in its current updated form, is known as the Cyma1000. Manners did make presentations about his work from time to time but he never wrote a book outlining all the aspects and potential of Cymatics or as it is now called Cymatherapy.
Since the closure of his clinic in 2005 and subsequent death, his chief assistant Chris Gibbs has taken on Manners’s mantle and carried forward the use of Cymatics which he combines with other forms of therapy in his practice, By writing a very thorough book on the subject covering every aspect: its history and development, the science behind it and the actual workings of the instrument in relation to all kinds of ailments, Gibbs has finally demystified its purpose and uses after years of people questioning the validity of Manners’s work.
For its history Gibbs takes us all the way back to Einstein who advocated that the physical world is built upon a foundation of interacting vibrational energy states. The implications of this, as Gibbs states, is: “…everything that exists in a physical form actually has a vibrational or motion-like essence as its most fundamental level. This means that every atom, cell, tissue, organ and fluid within the human body actually possesses a unique set of structuring and regulating vibrational energy frequencies.” As the story unfolds. Gibbs relates that certain researchers in Eastern Europe followed on from these principles and experimented with vibrations for therapeutic purposes. Much of the findings were lost during the Second World war but somehow Manners recovered an extensive catalogue of therapeutic frequency codes which form the basis of the Cymatic instrument.
This book is a veritable manual for anyone who would take up the practice of using the Cyma1000 instrument or who would consider having its applications. For the latter the frequency codes known as “commutations” can be used for physical structures and pathologies,, mental states and subtle energy systems. It is truly a holistic approach as he gives in this example: “…the therapeutic design for tension headaches would include relevant physical commutations such as muscle stiffness, psychological commutations for relevant mental symptoms such as stress or frustration and energetic commutations for potential disturbances within subtle energy systems.” Speaking of subtle energy systems, it is very notable that there are even frequency codes for inducing the brainwave states of alpha, theta and delta, the vital life force and the seven chakras among others. The commutations cover every conceivable weakness in our psychology and have correspondences with the Bach flower remedies and colour therapy. Some colours are linked with vitamin supplements which is quite a new concept. All of these are neatly laid out in representative charts.
The last thirteen chapters are like a health bible, outlining the nature and root causes of the many illnesses that can overtake our bodies. And then Gibbs goes on to delineate what kinds of commutations would be appropriate in each case. For the layman interested in receiving Cymatherapy, the most apposite chapter is “Research and Case Studies” in which cases of back pain, disc injury, osteoarthritis,, fractures, stroke rehabilitation, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, asthma, chronic stress, depression. drug dependency and anti-aging skin support are explored. This chapter also has illustrations of the “before and after” conditions of the client. | https://www.soundtravels.co.uk/a-REVIEW_OF_CYMATHERAPY__A_PRACTICAL_GUIDE_FOR_EVERYONE_By_Chris_Gibbs,_Bsc__DCM-164.aspx |
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is referred to as the silent thief because it slowly steals your sight before you realize anything is wrong, starting with your peripheral vision. It’s a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the U.S.
Glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerve, which is accompanied by high pressure inside your eye. Blind spots being to form in your visual field when the optic nerve is damaged. If left untreated, glaucoma may lead to blindness in both eyes.
Advances in medicine have made it much easier to diagnose and treat glaucoma.
How is glaucoma diagnosed?
Dr. Gupta will perform an evaluation to get a complete medical history and eye examination, we may perform the following tests to diagnose glaucoma.
- Visual Field- tests a patient’s peripheral vision.
- Tonometry- a test to determine the fluid pressure inside the eye
- Visual acuity test- the eye chart test, which measures vision ability at different distances.
How is glaucoma treated?
Currently there is no cure for glaucoma. There are several effective treatment options for our patients to manage the condition including using drops as well as the latest and greatest in surgical options that you can discuss with your doctor and make the best decision.
Our doctors will help you make the best treatment based on:
- Extent of the disease.
- Your age, overall health, and medical history.
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- How the disease might progress. | https://www.utaheyecenters.com/glaucoma/ |
Communications - definition of communications by the free dictionary communications and computer applications in public health communications and computer. The review was conducted on behalf of the cpstf by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice, and policy related to health communication and social marketing context. Health communications culture affects how people communicate, understand, and respond to health information cultural and linguistic competency of health professionals contribute to health literacy. Communication is an important component in the health care field employees in hospitals, nursing homes and other medical settings need to communicate regularly with patients and residents about medical procedures, daily care tasks and the patient's overall health. With the proper training, health care professionals can identify patients' specific health literacy levels and make simple communication adjustments patients' health literacy may be affected if they have.
Communication definition: communications are the systems and processes that are used to communicate or broadcast | meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples. Addition of 'health' to the definition of communication as a 'resource' that allows health messages (for example prevention, risk or awareness) to be used in the edu- cation and avoidance of ill health. Health communication and health information technology the hp2010 objective with the same definition was 11-06a hc/hit-3 increase the proportion of persons.
Effective communication in hospitals good medical care depends upon effective communication between you and your provider(s) ineffective communication can lead to improper diagnosis and delayed or improper medical treatment. Health communication is the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health health literacy health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health. By definition, communication is the transfer of information from one place to another from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to. Object moved this document may be found here. Evidence-based information on definition of communication in nursing from hundreds of trustworthy sources for health and social care make better, quicker, evidence based decisions.
Communication in health care good communication with patients, families, caregivers, consultants and referring physicians is absolutely vital to good patient care many years ago, one of my attending physicians told me that you can tell how good a physician is by the size of his/her phone bill. That the health care experience is enhanced by effective communication between healthcare workers and their patients is a well established fact byproducts of this enhanced communication include improved health outcomes, 1 better patient compliance, 2 3-5 and improved satisfaction of workers and patients 6,7. The ideas people have about health, the languages they use, the health literacy skills they have, and the contexts in which they communicate about health reflect their cultures organizations can increase communication effectiveness when they recognize and bridge cultural differences that may. Communication [kŏ-mu″nĭ-ka´shun] the sending of information from one place or individual to another communication disorders mental disorders characterized by. Impact of communication in healthcare extensive research has shown that no matter how knowledgeable a clinician might be, if he or she is not able to open good communication with the patient, he or she may be of no help 1.
