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Each association, small or huge, gathers information from multiple sources. This accompanies an obligation to guarantee that approaches, cycles, and devices are set up to deal with information in a steady and secure way while applicable laws and regulations.
With Salesforce org generating tons of data (often consuming data from other systems), understanding governance and implementing management practices is more crucial than ever before.
This article takes a look at the differences between the two and how they relate to each other.
What is Data Governance?
While there are a couple of definitions for Data Governance, it is an assortment of standards and practices that oversee information from its beginning to its authentic/cleanse the “information life cycle”.
Data life cycles refer to the various stages that data moves through:
- Creation;
- Storage;
- Usage;
- Archival or Purge.
It’s a simple yet exhaustive definition that covers all parts of Governance from the point at which data is generated.
This overarching discipline touches almost every aspect of business today. More and more businesses are realizing the value of data, they are beginning to treat it as an asset to maintain, or even as an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
As a result of effective data governance policies, businesses can ensure that their data is secure, trustworthy, properly managed, documented, and auditable, as needed. While compliance is one aspect that drives businesses to implement best practices, data governance can also help in growth and improved business outcomes.
What is Data Management?
Data Management is the process of storing, organizing, securing, and maintaining data. A key goal of data management is to implement measures that ensure data is viable to be used for its intended purposes only and properly discarded when it ceases to provide value.
Organizations are creating and/or collecting data at an ever-increasing rate, but merely storing data isn’t of much value unless something is done with it.
Another test that organizations face is getting what information is now accessible to them. Proficient information the board rehearses helps to tackle these issues by keeping information coordinated, secure, and open for approved people.
What is the difference between Data Governance and Data Management?
Despite the fact that data management is linked together, it is important to understand the differences between them. it is vital to understand the distinctions between them. This will allow you to focus and allocate the appropriate resources.
Data Governance is a business strategy that is used to securely leverage data to create value and reduce data-related risks to the organization.
Data Management is primarily an IT (Information Technology) practice that is used to ensure accessibility, reliability, and security of data.
So what does this mean in practical terms?
On the one hand, IT teams to focus on “Management” aspects when implementing processes and tools to collect, store, organize, and process data to maintain quality and reliability.
On the other hand, “Governance” focuses on identifying the data and associated assets to ensure that the business can reap the benefits. This is not to say that “Data Governance” doesn’t require any tools to achieve its purpose, it just means that these tools serve a broader purpose.
Suppose that a Salesforce administrator chooses to carry out Dun and Bradstreet’s Optimizer device for constant information purging and information improvement, this is an illustration of information for the executives.
Be that as it may, assuming a business executed an information list of business elements or characterized the jobs and obligations related to overseeing information in the association (for example information stewards and approvers), this would be an example of Data Governance in action.
Another example can be seen in the construction industry.
The blueprint for how a building should be erected is analogous to data management, and the construction of that building is analogous to data management. Governance also includes the technology needed to achieve its goals, tools that help users build a catalog of business data, including the definition of business terms (and any synonyms for those terms) and related attributes. Some tools have the ability to score and evaluate data quality. Others may have capabilities related to data access policies and the ability to link to different systems to consistently apply data management policies.
In the table below, see how key differences between Data Governance and Data Management, both are key to reaping the benefits that data has to offer.
Please click this link to read more about this topic. | https://fidizzi.com/introduction-to-data-governance-and-data-management/ |
The European Parliament,
- having regard to the proposal by the United Kingdom Government to permit medical research using embryos created by cell nuclear replacement (so-called "therapeutic cloning'),
- having regard to its resolutions of 16 March 1989 on the ethical and legal problems of genetic engineering(1)
and on artificial insemination "in vivo" and "in vitro'(2)
, of 28 October 1993 on the cloning of the human embryo(3)
, of 12 March 1997 on cloning(4)
, of 15 January 1998 on human cloning(5)
, and of 30 March 2000(6)
,
- having regard to the Council of Europe's Convention for the protection of human rights and dignity of the human being with regard to the application of biology and medicine - the Convention on human rights and biomedicine - and its own resolution of 20 September 1996 on this subject(7)
, and the additional protocol which forbids the cloning of human beings,
- having regard to Recommendation 1046 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the use of human embryos,
- having regard to the Community's Fifth Framework Research Programme and specific programmes thereunder,
- having regard to Directive 98/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 1998 on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions(8)
,
A. whereas human dignity and the consequent value of each human being are the main aims of Member States, as stated in many modern constitutions,
B. whereas the undoubted need for medical research resulting from advances in knowledge of human genetics must be balanced against strict ethical and social constraints,
C. whereas there are other ways than embryonic cloning of curing serious illnesses, such as those that involve taking stem cells from adults or from the umbilical cords of new-born babies,
and other external causes of disease which require research,
D. whereas the Fifth Framework programme and Council Decision 1999/167/EC of 25 January 1999 adopting a specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration on quality of life and management of living resources (1998 to 2002) state "In the same way, no research activity understood in the sense of the term “cloning”, with the aim of replacing a germ or embryo cell nucleus with that of the cell of any individual, a cell from an embryo or a cell coming from a later stage of development to the human embryo, will be supported",
E. whereas therefore there is a prohibition on the use of Community funds, either directly or indirectly, for any such research,
F. whereas aforementioned Directive 98/44/EC states that there is a consensus within the Community that interventions in the human germ line and the cloning of human beings offends against ordre public
and morality,
G. whereas an attempt is being made to use linguistic sleight of hand to erode the moral significance of human cloning,
H. whereas there is no difference between cloning for therapeutic purposes and cloning for the purposes of reproduction, and whereas any relaxation of the present ban will lead to pressure for further developments in embryo production and usage,
I. whereas Parliament defines human cloning as the creation of human embryos having the same genetic make-up as another human being, dead or alive, at any stage of their development, without any possible distinction as regards the method used,
J. whereas the proposals of the United Kingdom Government require the assent of the Members of both Houses of the United Kingdom Parliament, who are to be permitted a free vote of conscience on the issue,
1. Believes that human rights and respect for human dignity and human life must be the constant aim of political legislative activity;
2. Considers that "therapeutic cloning", which involves the creation of human embryos solely for research purposes, poses a profound ethical dilemma, irreversibly crosses a boundary in research norms and is contrary to public policy as adopted by the European Union;
3. Calls on the UK Government to review its position on human embryo cloning and calls on its honourable colleagues, the Members of the United Kingdom Parliament, to exercise their votes of conscience and reject the proposal to permit research using embryos created by cell nuclear transfer when it is laid before them;
4. Repeats its call to each Member State to enact binding legislation prohibiting all research into any kind of human cloning within its territory and providing for criminal penalties for any breach;
5. Urges maximum political, legislative, scientific and economic efforts to be aimed at therapies that use stem cells taken from adult subjects;
6. Reaffirms its support for biotechnological scientific research in medicine, provided that is balanced against strict ethical and social constraints;
7. Renews its call for human artificial insemination techniques that do not produce an excess number of embryos in order to avoid generating superfluous embryos;
8. Calls on the appropriate national and Community authorities to ensure that the ban on patenting or cloning human beings is reaffirmed and to adopt rules to this end;
9. Calls on the Commission to guarantee full respect for the terms of the Fifth Framework Programme and all specific programmes thereunder, and points out that the best way to implement this decision is to ensure that no research institution that is in any way involved in the cloning of human embryos gets money from the EU budget for any of their work;
10. Repeats its insistence that there should be a universal and specific ban at the level of the United Nations on the cloning of human beings at all stages of formation and development;
11. Considers that any temporary committee set up by this Parliament to examine the ethical and legal issues raised by new developments in the field of human genetics should take as a starting point the views already expressed in resolutions of this House. The committee should examine questions for which Parliament has not yet expressed a clear position. Its powers, composition and term of office shall be defined on a proposal from the Conference of Presidents, without any limitation of the powers of the permanent committee responsible for matters relating to the monitoring and the application of Community law on these issues;
12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States, the Members of the UK Parliament, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations. | https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P5-TA-2000-0376+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN |
Basil is a favorite crop in my garden- I love adding fresh leaves to salads and all kinds of Italian recipes. So when you see white spots on basil threatening your harvest, it can be worrisome.
The six main reasons for white spots on basil are these:
- Fungal disease
- Pest infestation
- Sunscald
- Nutrient deficiency
- Salt buildup
- Normal color variation
In my experience, most causes of white spots are treatable, especially if you identify the problem quickly and take action. In this article, you’ll learn the details of each cause and what to do to get back to a healthy green color.
Let’s dive in!
6 Causes for White Spots on Basil Leaves
Treatment varies based on what exactly is behind these unsightly white spots, so it’s critical to recognize and deal with each of them appropriately.
If you don’t have time to read the post and just need a fast answer to what might be behind the white spots, here’s a quick breakdown:
Cause
How to Recognize
How to Treat
Fungal Disease
Powdery or fuzzy spots on leaves
Remove affected leaves, spray with homemade baking soda solution or commercial fungicide
Pest Infestation
White trails or scattered spots
Remove affected leaves, spray with garden-safe insect repellent
Sunscald
Large splotches after intense sun exposure
Remove affected leaves, provide shade
Nutrient Deficiencies
Entire leaves turining white/yellow
Apply organic fertilizer
Salt Build-Up
Crystalline white deposits on leaf surface
Use a hard-water filter, avoid over-fertilizing
Normal Leaf Variegation
White margins are naturally-occurring on some varieties
Nothing- enjoy!
Here are the causes and solutions broken down in more detail:
1. Fungal Diseases
Powdery mildew and downy mildew are the two most common fungal diseases. Both are spread by windborne spores, but their appearance is slightly different.
Powdery mildew is white and can affect both the top and bottom of the leaf. It resembles a sprinkling of fine white baby powder– hence the name. It’s a fairly common sight in the home garden, and I’ve had powdery mildew on my squash plants before:
Downy mildew presents first as yellowed leaves, similar to chlorosis or nutrient deficiency. After a while, those spots can start to turn white and a thin coating of black-brown spores develops on the underside of affected leaves. Eventually, the leaves will turn black and die.
Both these fungal diseases thrive in humid climates and perpetually damp areas. I suspect my powdery mildew problems spring up because I had my squash in a fence-corner area, which cut down on normal airflow.
How to Treat Basil Fungal Diseases
Cut away fungus-affected foliage and dispose of it in the garbage. Do not put it in the compost since this could cause the fungal spores to spread.
I’ve tried homemade spray for powdery mildew before with some success. The recipe I followed called for 1 gallon of water, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (I used grapeseed oil) and 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. Mix it together and add to a spray bottle, then spray your plant down in the early morning hours before the sun can scorch the leaves.
This video from Cali Kim does a great job of showing how to apply a homemade spray and how to prune the diseased leaves:
Another treatment strategy is a non-toxic fungicide, which may produce more reliable results. Just be careful to follow the directions for how long to wait to harvest after application.
Make sure to water your basil carefully- excess moisture on the leaves could open the way for fungus to get a foothold. Always water at the soil level, not spraying the foliage or allowing water to splash the leaves.
Finally, don’t overcrowd your garden. Too many plants crammed in reduces airflow and makes a perfect environment for fungal infections to develop. Consider trimming plants back or even moving some plants out of an overcrowded area.
2. Pest Infestations
Leaf miners and whiteflies are common basil pests that leave white spots.
Leaf miners leave white serpentine trails as they eat through the inner membrane of the leaves.
Whiteflies are small gnat-like flies that prefer tomatoes but will also migrate to nearby basil plants– if you shake the leaves, a cloud of them will fly away.
How to Treat Basil Pest Infestations
For leaf miner problems, you won’t be able to get rid of the actual pest because it’s deeply embedded into the affected leaves. Instead, remove the affected leaves as soon as you notice them.
For whiteflies, use a strong stream of water to dislodge the pests. Repeat every day for a week for best results. For serious infestations, use Dr. Earth Final Stop Insect Killer or neem oil.
3. Sunscald
While basil typically likes several hours of sun exposure every day, excessive or harsh sunlight can scorch the leaves and leave behind white damaged spots.
Stacie Krljanovic, a Texas-based head groundskeeper and advisor at Patio Productions, shares why our plants can suffer from too much of a good thing. “The sun can cause the plant’s chlorophyll levels to drop, which results in the leaves turning white. This happens because the light affects the chlorophyll production process, causing it to stop functioning properly. It also makes it harder for photosynthesis to occur and thus prevents growth from happening at an optimal rate.”
In extreme cases of sun over-exposure, basil leaves can turn black.
How to Treat Basil Sunscald
Leaves with scalded spots won’t recover their green color, so pick them off and put them in the compost.
Next, give your basil some shade. If your plant is in a pot, move it to a shaded location, like under a covered porch or in an east-facing area that gets afternoon shade. If your basil plants are in the ground, put up a shade structure- shade cloth works wonderfully for this purpose.
In the future, planting tall, sun-loving plants next to your basil can provide natural shade (tomatoes are a perfect option).
RELATED: Mint is another popular garden crop, and like basil, it’s not immune from discoloration problems. Find out the causes behind yellow mint leaves and how to get the green back!
4. Nutrient Deficiencies
The most common nutrient deficiency in basil is nitrogen, which gives the large leaves a deep green color. In hydroponics, magnesium deficiency is also common.
Both these can result in whitish spots and yellow leaves that gradually turn brown or black.
How to Treat Basil Nutrient Deficiencies
Use a balanced vegetable fertilizer at the beginning of the season, and liquid fertilizer and/or foliar spray every few weeks through growing and harvest.
For nutrient deficiencies in hydroponic gardens, use a multi-stage fertilizer system that includes micronutrients as well as macronutrients.
5. Salt Build-Up
In areas with hard water, the minerals in the water can build up as a white cast on basil leaves and on the soil surface.
Salt spots often show up as rings, like these:
Similarly, when there’s too much fertilizer in a planting bed, its components will build up on the soil as a hard white crust. Sometimes the plant itself will secrete excess fertilizer salts through the leaves. These salts on the leaves will be hard white dots that you can scrape off with a fingernail.
How to Treat Basil Salt Build-Up
We have extremely hard tap water where I live, so I use an inexpensive water filter pitcher for my indoor plants. For outdoor plants, a hard water filter for your hose is a great idea.
As for fertilizer buildup, this can be a serious problem over time. The best way to get rid of excess fertilizer is to flush the soil with several heavy waterings, and then refrain from fertilizing for several weeks. After your plants have had the chance to recover, fertilize lightly going forward.
6. The White Spots are Normal for the Variety
One basil variety has white markings naturally, and they’re nothing to worry about! Pesto Perpetuo naturally has white leaf borders, and sometimes also features white spots in the leaf center.
Since there’s no actual problem here, go ahead and enjoy your delicious fresh basil as much as you want!
Frequently Asked Questions about White Spots on Basil
Final Thoughts
I’ve had to deal with unhealthy-looking basil myself, and I know it’s not fun to find it in the garden. I hope this article has shown you that even if your basil starts sprouting white spots, you can still save it and enjoy a delicious harvest.
I’d love to hear from you! Do you have any other questions about white spots on herbs? Or maybe you have an effective strategy that you’ve developed in your own garden. We learn best from one another’s thoughts and experiences, so please share in the comments! | https://www.seedsandspades.com/white-spots-on-basil/ |
Parasite life history strategies within the host, especially the timing of replication and transmission, influence disease severity and spread. I study how subtle differences in ecology within and outside the host can generate dramatic differences in parasite strategies. My research program uses two major approaches: (1) building ecologically-detailed models to ask when and why particular strategies would be favored; and (2) developing novel statistical approaches to better characterize parasite traits from existing data.
Research Focus
I use models to study why parasites use such diverse strategies to make a living. In particular, I want to understand what processes limit parasite numbers within the host and how parasite population expansion alters the timing and efficiency of onward transmission. My research focuses primarily on malaria infections, including:
1. Why do some malaria infections replicate synchronously in the blood and occasionally cause periodic fevers? If synchrony is beneficial, then why aren't all infections synchronous? Will synchronous and asynchronous parasites respond differently to drug treatment both in the short term and through evolutionary time?
2. Mosquitoes transmit human malaria all too efficiently, but that doesn't mean they are ideal vectors. Mosquitoes are fragile and short-lived, and their numbers can fluctuate substantially over the course of a transmission season. How do malaria parasites alter their strategies within the host to cope with this uncertainty and what could that mean for human health?
3. Malaria parasites can respond plastically to ecology within the host, but what cues exactly do they respond to? I use time series data from malaria infections to understand exactly what cues parasites respond to and whether they are likely to respond adaptively to novel changes in their environment (e.g., drug treatment).
4. Why don't parasites replicate faster? Malaria parasites exhibit huge variation in how fast they proliferate, suggesting that for many species, it might be possible to replicate faster. Is it only a matter of time until slow-growing parasites evolve faster multiplication rates
Publications
Please see a current list of publications here. | https://as.cornell.edu/people/megan-greischar |
Trash cans (maximum 32-gallon capacity) must be located on private property adjacent to the alley right-of-way. Each trash can must have a lid, which must be secured by wire or chain to a fence, building, or other structure. Residents must have an adequate number of trash cans to contain a normal amount of refuse. If there is additional volume that cannot fit into the trash cans, plastic bags may be set out on the day of collection ONLY.
Residents may request additional information by calling the City's 3-1-1 Information Line or by completing the a Service Request form. | https://www.uptexas.org/Government/Sanitation-Recycling/Residential-Collection |
Dear families,
What a great start to the term! Everything went well this morning and thank you to you all for following our social distancing protocols. The children who attended last term, if only for a few days, clearly were very comfortable with the new procedures and they supported the children who were not so familiar. Thank you for wearing the masks too. Great job.
Once inside the classrooms, it was business as usual. I led my first official whole school ‘zoom’ assembly at 9.30 welcoming everyone back! Not my preference or talent to say the least but it was great to see the classes in situ! The plan is for me to lead individual class assemblies on Mondays and Tuesdays, meeting each class over the two days and then a full school zoom assembly each Friday! All very different! All very grown up! There are some great advantages to this – one being age related/themed assemblies rather than one size has to fit all. I am looking forward to tackling age appropriate topics!
Our key priorities for the school year are outlined below. We always look forward to doing better each year and much of last year’s targets need to be continued for this year. But I think you should know which areas will be our foci.
- To assess as quickly as possible gaps in children’s individual progress with Reading, Writing and Maths.
- To provide interventions or whole class lessons, where needed for any children to ‘recover’ missed learning.
- To prioritise Guided Reading in all classes, along with phonic teaching and learning in Reception and KS1.
- To ensure that children’s mental health and well being are strong, when coping and dealing with the many challenges that they have faced and will continue to face this year.
- To know what ‘equality’ means and how everyone has a part to play in ensuring that everyone feels valued, cared for and considered.
As I write this, I am smiling wryly to myself! Not much then! And this is only a small part of it! Ultimately first and foremost is that we wish for the children to be happy to have returned to school, to know that we are a safe place for them alongside you and that their well being is all that matters!
It is going to be a busy year! When isn’t it? Hope the children had a great day! We loved seeing them! | https://cobham.kent.sch.uk/welcome-back-to-school-2020-21/ |
Phone :
+212 662 566 379
E-mail :
[email protected]
Upon your arrival in Fes International Airport, one of our team members will welcome you, and then transfer you to your accommodation.Day 02 : Fes Visit
After breakfast you will be joined by an official local guide, who will show you the city and its historical monuments “Fes El Bali the old medina”, “ Al Qraouine University” “Jewish Quarter”…etc. Fes is the fourth largest city in Morocco and also used to serve as one of its former capitals during the reign ship of the Idrissis. You will enjoy walking its narrow streets and its huge ancient gates. The Medina of Fes, Fes el Bali is believed to be the largest car-free urban area in the world as the people of the Medina use only mules or small motorcycles to get merchandise inside the medina.Day 03 : Fes to Oujda
After breakfast we will hit the road towards the Moroccan East Capital, serves as the most important city in the east of Morocco Oujda has become a very important city. It is also the birthplace of the current president of Algeria. Oujda is very well known by hosting the annual festival of Rai Music and it is also known for the traditional Reggada music.Day 04 : Oujda to Saidia
After a late breakfast we will hit the road to join the beautiful city of Saidia, which is only 60km away from Oujda. Saidia is much known in the entire Morocco for being the number one destination for Moroccans during summer because of its beautiful beaches.Day 05 : Saidia Visit
The blue pearl of Morocco, Saidia, a city with 14-km beautiful beach and bay. Saidia is a new generation of resort that still holds on to its Moroccan Charm. To take the full measure of the transparency and clearness of the sea as it gently laps the coast, a walk along the coast road is highly recommended when the sand takes on a golden color and everything becomes softer and gentler.Day 06 : Saidia to Al Hociema
After breakfast we will depart to Al Hoceima, a city which is located on the Mediterranean coast in a beautiful bay and has an important port. It’s Pretty white houses built with terraces at the city center gives you a clear idea of how much this city is influenced by the Spanish architectural style.Day 07 : Al Hociema Visit
One of Morocco’s attraction sites, Al Hociema has gained its good reputation from its generous and very welcoming people and also the surrounding beautiful natural sites. A Visit is a must while staying in this beautiful city.Day 08 : Al Hociema to Fes via Chefchaouen
After breakfast depart to Chefchaouen. This town lies in the Rif 610 m above sea level at the foot of two mountain peaks from which its name was derived from. On the sides of the city spreads a beautiful green valley. From 1920 to 1956 Chefchaouen was under Spanish protectorate. The medina with its houses painted blue and white and with its winding streets has a very special charm. The source of Rsal El Ma provides plenty of water throughout the year is close to the city. We continue our way to join the city of Fes.Day 09 : Fes Airport Transfer
After having great time with us in Morocco, we will transfer you to the airport according to your flight time. | https://www.trailsofmorocco.com/private-desert-tours-from-fez-9days-8nights-fez-and-the-majestic-east.html |
Get a step ahead of hackers.
Updated illustrations and screen shots offer visualization and clarification of important tools and tactics used by hackers.
Prevent hacking before it starts.
Includes all need-to-know information about hacking: tools, vulnerabilities, how to solve them, and prevent hacking from happening.
Relevant scenarios prepare you.
What If? cases found at the beginning of each chapter present short scenarios followed by questions that challenge you to arrive at a solution.
Tools to check for vulnerabilities.
Text includes security checklists that can aid in auditing an organization’s information assets; tools which will check for vulnerabilities that can be exploited; and above all, a methodology to assess the security posture of an organization by doing a penetration test against it. | https://laptopsearch.in/index.php/2021/03/20/ethical-hacking-and-countermeasures-threats-and-defense-mechanisms/ |
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure relates to a technological solution comprising a system and methodology for locating and evaluating potentially bypassed hydrocarbon in interwell or surrounding reservoirs to provide increased production of hydrocarbon resources from existing producing fields. The disclosure also relates to a technology solution comprising a system and methodology for mapping and monitoring interwell or surrounding reservoirs, and for guiding extraction of hydrocarbon from such reservoirs.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Geological formations defining a reservoir for the accumulation of hydrocarbons in the subsurface of the earth can contain a network of interconnected paths in which fluids are disposed that ingress or egress from the reservoir. Knowledge of both pore fluids and porosity of the geological formations can help determine the nature and behavior of the fluids in the network. With this knowledge, an efficient and effective assessment can be made of hydrocarbon reservoirs.
For instance, the electrical resistivity of geological formations can be a function of both porosity of the formations and resistivity of the fluids. Since hydrocarbons tend to be electrically insulating, and most formation water tends to be saline and, therefore, electrically conductive, resistivity measurements can provide valuable data to determine the presence of hydrocarbon reservoirs in geological formations. Accordingly, using resistivity measurements, changes in hydrocarbon content can be measured and monitored while production of the hydrocarbon can be permitted to proceed and water saturation to increase.
In industries such as oil and gas, methods and tools are employed that can determine the electrical resistivity of geological formations surrounding and between wellbores. Such methods and tools can include a deep-reading electromagnetic (EM) field surveying system that is sensitive to interwell structures in formations that are located away from the immediate surroundings of a wellbore. The system can involve large scale measurements from the subsurface-to-wellbore, or between wellbores. The tools or methods are designed to measure responses of the reservoir between wellbores, which can be kilometers apart. This is in contrast to established logging methods, which are confined to the immediate vicinity of the wellbores - typically, within a radial distance of a meter or less from the wellbore. The deep-reading EM field surveying system can be applied for measuring and determining parameters of the formations at distances of up to kilometers from the location of the sensors. The measured EM field data can be used to model the reservoir and surrounding media.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
2
The inventors have identified a great and unmet need for a technological solution that can accurately and effectively locate and evaluate potentially bypassed hydrocarbons in reservoirs located between wellbores or within a predetermined distance from a wellbore. The disclosure provides such a technological solution. The technological solution comprises a crosswell system and methodology that can be arranged to accurately and effectively detect, evaluate and monitor resistive targets underground, including carbon dioxide (CO) and hydrocarbons, such as, for example, crude oil, natural gas, coal, or other hydrocarbon-based energy source. The solution can be arranged to detect and measure electromagnetic (EM) fields due to telluric currents that can be transmitted through a casing transmitter and measure and evaluate resistive targets. The solution can be arranged to detect and measure both an electric field and magnetic field using electric and magnetic receivers in a wellbore to efficiently, effectively and accurately map and monitor resistive bodies far away from a surveyed well.
In a nonlimiting embodiment, the solution includes a method for locating and evaluating resistive targets in a space between a pair of wellbores, at least one of which includes a metallic casing. The method comprises: injecting an electric current into the metallic casing of one of the pair of wellbores to energize the metallic casing as a dipole transmitter and leak the current into a formation to form variable electric fields; detecting, by an electric field receiver, the variable electric fields; and measuring, by the electric field receiver, the variable electric fields as a function of time; and generating a resistivity map of the formation based on the measurements of the variable electric fields.
The method can further comprise: forming a telluric electrical circuit; or installing a counter-electrode within a predetermined distance of said one of the pair of wellbores; or connecting a power supply to the metallic casing of said one of the pair of wellbores.
In the method, the electric field receiver can comprise an electric dipole receiver or a capacitive receiver that does not contact the formation.
In the method, the predetermined distance can be between 10 meters and 20 meters, or between 20 meters and 30 meters, or between 30 meters and 1,000 meters.
In the method, the metallic casing of said one of the pair of wellbores, the formation and the counter-electrode can form a telluric electrical circuit.
In a further nonlimiting embodiment, the solution includes a system for locating and evaluating resistive targets in a space between a pair of wellbores, at least one of which includes a metallic casing. The system comprises: an electrode arranged to connect to the metallic casing of one of the pair of wellbores to energize the metallic casing as a dipole transmitter and leak a current into a formation to form variable electric fields; a counter-electrode located within a predetermined distance, the counter-electrode being arranged to receive the current; and an electric field receiver located in another of the pair wellbores, the electric field receiver being arranged to detect and measure the variable electric fields to detect and measure resistive targets in the formation.
The system can comprise: a telluric electrical circuit through which the current travels; or a power supply arranged to connect to the metallic casing of said one of the pair of wellbores.
In the system, the power supply can be arranged to connect to the counter-electrode.
In the system, the telluric electrical circuit can comprise the metallic casing of said one of the pair of wellbores, the formation and the counter-electrode.
In the system, the electric field receiver can comprise an electric dipole receiver or a capacitive receiver that does not contact the formation.
In the system, the predetermined distance can be between 10 meters and 20 meters, between 20 meters and 30 meters, or between 30 meters and 1,000 meters.
Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the disclosure may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the detailed description and drawings. Moreover, it is to be understood that the foregoing summary of the disclosure and the following detailed description and drawings provide non-limiting examples that are intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the disclosure as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
shows a nonlimiting example of a field surveying system that can be used with crosswell EM field surveying methods to accurately detect and evaluate hydrocarbon accumulations in reservoirs, especially when used with water injection.
FIG. 2
shows a nonlimiting embodiment of an Xwell CSE field surveying system, constructed according to the principles of the disclosure.
FIG. 3
shows another nonlimiting embodiment of the Xwell CSE field surveying system, constructed according to the principles of the disclosure.
FIG. 4
FIGS. 2
3
shows a nonlimiting embodiment of a switching system that can be included in the system shown in or .
FIG. 5
FIGS. 2
3
shows a nonlimiting embodiment of a receiver station that can be included in the system shown in or .
FIG. 6
shows an example of a field surveying process, according to the principles of the disclosure.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the detailed description explain the principles of the disclosure. No attempt is made to show structural details of the disclosure in more detail than may be necessary for a fundamental understanding of the disclosure and the various ways in which it may be practiced.
The present disclosure is further described in the detailed description that follows.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
The disclosure and its various features and advantageous details are explained more fully with reference to non-limiting embodiments and examples described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. It should be noted that features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment can be employed with other embodiments as those skilled in the art would recognize, even if not explicitly stated. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques can be omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the embodiments or examples of the disclosure. The examples used are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the disclosure can be practiced and to further enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, it is noted that like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) and Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques are commonly used in the oil and gas industry to accurately target geological formations of hydrocarbons not capable of being detected or produced with conventional production methods. IOR can include any recovery methodology that goes beyond using conventional naturally-flowing vertical production wells to identify and recover hydrocarbons, which otherwise would be out of reach of naturally-flowing vertical production wells. IOR can include any of a variety of production technologies, ranging from, for example, infill drilling utilizing additional vertical wells to complex well designs, such as, for example, horizontal wells, deviated wells, slanted wells, or single or multilateral wells. IOR can involve various specialized technologies, such as, for example, well simulation, artificial lift, secondary recovery techniques, or tertiary or EOR recovery technologies.
2
2
2
EOR technologies can be applied to reservoirs, including interwell reservoirs, to identify and extract hydrocarbons that otherwise might go undetected in spaces or regions between wellbores or within the surroundings of a wellbore. EOR technologies frequently involve injecting fluids or surfactants into reservoirs to assist in hydrocarbon production by means other than simply supplying external reservoir energy. The injection of fluids can include a water-alternating-gas (WAG) process, wherein water injection and gas injection are carried out alternately for periods of time to provide better sweep efficiency and reduce gas channeling from injector to producer wells. Gas injection can include a reservoir maintenance or recovery process that uses injected gas such as carbon-dioxide (CO) to supplement the pressure in the oil reservoir, such as, for example, through a distribution of gas-injection wells to maintain reservoir pressure and effect an efficient sweep of recoverable fluids. The WAG process can be used in, for example, CO floods to improve hydrocarbon contact time and sweep efficiency of the CO.
2
2
The particular EOR technology employed for a given reservoir can depend on the particulars of the reservoir, including, for example, the fluids contained in the reservoir, the reservoir's susceptibility to water or CO flooding, or the type and nature of capillary forces trapping the hydrocarbons within the reservoir. Evaluating the sweep efficiency and locating potentially bypassed hydrocarbon accumulation in reservoirs is a critical challenge that prevents efficient and effective production of hydrocarbons from existing producing fields. Similarly, in monitoring EOR and IOR mechanisms, there exists a critical and unmet need to map fluid fronts located, for example, hundreds or thousands of meters away from a wellbore, including fluid fronts containing a resistive gas such as CO.
Formation resistivity is one of the key attributes that can experience substantial variations during the WAG process. Therefore, mapping formation resistivity variations can be used to monitor a flood front of the WAG process. A single well logging technique can provide accurate and timely geophysical measurements of the formation resistivity. However, the depth of investigation of single well logging tools (not shown) are limited to within a few meters from the wellbore. Any attempt to acquire resistivity information on a reservoir scale requires other techniques that are capable of large depth investigation.
Crosswell electromagnetic (EM) field surveying methods have proven effective and accurate in detecting and evaluating hydrocarbon accumulations in reservoirs, as well as detecting and monitoring EOR mechanisms. Due to their effectiveness, crosswell EM field surveying methods are frequently used to map reservoirs. Although the methods may differ in some respects, they are all similar in that they use an induction system that consists of an EM tool equipped with a magnetic field transmitter in one wellbore and a plurality of magnetic field receivers in another, nearby wellbore.
2
Since the EM tool used in crosswell systems is induction-based, it has very high sensitivity for conductive targets, but low sensitivity for resistive targets. Due to its electrically conductive properties when underground, water is frequently used with EOR processes. Since injected water operates as an excellent target for crosswell EM field survey methods, it is frequently used to sweep hydrocarbons in reservoirs. However, EOR processes that use injected CO may not work as well as injected water, or at all with crosswell EM field surveying methods.
2
2
Unlike water, which is typically a good electrical conductor underground, CO is typically resistive and a poor electrical conductor, resultantly making it a poor or obscure target for magnetic field induction systems such as those used in crosswell EM systems. Therefore, there exists an urgent unmet need for a technological solution that can work effectively and accurately with EOR processes that might use injected gases such as, for example, CO, which are typically poor electrical conductors (good electrical insulators) and highly resistive.
FIG. 1
shows an example of a field surveying system 5 that can be used with crosswell EM field surveying methods to accurately detect and evaluate hydrocarbon accumulations in reservoirs, especially when used with water injection. The system 5 requires use of at least two wellbores 10 (10-1 and 10-2) that are spaced a distance apart and have a depth range over which interwell measurements can be made. The system 5 includes an EM tool consisting of a magnetic field transmitter 20 and a magnetic field receiver 30. During crosswell EM field surveying, the magnetic field transmitter 20 is placed in one of the wellbores 10 (10-1) and the magnetic field receiver 30 is placed in the other wellbore 10 (10-2). The field transmitter 20 is arranged to generate a magnetic field throughout the underground medium. At the second wellbore 10-2, the magnetic field is detected and measured by the magnetic field receiver 30, which can include an array of coil receivers. Whenever possible, the transmitter 20 and receiver 30 are placed at regularly spaced intervals below, within, and above the depth range of interest, using, for example, a cable 40 and a pulley system 52, which can be attached to a support 54 and base 56.
FIGS. 2
3
FIGS. 2
3
The cable 40 can include one or more communication links arranged to transmit signals between the transmitter or receiver and one or more electronic devices, such as, for example, the receiver station 80 (shown in or ) or the signal generator 90 (shown in or ). The signal generator 90 can be arranged to generate and supply a signal to the transmitter 20 to generate an EM field. The receiver station 80 can be arranged to receive a magnetic field measurement signal from the magnetic coils in the receiver 30, in response to sensing the magnetic field generated by the transmitter 20.
The support 54 can include a motor (not shown) that is arranged to drive and operate the pulley system 52. The motor (not shown) can be operated to lower, raise or hold the cable 40 at a particular location in the wellbore 10, thereby moving the transmitter 20 or receiver 30 along a length of the wellbore 10, or holding the transmitter 20 or receiver 30 at a particular location for a period of time. The transmitter 20 (or receiver 30) can be stopped and held at a plurality of discrete locations along the length of the wellbore 10. The base 56 can be fixed to the ground 1 or a vehicle (not shown), such as, for example, a truck, tractor, or trailer.
FIGS. 2
3
The measurement signals can be supplied from the receiver 30 to the receiver station 80 (shown in or ), where magnetic field data can be collected from the measurement signals. The magnetic field data can be interpreted by the receiver station 80 and used to generate image data for the interwell space. The receiver station 80 can be arranged to generate a two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) resistivity or water saturation model of the reservoir. The magnetic field data can be collected, for example, using standard wireline logging conveyance with the transmitter 20 and receiver 30 connected by communication links.
The transmitter 20 can include, for example, an electronics cartridge (not shown) and a fairly large antenna (not shown), such as, for example, between about 8 centimeters (cm) and about 10 cm in diameter, and between about 4 meters (m) and about 5 m long. Other dimensions for the antenna are contemplated here, including diameters less than 8 cm or greater than 10 cm, or lengths of less than 4 m or greater than 5 m. The dimensions of the antenna should be such that the antenna can generate a sufficient moment to transmit a signal across large distances. The transmitter 20 can be arranged to generate and transmit an EM field that has x, y and z vectors, with the x-axis being substantially perpendicular to the wellbore 10-1, the y-axis being substantially parallel to the wellbore 10-1, and the z-axis (not shown) being perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis.
The receiver 30 can include multilevel coil strings (not shown), which can be resultantly quite long, for example, longer than the transmitter antenna length. The receiver 30 can be arranged to sense the magnetic field generated by the transmitter 20.
FIGS. 2
3
FIG. 5
The field data collected by receiver station 80 (shown in or ), when used with the system 5, can have a dataset of several thousand to hundreds of thousands, or more measurements, which can be interpreted together to provide an interwell resistivity map. The field data can be interpreted by the receiver station 80 fitting the measurements to calculated data from a numerical model using an inversion procedure that includes, for example, a finite difference algorithm or any other suitable inversion algorithm to calculate the magnetic fields with a 2D or 3D rectangular grid. The inversion process can begin with a resistivity model, which can be derived from prior knowledge of the field area including well logs, geologic and seismic data; and, using the model and a forward EM code, the inversion process can calculate the forward EM response and then adjust the model parameters, under certain constraints, until the observed and calculated data fit within a specified tolerance for acceptance. The computing device (for example, processor 110, shown in ), which can execute and drive the sensitivity and inversion algorithms, can be arranged to calculate the magnetic fields within the 2D or 3D grid. Since the inversion process can result in non-unique models for resistivity maps in the interwell space, this condition can be addressed by, for example, applying previously known data, such as, logs, formation tests, or well performance history, and exercising reasonable model constraints for fitting the data.
FIG. 1
While crosswell EM field surveying systems and methodologies (such as the filed surveying system 5, shown in ) can be very useful in modeling reservoirs located in regions or spaces between wellbores, they can be inadequate or less efficient in certain real-world applications, such as, for example, where wellbores are spaced at distances of about 1,000 meters (1 km) or more apart, or where the wellbores comprise metal casings, or where it is impractical, undesirable or too costly to occupy multiple injection or production wells for field surveying applications, or where it might to costly or take too long to install wellbores dedicated for field surveying applications. Effectively, efficiently and accurately evaluating the sweep efficiency and locating potentially bypassed hydrocarbon accumulations in reservoirs in such real-world applications remains elusive and a critical challenge, which must be addressed in order to increase production from existing producing fields. Also, in monitoring EOR and IOR mechanisms, there remains a critical and unmet need to map fluid fronts at large distances away from wellbores, such as for example, hundreds of meters or more than a thousand meters from a wellbore. The technological solution provided in this disclosure meets and exceeds those needs and others, as will be evident to those skilled in the art after reading the disclosure.
FIG. 1
FIG. 1
The system shown in can be very effective and provide high-resolution imaging of the interwell space between the wellbores 10 where the wellbores 10-1 and 10-2 are non-metallic and the EOR process uses injected water. However, if one or both wellbores 10-1, 10-2 includes a metallic casing, the system 5 (shown in ) can become unusable where the wellbores 10-1 and 10-2 are spaced more than, for example, 700 m apart. That is, the EM signal generated by the transmitter 20 is attenuated by the metallic casing of the wellbore 10-1 so much so that any measurements taken by the magnetic coil receiver 30 in the wellbore 10-2 will be useless, due to, for example, noise that renders any measurements undiscernible.
2
2
2
Additionally, where the EOR process includes a fluid such as CO gas, the system 5 can be incapable of detecting or measuring the CO or CO flooding. Since the system 5 uses an EM tool that is induction-based, thereby making it ineffective or incapable of detecting or measuring resistive targets such as CO2 at any notable distance between the wellbores 10-1 and 10-2, especially at distances that are on the order of hundreds or thousands of meters (for example, > 1km).
Indeed, when using the system 5 with metal-cased wellbores 10, the attenuation of the EM signal, by the metallic casing of the wellbore 10-1, can be so severe that any measurements taken by the magnetic receiver 30 in the wellbore 10-2 will be insufficient or undiscernible to detect, much less map or monitor the interwell space or any IOR or EOR mechanisms used in the interwell space.
FIG. 2
For instance, if only one of the wellbores 10-1 and 10-2 has a metal casing 10-1C (shown in ), then the EM signal generated by the transmitter 20 (or received by the receiver 30) is attenuated by the metallic casing such that potentially usable measurements can be acquired for up to a maximum of about 700 meters, or less, from the wellbore 10-1 provided with the transmitter 20. However, if both wellbores 10-1 and 10-2 have metallic casings, then the EM signal is attenuated both at the transmitter and receiver ends such that potentially usable measurements cannot be acquired between the wellbores 10-1, 10-2. Since the distance between wellbores 10-1 and 10-2 is typically more than 1,000 meters (1km) in real-world applications, the system 5 is incapable of providing usable measurements necessary for tomographic imaging of the interwell space or reservoir in applications that use a steel-cased wellbore at one or both of the transmitter and receiver ends.