Case examples where hipaa allows for provider to provider communication without a signed release: at his 13 yr old well-visit, an adolescent (and his parent) tells his pediatrician that he is seeing a psychiatrist because of depression and he is doing better. Health communication is widely considered to be a major aspect of any public health campaign strategies integrated into a community, based on personal contact and delivered through culturally appro- priate media, are effective communication tools in ghana. Medical definition of privileged communication: a communication between parties to a confidential relation (as between physician and patient) such that the recipient cannot be legally compelled to disclose it as a witness.
Definition of healthcare policy to advance the public's health amia's nursing informatics working group serves as the united states' representative to the international medical informatics association (imia) nursing informatics special interest group. Tion, health journalism, tv and electronic communication electronic communication is the mode of communication which karin eichele explores in her webscout column in.
Healthcare communications: foundations for understanding communications in health communications and ☛ discuss the institute of medicine's definition of. Communication skills for the health care professional concepts, practice, and evidence gwen van servellen, phd, rn, faan professor emeritus university of california, los angeles. The role of the health care assistant communication methods communication is about much more than the words we say the tone of our voice when we speak, the. Health literacy and clear communication between health professionals and patients are key to improving health and the quality of health care we create, promote, and curate evidence-based health literacy and communication tools, practices, and research for health professionals.
2018. | http://fytermpapernlnf.orlandoparks.info/definition-of-healthcare-communication.html |
The variability of sample average is decreasing with larger sample size (larger value of n).
As gets smaller the sample size (n) gets larger
All else being equal, the larger the sample size (n), the steeper/taller/narrower the normal curve (tells us how close we are to the true value).
Variability of sample average is larger when the population variance is larger. Larger population variance means our individual draws of the X’s are more spread out.
Unbiased – since the expected value of is equal to the thing we are trying to estimate, we say that is an unbiased estimate of the population mean ().
The sample Xi must be independent, which means covariance = 0 in .
= E(Xi) = expected mean
Let X1, X2, … Xn ~ N(, ) iid, then ~ N(,( /n)) This is sample average for normal distribution.
------- This is for sample average distribution calculation
------------ 95% confidence interval
------------ 68% confidence interval
We denote standard error as , and using the formula = / where n = sample size (find sample mean’s standard deviation to ultimate find 95% confidence interval).
Confidence Intervals answer the basic questions about what our parameter is and how sure we are of the parameter.
Small interval, we can know a lot about it.
Larger interval – we don’t know much. | https://www.majortests.com/essay/Business-Statistics-Final-Prep-595114.html |
Dietary soy consumption has been associated with decreased breast cancer risk in demographic and observational studies in women, and the protective effects appear to be stronger when soy is consumed earlier in life. Rodent studies have demonstrated profound protective effects for animals exposed early in life to soy isoflavones. Our data in the postmenopausal monkey model clearly show antiproliferative effects of soy consumption on the breast, and we have also observed that soy consumption reduces estrogen exposure of the breast. We have demonstrated the predictive value of the monkey model for breast cancer risk in the postmenopausal setting, and we believe that the model is particularly applicable to studies of pubertal breast development, which is difficult to study in human patients. We hypothesize that dietary soy consumption during puberty reduces breast proliferation, induces breast differentiation, and reduces hormonal exposure to the developing breast; such an effect would explain the observed lower risk of breast cancer in women and animals exposed to soy diets early in life. To test this hypothesis, we propose to randomize 40 pre-pubertal female cynomolgus monkeys to receive either a high-soy diet (modeling a soy-supplemented diet) or no dietary soy (modeling a typical North American diet), and to follow them longitudinally through the course of menarche and pubertal breast development by repeated sampling via breast biopsies and serum collection. Our specific aims are: 1) to determine breast tissue responses to soy consumption during puberty; 2) to determine the effects of dietary soy on ovarian hormones during menarche and menstrual cycling; 3) to determine intratissue estrogens and the enzymes that regulate local estrogen production in the breast; and 4) to explore patterns of gene expression in mammary epithelium which may be modulated by soy consumption. The proposed work will provide a unique view of an otherwise inaccessible period of breast development in a primate model with high genetic and physiologic similarity to human beings.
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Is well known for its perfect menu, unique and great taste. We always serve just fresh and healthy dishes, a wide variety of snacks, fresh vegetables, salads and fruit. The cooks often offer guests to try traditional, tasty local dishes made of wild berries or mushrooms, such as chanterelles, boletus. The menu is renewed with many creative, special festive dishes and pastries from Dzūkija region during traditional celebrations. During the meals guests are always offered freshly baked rolls, bread and pastries, baked by SPA VILNIUS bakers.
Breakfast
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Dinner
VII-IV 18.00-20.00, V-VI 18.00-21.00
Dinner 23 €
Restaurant dress code – smart casual. | https://www.spavilnius.lt/en/druskininkai/buffet |
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has presented five additional instruments for the regulation and development of information technology (IT) in the country.
The Agency also called for the full interaction and harmonization of all automated systems in order to save cost, time and to increase efficiency in governance in Nigeria through ICT.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr. Isa Pantami made the call in Abuja during the presentation and official signing off of the additional five IT regulatory instruments.
Dr. Pantami said NITDA is poised at leveraging the current ICT development and adoption across the globe to transform our economy and ensure sustainable development in recognition of its regulatory and development and advisory mandate.
‘‘We believe that our regulatory and advisory roles should be geared towards the development of ICT and its integration to implement socio-economic agenda of the government at all levels. We should not by any means stifle ICT development especially to the detriment of our indigenous IT companies.
‘‘NITDA as the apex agency responsible for the development and regulation of IT in Nigeria must ensure it walks the talk and builds an enabling environment for the growth of ICT industry; pave way for efficient and sustainable use and adoption of ICT for the development and growth of the country. It is on this conviction that we are building a strong foundation for ICT development and growth through effective regulation.’’
He added that “NITDA will do everything possible to pursue vigorously the implementation of the regulatory instruments and ensure their violators are appropriately sanctioned, maintaining that the ICT sector cannot be effectively developed without relevant rules and regulations creating a certain level of uniformity, consistency and careful investments in the right type of technology needed in a country such as ours.’’
The five instruments include; Guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in Information and Communications Technology as amended; Nigeria e-Government Interoperability Framework (Ne-GIF); Nigeria ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship Vision (NIIEV); Nigeria Cloud Computing Policy and Framework and Guidelines for ICT Adoption in Tertiary Intuitions.
for Nigerian Content Development in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) on three core focus areas: driving indigenous innovation, developing the local ICT Industry and establishing Intellectual Property regulation and protection standards. Each of them has a set of related strategic goals
The Nigeria e-Govemment Interoperability Framework (Ne-GlF) provides tools, Specifications and recommendations based on open Standards for supporting public institutions in undertaking interoperability of e-government solutions and information exchange for the provision of digital services that require two or more public institutions.
It said, the Nigeria ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship Vision (NIIEV) is a conpendium of policy recommendations and incentives designed to strengthen the Nigerian technology ecosystem. It consists of Digital Infrastructure development, Education Reform, Skills Development and R&D as well as Support for ICT Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Innovation.
The goal for the Nigeria Cloud Computing Policy (NCCP) is to ensure a 30% increase in the adoption of cloud computing by 2024 among Federal public institutions (FPIs) and SMEs that provide digital-enbled services to the government. The policy also targets 35% increase in cloud computing investments by 2024.
NITDA explained that the goal for the Framework and Guidelines for ICT Adoption in Tertiary Institutions, is to provide a flexible and comprehensive general framework and guidelines for the deployment of ICT tools in Nigerian tertiary institutions for effective and efficient support of the core business processes of teaching, learning, research, and administration.
With this launch, it brings the total number of regulatory frameworks by NITDA with in seven months.
The 10 regulatory instruments are expected to address various challenges facing Nigeria towards effective ICT deployment and adoption in both public and private services.
It would be recalled that the agency had on 25th January launched and signed off five regulatory instruments.
In his remarks, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State,Mr. Abdullahi Sule applauded NITDA for coming up with the new regulatory instruments which he said would helvonp promote local content, reduce cost in governance, increase digitization and ensure connectivity among government agencies.
Governor Sule also said his administration is seeking collaborate with NITDA for deployment of ICT for economic growth in Nasarawa state. | https://www.von.gov.ng/nitda-unveils-five-additional-it-regulatory-instruments/ |
Degrees:
- Ph.D., Syracuse University, Philosophy
- B.A., College of William and Mary, Philosophy and Economics
I joined the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Ithaca College in 2006, and began working in the H&S Dean's office in the fall of 2016.
Research Interests:
My current interests include:
- the "problem of the criterion", a chicken-and-egg question concerning whether we can have justification for beliefs about the criteria for belonging to a category unless we first have justification for beliefs about which items in fact belong to that category, and vice versa. For instance: can we have justification for believing that Michelangelo's David is a work of art without first having justification for believing a certain definition of the concept 'art'? And can we can have justification for believing that a certain definition of the concept 'art' is correct without first having justification for beliefs about which things count as works of art? I'm interested in a number of questions related to this problem.
- the semantics of "singular terms" (terms used to talk about a single thing), particularly definite descriptions and names for fictional characters. And relatedly, the metaphysics of fictional characters. Does the name 'Sherlock Holmes' actually refer to something (perhaps a thing created by Conan Doyle), or do we merely pretend that the name refers? If Conan Doyle created something that we refer to in using the name 'Sherlock', did Tolkien also create things that we talk about in using the term 'orcs'?
- the structure of "epistemic justification". What does it take for a belief to count as justified, and in particular might the justification can a proposition be justified by an infinite series of further propositions?
- free will and moral responsibility: what would it take for us to count as possessing free will?
Teaching Interests:
I enjoy teaching introductory-level philosophy, logic, and a variety of upper-division philosophy courses in the philosophy of language, epistemology, and metaphysics.
Selected Publications:
‘Fictional Realism and Indeterminate Identity’, Journal of Philosophical Research, 40, 2015: 205-225.
‘Definite Descriptions and Semantic Pluralism’, Philosophical Papers, 43 (2), 2014: 255-284.
‘Names and Obstinate Rigidity’, The Southern Journal of Philosophy, 51 (2), 2013: 224-242.
‘Two-Dimensionalism and Fictional Names’, in Truth in Fiction, edited by Franck Lihoreau, Ontos Verlag, 2011: 43-76. | https://faculty.ithaca.edu/bmurday/ |
Reasons for Belief by Professor Andrew Reisner
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Synopsis
Philosophers have long been concerned about what we know and how we know it. Increasingly, however, a related question has gained prominence in philosophical discussion: what should we believe and why? This volume brings together twelve new essays that address different aspects of this question. The essays examine foundational questions about reasons for belief, and use new research on reasons for belief to address traditional epistemological concerns such as knowledge, justification and perceptually acquired beliefs. This book will be of interest to philosophers working on epistemology, theoretical reason, rationality, perception and ethics. It will also be of interest to cognitive scientists and psychologists who wish to gain deeper insight into normative questions about belief and knowledge.
Andrew Reisner is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at McGill University. He has published a number of articles on theoretical reason and normativity.
Asbjørn Steglich-Petersen is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Aarhus University. He has published widely in epistemology and metaphysics, and is editor of Metaphysics: 5 Questions (2011).
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Thanks to my dad’s skillful use of the standing stones, it took us only three days of easy travel to reach the Avalon border. Titania had offered to send a couple of her Knights with us for security, but my dad had declined the offer. No, I wasn’t what you’d call completely safe. Despite his nasty personality, Henry surely had friends who would hate me forever for killing him, and we had no way of knowing if Mab still wanted me dead or not.
“The extra security would be nice,” my dad told me, “but I suspect the Knights would be there more as spies than protectors, and I’d rather do without.”
When he put it that way, I couldn’t help but agree. Besides, the six of us all by ourselves could travel at a quicker pace than we could if we had another handful of Knights—and their supplies—with us.