Additionally, the system 5 requires that the wellbores 10-1 and 10-2 be parallel to each other for tomographic imaging to work, and that both wellbores 10-1 and 10-2 not be operated as injection or production sites during the entire field surveying process, which can be very costly considering that the wellbores 10-1 and 10-2 are rendered nonoperational for hydrocarbon production or injection of fluids (liquid or gas) such as during the WAG process.
2
2
The solution includes a system and methodology for detecting, measuring, mapping, monitoring or evaluating subsurface reservoirs, and for detecting, mapping, monitoring or evaluating IOR or EOR mechanisms, including WAG processes. The solution includes mapping and monitoring resistive targets such as hydrocarbons and CO far away (for example, hundreds or thousands of meters) from a surveyed well to identify bypassed hydrocarbon accumulation, or to map and monitor an EOR process. The solution can operate to evaluate the sweep efficiency and locate potentially bypassed hydrocarbon accumulations in a reservoir interwell volume for increased production of hydrocarbons from existing producing fields, even where the wellbores are located about one thousand meters (>1 km) or more apart from each other. The solution can operate with existing steel-cased wellbores to monitor EOR and IOR mechanisms to map fluid fronts hundreds of meters, or more, away from a wellbore. The solution is arranged to map resistive bodies (for example, hydrocarbons and CO) in a conductive background (for example, salty water) hundreds of meters or kilometers away from the surveyed wellbores.
FIG. 2
FIG. 3
FIG. 2
FIG. 1
2
In a nonlimiting embodiment, the solution includes a system 100 (shown in ) or 100' (shown in ) comprising a crosswell controlled source electric ("Xwell CSE") architecture that is specifically designed for detecting, mapping and monitoring resistive targets such as hydrocarbons and CO, as well as conductive targets such as water. The Xwell CSE system 100 (or 100') is arranged to employ the steel casing 10-1C (shown in ) of the existing wellbore 10-1 as a transmitter to generate an electric field underground. The Xwell CSE system 100 (or 100') can include a receiver system 50 arranged to detect and measure an electric field due to a telluric current transmitted through the steel casing 10-1C of the wellbore 10-1. The receiver system 50 can comprise the magnetic receiver 30 (shown in ) arranged to detect and measure a magnetic field that is due to the telluric current transmitted through the steel casing 10-1C.
The receiver system 50 can include an electric field receiver such as, for example, an electrical dipole (not shown) or a capacitive receiver (not shown). The electric field receiver can be arranged to detect the electric fields due to the telluric current, as well as variations in the electric fields due to resistive materials (including resistive targets) in the interwell space. The electric field receiver can be arranged to measure the magnitude and direction of each electric field vector as a function of time, thereby measuring variations in the electric fields due to resistive targets.
FIG. 1
The magnetic field receiver 30 (shown in ) can include, for example, an induction coil, a magnetic coil or an array of magnetic coils. The magnetic field receiver 30 can be arranged to detect the magnetic fields due to the telluric current, as well as variations in the magnetic fields due to conductive materials (including conductive targets such as water) in the interwell space. The magnetic field receiver 30 can be arranged to measure the magnitude and direction of each magnetic field vector as a function of time, thereby measuring variations in the magnetic fields due to conductive targets.
2
FIGS. 2
3
The receiver system 50 can be arranged to have sensitivity to resistive targets such as hydrocarbons or CO, as well as conductive targets such as water. The receiver system 50 can be arranged to supply measurement signals via one or more communication links to the receiver station 80 (shown in or ), which can be located above ground or remotely. The measurement signals can include measurements for resistive targets or conductive targets, or both resistive targets and conductive targets.
FIG. 1
2
Hence, unlike the system 5 (shown in ), or other similar surveying methods that are typically limited to measuring and monitoring only electro-conductive targets such as water, the Xwell CSE system 100 (or 100') can detect, measure, map and monitor resistive targets such as hydrocarbons or CO in reservoirs, including producing reservoirs, as well as electrically conductive targets such as water. Additionally, the Xwell CSE system 100 (or 100') does not require that multiple wellbores 10 be rendered inoperative for injection or production during the surveying process, thereby greatly reducing operating costs and down time of production or injection wellbores.
FIG. 2
2
shows a nonlimiting embodiment of the Xwell CSE field surveying system 100, constructed according to the principles of the disclosure. The system 100 can be arranged operate with existing injection or production wellbores 10, or it can be deployed as a permanent configuration to facilitate repeated measurements in time lapse and field monitoring. The system 100 can be arranged to, among other things, enhance resolution and detectability of subsurface targets such as hydrocarbons, gases (for example, CO), and fluids in formations through transmission and reception of crosswell telluric currents. The system 100 includes a receiver system 50, a transmitter electrode 60 and a transmitter counter-electrode 70. The system 100 can include the receiver station 80 and the signal generator 90. The electrode 60 can be attached to the steel-casing 10-1C of the wellbore 10-1 and the counter-electrode 70 can be grounded.
FIG. 3
The system 100 can operate with one or both wellbores 10-1 and 10-2 comprising a steel casing. If only one of the wellbores (10-1) has a steel casing (10-1C), then that wellbore would be operated as a dipole transmitter. If both of the wellbores 10-1 and 10-2 have steel casings 10-1C and 10-2C, respectively (shown in ), then one of the wellbores 10 can be operated as dipole transmitter and the other wellbore 10 can be operated as a dipole receiver.
The system 100 can be arranged to operate the wellbore 10-1 as a dipole transmitter by injecting an electrical current from the signal generator 90 into the electrodes 60, 70, resulting in the entire steel casing 10-1C operating as a giant electrical dipole transmitter (for example, 1 km, 2 km, 3 km, or longer). Since the steel casing 10-1C is in physical contact with the formation, the current flow through the steel casing 10-1C is leaked into the formation, resulting in creation of telluric currents. The telluric currents, due to formation resistivity, can be measured as electric fields by the receiver system 50 in the wellbore 10-2.
FIG. 1
FIG. 3
FIG. 5
The receiver system 50 can include a receiver 35, which can have an electric field receiver or the magnetic field receiver 30 (shown in ). The electric field receiver can include an electric dipole receiver, such as, for example, the steel casing 10-2C of the wellbore 10-2 (shown in ). The electric field receiver can include a capacitive receiver that does not require contact with underground formations. The electric field receiver can be arranged to detect and measure the electric fields due to formation telluric currents. As mentioned above, the magnetic field receiver 30 can include an array of coil receivers. The receiver system 50 can be arranged measure the electric field and magnetic field due to the telluric currents and supply electric field measurements and magnetic field measurements to the receiver station 80. The receiver station 80 can include the receiver station 800, shown in .
FIGS. 2
3
The receiver 35 can be connected to the cable 40, pulley system 52, support 54 and base 56, as seen in or . Alternatively, the receiver 35 can be connected to, or include any device or system of devices in place of the cable 40, pulley system 52, support 54 or base 56 that is capable of positioning or moving the receiver 35 along a length of the wellbore 10-2.
2
FIG. 5
The variations of the electromagnetic field (electric field and magnetic field) due to the telluric currents can be measured by the receiver system 50 to detect and monitor the formation resistivity distributions, including resistive targets such as hydrocarbons or CO. The measurements of the electrical and magnetic fields taken by the receiver system 50 can be supplied, by the receiver system 50, as measurement signals through one or more communication links to the receiver station 80, where the measurement signals can be processed and interpreted by a computing device (for example, processor 110, shown in ) to reveal resistivity variations between the two surveyed wellbores 10-1, 10-2.
To operate the steel casing 10-1C as a dipole transmitter, the electrode 60 and counter-electrode 70 can be connected to the signal generator 90 and supplied with an electric current by the signal generator 90. The signal generator 90 can include a power supply (not shown) that can supply a voltage to the electrodes 60, 70 to cause a current to flow through the circuit created by the electrode 60, interwell space and counter-electrode 70. The signal generator 90 can include, for example, a pulse-width modulator (PWM) arranged to generate electric pulse signals and supply the modulated (PWM) signal to the electrodes 60, 70 to inject a current into the steel casing 10-1C. The signal generator 90 can be arranged to operate the steel casing 10-1C of the wellbore 10-1 as an electric transmitter by energizing the electrode 60 and the counter-electrode 70, resulting in the current being leaked by the steel casing 10-1C into the formation as telluric currents, and, due to formation resistivity variations, creating variable electric fields that can be measured by the receiver system 50 and interpreted by the receiver station 80 to generate maps of the interwell space, including resistive targets in the space. The electric field, as well as its magnitude, can be adjusted or controlled by adjusting the location of the counter-electrode 70 with respect to the wellbore 10-1, such as, for example, by adjusting the distance between the counter-electrode 70 and the wellbore 10-1, or the angular location of the counter-electrode 70 radially with respect to the wellbore 10-1, such as, for example, an angle between 0° and 360° with respect to a vector having the shortest distance between the wellbores 10-1 and 10-2. In other words, different portions of the interwell space can be illuminated through selective placement of the counter-electrode 70.
For instance, an electric field can be generated with maximum directional vectors along the x-axis toward the receiving wellbore 10-2 by positioning the counter-electrode 70 along a line having the shortest distance between the wellbores 10-1 and 10-2. The electric field generated through the wellbore 10-1C casing can be, under ideal conditions, symmetrical around the wellbore 10-1. From a measurement point of view, the location of the receiver wellbore 10 can determine which geological sections can be mapped with the system.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
In a nonlimiting embodiment of the system 100, a plurality of counter-electrodes 70 can be strategically positioned and permanently placed surrounding the wellbore 10-1, as seen, for example, in . In this embodiment, the electric field can be adjusted by disconnecting a counter-electrode 70 and connecting an electrical line (not shown) of the signal generator 90 to another one of the plurality of counter-electrodes 70, as discussed below with respect to .
FIG. 3
FIG. 2
shows another nonlimiting embodiment of the Xwell CSE field surveying system 100', according to the principles of the disclosure. As seen, the system 100' can be substantially the same as the system 100 (shown in ), except that the receiver system 50 includes a receiver electrode 60R and a receiver counter-electrode 70R, and the receiver station 80 is arranged to receive electric field measurement signals from the electrodes 60R, 70R, either directly or indirectly through, for example, a communicating device (not shown), such as, for example, commonly provided with wireless remote terminal units (RTUs) that are used in the oil and gas industry to transmit measurements wirelessly to a remote site. In this embodiment the electrode 60R can be connected to the steel casing 10-2C of wellbore 10-2 and the counter-electrode 70R can be strategically located in the vicinity of the wellbore 10-2. Similar to the transmission counter-electrode 70, the receiver counter-electrode 70R can be adjusted radially around the wellbore 10-2, both in terms of distance and angular placement around a radius circling the wellbore 10-2.
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B
E
J
FIG. 1
FIGS. 2
3
The system 100' (or 100) can be arranged to operate based on the induction principle described by Ampere's law: where is the magnetic field, is the electric field and is the current density. This law states that magnetic fields can be generated in two ways: by electric current and by changing electric fields. For conductive targets such as, for example, underground water, there are strong induction effects that can generate large induced electric currents and fast changing electric fields. As a result, large magnetic fields can be produced and can be easily measured by the magnetic receiver 30 (shown in ), which can be included in receiver 35 (shown in or ).
2
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ρ
For resistive materials, on the other hand, weak induced electric currents and slow varying electric fields can be expected. In this situation, the system 100' (or 100) can be arranged to operate with telluric currents, which can provide for detecting and measuring resistive targets such as hydrocarbons and CO. In this regard, the system 100' (or 100) can be arranged to detect and measure telluric currents, as described by Ohm's law: where is formation resistivity.
2
For a same current density, based on Eq. 2, the formation with higher resistivity generates stronger electric fields than the one with lower resistivity. Therefore, resistive targets can be expected to produce large perturbations on electric fields and can be easily detected by electric field receivers such as, for example, electric dipole receivers. In other words, the electric field receiver that includes, for example, an electric dipole receiver, can detect and measure telluric currents, which are sensitive to resistive targets such as hydrocarbons or CO.
Since tomographic imaging resolution can depend on the length of the wellbore steel casing 10-1C (or 10-2C), the signal generator 90 can be arranged to adjust a property of the signal supplied and injected into the steel casing, such as, for example, the frequency, amplitude or power of the current injected, or the voltage applied to the electrode 60 and counter-electrode 70.
The signal generator 90 can be connected to the receiver station 80 via a communication link, in which case the signal generator 90 can be controlled to vary the properties of the injected signal based on a feedback signal supplied from the receiver station 80, so as to adjust the signal properties for optimal resolution or quality of the detected or measured electric field due to the telluric currents by the receiver system 50.
The system 100' (or 100) can be arranged to perform tomographic mapping, focusing on each single reservoir layer, avoiding issues such as, for example, overburdening strata interference in the measurements, which can be typical of surface monitoring approaches such as, for example, seismic, gravity or EM fields surveying approaches. The receiver 35 (or 30) can be arranged to be lowered below the underground mouth or underground opening of the steel casing 10-2C, which can be located, for example, in a target reservoir. For instance, the magnetic coil receivers (included in receiver 35) can be extended below and outside the steel casing 10-1C to take measurements of the electric field, including variations in the electric field due to the telluric current as it is affected by the resistive bodies. Such an arrangement can provide for unattenuated signal detection and monitoring by the receiver 35.
FIG. 4
FIGS. 2
3
FIGS. 2
3
shows a nonlimiting embodiment of a switching system that can be included in the system 100 or 100'. The switching system can include a motor M and a switchable contact 75 that can selectively connect to any of the counter-electrodes 70 (or 70R), as seen. The switchable contact 75 can be arranged to connect to an electrical line (not shown) from the signal generator 90 (shown in or ). The motor M can be located atop of or above the wellbore 10 (10-1 or 10-2) and arranged to operate the switchable contact 75 to electrically connect the electrical line (not shown) of the signal generator 90 to any one of the counter-electrodes 70 (or 70R). The motor M can include a controller (not shown) and a power supply (not shown). The motor M can be included in a housing (not shown) with the signal generator 90. The controller can drive the motor M to position and connect the switchable contact 75 to a desired counter-electrode 70 (or 70R). The controller (not shown) can include a transceiver (not shown), which can be arranged to receive instructions from the receiver station 80 (shown in or ) to control the position of the switchable contact 75.
FIG. 5
FIGS. 2
3
FIGS. 2
3
2
2
shows a nonlimiting embodiment of the receiver station 800, constructed according to the principles of the disclosure. As noted above, the receiver station 80 (shown in and ) can include the receiver station 800. The receiver station 800 can be arranged to process and interpret measurement signals from the receiver system 50 (shown in or ) and detect, evaluate and monitor electrical fields to generate resistivity variation maps of the area between two surveyed wellbores 10-1 and 10-2, including reservoir. The receiver station 800 can also be arranged to process and interpret measurement signals from the receiver system 50 and detect, evaluate and monitor magnetic fields in generating the resistivity variation maps, thereby providing enhanced imaging resolution in the resistivity variation maps. The receiver station 800 can be arranged to provide reservoir mapping and monitoring, and to identify bypassed hydrocarbon accumulations, monitor EOR practices (such as, for example, CO injection and WAG processes) and ultimately increase recovery of hydrocarbons. The receiver station 800 can be arranged to process and interpret measurements received from the receiver system 50, including deep measurements of fluid saturation, conductive targets (for example, salty water), and resistive targets (for example, hydrocarbons and CO), and identify and map interwell volumes. Since the electric field transmitter can be triggered through the steel casing 10-1C of an existing wellbore 10-1, costly downhole wireline tool conveyance can be avoided.
The receiver station 800 can include a machine learning platform, such as, for example, an artificial neural network (ANN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN), a recurrent convolutional neural network (RCNN), a Mask-RCNN, a deep convolutional encoder-decoder (DCED), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a neural Turing machine (NTM), a differential neural computer (DNC), a support vector machine (SVM), or a deep learning neural network (DLNN).
FIG. 5
The receiver station 800 can include a bus 105, a processor 110 and a storage 120. The receiver station 800 can include a network interface 130, an input-output (IO) interface 140 and a driver unit 150. The receiver station 800 can include an electric field data processing unit 160, a magnetic field data processing unit 170, a tomographic mapping unit 180, and an image rendering unit 190. Each of the components in the receiver station 800 can be connected to a communication link. Although shown as a plurality of separate devices, the components 110 to 190 can be integrated to form fewer than the number of devices seen in .
For instance, in a nonlimiting embodiment, the electric field data processing unit 160, magnetic field data processing unit 170, tomographic mapping unit 180, and image rendering unit 190 can be provided as a single device or as separate computing resources stored in the storage 120 and executable by the processor 110. The components 160-190 can be included in the machine learning platform as separate computing resources that are executable as computing resource processes on the processor 110.
FIG. 5
Any one or more of the components 120 to 190 can include a computing device or a computing resource that is separate from the processor 110, as seen in , or integrated or integrateable or executable on the processor 110.
The processor 110 can include any of various commercially available computing devices, including for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit (GPU), a general-purpose GPU (GPGPU), a field programmable gate array (FGPA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a manycore processor, multiple microprocessors, or any other computing device architecture.
The receiver station 800 can include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that can hold executable or interpretable computer program code or instructions that, when executed by, for example, the processor 110, causes the steps, processes or methods in this disclosure to be carried out. The computer-readable storage medium can be included in the storage 120.
The storage 120, including any non-transitory computer-readable media, can provide nonvolatile storage of data, data structures, and computer-executable instructions. The storage 120 can accommodate the storage of any data in a suitable digital format. The storage 120 can include one or more computing resources, such as, for example, program modules or software applications that can be used to execute aspects of the architecture included in this disclosure. The storage 120 can include a read-only-memory (ROM) 120A, a random-access-memory (RAM) 110B, a disk drive (DD) 120C, and a database (DB) 120D.
A basic input-output system (BIOS) can be stored in the non-volatile memory 120A, which can include a ROM, such as, for example, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) or another type of non-volatile memory. The BIOS can contain the basic routines that help to transfer information between the components in the receiver station 800, such as during start-up.
The RAM 120B can include a high-speed RAM such as static RAM for caching data. The RAM 120B can include, for example, a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), a non-volatile RAM (NVRAM) or any other high-speed memory that can be adapted to cache data in the receiver station 800.
The DD 120C can include a hard disk drive (HDD), an enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) drive, a solid-state drive (SSD), a serial advanced technology attachments (SATA) drive, or an optical disk drive (ODD). The DD 120C can be arranged for external use in a suitable chassis (not shown). The DD 120C can be connected to the bus 105 by a hard disk drive interface (not shown) or an optical drive interface (not shown), respectively. The hard disk drive interface (not shown) can include a Universal Serial Bus (USB) (not shown), an IEEE 1394 interface (not shown), or any other suitable interface for external applications. The DD 120C can include the computing resources for the electric field data processing unit 160. The DD 120C can be arranged to store data relating to instantiated processes (including, for example, instantiated process name, instantiated process identification number and instantiated process canonical path), process instantiation verification data (including, for example, process name, identification number and canonical path), timestamps, incident or event notifications.
The database (DB) 120D can be arranged to store datasets in digital format, including electric field data and magnetic field data collected by the receiver station 800 from the receiver system 50. The DB 120D can include an inventory of all wellbores 10 in the environment, including the age of each wellbore, the type of wellbore casing 10-1C (or 10-2C) (if any), the dimensions (for example, diameter and length) of the wellbore 10, the dimensions (for example, diameter and length) of the wellbore casing 10-1C (or 10-2C), the geophysical location of each wellbore 10, the operational status of each wellbore 10, or any information that can help in configuring the system 100 (or 100') for optimal image resolution and quality. The DB 120D can include a record for each survey conducted for a given reservoir or interwell region. The DB 120D can include a record for each section of the reservoir or interwell region. The DB 120D can include a training dataset that can be used to train the machine learning platform in the receiver station 800. The DB 120D can include a testing dataset that can be used to train the machine learning model for the machine learning platform. The DB 120D can include a baseline dataset that can be used to build the training dataset.
FIGS. 2
3
The DB 120D can be arranged to be accessed by any of the components 105 to 190. The DB 120 D can be arranged to receive queries and, in response, retrieve specific records or portions of records based on the queries and send any retrieved data to the particular component from which the query was received, or to another component at the instruction of the originating component. The DB 120D can include a database management system (DBMS) that can interact with the components 105 to 190. The DBMS can be arranged to interact with computer resourced outside of the receiver station 800, such as, for example, the receiver system 50 or the signal generator 90 (shown in and ). The DBMS can include, for example, SQL, MySQL, Oracle, Postgress, Access, or Unix. The DB 120D can include a relational database.
One or more computing resources can be stored in the storage 120, including, for example, an operating system (OS), an application program, an application program interface (API), a program module, or program data. The computing resource can include an API such as, for example, a web API, a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) API, a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) API, a Representational State Transfer (REST) API, or any other utility or service API. One or more of the computing resources can be cached in the RAM 120B as executable sections of computer program code or retrievable data.
The network interface 130 can be arranged to connect via a network (not shown) to a computing device (not shown), which can be operated by, for example, a field engineer. The network interface 130 can connect to the computing device (not shown) via a wired or a wireless communication network interface (not shown) or a modem (not shown). When used in a LAN, the receiver station 800 can be arranged to connect to the LAN through the wired or wireless communication network interface; and, when used in a wide area network (WAN), the receiver station 800 can be arranged to connect to the WAN network through the modem. The modem (not shown) can be internal or external and wired or wireless. The modem can be connected to the bus 105 via, for example, a serial port interface (not shown).
FIGS. 2
3
The IO interface 140 can receive commands or data from an operator. The IO interface 140 can receive commands or data from the computing device (not shown). The IO interface 140 can be arranged to connect to or communicate with one or more input-output devices (not shown), including, for example, a keyboard (not shown), a mouse (not shown), a pointer (not shown), a microphone (not shown), a speaker (not shown), or a display (not shown). The IO interface 140 can include a human-machine-interface (HMI). The received commands or data can be forwarded from the IO interface 140 as instruction or data signals via the bus 105 to any component in the receiver station 800. The IO interface 140 can include a receiver (not shown), a transmitter (not shown) or a transceiver (not shown), which can be arranged to receive electric field data and magnetic field data from the receiver system 50 (shown in and ), or to transmit instructions or data to, for example, the signal generator 90.
The driver unit 150 can include an audio driver 150A and a video driver 150B. The audio driver 150A can include a sound card, a sound driver (not shown), an interactive voice response (IVR) unit, or any other device that can render a sound signal on a sound production device (not shown), such as for example, a speaker (not shown). The video driver 150B can include a video card (not shown), a graphics driver (not shown), a video adaptor (not shown), or any other device necessary to render an image signal on a display device (not shown).
FIGS. 2
3
2
The electric field data processing unit 160 can be arranged to receive electric field measurements from the receiver system 50 (shown in and ), process and interpret the measurements to detect, identify and monitor resistive targets (for example, hydrocarbons or CO). The electric field data processing unit 160 can be arranged to collect an electric field measurement dataset having, for example, several thousand to hundreds of thousands, or more electric field measurements, and interpret the dataset to provide an interwell resistivity map. The electric field data processing unit 160 can interpret the electric field measurement data by, for example, fitting the measurements to calculated data from a numerical model using an inversion procedure that includes, for example, a finite difference algorithm or any other suitable inversion algorithm to calculate the electric fields in a 2D or 3D rectangular grid. The electric field data processing unit 160 can begin with a resistivity model, which can be derived from prior knowledge of the field area including well logs, geologic and seismic data; and, using the model and inversion process calculate the forward electric field response and then adjust the model parameters until the observed and calculated data fit within a specified tolerance for acceptance. If the inversion process carried out by the electric field data processing unit 160 results in non-unique models for resistivity maps in the interwell space, the electric field data processing unit 160 can apply previously known data, such as, logs, formation tests, or well performance history, and execute reasonable model constraints for fitting the data.
The magnetic field data processing unit 170 can be arranged similar to the electric field data processing unit 160, except that the magnetic field data processing unit 170 is arranged to receive, process and interpret magnetic field measurement data from the measurement signals supplied by the magnetic receiver 30. The magnetic field data processing unit 170 can be arranged to, based on the received measurement signals, detect, identify and monitor conductive targets (for example, water or salty water). The magnetic field data processing unit 170 can be arranged to receive the magnetic field measurements from the magnetic receiver in the receiver system 50 and collect magnetic field measurement datasets having, for example, several thousand to hundreds of thousands, or more magnetic field measurements, and interpret the dataset to provide an interwell conductivity map.
The tomographic mapping unit 180 can be arranged to interact with the electric field data processing unit 160 and the magnetic field data processing unit 170 and generate a composite reservoir map for the interwell space, including interwell conductivity map and interwell resistivity map. The composite reservoir map can provide an accurate, high resolution map of conductive targets and resistive targets in the interwell space.
In a nonlimiting embodiment, the electric field data processing unit 160 and the magnetic field data processing unit 170 can be combined as a single computer resource or computing device.
The image rendering unit 190 can be arranged to communicate with the tomographic mapping unit 180 and generate image rendering commands or data that can be used by, for example, a graphic user interface (GUI) or a computing device (not shown) to render the composite interwell map for the interwell space on a display device (not shown).
FIG. 6
FIG. 2
FIG. 3
FIGS. 2
3
FIGS. 2
3
FIGS. 2
3
shows a nonlimiting embodiment of a field surveying process 200 that can be used with the system 100 (shown in ) or 100' (shown in ). Initially, the signal generator 90 (shown in or ) can be connected to the electrode 60 and counter-electrode 70 (shown in or ) at the wellbore 10-1 (Step 210). Simultaneously, or at a different time, the receiver system 50 (shown in or ) can be installed at the second wellbore 10-2 (Step 220).
FIGS. 2
3
The signal generator 90 can be operated to inject a current into the electrodes 60, 70 (Step 230) and, thereby, energize the steel casing 10-1C (shown in or ) as an electric transmitter. The current in the steel casing 10-1C leaks into the interwell formation as a telluric current and, due to formation resistivity variation, forms variable electric fields.
FIG. 1
FIGS. 2
3
At the second wellbore 10-2, which can be located hundreds or thousands of meters from the wellbore 10-1, the receiver system 50 can detect and measure the electric fields due to the telluric current, including variations in the electric field due to resistive targets within the interwell space (Step 240). As mentioned earlier, the receiver system 50 can include an electric field receiver comprising a capacitive receiver or electric dipoles that can measure the electric fields due to formation telluric currents. As also mentioned earlier, the receiver system 50 can include the magnetic receiver 30 (shown in ) that can measure the magnetic field, including any variations in the magnetic field due to resistive (and conductive) targets in the interwell space. The capacitive electric field receiver does not require contact with the rock formations. The electric (and magnetic) field measurements can be supplied to the receiver station 80 (shown in or ), where the collected measurements can be processed and interpreted by the receiver station 80 to generate resistivity variation maps for the interwell space between the surveyed wellbores 10-1 and 10-2.
FIGS. 2
3
FIG. 5
A determination can be made whether surveying is complete (Step 250), for example, by determining whether a complete dataset of electric field (and magnetic field) measurements has been collected, processed and interpreted by the receiver station 80 (shown in or ). For instance, if measurements of electric (and magnetic) fields have been collected along the entire length of the wellbore 10-2 and a complete reservoir map has been generated by, for example, the tomographic mapping unit 180 (shown in ) for the interwell space, a determination can be made that surveying is done and no further measurements are necessary (YES at Step 250). If, however, it is determined that measurements are not complete (NO at Step 250), then the receiver 35 can be moved, for example, up or down along the wellbore 10-2 to the next location and Steps 230-250 repeated. Steps 230 to 250 can be repeated until a complete dataset of electric field (and magnetic field) measurements has been collected (YES at Step 250).
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
The collected electric field measurements can be processed and interpreted (Step 260), for example, by the electric field data processing unit 160 (shown in ), to generate a resistivity map for the interwell space (Step 270). At the same or a different time, collected magnetic field measurements can be processed and interpreted (Step 260), for example, by the magnetic field data processing unit 170 (shown in ), to generate the resistivity map (Step 270) or to enhance resolution or confirm detected resistive targets in the interwell space. Image rendering instructions and data can be generated, for example, by the image rendering unit 190 (shown in ), based on the reservoir map and sent to a GUI or computing device (not shown) (Step 290), where the reservoir map can be displayed on a display device (not shown).
The terms "a," "an," and "the," as used in this disclosure, means "one or more," unless expressly specified otherwise.
The term "backbone," as used in this disclosure, means a transmission medium or infrastructure that interconnects one or more computing devices or communication devices to provide a path that conveys data packets and instruction signals between the one or more computing devices or communication devices. The backbone can include a network. The backbone can include an Ethernet TCP/IP. The backbone can include a distributed backbone, a collapsed backbone, a parallel backbone or a serial backbone.
The term "bus," as used in this disclosure, means any of several types of bus structures that can further interconnect to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, or a local bus using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures. The term "bus" can include a backbone.
The term "communicating device," as used in this disclosure, means any computing device, hardware, or computing resource that can transmit or receive data packets, instruction signals or data signals over a communication link. The communicating device can be portable or stationary.
The term "communication link," as used in this disclosure, means a wired or wireless medium that conveys data or information between at least two points. The wired or wireless medium can include, for example, a metallic conductor link, a radio frequency (RF) communication link, an Infrared (IR) communication link, or an optical communication link. The RF communication link can include, for example, WiFi, WiMAX, IEEE 802.11, DECT, 0G, 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G cellular standards, or Bluetooth. A communication link can include, for example, an RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, or any other suitable interface.
The terms "computer," "computing device," or "processor," as used in this disclosure, means any machine, device, circuit, component, or module, or any system of machines, devices, circuits, components, or modules that are capable of manipulating data according to one or more instructions. The terms "computer," "computing device" or "processor" can include, for example, without limitation, a processor, a microprocessor (µC), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a compute core, a compute machine, a general purpose computer, a super computer, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a palmtop computer, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a workstation computer, a server, a server farm, a computer cloud, or an array or system of processors, µCs, CPUs, GPUs, ASICs, general purpose computers, super computers, personal computers, laptop computers, palmtop computers, notebook computers, desktop computers, workstation computers, or servers.
The term "computer-readable medium" or "computer-readable storage medium," as used in this disclosure, means any non-transitory storage medium that participates in providing data (for example, instructions) that can be read by a computer. Such a medium can take many forms, including non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media can include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media can include dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read. The computer-readable medium can include a "cloud," which can include a distribution of files across multiple (e.g., thousands of) memory caches on multiple (e.g., thousands of) computers.
Various forms of computer readable media can be involved in carrying sequences of instructions to a computer. For example, sequences of instruction (i) can be delivered from a RAM to a processor, (ii) can be carried over a wireless transmission medium, or (iii) can be formatted according to numerous formats, standards or protocols, including, for example, WiFi, WiMAX, IEEE 802.11, DECT, 0G, 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G cellular standards, or Bluetooth.
The term "computing resource," as used in this disclosure, means software, a software application, a web application, a web page, a computer application, a computer program, computer code, machine executable instructions, firmware, or a process that can be arranged to execute on a computing device or a communicating device.
The term "computing resource process," as used in this disclosure, means a computing resource that is in execution or in a state of being executed on an operating system of a computing device. Every computing resource that is created, opened or executed on or by the operating system can create a corresponding "computing resource process." A "computing resource process" can include one or more threads, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.
The term "database," as used in this disclosure, means any combination of software or hardware, including at least one computing resource or at least one computer. The database can include a structured collection of records or data organized according to a database model, such as, for example, but not limited to at least one of a relational model, a hierarchical model, or a network model. The database can include a database management system application (DBMS). The at least one application may include, but is not limited to, a computing resource such as, for example, an application program that can accept connections to service requests from communicating devices by sending back responses to the devices. The database can be configured to run the at least one computing resource, often under heavy workloads, unattended, for extended periods of time with minimal or no human direction.
The terms "including," "comprising" and variations thereof, as used in this disclosure, mean "including, but not limited to," unless expressly specified otherwise.
The term "server," as used in this disclosure, means any combination of software or hardware, including at least one computing resource or at least one computer to perform services for connected communicating devices as part of a client-server architecture. The at least one server application can include, but is not limited to, a computing resource such as, for example, an application program that can accept connections to service requests from communicating devices by sending back responses to the devices. The server can be configured to run the at least one computing resource, often under heavy workloads, unattended, for extended periods of time with minimal or no human direction. The server can include a plurality of computers configured, with the at least one computing resource being divided among the computers depending upon the workload. For example, under light loading, the at least one computing resource can run on a single computer. However, under heavy loading, multiple computers can be required to run the at least one computing resource. The server, or any if its computers, can also be used as a workstation.
Devices that are in communication with each other need not be in continuous communication with each other, unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices that are in communication with each other may communicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.
Although process steps, method steps, algorithms, or the like, may be described in a sequential or a parallel order, such processes, methods and algorithms may be configured to work in alternate orders. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may be described in a sequential order does not necessarily indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order; some steps may be performed simultaneously. Similarly, if a sequence or order of steps is described in a parallel (or simultaneous) order, such steps can be performed in a sequential order. The steps of the processes, methods or algorithms described herein may be performed in any order practical.
When a single device or article is described herein, it will be readily apparent that more than one device or article may be used in place of a single device or article. Similarly, where more than one device or article is described herein, it will be readily apparent that a single device or article may be used in place of the more than one device or article. The functionality or the features of a device may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devices which are not explicitly described as having such functionality or features.
The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and changes can be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention encompassed by the present disclosure, which is defined by the set of recitations in the following claims and by structures and functions or steps which are equivalent to these recitations. | |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to integrated circuits, and, more particularly, to a device for generating a voltage pulse for a low supply voltage level integrated circuit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is a current trend towards reducing the supply voltage level of integrated circuits, especially to reduce their electrical consumption. This forces designers of integrated circuits to develop appropriate technologies to reduce the levels of the threshold voltages of transistors so that these transistors operate at a lower voltage with sufficient reliability. Taking as example the prior art 0.25 micron CMOS technology, a sum of the threshold voltages of a P-type transistor (. vertline.Vtp|=475 mV) and an N-type transistor (Vtn=469 mV) reaches about 900 millivolts. Accordingly, there will be some difficulties in obtaining the operation of a device using this technology at a logic supply voltage of 1 volt or less.
One way of operating an integrated circuit at a low or a very low voltage is to modify the characteristics of certain transistors placed on critical conduction paths. For this purpose, it is possible to use a negative voltage level instead of the zero voltage commonly used. In particular, applying a negative voltage level to a P-type MOS transistor gate makes it more conductive than if a zero voltage were to be applied.
As a result, it is possible to compensate part of the loss due to the threshold voltage of this transistor. It is also possible to apply the negative voltage to a drain of the transistor or to use it to bias a well to appropriately modify a characteristic. For example, modification can be made to the well-substrate voltage of a transistor or in the reduction of the conduction of the transistor. A result of using a negative voltage level is an increased operating range at lower voltages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the generation of a negative voltage level. More specifically, the invention relates to the generation of a voltage pulse whose high and low levels are respectively Vdd and a negative level Vneg. These voltage pulses are derived from a control pulse whose high and low levels are respectively Vdd and 0 volts. The pulse generated may be applied to a weak load, e.g., gates, drains or sources of transistors. The generation device according to the invention is capable of operating at a supply voltage of 1 volt or less.
Instead of generating a negative high voltage (-5 or -10 volts), which would lead to problems of oxide breakdown, a low negative voltage of approximately a few hundred millivolts is generated. The theoretical minimum is -Vdd. For example, for Vdd=+1.3 volts, it is possible to have Vneg=-1.12 volts. The prior art devices used for generating a negative voltage only provide high negative levels (-10 volts) and, in practice, they do not work at less than 1.8 volts for the supply voltage. Primarily, they are not capable of providing a voltage signal that has a positive level very close to Vdd and, following a command, goes to a negative level as close as possible to -Vdd.
It has therefore been sought to obtain a device capable of resolving the above described problems in the prior art. One approach is a device used for generating a pulse, wherein the device includes a capacitor and a control circuit. The control circuit includes an input for receiving an input signal with negative pulses between a level VDD of the logic supply voltage of the device and zero volts. The control circuit also includes a first circuit element for transmitting the low level of the input signal to a second terminal of the capacitor. The control circuit also provides the capacitor a charging path, and a second circuit element for transmitting the low level of the input signal to a first terminal of the capacitor. This is performed with a predetermined delay to produce at the second terminal of the capacitor a negative pulse between the high level VDD and a negative level VNEG in response to the input negative pulse.
The device according the invention may be used, in particular, to control one or more gates, drains or sources of transistors and to modify characteristics of these transistors for enabling the lowering of a level of the logic supply voltage Vdd. The supply voltage Vdd reliably supplies different elements of a low voltage integrated circuit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the invention are presented in the following description, given by way of an indication that in no way restricts the scope of the invention, with reference to the appended drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is a drawing of a device for the generation of a negative voltage pulse between a high level Vdd and a low level of negative voltage Vneg, according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a detailed diagram of an exemplary embodiment of this device illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3, 4a and 4b show voltage signals obtained with a device according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 shows the voltage signals obtained with different sizes of the elements of the device, according to the present invention; and
FIG. 6 shows an exemplary use of a device for the generation of a pulse used for switching a negative control voltage to a load, according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
To describe the present invention, application is made to a low voltage integrated circuit using MOS (or CMOS) technology on a P-type substrate.
The P-type transistors are made in a well of N-type material which is biased. Furthermore, the same reference is used to designate the voltage level and the corresponding voltage signal. In particular, Vdd designates both the signal of the logic supply voltage applied to the integrated circuit and its level.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a device for the generation of a negative voltage pulse between the level Vdd of the logic supply voltage (positive) and a negative voltage level Vneg. This device comprises a capacitor C1 and a control circuit 1. The capacitor C1 has a first terminal B1 and a second terminal B2. The control circuit 1 receives a voltage signal Ve at an input E. This input voltage signal Ve is a signal with negative pulses between Vdd and zero volts. In one embodiment, the input voltage signal Ve is a clock signal.
The control circuit 1 has a first circuit element 2 to apply the low level of the input signal Ve to the second terminal B2 of the capacitor C1. The control circuit 1 also has a second circuit element 3 to apply the same low level of the input signal Ve to the first terminal B1, but with a certain delay Dt. At the terminal B1, there is a voltage signal referenced Vz. At the terminal B2, the output voltage signal referenced Vc is retrieved and applied to a load Z. The output signal Vc is a signal with negative pulses having a high level Vdd, and a low negative level Vneg whose mc)st negative level can be -Vdd in theory. The first circuit element 2 transmits the low level of the signal Ve and provides a path for charging the capacitor C1.
As shown in FIG. 3, the input signal Ve causes he signals Vc and Vz to drop from the high level Vdd. The two terminals B1 and B2 of the capacitor C1 are at the same potential Vdd. When a transition Vdd to zero appears on the signal Ve, this transition is immediately transmitted to the second terminal B2 of the capacitor C1, while the signal Vz is still at Vdd. The capacitor C1 is charged through the first circuit element 2 of the control circuit 1 and the level of the signal Vc decreases towards zero volts. When the low level of the input signal Ve reaches; the terminal B1 of the capacitor C1 (signal Vz), this has the effect of changing the voltage of the terminal B2 of the capacitor C1 into a negative voltage. This effect is shown in FIG. 3. When the signal Ve returns to its inactive high level (Vdd), the signal Vc also returns to this level (Vdd).
FIG. 2 shows a detailed drawing of an exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention for a CMOS or MOS technology integrated circuit. This circuit can easily be adapted to other technologies, especially bipolar technology. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first circuit element 2 is a P-type transistor T1. It has its source 20 connected to the input E and its drain 22 connected to the terminal B2. Its gate is connected to ground. In addition, the body 21 of this transistor T1 is connected to the source 20. This transistor T1 thus transmits the low level of the input signal Ve to the terminal B2 of the capacitor C1. Furthermore, this transistor T1 provides for the charging of the capacitor C1 by pulling the terminal B2 of the capacitor towards ground. The MOS structure is not very efficient in this function, but the parasitic bipolar transistor Tb1 inherent in the structure pulls a very high bipolar current towards ground. Furthermore, the drain-body diode 23 is conductive at this tire.