That last terrible day in the woods seemed to have changed something between Ethan and Keane. Not that they suddenly liked each other or anything—they still bickered enough to make themselves truly annoying—but I no longer got the feeling they might burst into violence at any moment. Even when Kimber and Keane weren’t as sneaky about stealing kisses as they thought.
When I saw how Keane looked at her when she wasn’t looking, I stopped worrying that he was using her to get to Ethan. Maybe it had started out that way, but it was definitely more than that now.
Everyone was still pretty mad at me for all the secrets I’d kept, particularly Kimber. But I got the feeling it was the kind of mad that would fade away in time. I’d come close to completely destroying our friendship, and I knew it. I couldn’t swear I’d never keep a secret from her again—after all, I was still keeping a secret, enforced by the Erlking’s geis—but I was going to make every effort to be as open with her as humanly possible.
You might think now that I had an arrangement with Titania, my dad would finally ease up on some of the paranoid security measures he’d been taking to keep me protected. Like maybe he would let me live with him in his real, normal house instead of keeping me entombed in my underground safe house. Or that he might decide I no longer needed a bodyguard twenty-four/seven. If you think that, you don’t know my dad.
Sure, I’m in a much safer position than I was before my trip to Faerie. Before going to Faerie, we’d thought both Queens wanted me dead. Maybe Mab still does, but even if Titania might prefer I be dead, she isn’t going to try to arrange it. I pointed out to my dad that everyone now knew how dangerous I was in my own right. At which point my dad pointed out that now that people know about my spell, they’ll be much more able to avoid it. I’ll still always be vulnerable to the surprise attack, or to overwhelming numbers.
Dad has a point, but I can’t help wondering if maybe some of the security stuff is just a way of keeping me from being alone with Ethan. There are times when Dad treats me like he thinks of me as a responsible adult, but as soon as Ethan enters the picture, I become a little girl again. Dad won’t forbid me from seeing Ethan, no matter how little he approves, but he’s going to make damn sure the two of us never have enough privacy for things to go too far. (Dad’s definition of “too far” being anything past first base, as far as I can tell.) Apparently now that I no longer have my agreement with the Erlking forcing me to chastity, my dad is convinced I’ll turn into a sex-crazed teen and let Ethan get away with anything he damn well pleases.
I’d never admit it out loud, but in some ways, I’m glad for my dad’s overprotectiveness. I love Ethan, and I love knowing that I’m no longer under the Erkling’s thumb. I love knowing that when I’m ready, we can go all the way. But I know I’m not ready yet, and as long as my dad doesn’t give us alone time, I don’t have to tell Ethan that.
I’m trying to be more trusting these days, I really am. But it’s not so easy to change who I am at my core. I tell myself that Ethan would be just fine with waiting until I’m ready, and most of the time I actually believe it. But there’s a part of me that fears if I tell him no, he’ll start pushing. Or worse, that he’ll dump me. If this thing between us is ever going to go to the next level, I’m going to have to face that fear eventually. But for the time being, I’m perfectly happy to let my dad’s rules and regulations make it a moot point.
Which brings me to my mom.
I wish I could say I returned home to Avalon to find my mom a changed woman, sober and vowing to stay that way. I wish I could say that our tempestuous parting had finally broken through the walls of denial and shown her that her drinking didn’t only hurt her, it hurt me as well. I wish that fearing she would lose me were enough to give her the will to get her life under control.
Unfortunately, I can’t say any of those things. My mom was living in an apartment my dad had rented for her, seeing as she was too flat broke to afford anything on her own. Dad took me to see her on the very day we made it back from Avalon, but she didn’t answer when we rang the doorbell. Dad wasn’t overly concerned with her right to privacy, so he used his magic to coax the lock open and let us in.
We found my mom on the floor in the bathroom. Taking a shower when you’re too drunk to stand up can be hazardous to your health. My mom had apparently tripped over the edge of the tub trying to get out and had broken her hip. She’d been lying there just over twenty-four hours when my dad and I found her. I shudder to think what might have happened if we’d stayed in Faerie a day or two longer. I don’t think anyone would have found her until too late, and I couldn’t thank my dad enough for deciding to go in even though she hadn’t answered the door. | http://freewso.asia/read-novel/sirensong-1-chuong-93.html |
Comments: Softcover, 225 x 140 mm. First edition, 2003. Black & white photographs. Limited edition to 250 numbered copies. In very good condition.
An actual dance card is typically a booklet with a decorative cover, listing dance titles, composers, and the person with whom the woman intended to dance. Typically, it would have a cover indicating the sponsoring organization of the ball and a decorative cord by which it could be attached to a lady’s wrist or ball gown. From the 19th century until World War I, dance cards for the elite of Austria-Hungary were often very elaborate, with some even incorporating precious metals and jewels. | https://placartphoto.com/book/1650/dance_card_vol.2_(ltd_edition)-john_gossage |
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The profile is targeted students that seek positions in management accounting where the student on basis of economic theory is able to...
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Radboud is world-leading in studying the epigenome. The MSc in Medical Epigenomics looks at the cell as one big and complex system and uses state-of-the-art technology and bio ...
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Unique in Australia, this course offers a thorough grounding in state-of-the-art biotechnology in combination with training in the enterprise, commercialization and intellectu ...
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The Master of Medical Biotechnology is designed for students who seek knowledge and technological expertise in specific areas of cell and molecular biology, which is the basis ...
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Second level studies in Medical Biotechnology at the Faculty of Biotechnology enable students to develop skills in solving problems arising in experimental work. Individual ma ...
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The Master Degree in Medical-pharmaceutical biotechnology provides an advanced scientific preparation on biotechnology topics oriented to medicine and pharmacology through the ...
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Master’s Degree Programme in Bioinformatics offers you in-depth knowledge about relationships of biology and computational science, provides you skills you can utilize as bioi ...
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The aim of the course is to prepare graduates with good biomedical culture, with in-depth knowledge of biotechnology, acquired and consolidated on an important practical exper ...
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This program combines fundamental concepts and knowledge in engineering, biology, and medicine to develop innovative technologies, materials, processes, and systems, with the ...
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The Master of Medical Biotechnology is for two distinct groups of students, namely the professional scientists wishing to update their industry-related skills for career advan ...
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The area of professional activity of masters: research, production and use of enzymes, viruses, microorganisms, cell cultures of plants and animals
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Delve into the details of data and prepare for a career in the study of information and computation in biology and health. Students make a difference working on research proje ... | https://www.healthcarestudies.nz/Masters-Degree/Biomedical-Technology/Part-time/amp/ |
23 April 2015
PHNOM PENH (Khmer Times) – The Asian-African Conference, which has taken place all week in Bandung, Indonesia, marks another major milestone in strengthening of ties between Asian and African countries and peoples.
In 1955, 29 countries from Asia and Africa, many of them newly independent, gathered in Bandung to strengthen their sovereignty, independence, and neutrality. The movement was later transformed into a Non-Aligned Movement to counter threats posed by the Cold War. Cambodia was a founding member of the movement.
In the last 60 years, regional and global circumstances have changed significantly. The Conference, a bridge linking Asia and Africa, has been reformed to address emerging issues confronting both regions and beyond.
The agenda of the Asian-African Conference, or Bandung Conference, has broadened. In the Declaration on the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership in 2005, cooperation covers three broad areas of partnership: political solidarity, economic cooperation, and socio-cultural relations.
This year is a special year. It marks the 60th anniversary of the Asian-African Conference and 10th anniversary of the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership. Delegates from 109 Asian and African countries, 16 observer countries, and 25 international organizations were invited to the meeting to commemorate.
At the conference, leaders called for restructuring the global order to be more inclusive and just. They stressed the importance of strengthening global norms with an emphasis on self-determination, equality, and non-intervention.
Speaking at the conference, the Indonesian host, President Joko Widodo, urged for the reconfiguration of the global economic order. He stated: “It’s imperative that we build a new international order that is open to new emerging economic powers.”
China: 1+1>2
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “a new type of international relations.”
“The deepening cooperation of Asian and African countries could generate a ‘one plus one is more than two’ effect […] we need to deepen regional and cross-regional cooperation and promote liberalization of trade and investment.” Xi added.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen stressed the principles of self-determination and non-interference as foundations of international peace, stability, and development. He added that it is necessary to transform South-South cooperation into “a potential instrument of sustainable development and global prosperity.”
South Africa’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa urged for deepening economic cooperation between the two continents in the new era of global trade.
“Today our people are reaffirming a commitment made in 1955 and again in 2005 with the Asian-African strategic partnership that recognized the urgency to promote economic development in Asia and Africa,” stated Ramaphosa.
1955 Ideals Still Relevant
From the standpoint of the developing world, the Bandung spirit, which refers to the 10 principles of the 1955 Bandung Conference, remains relevant in contemporary world affairs.
The new directions of the conference reflect a commitment of Asian and African leaders to restructure an existing unfair world economic order mainly shaped by developed economies.
Leaders demand a more inclusive global economic system that is more open to the developing world. Trade, investment, infrastructure development, and sustainable development are four core areas of future cooperation between these two rising continents.
How far the Bandung spirit and the struggle to restructure the world economic order can be concretized depends on political will and capacity of conference member countries. They need to build an inclusive political and economic structure at home while promoting such norm abroad. People-centered regional integration and economic development deserve more attention at the conference.
China and India may need to take stronger leadership role in the group’s commitment and development agenda. China’s “Belt and Road” initiative, the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and BRICS New Development Bank can serve as core financial instruments to develop infrastructure and economic corridors between the two continents. | https://vannarithchheang.com/2015/04/23/asian-and-african-leaders-seek-inclusive-world-economic-order/ |
Citizen Science is a US government project which involves public participation in conducting scientific analysis based on data available from various sources such as telescopes in astronomy. People all over the world participate voluntarily and analyze these images making new discoveries. More information for anyone interested in being involved in some of the scientific projects can be found at CitizenScience.gov as well as watch the video below:
One of the many projects under this innovative idea of involving the public in making scientific discoveries is the Hubble Asteroid Hunter project. The aim of this project was to identify asteroids in archival images from the Hubble Space Telescope data. There were an astounding 37323 images taken from April 2002 to March 2021 with this telescope. This project was launched on the Zooinverse platform asking for public participation in June 2019.
In order to familiarize people with the asteroids, which should show up as trails in all the images, about 20 images with identified asteroids were released for pre-training. After this, the volunteers could start identifying asteroids in all the other Hubble images. Thanks to a large public participation of 11482 volunteers that thousands of new asteroids were discovered in these images which spanned over 30 years. Astronomers then used these newly found asteroids to train their automated deep learning model and were able to find additional asteroids in the images which were either missed by the human eye or were not obvious enough for the previous model.
In total, 1701 asteroids were discovered, of which 1031 were previously unknown. This discovery was published in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Journal in June 2022. This work is a steppingstone toward removing the bias associated with asteroid discoveries which often miss the small ones. A complete size distribution of these tiny (in astronomical terms) objects is essential to understand the puzzle of formation of our Solar System. | https://www.labroots.com/trending/chemistry-and-physics/23046/thousands-asteroids-discovered-hubble-images |
Bodhidharma was a semi-legendary Indian monk who lived from approximately 440 CE - 528 CE. Bodhidharma is traditionally held to be the founder of the Ch'an (known in Japan and the West as Zen) school of Buddhism, and the Shaolin school of kung fu.
In the Chinese language, his name is transliterated as Pu2 Ti2 Da2 Mo2 (菩提達摩) or simply Da2 Mo2. He is known as Daruma in Japanese.
Bodhidharma was born in what is now southern India around 440. He travelled to teach in China in about 475, where he found would-be Buddhists preoccupied with scholasticism and attempting to earn favorable karma through good works.