These different components support the conduction of the voltage at the terminal B2 to ground during the charging of the capacitor C1. In practice, it is possible to replace the MOS transistor T1 by a bipolar transistor mounted like the PNP parasitic bipolar transistor Tb1. This transistor Tb1 has its gate controlled by the input signal Ve. The transistor Tb1 is connected between the terminal B2 of the capacitor C1 (by its emitter) and ground (by its collector). This is particularly advantageous for an integrated circuit using bipolar technology. A diode could also be used instead of the transistor T1, with comparable results, mounted as the diode 23 of the drain-body transistor. In this case, it is possible to use a doped polysilicon type diode.
The second circuit element 3, whose function is to transmit the low level of the input voltage signal Ve with a certain delay Dt, includes two inverters (CMOS inverters) I1 and I2 in the example illustrated in FIG. 2. However, other delay circuits could be used. Conventionally, the body is connected to the supply voltage. But preferably, and as shown in FIG. 2, the body 21 of this transistor T1 is connected to the terminal B1. The capacitor C1 is formed by a P-type transistor T2 whose drain and source are joined together to form the terminal B1. The terminal B2 is formed by the gate of the transistor T2. Equivalent devices for the capacitor C1 include a pure capacitor or a depleted MOS transistor. The output signal Vc available at the terminal B2 of the transistor T2 is applied to a load circuit Z.
Advantageously, to keep the inactive level Vdd on the voltage signal Vc independent of the load Z, a third transistor T3 is connected between the supply voltage Vdd and the terminal B2. This sets the level Vdd as long as the input signal Ve remains at Vdd. For this purpose, the input signal will be provided by an inverter I3 that provides the input signal Ve from an activation signal Vin. If Vr is the reference of the voltage signal between the two inverters I1 and I2, it is possible to obtain the signals Vin, Ve, Vr, Vz and Vc as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b for a supply voltage Vdd of 1 volt. These signals correspond to a simulation in which the load Z is simulated by the gate and the body of a P-type MOS load transistor (not shown) with a W/L ratio of 190 &mgr;/0. 275 &mgr;. The output voltage Vc is applied to the gate and to the body of this load transistor.
FIG. 4a corresponds to the configuration where the body of the transistor T2 forming the capacitor is conventionally connected to the logic supply voltage Vdd (not shown). Accordingly, a negative level of about -200 millivolts is reached on the output signal Vc. However, as illustrated in FIG. 4a, this negative output level is not very stable and the other voltage signals show parasitic peaks. The connection of the body to the fixed logic supply voltage Vdd is equivalent to two capacitors for the structure, one connected to Vdd and the other to Vc. As a result, efficiency is lost.
FIG. 4b corresponds to the configuration where the body is connected as indicated above, and as indicated in FIG. 2 to the potential Vz, which varies. The parasitic peaks have disappeared and it becomes possible to obtain a more negative level of about -300 millivolts on the output signal Vc. This negative level is also more stable. The connection of the body to the source and to the drain of the transistor T2 contributes to a better result. In practice, the geometries of the transistors T1 and T2 are determined to have a capacitance that is not excessively high for the capacitor C1, and to let through as much current as possible. The latter is accomplished by making the transistor T1 large.
FIG. 5 thus shows the signals Ve, Vz and Vc obtained with sizes of the transistor T2 and of the capacitor C1 optimized to provide a more negative level at output on the same load Z than above. It is thus possible to reach a level Vneg of -0.6 volts for a voltage level Vdd of 0. 9 volts, and -1.2 volts for a voltage level Vdd of 1.3 volts. This is close to the theoretical negative level -Vdd. With a device according to the invention, negative voltages are provided in the range of the threshold voltage of the transistors, or even smaller (more negative). The pulse obtained at the output has a high level Vdd and a low level Vneg which enables the control of a weak load, e.g., gates, drains or sources of transistors.
FIG. 6 shows a practical example of a pulse generator according to the invention. In this example, a negative control voltage referenced Vf is switched over to a load Z which is a row of cells Ci within a dynamic memory. The negative control voltage referenced Vf is more negative or equal to the level Vneg. A device 4 for the generation of a pulse according to the invention is provided for delivering an output signal Vc having the characteristics described above. Also provided is a device 5 for generating a negative voltage Vf that may be a load pump type. The output signal Vc is applied to a row driver circuit 6 to switch over the negative voltage Vf to an output OUT connected to a row Row of cells Ci within a dynamic memory. The load pump device 5, as well as the dynamic memory cells, may be any type well known to one skilled in the art.
The row driver circuit 6 comprises, in the example, two P-type MOS transistors series-connected between the voltage Vdd and the negative voltage Vf. The first transistor 7 is connected between the voltage Vdd and the output voltage OUT. The second transistor 8 is connected between the output node OUT and the negative voltage Vf. This second transistor 8 is controlled by the signal Vc whose inactive level is Vdd, which turns off the transistor 8. When the device is activated with the positive pulse on Vin, there is a negative pulse on Vc whose level goes to Vneg. The transistor 8 is then on and the voltage Vneg is transmitted to the output node OUT. This assumes that the first transistor 7 is off at this time. In practice, the transistor 7 is off before the transistor 8 conducts to minimize any losses. This is obtained by controlling the gate of this transistor 7 by the voltage signal Vr.
Under these conditions, if the voltage Vf is more negative than the level Vneg by at least one Vtp, the level Vneg is retrieved at the output node OUT. The P-type transistor cannot let through less than its gate level Vneg. If the level Vnegz is more negative than the voltage Vf, the value Vf-Vtp is retrieved at the output node OUT. Thus, the device of the invention makes the transistor 8 more conductive. The device also compensates (at least partly) for the threshold voltage of this transistor 8. To improve the switching speed, the body of the transistor 8 is connected to Vc. In this exemplary application, a pulse generator according to the invention can be advantageously used in low voltage circuits to control a low voltage load. | |
General welfare term used to justify power grabBy WYATT EMMERICH,
- 803 reads
Our federal Constitution specifically “enumerates” what powers belong to the federal government - health care, speed limits and drug laws are not included.
However, the Constitution also contains some very broad phrases allowing the federal government to “provide for the general welfare” and “regulate interstate commerce.”
Over the years, the U.S. Supreme Court has used these broad phrases to expand federal control, ignoring the enumerated powers section of the Constitution.
To those who believe in interpreting the Constitution literally, this is nothing short of treason from the very men sworn to defend the Constitution. The debate rages on today. Seventeen states contested the power of the federal government to implement Obamacare. They lost.
For those who don’t recall, James Madison is the prime author of our Constitution. Madison wrote:
“It has been urged and echoed, that the power ‘to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts, and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States,’ amounts to an unlimited commission to exercise every power which may be alleged to be necessary for the common defense or general welfare. No stronger proof could be given of the distress under which these writers labor for objections, than their stooping to such a misconstruction.
“Had no other enumeration or definition of the powers of the Congress been found in the Constitution, than the general expressions just cited, the authors of the objection might have had some color for it; though it would have been difficult to find a reason for so awkward a form of describing an authority to legislate in all possible cases. A power to destroy the freedom of the press, the trial by jury, or even to regulate the course of descents, or the forms of conveyances, must be very singularly expressed by the terms ‘to raise money for the general welfare.’
“But what color can the objection have, when a specification of the objects alluded to by these general terms immediately follows, and is not even separated by a longer pause than a semicolon? If the different parts of the same instrument ought to be so expounded, as to give meaning to every part which will bear it, shall one part of the same sentence be excluded altogether from a share in the meaning; and shall the more doubtful and indefinite terms be retained in their full extent, and the clear and precise expressions be denied any signification whatsoever? For what purpose could the enumeration of particular powers be inserted, if these and all others were meant to be included in the preceding general power? Nothing is more natural nor common than first to use a general phrase, and then to explain and qualify it by a recital of particulars. But the idea of an enumeration of particulars which neither explain nor qualify the general meaning, and can have no other effect than to confound and mislead, is an absurdity, which, as we are reduced to the dilemma of charging either on the authors of the objection or on the authors of the Constitution, we must take the liberty of supposing, had not its origin with the latter.”
So the primary author of our Constitution not only objected to a broad interpretation of the “general welfare” phrase, but Madison considered using this phrase to justify unlimited federal power as “absurd.”
If the “general welfare” clause allows the federal government unlimited power, then why did Prohibition require a constitutional amendment? Because back then, we actually followed the Constitution. Indeed, the Constitution has been amended 27 times.
The attempt to thwart the Constitution got a big push from Franklin Roosevelt in 1937. The country was mired in depression and Roosevelt believed only a great expansion in federal power could save the country.
Roosevelt had one big problem. The members of the U.S. Supreme Court, following 160 years of precedent, ruled that Roosevelt did not have the authority to implement the New Deal under our Constitution, which limits federal power.
This is where Roosevelt turned into a bully. He so believed in his liberal policies that he ignored the Constitution and attempted to “pack” the court.
Since the Constitution doesn’t specify how many judges can serve on the Supreme Court, Roosevelt wrote the Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937 which gave him the power to appoint six new Supreme Court judges. It was an unprecedented power grab by the president of the United States. The judges caved and allowed the New Deal, relying on such vague terms as “providing for the general welfare” and “regulating commerce.”
This undid the essence of our Founding Fathers, which was to create a united states with limited federal power, leaving most governance to the individual states.
There is a legal way to amend the Constitution. By a two-thirds vote, Congress can propose amendments which then must be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures.
But this threshold has proven too high for those impatient to use the centralized power of the federal government as an agent for social change. So now we have a “living Constitution” that changes based on the political whims of the U.S. Supreme Court. The founding fathers are no doubt rolling in their graves.
On the plus side, we have the oldest constitution that still exists in the world today. Some countries have changed their constitutions dozens of times. | https://www.northsidesun.com/opinion-columns/general-welfare-term-used-justify-power-grab |
Compare and Contrast “Industrial Relations” and “Human Resource Management” With the rapid pace of globalization, economic development and the more fierce competition among enterprises, the environment of employment is becoming more and more complex than in the past. The companies, no matter private or state-owned ones, have realized the significance of human resources which is the source of social wealth and plays a decisive role in its creation. The essay is concerned about comparing and contrasting the key features of “human resource management” and “industrial relations”.
In the academic fields, human resource management and industrial relations are boasting some differences as well as the similarities. And the consolidation trend of human resource management and industrial relations is in progressing. The author is attempting to illustrate the comparison and contrast between human resource management and industrial relations by analyzing their definitions, aims, assumptions, and the standpoints or the angles of carrying out actions. At the last part of the essay, some similarities between HRM and industrial relations are proposed in a basic way.
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Human resource management differs from industrial relations. In the first place, the focus of each definition varies from each other. Human resource management focuses on the employers who are seeking competitive advantages of the enterprise. They utilize quantities of strategies concerning corporation culture, structure and employees to realize the development of workforce. As a result, the employees tend to be more committed and capable and the effectiveness and efficiency are achieved, making the company profits larger and larger.
That is to say, human resource management is of more strategic importance, focusing on the full plan and attention of the management teams and senior executives. In the contrast, the regulation, control, governance of work and the employment relationship are the main focuses of industrial relations, which is drawing on the views of economics, politics, sociology, law and history. The rules and disciplines are generated to govern the performance and behavior in the workplace, which are to reduce the uncertainty in the human resource management. That is to say, uman resource management puts more focus on the proper balance between the employer and employees and industrial relations acts for helping to relieve the conflict between the two parts. Secondly, the aims of human resource management and industrial relations are different in some way. The former one is conducted in order to satisfy the organizations’ needs for human resources as much as possible, to assist the sustainable development of the organization, and to expand and raise the quality of workforce. The ultimate aim is to enhance the efficiency, the commitment of the workforce and the outcomes of the organization.
Since the operators and managers are responsible for the capital, the human resource management strategies and practice are consistent with the capital and involve the stakeholders. And in an ideal way, highly-performed human resource management is conducted to balance the interests of organization and the benefits of the workforce, which is regarded as a win-win situation in some previous research. On the other hand, the goals of industrial relations are achieving efficiency, realizing justice (benefits of workforce) in workplace. The equity, productivity and voice are all outcomes connected with the purposes of industrial relations.
Someone may argue that human resource management is also concerned with the benefits of labors since lots of strategies of human resource management do exert good effects on labors’ benefits. However, realizing labors’ benefits, can be a motivation and rewards to the higher commitment of the labors producing much more productivity, is only considered as a tool or mean assisting the human resource management to achieve more interests of the organization, which is different from the exact goal of industrial relations which seems to be more pure or direct.
Thirdly, human resource management assumes that the conflicts between employer and employees are not unavoidable and the authority of management is necessary to the organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Under this presumption, the employers believe that the possible occurrence of unsatisfied situations and the conflicts can be minimized by their strategy, applying their management authority in a planned way. Usually, the human resource management strategies are concerned with recruitment, training, pay and so on.
For example, when the manager of a call centre is selecting personnel of customer services representatives, he would prefer people who are communicative and have a positive character. And after that, training system is carried into practice to ensure those customer services representatives more professional in taking the customers’ phone call. The training is provided to standardize the process of calls such as the proper call length and the max abandoned calls rate. And the performance-based pay and bonus system can also be an incentive or motivation for the commitment of the workforce.
These human resources management methods are all trying to avoid the dissatisfaction of the labors and achieving the ideal outcomes at the same time. But on the other hand, industrial relations assume that the conflicts are not avoidable, making it necessary for a third part to get involved. It reveals the inter connections among the company (the employer), the workforce, the sector, the labor union and the national regulatory framework, also extending the employee representation to express the employees’ voice. What’s more, the industrial relation is one of the factors that influence human resource management.
The policies and the bargaining part can bring some effects on the management of human resources. Furthermore, human resource management and industrial relations are different in the standpoints and angles looking at the issues of employment and the relevant academic research. Human resource management uses an internal point of view analyzing the activities inside the organization. Managers belong to the organization and they design the human resource management strategies inside it, which is an inner side and vision towards the employment issues.
On the other hand, an external point of view is applied in the industrial relations function. A third party (such as labor union) or the employment policy exists outside the organization, examining the behaviors and solving the problems or conflicts inside the organization in a different angle. Apart from the above four differences between human resource management and industrial relations, there are several similarities in a basic way. These two academic areas are both dealing with the issues of employment and workplace.
From the human resource management strategies to the policies protecting the rights of the workforce, they are crucial to business success and the benefits of the labors, which may have influence on each other. Moreover, the trade union and the government policy are also the common matters that human resource management and industrial relations are dealing with, though the latter one is much more closely related to. And each of them is involved with a variety of disciplines, such as sociology and economics, making them more closely in academic fields.
To sum up, from the above comparison and contrast of variety of aspects, the fields of human resource management and industrial relations are boasting some differences (the first part) and common features ( the second part), helping us to develop a deeper understanding of them. There is no denying that as time goes by, these two fields are adjusting to the changing market situation, technology and the development of society. The author is looking forward to exploring more about human resource management and industrial relations. | https://anyassignment.com/management/industrial-relations-and-human-resource-management-assignment-41956/ |
D.A.H.
Department
English
First Advisor
Dr. Viktor Osinubi
Second Advisor
Dr. Susan Wright
Third Advisor
Dr. Timothy Askew
Abstract
This dissertation investigates the works of two Black female writers: Flora Nwapa(African and Nigerian) and Zora Neale Hurston (African American). Although theycome from different geographical regions, both writers use the same rchetypal patterns to create strong female protagonists. By characterizing protagonists in their novels from an African religious cultural perspective, both authors dismantle the stereotypical images of how black women are typically portrayed in fiction. Using Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and archetypal criticism the study finds that both authors create black female protagonists who are wise, resilient, decisive, courageous, independent, and risk-taking; the women who, through their self-discovery journeys, are neither defined by nor in oppositional relationships with the males in their lives.
The study compares how the qualities of two archetypal goddesses, Uhamiri of the Igbo cosmology and Oya of the Yoruba cosmology, are personified through the personalities of the two female protagonists in Nwapa's Efuru and Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, respectively. Using strong mythical females as templates, this research explores the ways in which the authors have defined their female characters, thus providing an alternative strategy for defining and analyzing black female characters in fiction.
The study asserts that literary interpretation of Africana women should include the cultural realities associated with the African religious framework in order to capture the full essence of their humanity. In addition, African feminist thought, unlike Western feminist theory, provides a more realistic model of discourse on Africana women's selfidentity. Examining Africana women from these perspectives, as opposed to analyzing them based on European standards, is an effective method of discrediting stereotypical images that continue to plague the portrayal of black women in fiction. When black women in fiction are explored from this vantage point, the literary work sends a message of cultural authenticity and preservation that elevates Africana women, expanding their functions and positions in society beyond traditional roles.
Recommended Citation
Adadevoh, Anthonia, "Personified Goddesses: An archetypal pattern of female protagonists in the works of two black women writers" (2013). ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. 763. | http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/763/ |
Glittering stones palm and feet set. Used to decorate the statue of God and Goddess .
How to maintain : After use, wrap it in a soft cloth. Avoid contact with water.
|actual height||Palm Height : 3.2 inches / 8 cm Leg Height : 2.5 inches / 6 cm|
|actual width||Arm Length : 1.5 inches / 4 cm Feet Length : 2.5 inches / 6.5 cm|
Contact us by E-mail, Phone of WhatsApp for support
Simply return it within 14 days for an exchange. | https://www.vadaamalar.com/deity-jewelry/deity-hastham-and-paatham-hp036.html |
When it comes to those most important things, keeping track, and controlling of the person’s weight is one among them. In addition, numerous research studies have revealed and pointed out the importance of physical activity combined together with healthy diet for the most successful loss of those excessive kilograms. What physical activity and exercising contribute to is a better control of a person’s overall weight, by means of employing all those superfluous calories that would under normal circumstances be used and stored as those bad fats. Another important fact that is directly related to the role of calories is that they are responsible for the regulation of the person’s overall body mass.
In addition, once a person starts adhering to a particular fitness program it, to a great extent, creates a sense of obligation, commitment and also control, which are considered to be the most beneficial mental attitudes that aid a person in battling off the all the negative effects of stress, as well as the stress itself. Another quite important side of physical activities and aerobics, to be more precise, is that it relieves muscle tension, which in return alleviates the overall stress.
Criteria
Many will ask the question of what the specific criteria that make an exercise aerobic in nature are. Well, the most uncomplicated answer would be that this is a specific exercise comprised of an extended activity, which requires a person to increase the intensity of breathing, while on the other hand, employing all the larger muscle groups at a proper and even pace. The activities in question are known to aid in maintaining the proper functioning, as well as health of the person’s hearth and its overall endurance and strength. In those beginning phases of the exercise itself, our bodies employ all those previously stored fatty acids and carbohydrates as the primary energy sources. | https://ic.steadyhealth.com/benefits-of-aerobic-exercise |
The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region (JRC) is the lay body representing the Jewish Communities from Blackpool to Stoke. It works daily to defend, protect and promote the best interests of our communities. The JRC promotes harmonious community relations with all sectors and communities, to help support Jewish Education, Heritage, Culture and communities to work for the benefit of society in general.
The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region has a long and distinguished record of service working to secure the welfare of the community and its future development.
All members of The Board of Deputies of British Jews, Jewish magistrates, councillors, Members of Parliament and Members of the European Parliament who live in or serve the Greater Manchester and Region are eligible to become members of the Council.
The Honorary Officers (President, two Vice-Presidents, Treasurer and two Honorary Secretaries) and the Executive Committee are elected annually. The Council lusually meets in open session on the first Sunday of each calendar month, except August, is the forum in which communal concerns of every kind can be publicly debated and, if thought fit, acted upon.
Members of the community may attend but may not take part in the proceedings unless specifically invited to do so. Only Council members are entitled to vote on the issues debated. The Council provides a mechanism to foster co-operation, co-ordination, collaboration and joint action between all the organisations in the community, and has also established a number of committees that undertake a variety of work. A key priority for the Council has been to encourage the development of a growing range of services, particularly to meet both the formal and informal educational needs of young people.
The JRC has always campaigned in support of other Jewish communities in need, distress or danger and maintains many strong links with Israel and, in recent years, we have been seriously concerned how events there have been reported in the British media.
At a national level, the Council has a well-established and close working relationship with both The Board of Deputies of British Jews and The Representative Councils Northern Forum. A comparatively recent innovation has been the participation of our President in the (national) Jewish Leadership Council (the JLC). An example of our recent collaboration would be the issue of Shechita lobbying.
We work closely with local authorities, local education authorities (members of the JRC serve on SACRE committees ensuring that Judaism receives a significant place in State School Syllabuses), the Greater Manchester Police (members serve on various IAGs (Independent Advisory Groups), hospital trusts and other bodies to secure the needs, interests and concerns of members of the community.
The Council has a longstanding and well-established tradition of facilitating and fostering the development of harmonious relations with other faith communities, working closely with the Manchester branches of the Council of Christians & Jews, the Hindu-Jewish Association, the Muslim-Jewish Forum and other groups, as well as through other less formal contacts.
The Council works to enhance and promote the development of health, welfare, cultural, educaitonal and social services for all parts of the community. It had a key role in establishing the Manchester Jewish Community Project. This had overall responsibility for a major research project to develop a strategic view of the community’s future development.
The Council is constantly alert to the challenges of antisemitism and racism and endeavours to present a fair and informed picture of local Jewry to the wider community of which we are part, and deals with day-to-day community concerns as they arise.
Successive Presidents, supported by their Honorary Officers, have been increasingly active, working both with mayors, other civic leaders, personalities, authorities and organisations in the wider community, both to develop contacts and to strengthen goodwill and understanding.
The activities in which the JRC is involved are not just ceremonial. They make a difference to the lives of the communities and individuals on a day-to-day basis.
The Honorary Officers and Executive Committee are strongly committed to encouraging and promoting the introduction of younger participation in communal involvement. | https://www.thejlc.org/jewish_representative_council_of_greater_manchester |
WINDERMERE, Fla., July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- IAOP® announced today the newly-formed Executive Committee of its Strategic Advisory Board, which reflects the evolution of the association, its vision for the future and its ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of its members.
The strategic direction of IAOP is developed in collaboration with the advice and counsel of its Strategic Advisory Board, which is comprised of leading industry executives representing customers, providers and advisors from IAOP's Founding and Corporate Membership.
IAOP's Executive Committee is chaired by Megan Carlyle, Office of the CIO, Fannie Mae, and will include Neil Hirshman, COP, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP and John Maher, COP, Executive Managing Director, CBRE as vice-chairs. Michael Corbett, IAOP's founder, will assume the chair emeritus role.
"Our newly-formed Executive Committee will be instrumental in helping us work to create increased value for our members, expand our global reach, grow our certification programs and help lead IAOP and the outsourcing industry into the future," said Debi Hamill, IAOP CEO. "I look forward to working with the members of the Executive Committee in their new roles as we continue to drive superior results for our members and the industry."
IAOP's Executive Committee
Megan Carlyle is the Governance Lead at Fannie Mae and is responsible for establishing and managing the governance to manage outsourced and strategic services for Operations & Technology. She sets the strategic vision for the governance program and oversees all functions, including contract and financial management, as well as performance and relationship management. She is also the lead for Fannie Mae's divisional vendor management strategy. Prior to this role, Ms. Carlyle served as a Deputy General Counsel at Fannie Mae.
"I'm delighted and honored to be asked to serve as the Chairperson of IAOP's first Executive Committee of the Strategic Advisory Board," said Carlyle. "I've benefited greatly from my involvement with IAOP over the years, learning from talented outsourcing professionals from around the world. The experience and generosity of IAOP's members is outstanding - collaboration really is at the heart of the association. As part of the Executive Committee, I hope to bring more focus to how we can build on the incredible program that exists today and enhance the collaboration and learning further."
Neil Hirshman co-leads Kirkland & Ellis LLP's Technology & IP Transactions Practice firm-wide. Neil's practice is focused on transactions involving technology or intellectual property, including representing both customers and providers in business process and information technology outsourcing transactions. Neil has been recognized by many for his contribution to the outsourcing industry, including being named a leading lawyer in Outsourcing in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in 2007-2016 and in Chambers Global: The World's Leading Business Lawyers 2009-2016 and selected by peers for inclusion in the 2009-2016 editions of The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Technology Law. Neil, a Certified Outsourcing Professional, is the founder and co-chair of both the Chicago and Northern California Chapters of IAOP and he sits on the Strategic Advisory Board, Regional Advisory Board, Advocacy and Outreach Committee and Chapter Guidance Council of IAOP.
"It is a privilege to be able to serve on the newly-formed Executive Committee," said Hirshman. "Kirkland & Ellis, a founding member of IAOP, has enthusiastically partnered with IAOP for the last 11 years to establish a community of outsourcing professionals dedicated to innovative work and thought leadership in the industry. One goal I have for the Executive Committee is to develop ways to increase membership in IAOP, as IAOP's strength comes in large part from the quality and size of its membership and the participation of highly collaborative individuals and organizations."
John C. Maher is Executive Vice President of Global Workplace Solutions Brokerage for CBRE; he is responsible for the growth of CBRE's brokerage business with corporate clients headquartered in the East. John is recognized in the outsourcing and real estate industries as a collaborative leader who has helped a wide range of corporate clients structure and implement highly successful business partnerships that turn innovative solutions into executable change. He is a Certified Outsourcing Professional and also chairs IAOP's Advocacy and Outreach Committee.
"I am pleased to become a member of IAOP's newly-formed Executive Committee for the Strategic Advisory Board," said Maher. "Each committee member brings unique knowledge, business expertise, and industry perspective to the Board. Whether you are a customer, advisor, or service provider searching for a way to revitalize a business function or help expand a successful company with new and profitable growth opportunities, IAOP provides unmatched resources for converting innovative solutions into executable outcomes."
About IAOP®
IAOP is the global association that brings together customers, providers, and advisors in a collaborative, knowledge-based environment that promotes professional and organizational development, recognition, certification and excellence to improve business service models and outcomes. Visit www.IAOP.org.
IAOP Media Contact:
Kate Tulloch-Hammond
Director, Media & Communications
+1.845.452.0600, extension 122
[email protected]
Photos: | https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iaop-announces-executive-committee-of-its-strategic-advisory-board-300297053.html |
Background checks can provide a critical way to protect your organization. The basic information needed to perform a background check includes:
- candidate’s full name (first, middle and last name)
- full date of birth
- Social Security Number
Common types of background checks include a criminal history check, social security, sex offenders and credit reports. A variety of other information may also be included such as education, employment history, driving reports and references. Applicant permission is required per the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Additionally, The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) maintains regulations to ensure that discrimination does not occur, and enforces federal employment discrimination laws when it does occur.
Specific information can be expected to be included with each report. The most common results are outlined below.
Criminal Records
The following will show up on a criminal background check report if applicable:
- Arrests
- Convictions of felonies and misdemeanors
- Court records (i.e. dockets, orders, decrees, judgment)
- Incarceration records
- Sex offenses
- Warrants
Under FRCA, criminal convictions are the only source of information that has no federal limitation. There are, however, nuances to consider. For example, while civil suits or arrests cannot be seen after seven years, some reporting restrictions under FCRA (such as bankruptcies after 10 years and arrests after seven years), don’t apply to job candidates who will make more than $75,000 per year. Additionally, many states have enacted a more restrictive version of the FCRA.
Social Security Number Validation
Validation of an individual’s social security number involves a report that shows the name and address history associated with a given social security number. This type of screening is frequently used to confirm a person’s eligibility to work in the United States. However, it is important to note that individuals can provide a false name and social security number or there can be spelling mistakes that yield incorrect results.
Sex Offender Registry
Sex offenses are captured in criminal background checks and are also included as public record in state and national sex offender registries. In addition to a national sex offender registry, every state in the United States is required to maintain a sex offender registry. Since it is name-based only, there is no way to verify that the name checked belongs to that person. Additionally, it only contains registered sex offenders, not individuals who have been convicted of any other type of crime.
Credit Report
With explicit, written permission, employers checking a credit report can see the following information (not a credit score):
- Bankruptcy
- Accounts placed for collection
- Loan information
Other Reports
Additionally, employers, volunteer organizations and educational institutions can request check military records, driving records, workers’ compensation, character references, drug test records or educational records. Each state has its own laws about how much information a third party can see.
Ultimately, the information that shows up on a background check depends on what type of background screening is performed and its purpose. | https://ohiopreemploymentservices.com/what-information-is-displayed-in-background-reports/ |
The genus trace: a function that shows values of genus (vertical axis) for subchains spanned between the first residue, and all other residues (shown on horizontal axis). The number of the latter residue and the genus of a given subchain are shown interactively.
|
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Total Genus
|
|
80
|
|
sequence length
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|
269
|
|
structure length
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253
|
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Chain Sequence
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LEYDYEYDENGDRVVLGKGTYGIVYAGRDLSNQVRIAIKEIPEEEIALHKHLKHKNIVQYLGSFSENGFIKIFMEQVPGGSLSALLRSKWGPLKDNEQTIGFYTKQILEGLKYLHDNQIVHRDIKGDNVLINTYSGVLKISDFGTSKRLAEEFTGTLQYMAPEIIDKGPRGYGKAADIWSLGCTIIEMATGKPPFYELGEPQAAMFKVGMFKVHPEIPESMSAEAKAFILKCFEPDPDKRACANDLLVDEFLK
The genus matrix. At position (x,y) a genus value for a subchain spanned between x’th and y’th residue is shown. Values of the genus are represented by color, according to the scale given on the right.
After clicking on a point (x,y) in the genus matrix above, a subchain from x to y is shown in color.
|molecule keywords||
MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE KINASE KINASE 5
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|publication title||
Crystal Structures of Ask1-Inhibtor Complexes Provide a Platform for Structure Based Drug Design.
|
pubmed doi rcsb
|source organism||
Homo sapiens
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|molecule tags||
Transferase
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|total genus||
80
|
|structure length||
253
|
|sequence length||
269
|
|chains with identical sequence||
B
|
|ec nomenclature||
ec
2.7.11.25: Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase. | https://genus.fuw.edu.pl/view/4BF2/A/ |
An ageing play space at Forresters Beach is to be given a makeover in response to requests from residents.
Central Coast Council said construction work was underway to provide a new, safe and engaging local play space at Archbold Place.
Construction works are due for completion by April and will include the removal and disposal of the deteriorated play equipment, and supply and installation of new softfall play equipment suitable for a range of ages and abilities, pathways and park furniture.
But if residents were hoping for shade at the new park, they are in for a disappointment.
A statement on Council’s website says that although shade structures are included at all regional and district play spaces in the areas of the park that are most essential, such as toddlers’ areas, they are not generally included in local play spaces.
“Council uses natural shade within play space design via existing trees or the planting of mature trees,” the statement says.
“Shade structures or tree planting are not always possible at every location due to site constraints such as impacts upon surrounding properties and the high incidence of vandalism and cost of maintenance of shade structures.”
Council advises that “in line with Cancer Council recommendations”, residents should visit play spaces in the mornings and afternoons, but not at the hottest time of the day, and should always wear sun safe clothing such as long sleeves and hats.
The statement says Council has developed a “hierarchy” of play space types guided by local and state guidelines for open spaces.
Regional play spaces, which attract and serve people across the whole region and outside areas, typically have the greatest capacity and variety of equipment and incorporate a wide array of facilities including shelters, tables, barbecues, car parking and associated activities such as half-courts, skate areas and bike paths.
Examples include Saltwater Creek Park, Long Jetty, Peninsula Recreation Precinct, Umina, and Canton Beach Community Park for the visually impaired.
District play spaces are medium sized play spaces which are accessible by bicycle, car and bus and are co-located with other facilities such as parking, toilets, shared paths or sports facilities.
Examples include Sohier Park (Ourimbah), Wamberal Park, Wairakei Rd (Wamberal), Kariong Hall (Kariong) and Kibble Park (Gosford).
Local play spaces, which make up 80% of Council play spaces, are located within local parks and typically have the least play equipment.
They are intended to provide play spaces for the local community for short stay visits and are within walking distance, generally at a 500m radius.
The Archbold Park project is funded by the NSW Government.
Source: | https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2020/02/forresters-beach-play-space-to-be-given-a-makeover/ |
Moulder, Dean (2008) Post 9/11 filmmaking and representations of the 'other'. BA dissertation, University of Portsmouth.
Abstract
The following thesis represents a microcosm of post 9/11 filmmaking and the depictions of the 'Other', focusing specifically on literal and non-literal accounts. As a relatively contemporary study, the work is grounded in post-colonial theory, exploring representations of 'Otherness' in the politically charged post 9/11 epoch and moves to discuss film in postmodernist terms. The dissertation was inspired out of the current socio-political climate of the 'war on terror' and the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. A post 9/11 malaise lingers in the collective psyche of western society, and cult of fear has been cultivated by governmental spin. This work explores how the issues of the attacks themselves are represented as well as the ensuing social impact, and how this has disproportionally affected the 'Other'. The intention is to cover American film (but not exclusively), looking at racial stereotyping of Arabs (as the perpetrators of the attacks) and questioning whether the films themselves give the 'Other' a voice. I argue that literal depictions either marginalise the 'Other' by not representing them at all or alienate them by encouraging a lust for revenge, with the 'Other' cited as the 'enemy'. Whilst non-literal filmic depictions are on the whole more tolerant and attempt to show humanity as a united race, they do so with the theorised 'Orientalised preoccupations with the East and the 'Other'.
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Document DownloadsMore statistics for this item... | http://eprints.port.ac.uk/550/ |
Spain: Screenwriting and Documentary Storytelling (Winter Break)
On This Page:
Application Deadline
Program Type
- OHIO Credit
Academic Focus
- Communication, Journalism, and Media
Program Feature
- Gen Ed
- Gilman Eligible
Country/Region
- Spain
Program Term
- Winter Break
For more information contact:
Frederick Lewis
Program Director
[email protected]
740.274.1650
Office of Global Opportunities
[email protected]
Apply
Overview
Students will become immersed in the vibrant culture of southern Spain by researching and writing documentary scripts that focus on subject matter in and around the city of Seville. Participants will gain invaluable international producing experience as they develop topics and conduct interviews with the local citizenry. Translators will be provided when necessary.
Each student will also select a short story (in translation) by a Spanish author and learn how to write a screenplay for a short film adapted from their chosen story.
Want to know more about the student experience? Check out this Winter Break 2021-2022 article.
Highlights and Excursions
Throughout the program, students will explore several key sites in Seville. Additionally, the program will visit Granada where students will have a guided tour of the Alhambra.
Check out this video to hear about previous experiences:
Good to Know
- No Spanish Language Skills Necessary!
- This program can take a maximum of 12 students and recruits early!
- Admission to this program is on a rolling basis, with applications reviewed by the program director as they are received. Early application is strongly recommend.
- Students will meet 6 – 8 times prior to departure to receive the academic background for the coursework, such as researching and writing a prospectus on a documentary topic while still in Athens.
- Once in Spain, students will work in teams of two and go out into the city of Seville and the surrounding area to do further research and conduct interviews that will be used in their screenplays.
Living Arrangements
In Seville, students will be housed in a Residence Hall with shared rooms and bathrooms, including a common area, TV room, Internet, cleaning and laundry service. Three meals per day, Monday – Saturday and two meals on Sunday are included.
Program Dates
December 11, 2022* – January 7, 2023
*Students should leave the U.S. on December 10 to arrive in Barcelona on December 11.
This program is offered annually and typically opens for application by the beginning of March.
Study Away and COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, participation in study away and abroad involves real and potential personal, financial, and academic risk. The CDC advises that you should delay travel until you are vaccinated. Note that entry to some countries and participation in local program and free-time activities, including in the U.S., may be severely restricted or potentially unavailable to unvaccinated individuals. Unvaccinated travelers should additionally expect to incur extra expenses and onsite logistical challenges due to onsite testing requirements. For further information, contact [email protected].
Academics
Students will choose from two of the following three courses to earn a total of 6 credit hours.
- MDIA 2201 Short Form Scriptwriting (3 cr. hours)
- MDIA 3201 Screenwriting: The Adaptation (3 cr. hours)
- MDIA 3600 Producing for Video (3 cr. hours)
Cost
The program fee for this program includes: Student accommodations, some meals, in-country transportation, excursions (guided with tours), airport transfers, welcome and farewell dinner and international medical health insurance.
In addition to the program fee, students should plan for 6 credit hours of tuition*, administrative fee, and out-of-pocket costs. Below is the student budget worksheet for this program, which outlines these costs.
Undergraduate Student Budget Worksheet - Winter Break 2022-2023
Items that are not related to the program (ie. additional entertainment, souvenirs, extra travel, contingency funds) are not included in the cost estimates provided and should be budgeted for separately.
*Note:
- Non-resident surcharge waived for the credit hours associated with this program.
- If you are nominated to this program, you will be required to pay a deposit to confirm your participation. The deposit is a down payment on the total costs to be billed by OHIO and is determined by the total cost of the program.
- For programs completed over winter-break and spring break, the credit-hours associated with the program are part of the spring semester. Students taking between 12 to 20 Athens campus hours, including those associated with the program, will not incur additional tuition costs for the spring semester. Students taking less than 12 or more than 20 Athens campus credits for the spring term will see their tuition charge adjusted accordingly.
Looking for Funding Opportunities?
More information on financial aid and scholarships can be found on our funding pages.
Eligibility and Requirements
This program is open to all Ohio University students with a minimum GPA of 2.0 who are in good conduct standing.
Students who will be on probation at any point during the program for a conduct offense that took place less than a calendar year from the program start date may not study abroad. Click here to read the entire conduct policy.
This program accepts NON-OHIO students. For more information about this process visit the Non-OHIO student page.
Entry and Exit Requirements
U.S. citizens are required to have a valid U.S. passport when traveling outside of the United States. If you plan to study or travel abroad in the next year, apply for your passport now. Some countries also require a visa to legally enter or reside in the country.
U.S. citizens will not need a visa or other special document to enter the country for the length of this program. Please also note that visa requirements may vary if you plan to stay in the country longer than the program dates or travel to other countries during or after the program. Please familiarize yourself with these recommendations and requirements prior to applying to this program.
For more specific visa related information, please visit OGO’s Visa Information Page
Information for Non-U.S. citizens can be found here. | https://www.ohio.edu/goglobal/programs/spain-screenwriting |
Activity 4 for Mini-game 3
Game Mechanics, Objects and Rules
Capture the game mechanics for five of the player stories that will be incorporated within your game (task 1):
2. Describe how these mechanics will appeal to your target audience.
Movement: Because this is a side scrolling game, so the character can only move left and right, very easy to control.
Scenarios to provide challenge: this game encourage player to explore the game world and interact with NPCs freely. It doesn’t have clear game story, player will decide the future of the character by her will. It shares some similarity with Sims 4, player is writing the story for the character, not the game.
3. Capture the details from in your object table (task 2). The table should include the following :
• Object name
• Object purpose
• Object attributes
• Relationship to Other Objects
• Rules, events and effects associated with the object
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Ah, holiday meal leftovers….what to do, what to do? Well I say ‘re-purpose!’ I enjoy cooking up new dishes with leftovers because half of the work is already done! What I like to do with my leftover cranberry sauce is to make a uniquely festive cranberry coffee cake. I wanted to create a coffee cake that wasn’t too sweet to balance out the effects of the cranberry sauce and white chocolate chips. This coffee cake is great to serve for unexpected guests or to enjoy it as a snack. This recipe is versatile so you can swap out some of the flour for oat flour, add flax and omit the white chocolate chips if you desire.
Recently I decided to weigh ingredients for cakes, breads and tortes to ensure a consistent outcome. When I say recent, I mean I made the change a week ago. So, instead of using dry measures, I will be creating and perfecting sweet treats with scale. As a child, my mom always weighed her ingredients, which is standard in Swiss baking.
The only measuring cup my mom had was the standard 2-cup liquid measuring cup! I used that cup for a variety of recipes until my mom bought me a set of dry measures! Now, I will admit that weighing ingredients takes a little more time, but weighing ingredients is more accurate and will help bring you consistent results. There are several articles/posts on the subject!
- 125 grams or 1 cup all purpose flour
- 50 grams or ⅓ cup whole wheat flour
- 25 grams oats or ¼ cup (not quick oats)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 113grams or 1 stick of butter, melted unsalted butter or ½ cup vegetable oil
- 150 grams or ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons half and half cream
- 200 grams or ½ cup cranberry sauce
- 70 grams or ¼ cup white chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease and flour a 9" loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift or whisk together flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, beat together melted butter or oil, sugar and zest for 5 minutes.
- Add egg, beat until smooth, (about 2 minutes).
- Alternating with flour, add half and half cream, using either the paddle attachment or the whisk, until the batter comes together.
- Finally, stir in cranberry sauce and white chocolate chips just until combined and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes in preheated oven.
- Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing from pan and finish cooling on wire rack. | http://kissofswiss.com/2014/12/cranberry-sauce-coffee-cake/ |
In the wake of statewide stay-at-home orders triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, businesses have had to pivot to telework operations practically overnight. This effort, considered a challenge for any business, was especially difficult for government agencies—in 2019, just 19 percent of local government agencies, and less than half of all states, had any telework infrastructure set up.
Agencies have had to put in place stopgap measures to set up systems, establish policies and procedures, and acquire or adjust the technology needed to enable employees to work from home efficiently and securely.
While some states are starting to reopen businesses, the timeline for a nationwide return to work remains unknown, and organizations need to be prepared for prolonged or renewed wide-scale teleworking. Agencies should take this opportunity to assess their current telework setup and consider how it might look in the future—what changes should be made to optimize systems, ensure reliability, and create a scalable and sustainable solution?
Assess the Current Infrastructure
There are several ways to gauge the capabilities of remote work systems, but starting by asking some high-level questions can help frame the approach in a more holistic manner and provide insight to larger, systemic issues:
- Do employees have access to the infrastructure, processes, and solutions they need to telework efficiently?
- Are there any roadblocks in place that require workarounds? How can those be removed?
- Is the agency’s work actually getting done, and if not, why?
- Are employees able to completely replicate their use of the agency’s digital infrastructure from home? Are they able to use essential tools on all of their devices?
- Does the agency’s current solution mesh with the technology and systems employees are using at home and on the road?
- Is the current telework setup as secure as possible?
- If the agency had to telework a year from now, would the current solution still be viable?
Answering these questions will identify the pain points employees might be experiencing in this makeshift telework environment and encourages a forward-thinking framework to ensure that the optimal solution is one that will work both today and in a year from now.
Address Technical Problems
The assessment likely revealed some technical incongruities that make remote work more challenging—these concerns can generally be resolved with the adoption of enterprise-level software and tools.
One of the quickest ways many organizations made the overnight switch to teleworking was relying on the use of a public cloud provider. While these solutions are a common approach to data management on a small scale, many larger agencies and organizations are probably discovering that they do not scale easily—or if they do, it comes at a steep cost. Seeking out an enterprise cloud solution that is built to handle large amounts of data and many users will benefit agencies both now and in the future, as many of these solutions can grow with the organization and provide an impressive array of data management tools.
Consider Systemic Changes
During the assessment, it’s possible that a few nagging systemic or technical issues bubbled up again and again. Now is a great time to address those concerns during the larger process of adjusting the agency’s digital infrastructure. Identifying, prototyping, and testing solutions to create a more secure, productive, and human-centric environment will address systemic issues. This concept can take the agency’s teleworking approach from an emergency option to an innovative and forward-thinking environment, and maybe even an employee recruiting and retention tool.
The pandemic has caused a seismic shift in how business is conducted, and the government and industries are working together to help organizations bounce back stronger than before. The combination of emergency and stimulus funding, as well as vendor partners focused on helping organizations assess and optimize their telework infrastructure, have made this an ideal time to create and scale end user computing environments for a solution that works both now and in the future.
For more information about Nutanix work from home solutions, contact us at [email protected] or sign up for our free 30-day, unlimited user trial of Nutanix’s Desktop as a Serice (DaaS) – in this hassle-free test drive – and get started working from anywhere in under 1 hour. | https://www.carahsoft.com/community/nutanix-telework-infrastructure-blog-2020 |
The Labrador Retriever as a Model of Naturally Occurring Myopia: Genetic and Environmental Contributions
Black, Joanna
Identifier:
http://hdl.handle.net/2292/5847
Issue Date:
2010
Degree Name:
PhD
Degree Grantor:
The University of Auckland
Rights:
Copyright: The author
Rights (URI):
https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm
Abstract:
Aims: To validate the dog as an animal model of naturally occurring myopia by identifying genetic and environmental factors which are associated with myopia development in the Labrador Retriever. Methods: A large pedigree of Labrador Retrievers was phenotyped for refractive error. Using statistical (familial aggregation) analysis, refractive error data was used to investigate the inheritance of the trait within the pedigree. DNA samples were taken for later analysis. Potential environmental factors early in life were also studied in relation to adult refractive error; including birth weight, growth rate, season of birth, ocular pathology and litter size. DNA samples were extracted and a pilot genetic association study was designed to identify genetic loci for canine refractive error using a genome wide SNP array with a myopic case group and a non-myopic control group. Results: A significant prevalence (37%) of myopia was found within the pedigree studied. Familial aggregation analysis demonstrated a significant genetic contribution, as well as showing a strong environmental contribution. Heritability of refractive error was 0.506. Smaller litters were shown to have significantly higher levels of myopia. No association was found between any environmental factors and adult refractive error, apart from season of birth in one age tertile. A genetic pilot study was designed to test for genetic loci which contribute to canine refractive error. Conclusions: The Labrador Retriever is potentially an ideal animal model for the study of human myopia; the condition is naturally occurring in dogs, develops in a significant proportion of the population and can be phenotyped noninvasively. This study is the first to demonstrate the inheritance of myopia in any animal other than humans. The dog genome allows for myopia to be studied at a molecular level and due to the domesticated nature of the dog, breeding and environmental manipulations can also be conducted to identify further aspects of myopia causatio
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flow, expletive moments of spontaneous mark-making that can go either way when you get carried away, or when you’re maybe testing alternative slants or options and seeing how they develop before eliminating the duffers. Even those ‘just enjoying what the paints do’ periods, painting just for the sake of it.
In spite of the sketches and preliminary paintings, because the painting doesn’t have to resemble anything specific and I’m not painting with photos in front of me, there is less emphasis on looking right or wrong and more time to play and develop by going with what works. Although the composition is in place by this stage, one still tests the ground with unsatisfactory parts of the piece, to see where it could go: after all, you don’t want to mess with the bits you like that work.
The focal point of the painting is crucial. I’ve been in a pre-menstrual, overworked with the business side of things state of delirium! And maybe over-submerged in my work, I literally needed to take a step back. In more ways than one. But a bigger studio would help.
I’ve always known it would have to go: the cloud that has so far resembled a crocodile, a rodent, a whale, but ended up as a huge slug. Pretty colours though!! I’d been working on other areas and avoiding starting the boat. I’ve been too tired in my painting sessions to tackle the important bit – the boat – and the slug has slept and slugged off. Back to slugging the kids round tomorrow, difficult even to dip in and scrape it off, wish it was upstairs at home.
This entry was posted in Art, Daily Life, Painting and tagged Art, artist, clouds, commission, duffers, expletive, gallery, landscape, mood, oils, paint, painter, Painting, paints, picture, possibilities, progress, sea, seascape, sketch, sketches, sky, slants, stage one, state of delirium, sunrise. Bookmark the permalink. | https://artbyjaxx.com/2012/02/05/slug-past-the-post/ |
In our mission to deliver and safely operate high-quality, innovative floating solutions for the offshore industry, we partner with suppliers and contractors to introduce new technologies and solutions for our assets. Procurement qualifies potential suppliers and contractors through a standard prequalification process by evaluating supplier’s Technical Capability, Quality, Safety, Financial health, Commercial and Compliance.
Suppliers and contractors willing to work with MODEC can register their expression of interest here Supplier Registration.
Upon receiving your request, MODEC representative will thoroughly review your company’s profile and may reach out to you for further documentation requirements for a detailed review. In this process, MODEC shall obtain information regarding your company’s core categories of supply of goods and services along with financial information and all relevant supporting documents. Your company’s offered goods and services, and country of operation shall govern the criticality level assigned by MODEC. This criticality level shall directly impact the number of requirements your company will be subject to for the qualification.
Upon a satisfactory review of the submitted documents your company shall be registered with MODEC. It is important to note that the business entity registered will be the only entity that is qualified to supply to MODEC and all transactions (Purchase orders, Work orders, any other form of agreements and Invoices) hall be done to that particular entity only. | https://www.modec.com/business/supplychain/registration.html |
An international consortium of 200-plus scientists, engineers, technical specialists and students has formally inaugurated an ambitious new effort to probe the secrets of neutrinos, the elusive subatomic particles that have played a central role in the origin of the universe, the evolution of the Sun, and much else.
Where do neutrinos come from? What are their masses? And how do they change from one kind to another? The researchers will attempt to answer such questions with the newly completed NuMI-MINOS experiment, which will send pulses of neutrinos on a 450-mile path through the Earth.
NuMI stands for Neutrinos at the Main Injector, the facility that produces the neutrino beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, outside Chicago. MINOS refers to a pair of huge underground particle detectors that together comprise the Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search. One, the 1000-ton MINOS near detector at Fermilab, will monitor the neutrino beam as it heads outward. The other, the 6,000-ton MINOS far detector located a half-mile underground in the Soudan iron mine of northeastern Minnesota, will serve as the final target.
The detectors' job won’t be easy. Because neutrinos interact so rarely, trillions of them will pass through the MINOS near detector each year, but only about 1,500 per year will collide with atoms inside the detector and produce a signal. The rest will pass right through with no effect. It will be much the same story in Minnesota as in Illinois. Nonetheless, the detector there should be able to tell if some fraction of the neutrinos have changed from one kind to another during the 2.5-millisecond trip. MINOS scientists will then use the change from one type of neutrino to another as the key to discovering neutrinos’ secrets.
The Department of Energy provides the major share of funding for NuMI-MINOS project, with additional support coming from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and from the United Kingdom’s Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council.
Michael Turner, NSF’s Assistant Director for Mathematics and the Physical Sciences, believes the neutrinos’ infinitesimal mass belies their significant and ubiquitous impact. | https://www.physlink.com/news/MinosNeutrino.cfm |
The world's largest, most detailed catalog of human genetic variation—used by disease researchers around the world—has more than doubled in size. The newly published information will provide deeper insights into the genomic basis of human disease.
Genetically, people are more than 99% alike. Although most of the variations between us have little or no effect, others can contribute to disease. The goal of the 1000 Genomes Project is to identify and compile variants in the human genome that are harbored by at least 1 in 50 people. NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) helps fund and direct this international public-private consortium of scientists.
In the November 1, 2012, issue of Nature, the scientists described their latest map of genetic variation. They combined whole-genome sequencing with more detailed sequencing of the protein-coding regions of the genome—the “exome.” So far, the consortium has sequenced the genomes of over 1,000 people from 14 populations in Europe, East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas. Ultimately, the scientists will study more than 2,500 people from 26 populations.
The new map includes 38 million single differences in DNA sequence, known as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs. It also includes 1.4 million short insertions or deletions of DNA (as small as a single base or as large as 50 bases) and 14,000 large deletions of DNA.
The researchers found that people from different populations have different profiles of rare variants. The patterns of rare variants differed by geography.
“Project researchers discovered that each person carries a handful of rare variants that would currently be recognized as disease-causing and a few hundred more rare variants that are likely to have a detrimental effect on how genes work,” says Dr. Gilean McVean of the University of Oxford in England, co-leader of the project’s analysis group. “It’s fortunate that most of us usually carry only 1 copy of these variants since 2 copies might lead to disease.”
All of the 1000 Genomes Project information is freely available on the Internet through public databases. The 2012 dataset will be followed by the last addition in 2013. This growing catalog will continue to help researchers pinpoint genetic variants associated with disease. Identifying the genetic underpinnings of disease can help lead to new diagnostic tests and treatments.
“With this project, we have succeeded in making sure that information about our shared genetic heritage, and the common DNA variants we carry, are freely available for researchers to use to benefit patients around the world,” says project co-leader Dr. David Altshuler of Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute. “Moreover, the tools and methods that this project has helped foster are being used now in disease-oriented genetics research and will be used increasingly in clinical care.”
Related Links
References: Nature. 2012 Nov 1;491(7422):56-65. doi: 10.1038/nature11632. PMID: 23128226. | https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/cataloging-human-genetic-variation |
Recency bias is a cognitive bias that convinces us that new information is more valuable and important than older information. Apply this bias to the Ravens and suddenly fans are convinced that Trace McSorley is a better passer than Lamar Jackson, will soon supplant the team’s starter and is now drawing comparisons to Drew Brees.
There’s no denying McSorley’s solid performance against the Eagles on the road. What made the performance even more impressive is the former Nittany Lion’s ability to bounce back from a bad performance. Just a couple of days earlier during the teams’ joint practices, McSorley threw three picks over the span of just four throws. Not a misprint…not forty throws. FOUR!
McSorley has been inconsistent during training camp and his cumulative slash line in the two previous preseason games is 17/35/159/1/2 for a passer rating of 47.2. And those putrid numbers were posted against backups and players who will be unemployed in less than 2 weeks.
Now I’m not trying to undermine McSorley’s efforts. He’s a 6th round pick who was selected after the Ravens already re-signed Robert Griffin, III. The Ravens don’t like to waste draft picks, even if it is a 6th round pick. As GM Eric DeCosta has said often, they are in the pick business. They knew going in that Griffin signed a two-year deal and that he would be the backup. You don’t burn that 6th-round pick if you don’t think you can carry 3 QB’s, like they did last season.
It’s possible the Ravens thought they could scoot McSorley onto the practice squad. Maybe they thought he would struggle against the Eagles during the preseason game just as he had during the two joint practices, and in doing so, might it not then be easy to let McSorley stealthily nestle on to the Practice Squad?
But it didn’t go down that way.
The Ravens may have already determined that McSorley will be among the team’s final 53. Maybe not.
Undoubtedly, the Ravens will scour NFL rosters to see how the backup quarterback situation is on all other 31 teams. Maybe they get comfortable that no one will pluck McSorley if the Ravens cut him. And if they do, they’ll cross their fingers and hope that DeCosta’s peers don’t suffer from recency bias. | https://russellstreetreport.com/2019/08/24/lombardis-way/recency-bias/ |
Global partnership is critical to resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Jordan’s King
Rawad Taha, Al Arabiya English
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said that global partnership is critical to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, according to The Royal Hashemite Court.
King Abdullah reaffirmed that Jordan would continue working to preserve the historic and legal status quo of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian Holy Sites, under Hashemite Custodianship.
World leaders have returned to the United Nations in New York this week with a focus on boosting efforts to fight both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, which last year forced them to send video statements for the annual gathering.
As the coronavirus still rages amid an inequitable vaccine rollout, about a third of the 193 UN have planned to again send videos, but presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers for the remainder have travelled to the United States.
King Abdullah said that the conflict Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the longest-standing conflicts in modern history.
On the socio-economic crisis in nearby Lebanon, King Abdullah said that the [world] owes the Lebanese people its full support to enable them to rise from the crisis.
“Enabling the Lebanese to rise from the crisis demands a well-planned, well-executed international response, engaging all of us,” he added.
King Abdullah added that the world must not forget the millions of refugees in host countries like Lebanon.
“In this time of great need, we owe the Lebanese people our full support, to enable them to rise from this crisis. And that demands a well-planned, well-executed international response, engaging all of us. Jordanians well understand what a serious impact this has. For generations, our country has sacrificed to help millions of refugees fleeing injustice and danger,” King Abdullah added.
King Abdullah added that the wellbeing of these millions and the communities that host them remains an international responsibility.
“It is vital to keep up support for UNHCR, the World Food Program, and others that care for and offer hope to refugees and their host communities,” he added.
King Abdullah added that countries have a vast shared interest in responding effectively.
“Leaving people in need, innocents in jeopardy and conflicts unresolved plays into the hands of global extremists, who exploit the despair, frustration, and anger these crises leave in their wake. Although we may have won some battles, the fight against terrorism and extremism is not yet over. Our action—collective, global action—remains essential,” King Abdullah added.
King Abdullah II added that Jordan has been calling for regional networks of resiliency to pool resources and respond quickly and smoothly to needs as they arise.
“That requires collective action, and the emphasis must be on action. Positive change cannot be willed into being. Our work must be coordinated and structured to deliver real-world impact,” he added. | |
Dear Sir/Madam, welcome to my website!!!
If you are looking for a flute, saxophone or guitar teacher in Dubai for your child or yourself, you have found the right place. Let me introduce myself in a few words below.
I am a highly organized, outcome-driven and motivated professional guitar teacher with more than 14 years of experience teaching both individual and group lessons. I am very comfortable with all aspects of the current music syllabus (ABRSM and TRINITY London College), including playing the instruments, music theory, improvisation, performance, composition, reading and listening skills. I possess solid understanding of these concepts and skills in the context of various musical styles (classical, jazz), periods and genres. I also proficiently implement creative techniques and methods in my work.
I am fully qualified, with a Bachelor of Education in Music and a background in music tutoring.
Throughout my teaching career, I have been driven to help students achieve their very best. I strongly believe that music has the power to change lives – to enhance the social, cultural and spiritual lives of people, and serve as a profound medium of personal expression.
You will find me to be a down-to-earth and amiable person, with excellent classroom communication skills and professional presentation. My empathy and my interpersonal skills enable me to freely discuss any matter of concern with both students and parents of diverse social backgrounds and cultures.
I believe this is a role to which I could bring great value, exercising and broadening my music teaching experience, and helping students develop their talents while nurturing their passion for music. | https://music-teacher.pro/ |
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07/10/2020
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE
AT KNOXVILLE
Assigned on Briefs February 3, 2020
IN RE DANIEL B. JR. ET AL.
Appeal from the Juvenile Court for Anderson County
No. J32503, J32504 Brian J. Hunt, Judge
___________________________________
No. E2019-01063-COA-R3-PT
___________________________________
A mother appeals the termination of her parental rights to her children. The juvenile
court determined that there were five grounds for terminating the mother’s parental rights
and that termination of her parental rights was in the children’s best interest. Because the
record contains clear and convincing evidence to support both the grounds for
termination and the best interest determination, we affirm.
Tenn. R. App. P. 3 Appeal as of Right; Judgment of the Juvenile Court Affirmed
W. NEAL MCBRAYER, J., delivered the opinion of the court, in which J. STEVEN
STAFFORD, P.J., W.S., and THOMAS R. FRIERSON II, J., joined.
Mark Pienkowski, Knoxville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Donna W.
Herbert H. Slatery III, Attorney General and Reporter, and Jordan K. Crews, Assistant
Attorney General, for the appellee, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.
OPINION
I.
A.
On January 4, 2018, the Department of Children’s Services (“DCS”) petitioned the
juvenile court for temporary legal custody of the twelve- and six-year-old children of
Donna W. (“Mother”) and Daniel B. (“Father”). At the time, Mother was homeless, and
Father was “unavailable,” having temporarily left the state with his paramour. Mother
later stipulated that her children were dependent and neglected. Following a separate
adjudicatory hearing for Father, the court determined that the evidence supported a
finding that the children were dependent and neglected. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-
129(b) (Supp. 2019); Tenn. R. Juv. P. 307.
After being granted temporary custody, DCS placed the children in foster care.
The court allowed Mother and Father supervised visitation and ordered them each to pay
$75 per month, per child in support.
The DCS family service worker initially involved with Mother, Father, and the
children would later testify that the concerns with Mother went beyond homelessness.
Mother was also suspected of drug abuse and being both a perpetrator and a victim of
domestic violence. A hair follicle test performed approximately 76 days after the
children’s removal showed that Mother was positive for methamphetamine and
tetrahydrocannabinol.1 And the children reported witnessing drug use and domestic
violence between Mother and her mother (“Grandmother”) and Mother and her
paramour.
The first family permanency plan, ratified in February 2018, had the goal of either
returning the children to a parent or for the children to be placed with a relative. With
respect to Mother, the plan required her to complete parenting and domestic violence
education; submit to and pass random drug screens; submit to an alcohol and drug
assessment and follow all recommendations; and obtain and maintain appropriate and
stable housing. The plan also required Mother to submit to a mental health assessment
and follow all recommendations; work to resolve all outstanding legal issues and pay all
fees and fines; provide proof of reliable, legal income sufficient to support the children;
and provide proof of insurance, vehicle registration, and a valid driver’s license or a
transportation plan.
The court ratified two additional permanency plans. But, except for the addition
of a requirement that Mother attend a batterer’s intervention program in the second plan,
Mother’s responsibilities remained the same.
B.
On January 18, 2019, DCS petitioned to terminate the parental rights of both
Mother and Father. As to Mother, the petition alleged five grounds for termination of her
parental rights: abandonment by failure to support; abandonment by failure to provide a
1
Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC “is a marijuana metabolite.” Interstate Mech. Contractors, Inc.
v. McIntosh, 229 S.W.3d 674, 677 (Tenn. 2007).
2
suitable home; substantial noncompliance with the permanency plan; persistent
conditions; and failure to manifest an ability and willingness to assume custody.2
At trial in May 2019, the two DCS family service workers who had worked on the
case were the only witnesses. Although her counsel was present for the trial, Mother was
not.
The first witness, the family service worker involved when the children were
removed, testified to the efforts made by DCS to assist Mother. Mother was made aware
of housing resources, including public housing, and was referred for mental health and
alcohol and drug assessments that could be performed in-home. Referrals were also
made for parenting education and domestic violence education that could take place in-
home. And DCS conducted periodic child and family team meetings and supervised
Mother’s visitation with the children.
Despite the housing resources provided and discussions with Mother regarding
housing options, Mother never obtained housing. To the knowledge of the family service
worker, Mother only contacted one housing program, but the program could not provide
assistance because it was already assisting Grandmother.
Mother did complete a mental health assessment and an alcohol and drug
assessment. But she did not follow through with any of the recommendations from those
assessments. Alarmingly, Mother refused to participate in drug screens after her hair
follicle test. And she admitted drug use to the family service worker.
Of the requirements in the family permanency plan, Mother only fully complied
with one. She maintained regular visits with the children. The family service worker
described Mother’s relationship with the children as “kind of odd” and that Mother had a
better relationship with her younger child. According to the family service worker,
“[Mother] would try, but it was like she related more or had more to do with [younger
child] than she did with [older child].” Grandmother, who often accompanied Mother
when she exercised her visitation, had more interaction with the older child than Mother
did.
The family service worker also observed the children in their foster home, where
they had been for over a year by the time of trial. The family service worker testified that
the children loved the home and that they were both doing well in elementary school.
The children had also confided to the family service worker that they wanted to stay in
the foster home. Outside of visits, the children never inquired about their parents.
2
As only Mother has appealed, we focus our discussion on the termination of Mother’s parental
rights.
3
The second family service worker that testified had replaced the first
approximately two months prior to the trial. She had spoken with Mother the previous
month while supervising Mother’s last visitation with the children. At the time, Mother
admitted that she was still homeless and acknowledged that she could not pass a drug
screen that day. But Mother claimed that she “would try by the next visit.”
The second family service worker had also observed the children in their foster
home. She described the children as “very bonded to the foster parents” and “very
happy” in the home. According to the family service worker, the children “love their
foster parents and are ready to be adopted [by them].”
At the conclusion of the trial, the court terminated both Mother’s and Father’s
parental rights. As to Mother, the court concluded that the evidence was clear and
convincing as to all five grounds alleged for terminating her parental rights. The court
also concluded that the evidence was clear and convincing that termination of Mother’s
parental rights was in the children’s best interest.
II.
A parent has a fundamental right, based in both the federal and State constitutions,
to the care and custody of his or her own child. Stanley v. Illinois, 405 U.S. 645, 651
(1972); In re Angela E., 303 S.W.3d 240, 250 (Tenn. 2010); Nash-Putnam v. McCloud,
921 S.W.2d 170, 174 (Tenn. 1996); In re Adoption of Female Child, 896 S.W.2d 546,
547 (Tenn. 1995). But parental rights are not absolute. In re Angela E., 303 S.W.3d at
250. State statute identifies those circumstances in which the government’s interest in the
welfare of a child justifies interference with a parent’s constitutional rights. See Tenn.
Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g) (Supp. 2019).
Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-1-113 sets forth both the grounds and procedures
for terminating parental rights. In re Kaliyah S., 455 S.W.3d 533, 546 (Tenn. 2015).
Parties seeking termination of parental rights must first prove the existence of at least one
of the statutory grounds for termination listed in Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-1-
113(g). Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(c)(1). If one or more statutory grounds for
termination are shown, they then must prove that terminating parental rights is in the
child’s best interest. Id. § 36-1-113(c)(2).
Because of the constitutional dimension of the rights at stake in a termination
proceeding, parties seeking to terminate parental rights must prove both the grounds and
the child’s best interest by clear and convincing evidence. In re Bernard T., 319 S.W.3d
586, 596 (Tenn. 2010) (citing Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(c); In re Adoption of A.M.H.,
215 S.W.3d 793, 808-09 (Tenn. 2007); In re Valentine, 79 S.W.3d 539, 546 (Tenn.
2002)). This heightened burden of proof serves “to minimize the possibility of erroneous
decisions that result in an unwarranted termination of or interference with these rights.”
4
Id. “Clear and convincing evidence” leaves “no serious or substantial doubt about the
correctness of the conclusions drawn from the evidence.” Hodges v. S.C. Toof & Co.,
833 S.W.2d 896, 901 n.3 (Tenn. 1992). It produces a firm belief or conviction in the
fact-finder’s mind regarding the truth of the facts sought to be established. In re Bernard
T., 319 S.W.3d at 596.
We review the trial court’s findings of fact “de novo on the record, with a
presumption of correctness of the findings, unless the preponderance of the evidence is
otherwise.” In re Taylor B.W., 397 S.W.3d 105, 112 (Tenn. 2013); Tenn. R. App. P.
13(d). We then “make [our] own determination regarding whether the facts, either as
found by the trial court or as supported by a preponderance of the evidence, provide clear
and convincing evidence that supports all the elements of the termination claim.” In re
Bernard T., 319 S.W.3d at 596-97. We review the trial court’s conclusions of law de
novo with no presumption of correctness. In re J.C.D., 254 S.W.3d 432, 439 (Tenn. Ct.
App. 2007).
A.
On appeal, Mother argues that the evidence does not clearly and convincingly
support the statutory grounds relied on by the juvenile court for terminating her parental
rights. Mother also argues that the evidence does not clearly and convincingly support
the finding that termination of her parental rights was in the children’s best interest.
1. Abandonment
One of the statutory grounds for termination of parental rights is “[a]bandonment
by the parent.” Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(1). Abandonment as a ground for the
termination is defined in five different ways. See id. § 36-1-102(1)(A) (Supp. 2019)
(defining the term “abandonment”). The juvenile court concluded that Mother
abandoned her children under the first and second definitions of “abandonment.”
a. Failure to Support
Under the first definition, “abandonment” includes the failure “to support or . . .
make reasonable payments toward the support of the child” during the four months
immediately preceding the filing of the petition to terminate parental rights. Id. § 36-1-
102(1)(A)(i). Here, because the petition was filed on January 19, 2019, the relevant four-
month period is September 19, 2018, to January 18, 2019, the day before the petition was
filed. See In re Jacob C.H., No. E2013-00587-COA-R3-PT, 2014 WL 689085, at *6
(Tenn. Ct. App. Feb. 20, 2014) (concluding that the day before the petition is filed is the
last day in the relevant four-month period).
5
The evidence clearly and convincingly supports this ground for terminating
Mother’s parental rights. The court ordered Mother to pay $75 per month, per child in
child support. The record showed that Mother made a total of $100 in child support
payments following the children’s removal from her custody, $75 of which had been paid
after the filing of the petition to terminate her parental rights. Mother made no child
support payments during the four month period leading up to the petition to terminate.
Mother complains that the juvenile court did not find her failure to support was
“willful” and that the “evidence at trial was insufficient to show that [she] had the ability
to pay child support during the relevant four-month period.” But, as DCS notes, lack of
willfulness is an affirmative defense to the ground of abandonment by failure to support.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-102(1)(I). The burden fell on Mother to prove her failure to
support was not willful. Id.
b. Failure to Provide a Suitable Home
The second definition of “abandonment” considers whether a child has a suitable
home to return to after the child’s court-ordered removal from the parent. Tenn. Code
Ann. § 36-1-102(1)(A)(ii). Termination of parental rights may be appropriate if:
(a) The child has been removed from the home or the physical or legal
custody of a parent . . . by a court order at any stage of proceedings in
which a petition has been filed in the juvenile court alleging that a child is a
dependent and neglected child, and the child was placed in the custody of
[DCS] . . . ;
(b) The juvenile court found . . . that [DCS] . . . made reasonable efforts to
prevent removal of the child or that the circumstances of the child’s
situation prevented reasonable efforts from being made prior to the child’s
removal; and
(c) For a period of four (4) months following the physical removal, [DCS]
. . . made reasonable efforts to assist the parent . . . to establish a suitable
home for the child, but that the parent . . . ha[s] not made reciprocal
reasonable efforts to provide a suitable home and ha[s] demonstrated a lack
of concern for the child to such a degree that it appears unlikely that the
[parent] will be able to provide a suitable home for the child at an early
date.
Id.
A “suitable home” means something “more than a proper physical living
location.” Tenn. Dep’t of Children’s Servs. v. C.W., No. E2007-00561-COA-R3-PT,
2007 WL 4207941, at *3 (Tenn. Ct. App. Nov. 29, 2007). A suitable home requires
6
“[a]ppropriate care and attention . . . to the child.” In re Matthew T., No. M2015-00486-
COA-R3-PT, 2016 WL 1621076, at *7 (Tenn. Ct. App. Apr. 20, 2016). The home must
also “be free of drugs and domestic violence.” In re Hannah H., No. E2013-01211-
COA-R3-PT, 2014 WL 2587397, at *9 (Tenn. Ct. App. June 10, 2014).
We conclude that clear and convincing evidence also supports terminating
Mother’s parental rights on the ground of abandonment by failure to provide a suitable
home. The juvenile court removed the children from Mother’s custody and placed them
in the custody of DCS on January 4, 2018. In removing the children from Mother, the
juvenile court found both that the children were dependent and neglected and that DCS
had made reasonable efforts to prevent their removal.
Although Mother argues otherwise, we have little trouble concluding that DCS’s
efforts to assist Mother exceeded her own efforts to establish a suitable home. See Tenn.
Code Ann. § 36-1-102(1)(A)(ii)(c) (“The efforts of the department or agency to assist a
parent or guardian in establishing a suitable home for the child shall be found to be
reasonable if such efforts equal or exceed the efforts of the parent or guardian toward the
same goal, when the parent or guardian is aware that the child is in the custody of the
department[.]”). DCS developed a permanency plan, identified housing resources,
referred Mother to the necessary service providers, and facilitated visitation with the
children. But Mother took little or no action toward either obtaining a place to live or
making the lifestyle changes that were necessary for her to safely parent during the four
month period following the children’s removal.
By the time of trial, Mother was no closer to providing a suitable home than when
the children were removed from her custody. She was homeless. And she was not
participating in the therapy recommended after her mental health assessment, which she
did not obtain until July 6, 2018. She was also not participating in any classes for
domestic violence. Just a month before trial, Mother declined to take a drug test because
she told the family service worker that she would test positive for drugs. In sum, the
record demonstrates little likelihood that Mother would provide a suitable home for the
children in the near future.
2. Substantial Noncompliance
The juvenile court also found Mother was not in substantial compliance with the
requirements of the permanency plan. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(2). The
juvenile court ratified three permanency plans, with the last being ratified on the day of
trial. On appeal, Mother argues that her noncompliance with the third permanency plan
cannot be a ground for termination because the court did not hold “an evidentiary hearing
on its contents.” She also complains that the third permanency plan was not included in
the record on appeal.
7
We find both of Mother’s arguments unavailing. First, there was no requirement
for the court to conduct an evidentiary hearing on the third plan. By rule, an evidentiary
hearing to ratify a permanency plan is only required under certain circumstances, none of
which were present here. See Tenn. R. Juv. P. 401(e). Second, because the third
permanency plan was not ratified until the day of trial, we agree with DCS that the third
plan was not the basis for the juvenile court’s substantial noncompliance determination.3
Before considering a parent’s compliance with a permanency plan, the court must
find that the permanency plan requirements were “reasonable and . . . related to
remedying the conditions that necessitate[d] foster care placement.” Tenn. Code Ann.
§ 37-2-403(a)(2)(C) (2014); In re Valentine, 79 S.W.3d at 547. Permanency plan
requirements may focus on remedying “conditions related both to the child’s removal and
to family reunification.” Id. Here, the juvenile court failed to make a specific finding
that the plan requirements were reasonable and related to remedying DCS’s concerns. So
our review of the reasonableness of Mother’s responsibilities under the plan is de novo.
See id.; In re Serenity S., No. E2019-00277-COA-R3-PT, 2020 WL 522439, at *11
(Tenn. Ct. App. Jan. 31, 2020).
DCS sought removal based on Mother’s homelessness, drug abuse, and domestic
violence issues. We conclude that the requirements of the plan were reasonable and
related to remedying these concerns.
Next, we must determine whether Mother’s noncompliance was substantial in
light of the importance of the requirements to the overall plan. See In re Valentine, 79
S.W.3d at 548-49. We review the court’s findings of fact concerning compliance with
the requirements of the permanency plan de novo with a presumption of correctness. See
id. at 547. But whether any noncompliance constitutes “[s]ubstantial noncompliance is a
question of law which we review de novo with no presumption of correctness.” Id. at
548. Our concern is with the parent’s efforts to comply with the plan, not the
achievement of the plan’s desired outcomes. In re B.D., No. M2008-01174-COA-R3-PT,
2009 WL 528922, at *8 (Tenn. Ct. App. Mar. 2, 2009). A “[t]rivial, minor, or technical”
deviation from the permanency plan’s requirements does not qualify as substantial
noncompliance. In re M.J.B., 140 S.W.3d 643, 656 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2004).
We conclude that the evidence is clear and convincing that Mother failed to
substantially comply with the requirements of the permanency plans. Other than
participating in visitation and submitting to a hair follicle test, Mother made no efforts to
address the requirements of her plan until July 2018. In July 2018, she completed mental
health and drug and alcohol assessments. But she did not follow any of the
recommendations for treatment. Mother declined to participate in random drug screens,
3
The testimony established and the court found that the third plan did not change Mother’s
responsibilities.
8
and she never addressed her domestic violence issues. Mother did seek housing through
one provider, but when that one provider could not assist, Mother did not pursue any of
the other resources available to address her homelessness.
3. Persistence of Conditions
The juvenile court also found termination of Mother’s parental rights appropriate
under Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-1-113(g)(3), a ground commonly referred to as
“persistence of conditions.” See In re Audrey S., 182 S.W.3d 838, 871 (Tenn. Ct. App.
2005). This ground for termination focuses “on the results of the parent’s efforts at
improvement rather than the mere fact that he or she had made them.” Id. at 874. The
goal is to avoid having a child in foster care for a time longer than reasonable for the
parent to demonstrate the ability to provide a safe and caring environment for the child.
In re Arteria H., 326 S.W.3d 167, 178 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2010), overruled on other
grounds, In re Kaliyah S., 455 S.W.3d at 555. So the question before the court is “the
likelihood that the child can be safely returned to the custody of the [parent], not whether
the child can safely remain in foster care . . . .” In re K.A.H., No. M1999-02079-COA-
R3-CV, 2000 WL 1006959, at *5 (Tenn. Ct. App. July 21, 2000).
There are several elements to the ground of persistence of conditions. Persistence
of conditions may be a basis to terminate parental rights when:
The child has been removed from the home or the physical or legal
custody of a parent . . . for a period of six (6) months by a court order
entered at any stage of proceedings in which a petition has been filed in the
juvenile court alleging that a child is a dependent and neglected child, and:
(i) The conditions that led to the child’s removal still persist,
preventing the child’s safe return to the care of the parent . . . , or other
conditions exist that, in all reasonable probability, would cause the child to
be subjected to further abuse or neglect, preventing the child’s safe return to
the care of the parent . . . ;
(ii) There is little likelihood that these conditions will be remedied at
an early date so that the child can be safely returned to the parent . . . in the
near future; and
(iii) The continuation of the parent . . . and child relationship greatly
diminishes the child’s chances of early integration into a safe, stable, and
permanent home[.]
Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(3). Each of the statutory elements must be established
by clear and convincing evidence. In re Valentine, 79 S.W.3d at 550.
9
At the time of trial, the children had been removed from Mother’s custody for
more than six months. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(3)(B) (“The six (6) months
must accrue on or before the first date the termination of parental rights petition is set to
be heard.”). And this record contains clear and convincing evidence that the conditions
preventing the children’s safe return to Mother remained. Mother was homeless. When
the family service workers attempted to test Mother for drugs after her initial positive
test, she refused. And she had yet to address her issues with domestic violence.
We further conclude that the evidence was clear and convincing that there was
little likelihood that these conditions would be remedied in the near future. Mother’s
admission that she could not pass a drug test just a month before trial and lack of progress
on other issues made reunification in the near future unlikely.
The continuation of the parent and child relationship also greatly diminished the
children’s chances of early integration into a safe, stable, and permanent home. At the
time of trial, the children had been in foster care for 16 months. They had bonded with
their foster family and were flourishing in the care of the foster parents. And the foster
parents desired to adopt the children.
4. Failure to Manifest an Ability and Willingness to Assume Custody or Financial
Responsibility for the Child
Finally, the court found termination of parental rights appropriate under Tennessee
Code Annotated § 36-1-113(g)(14). Under this ground, a parent’s rights may be
terminated if he or she
[1] has failed to manifest, by act or omission, an ability and willingness to
personally assume legal and physical custody or financial responsibility of
the child, and [2] placing the child in the person’s legal and physical
custody would pose a risk of substantial harm to the physical or
psychological welfare of the child.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(14). Both prongs must be established by clear and
convincing evidence. See In re Cynthia P., No. E2018-01937-COA-R3-PT, 2019 WL
1313237, at *8 (Tenn. Ct. App. Mar. 22, 2019).
We conclude that terminating Mother’s parental rights on the ground of failure to
manifest an ability and willingness to assume legal and physical custody was appropriate.
DCS established by clear and convincing evidence that Mother failed to manifest both an
ability and willingness to personally assume legal and physical custody and financial
responsibility for her children.4 While Mother maintained regular visitation with the
4
This Court has split over the proper interpretation of the first prong of Tennessee Code
10
children, she never moved past supervised visitation. Mother had done nothing to
address her substance abuse issues or her homelessness. Her domestic violence issues
also remained unaddressed. Despite all the services she was offered, Mother remained
unable to care for or support her children.
The evidence is equally clear and convincing that returning the children to
Mother’s custody would pose a risk of substantial harm to their physical or psychological
welfare. Mother had no home to offer the children, and she was still abusing drugs. So
we can conclude, if returned to Mother, the children more likely than not faced a real
hazard or danger of harm. See Ray v. Ray, 83 S.W.3d 726, 732 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2001).
B.
Because “[n]ot all parental misconduct is irredeemable,” our parental termination
“statutes recognize the possibility that terminating an unfit parent’s parental rights is not
always in the child’s best interests.” In re Marr, 194 S.W.3d 490, 498 (Tenn. Ct. App.
2005). So even if a statutory ground for termination is established by clear and
convincing evidence, we must also determine whether termination of parental rights is in
the child’s best interests. Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-1-113(i) lists nine factors that
courts must consider in making a best interest analysis. The “factors are illustrative, not
exclusive, and any party to the termination proceeding is free to offer proof of any other
factor relevant to the best interests analysis.” In re Gabriella D., 531 S.W.3d 662, 681
(Tenn. 2017). In reaching a decision, “the court must consider all of the statutory factors,
as well as any other relevant proof any party offers.” Id. at 682. The best interest
analysis is a fact-intensive inquiry, and each case is unique. White v. Moody, 171 S.W.3d
187, 193-94 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2004).
The focus of this analysis is on what is best for the child, not what is best for the
parent. In re Marr, 194 S.W.3d at 499. Additionally, the analysis should take into
account “the impact on the child of a decision that has the legal effect of reducing the
parent to the role of a complete stranger.” In re C.B.W., No. M2005-01817-COA-R3-PT,
2006 WL 1749534, at *6 (Tenn. Ct. App. June 26, 2006). Although “[f]acts relevant to a
child’s best interests need only be established by a preponderance of the evidence, . . . the
combined weight of the proven facts [must] amount[ ] to clear and convincing evidence
Annotated § 36-1-113(g)(14). See In re Ellie K., No. M2019-01269-COA-R3-PT, 2020 WL 1943522, at
*9-11 (Tenn. Ct. App. Apr. 23, 2020) (describing the Court’s differing views on the first prong). The
split concerns whether a parent must fail to manifest both an ability and willingness to assume custody or
financial responsibility or whether a parent must fail to manifest either an ability or willingness to assume
custody or financial responsibility. Compare In re Ayden S., No. M2017-01185-COA-R3-PT, 2018 WL
2447044, at *7 (Tenn. Ct. App. May 31, 2018) with In re Amynn K., No. E2017-01866-COA-R3-PT,
2018 WL 3058280, at *14 (Tenn. Ct. App. June 20, 2018). Here, under either view, DCS met its burden
of proof.