Bodhidharma travelled to various Chinese monasteries, teaching and giving sermons. According to tradition, he was invited to an audience with Emperor Wu Di[?] of the Liang dynasty[?] in 520. When the Emperor asked him how much merit he had accumulated through building temples and endowing monasteries, Bodhidharma replied, "None at all." Perplexed, the Emperor then asked, "Well, what is the fundamental teaching of Buddhism?" "Vast emptiness," was the bewildering reply. "Listen," said the Emperor, now losing all patience, "just who do you think you are?" "I have no idea," Bodhidharma replied.
With this, Bodhidharma was banished from the Court, and is said to have sat in meditation for the next seven years "listening to the ants scream."
Another story credits Bodhidharma with bringing tea to China. Supposedly, he cut off his eyelids while meditating, to keep from falling asleep. Tea bushes sprung from the spot where his eyelids hit the ground.
Bodhidharma traveled to the recently constructed Shaolin temple in the south of China, where the monks refused him admission. Bodhidharma sat meditating facing a wall for the next 9 years, supposedly burning holes into the wall by staring at it. Only then did the monks of the Shaolin Temple respect Bodhidharma and allow him inside. There, he found the monks so out of shape from a life of study spent copying scrolls that he introduced a regimen of martial excercises, which became the foundation of many later schools of kung fu. | http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/bo/Bodhidharma |
Mumbai, the city which never sleeps also has some of the most amazing religious places to visit. Located on the Western Coast of India, the city is the home of Bollywood and has been the financial hub of the nation since a long time.
Mumbai is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The religious diaspora in the city is just incredible. Whenever you get a chance to visit Mumbai, these are the top 5 religious places you must visit to capture the true essence and spirit of the Mayanagri.
Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai | Photo Credit: ANI
Siddhivinayak Temple
More than 25,000 people visit this temple daily to bring fortune to them and their families. Amazing architecture and the beautiful stalls nearby from where you can buy coconuts and other items for 'Poojan' adds to the beauty of this place. People say that whatever you wish from Lord Ganesha here is fulfilled for sure.
'Mumba Devi' | Wikipedia
Mumba Devi
This temple is the home to the goddess after whom the city is named. Mumba Devi temple is located in Zaveri Bazaar. This temple has great historical significance as it is believed that it was built by the Koli Fisherman, the original residents of the city. The temple was rebuilt in 1737. If you want to capture the essence of the city, you cannot skip a trip to the Mumba Devi temple.
Holy Name Cathedral |
Holy Name Cathedral
Opened for public in 1905, Holy Name Cathedral in Colaba, South Mumbai is one of the major tourist attractions of the city. The Cathedral is home to numerous ancient artworks and has been blessed by a number of Popes. When Pope Paul VI visited Mumbai back in 1964, he gifted a huge ringing bell to the Cathedral which adds to beauty of this place.
St. Thomas' Cathedral | Pinterest
St. Thomas' Cathedral
Built in 1718, St. Thomas' Cathedral is also the first Anglican Church of Mumbai which later became a Cathedral in 1837. This place is known for the extremely fine glass work. The Churchgate district of Mumbai has received its name from the gate of the church which was built by East India Company.
Haji Ali Dargah |
Haji Ali Dargah
Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari built this mosque and tomb back in 1431. Located right in the middle of the ocean near the Worli Coast in Central South Mumbai, Haji Ali is one of the most famous tourist attractions of the city. Especially on Thursdays and Fridays, the Dargah is visited by devotees of all faiths. | https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-from-siddhivinayak-to-haji-ali-here-are-the-top-5-religious-places-you-must-visit |
Society’s energy supply problems could be solved in the future using a model adopted from nature. During photosynthesis, plants, algae and some species of bacteria produce sugars and other energy-rich substances (i.e. fuels) using solar energy. A team headed by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion in Mülheim an der Ruhr is currently developing experimental methods to ascertain how this process occur in nature. The scientists are investigating a particularly important cofactor involved in photosysthesis, a manganese-calcium complex, which uses solar energy to split water into molecular oxygen. They have determined the exact structure of this complex at a crucial stage in this chemical reaction. This has led to a detailed suggestion as to how molecular oxygen, O2, is formed at this metal complex. Through these new insights into photosynthesis, the scientists have provided a blueprint for synthetic systems that could store sunlight energy in chemical energy carriers.
For over three billion years, nature has been using sunlight as its primary energy source in photosynthesis. In the course of this process, plants, algae and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) use sunlight to split water and produce energy-rich chemical compounds from carbon dioxide (CO2). The end product is carbohydrates which, in nature, act as solar fuels in the living cell. Although the basic reactions involved in photosynthesis has been known for a long time, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion in Mülheim an der Ruhr and the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (CEA) in Saclay, France, have now succeeded in explaining important details of the light-induced water splitting process. As a result, they have refined the scientific basis for the generation of environmentally-friendly, low-cost solar fuels through artificial photosynthesis using sunlight and water, a development that could enable society to end its dependency on fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas.
A water splitting catalyst
Light-induced catalytic water splitting takes place at a metal complex which is embedded in a large membrane protein (photosystem II). This complex is composed of four manganese atoms (Mn) and one calcium atom (Ca), which are held together through a network of oxygen bridges (see image). This water-oxidising or oxygen-evolving complex undergoes a complicated cycle that releases electrons and protons, hence ultimately hydrogen, and molecular oxygen.
In an article published this week in the journal Science, the German-French research team presents the structure of this manganese-calcium complex directly before the production of oxygen. This insight into a key stage of plant photosynthesis is highly significant: it provides a more detailed understanding of the mechanism involved in photosynthesis and will enable the development of synthetic systems for light-induced water splitting based on this model.
The study is the result of a close cooperation between the Departments of Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Theory at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion under the leaderships of Wolfgang Lubitz and Frank Neese. Within these departments, Nicholas Cox and Dimitrios Pantazis assembled an interdisciplinary team that aims to gain a better understanding of the molecular details of water-splitting in nature.
Three challenges posed by the research into photosystem II
The first challenge faced by the researchers involved the extraction and purification of photosystem II with a fully intact water-splitting complex from the original organism, a thermophilic cyanobacterium, which is found in hot springs and volcanoes in Japan and is very robust. To fulfil the very stringent requirements regarding the quality of the preparation, the researchers in Saclay had to carry out several years of development work in cooperation with researchers from Japan.
The second challenge the research team encountered concerned the characterisation of the manganese complex in photosystem II during the different stages of water-splitting. The researchers from the Biophysical Chemistry Department of the Mülheim-based Max Planck Institute overcame this hurdle with the help of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). This technique makes it possible to visualise the distribution of the electrons in a molecule or metal complex and thus provides deep insight into the individual stages of water-splitting. “These measurements generated new information and enabled the solvation of problems concerning the detailed analysis of molecular structures in the reaction cycle that are not accessible using other methods,” says Dr Alain Boussac from the CEA Saclay.
Finally, the third challenge consisted in using the information obtained to produce a complete structural model of the biocatalyst. The calculations necessary for this process were facilitated using new theoretical methods and the supercomputers at the Department of Molecular Theory at the Max Planck Institute. In this way, the researchers succeeded in showing that during the late phase of the reaction cycle, a second water molecule binds next to an active oxygen atom in the complex and releases a proton. This leads to the formation of the O-O bond in the next step.
Fuel from sunlight – copying nature
Thanks to this decoding of the structure and function of the water-splitting catalyst in photosystem II at atomic level, an explanation of the water splitting mechanism is now within reach. This knowledge enables the identification of important criteria for the design of similar synthetic catalysts that split water using environmentally-friendly, low-cost and easily available elements. At present, expensive platinum and other rare metals or metal complexes are widely used for this purpose. This makes the large-scale production of renewable energy carriers (fuels) like hydrogen very expensive, or even impossible.
With the help of bio-inspired catalysts, hydrogen or another solar fuel could be produced cheaply through the combination of solar power devices with water-splitting catalysts for the generation of solar fuels instead of electricity. This would enable the energy sector to overcome the main problems associated with solar power: sunlight is not available around the clock as an energy source, and electricity is not very wellsuited for running motor vehicles. In contrast, the solar fuel concept enables the direct storage of solar energy in chemical compounds and, therefore, the use of this energy at any time or place. | https://www.mpg.de/8373743/photosynthetic-water-splitting |
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The mission of the City of Holland Employee Wellness Program is to provide a comprehensive program for employee health and wellness that will serve to improve the overall health for City of Holland employees to its optimum level. This will be accomplished through an ongoing program involving health and fitness assessments, employee needs surveys, and customized educational programs and fitness activities under the direction of the Human Resources staff.
The program currently offers several fitness programs over the course of the wellness year (November through October) as well as educational classes on a variety of health and wellness topics.
The wellness program is planned and implemented by a committee comprised of Human Resources staff and employees from various departments and/or facilities, as follows:
Full time employees are required to do "Two and Two" (two Wellness Programs and two Wellness Classes) or the "One and Done" (Biometric Screening with your PCP) in order to be compliant with the City Wellness. | https://cityofholland.com/181/Wellness-Program |
There are 5 major Mayan ruins sites within driving distance of Puerto Morelos. Two of these sites, Tulum and Coba, make for an easy day trip. Chichen Itza and Ek Balam are whole day adventures.
Chichen Itza which means “at the mouth of the well of Itza “, is the 2nd most visited archeological site in Mexico. The Kukulkan Pyramid in Chichen-Itza is one of the new seven wonders of the world. It is exactly 24 m. high considering the upper platform. Apart from the Kukulkan Pyramid, in Chichen Itza there many other archaeological sites to visit, all carrying traces from Mayan Culture in many ways.
The Coba Ruins are located between two lakes in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, and was once an important Mayan city. Despite its proximity to the coastal tourist areas of the Riviera Maya, Coba is much less well known than any of the other great Mayan cities. Only a small fraction of the many structures have been excavated and this, together with the remote jungle setting, add to the feeling of being an early discoverer. | http://pomovillas.com/explore-mayan-ruins-pomo-villas/ |
OHO Media is committed to providing content that contributes positively to our readers and the regional communities that we write about.
OHO Media is a private company (ACN 613 642 265). Our journalists are predominately located in regional areas of Australia with the headquarters located in Healesville, Victoria.
Editorial Policy
We conduct our journalism in accordance with the guidelines of the Australian Press Council.
If you wish to lodge a complaint, please visit our Complaints Policy page.
The General Principles
Accuracy and clarity
1. Ensure that factual material in news reports and elsewhere is accurate and not misleading, and is distinguishable from other material such as opinion.
2. Provide a correction or other adequate remedial action if published material is significantly inaccurate or misleading.
Fairness and balance
3. Ensure that factual material is presented with reasonable fairness and balance, and that writers’ expressions of opinion are not based on significantly inaccurate factual material or omission of key facts.
4. Ensure that where material refers adversely to a person, a fair opportunity is given for subsequent publication of a reply if that is reasonably necessary to address a possible breach of General Principle 3.
If you feel a writers opinion has been presented with bias, please visit our complaints page to lodge a complaint.
Privacy and avoidance of harm
5. Avoid intruding on a person’s reasonable expectations of privacy, unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest.
6. Avoid causing or contributing materially to substantial offence, distress or prejudice, or a substantial risk to health or safety, unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest.
Integrity and transparency
7. Avoid publishing material which has been gathered by deceptive or unfair means, unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest.
8. Ensure that conflicts of interests are avoided or adequately disclosed, and that they do not influence published material.
Additional guidelines developed internally include:
DISCRIMINATION
OHO Media will not act in a way (nor accept views that are) discriminatory of race, age, gender, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation, nationality or disability.
OPPOSITION TO EDITORIAL CORRUPTION
We do not accept payment or receive gifts in exchange for our editorial content. Our journalist do attend press events and occasionally arrange for complimentary tickets and experiences with PR representatives depending on the local and industry conventions. However, we always ensure our coverage of these experiences is independent, that complimentary access to venues or events never influences our reviews, and that no conflict of interest occurs.
If you wish to lodge a complaint regarding editorial corruption, please visit our Complaints Policy page.
ACCREDITATION OF CONTRIBUTORS
All text and images are attributed to the author and clearly labelled alongside the published content. In some cases where images have been supplied by a partner company, the images will be marked ‘images supplied’.