11
that termination is in the child’s best interests.” In re Carrington H., 483 S.W.3d 507,
535 (Tenn. 2016).
After considering all the statutory factors, the juvenile court determined that
termination of parental rights was in the children’s best interest. The first two statutory
factors look at the parent’s current lifestyle and living conditions. The first factor focuses
on whether the parent “has made such an adjustment of circumstance, conduct, or
conditions as to make it safe and in the child’s best interest to be in the [parent’s] home.”
Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(i)(1). The second factor considers the potential for lasting
change. See id. § 36-1-113(i)(2) (asking “[w]hether the parent . . . has failed to effect a
lasting adjustment after reasonable efforts by available social services agencies for such
duration of time that lasting adjustment does not reasonably appear possible”). The
juvenile court found that Mother failed to make changes in her conduct or circumstances
and that lasting change did not appear possible.
The evidence supports the findings made relative to factors one and two. Mother
remained homeless, jobless, and continued to struggle with illegal drugs.
The third and fourth factors focus on the parent’s relationship with the child. The
third factor focuses on the consistency of visitation. See id. § 36-1-113(i)(3). The fourth
factor considers “[w]hether a meaningful relationship has otherwise been established
between the parent . . . and the child.” Id. § 36-1-113(i)(4). The court did not apply the
third factor, consistency of visitation. But the court did find that there was no meaningful
relationship between the children and Mother. The evidence does not preponderate
against this finding.
The fifth factor evaluates the effect a change in caregivers would have on the
child’s emotional, psychological, and medical condition. Id. § 36-1-113(i)(5). The court
found that it would be detrimental to the children to move them from their foster home.
At the time of trial, the children had lived with the same foster family for sixteen months.
They had bonded with the family, who had provided the only safe and stable home they
had ever known. And the children’s current placement is considered a preadoptive home.
We agree with the juvenile court that the fifth best interest factor favored termination of
Mother’s parental rights.
Under the sixth factor, the court determines whether the parent or another person
residing with the parent “has shown brutality, physical, sexual, emotional or
psychological abuse, or neglect toward the child” or another person in the home. Id.
§ 36-1-113(i)(6). The seventh factor focuses on the parent’s home environment and
ability to be a safe and stable caregiver. See id. § 36-1-113(i)(7) (“Whether the physical
environment of the parent’s . . . home is healthy and safe, whether there is criminal
activity in the home, or whether there is such use of [intoxicants] as may render the
parent . . . consistently unable to care for the child in a safe and stable manner.”). Mother
12
was homeless. And in the month before trial, she did not want to submit to a drug test
because she would test positive for drugs. The juvenile court found that Mother
neglected the children and abused drugs and alcohol “rendering [her] consistently unable
to care for the children in a safe and stable manner.”
The eighth statutory factor evaluates the parent’s mental and emotional health,
asking “[w]hether the parent’s . . . mental and/or emotional status would be detrimental to
the child or prevent the parent . . . from effectively providing safe and stable care and
supervision for the child.” Id. § 36-1-113(i)(8). The court also determined that this
factor favored termination. Mother completed both mental health and drug and alcohol
assessments, but she refused to engage in the recommended treatment. And she was still
unable to pass a drug test just a month before trial.
The ninth factor considers the parent’s child support history. See id. § 36-1-
113(i)(9). Here, Mother’s failure to support her children financially also weighs in favor
of terminating her parental rights.
The court is not limited to the factors listed in the statute when determining best
interest. Id. § 37-1-113(i). In addition to the statutory factors, the juvenile court found
that Mother had shown little to no interest in the children’s welfare and that she
continued to “make lifestyle choices which are not conducive to providing a safe and
stable home for the children.” The evidence also supports these findings.
In sum, we agree with the juvenile court’s best interest determination. The
combined weight of the proven facts amounts to clear and convincing evidence that
termination of Mother’s parental rights is in the children’s best interest.
III.
The record contains clear and convincing evidence to support terminating
Mother’s parental rights on the five grounds presented. The record also contains clear
and convincing evidence that termination is in the children’s best interest. So we affirm
the termination of Mother’s parental rights.
_________________________________
W. NEAL MCBRAYER, JUDGE
13
| |
Why has my veterinarian prescribed this medicine?
Fludrocortisone acetate belongs to the family of medicines called steroids. It is classified as a corticosteroid. The body naturally produces similar steroids that are necessary to maintain the balance of certain minerals and water for good health. This medication has been used for the treatment of Addison's disease (adrenocortical insufficiency). It has also been used as adjunctive therapy when there is an excess of potassium in the blood.
How do I give this medication?
- Give this medication to your pet as directed by your veterinarian. READ THE LABEL CAREFULLY.
- Try to give this medication at about the same time(s) each day.
- DO NOT give the pet more medicine than directed.
- DO NOT give the medicine more often than directed and for a longer period of time than directed.
- Try not to miss giving any doses.
What do I do if I miss giving a dose?
Give the dose as soon as possible. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose, and continue with the regular schedule. Do not give the pet two doses at once.
How do I store this medicine?
- Keep this medicine out of reach of children.
- Store this medicine in a cool, dry place at room temperature. Store away from heat and direct sunlight.
- Do not store this medicine in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink or in damp places. The medicine may break down if exposed to heat or moisture.
What are the potential side effects?
"Side effects...They generally occur if the dosage is excessive or if the medication is discontinued too rapidly."
- Side effects are rare. They generally occur if the dosage is excessive or if the medication is discontinued too rapidly. Side effects may include high blood pressure, water retention, and low potassium levels or muscle weakness.
- Contact your veterinarian if you notice frequent urination, urinary incontinence or excessive thirst.
- Other side effects may occur. If you notice anything unusual, contact your veterinarian.
Are there any possible drug interactions?
- Make sure to tell your veterinarian if you are giving your pet any other medication or supplements.
- Quite often, your veterinarian may prescribe two different medications, and sometimes a drug interaction may be anticipated. If this occurs, your veterinarian may vary the dose and/or monitor your pet more closely.
- The following drugs can potentially interact with fludrocortisone acetate: potassium-depleting diuretics (e.g. hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide).
- Contact your veterinarian if your pet experiences any unusual reactions when different medications are given together.
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© Copyright 2009 Lifelearn Inc. Used and/or modified with permission under license. | https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/fludrocortisone-acetate |
Famotidine is a histamine-blocking agent. It helps reduce the amount of gastric acid secreted in the stomach. Famotidine has been used for treating or helping to manage gastric or duodenal ulcers. It has also been used to treat gastritis and reflux conditions.
famotidine
Side Effects
The adverse effect profile has not been fully determined for veterinary species. Adverse effects documented in humans include: loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dry mouth or skin. If symptoms are observed and if they persist, contact your veterinarian.Other side effects may occur. If you notice anything unusual, contact your veterinarian.
Dogs and Cats
Famotidine is used to treat gastritis, reflux conditions and ulcers.
Famotidine should be given orally as directed by your veterinarian.
Cautions
This medication does not have an FDA approved indication for use in animals, but it is a common and acceptable practice for veterinarians to prescribe this human medication for use in animals.
Make sure to tell your veterinarian what other medication you are giving to your pet. Quite often your veterinarian may prescribe two different medications, even if a drug interaction may occur. In this case, your veterinarian may vary the dose and/or monitor your pet more closely. If famotidine must be given with antacids, metoclopramide, sucralfate, digoxin and/or ketoconazole, give famotidine at least 2 hours before or after the other drugs, whenever possible. Contact your veterinarian if your pet experiences any unusual reactions when different medications are given together.
Allergic reactions to medications may occur. Be sure to inform VetSource and your veterinarian if your pet has any known drug sensitivities or allergies. If your pet displays symptoms of an allergic reaction, call your veterinarian immediately or go to a veterinary emergency clinic. Symptoms may include but are not limited to: swollen lips, tongue, face, airways; difficulty breathing; agitation; profuse salivation; vomiting; widespread hives and itching. | https://vcahospitals.com/shop/product/famotidine-tablets |
Level: Higher Beginners
Learn: More than a choreography, you will have an introduction to the interaction of dance to live song and guitar. This is a preparation for students to eventually dance to live flamenco in the future.
Here, we work on the style & technique, based on the choreography of the Alegrías de Cádiz. This is a choreography by our maestro in Seville, Manuel Betanzos. It is also suitable for those who are members of our new online courses created in Spain (Maestros Flamenco Online), who want to practise.
You will be accompanied either by live song, an occasional guitarist or with music recordings that enable you to understand comparatively the variations you will encounter in live flamenco. | https://spanishdance.sg/classes-workshops/ |
Disruption to transport is expected across all modes during the peak period on Friday morning. Scotrail has introduced an emergency timetable with some services cancelled and ferries will also be affected.
There is also a yellow warning for snow and ice going into Saturday with wintry showers expected to be heaviest north of the central belt.
Scottish Ministers are receiving regular updates on the severe weather. The resilience (SGoR) team met this afternoon and is in regular contact to discuss prevention and response activity with responder organisations across the country, including those areas affected by yesterday’s heavy rain.
Transport Scotland is activating the Multi-Agency Response Team (MART) to monitor the conditions. The MART, which involves partner organisations such as Police Scotland and the Met Office, is being co-ordinated at the Traffic Scotland National Control Centre in South Queensferry with access to the best technology available to monitor the situation and react accordingly.
“We are expecting some very difficult weather conditions tomorrow morning. Winds of this severity bring a high risk of disruption, leading to cancelled ferries, train services and restrictions or closures on bridges. The gale force winds will also make high-sided vehicles particularly prone to being blown over.
“We are in regular contact with the transport operators regarding the situation. They do not take the decision to cancel services lightly but safety is paramount.
"Everything possible is being done to try to mitigate the impact of the conditions with experts working alongside each other at our Traffic Scotland National Control Centre.
“Members of the public should remain alert to the threat of wintry weather and further flooding across certain parts of the country. Further rain and snow is forecast over the weekend so I would urge everyone to take the necessary steps to stay safe and keep up to date with the latest flood and weather information.
“We will be withdrawing some services until the worst of the storm has passed.
“The safety of our passengers and workforce is our top priority and we cannot run services on these lines until our engineers have thoroughly inspected the network for any damage.
“In order to get the most up to date information about their journey, customers should check our website or app before setting out to travel. Leaving more time for travel is also advised.
“We will be monitoring the weather conditions closely throughout the day and have specialist teams ready to deploy quickly to deal with any issues caused by the storm.
“Yet again this winter we are in a position where the weather is likely to bring extensive disruption to service across the Clyde and Hebrides routes over the course of the week. People should look at the forecast carefully before travelling and check their arrangements if they plan to travel with us.
To sign up for free local Flood Warnings and regional alerts, or for more information and advice on preparing for flooding, use SEPA’s Floodline site www.floodlinescotland.org.uk or call Floodline 0345 988 1188. | https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/warning-of-gale-force-winds-high-risk-of-travel-disruption/ |
Dietetics & Nutrition is a well managed department for taking care of your nutrition and lifestyle for a healthy and sound life. The team of dietitians, nutritionists and counselors focus on offering unparalleled nutrition services to the patients. The Institute provides helpful nutritional education to outpatients from the daily OPD in the Obesity Clinic, Oncology Diet Clinic, Bariatric Diet Clinic, and Antenatal Diet Clinic. In addition, the Institute also provides varied helpful lectures as well as training sessions on nutrition, meal and eating planning from professionals, communities, corporate to schools.
Dietetics & Nutrition conducts varied counseling session for patients, who are in the need of a healthy diet plan. Experts of the institute help patients adhering to a beneficial diet approved by the doctors. The diet plans are developed as per the clinical conditions of the patients. Every patient is given personalized attention to monitor the progress on the basis of the following: | https://uchsindia.com/clinical-nutrition-dietetics.html |
Theories of mass communication (5th edition): 9780582998704: communication books @ amazoncom. Syllabus course description: study of mass communication models, theory development, mass communication and theory relationship to research in mass communications. Chapter#5: normative theories of mass communication during the era of yellow journalism, most media professionals cared very little for the niceties of accuracy, objectivity, and public. The major textbook in communication theory denis mcquail provides a brisk, elegantly organized, and comprehensive overview of the ways in which mass communication has been viewed by social. Theories of mass communication - ebookdigbiz is the right place for every ebook files we have millions index of ebook files urls from around the world.
Journalism and mass communication – vol i - history and development of mass communications - lauriethomas lee. Theories of communication we are little switchboard centers handling and rerouting the great endless current of information itheories of mass communication. Communication theory/propaganda and the public from wikibooks bernays’ theories represent a step forward for mass communication theory. Created date: 9/27/2005 4:57:23 pm.
What qualifies as a mass communication theory typically, the phrase is connected with the idea of “media effects” mass communication theories are typically imagined as ways to explain how. List of theories covered in a first look at communication theory (7th edition. Denis mcquail is emeritus professor of communication at the university of amsterdam and visiting professor in the department of politics, university of southampton his books include. 2 communication models and theories often, communicators blame the audience for not accepting a message, but it is often that the sender, encoding process or channels chosen were not.
Alphabetic list of theories1 adaptive structuration theory 2 agenda-setting theory 3 altercasting 4 argumenation theory 5 attraction-selecti. The magic bullet perspective, also called the hypodermic needle model, is a model for communications magic bullet theory has been around since the 1920s to explain “how mass audiences might. Denis mcquail's mass communication theory is not just a seminal text in the study of media and society - it is a benchmark for understanding and appreciating the long and winding road. The paperback of the the play theory of mass communication by william stephenson at barnes & noble free shipping on $25 or more.
1 social cognitive theory of mass communication albert bandura stanford university bandura, a (2001) social cognitive theory of mass communications. Introduction to mass communication page 7 the basic foundation of human society is communication and it takes place at different levels – within oneself. This is “functions and theories of mass communication”, section 152 from the book a primer on communication studies (v 10) for details on it (including licensing), click here identify.
Magic bullet theory of mass communication: definition & overview cultivation theory of mass communication: go to models & theories of mass communication. With more than 300 entries, these two volumes provide a one-stop source for a comprehensive overview of communication theory, offering current descriptions o. Mass communication study now one of the things that has occurred in mass communication during the iraq war is the absence of images and coverage of american soldiers killed in action. Mass communication module - 1 notes introduction to mass communication 24 mass communication when india became independent agriculture in the country was not. An exploration of the definition, history and theories behind cyber communication as applied to mass media read more. Define mass communication: communication directed to or reaching the mass of the people — mass communication in a sentence.
Mass communication plays an influential role in modern society in this lesson, you'll learn what mass communication is and about some theories. Some of the prominent past and present theories in mass communication learn with flashcards, games, and more — for free. Muaz affan 2011878906 limited effects theory the limited effects theory is a mass communication theory which argues that the influence from a mass media message on individual is limited or. Chapter 2: theories of communication chapter 1 focused on the developmental stages of communication and summed up communication as a complex and dynamic process leading to the evolution of. Communication theory all about theories for communication list of theories by admin on february 4 authoritarian theory catharsis theory of mass communication.
All Rights Saved. | http://hlhomeworkyvah.rossienginesusa.us/theories-of-masscommunication.html |
The Master’s degree programme in Sociology offers a rigorous course of instruction that will prepare you to investigate and understand the complexities of contemporary societies. The curriculum includes courses in classical and contemporary sociological theory, practical training in quantitative and qualitative research methods, and cultivation of your critical thinking and writing skills. The programme has been carefully designed to offer you a rich and complete sociological education, while simultaneously offering flexibility and opportunities for you to follow your personal interests.
The programme offers intensive instruction in a smaller number of challenging courses with high credit values, rather than extensive instruction in a high number of less demanding courses. This model of teaching is used at top international universities and it also helps you to become flexible and to transition smoothly to doctoral degree programmes if you decide to continue your studies. Our curriculum focuses on independent study combined with consultations with experienced lecturers, which enables you to develop skills needed for autonomous, thorough, and creative problem-solving. Methods that help you solve problems and complete tasks are given priority over broad factual knowledge in sociology, which can quickly become obsolete, is too extensive to be mastered in a two-year course of studies, and is usually easily available in digital databases and other types of information sources. Skilled use of such databases (e.g. being able to determine the relevance or reliability of data and information) is one of the skills that you learn during your Master’s studies.
After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:
- Understand the mechanisms behind the functioning of social systems and how these systems reproduce, how they are controlled, what rules they follow, which types of actors are formed/required by these systems, and what helps and disturbs social cohesion.
- Understand how people see social reality and how their perception of this reality influences their behaviour.
- Identify and use various types of social information for analysis, including statistical data, written and visual records, own observation, etc., and identify basic values and patterns of social behaviour.
- Identify specific social characteristics of different social environments and groups (based on ethnicity, religion, class, generation, nationality, etc.) and analyse them using sociological tools.
- Analyse specific social situations (value crises, social disintegration or conflict, important points and stages of individual, social, or organizational development and relate them to a wider institutional or cultural context.
- Identify the nature, social causes, and consequences of specific processes or problems (including migration, urbanization, social exclusion, lifestyle changes, corruption, asymmetrical communication, authoritarianism, education, and media).
- Consider and suggest solutions to specific problems, including the (unintended) consequences of various solutions to social problems and possible reactions of individual social actors or institutions.
- Understand the tools used for statistical processing of data, estimate the predictive value of collected data, and take advantage of the possibilities offered by programs for computer processing of statistical data (such as SPSS or STATA).
A degree in sociology prepares you for further post-graduate study or for a professional career in fields ranging from state administration, marketing, and business to education, journalism, and the non-governmental sector. Our graduates often find employment in social and land development (at private companies, local authorities, labour offices, etc.) and in market and public opinion research agencies.
Sociology is a single-subject Master’s degree programme and the standard duration of the studies is four semesters. Before taking the final state examination, students need to earn 120 ECTS credits: 60 credits by completing required courses (including 12 credits for Thesis Project and 24 credits for Thesis Seminar) and 60 credits by completing selective courses (including up to 12 credits for elective courses). Students in all matriculation years must complete at least one sociology course in English (this requirement can also be met by completing a course in English at a university abroad). Students are also expected to be able to study and communicate in English even in courses that are taught in Czech and they need to prove minimum language competence for Master’s degree programme graduates before taking their final state examination. The recommended study plan includes two required courses in the first two semesters of the study; please note this is not compulsory and most selective courses can be enrolled in without completing required courses first. However, completing a specific set of required and selective courses is compulsory for students who decide to specialize in one of the disciplines offered by the department (Social Anthropology, Gender Studies, and Urban Studies).
As a part of the Master’s final state examination, students take a written exam and defend their Master’s thesis. The thesis can be theoretical or it can be based on students’ own empirical qualitative or quantitative research. The thesis should be between 126,000 and 162,000 characters long and serves to show that students are able to apply their knowledge of sociological analysis to specific problems or topics and formulate relevant, accurate, and critical arguments. Students also need to show that they can choose the right methodological approach and framework and apply it properly.
The written exam comprises three essays in the following three topic areas:
(1) Sociological theory; (2) specialized sociology I, (3) specialized sociology II.
The Department announces the broad topics for each area no later than three months before the final state examination; for specialized sociology I and I, students choose a topic according to their own specialization (such as sociology of the family, sociology of culture, or sociology of migration). The announced topic areas include relevant literature available at the faculty library. By writing the essays in their chosen disciplines of sociology, students prove their ability to understand and analyse basic social processes in various institutional contexts, including their relationship to social and cultural contexts, and offer a critical sociological reflection on key elements of the given social processes and relationships. The exam in sociological theory tests the students’ knowledge of various paradigmatic traditions and perspectives in sociology as well as their ability to use theoretical concepts critically and analytically to analyse social phenomena, relationships, and processes, while understanding the wider socio-cultural or historical context.
Each part of the final state examination is evaluated separately by the board for the final state examination based on suggestions by the supervisor and readers (for the diploma thesis) and by individual examiners in each topic area (for the written exams in sociological theory, specialized sociology I, and specialized sociology II).
Graduates of the programme can enrol in various doctoral degree programmes in the Czech Republic and abroad. | https://is.muni.cz/obory/1679?fakulta=1423;lang=en |
Policies are a course or principle of action adopted by a business or individual. In human resources, we’re often accused of having too many policies. But policies are what keep everyone on the same page so, the answer isn’t for HR to have fewer policies. Well, maybe it is. The real goal is to have effective policies.
There are three primary reasons that policies exist. First, they keep us in compliance. If there is an activity we are expected to do, then we create a policy to make sure that it gets done. The policy isn’t a control mechanism as much as it’s a reminder. Second, policies keep us on top of trends that are taking place. Good examples are social media policies or bring your own device (aka BYOD) policies. Lastly, policies are a way to inform others. A policy can address commonly asked questions.
When an organization is considering some sort of communication about a process or task, they should ask the question, “Does this warrant creating a policy?” Review the reasons a policy exists to decide if creating a policy is the right thing to do.
If creating a policy is the decision, spend some time researching what should be addressed in the policy. Think about the questions that employees have asked in the past or would be anticipated. For example, a company creating a leave of absence policy is going to want to address the common questions employees ask (i.e. doctor’s notes, payroll, insurance, return to work, etc.) The goal of the policy is to provide answers and reduce the fear of the unknown.
Make them visual. Use images, flow charts or decision trees to convey the way a process works. Sometimes as much as we think we are being clear with our written words, a picture makes more sense. If it aligns with your culture, consider creating “video policies” that allow an employee to listen to someone explain the guidelines.
One of the best examples I can share is the U.S. Air Force’s web posting response guide. (IMAGE LINK) Basically, it’s a decision tree that tells users when to respond, monitor, or ignore comments on the web. Instead of writing a multi-page policy, this one-sheet visual guide can answer questions. Employees could post it on their cubical wall for easy reference.
Share them with employees. Speaking of explaining policies, have a plan to communicate policies to employees. Some will be covered in orientation. Others will be covered by managers during staff meetings. And new policies will require a distribution and communication plan. The goal of a policy isn’t to create it then keep it a secret.
There are a couple of ways to communicate and distribute policies. One way is via mobile apps, like PeopleDoc, where employees can have access to policy information whenever they need it. Another might be file storage applications, which could provide a temporary solution for storing information.
Keep them current. Once a policy is created and communicated, it needs to remain current. Changes in laws will prompt policy updates. Changes in technology might require eliminating a section in one policy and adding a new one. Organizations should create a schedule to regularly review their current policies to ensure compliance and update as necessary.
For example, if we use the leave of absence example mentioned above, a review of the policy might bring to the surface a need to discuss topics such as sending get-well or congratulations gifts to employees on leave or granting breaks to nursing mothers.
This will not eliminate the need for human resources or managers. When employees come with questions, the good news is they will be really good questions because they’ve done their homework. That’s when companies know a policy is effective. When employees get answers, they spend more time focused on their work. | https://www.people-doc.com/blog/how-to-create-an-effective-human-resources-policy |
The first decision in Singapore relating to Bitcoin was released on 27 December 2017. The decision, although only interlocutory, is the first relating to cryptocurrencies in Singapore and highlights the legal implications of trades entered into through smart contracts, and the reversibility of such trades where a computer error is alleged.
The action was commenced by a UK-based market maker B2C2 against the Singapore cryptocurrency exchange Quoine. On 27 December 2017, Simon Thorley IJ of the Singapore International Commercial Court dismissed the plaintiff's summary judgment application. The case will now go to trial.
The dispute arises out of the plaintiff's transaction to buy and sell Ethereum in exchange for Bitcoin in April 2017. Due to a "technical glitch" on the defendant's platform, the defendant's software programme was unable to connect to a database necessary to perform the market price updates. The judgment mentioned that the plaintiff placed seven orders to sell Ethereum for Bitcoin at a rate approximately 250 times the rate previously quoted by the defendant and traded by the plaintiff in respect of other orders placed earlier on the same day.
As the defendant's software programme could not access all the data necessary to establish a true market price, the programme tried to establish the market price by reference to the only data available to it, which were the data arising out of the plaintiff's seven orders. This data also caused the defendant's platform to incorrectly reassess some other market traders' leveraged positions and close out their positions to prevent further loss, automatically placing orders to sell their assets to the plaintiff at the plaintiff's offer price. As a result, the plaintiff received 3,092 Bitcoin, worth at the time around US$3.8 million but as of 27 December 2017 valued in the region of US$47.5million.
The defendant noticed the error on the following day and unilaterally reversed the trades. The plaintiff contended that the reversal was in breach of contract and breach of trust, and sought relief for those breaches.
The plaintiff had relied on a provision in the defendant's Terms and Conditions which provides that "once an order is filled, you are notified via the Platform and such an action is irreversible" (emphasis added).
Simon Thorley IJ found that as the word "irreversible" was not qualified in any way, and read in the context, the proper inference was that the provision must have been included to ensure certainty. It therefore could not be interpreted to allow the correction of "errors".
On that basis, it was found that the plaintiff had established the necessary prima facie case. Simon Thorley IJ went on to find that the defendant had raised arguable defences based on another contractual provision, and based on the common law doctrine of unilateral mistake.
The defendant had inserted a provision which provides that it may change "any of the terms, rights, obligations, privileges… with or without providing notice of such change". The defendant relied on this provision to enable itself to rely on a new term introduced by way of a risk disclosure statement which clearly permitted the defendant to cancel a transaction if it had taken place based on an aberrant value.
The court heard debate as to whether the defendant was able to introduce the term in the risk disclosure statement into the parties' contract unilaterally without notice to the plaintiff; whether the particular terms sought to be incorporated were capable of having contractual effect when the risk disclosure statement itself may not have contractual force; and how the contractual provision which provided that "an action is irreversible" could be reconciled with the term which permitted the defendant to cancel a transaction. Simon Thorley IJ did not seek to determine these questions at the summary judgment application, but found that the defendant's contention on this issue merited full argument at trial.
Simon Thorley IJ noted that in order to succeed in rendering a contract void under the common law doctrine of unilateral mistake, the defendant had to establish that a plaintiff who is seeking to enforce a contract must have actual knowledge of the mistake and that there was a sufficiently important or fundamental mistake as to a term of the contract.
The defendant argued the plaintiff's offer could not have represented a genuine offer to sell in a realistic market; the plaintiff had knowledge that the price was wholly out of line with all the other prices it had been seeking to trade at during the day. Simon Thorley IJ accepted that "a more thorough investigation of the facts behind the setting of the abnormally high offer price is justified".
The defendant contended that even though the acts were the acts of a computer, the mistake arose from a human error by an employee of the defendant which in the final event caused the computer to process the orders that sold the assets at the price offered by the plaintiff. The mistake caused the holdings to be sold when they should not have been sold and at a price lower than the true market price. The market traders who transacted with the defendant were therefore mistaken as to both the need for the contract and the sale price, which was a fundamental term of the contract. However, the plaintiff argued that these market traders "knew" that the plaintiff was offering to sell at the stated rate and elected to accept that offer; there was thus no relevant mistake.
It was observed that while the doctrine of unilateral mistake is well-developed where human error is concerned, it is less developed where computer errors are concerned. The Judge concluded that "after the full facts are established, it will be possible to examine the law on unilateral mistake where computers are involved in greater detail than was possible on an application for summary judgment".
This case illustrates the difficulties in applying traditional contractual principles to resolve issues and disputes arising out of technology and its applications.
Given the advent of technology and increases in trades and contracts driven by technology, the scope for computer error will increase. It will therefore be interesting to see how the doctrine of unilateral mistake (whether in this case or otherwise) will be developed under Singapore law to address computer errors and how it may impact on the enforceability of smart contract. | https://talkingtech.cliffordchance.com/en/industries/fintech/singapore-court-dismisses-summary-judgment-application-in-first-.html |
Complete these lessons to review what you know about a few of the different theories of learning and instruction strategies. Each lesson has been assembled by our professional instructors and is mobile device compatible, so that you may have an effective and versatile way to study:
- The steps of information processing
- Social learning theory and how to take advantage of it
- How reciprocal determinism works in a social world
- Applications of experiential learning and interactive learning
- Theories and applications of problem-based and project-based learning
- Advantages of scaffolding instruction
- History and definition of distance education
- Applications of educational psychology in the classroom
Following each lesson be sure to test your understanding of the information presented by completing the lesson's quiz. These short assessments will help you identify topics you don't understand, so that you may go back and improve your understanding of them. Once you've completed all of the lessons and quizzes of the chapter take the practice chapter exam to test your overall understanding of the material.
1. Information Processing: Encoding, Storage & Retrieval
How does your brain remember information and recall it later? In this lesson, you'll look at the steps your brain takes as it processes data from short-term memory and stores it as long-term memory.
2. Social Learning Theory: Definition & Examples
There are many ways in which human beings learn. One of the most effective ways is by watching, observing and modeling others, and this is known as social learning theory.
3. Reciprocal Determinism: Definition & Example
This lesson provides a definition of the psychological theory or reciprocal determinism, developed by Albert Bandura, and provides examples of how this theory works in our social world.
4. What is Experiential Learning? - Definition, Theories & Examples
Find out what experiential learning is and how to apply it in your classroom. Learn about experiential learning theories. View the lesson, then take a quiz to test your new knowledge.
5. What is Interactive Learning? - Overview & Tools
Interactive learning is a hands-on approach to help students become more engaged and retain more material. With or without a form of technology, interactive learning helps students strengthen problem solving and critical thinking skills.
6. Problem-Based Learning: Examples, Theory & Definition
Educators have a big task. Their job is to teach children, of course, but they also need to make learning engaging and show why it's important. Problem-Based Learning is a method that covers all of these requirements. Sound intriguing? Read on to find out what it is and why it works.
7. Project Based Learning: Definition and Ideas
Project Based Learning is a student-centered teaching method that allows students to investigate real-world problems. This lesson will explain the components and give ideas for project-based learning.
8. What Is Scaffolding Instruction?
Scaffolding instruction is an incredibly important technique to use when teaching. This lesson will introduce you to scaffolding and provide some examples to give a clear picture of this technique at work.
9. What Is Distance Education? - Definition & History
While very popular today, distance education has been helping people access learning for centuries. Read on to learn how to define distance education and how it has evolved over time.
10. Educational Psychology: Applying Psychology in the Classroom
What is educational psychology? Anyone who has experienced a classroom setting has been affected by the theories and techniques that come from this subfield of psychology. Learn about the main ideas within this popular area of study and application.
Earning College Credit
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Transferring credit to the school of your choice
Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Study.com has thousands of articles about every imaginable degree, area of study and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you. | https://study.com/academy/topic/instructional-theory-approaches.html |
Preregistration, specifying your study design and analysis plan before you begin your study, has recently come to the forefront of scientific discussion as one solution to the “reproducibility crisis”. There are several benefits to preregistration: it helps “open the file drawer,” it clarifies the distinction between exploratory and confirmatory hypothesis testing, and it helps you improve your study designs. I encourage everyone to see how we are promoting more adoption of preregistration through the Preregistration Challenge and to try it out on the Open Science Framework.
During the preregistration process, you are prompted to provide several pieces of information about your research design and the analyses you plan to run. You are asked to provide at least one inferential, testable hypothesis. Other key sections of the preregistration include manipulated and measured variables and statistical models. In the variables section of the preregistration form, you simply list what variables you will be manipulating (if you are running an experiment), what you will be measuring, and how you will make those measurements. If applicable, you can also describe how your measurements will be combined into an index (e.g. using the mean average of multiple subscales included in a large questionnaire).
The statistical model portion of the form is one of the most challenging and important: here you must specify what analyses you plan to run to test the hypotheses you listed in the beginning of the preregistration. The key to this section is to take time to really think about what it is you are asking in your hypotheses and how the variables you specified could be used to best answer your research questions.
A preregistration also helps you consider how your hypotheses, variables, and analyses are worded so that readers can easily follow along. Every hypothesis contains at least one variable you wish to investigate (usually two or more!), so it is important to clearly define what this variable is and how it will be measured. If a variable in your hypotheses is abstract, then it is even more important to relate it to the measured variables you specify in the preregistration. A disconnect between your hypothesis and your variables can leave readers wondering what exactly you are testing.
Once your hypotheses and variables line up, the final step is to create your analysis plan. While doing this, you should use the same terms defined in the variables section of your preregistration. For clarity, you should go the extra mile and use the same terms and structure listed in your hypotheses in your analyses. By using these same terms throughout your preregistration, readers can easily follow your research plan and compare it to your final article. If you have more than one hypothesis, you can label each analysis plan to match each hypothesis (e.g. H1, H2, H3… and A1, A2, A3…), further improving the continuity and readability of your preregistration.
Here is one recent, public preregistration on the OSF that is a great example of consistent language, terminology, and formatting throughout the research plan. All of the measured variables and covariates appear in the final analysis plan or exploratory analysis plan. Each measured variable also appears in the hypotheses section (with the exception of “Perceived similarity of texts” as it is an exploratory measure). Also, each hypothesis has a clear counterpart in the analysis plan for the preregistration.
Ultimately, the goal of scientific publication is to disseminate information: the easier you make it on your readers to understand, the more effective and impactful your communication will be. Preregistration is a very handy tool that not only allows your research to be more transparent, but also improves the accessibility of your work. I have often grappled with the problem of making my own work more understandable when trying to explain to friends and family what I did in graduate school. Adding clarity to the research plan and preregistration will also pay dividends when it comes time to write up the final results of your work and makes the distinction between your planned and actual tests more clear. | https://cos.io/blog/how-guide-improving-clarity-and-continuity-your-preregistration/ |
Administration and Marketing Assistant
We are looking for an experienced Administration and Marketing Assistant, the successful candidate will play a vital team role in day-to-day planning organisation and smooth running of the office to ensure all business objectives are met.
The successful candidate will be a team player who is able to work well under pressure, you must be well organised with excellent communication skills and whilst working largely as part of an already successful team, the ability to work on your own initiative is also important.
Responsibilities
- Business marketing, responsible for social media channels such as Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Email campaigns
- Managing and Updating Website content, blogs and news feed
- Providing cover for reception staff as required
- Dealing with incoming and outgoing post
- Updating databases as required
- General administration support
Key Skills
- Degree -Level education or equivalent work experience
- Advance MS skills
- Confident and competent in the use of databases and systems
- Creative and innovative approach to problem -solving
- Experience and knowledge using social media tools as part of a marketing or communications campaign
- A proven, high standard of written and oral communication and confidence of dealing with projects.
Hours & Benefits
- Salary: Dependant on experience
- Pension: Enhanced Pensions
- Benefits: Free Parking, Benefit package being implemented including incentive scheme and discretionary bonus scheme. Access to a Private GP and Health Insurance. | https://rjssolicitors.com/administration-and-marketing-assistant/ |
This panel asks what can be recovered in the concept of individual agency in the face of doubts about traditional liberal notions of autonomy. More specifically, the point is to examine the relationship between various conceptions of agency and the justification of democracy as a political and social regime.
In her paper (“Agency without Optimism: Afro-Pessimism and Queer Negativity”), Annie Menzel brings two recent theoretical strains into conversation around these questions. The first, Afro-pessimism, posits that, in the US at least, black people are ontologically excluded from the realm of the human, an exclusion rooted in chattel slavery but still evident in the contemporary disposability of black lives—rendering aspirations for democratic participation within our actually existing society a cruel delusion. The second, a queer critique of optimism/celebration of failure, is a call for the structurally oppressed to let go of the fantasies that tether them to the very conditions that preclude their flourishing: aspirations to mastery, future happiness, and conventional notions of the good life. Menzel argues that queer negativity’s emphasis on affect—in contrast to the former’s foregrounding of political ontology—may underestimate the specificity and immediate existential threat of antiblack violence, and the structural differentiation of the conditions and consequences of refusal. Nevertheless, read together, the two strains’ respective refusals of the violence of what is, and reconsiderations of political temporality, offer crucial guidance on questions of whether, how, and what kinds of agency might be recoverable in our ongoing moment of crisis, and what their relationship to democracy might be. | http://politicalsciencenow.com/theme-panel-rethinking-democratic-agency-race-gender-sexuality-autonomy/ |
Senior Counsel Jacqueline Klosek recently gave us the inside scoop on the firm's Privacy & Data Protection Incubator. As a member of the firm's Intellectual Property Group, she told us about the firm's work in privacy and data protection, what influenced her to work in this area, and tips on how we can protect ourselves.
When and why was the Privacy & Data Protection Incubator created at Goodwin Procter?
We were one of the firm's very first incubators, launched with the commencement of the firm’s Incubator Initiative back in 2004. The Initiative seemed to be the perfect mechanism for advancing our expertise and services in this area, as it accommodated the inter-disciplinary and cross-office nature of our work.
Back then, I was working in the Intellectual Property Transactions & Strategies Practice and doing a lot of privacy work from a technology perspective. I had recently returned from practicing in Europe, where I was dealing with a lot of cross-border issues. At the same time, Financial Services Partner Lynne Barr and others were doing a lot of privacy compliance work for financial services institutions, and others were handling complex privacy litigation matters. The Incubator Initiative allowed us to work together to expand our knowledge and expertise, while also improving our ability to service clients in an integrated and comprehensive manner.
Was there a particular experience or person that influenced your decision to work on privacy and data security matters?
When I finished law school, I went to Europe to study European and International Law. After completing my LLM in Brussels, I stayed to work as a Legal Advisor with Deloitte. During that year, a major European privacy law was under debate. Among other provisions, that Directive prohibited entities from transferring personally identifiable data from Europe to third countries unless those third countries offered adequate protection to personal data. The U.S. was not (and still is not) considered to be a jurisdiction that offers adequate protection to personal data. As one can imagine, this was a very controversial provision of the law, and caused a lot of companies to seek assistance in legitimizing cross-border data transfers. The topic interested me so much that I wrote my first book, Data Privacy in the Information Age, which examined the differences between U.S. and European approaches to privacy.
What are the main issues and topics the Privacy & Data Protection Incubator addresses?
We work with a wide range of clients in diverse industries to manage global privacy requirements in a proactive manner while counseling them on the array of state, federal and global regulations. We also help these clients to manage the risks associated with privacy and data security. Our experience is extensive and encompasses privacy and data security compliance, financial institution privacy and data security counseling, incident response, and litigation.
In an increasingly crowded field that continues to grow and assume greater importance, we take pride in the fact that so many of our incubator members are recognized as thought leaders in the field. Attorneys in our incubator are highly experienced professionals who are well recognized and involved in key leadership positions. Three members of the incubator are Certified Information Privacy Professionals (“CIPPs”). Additionally, our members have authored numerous publications on data privacy.
We are also frequent speakers at national and international conferences and events concerning privacy and data security. The industry recognition we have earned helps to ensure that clients can entrust us with responsibility on this very important issue.
What is the most enjoyable part of working in privacy and data security?
I thoroughly enjoy the fact that the area changes all the time. There continue to be new technological developments that pose new risks to privacy and security. At the same time, lawmakers continue to propose and enact new measures that present new compliance challenges to companies.
How has the incubator evolved since its origin?
It has undergone a dramatic evolution in the past five years. Since our initial formation, our numbers have grown substantially, and we have developed further expertise and are called upon for increasingly complex and high-profile assignments. Notably, this past January, we held a webinar on new data security regulations that become effective in Massachusetts next year, and had over 700 registrants from a wide range of companies.
Why has data privacy and security become such a hot topic?
There are a number of factors. For one, a vast majority of states have now enacted laws that require companies to notify affected persons and/or the media in the event of a data security breach. As such, we’ve all become much more aware of such breaches. In addition, as technology continues to evolve and new and enhanced means of collecting, using and sharing personal information are unveiled, risks to and concerns about privacy continue to grow.
Can you tell us about a particularly interesting case that you have worked on during the last couple years?
Recently, I have been working a lot with clients that have exciting ideas to capture, use and make data available for a variety of purposes, including personal health optimization. I assist clients to ensure that their business objectives are met in a way that complies with law, contractual commitments and their own policies.
Has anything surprised you about the lengths that individuals or companies will go to obtain data illegally?
Recent business failures and the increase in dumpster diving highlight the importance of proper data disposal practices. There continue to be stories of computers and portable devices that are sold, auctioned off, or simply discarded while still possessing sensitive personal information.
Are there any safeguards that you would recommend to companies to help protect the data that they need to collect?
There are many steps that companies can and should take to protect information. Among them, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of consistent and comprehensive employee training. Many of the high-profile data breaches that have been reported over the past few years have involved relatively simple employee errors.
Do you have any recommendations on how we, as individuals, can protect ourselves?
Its really important to pay attention to what you are agreeing to when you provide personal information, whether it be through an online retailer, medical office, via phone, or otherwise. Most businesses will have policies that explain how they collect, use, and disclose your information. Read those policies. If you don't understand or don't agree to their terms, either question them or go elsewhere. Also, monitor your bank statements, credit card reports, health insurance statements, etc. for erroneous or suspicious information and transactions. Be careful about what you post on social networking sites and other online forums. We all have a role to play in protecting our personal information. | https://www.goodwinlaw.com/news/2009/06/06_01_09-spotlight_jacqueline-klosek-and-the-privacy-and-data-protection-incubator |
The Senate committees on public services and local government have released the report allowing the use of motorcycle taxis to transport passengers all over the country.
Signed by 16 senators, Committee Report No. 46 of Senate Bill No. 1341 or The Motorcycles-for-Hire Act now classifies motorcycles-for-hire as among the public utility vehicles regulated by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
"We are inching closer to having a law that will make motorcycle taxis a part of our public transportation system," Poe, head of the public services panel, said.
The bill defines motorcycles-for-hire as any two-wheeled motor vehicle registered with the Land Transportation Office, which transports passengers and goods on a for-hire basis, and which may utilize online ride hailing or pre-arranged transportation platforms.
The motorcycle shall weigh less than 1,000 kilograms, can travel faster than 50 kilometers per hour, has a minimum engine displacement of 125 cubic centimeters, and a backbone-type built.
Along with the vehicle registration, the motorcycles for hire shall secure a certificate of public convenience or a special permit issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
The motorcycle taxis fall under a classification of public utility automobiles along with public utility trucks, taxis and auto-calesas, garage automobiles, hire trucks and trucks owned by contractor and customs brokers and customs agents.
The bill seeks to amend a provision of Republic Act No. 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
"We will continue looking for ways and means to improve the people's mobility and assure their safety," Poe said. | |
I’ve just begun to read Harold McGee’s recent revision of On Food and Cooking: the Science and Lore of the Kitchen. The book covers a wide range of topics in detail – from how cheeses are made, to the science behind tempered chocolate. As you might expect, the explanations can sometimes become quite technical. But the writings I’ve read so far have been very clear and concise, and relatable to my own cooking. Hopefully this book will help me become a better cook. After all, who can question your cooking technique when it’s been scientifically proven to work?
While I’m on the topic of molecular gastronomy ('the science of deliciousness’), I thought I would compile a list of resources to help keep track of developments in this rapidly changing field. Posted below is what I’ve come across so far, and I’ll continue to add to the list as I learn more. Please feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me if you have anything to add, or if you feel that something that’s listed shouldn’t be there.
thank you very much for this exciting article about this innovative way of cooking. But you have forgotten to mention one producer of those texturizers in Germany. It is called "biozoon" (www.biozoon.de)and their products are known as texturePro-texturizers. I think they are better as the other ingredients because you can use them faster, the solubility is better and they are much easier to measure. Maybe you could add them to your list above, as I know they can also send their products to the USA, I always buy them when I visit my uncle in Hamburg.
This article is great I am a seventeen year old living in Montana trying to learn about molecular gastronomy, can you see the possible problems there? This article has been extremely informative and has givven me new areas in which I can explore the world of molecular gastronomy. I do however wonder whether you have an idea for a year long science project that I could compete nationally with on the subject of Molecular Gastronomy. | http://alacuisine.org/alacuisine/2004/11/molecular_gastr/comments/page/2/ |
Citizens must be at the center of their communities and their countries. Our efforts in more than 20 countries around the world help equip people to take up their rightful role in civic life. In many countries this requires intentional work with both citizens and governments to help establish new ways of working together. We help communities constructively engage with government and build the capacity of civil society leaders, organizations and networks who educate citizens on how to exercise their rights. We also assist governments in implementing transparent and accountable policies and in building more effective citizen-government partnerships.
What We’re Doing
Counterpart is committed to building the capacity of civil society organizations to improve the ability of citizens to have a full and participatory role in the civic life of their country. Our work aligns with Goal 16 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
To advance Goal 16, Counterpart will continue to: | https://www.counterpart.org/our-work/what/drg/ |
As the main character, Marlowe, travels farther up the river and into the unsettled interior, he gets farther from the confines of society and government. His psychological theory is therefore informed by mechanism, the general view that everything in the universe is produced by nothing other than matter in motion.
Like Hobbes and Locke before him, and in contrast to the ancient philosophers, all men are made by nature to be equals, therefore no one has a natural right to govern others, and therefore the only justified authority is the authority that is generated out of agreements or covenants.
Definitions are provided and a series of conclusions are drawn in rapid fashion; there is a deep logical consistency to its prudential outcomes. Hobbes asserts that the sovereign is above the law and cannot be punished by his subjects. Some have property and others are forced to work for them, and the development of social classes begins.
While we ought not to ignore history, nor ignore the causes of the problems we face, we must resolve those problems through our capacity to choose how we ought to live.
The underpinnings of the classical liberal belief in an armed people are obscure to us because we are not accustomed to thinking about political issues in criminological terms. Whereas in towns many children have gone from kindergarten to secondary schools since the beginning of the century, in the rural areas many schools have only one teacher to handle students of all levels.
It manifests itself both formally and informally. The need for technical education was also recognized by the Mexican government when it founded, inthe National Polytechnical Institute as its second national institution of higher learningwith several branches in the country regional technological institutes to serve the particular needs of each region.
To the Founders and their intellectual progenitors, being prepared for self-defense was a moral imperative as well as a pragmatic necessity; moreover, its pragmatic value lay less in repelling usurpation than in deterring it before it occurred.
When you give up that force, you are ruined. In his physics, on the other hand, Hobbes starts by resolving senses and the phenomena provided by them. This was one of his finest moments. The principles of justice are more fundamental than the social contract as it has traditionally been conceived.
The work closed with a general "Review and Conclusion", in response to the war, which answered the question: He allowed the Senate to freely conduct debates and confined his participation to procedural issues, which he called an "honorable and easy" role.
With them goes the last semblance of law and order. Keeping to his goal of scientifically demonstrating his conclusions, Hobbes begins his geometrical investigations with a number of foundational definitions, including those of space, time and bodies; he uses these definitions to compose an abstract world of geometric figures and then to draw a number of conclusions about them.
De Homine consisted for the most part of an elaborate theory of vision. Because of the abundance of nature and the small size of the population, competition was non-existent, and persons rarely even saw one another, much less had reason for conflict or fear.
Mexico attempted a total reform in but would not complete it until with the founding of the National Preparatory School, which involved reforming the whole system on the basis of positivist philosophy. Hobbes and Burke both believe the government should have absolute and inalienable power, but differ on how that power is distributed throughout the government.
The second principle states that while social and economic inequalities can be just, they must be available to everyone equally that is, no one is to be on principle denied access to greater economic advantage and such inequalities must be to the advantage of everyone.
Thus, a person cannot give up the natural right to self-preservation or to the means of self-preservation. The first principle states that each person in a society is to have as much basic liberty as possible, as long as everyone is granted the same liberties. To take into account the others' strategies is to act in accordance with how you expect the others will act.
But then he says this: The document's social and political ideals were proposed by Jefferson before the inauguration of Washington. For instance, seventeenth and eighteenth century treatises on international law were addicted to long disquisitions on individual self-protection from which they attempted to deduce a law of nations.
Until the early nineteenth century England was an enormously violent country overrun with cutthroats, cutpurses, burglars, and highwaymen, and in which rioting over social and political matters was endemic. Historians recognize this letter as the earliest delineation of Democratic-Republican Party principles.
Thomas Hobbes (/ h ɒ b z /; 5 April – 4 December ), in some older texts Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, was an English philosopher who is considered one of. Read this Philosophy Essay and over 88, other research documents.
Thomas Hobbes’ Remedy For. Thomas Hobbes begins Leviathan with Book 1: Of Man, in which he builds, layer by layer, a. Social Contract Theory. Social contract theory, nearly as old as philosophy itself, is the view that persons' moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live.
Tom Mullen. Author of Where Do Conservatives and Liberals Come From? And What Ever Happened to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? Not an NRA Member? Shame on you! We would not even be having this conversation on the topic of gun rights in America if it wasn't for the hard work and dedication of the National Rifle Association. | https://tegisapizedabo.winforlifestats.com/thomas-hobbes-remedy-for-23756rg.html |
Ficoba is the exhibition site of Gipuzkoa that located in Irun, in the heart of the european city in Donostia-San Sebastián / Bayona, and was born with the aim of becoming the first cross-border fair in the European Union and it is in the ideal framework for the SMEs area to have an adequate space in order to exhibit products and maintain business relationships.
The object and purpose of FICOBA is the economic and cultural promotion of the Basque Coast.
To achieve it, the following activities are carried out:
- Promote, organize or direct the holding of commercial events (fairs, exhibitions, monographic exhibitions, etc.) in the Bay of Txingudi and, specifically, in the Fairground of Gipuzkoa.
- Organize courses, seminars, round tables, series of conferences, congresses, symposiums, colloquiums, and study and research sessions, that linked to the market sectors of the fairs.
- Write, edit, subsidize and distribute brochures, monographs and all kinds of information and dissemination publications.
- Promote, subsidize or conduct statistical surveys.
- Organize information campaigns in the press, radio, and television, etc.
- Holding contests, permits, etc.
- Promote any service that benefits the economic and cultural promotion of the Basque Coast.
- Any other activity that allows the FICOBA FOUNDATION the best fulfillment of its purposes.
MISSION, VISION AND VALUES
Mission
Ficoba is a modern and versatile infrastructure that based on a management model in collaboration with nature surrounding by, and criteria of economic and business efficiency, whose objective is the cultural and economic development of the Basque Coast through holdings of fairs, congresses , meetings and other activities.
Vision
It seeks to be recognized by its users and customers as an organization with a vocation for service and closeness to the Society in which it is located.
Managed in a transparently with an innovative vocation within its sector, implementing new models in the fair and meetings sector.
And with full disclosing vocation. With the idea of turning this into the icon of Irun of the new Basque Coast.
Values
- Transparency and efficiency in management.
- Service vocation
- Standardized use of the 3 languages of the Basque Coast.
- Environmental commitment.
- Collaboration with the environment.
A FAIRGROUND OF VANGUARDIA
Ficoba has 5,000 m2 of covered exhibition area and 6,500 m2 of outdoor exhibition space, which located in 70,000 m2 installations as a whole. These dimensions facilitate a management style based on personalized and on-demand services offer.
The design of the facilities makes Ficoba a versatile infrastructure. Its three pavilions, the auditorium, the halls or its multi-purpose hall that hold multiple types of events, whether fairs, conferences, business meetings, exhibitions, concerts or shows. A content that changes every week accompanied by a team of professionals in the organization of events that makes it possible for the ideas of the customers to come true.
Ficoba is committed to a mixed program of professional and public fairs. However, in addition to the salons organized by their own teams, they also open doors to organizers outside the Fairgrounds that use their facilities to hold events. All of them has a benefit of using free parking which has got 1,000 parking places available to customers and visitors. | https://www.ficoba.org/en/ficoba/what-is-ficoba/ |
Here’s how my taper is going (yes, Jamoosh, those are all microbrews):
In my quest to run a flawless marathon during which I meet me time goal, do not mess my pants. and feel energized and pain free the entire time, I have been doing some reading. Mentally preparing you could call it.
Last week, I referenced an article by Michael Bane called, “Breaking through the wall” (Men’s Fitness, 1999). There was discussion of pre-race brain training. Now it’s time to look at how to avoid the wall (i.e., an apparently insurmountable physiological barrier which stops you in your tracks), and if you can’t do that, then what to do when you hit it and hit it hard. We are assuming when your face slams up against that invisible vertical concrete slab, you will not consider quitting. It is simply not an option (unless you are injured, paralyzed, get your period or your legs fall off).
The following is from the same above-referenced article:
Five ways to avoid the Wall (but, there are no guarantees):
- Train realistically. Athletes have a remarkable talent for self-deception. The best way to know how you'll respond in a situation is to practice that situation first. If you're training for a marathon, at least one of your training runs needs to be 26 miles. If you're training for a race that takes place at night, some of your training needs to be at night.
- Cross train. The more you move toward harder endurance events such as a marathon, the more overall balance seems to pay off. I like to trade off sports (for example, biking and running) to keep my interest up and injuries down. The added plus is that my overall higher level of fitness helps carry me through longer events.
- Avoid judgments. Fine athletes talk themselves into quitting because they were running below par. You need to set these judgments aside on race day.
- Prepare mentally. Forget happy talk; you're going to hurt. But you know that already. In my mental rehearsals, I try to be as realistic as possible and acknowledge that it's going to be painful. I also remind myself that, despite it all, I've crossed a lot of finish lines.
- Plan flexibly. Remember, long athletic events tend to be chaos systems. You can't foresee everything nature is going to throw at you. Mental flexibility is your greatest tool for getting past the Wall.
Six things to do when you hit the Wall
- Say, “shit, shit, shit.” (I added that one)
- Keep going. "Program" yourself before the event that you're going to press on regardless, even if you're barely moving.
- "Table" your thoughts. The easiest way to quiet those negative thoughts is to set them aside. Sometimes I actually visualize a locker-like box, where I stuff all my negative thoughts away until I have the time and energy to deal with them.
- Get out of your head. Don't dwell on how amazingly awful you feel. Focusing on a really attractive woman running nearby can be a great distraction. I've done it, and it works. Hormones are wonderful things.
- Try bribery. Depending on just how bad you're feeling, a judicious dose of deferred compensation can help. I've gotten myself out of some grim times with the promise of a pint of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food if l cross the finish line. (The bribes can get pretty big: At one point, I had to buy myself a motorcycle.)
- Open negotiations. Give yourself permission to quit if you'll only go another 10 feet ... another quarter mile ... even around the next corner. I have climbed entire mountains by cutting interim deals: "Another 200 vertical feet, then I'll sit down and reevaluate ..." After that 200 feet, it's, "Hey, I don't feel so bad ... maybe I'll go another 45 minutes and then I'll quit." Keep repeating this until you're so close to finishing that you can say, "What the heck? Let's wrap this puppy up."
I think it’s all great advice, especially the one about “getting out of your head.” I distract myself with attractive women as well.
The one point I take issue with is, “If you're training for a marathon, at least one of your training runs needs to be 26 miles.” This is a personal choice, but for me, running 26 miles is too hard on my body to do twice in one training cycle. My long runs (10+ miles) this training season were 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 11, 16, 18. 5, 18. 5, 13.
Thoughts? | http://www.shutupandrun.net/2010/04/suck-it-wall.html |
The Arts Council and the Department of Music in the College of Arts, Celtic Studies, and Social Sciences at University College Cork invite applications for Traditional Artist in Residence for the calendar year 2021.
The Arts Council Traditional Artist in Residence was established to provide a stimulating environment for the resident artist and afford a degree of financial support to concentrate on their own practice. Additionally, the residency brings energy and dynamism to the university, and allows students and faculty to engage with a practicing traditional musician, singer or dancer for a concentrated period.
About the residency
The Traditional Artist in Residence will be engaged for the calendar year 2021 and will be situated in the Department of Music in University College Cork, with the opportunity to engage with the wider campus.
The residency will be divided into two parts:
- From January to June 2021, the Traditional Artist in Residence will be supported to engage with students and staff. This programme of engagement will be designed by the resident artist, in consultation with the faculty of the university, and could include focused teaching, workshops, mentoring, public events or other activities which bring new energy to the traditional music programme. Contact time with staff and students during this time will be capped at 4 hours per week, and the resident artist will not be expected to deliver core curriculum.
- From July onwards, the Traditional Artist in Residence will be supported to concentrate his or her own practice.
The fee to the Traditional Artist in Residence is €20,000, to be paid to the artist directly by the Arts Council. It will be paid in two instalments, with a final report by the artist at the conclusion of the residency. The Traditional Artist in Residence will be provided with a dedicated space, where they can conduct their own creative practice, within the university.
To Apply:
To make an application, artists should provide:
- A detailed proposal, which sets out how they would propose to engage with students, staff and the wider campus, and relevant experience to support this approach
- A one page artist’s statement, which describes how the residency could impact on the artist’s practice
- A detailed CV, setting out artistic achievements and accomplishments
Applications should be sent to [email protected] with cc to [email protected] by 5.30 pm on Thursday, 29 October 2020. Applications will be accepted by email only. Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
Assessment Process
Upon receipt of applications, the Arts Council and University College Cork will establish a selection committee, which will be made up of two representatives from University College Cork, one from the Arts Council and an external panellist with traditional arts expertise. The selection committee will shortlist applicants based on the following criteria:
- artistic track record of applicant
- quality of idea/approach (referred to above), as outlined in the application
- potential impact of residency on the artists own creative practice
A shortlist will be established (of no more than 6 artists). Shortlisted artists will be called to interview in mid-November. The interview is likely to be held via video conference call, in line with public health guidelines. The interview will allow the shortlisted artists to discuss their plans and experience in more detail. The panel will make the final decision based on the above criteria and decisions will be communicated by the end of November. | https://www.ucc.ie/en/hr/vacancies/full-details-1143552-en.html |
October sees increase in European tourist arrivals to Jordan
AMMAN — European tourist arrivals to Jordan have witnessed a 15-per cent growth so far this month, the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA) said on Saturday, citing statistics issued by the Ministry of Tourism.
Jordan is among the top travel destinations on Europeans’ lists due to the Kingdom’s historical landmarks, its weather and its security and stability, despite regional turmoil, JITOA Chairman Awni Kawar told The Jordan Times on Saturday.
“European tourists mainly come from Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the Nordic countries, especially Denmark and Sweden,” Kawar said.
Tourist seasons in Jordan are from March through May, when the weather is pleasant, and September to November when summer heat subdues, he said. Kawar noted that summer is the peak season for tourism from Gulf countries, which is increasing on a yearly basis.
Tourist numbers increased during September, witnessing an 8-per cent growth compared with the same period in 2018, the JITOA chairman said adding that preparations are under way for the 2020 tourist season, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Jordan Tourism Board, which is affiliated with the ministry, the Jordan Hotels Association and others.
According to Kawar, “road shows”, workshops that were made with the objective of promoting Jordan in the tourism sector, had a clear impact in attracting people to Jordan.
“It’s worth noting that the JITOA and the Jordan Tourism Board have organised workshops in different countries, especially in Denmark and other Scandinavian countries,” he said.
“We organise workshops in Jordan and other countries, collaborating with different embassies, in order to get to know the countries’ traditions, the things that matter the most when people travel, the food they like to eat and the simplest things that will make their visit to Jordan exquisite,” Omar Hazineh, executive director at the JITOA told The Jordan Times on Saturday.
The tourism sector in Jordan faces some challenges, including the number of hotel rooms in Petra, as it is a “major tourism destination crowded with tourists throughout the year”, and the lack of sufficient tourist transportation, Kawar said, noting that officials in the sector are working to find swift solutions for these challenges.
© Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). | https://www.zawya.com/mena/en/life/story/October_sees_increase_in_European_tourist_arrivals_to_Jordan-SNG_156809836/ |
ETHICS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM well as being discriminatory practices, have already been discussed in Chapter 2. HISTORICAL CONTEXT African Americans have suffered discrimination on grounds of race, initially through the system of slavery, and then through a pattern of exclusion and segregation, both informal and formal, in the shape of legislation and court decisions that have historically endorsed overt racial discrimination. From the time of the inception of slavery in the early 17th century until 1865, slaves were considered the property of their masters based on a view that they were naturally unequal and inferior people. They were subjected to slave codes, which prohibited the possession of any rights or freedoms enjoyed by whites; experienced brutal and inhumane treatment of an extralegal nature; and were exploited for their labor. Following the Civil War, amendments to the Bill of Rights prohibited slavery and granted all persons, regardless of race, a right to equal protection. However, despite these legal statements of freedom, patterns of discrimination persisted after the war because many states passed Jim Crow laws, which had the effect of maintaining forms of discrimination in legal, social, and economic forums. For example, African Americans were denied the right to vote or to enter into contracts, and the doctrine of separate but equal was applied to keep the races separate. The courts continued to enforce Jim Crow laws until the mid-1900s, and African Americans were also subjected to extralegal treatment in the form of physical assaults and practices such as lynching, where police were often present. About 3,000 African Americans were lynched between the mid-1800s and the early 1900s (Smith 2000: 75), and those performing the lynchings were seldom prosecuted. During the 20th century, legal rights were accorded to African Americans and have been protected by the courts. In the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954,
Racism in its most general sense can be defined as "social practices which (explicitly or implicitly) attribute merits or allocate values to members of racially categorized groups solely because of their `race'" (Zatz and Mann 1998: 3). There are at least three aspects to racism: personal prejudice; ideological racism, where culture and biology are used to rationalize and justify the superior position of a dominant culture; and institutional racism, where the policies and practices of institutions operate to produce systematic and continuing differences between racial groups (p. 4). One aspect of institutionalized racism has been termed petit apartheid. This concept includes daily informal or hidden interactions between police and minorities, such as stopand-question and stop-and-search law enforcement practices, which may or may not result in an arrest and consequent entry into the criminal justice system (p. 4). The notion of petit apartheid has recently been explored both theoretically and in terms of those activities that might fall within its definitional scope (Milovanovic and Russell 2001). The focus of petit apartheid appears to be attitudinal factors that influence policing and other decisions within the system; that is, "culturally biased beliefs and actions" extending, in the view of Georges-Abeyie (2001: x), to insults, rough treatment, lack of civility faced by black suspects, the quality and objectivity of judicial instructions to a jury when an African American is on trial, and other discretionary acts within the system. Petit apartheid contrasts with grand apartheid. The latter encompasses overt racism. Studies on racism within the criminal justice system have been critiqued for giving undue emphasis to overt racism and ignoring petit apartheid (Georges-Abeyie 2001: x). This chapter aims to explore overt racism within the criminal justice system. Issues such as racial profiling and racial slurs, which appear to constitute an aspect of petit apartheid as
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Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System the Supreme Court struck down the "separate but equal" doctrine, and the Civil Rights Acts passed in the mid-20th century attempted to restate and reinforce a policy against segregation. Today, the black community in the United States is diverse, comprising, for example, Jamaicans, Nigerians, Ethiopians, Somalis, and other African and West Indies nationalities, each with its own culture distinguishable from that of African Americans. Nevertheless, despite this heterogeneity, racist attitudes continue to be manifested based on skin color. The history of Latinos in the United States has been one of contention with the Anglo American culture. Spanish colonies were established in the United States in the late 16th century, predating the Anglo American presence; however, in 1847, Mexico lost approximately half of its territory to the United States. In recent times, it has been common to associate Latinos with the issue of immigration, and Mexicans in particular are constructed as an illegal immigrant group (De Uriarte in Alvarez 2000: 88). Racist stereotyping of Latinos depicts them as sneaky, lazy, and thieving (Levin in Alvarez 2000: 88), and law enforcement practices and the criminal justice system have been shown to collaborate in discrimination against Latinos in the form of police harassment of Mexican Americans (Turner in Alvarez 2000: 88). It is important to appreciate the heterogeneity of the Latino population in the United States because issues affecting Mexican Americans may differ from those impacting Puerto Ricans, Cubans, or immigrants from Central America. For example, Puerto Ricans are the most economically disadvantaged group (Myers et al. in Alvarez 2000: 89), whereas Cuban immigrants to the United States have tended to come from the middle class, been well-educated, and possess significant economic resources. Nevertheless, like African Americans and other black groups, the heterogeneous Latino population tends to be viewed as homogeneous.
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American Natives and Alaskan Natives are the only indigenous groups in the United States. The history of contact between American Natives and Anglo Americans is replete with acts of violence against American Natives and with the dispossession of their lands. Alaskan Natives, as a colonized and marginalized people, have experienced and continue to experience severe trauma generated by social change with high rates of suicide, alcohol abuse, and a disproportionate representation in the criminal justice system (see, for example, Banks 2002; Brod 1975; Fienup-Riordan 1994; Kraus and Buffler 1979; Travis 1983 in Phillips and Inui 1986; Schafer, Curtis and Atwell 1997). Similarly, American Natives continue to be disproportionately represented in arrest and incarceration data in those states where they are primarily located (see, for example, Bureau of Justice Statistics 1999; Grobsmith 1994; Ross 2000). Both groups suffer economic, educational, and social stereotyping, which are revealed in their treatment by the criminal justice system. IS THERE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM? One report suggests that racial discrimination does occur at some points in the criminal justice system. Following the Rodney King incident, the Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department (1991) (also called the Christopher Commission) found that there was excessive use of force by LAPD officers and that this was compounded by racism and bias. One-quarter of the 960 LAPD officers surveyed by the commission agreed that officers held a racial bias toward minorities, and more than onequarter agreed that this racial bias could lead to the use of excessive force. The commission also reviewed radio transmissions within the LAPD, which revealed disturbing and recurrent racial remarks often made in the context
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ETHICS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM the criminal justice system, the system itself is not characterized by racial discrimination; that is, that discrimination is not systematic (Blumstein 1993; DiIulio 1996; Russell 1998; Tonry 1995). There are, however, individual cases occurring within the system that appear to demonstrate racial discrimination at certain decision-making points (Wilbanks 1987). According to Petersilia (1983), racial disparities have come about because procedures were adopted within the criminal justice system prior to any real assessment about the effect of those procedures on minorities. For example, she found that
. . . although the case processing system generally treated offenders similarly . . . we found racial differences at two key points: Minority suspects were more likely than whites to be released after arrest; however, after a felony conviction, minority offenders were more likely than whites to be given longer sentences and to be put in prison instead of jail. (Petersilia 1983: vi)
of discussing vehicle pursuits or beating suspects. Testimony from witnesses depicted the LAPD as an organization whose practices and procedures tolerated discriminatory treatment, and witnesses repeatedly testified about LAPD officers who verbally harassed minorities, detained African American and Latino men who fit generalized descriptions of subjects, and employed invasive and humiliating tactics against minorities in minority neighborhoods. As well as racism against the public, racial bias was also reflected in conduct directed at fellow officers who were members of racial or ethnic minority groups. These officers were subjected to racial slurs and comments in radio messages and to discriminatory treatment within the department. In another report, that of the New York State Judicial Commission on Minorities (1991), a panel of judges, attorneys, and law professors found that "there are two justice systems at work in the courts of New York State; one for whites, and a very different one for minorities and the poor" (p. 1). The panel found inequality, disparate treatment, and injustice based on race. It reported that many minorities received "basement justice" in that court facilities were infested with rats and cockroaches, family members of minorities were often treated with disrespect and lack of courtesy by court officers, and racist graffiti appeared on the walls of court facilities. The panel also concluded that minority cases often take only four or five minutes in court, suggesting a form of assembly line justice, and that black defendants outside of New York City frequently have their cases heard by an all white jury. In order to determine whether racial discrimination exists within the criminal justice system, criminologists have conducted research studies that have examined the major decision points within criminal justice systems in the United States. Most research agrees with Wilbanks (1987) and Petersilia (1983) that although there is racial discrimination within
Petersilia also suggested that "racial differences in plea bargaining and jury trials may explain some of the difference in length and type of sentence" (1983: ix). The contention that there is no systematic bias in the criminal justice system based on race has been challenged by other researchers who dispute this conclusion on a number of grounds (Russell 1998: 28). These include the fact that prior studies have assessed discrimination at a single stage in the system and have therefore been ineffective in detecting discrimination that might exist in its other parts. For example, the finding that there is no racial disparity in sentencing within a system does not exclude the possibility of discrimination in other parts of the system. As already discussed, Georges-Abeyie has drawn attention to how research on racial discrimination in the system focuses on formal, easily observed decision-making points and fails to take account of more informal law enforcement
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Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System action (Georges-Abeyie in Russell 1998: 32). He argues that this informal decision making determines who will be arrested and who will enter the system, and that these encounters should be included in any assessment of whether the system operates in a discriminatory manner. If such informal action were included, he suggests that a system of petit apartheid would be revealed that would demonstrate that African Americans are consistently treated in a discriminatory manner as compared to whites. Another criticism is that official statistics on race and crime do not provide a proper basis for research on discrimination in the justice system because the data collection procedures make these statistics unreliable and distort analysis derived from them (Knepper 2000: 16). This argument points out that the primary classification scheme employed in crime statistics designates four official races--white, black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Asian and Pacific Islander--as well as two official ethnic groups, "Hispanic origin" and "not of Hispanic origin." In contrast, the 1990 census includes 43 racial categories and subcategories. If race is made the focus of inquiry, there is an assumption that races constitute discrete groups, but in fact, the races in America are not monolithic. For example, the designation "black" fails to capture the most significant aspects of what it means to be black in the United States because the designation "black" includes persons of Caribbean, African, and Central and South American origin, and within each of these groups are populations distinguished by culture, language, and shades of color (Knepper 2000: 19). Knepper argues that no objective statements can be made based on these race categories, which are essentially political rather than social definitions of races, derived from a legal ideology of separate races grounded in the institution of slavery (p. 23). In relation to the juvenile justice system, it has been argued that any discrimination
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within that system should be considered separately from the adult system for two basic reasons. First, a high level of discretion is permitted in the juvenile justice system, and this may tend to produce more discrimination. Second, because most adult offenders begin their contact with the adult system through the juvenile justice system, characteristics acquired in the juvenile system, such as a prior record, may influence their treatment in the adult system (Pope and Feyerherm 1990). As to whether racial discrimination exists within the juvenile justice system, after a review of the literature, Pope and Feyerherm (1990) conclude that two-thirds of the studies reviewed suggested evidence of direct or indirect discrimination against minorities, or a mixed pattern of bias, especially in the processing of juveniles through the system. Their survey also suggests there is evidence that race differences in outcome may seem to be minor at a certain decision-making stage in the system, but that these differences have more serious implications as earlier decisions in the system move toward a final disposition. Third, Pope and Feyerherm state that although the relationship between race and juvenile justice decision making is complex, their analysis suggests that various factors do interact to produce racial differences in juvenile justice dispositions. In considering racial discrimination within the criminal justice system, researchers have isolated and examined various decisionmaking points, including arrest, bail, jury selection, conviction, and sentencing. These decision-making points will be considered in the following sections. Police Encounters With Citizens and Police Arrest Racial origin may sometimes influence police decisions about making an arrest. In the case of suspected juvenile offenses, research has shown that for minor offenses, police officers may take into account the demeanor of a
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ETHICS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM were less likely to get bail and more likely to receive onerous bail terms. They also found that white defendants with the same education, background, and income as black defendants were more likely to be granted bail, and that in considering bail applications, a prior criminal record counted against blacks more than whites. However, in assessing the criteria for bail, dangerousness and seriousness of the offense were of greater weight for whites than for blacks. Overall, the study shows that under certain conditions, whites are treated more severely on bail applications but that generally, white defendants receive better treatment. Walker, Spohn, and DeLone (2000: 135) note that it is impossible to guarantee that judges will refrain from taking race into account in determining applications for bail, and that the simple stereotyping of minorities as less reliable and more prone to violence than whites will likely result in a higher rate of bail denial regardless of any other assessed factors. Jury Selection Is there any evidence of racial discrimination in the jury selection process? Historically, laws have tried to entrench racial discrimination in jury selection. In Strauder v. West Virginia (1880), the court struck down a statute that limited jury service to white men on the grounds that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. However, this ruling did not prevent some states from attempting to preserve the lawfulness of an allwhite jury by other means. For example, in Delaware, jury selection was drawn from lists of taxpayers, and jury members were required to be "sober and judicious." Although African Americans were eligible for selection under this rule, they were seldom if ever selected because, as explained by the state authorities, few African Americans in the state were intelligent, experienced, or moral enough to serve as jurors (Walker et al. 2000: 156). The Supreme Court subsequently ruled this practice in Delaware as unconstitutional.
juvenile in deciding whether to make an arrest (Black and Reiss 1970; Piliavin and Briar 1964). If the police perceive the suspected offender as showing them disrespect, this may increase the likelihood of an arrest. Along with racial origin, Smith (1986) found that the context of a particular neighborhood also influenced police decisions about arrest or use of force because police were more likely to arrest, threaten, or use force against suspects in racially mixed or minority neighborhoods. In considering the proportion of blacks involved in police shootings of criminal suspects, Fyfe (1982) demonstrated that in New York City, blacks were more likely than whites to be shot by police because they were disproportionately involved in armed incidents that involved shooting. In contrast, research in Memphis showed that blacks were no more likely than whites to be involved in armed incidents, but nevertheless, police shot disproportionately more blacks when they were fleeing. Fyfe concludes that police use of deadly force in Memphis is influenced by the race of a suspect. Bail For most offenses charged, prosecutors and judges have a wide discretion about whether defendants should be released on bail, and the courts may use factors such as dangerousness to the community and the possibility of flight in making bail decisions. Generally, the court looks at the accused's employment, marital status, and length of residence in an area as an illustration of community ties, which may allow the court to conclude that the accused is unlikely to flee (Albonetti et al. 1989). Studies tend to show that race is not a factor in bail applications once an accused's dangerousness to the community and prior history of appearance at trial are controlled for. However, race does relate to the decision to grant bail in other ways. For example, in a study of more than 5,000 male defendants, Albonetti et al. (1989) reveal that defendants with lower levels of education and income
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Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System Since the mid-1930s, the Supreme Court has ruled on jury selection issues in a way that has made it difficult for court systems to practice racial discrimination in jury selection. For example, the court has ruled it unconstitutional to put the names of white potential jurors on white cards, African American potential jurors on yellow cards, and then to supposedly make a random draw of cards to determine who would be summoned for jury duty (Walker et al. 2000: 157). Walker et al. argue that many states still practice discriminatory procedures in selecting jury pools. For example, obtaining the names of potential jurors from registered voters, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or property tax rolls seems to be an objective process, but in some jurisdictions racial minorities are less likely to be registered voters, own automobiles, or own taxable property (p. 157). The effect, therefore, is to stack the jury pool with middle-class white persons and to marginalize minorities. Prosecutors and defense lawyers are able to use peremptory challenges to excuse potential jurors without identifying any cause or explanation, and without any accountability to the court, so it is therefore possible to employ peremptory challenges in the practice of racial discrimination in jury selection. Initially, the Supreme Court was unwilling to restrict a prosecutor's right to use peremptory
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challenges to excuse potential jurors on racial grounds, preferring to rely on the presumption that the prosecutor was always acting in good faith in making such challenges. However, the court determined that it would intervene if a defendant could establish a case of deliberate discrimination by showing that eliminating African Americans from a particular jury was part of a pattern of discrimination in a jurisdiction. Not surprisingly, this stringent test has proved difficult to satisfy because few defense lawyers possess information proving a pattern of discrimination. In 1986, the Supreme Court rejected this test, ruling that it was not necessary to establish a pattern to show discrimination, and that a defendant need only bring evidence showing the prosecutor had exercised his or her peremptory challenges on racial grounds. Once a prima facie case of discrimination has been made out, the state must explain why an African American has been excluded from the jury pool. Even so, Walker et al. (2000: 160) contend that judges have given the benefit of the doubt to prosecutors and have shown themselves willing to accept the prosecutor's explanations rather than make a finding of deliberate discrimination. Case Study 3.1, derived from a New York Times newspaper report, illustrates an alleged case of racial discrimination in jury selection.
CASE STUDY 3.1
IN DALLAS, DISMISSAL OF BLACK JURORS LEADS TO APPEAL BY DEATH ROW INMATE
Thomas Miller-El is an African American charged with shooting two white hotel clerks during a robbery in 1985. One of the hotel clerks died and Miller-El, age 50, is due to be executed by the State of Texas on February 21. He has asked the Texas Board of Pardons to commute his sentence and has appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court on the ground that the jury that convicted him was chosen using racial discriminatory standards that have been applied by the Dallas County District Attorney's Office in many cases. The District Attorney's Office opposes the appeal arguing that there is no evidence of any racial discrimination. (Continued)
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The jury in the trial comprised nine whites, one Filipino, one Hispanic, and one African American. Three other African Americans were excluded from the jury by prosecutors, as were seven of eight other African Americans interviewed as prospective jurors. Racial discrimination in jury selection is prohibited by the Constitution, and until 1986, in order to establish race discrimination, an accused had to meet a heavy burden of proof because he or she had to show a pattern of discrimination. In 1986, in Batson v. Kentucky, the U.S. Supreme Court lowered the standard, determining that if the accused was able to show that the prosecution appeared to be using its peremptory challenges to jurors to exclude minorities, the trial judge could call for an explanation. Miller-El was convicted and sentenced one month before the Batson ruling, but the decision applies to his case retroactively. To date, both state and federal courts have upheld his death sentence, determining that no racial discrimination occurred during jury selection. Miller-El's argument is that the courts considered only the number of challenges to jurors (10 out of 11 prospective African American jurors) and failed to consider other evidence showing that prosecutors in Dallas County had for years excluded blacks from juries as a matter of routine practice. This argument is supported by four former prosecutors whose terms of office cover the period from 1977 to 1989 and who confirmed that the Dallas County office did apply a policy of excluding blacks from juries. Further supporting this argument is a 1986 article in a local newspaper citing a 1963 internal memo in the District Attorney's Office advising prosecutors not to include "Jews, negroes, Dagos, Mexicans or a member of any minority race" as a jury member (in Rimer 2002). Further, in the early 1970s the prosecutor's office employed a training manual which contained advice on jury selection to the effect that a prosecutor should not include any member of a minority group because "they almost always empathize with the accused" (in Rimer 2002). The Dallas Morning News has examined 15 capital murder trials from 1980 through 1986 and has revealed that prosecutors excluded 90% of African Americans qualified for jury selection. Nevertheless, the Assistant District Attorney in the MillerEl case disclaimed any notion that he had challenged the 10 African American jurors on grounds of race. He claimed that he was trying to assemble the best possible jury and that his office had no policy of racial discrimination. Despite these claims, at least three of the potential African American jurors challenged in the Miller-El case supported capital punishment and wanted to be on the jury.
Source: Rimer 2002.