COMMERCIAL CONTENT
Our journalism is always independent of advertisers and commercial partners. Content produced in partnership with an advertiser is always labelled clearly.
Commercial content includes content highlighting experiences and products from our own e-commerce store.
On Privacy
Privacy Principle 1: Collection of personal information
In gathering news, journalists should seek personal information only in the public interest. In doing so, journalists should not unduly intrude on the privacy of individuals and should show respect for the dignity and sensitivity of people encountered in the course of gathering news.
In accordance with Principle 5 of the Council’s Statement of Principles, news obtained by unfair or dishonest means should not be published unless there is an overriding public interest.
Generally, journalists should identify themselves as such. However, journalists and photographers may at times need to operate surreptitiously to expose crime, significantly antisocial conduct, public deception or some other matter in the public interest.
Public figures necessarily sacrifice their right to privacy, where public scrutiny is in the public interest. However, public figures do not forfeit their right to privacy altogether. Intrusion into their right to privacy must be related to their public duties or activities.
Privacy Principle 2: Use and disclosure of personal information
Personal information gathered by journalists and photographers should only be used for the purpose for which it was intended. A person who supplies personal information should have a reasonable expectation that it will be used for the purpose for which it was collected.
Some personal information, such as addresses or other identifying details, may enable others to intrude on the privacy and safety of individuals who are the subject of news coverage, and their families. To the extent lawful and practicable, a media organisation should only disclose sufficient personal information to identify the persons being reported in the news, so that these risks can be reasonably avoided.
Privacy Principle 3: Quality of personal information
A media organisation should take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information it collects is accurate, complete and up-to-date.
Privacy Principle 4: Security of personal information
A media organisation should take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information it holds is protected from misuse, loss, or unauthorised access.
Privacy Principle 5: Anonymity of sources
All persons who provide information to media organisations are entitled to seek anonymity. The identity of confidential sources should not be revealed, and where it is lawful and practicable, a media organisation should ensure that any personal information which it maintains derived from such sources does not identify the source.
Privacy Principle 6: Correction, fairness and balance
In accordance with Principle 3 of the Council’s Statement of Principles, where individuals are a major focus of news reports or commentary, the publication should ensure fairness and balance in the original article. Failing that, the media organisation should provide a reasonable and swift opportunity for a balancing response in the appropriate section of the publication.
A media organisation should make amends for publishing any personal information that is found to be harmfully inaccurate, in accordance with Principle 2 of the Council’s Statement of Principles. The media organisation should also take steps to correct any of its records containing that personal information, so as to avoid a harmful inaccuracy being repeated.
Privacy Principle 7: Sensitive personal information
In accordance with Principle 8 of the Council’s Statement of Principles, media organisations should not place any gratuitous emphasis on the categories of sensitive personal information listed in Principle 8, except where it is relevant and in the public interest to report and express opinions in these areas.
Members of the public caught up in newsworthy events should not be exploited. A victim or bereaved person has the right to refuse or terminate an interview or photographic session at any time.
Unless otherwise restricted by law or court order, open court hearings are matters of public record and can be reported by the press. Such reports need to be fair and balanced. They should not identify relatives or friends of people accused or convicted of crime unless the reference to them is necessary for the full, fair and accurate reporting of the crime or subsequent legal proceedings. | https://onehourout.com.au/print/?id=5338 |
Bloch, W.
German Sport University
Epigenetics is one of the hot topic research fields in human science disciplines. Evidence suggests that modifications of the
chromatin (e.g. histone modifications and DNA-methylation) as well as the expression of micro RNA molecules play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of several diseases. These mechanisms are involved in the development and maintenance of physical performance by epigenetic modifications of smooth muscle cell-, cardiomyocyte- and endothelial progenitor cell proliferation/differentiation, muscle fibers, satellite cells as well as cells involved in extracellular matrix processing, inflammation and endothelial function (e.g. endothelial nitric oxide synthase regulation). Besides other lifestyle factors, physical activity and sports essentially contribute to health, physical
performance and regeneration.
It will be focused on recent research proposing physical activity as a potent epigenetic regulator in tissue and organs with consequence for function, adaption and regeneration. Especially the modifications of the chromatin by histone modifications and
DNA-methylation by physical activity are focused. The sparse knowledge of physical exercise induced modulation in different cells types associated to performance and health will be discussed.
More knowledge about the molecular mechanisms and dose-response relationships of exercise are needed to understand the role of epigenetic modulation for performance and health by physical exercise programs. | http://healcells.com/2020/09/25/epigenetic-aspects-prof-bloch/ |
Center for Khmer Studies Inc (CKS) is a non-governmental institution supported by international foundations, educational institutions, scholars, the US department of education, and interested individuals and philanthropists from the US, France, and Cambodia.
Our website address is: https://khmerstudies.org.
If you submit a form on our website, we store any personal information you share through the form, such as your name, email address, or phone number if provided when subscribing to a newsletter. We use this information to reply and communicate with you. We provide a method to opt-out of future communication lists in our email newsletters.
When you interact with our website, we automatically record information in our server logs which may include your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and other information related to your visit on the site. Our site uses “cookies” to assist with this information collection. You may be able to change your cookie preferences on your browser, but this may also disable some features of the website. We may use the information we collect to customize content for you, or enhance our services in general.
If you have an account and you log in to this site, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.
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Select information, such as your email address or IP address, may be shared with third parties we work with to run our website and execute sales and marketing activities. The third parties will only use this information to contracted fulfill CKS business needs.
Data submitted in forms may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
We do not sell your information to any third parties for their marketing purposes.
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.
For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
We take efforts to protect the privacy of any personal information we hold, however we cannot guarantee complete security. Unauthorized use or access, system failure, and other factors, may compromise the security of user information at any time.
If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding our privacy policies, please send us a detailed message via our contact form, and we will try to resolve your concerns.
The information you can view, update, and remove may change as our services change. If you have any questions about viewing, updating or removing the personal information that we have on file about you, please email your request to [email protected] with the subject line “Personal Information Request.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for CKS updates. | https://khmerstudies.org/privacy-policy/ |
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