Conviction and Sentencing In the aggregate, blacks tend to be convicted less than whites (Petersilia 1983; Wilbanks 1987), and according to Sampson and Lauritsen (1997), no consistent evidence exists
of racial discrimination at the point of criminal conviction. Research on sentencing, however, has generated the most interest among those studying racial disparity. A review of a large number of studies conducted for the National Academy of Sciences (Hagan and Bumiller
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Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System 1983) concluded that rather than race being a significant factor in sentencing, it was the prior criminal record that affected disposition, and that once this was controlled for, the direct effect of race was basically eliminated. Racial disparities in sentencing arose from the disproportionate representation of minorities in officially processed criminal conduct, and this in turn was reflected in longer or more serious prior criminal records. However, some concerns were raised that race might have a cumulative effect on sentencing by operating indirectly through other factors that disadvantage minorities, and that race might interact with other factors, such as initial arrest, to influence decision making. In studies conducted in the 1970s and 1980s, researchers investigated racial bias by considering the victim's status rather than that of the offender, explored historical changes in sentencing, and included in their research crimes not previously covered, such as drug processing. In drug prosecutions, Peterson and Hagan (1984) found that low-level black drug dealers in New York were treated more leniently than white drug dealers, but that major black dealers were treated more harshly than their white counterparts because they were perceived as inflicting still more harm on the already victimized nonwhite population. Overall, the research conducted during this period seemed to suggest that there was some discrimination, sometimes, in some places. Current research has focused on determinate sentencing including three-strikes legislation. In one analysis of over 11,000 such cases in California, researchers found some racial disparities in sentencing, but once the results were controlled for prior record and other variables, it was concluded that racial disparity in sentencing was not the result of racial discrimination (Klein, Petersilia and Turner 1990). The question of whether the exercise of prosecutorial discretion produces discrimination has also been investigated. Where sentences are fixed, charging and plea bargaining become crucial,
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and attempts have been made to uncover the full dimensions of prosecutorial discretion. Looking at the prosecutor's decision to charge, one analysis of more than 30,000 cases from Los Angeles County showed that cases against blacks and Hispanics were significantly more likely to be prosecuted than cases against whites (Spohn, Gruhl and Welch 1987). This contrasts with a Supreme Court ruling that the decision to prosecute shall not be "deliberately based upon an unjustifiable standard such as race, religion, or other arbitrary classifications" (Walker et al. 2000: 140). A number of studies have concluded that white defendants are offered plea bargains more frequently and obtain better deals than minorities (Walker et al. 2000: 146), but other studies have found that race has an insignificant effect on plea negotiations (Albonetti 1990; Miethe and Moore 1986). Researchers have begun to pay attention to macro social and economic contexts, attempting to frame research that could identify the role of poverty, urbanization, and related factors in sentencing. Walker et al. (2000: 62) point out that a large economic gap exists between white Americans and minorities, and that over the past 20 years, there has been considerable growth in the number of the very poor. The first official definition of poverty was developed by the federal government in 1964, and reflects the minimum income needed for an adequate standard of living. In 1995, the poverty line was $7,763 for a single person and $15,569 for a family of four; in that year, 13.8% of all Americans were below the poverty line (p. 65). In 1995, about 11% of all whites were below the poverty line compared with 29% of blacks and 30% of Hispanics. Although the African American middle class has grown significantly, the percentage of African Americans among the very poor has also increased. In terms of wealth--that is, the measure of all accumulated assets such as owning a house or a car and holding savings--the 1991 median wealth
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ETHICS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 1991 there had been an enormous growth in the rate of imprisonment, and that the incarceration rate had tripled between 1975 and 1990. While the total number of drug offenders had increased nearly 10 times, there had been little change between 1979 and 1991 in the level of racial disproportionality in incarceration rates. Importantly, the "war on drugs" had focused on offenses involving high levels of discretion, opening up the possibility of charges of discrimination. In light of the increase in the proportion of incarcerated drug offenders from 5.7% in 1979 to 21.5% in 1991, Blumstein (1993) suggested that an adequate investigation of racial disproportionality in incarceration should specifically examine the issue of disparity by crime type. In particular, having considered the growth in the number of drug offenders, he concluded that the war on drugs had contributed to racial disproportionality to a major degree, despite what he saw as the futility of that strategy. The war on drugs continues to impact African Americans disproportionately; in 1999, black inmates made up 57.6% of all offenders convicted of drug offenses serving time in state prisons (BJS 2000a). Table 3.1
of white families was $44,400, compared with only $4,600 for African Americans and $5,300 for Hispanics. As well as investigating decision-making points within the criminal justice system for racial discrimination, the racial disproportion in prison populations and the place of race in seeking and imposing the death penalty have been the subject of research attention. IMPRISONMENT DISPARITIES In 2000, at year end, there were 1,381,892 federal and state prisoners. Black inmates made up an estimated 46% of all inmates with sentences of more than one year, and white and Hispanic inmates accounted for 36% and 16%, respectively (BJS 2001b). Nearly 10% of all black males between the ages of 25 and 29 were in prison in the year 2000. This compares with 2.9% of Hispanic males and 1.1% of white males in the same age category. How can the racial disproportionality that exists in the U.S. prison population be accounted for? A study conducted by Blumstein (1982, 1993) concluded that between 1979 and
Table 3.1
Number of Inmates in State or Federal Prisons and Local Jails, by Gender, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Age, June 30, 2002 Male Female Black** 818,900 35,800 159,700 161,600 142,300 132,800 90,200 72,800 14,400 Hispanic 342,500 16,100 73,200 72,000 65,600 45,900 33,100 27,300 7,000 Total* 165,800 4,200 22,100 26,800 35,700 34,400 22,000 16,200 3,000 White** 68,800 1,800 9,600 10,200 14,300 14,500 8,900 7,200 1,900 Black** 65,600 1,500 7,500 10,500 14,500 14,200 9,700 6,300 800 Hispanic 25,400 900 4,500 4,700 5,500 4,500 2,500 2,200 400
Age Total 1819 2024 2529 3034 3539 4044 4554 55 or older
Total* 1,848,700 78,800 340,900 340,800 329,200 294,200 213,800 + 183,100 51,400
White** 630,700 23,100 97,00 97,800 112,800 107,900 84,200 76,500 27,600
Source: Harrison and Karberg 2003. Note: Based on custody counts from National Prisoners Statistics (NPS-1A), 2002, and annual Survey of Jails, 2002. Estimates by age were obtained from Survey of Inmates in Local Jails, 2002, Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities, 1997, and Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP) for Inmates on September 30, 2001. Estimates were rounded to the nearest 100. *Includes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. **Excludes Hispanics.
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Table 3.2
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Number of Inmates in State or Federal Prisons and Local Jails per 100,000 Residents, by Gender, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Age, June 30, 2002 Male Female Hispanic 1,740 2,146 4,081 4,339 3,878 2,776 2,402 1,512 362 Total* 113 100 230 282 348 297 187 83 9 White** 68 67 158 170 213 183 107 50 7 Black** 349 233 520 752 1,024 924 650 281 25 Hispanic 137 133 287 314 366 302 193 120 17
Age Total 1819 2024 2529 3034 3539 4044 4554 55 or older
Total* 1,309 1,800 3,387 3,586 3,213 2,534 1,827 974 194
White** 649 831 1,521 1,615 1,680 1,356 1,006 543 130
Black** 4,810 5,715 11,529 12,877 11,001 9,545 6,738 3,885 665
Source: Harrison and Karberg 2003. Note: Based on the latest available estimates of the U.S. resident population for July 1, 2002, from the 2002 census (by gender, race, and Hispanic origin) and 1990 census, adjusted for undercount (by age). *Includes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. **Excludes Hispanics.
shows the number of inmates in state and federal prisons and local jails by race, gender, ethnicity, and age; Table 3.2 illustrates the rate of incarceration per 100,000 population through these same categories.
HATE CRIMES An act of racial discrimination may take the form of a hate crime. Hate crime statutes fall into two types (Russell 1998: 86), some treating hate crimes as independent offenses, and others providing enhanced penalties for crimes that are motivated by bias. Additional penalties may be imposed by the court where it finds that an offense has been committed and was motivated by bias based on race. To successfully convict a person of a hate crime, the prosecution must establish the motive of the accused, which is extremely difficult to do. Sometimes the nature of the crime provides a motive, such as painting a swastika on the side of a house owned by a Jewish family, which common sense would interpret as an attack because the family is Jewish. The language used by an offender during the offense may be particularly important, especially if racial slurs are used. Prosecutors also pay attention to the severity of the attack, the absence of any provocation by the victim, any prior history of contact between the victim and suspect, and any previous history
DEATH PENALTY DISPARITIES Research has shown that, controlling for type of homicide, race is a factor in the prosecutor's decision to seek the death penalty and in its imposition (Aguirre and Baker 1990; Baldus, Woodward and Pulaski 1990). It appears that the race of the victim, together with the race of the offender, have a significant influence on the prosecutor's willingness to seek the death penalty and on the willingness of judges and jurors to impose it (see Table 3.3). Black offenders convicted of murdering white victims are at the highest risk for receiving the sentence of capital punishment, and offenders, whether black or white, convicted of murdering black victims are least likely to receive the death penalty.
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Table 3.3
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Executions and Other Dispositions of Inmates Sentenced to Death, by Race and Hispanic Origin, 19772001 Prisoners Executed Number 749 422 263 52 12 Percent of Total 11.1% 12.7% 9.4% 9.5% 11.5% Prisoners Who Received Other Dispositions* Number 2,424 1,250 1,000 140 34 Percent of Total 35.9% 37.7% 35.9% 25.5% 32.7%
Race/Hispanic Origin** Total White Black Hispanic All other races****
Prisoners Under Sentence of Death 19772001*** 6,754 3.316 2,784 550 104
Source: Snell and Maruschak 2002. *Includes persons removed from a sentence of death because of statutes struck down on appeal, sentences or convictions vacated, commutations, or death by other than execution. **White, black and other race categories exclude Hispanics. ***Includes persons sentenced to death prior to 1977 who were still under sentence of death on 12/31/01 (8), persons sentenced to death prior to 1977 whose death sentence was removed between 1977 and 12/31/01 (372), and persons sentenced to death between 1977 and 12/31/01 (6,374). ****Includes American Indians and Asians.
of similar incidents in the same area (Byers and Spillane 2000: 265). Data collected between 1997 and 1999 under the Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990 show that 61% of hate crime incidents were motivated by race and 11% by ethnicity, and that the majority of such incidents involved a violent offense (see Table 3.4). Racially motivated hate crimes most often target African Americans, with 6 in 10 racially based incidents targeting African Americans and 3 in 10 targeting whites (BJS 2001a). EXPLANATIONS FOR RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM How do we explain the existence of racial discrimination in the criminal justice system? Most research on racial discrimination draws on consensus and conflict theories to explain discrimination. In the consensus view, individuals share their values with the state, which is organized to protect the interests of society and employs criminal law as an instrument of
protection. Punishment is based on rational factors such as the seriousness of the offense and prior convictions. On the other hand, conflict theorists perceive society as comprising groups with conflicting values with the state organized to represent the interests of the powerful ruling class. Criminal law is viewed as an instrument of protection for the powerful and elite, and punishment is based on nonrational factors including race and social class. Conflict theorists argue that groups that threaten the power of the rulers are more likely to be the subjects of social control; that is, these groups are more criminalized and suffer greater rates of incarceration. They argue that minorities, the unemployed, and the poor represent these threatening groups (Brown and Warner 1995; Chambliss and Seidman 1971). Laws concerning vagrancy help to illustrate conflict theory. Being a vagrant is defined as simply occupying public space without resources and with no clear purpose for being there. It is argued that only the poor engage in vagrancy, and making vagrancy a
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Table 3.4 Hate-bias incidents, by type of bias motivation, 19971999 Hate Crime Incidents Type of Bias Motivation Total Race Anti-black Anti-white Anti-multiracial Anti-Asian Anti-American Indian Religion Anti-Jewish Anti-other religious group Anti-Catholic Anti-Protestant Anti-Islamic Anti-multiracial group Anti-atheist Ethnicity Anti-Hispanic Anti-other ethnicity or nationality of origin Sexual Orientation Anti-male homosexual Anti-homosexual Anti-female homosexual Anti-bisexual Anti-heterosexual Disability Anti-physical disability Anti-mental disability Source: Strom 2001. Note: Unit of count is incidents (n = 2,976). Number 2,976 1,820 1,059 561 92 60 48 431 177 132 29 30 30 28 5 329 199 130 379 167 103 65 32 12 17 12 5
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Percent 100% 61.2% 35.6% 18.9% 3.1% 2.0% 1.6% 14.4% 5.9% 4.4% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 0.9% 0.2% 11.1% 6.7% 4.4% 12.7% 5.6% 3.5% 2.2% 1.1% 0.4% 0.6% 0.4% 0.2%
criminal act and enforcing laws against it are attempts by the powerful to control the poor (Walker et al. 2000: 18). The era of segregation in the south from the 1890s to the 1960s also demonstrates conflict theory in action. During this period, the criminal justice system enforced laws providing for white supremacy and declared the subordinate status of blacks. Nowadays, street crime is a primary target of law enforcement, and this kind of crime is for the most part committed by the poor and racial and ethnic minorities. This targeting of
street crime contrasts with the relatively sparse enforcement of white-collar crime committed primarily by middle and upper class whites. Accordingly, conflict theorists argue that street crime is another demonstration of conflict theory. Another theoretical explanation for racial discrimination argues that the symbolic aspect of social conflict drives crime control. For example, perceptions of threats, rather than actual threats, are influential in the design of crime control policies (Tittle and Curran 1988
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ETHICS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM that most crime is intraracial; that is, people fight their neighbors and invade homes in their own communities. Historically, as long as black crime was located within black communities it was of little concern to law enforcement, but when it was perceived to spill over into white communities, police became proactive. Mauer argues that the influence of race is clearly seen in some parts of the criminal justice system, pointing to death penalty sentences as providing compelling evidence of this. He suggests that the way in which race plays a role in sentencing decisions is quite subtle and is influenced by a number of factors. These include whether white offenders benefit from greater resources such as a private lawyer, whether whites have access to expert evidence, whether they are able to afford the costs of substance abuse treatment, and whether whites are able to arouse less unease in criminal justice decision makers than minorities. Commenting on these factors, Mauer points out in relation to the right to counsel guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment, that although minorities are entitled to legal representation at trial and during the process up to trial, there is some question about the quality of legal representation provided to indigent defendants by public defenders. Although African Americans are more likely to be defended by public defenders, it does not follow that this is necessarily discriminatory treatment because some argue that public defenders are underpaid, poorly trained, and lack resources (Weitzer 1996). Others, however, disagree, believing that public defenders have negotiating capital within the criminal justice system that can benefit the indigent defendant, especially through plea bargaining (Wice 1985). In the case of capital offenses, Bright and Keenan (1995) assert that judges often assign inexperienced or incompetent lawyers to represent indigent accused, and the Innocence Project continues to uncover cases in which defendants in capital cases, whether minorities or not, have been poorly advised
in Sampson and Lauritsen 1997). Some studies support this position. For example, one study in Washington State found that nonwhites were sentenced to imprisonment at higher rates in counties with large minority populations, and interviews with justice officials and leaders in the community showed a consistent public concern with "dangerousness" and the "threat from minorities." Accordingly, crime was perceived as a minority problem, and race was used as a code for certain lifestyles and forms of dress thought to signal criminality. According to this view, it follows that the poor and the underclass are seen not as a threat to rulers and elites, but to the middle and working classes who make up the dominant majority of American society. Sampson and Lauritsen (1997: 362), after reviewing most of the studies on discrimination in the criminal justice system, conclude that discrimination appears on occasion at some stages in the criminal justice system, in some locations. However, there is little evidence of any systematic or overt bias on the part of criminal justice decision makers. They contend that there is a perception of racial discrimination in the administration of justice that is fueled by the regular moral panics and political responses to those panics such as the war on crime, the war on drugs, and the concern with sexual predators. These are targeted at particular lifestyles or locations associated with minorities and have the effect of subjecting the behavior of minorities to increased levels of social control (Chambliss 1995; Tonry 1995). In discussing the relationship between African Americans and the criminal justice system, Mauer seeks to account for the striking increase in the proportion of African Americans incarcerated in the United States, pointing out that blacks represented only 21% of those imprisoned in 1926 compared to onehalf of all prison admissions today (Mauer and U.S. Sentencing Project 1999: 120). Mauer suggests that to some extent the explanation is rooted in society's response to crime, noting
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Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System or represented by court-assigned lawyers (Innocence Project 2002). Mauer joins with those who believe that sentencing policies and moral panics target minorities (Mauer and U.S. Sentencing Project 1999). Discussing the history of marijuana policy, he points out that when this drug was first used in the 1900s it was perceived to be a drug used only by blacks and Mexican Americans. It was penalized in the 1950s with a sentence of two to five years imprisonment for first time possession. In the 1960s, when marijuana came to be widely used by the white middle class, public attitudes began to change, and marijuana began to be perceived as a relatively harmless drug, nonaddictive, and not likely to lead to other criminal activity. By the 1970s, legislation had separated marijuana out from other narcotics and had lowered the penalties, and some jurisdictions even effectively decriminalized its possession in small quantities. However, law enforcement practices in relation to marijuana laws vary and may result in acts of discrimination based on race. As an example, Mauer (p. 134) cites the city of Milwaukee, where possession was for many years classified as a misdemeanor, whereas the same conduct in the suburbs of Milwaukee was a mere ordinance violation. The outcome of this disparity in classification was that white offenders in the suburbs paid a fine, and in the city, the mostly nonwhite arrests might result in jail time and a record. In this case, while the policy makers in the city and in the suburbs may not have consciously targeted minorities, their failure to anticipate the impact of their decision making resulted in unconscious targeting. Some, however, contend that the targeting of drug users is far from unconscious. For example, Tonry (1998: 52) believes that those who launched the drug war knew that "the enemy troops would mostly be young minority males," and that making mass arrests would disproportionately incarcerate those males. He also contends that those promoting these policies were well aware that the
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laws distinguishing powder from crack cocaine would disproportionately affect blacks. Thus, the "war on drugs" exemplifies the effect produced by a deliberate policy choice to focus on the enforcement of drug offenses. Looking at the situational aspect of drug enforcement, Mauer points out that conducting drug arrests in inner city neighborhoods is easier for law enforcement because of the visibility of street drug dealing as compared to dealing carried out behind closed doors in suburban neighborhoods (Mauer and U.S. Sentencing Project 1999: 148). Furthermore, where dealing takes place openly, residents of black neighborhoods are more likely to complain and ask for police intervention. Lynch and Sabol (cited in Mauer and U.S. Sentencing Project 1999: 149) conclude that the "war on drugs" has resulted in an increased targeting of black working and middle class areas for drug enforcement. While the processes that produce this outcome may not have been racially motivated, they have produced racially disparate outcomes. The impact of the "war on drugs" on women of color is a good example of a racially disparate outcome. This "war" has produced increased conviction rates for low-level drug offenders who have little prospect of negotiating any beneficial plea bargain in exchange for information about other offenders. These low-level offenders are often women, and in 1999, the Sentencing Project revealed that the number of women incarcerated for drug offenses rose by 888% between 1986 and 1996 (Mauer et al. 1999). Between 1986 and 1995, New York drug offenses accounted for 91% of the increase in the number of women sentenced to imprisonment, and in California, drug offenses accounted for 55% of the increase over the same period (Mauer et al. 1999). The most discussed disparity in drug sentencing in recent years has been the issue of sentencing for possession of crack cocaine. The mandatory sentencing laws passed by
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ETHICS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM exercising decision-making powers within the system must act ethically and strive to eradicate any suggestion of racial bias and discrimination from their decisions. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Explain why the term race is an inadequate category of analysis. 2. What historical events and circumstances influence the possibility of the existence of racial discrimination within the criminal justice system? 3. What are the difficulties involved in focusing on decision-making points in the criminal justice system to determine whether racial discrimination occurs? 4. Explain the concept of "petit apartheid" and how its existence might generate acts of discrimination in the criminal justice system. 5. How can the study of drug policy and the prosecution of drug offenders assist in establishing the existence of racial discrimination in the criminal system? 6. What theoretical explanations are offered for racial discrimination in the criminal justice system? Explain with examples. REFERENCES
Aguirre, A. and D. Baker. 1990. "Empirical Research on Racial Discrimination in the Imposition of the Death Penalty." Criminal Justice Abstracts 22: 135153. Albonetti, C. 1990. "Race and the Probability of Pleading Guilty." Journal of Quantitative Criminology 6: 315334. Albonetti, C., R. Hauser, J. Hagan and I. Nagel. 1989. "Criminal Justice Decision Making as a Stratification Process: The Role of Race and Stratification Resources in Pretrial Release." Journal of Quantitative Criminology 5: 5782. Alvarez, A. 2000. "Unwelcome Citizens: Latinos and the Criminal Justice System." Pp. 8598 in
Congress provided a far harsher punishment for possession of crack cocaine than for powder cocaine, in that the sale of 500 grams of powder resulted in a mandatory five-year prison term whereas possession of only 5 grams of crack cocaine triggered the same mandatory penalty (Mauer and U.S. Sentencing Project 1999: 155). Significantly, crack cocaine is used primarily by urban blacks and powder cocaine is used by middle and upper class whites. These mandatory sentencing laws have had a major impact on blacks because the vast majority of persons charged with crack trafficking have been black. As a result of the disparity in these offenses, the average prison sentence served by black federal prisoners for possession of crack cocaine is 40% longer than the average sentence for whites convicted of possession of powder cocaine (McDonald and Carson 1993). SUMMARY The debate about racial discrimination in the criminal justice system remains unresolved. While most research suggests an absence of systematic racial discrimination, there is agreement amongst researchers that acts of discrimination occur at specific decisionmaking points, and some argue that informal and hidden forms of discrimination occur both within and outside the system. It follows that the majority opinion supports arguments that acts of discrimination occur, and that they may perhaps be deeply rooted in cultural and social attitudes to other races. These may express themselves in complex and nuanced ways that are difficult to capture within research strategies. Associated with acts of discrimination is the issue of the public perception of the workings of the criminal justice system. Regardless of the conclusions of research studies, there is a widespread belief amongst minorities that the system discriminates against them and is therefore unjust. To counter this perception, those
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Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). 2001a. Hate Crimes Reported in NIBRS, 199799. Washington, DC: Author. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). 2001b. Prisoners in 2000. Washington, DC: Author. Byers, B. and L. Spillane. 2000. "Hate Crime in Contemporary American Society: A Sociological Approach." Pp. 243270 in Multicultural Perspectives in Criminal Justice and Criminology, edited by J. Hendricks and B. Byers. Springfield, IL: Charles Thomas. Chambliss, W. 1995. "Crime Control and Ethnic Minorities: Legitimizing Racial Oppression by Creating Moral Panics." Pp. 235258 in Ethnicity, Race, and Crime: Perspectives Across Time and Space, edited by D. Hawkins. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Chambliss, W. and R. Seidman. 1971. Law, Order, and Power. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. DiIulio, J. 1996. "My Black Crime Problem, and Ours." City Journal 6: 1428. Fienup-Riordan, A. 1994. Boundaries and Passages: Rule and Ritual in Yup'ik Eskimo Oral Tradition. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. Fyfe, J. 1982. "Blind Justice: Police Shootings in Memphis." Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 73: 707722. Georges-Abeyie, D. 2001. "Petit Apartheid in Criminal Justice: The More `Things' Change, the More `Things' Remain the Same." Pp. ixxiv in Petit Apartheid in the U.S. Criminal Justice System, edited by D. Milovanovic and K. Russell. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. Grobsmith, Elizabeth. 1994. Indians in Prison: Incarcerated Native Americans in Nebraska. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Hagan, J. and D. Bumiller. 1983. "Making Sense of Sentencing: A Review and Critique of Sentencing Research." Pp. 154 in Research on Sentencing: The Search for Reform, edited by A. Blumstein, J. Cohen, S. Martin and M. Tonry. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Harrison, P. and J. Karberg. April 2003. "Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2002." Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice.
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Petersilia, J. 1983. Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. Peterson, R. and J. Hagan. 1984. "Changing Conceptions of Race: Towards an Account of Anomalous Findings of Sentencing Research." American Sociological Review 49: 5670. Phillips, M. and T. Inui. 1986. "The Interaction of Mental Illness, Criminal Behavior and Culture: Native Alaskan Mentally Ill Criminal Offenders." Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry 10: 123149. Piliavin, I. and S. Briar. 1964. "Police Encounters with Juveniles." American Journal of Sociology 69: 206214. Pope, C. and W. Feyerherm. June and September 1990. "Minority Status and Juvenile Justice Processing: An Assessment of the Research Literature (Parts 1 & 2)." Criminal Justice Abstracts: 327335; 527542. Rachels, J. 1999. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. Boston: McGraw-Hill College. Rimer, S. February 13, 2002. "In Dallas, Dismissal of Black Jurors Leads to Appeal by Death Row Inmate." The New York Times. Retrieved January 15, 2003 (http://www.nytimes.com/ 2002/02/13/national/13DEAT.html). Ross, L. 2000. "Imprisoned Native Women and the Importance of Native Traditions." Pp. 132144 in States of Confinement: Policing, Detention, and Prisons, edited by J. James. New York: St. Martin's Press. Russell, K. 1998. The Color of Crime: Racial Hoaxes, White Fear, Black Protectionism, Police Harassment, and Other Macroaggressions. New York: New York University Press. Sampson, R. and J. Lauritsen. 1997. "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Crime and Criminals in the United States." Pp. 311374 in Ethnicity, Crime and Immigration: Comparative and CrossNational Perspectives. Crime and Justice: A Review of Research (Vol. 21), edited by M. Tonry. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Schafer, N. E., R. Curtis and C. Atwell. 1997. "Disproportionate Representation of Minorities in the Alaska Juvenile Justice System: Phase 1 Report." Justice Center. Anchorage: University of Alaska.
Hinman, L. 1998. Ethics: A Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace. Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department. 1991. Los Angeles: City of Los Angeles. Innocence Project. 2002. "Loren Santow and The Illinois Death Penalty Education Project." Retrieved January 17, 2003 (www.innocenceproject.org). Klein, S., J. Petersilia and S. Turner. 1990. "Race and Imprisonment Decisions in California." Science 247: 812816. Knepper, P. 2000. "The Alchemy of Race and Crime Research." Pp. 1530 in The System in Black and White: Exploring the Connections between Race, Crime, and Justice, edited by M. Markowitz and D. Jones-Brown. Westport, CT: Praeger. Kraus, R. and P. Buffler. 1979. "Sociocultural Stress and the American Native in Alaska: An Analysis of Changing Patterns of Psychiatric Illness and Alcohol Abuse among Alaska Natives." Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry 3: 111151. Mauer, M., C. Potler and R. Wolf. 1999. Gender and Justice: Women, Drugs, and Sentencing Policy. Washington, DC: The Sentencing Project. Mauer, M. and U.S. Sentencing Project. 1999. Race to Incarcerate: The Sentencing Project. New York: New Press. May, L. and S. Sharratt. 1994. Applied Ethics: A Multicultural Approach, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. McDonald, D. and K. Carson. 1993. Sentencing in the Federal Courts: Does Race Matter? Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Miethe, T. and C. Moore. 1986. "Racial Differences in Criminal Processing: The Consequences of Model Selection on Conclusions about Differential Treatment." Sociological Quarterly 27: 217237. Milovanovic, D. and K. Russell (Eds.). 2001. Petit Apartheid in the U.S. Criminal Justice System: The Dark Figure of Racism. Durham: Carolina Academic Press. New York State Judicial Commission on Minorities. 1991. Criminal Justice Newsletter 22(12): 12.
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Smith, B. 2000. "Historical Injustices, Contemporary Inequalities: African Americans and Criminal Justice." Pp. 7184 in Investigating Difference: Human and Cultural Relations in Criminal Justice, edited by The Criminal Justice Collective of Northern Arizona University. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Smith, D. 1986. "The Neighborhood Context of Police Behavior." Pp. 313341 in Crime and Justice: A Review of Research: Vol. 8 Communities and Crime, edited by A. Reiss and M. Tonry. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Snell, T. and L. Maruschak. December 2002. Capital Punishment 2001. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice. Spohn, C., J. Gruhl and S. Welch. 1987. "The Impact of the Ethnicity and Gender of Defendants on the Decision to Reject or Dismiss Felony Charges." Criminology 25: 175192. Strauder v. West Virginia, 100 U.S. 303 (1880). Strom, K. September 2001. Hate Crimes Reported in NIBRS, 199799. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice.
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Tonry, M. 1995. Malign Neglect: Race, Crime, and Punishment in America. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. Tonry, M. 1998. "Racial Politics, Racial Disparities, and the War on Crime." Pp. 4157 in The Criminal Justice System: Politics and Policies, edited by G. Cole and M. Gertz. Belmont, CA: West/Wadsworth. Walker, S., C. Spohn and M. DeLone. 2000. The Color of Justice: Race, Ethnicity and Crime in America. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Weitzer, R. 1996. "Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System: Findings and the Problems in the Literature." Journal of Criminal Justice 24(4): 309322. Wice, P. 1985. Chaos in the Courthouse: The Inner Workings of the Urban Municipal Courts. New York: Praeger. Wilbanks, W. 1987. The Myth of a Racist Criminal Justice System. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole. Zatz, M. and C. Mann. 1998. "The Power of Images." Pp. 112 in Images of Color, Images of Crime: Readings, edited by C. Mann and M. Zatz. Los Angeles: Roxbury.
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Position Summary:Overall responsibility of assigned QE efforts to ensure they are on-schedule, reliable, with quality, in accordance with TCH standards and meet all requirements. The candidate will provide leadership that guides QE approach, execution, and documentation of results on assigned efforts, including all QE resources associated. The candidate will also provide technical mentoring and assist in updating and maintaining standards and policies related to quality. Additionally, the Director will work directly with and assist with the management of outsourcing vendor relationships, ensuring quality deliverables are completed on time and in accordance with TCH standards; work with other TCH business and technical departments providing guidance and feedback on assigned projects; and provide personnel management to assigned staff including development, coaching, and general personnel management including goal setting and performance reviews.
Qualifications Required:
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- 5+ years of software testing experience, 2+ years management of a software testing organization
- Understanding of Financial messaging protocols such as ISO 20022
- Management of a team of 4 or more employees
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- Manage the work efforts of Quality Engineering resources ensuring work is completed on schedule and that they meet TCH standards
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- Participate or allocate resources to support the research and resolution of production incidents in a timely manner
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- Contribute to the development and maintenance of departmental policies and procedures, under the guidance of the VP, Quality Engineering
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Background: Hypertension, a chronic medical condition of increased blood pressure, is a serious public health problem. Environmental and genetic risk factors are known to predispose to hypertension. The present study was designed to investigate the association of glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene polymorphism with oxidative stress in hypertensive patients and the possible beneficial effect of yoga on them. Materials and methods: Sixty (60) hypertensive individuals, between 30 and 60 years of age, were divided into two groups of 30 each. The yoga group was subjected to 50–60 minutes of yogic practices daily for 42 days, while the control group included the remaining 30 age- and sex-matched hypertensive individuals. GST gene polymorphism was analyzed using multiple allele specific polymerase chain reaction, and oxidative stress parameters were assessed biochemically. Results: Assessment of blood pressure showed a statistically significant though modest reduction ( p < 0.05) in the yoga group as compared to the control group. Malondialdehyde was observed to be significantly low ( p < 0.05), while antioxidant capacity in the form of GST showed an increasing trend and ferric-reducing ability of plasma was significantly increased ( p < 0.05) in the subjects who practiced yoga. Conclusions: In conclusion, yoga has been found to decrease blood pressure as well as the levels of oxidative stress in patients with hypertension.
Therapeutic Effect of Yoga in Patients with Hypertension
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There tends to be a strong emphasis these days on ‘positive thinking’ and optimism. While there is much to be said for the benefits of such an approach, we also need to be aware of some of the dangers associated with it. One is for problems to be swept under the carpet in our desire to focus on the positive elements of a situation and thereby de-emphasize the negative or problematic aspects. What can be much more fruitful is to ensure that we acknowledge the problems we come across, but then adopt a positive approach by focusing on solutions. This is a matter of finding a constructive balance. On the one hand, it is dangerous to ignore problems in some misguided sense of positivity, but on the other it can make problems worse if people allow concerns about such problems to predominate – that is, if they wallow in the negativity problems can produce. Being positive about problem solving can give us the best of both worlds: we are not naively ignoring problems, but nor are we allowing their negativity to undermine us. Indeed, such a positive approach to problem solving is an important basis for empowerment, for supporting other people in resolving their own difficulties.
Harold Garfinkel made a name for himself as a sociologist by changing certain aspects of a social situation and seeing what the consequences would be. In this way, he was able to identify implicit social rules by breaking them. This process became known as Garfinkeling. An example would be to change the gender of a person in a certain situation (in order to highlight the gender role assumptions being made) and seeing what difference that makes. Changing age group can also be enlightening in terms of highlighting ageist assumptions. For example, I once came across a geriatrician who would challenge ageist statements by saying: ‘Would you have made that comment if this person had been 30 years younger?’. Garfinkeling, then, is a useful tool for highlighting discriminatory assumptions by reversing some aspect of the situation so that previously taken-for-granted assumptions become apparent. Try it. It can be fun as well as enlightening.
We live in what seems to be an increasingly consumerist society where helping people seems to be interpreted mainly as giving them some sort of service. We seem to have lost sight of the well-established notion that the best resource we can offer people is ourselves – what textbooks have traditionally referred to as ‘use of self’. By showing concern and interest and forging a meaningful human connection with people we can often be much more helpful to them than by referring them to a service which may or may not be of benefit to them. Some may argue that most people professionals don’t have time to do that these days, but I would argue that, if you have the skills and confidence, it is possible to capitalize on ‘use of self’ in a relatively short period of time. It is in large part a matter of changing our mindset from a service delivery one to a problem-solving, empowerment one.
Most workplaces seem to be very pressurized places these days. One of the dangers of this is that some people respond to pressures in ways that can make the situation worse. For example, it is not uncommon for busy people not to take a break. They seem to think that they are so busy that they just have to press on. But if we don’t give our bodies and our minds the opportunity to recover from the strain we put them under in pressurized circumstances, we risk making ourselves ill through stress. We are also more likely to make mistakes, to be less creative, to fail to learn, to be more anxious and defensive in our practice, to gain less job satisfaction and ultimately burn ourselves out. It is only in exceptional circumstances that we should have to work through time that should be set aside for taking a break. If that is happening regularly, then either there is a fundamental issue around work overload that needs to be addressed or we are not being sufficiently disciplined in our self-care and we are allowing ourselves to risk being overstretched, with potentially serious consequences.
‘I should be able to wear what I want and not be judged’ said one participant on a training course I was running. I agreed with her, particularly the word ‘should’, but I had to point out that people do attach significance to what we wear, even though ideally that should not happen. Our clothing is part of nonverbal communication. Whether we intend it or not, whether we agree with it or not, what we wear provides information about us that other people will generally attach significance to. For example, you may be highly committed to a job you are applying for, but if you turn up for the interview wearing jeans and a T-shirt, it is highly likely you will be seen to be conveying a lack of seriousness towards that job. But less extreme examples apply on a much more frequent basis, so it is important to ask ourselves: is my choice of clothing today conveying the message I want to put across to people? This does not mean that we should always dress formally, but it does mean we need to be tuned in to what message our clothes convey in different circumstances.
People commonly talk about what causes a particular behaviour or reaction. However, as it is people we are talking about, it makes more sense to talk about reasons, rather than causes. Human beings exist in a social context that is very powerful in its wide range of influences and we are, of course, subject to certain biological forces and constraints. But none of this removes human ‘agency’, to use the technical term, the ability to make choices. If we are looking for causes not reasons, we can be neglecting some key aspects of how a situation arose or how it is likely to unfold. Of course, it would be naïve not to recognize that we do not have complete control over our circumstances, but it would also be very unwise to assume that we have no control over what happens to us, that we are just passive victims of circumstance. To make sense of a complex situation, we need to understand both the influences on choices and the reasons for the choices actually made.
This distinction comes from the work of Buber, a theologian. I-Thou refers to interactions that are premised on dignity and mutual respect. These can be enriching and humanizing for both parties. I-it interactions, by contrast, are purely instrumental, purely about getting the job done with the minimum of human connection – not necessarily rude or discourteous, but with no warmth or feeling. These interactions can be dehumanizing not only for the person on the receiving end of such an approach, but also the person who initiates this type of interaction. Some people rely on I-it interactions because they have no motivation to rise above simply getting the job done. However, even people who are committed to I-Thou interactions and the advantages they bring can slide into I-it interactions at times – for example, when they are under high levels of pressure, are working in a context of low morale or have other concerns that are distracting them from doing their job to the best of their ability. This can be dangerous, as it can create a vicious circle: interacting with people at an I-it level can make us far less effective, potentially lead to complaints and/or dissatisfactions, bringing additional pressure which can then make it all the more likely that we respond to others in an I-it way.
This is not literally about fighting. It is about recognizing when it is not appropriate to deal with a situation here and now. When there are concerns that need to be addressed or conflicts that need to be worked through, it is often helpful to be responsive to those demands at the time, rather than miss the opportunity to nip the problem in the bud. However, in some circumstances it is wiser not to react at the time – for example, situations where an immediate response may inflame the situation or encourage a defensive reaction. In such situations it can be more effective to arrange a more suitable time and place to raise your concerns or deal with the issues involved – one that is more conducive to constructive dialogue. But it is very important to make sure that you do find a suitable time and place. There is a fine line between this idea of ‘living to fight another day’ and copping out from raising what could be an awkward or uncomfortable matter to deal with. On one side of that line is a wise approach to problem solving, while on the other lies a failure to address an important concern.
Often confusion arises because there is a lack of clarity about who is responsible for what. The more pressurized the situation is, the more likely this problem is to occur. This confusion can breed anxiety and that anxiety, in turn, can lead to fuzzy thinking which then contributes to confusion about boundaries. There is therefore much to be gained from being clear about where the boundaries lie. It is important to be clear about what you are personally responsible for in any given situation. But it is also important to be clear about what part you play in any shared responsibility. Are the others who share that responsibility clear about their contribution and are you all clear about how you are going to exercise your shared responsibility? Are you also clear about what is not your responsibility so that you can avoid stressing yourself out by worrying about matters that are someone else’s responsibility? Establishing clarity about boundaries not only makes our own position easier to manage, it also provides a much firmer basis for working in partnership.
Email has proven to be a very effective communication tool, saving a great deal of time, money and effort compared with the pre-email days. However, email has also brought problems, not least the well-documented ‘flame wars’ where miscommunication upon miscommunication has produced a series of heated interchanges that would probably have never happened in face-to-face circumstances. One problem that has received far less attention is the tendency to overuse email, to use it as the tool of communication, rather than one amongst many. For example, some matters can be much better dealt with by a telephone conversation or even a face-to-face meeting. And, while email has replaced letters in many situations, there remain many circumstances where a letter is a better solution – for example, where an extra degree of formality is called for or in responding to serious concerns. So, while email is an excellent tool, we need to make sure that we don’t allow it to take over and leave no room for other methods of getting our message across. | https://neilthompson.info/index.php/category/social-well-being/ |
Margaret Rehayem is an experienced healthcare leader that brings care and enthusiasm to her role with the National Alliance. As Vice President, she provides leadership for national initiatives that support member collaboration, helping coalitions leverage their regional efforts at the national level to drive health, innovation, equity and value. Her focus has been in health & wellbeing, total person health as well as various areas in delivery & payment reform such as hospital pricing, drug management and high cost claims.
Margaret has over 20 years' experience working with employers in various areas of healthcare strategic planning. She has developed and executed projects with continuous improvement frameworks, national employer roundtables and multi-stakeholder learning collaboratives that support organizational improvement and business/community partnerships. She also oversees a number of grant activities that have partnered with national organizations such as CDC Foundation, Patient-centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Robert Woods Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and United Health Foundation. She serves as a main contact for member coalitions; fostering relationships, and supporting regional coalition members through networking and capacity building opportunities. She also helps drive the direction of the organization’s National Health Leadership Council and engages with both public and private employers of different industries through the National Purchaser Leadership Council (NPLC). She also coordinates the Race, Health & Equity Council that meets throughout the year.Margaret is a national speaker on a number of healthcare topics including business performance & leadership, health benefits, medical & pharmacy drugs, biosimilars, employee engagement, & organizational culture, and the impact of health equity, social needs, and wellbeing in organizations. Before joining the National Alliance, she was on the leadership team at the Midwest Business Group on Health, a leading business coalition in Chicago. Early on in her career, she created and managed an award-winning employee health and wellness program for 11 years at a community college. She has been involved with various Advisory Boards including with the National Health Council, the Innovative Value Initiative and the Act4Biosimilars. She has been an adjunct faculty professor since 2008 and most recently taught corporate health and entrepreneurship at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Christina Bell is director of healthcare strategy with 15+ years of experience emphasizing program and project administration in a healthcare environment. In her role, she leads strategic initiatives that address healthcare system challenges, issues and opportunities in delivery and system reform, health equity, and total person health & wellbeing. As a former VP of the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health (PBGH), Christina held responsibilities for executing and ensuring implementation of PBGH’s overall strategic direction. She served as the architect for educational programming, projects and business development framework to improve understanding and aid in decision making with regard to equitable access, healthcare quality, cost containment, and employer choice in the PBGH market region and nationally. Christina serves on the PCORI HIIP Advisory Board, Heinz Endowment Economic Security Investment Advisory Council, and the Professional Women’s Network Advisory Board.
She is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Health Value Advisor, and holds a bachelor's degree in public administration and a master's degree in health administration.
Amanda Green is the manager of healthcare initiatives and is responsible for supporting strategic initiatives that address issues and opportunities in health system reform and health and wellbeing.
Amanda has been published in several healthcare journals, notably the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy. Prior to her role at National Alliance, Amanda was a research associate at the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC). In this role, she was responsible for leading and supporting research projects related to the essential role of biopharmaceuticals in the healthcare delivery system. Ms. Green also spent time working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, on the Epidemiology Workforce Branch and holds community-based intervention experience from her time working at the Florida Department of Health.
Ms. Green holds a master of science in public health from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and dual bachelor’s degrees in public health and international relations from the University of Miami. | https://www.nationalalliancehealth.org/about/about-staff |
4. Farber Company uses a job order cost system. The information below is from the financial records of the company for last year:
Total manufacturing costs $2,500,000
Cost of goods manufactured $2,425,000
Predetermined overhead rate 80% of direct labor cost
Applied overhead was 30% of total manufacturing costs. The Work in Process inventory at January 1 was 75% of the Work in Process inventory at December 31.
Farber Company's total direct labor cost was:
1. $750,000.
2. $600,000.
3. $900,000.
4. $937,500.
5. Dukes Company used a predetermined overhead rate this year of $2 per direct labor hour, based on an estimate of 20,000 direct labor hours to be worked during the year. Actual costs and activity during the year were:
Actual manufacturing overhead cost incurred $38,000
Actual direct labor hours worked 18,500
The under‑ or overapplied overhead for the year was:
1. $1,000 underapplied.
2. $1,000 overapplied.
3. $3,000 underapplied.
4. $3,000 overapplied.
6. Krumbly Company uses the FIFO method in its process costing system. At the beginning of the month, Department D's work in process inventory contained 2,000 units. These units were fully complete with respect to materials and 40% complete with respect to conversion costs, with a total cost at that point of $3,600. During the month, conversion costs amounted to $8 per equivalent unit of production. If all 2,000 units are fully complete by the end of the month, their total cost by that time will be:
1. $19,600.
2. $10,000.
3. $13,200.
4. $9,000.
7. Details of the manufacturing activity in Amy Company's Assembly Department for the month of December are given below:
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The BSc thesis will start with an opening lecture in the first week of the semester. This opening lecture provides general guidelines for the thesis and will introduce the different topics among which students can choose. The students work on their BSc thesis simultaneously with their courses as a floating skill in so-called BSc thesis circles. The BSc thesis circles will take place during period 1 and 2 (or 4 and 5 respectively). Period 3 (period 6 respectively) will be used to write up the final report.
The BSc thesis is an essay of 4500-5000 words (excl. appendices) based on scientific articles. | https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/nl/meta/354301/bachelor-thesis-fiscale-economie?print=1 |
Although Thor journey to Utgard-Loki was among the most famous Norse tales, it confused the readers in some aspects. It told the journey of Thor Norse god of thunder and storm to the land of Jotunheim. No specific reasons why he travelled there were mentioned which made us wonder a lot because Thor hated Jotun (the giant) the most. During Thor journey to Utgard-Loki, we learn some new lessons for example, the woman that could defeat Thor was an old woman.
Thor Journey to Utgard-Loki with Loki
First thing, the “Utgard-Loki” was the Loki of Utgard that had nothing to do with Loki the Mischievous.
On one day, Thor and Loki embarked on their journey to the land of Jotunheim. They rode the goat-pulled chariot of Thor and when they crossed Midgard, they stayed in a house of Midgardman for one night. There, Thor killed his goats for meal and he told the Midgardmen not to do anything with the bones of the goats. Because he would resurrect his goats back to life the day after to carry on his journey.
But the children of the Midgardmen broke one bone apart and finished all the marrow inside.
The day after, Thor woke up to resurrect his goats back to life. And yes, they did spring back to life with the magic from Mjolnir hammer. But one of them couldn’t walk properly because of a lame leg. Thor shivered with anger and nearly smashed the Midgard family members if the father hadn’t offered Thor his children as Thor’s servants. Norse god of thunder and storm accepted his apology and took two children with his journey.
Thor meeting Skrymir whom Mjolnir hammer couldn’t kill
Two children of the Midgardman were Thjalfi and Roskva. Thjalfi was a fast runner so he decided that he would go ahead to find lodgings. But they could find no lodge ahead. And when the night was falling, they came into a hall from which all of them smelt a rat. Yet, they got no choice and stayed there for one night. But an earthquake woke them up in the middle of the night. Thor who was angry came outside to guard.
In the morning, Thor grabbed his Mjolnir hammer to find out what caused the constant earthquake and terrible sounds. Inside the hall, he found a giant who was snoring as if that was the last chance he could snore. When Thor was about to wield Mjolnir hammer, the giant woke up. Four eyes met and the giant quickly introduced himself Skrymir. Somehow the five figures started travelling together. They ate separate breakfasts. After that, Skrymir offered to share the provisions and he would carry it inside his bag so that the gods didn’t have to bring it.
Mjolnir hammer failed to kill Skrymir
They went on until the dusk broke on the sky. Skrymir found an oak tree and fell asleep right away but he gave the gods the pack of food to get over hunger. However, none of them could untie the straps in the pack. Thor’s anger reached the max level when he realized that Skrymir didn’t want them to take the food. Thor took the Mjolnir hammer and struck it right in the head of Skrymir. The giant woke up and asked the gods if a leaf just fell on his head.
Thor could no longer spare any thought on the food because his head was filled with anxiety and doubts. That was the first time that his Mjolnir hammer failed.
Thor attempted to kill the giant two more times. The second time was in the middle of the night, Thor wielded his hammer and hit the head of the giant only to wake him up asking “Did an acorn just fall on my head?”. The last time was “Did a bird drop something on my head?”. That was when the dawn broke on the sky, so the team had to wake up to continue their journey.
Skrymir told them that the Kingdom of Utgard-Loki was near, to the east of them. And Skrymir had to go north so the team had to part now. Unlike the previous Skrymir, this morning Skrymir turned out to be a rude guy when telling Thor to turn back home or to keep their mouths shut when meeting Utgard-Loki. Thor seething with anger because of the insult couldn’t do nothing to sooth his feeling.
Meeting Utgard-Loki in Jotunheim
Quickly the group of Thor came to the stronghold of Utgard-Loki. The gates were so high and enormous that the gods almost broke their neck to see what was inside. Although the gates were locked, the gods managed to get through. After all, Loki was there, what trick on Earth that he couldn’t think of to help them get in?
Four of them walked toward the King, Utgard-Loki while the giants sitting along looked at them in a curious way. Utgard-Loki greeted them and said that he knew that the man standing in the middle of the Hall was Thor the Charioteer. He wondered what was the skills of these guests because his kingdom wouldn’t allow anyone without skills to stay in.
Loki stepped forward and proudly declared “No one could eat faster than me”. Then the King called Logi the Giant to step out and take the eating competition with Loki. There was a table full of meat with Loki at one end and Logi at the other. The contest began and the two energetically attempted to empty the table. Loki was fast, no doubt. But Logi was much faster. When Loki had finished the meat, Logi finished the meat, bones, and the trencher as well. Undoubtedly, Logi was the winner.
Utgard-Loki turned to Thjalfi and asked what was his skill. The Midgard son said that he could run very fast. And Utgard-Loki ordered Hugi the giant to take the running contest with Thjalfi. They took up four laps and Hugi beat Thjalfi in all laps. Of course, Hugi declared himself as the winner.
Thor and the challenges
The greatest part of the story was about Thor and his challenges. Utgard-Loki turned to Thor and asked him what skills he could demonstrate and that he had been hearing about Thor’s exploits which made him want to observe Thor’s skills.
Ignoring the insult, Thor claimed he was the strongest man when it came to drinking. Immediately, a drinking horn was placed in the hand of Thor and Utgard-Loki demanded him to finish the horn. Utgard-Loki said that a good drinker would finish it with one drink, some might take two, but the worst would take three. Unexpectedly, Thor couldn’t finish it with one shot. He tried again but failed and again but failed. Three times and the horn just dropped a little bit.
Thor gave up and gave the drinking horn to Utgard-Loki that made him lose this fight. The second challenge for Thor was to lift the cat in the middle of the hall. Thor who was famous for his physical strength was pretty confident with this. He stepped toward the cat and lifted her up with both hand. But Thor only managed to lift the belly of the cat up when its four feet stayed on the floor. Thor failed again. Utgard-Loki laughed so hard saying that Thor had been surrounded by the boasts only.
Thor was frustrated this time but he quickly calmed himself. He asked Utgard-Loki to send someone out to do a wrestling battle with him. “Ok, that sounds great” must be the reply of Utgard-Loki then he ordered a woman named Elli to do the wrestling contest with Thor. Was this a way that Utgard-Loki tried to insult Thor?
This time, Thor lost to the hand of the old woman Elli. “Enough” shouted Utgard-Loki. The contest was done and Thor and his companions lost all of the challenges. Although Thor’s team failed to prove themselves, Utgard-Loki allowed them to stay in the hall for one night. The king treated them well with good accommodation and great food.
Farewell and Nice to have met you!
Thor journey to Utgard-Loki land finally came to and end when the dawn broke on the sky. They were the first to wake up and about to leave when Utgard-Loki finally turned up showing them his courtesy and guided them to the gates. When the game was over and they were about to say “see you around”, Utgard-Loki told them the truth.
The giant Skrymir inside the forest was actually Utgard-Loki. He used the wires to fasten the food package. Three times that Thor hit the giant in the head was three times he hit the mountains. Loki ate very fast but Logi was faster as Logi (“Logi” meant “fire”) was the embodiment of wild fire. During the contest, Logi burned the meal, not eating. When Thjalfi ran against Hugi he ran against thought. Because “Hugi” meant “thought” and who could outpace the speed of thought?
Then regarding the drinking horn of Thor, the horn was connected with the ocean. Three times Thor tried to empty the horn, he finished half of the ocean water. The giants had worried that Thor would finish the whole ocean water. The cat that he tried to lift up was actually Jormungand his sworn enemy in the prophecy. And Utgard-Loki admitted that he was astonished because Thor could withstand Elli so long. Elli was actually the embodiment of old age as her name meant. And no one could win old age in the end.
There, Thor shivered with anger and he was about to wield his hammer against Utgard-Loki. But the King quickly vanished into thin air and nowhere to be found. There Thor Journey to Utgard-Loki land came to an end. | http://lifeupfront.com/thor-journey-to-utgard-loki-land-of-jotunheim/ |
Its significance is therefore infinitely multiplied. Who can prevent us from emulating these European peoples? I beg your Lordship to approve, and order it done.
They maintained that only private subjects that were motivated by desire for plunder and acted independently of any sovereign state could be accused of piracy.
It is a blue-green moon, luminescent in the light. In contrast to a national defence, which has war as its most extreme resort — either to establish a new border or re-establish a threatened one — liberal security paradigmatically operates through police actions and punctual interventions against unredeemable pirates and criminals.
It is not necessarily a peaceful mixture, for it can be contentious and disruptive in its experience. The colonizer often regards the colonized as both inferior yet exotically other, while the colonized regards the colonizer as both enviable yet corrupt. Turn the adventurers who disturb European society into a ver sacrum, a horde like those of the Franks, the Lombards, or the Normans, and every man will be in his right role.
For the first time, Universal Jurisdiction was enforced not against stateless individuals but against people acting under the authority of a sovereign European state. Black rebellion, abolition, resistance, and Afro-futurism has existed as an example to many other colonized communities, including homeland African and non-Black Indigenous ones.
In The Concept of Piracy, he reasserted that originally, in the eighteenth century, only stateless individuals acting independently from any state were labeled as pirates. A Critique of Political Economy.
Western ways of knowledge production and dissemination in the past and present then become objects of study for those seeking alternative means of expression.
He pioneered the branch of postcolonial criticism called colonial discourse analysis. Pirate Spectres in the Twentieth Century: He looked familiar — that British comedian perhaps? Her mouth is open, brows furrowed.
Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. But as we develop, new problems come up. I hope that if you come back in 15 or 20 years time that we can tell a different story. They should not call themselves subaltern. Essentialist claims can be used by a colonizing power but also by the colonized as a way of resisting what is claimed about them.
Mercenaries, Pirates, and Sovereigns: This view of Ghana's history as it shrugged off British imperialism safely ignores Mr. It is at this point that we start to glimpse in the history of imperial campaigns against enemies of humanity and outlawed pirates another genealogy of war: Liberal security aims at the securitization of commercial exchange and, therefore, the enforcement of the essential juridical conditions for the existence of a world market.
In the nineteenth century, the United Kingdom officially intervened in the Malay Archipelago to defend free trade from pirates and robbers Tarling. In the context of race, ethnicity, or culture, essentialism suggests the practice of various groups deciding what is and isn't a particular identity.
The Asymmetrical Character of the Colonial Encounter Counter-piracy operations — that is, imperial interventions conceptualized as forms of violence against pirates to be suppressed in the name of all — have a long and surprisingly neglected history.
Ragnarok is thoroughly imbued with.
There is a burgeoning group of young pacific writers who respond and speak to the contemporary Pasifika experience, including writers Lani Wendt YoungCourtney Sina Meredith and Selina Tusitala Marshamong others.
In postcolonial literaturethe anti-conquest narrative analyzes the identity politics that are the social and cultural perspectives of the subaltern colonial subjects—their creative resistance to the culture of the colonizer ; how such cultural resistance complicated the establishment of a colonial society; how the colonizers developed their postcolonial identity; and how neocolonialism actively employs the Us-and-Them binary social relation to view the non-Western world as inhabited by The Other.
Let us briefly review these three moments.We too can lead in this new post-colonial world. Black rebellion, abolition, resistance, and Afro-futurism has existed as an example to many other colonized communities, including homeland African and non-Black Indigenous ones. Post-Colonial Theory Key Terms.
The imperialist expansion of Europe into the rest of the world during the last four hundred years in which a dominant imperium or center carried on a relationship of control and influence over its margins or colonies.
The adaptation of Western realist methods of literature in describing the imaginary life. RETURNING THE GAZE: Representing poverty and precarity in a post-colonial world.
AP World History -- Unit 5. Smith STUDY. PLAY. What made the colonial reegimes particularly culnerable to challenges from within? A return to conservatism in Western politics was marked by the election and long term of office of. | https://wilykyd.kaleiseminari.com/the-return-to-the-life-in-a-post-colonial-world-29733iy.html |
Division of Computer and Communication Engineering, Daegu University,
201 Daegudaero, Jillyang, Gyeongsan, Gyeonbuk, Republic of Korea
[email protected]
Abstract
Docent robots to replace the role of a docent are being actively researched. However, existing docent robots require installation of landmarks in various places in art galleries, and are expensive because they require high-priced sensors and depth cameras. To solve these problems, this paper proposes an algorithm for detecting specific objects and recognizing the current location of the robot using a single camera instead of various sensors and depth cameras.
Keywords-component: object detection, location estimation
1. Introduction
The number of art gallery users is increasing with the increase of national income and improved standard of living. Consequently, the role of a docent is becoming important and the development of docent robots is increasing. However, most existing docent robots require installation of landmarks, magnetic wires, RFID tags, etc. in various places in the exhibition hall so that they can recognize their current location or a specific work of art[1-2]. This study proposes an algorithm that enables the docent robots to identify their current location through the exhibits that are already installed in the exhibition hall instead of using the conventional method.
2. Location Recognition Using Object Detection
Fig. 1 Proposed Algorithm
The whole process of the algorithm proposed in this paper is shown in Fig. 1. Considering the fact that most art galleries have white backgrounds and exhibits attached to the wall, the exhibition hall environment was virtually created for experiments.
At first, the input images were converted to black and white. Then, the Gaussian filter was applied and image binarization was performed to remove noises. Considering the fact that most works of art have rectangular shapes, the outlines of objects were extracted and only the objects having four vertices were detected as works of art. Extracting information about the works of art from the entire area of images input through the camera has the problem of increasing the amount of computations. Thus, in this study, the rectangular detected areas were separated so that the SURF algorithm can be applied only within the area of the work of art. Because the cameras are mostly positioned at the bottom of the docent robots, the photographed images will be images of looking up from below. In this case, the shapes of the exhibits change and the matching accuracy of the SURF algorithm can be decreased. Therefore, the extracted objects were converted to rectangular shapes using the warping method. Because the exhibits in an art gallery have the same sizes, the sizes of the works to be detected are stored in advance and then compared with the detected rectangular area to determine the work information of the detected area by comparing it with the detected rectangular area.
Fig. 2 Experimental Result
In this study, two images were compared using the SURF algorithm, which extracts strong characteristics at a high speed. The distance between the camera and the work that is being shot can be calculated by using the ratio of the size of the detected object to the size of the actual work. Using this result, the current location of the robot was marked on the existing map. Fig. 2 shows the detected object and the location of the camera at the time, marked by a dot on the map.
3. Conclusion
This paper proposed an algorithm for recognizing the locations of docent robots by detecting the installed exhibits as objects in order to remove the inconvenience of estimating position information through RFIDs or tags installed in the exhibition hall.
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Education) (NRF-2016R1D1A1B03934666).
References
Bong-Woo Kwak, Soon-Gill Park, Young-Jae Ryoo, Dae-Yeong Im, Hyun-Rok Cha., “Docent Robot using Magnetic Guidance and RFID,” Proceedings of KIIS Fall Conference, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 149-151, 2010.
Moon-Seok Chae, Tae-Kyu Yang., “A Study on Precise Localization for Mobile Robot Based on Artificial Landmarks in the Ceiling,” Journal of Korean Institute of Information Technology, Vol 9, No. 8, pp. 85-92, 2011.
H. Bay, T. Tuytelaars, and L. V. Gool., “Surf: Speeded up robust features,” European Conference on Computer Vision, Vol. 3951, pp. 404-417, 2006. | http://iacst.org/iacst/Conferences/ICCT2018/sessions/Session%20ST-P3/593.htm |
EXHIBITION CONCLUDED: There have done 15 tours with a total of 205 participants. 1218 people visited the exhibition.
Dates: 21/1 – 30/4/2021
Groups: Recommended for secondary school students 16 years of age and above, students in further education, adult groups.
We recommend that Secondary Education teachers who wish to visit the exhibition contact the ACVIC team beforehand in order to find out more about the exhibition’s content in advance.
There will be a guided tour for educators on Tuesday 9 February at 5.30pm. [Free activity - Attendance must be confirmed]
Duration: 60 minutes (guided visit + activity). 60 minutes approximately (adaptable to group needs).
Cost: Free visit and activities
Observations: ACVic offers teachers the option of an advance visit to the exhibition and the guided tour, so that their group visit may be adapted according to the group’s needs.
Visits will be documented by photographs, which will be sent to the designated group contact, and which will be published on the ACVIC’s web and social networks.
GUIDED VISITS FOR GROUPS
Isaki Lacuesta is a film director, screenwriter and multidisciplinary creator. His output includes documentaries, fiction films, video installations and multidisciplinary performances. Aside from these, however, in the field of contemporary visual arts, he investigates other forms of expression and narration. In this exhibition may be seen various video installations that appeal to viewers, and convert them into active spectators.
Jo soc allò prohibit (“I am that which is forbidden”) is a collection of images, documents, theatre plays and music, etc. which have been censored during the last 40 years of democracy in Spain. It grants its audience a critical reflection upon that which a society shows and conceals, and on those things that define it, posing questions regarding whether government-exercised censorship is for the protection of its citizens, or whether it represents a lack of freedom.
While Jo soc allò prohibit reflects upon censorship, l’Acusat (un cas del sud), (The Accused (A case from the south)) and El rito (The Rite) refer to social self-censorship, which occurs when society voluntarily ignores reality; in the former case, when the pillars on which a society is based are made manifest, while in the latter, by looking away from the process of working in a slaughterhouse. These works afford an opportunity for viewers to confront issues that they may often prefer remained hidden, such as the business model driving the meat industry.
Studying Lacuesta’s work, viewers will find themselves confronted by the role played by the spectator in front of an audiovisual work, whether it is a film, a newspaper report or a meme that reaches us through social networks.
ACVic’s guided tours aim to familiarise visitors with contemporary art, in order to enrich their cultural background, and to encourage critical thinking.
RELATED ACTIVITY
Reflections of a reality
The visit to the halls is structured as a debate about a Pandora’s box, a box filled with things which this exhibition has displayed and concealed.
At the end, a large mirror draws in and questions viewers, so that they may leave their mark upon the space of that which they prohibit, or which is prohibited to them. | https://www.acvic.org/en/exhibition-projects/guided-visits/3375-gui |
Best Practices for Planning a Corporate Town Hall
Various companies and institutions had to face unfortunate situations, problems, and difficulties while organizing corporate town hall meetings in the last year. It is so because the pandemic took over the world and turned the planning of vital events into a trying task. A corporate town hall might require the involvement of employees present at different global locations. But, due to travel restrictions and social distancing norms, the large-scale gathering became impossible.
Nevertheless, this is when the emergence of virtual events and virtual event platforms came into existence. It led to a virtual shift of corporate events that gained unmatched popularity in no time. Corporate town hall meetings have now become possible with the assurance of success through efficient virtual meeting platforms like Dreamcast.
What is a Corporate Town Hall Meeting?
A corporate town hall holds great significance for various organizations. The meeting involves the gathering of the employees, stakeholders, department managers, board members, etc. The primary focus and goal of a town hall meeting usually is to ensure that all the employees of the organization are on the same page. It also involves the exchange of vital pieces of information like future aims of the company, new changes in the policies, service upgrades, new launches, etc. As prominent as it sounds by now, a corporate town hall involves the requirement of a secure platform to host a formal company gathering.
These meetings have also been of great importance for effective internal communication of an organization.
Let’s walk ahead to explore the top practices to ensure the efficacy of a Corporate Town Hall Meeting.
Best Practices to Plan & Host a Successful Corporate Town Hall
#1 Define Your Goals
It is significant to determine your goals and aims clearly while organizing any type of meeting. Planning out all the goals of any event does not only help you with the easy execution but also while strategizing and planning other aspects. While planning a virtual corporate town hall, ask yourself questions like:
- Aim of your meeting?
- Aspects do you need to cover in the meeting?
- Different topics that you need to discuss in the town hall?
- Activities would you incorporate to make your corporate town hall more engaging?
- Where do you wish to host the meeting?
- What is the most suitable format for the town hall?
These questions will give you a greater understanding of your event goals.
#2 Decide the Right Date & Time
Deciding the right date and time will help you make the most out of your corporate town hall meeting. If your employees belong to different global locations, you need to keep in mind the time zone of all your meeting attendees. Also, choosing the right day is important to ensure that your meeting is not falling around some other vital meeting or corporate event that might make it difficult for your attendees to be present in the event.
#3 Plan and Strategize the Meeting Agenda
Planning the corporate town hall meeting agenda is another significant practice that can enhance your meeting. The agenda of your meeting determines the flow, execution, and engagement at your meeting. It is also important to ensure that you include breaks during the sessions or entertaining & interactive sessions in between the agenda to make sure that your employees don’t lose out on their interest. Therefore, create an efficient agenda for your meeting to plan a successful meeting.
#4 Send Corporate Town Hall Meeting Invitations
Frame out an attractive meeting invitation that entices and motivates your attendees to be actively present at the meeting. Include all the valuable information about the corporate town hall meeting to give your employees an overview about the meeting. For example, you can mention the event agenda, team building activities, speakers line-up, etc. You can also include FAQs to ensure that none of your participants have any doubt about the meeting. Another vital thing to include is the meeting rules. There are always certain norms and rules that your employees must follow in a formal corporate meeting.
#5 Celebrate Your Employees During the Event
Everybody likes appreciation and acknowledgment. It does not only help your employees perform well but also motivates them to ensure the best for the company. Therefore, including an employee recognition session can be a great activity to add to your corporate town hall meeting. This session can include anything from a reward for exceptional performance, a promotion or raise, goodie or gifts, a peer nomination, etc. It can also involve rewarding the best-performing employee or department.
#6 Involve Interactive Activities
It is very significant to grab your attendees’ attention and keep them engaged in the meeting throughout. An advanced virtual meeting platform like Dreamcast provides you with countless interactive tools and engaging features that help you enhance your virtual corporate town hall meeting. To ensure interactivity, you can include various engaging games in between the informative sessions to keep your employees involved in the meeting. Following are some of the top interactive features rendered by Dreamcast’s robust virtual meeting platform:
- Multi-Format Communication
- Networking Lounges
- Chat Rooms
- Virtual Coffee Breaks
- Live Polls and Contests
- Breakout Sessions
- Virtual Escape Room
- Signature Wall
- Photo Booth
- And a lot more
#7 Include Meal Sessions
While giving a break to your employees from all the informative and important sessions at your town hall meeting, provide a meal break too. In case of an on-site corporate meeting, the meal break is arranged in a hall where all the employees can interact while having their meals. However, a virtual event platform lets you arrange a virtual meal break where you can send out food coupons beforehand and enjoy a virtual meal session with all.
#8 Follow-Up
After the successful execution of your corporate town hall meeting, don’t forget to follow up with all your attendees. You can share an official e-mail with all the participants, thanking them for their presence at the meeting. Also, you can include a recap of the town hall meeting through digital documents in the mail. These digital documents can also include significant presentations that can be helpful for your employees. | https://zapgeeks.com/best-practices-for-planning-a-corporate-town-hall |
QSHC has a new front cover. Each issue’s cover will feature an institution as its focus. Our purpose is to emphasise again that much of healthcare improvement and safety is about the systems where patients receive their care and where the stories of improvement have their home. This issue’s cover displays a photo of BMA House, the home of BMJ Group in London. We at QSHC remind our readers that we too are committed to continuous improvement. We start modestly: we intend to track our editorial processes with greater precision, with the aim of improving the editorial team’s timeliness and quality of reviews. In the final analysis, our readers, like our patients, will determine the quality of our work.
THE IMPACT OF NURSING ON HOSPITAL PATIENT MORTALITY: A FOCUSED REVIEW AND RELATED POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This comprehensive literature review indicates that structures and processes of nursing care have a substantial impact on preventable patient deaths. This study identifies evidence to support policies to reduce patient mortality. They include maximising the level of education and training in hospital nursing staff as well as the proportion of board-certified or medical specialist care providers in hospital medical staff, developing and implementing initiatives to strengthen collaborative relationships among nurses and physicians, and establishing and sustaining clinical nursing support systems to enhance patient care.
See p (qc14514) and p (qc17343)
INTERVENTIONS IN PRIMARY CARE TO REDUCE MEDICATION-RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS AND HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
Medication-related adverse events represent a common and preventable cause of harm to patients in primary care. This meta-analysis examines the development of interventions aimed at reducing such harm. These authors searched 14 electronic databases as well as sources of unpublished data. The results showed that pharmacist-led interventions were effective in reducing harm leading to hospital admissions, but restricting analysis to the eight randomised controlled trials failed to demonstrate significant benefit. Pooling the results of studies in the other categories did not demonstrate a significant reduction in preventable drug-related morbidity. New strategies are needed to reduce medication-related harm in primary care settings.
See p (qc12153)
EXPLORING OBSTACLES TO PROPER TIMING OF PROPHYLACTIC ANTIBIOTICS
Available guidelines provide numerous recommendations regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of surgical site infections, including one stipulating that antibiotics be administered before surgical incision. However, a review of the literature suggests that this practice is poorly observed. This study examined the factors contributing to this disparity by eliciting the views and perspectives of health care professionals at two large Canadian academic hospitals. It indicates that barriers to proper antibiotic timing centre heavily on conflicts at interpersonal and organizational levels.
See p (qc12534)
THE RELATIONSHIP OF PATIENT COMPLAINTS AND SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS
This retrospective analysis of 16 713 surgical admissions investigated whether an association existed between patient complaints and surgical complications. The relationship was demonstrated and was still significant after accounting for hospital length of stay and patient co-morbidities. Nevertheless, the rate of patient complaints associated with surgical admissions was low, thus demonstrating the limited utility of spontaneously-generated patient complaints as a marker for substandard surgical care. Active institutional efforts at promoting patient reports as well as systematic collection and analysis of patient complaints might prove more useful for identifying safety concerns associated with surgical care.
See p (qc13847)
THE HEALTH CARE FAILURE MODE AND EFFECT ANALYSIS: A USEFUL PROACTIVE RISK ANALYSIS IN A PAEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY WARD
This paper reports experiences with the Health Care Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (HFMEA) in the paediatric oncology inpatient ward of a university hospital in the Netherlands. The team included a parent of a paediatric oncology patient as a member of the HFMEA team. It concludes that HFMEA is a useful proactive method to detect failure modes of a circumscribed healthcare process in the paediatric inpatient setting. The methods and results of this systematic multidisciplinary approach are described in detail so that readers can use them in their own health care setting.
See p (qc14902)
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Through a blanketing ceremony at the First Nation Addictions Forum, the FNHA formally recognized the important contributions made by the 97 addictions workers who travelled from across the province to attend this gathering. The event brought together a whopping 900+ years of cumulative service. Participants were energized by coming together for new learning and the sharing of experiences.
The forum, held in Richmond on March 12-13, was in response to community addictions workers' request for a gathering, for training, and for an opportunity to support each other.
One of the key topics of the forum was transforming the National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP). There was clear feedback from addictions workers that the program should be strengths-based and have a focus on healing. Over the two days a theme for the program emerged around 'healing journeys' and 'pathways to wellness'.
An essential theme of the forum was self-care. Cultural supports were provided at the event and one of the forum's breakout sessions included teachings about how to use Indigenous tools for living in the mental health and wellness sphere. Participants learned that we sometimes experience other people's trauma physically – and that we can reach for traditional techniques like cedar brushing and smudging to help us recover from the impacts of the work.
Leaders shared wise practices across the treatment continuum and heartfelt discussions took place on land-based healing, residential treatment for adults and families, trauma,, mobile detox, as well as supportive aftercare. A presentation about decolonizing addiction was well-received and generated fresh and engaged conversations. Regional breakout sessions were popular as they provided the opportunity for community addictions workers, treatment centre staff and FNHA regional team members to share experiences, lessons learned, and to build a network of support.
The forum wrapped up on an educational and playful note where participants learned about another self-care technique, the emotional freedom technique (EFT). EFT includes a series of tapping on specific points on the face and body to help relieve emotional stress. The presenters had everyone up on their feet, giggling, and tapping their bodies. The consensus was that the tapping does work!
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Wally West, better known as The Flash is a member of the Justice League and the former sidekick and successor of Barry Allen. As the "Fastest Man Alive", he is constantly caught in various world-shattering conflicts while trying to balance his heroics with his home life as a father of two.
Powers and Stats
Tier: 4-B
Name: Wally West (formerly known as Kid Flash)
Origin: DC Comics
Gender: Male
Age: Likely 30 or 40
Classification: Human Speed Force User
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Intangibility, Durability Negation, Kinetic Energy Manipulation, Invisibility, Regeneration (High-Low), Limited Air Manipulation, Can travel through time and across timelines, Time Manipulation & Time Stop (Has little control over it, however), Conceptual Manipulation (Type 3, can remove “death” from a person), Afterimage Creation, Matter Manipulation (His aura can control the speed of chemical reactions, and was able to “turn off” a black hole by manipulating its epicenter), Statistics Amplification (Can increase his thought speed), Limited Immortality (Type 2, can keep himself alive through sheer speed), Energy Manipulation (Can create a suit of Speed Force energy), Power Bestowal (Can give Speed Force energy to others), Biological Manipulation (Can speed up biological processes), Absorption (Can steal kinetic energy), Paralysis Inducement (Immobilized Inertia), Explosion Manipulation (Anything he phases through explodes), Vibration Manipulation, BFR (Can send something to its home dimension with vibrations), Extrasensory Perception (Can see cloaked objects), Non-Physical Interaction (Can vibrate in a way that allows him and thinks which pass through him to harm normally intangible objects), Power Nullification (Can negate intangibility), Data Manipulation (Unravelled the Thinker into data), Fusionism (Fused with the other Flashes), Attack Reflection (Easily reflected energy beams), Instinctive Reaction, Resistance to Existence Erasure, Death Manipulation, Black Hole Creation, Power Absorption, Mind Manipulation, Spatial Manipulation, Time Manipulation, Life Manipulation, Illusion Creation, and Perception Manipulation (The Black Flash couldn’t kill him with a single touch. Tanked the concept of death from the Speed Force. Ran to the end of time, where even death ceases to exist on the conceptual level. Survived in the epicenter of a black hole. His speed was incapable of being stolen. Thinks on a different frequency. Broke out of ambient matter, which functions as a 4-D barrier in space and time. Unaffected by Black Flash’s time corruption. Can break out of and see through illusions. Easily blacked beams that would have stolen the life of everyone throughout a small portion of time and space), Limited Body Puppetry, Dimensional Travel
Attack Potency: Solar System level (With the Infinite Mass Punch)
Speed: Massively FTL+. Immeasurable by running through time.
Lifting Strength: Peak Human, higher with Speed Force
Striking Strength: Solar System Class (With Infinite Mass Punch)
Durability: At least Building level normally (He is consistently treated as far more vulnerable while standing still, but still tanked a hit from Grodd), and is also likely comparable to Barry Allen). Up to Solar System level while running (The Speed Force likely enhances his durability, as he is able to withstand the force from his own punches)
Stamina: Extremely High
Range: Standard melee range (Most of his powers are melee based, but he can use ranged Speed Force effects a few meters away.), up to Kilometers (several) with whirlwinds and such
Standard Equipment: None notable
Intelligence: Wally West has a college education, mastery of the Speed Force, has many years of experience fighting all kinds of enemies. He was said to have read the Internet - the whole thing.
Weaknesses: Various types of energy can affect him even while moving or functioning at superhuman speeds, as well as effectively diminish/cut off his connection to the Speed Force. Using the Speed Force excessively and recklessly can result in him being permanently trapped in it. He cannot alter the kinetic energy of objects that gain their speed from time manipulation. He also needs a massive amount of food to compensate for his greatly accelerated metabolism.
- Outran the Black Racer to the Heat Death of the Universe
- Reset every radio on earth in one sextillionth of a second
- With the help of everyone on earth he was able to reach transtime velocity, granting him a speed of at least over 23 tredecillion or 23,759,448,520,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times greater than the speed of light
Notable Attacks/Techniques:
- Infinite Mass Punch: By accelerating to near the speed of light, he uses the Speed Force to allow the effects of relativity to increase the mass of his body, thus allowing him to hit with an incredibly powerful punch (said to be as powerful as the mass of a white dwarf star)
- Speed Force Dump: After touching his opponent, he can dump battle field removal them into the dimension of the Speed Force.
- Speed Steal: By touching (or just getting near) an opponent, he can steal all of their kinetic momentum and add it to his own. In addition to slowing the target down, it also immobilizes them indefinitely, making them frozen like a statue.
Note: Before making any changes to this page, please read and follow the Power-scaling Rules for Marvel and DC Comics.
This version of the Flash was recently reintroduced to Post-Flashpoint continuity, but so far does not appear to retain anywhere near the same power level, so please avoid scaling other current characters from Post-Crisis statistics.
Others
Notable Victories:
Notable Losses:
Inconclusive Matches: | https://vsbattles.fandom.com/wiki/Flash_(Wally_West)_(Post-Crisis) |
Hi from Long Island. My husband and I are a great team. He scouts out the area and I take the photos. As a teacher, I love to learn. Digital photography has opened up a whole new world. Thank you all for your help and suggestions. It will definitely help me on my wonderful journey. Plan your tripLocal RadarDetailed Forecast help me on my wonderful journey. Create your own visitor map!
WunderPhotos Upload
Monday Blues and Greens
Uploaded by: teach50
Monday July 6, 2009
Valley Stream, NY (Current Weather Conditions)
Caption:No caption given.
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July 6, 2009 Photo Series
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of product dispensers and, more particularly, to a select-fill dispensing system and method for a dispenser, such as a door-mounted refrigerator dispenser.
2. Description of the Related Art
Refrigerators having built-in ice/water dispensers are well known in the art. In general, the dispensers are mounted to a door of the refrigerator for the purpose of dispensing ice and/or water without requiring a user to access a refrigerator compartment. A typical dispenser includes a dispenser well into which a container is placed. Once the container is in position, an actuator is operated to release the ice and/or water into the container.
In many cases, the actuator is a pressure sensitive mechanical switch. Typically, the switch is operated by pushing the container against, for example, a lever. The lever, in turn, operates the switch that causes the ice and/or water to be dispensed. A number of dispensers employ multiple actuators, one for ice and another for water, while other dispensers employ a single actuator. Dispensers which employ a single actuator typically require additional control elements that enable a user to select between ice and water dispensing operations. Several manufacturers have converted from mechanical switches to electrical or membrane switches. Functioning in a similar manner, a container is pushed against the membrane switch to initiate the dispensing operation. Still other arrangements employ actuator buttons provided on a control panel of the dispenser. With this arrangement, the user continuously depresses a button to release ice and/or water into the container. In yet another arrangement, sensors are mounted in the dispenser well and function to sense a presence and size of the container. The dispenser automatically begins dispensing ice or water based on the presence of the container and stops dispensing before the container overfills. In this case, the level of liquid or ice dispensed is dependent on the container, and cannot be altered by a consumer based on the amount of liquid or ice desired.
Therefore, despite the existence of refrigerator dispensers in the prior art, there still exists a need for an enhanced refrigerator dispensing system. More specifically, there exists a need for a refrigerator dispensing system and method that allows for a hands-free select-fill event.
The present invention is directed to a select-fill dispensing system and method. More specifically, a dispenser assembly for selectively releasing a fluid product includes a dispenser well provided with a camera. In a preferred embodiment, the dispenser assembly is provided in a household refrigerator, such as for dispensing ice and/or water. The camera provides a means for sensing a desired fill level based on the location of a user's finger with respect to a container within the dispenser well. In use, a consumer places his or her finger along a container within the dispenser well to indicate the desired fill level of the container. Image data from the camera is transmitted to a controller and processed for distortion correction, and edge based image segmentation and morphological operations are carried out to remove background noise. The processed image data is utilized to detect the presence of the container, as well as the shape of the container, the position of the container opening, and the top and bottom points of the container. For filling the container, a user positions his or her finger at a selected fill point on the container, with image data being used to detect the top point of a user's finger adjacent the container. The controller then regulates the dispensing operation based on the desired fill level and the shape of the container. In a preferred embodiment, the controller actually regulates the rate of product dispensing based on the shape and size of the container to optimizing the fill rate of the container, while preventing overflow events.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.
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With initial reference to , a refrigerator constructed in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated at . Refrigerator includes a cabinet having a top wall , a bottom and opposing side walls and . In a manner known in the art, refrigerator includes a freezer compartment arranged alongside a fresh food compartment . Freezer compartment includes a corresponding freezer compartment door and fresh food compartment includes a corresponding fresh food compartment door . In a manner also known in the art, each door and includes an associated handle and . Refrigerator is also shown to include a kick plate arranged at a bottom portion thereof having a vent that permits air to flow to refrigeration components (not shown) that establish and maintain desired temperatures in freezer compartment and fresh food compartment . In the embodiment shown, refrigerator constitutes a side-by-side model. However, it should be understood that the present invention could also be employed in connection with a wide variety of refrigerators, including top mount, bottom mount, and French-style refrigerator models. In general, the style of refrigerator depicted is for illustrative purposes only.
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In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, refrigerator includes a dispenser assembly having a main housing and a control panel . Control panel preferably includes first and second rows of control buttons and which enable a user to select various program parameters and operations. Further, control panel preferably includes a display which, in addition to functioning in cooperation with dispenser assembly , enables the user to select particular operational parameters for refrigerator , such as desired temperatures for freezer compartment and fresh food compartment . Additionally, dispenser includes a dispenser well having a base or container support portion , recessed, opposing wall sections and , a top wall section and a back wall section .
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Turning to , in accordance with the invention, dispenser assembly includes an optical sensing system generally indicated at , which includes a camera located within dispenser well . Camera is in communication with a controller , which regulates the dispensing of water from a spout or ice from a chute (not shown) into a container , as will be discussed in more detail below. Although depicted on upstanding wall section , it should be understood that camera may be located anywhere within dispenser well , so long as camera is positioned to monitor the height of liquid or ice within container . The height of container is defined using top and bottom points or planes and of container .
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The manner in which optical sensing system is utilized will now be discussed with reference to . In use, image data from camera is transmitted to controller for image processing. More specifically, an image processing algorithm is utilized by controller to determine the dimensions of container placed within dispenser well . Additionally, image data from camera is utilized to detect a desired fill height within container . In use, a consumer utilizes a finger or other indicating object to point to the desired fill level on a side of container . Camera captures this image and the image data is processed by an image processing algorithm, whereby controller determines the desired fill height in container and controls dispensing of a water product into container to obtain the desired fill level as detailed further below.
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FIG. 3
The method of selecting the height of a water product within a container is outlined in . Image data is captured by camera and transmitted to controller at step . In a preferred embodiment, the presence of container within dispenser well is initially sensed by optical sensing system based on image data from camera transmitted to controller , as indicated at . Controller is able to distinguish between the presence of container in dispenser well and the presence of another object, such as a user's hand. More specifically, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, camera includes a lens which causes fish-eye distortion of images. When this is the case, an image segmentation algorithm within controller is used to correct any image distortion problem as indicated at . Once the image is free from distortion, controller separates the image of container from any background image using an edge based image segmentation algorithm at . Next, morphological operations are carried out to remove background noise and to determine top and bottom points and of container , as indicated at . The container image thus separated from the background is used to pinpoint the top and bottom points and of container for automatic height calculation and to calculate the end points defining the container opening at . These points , and are then mapped to real world dimensions using a single view metrology algorithm at .
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A brief delay exists between the first set of image data associated with the detection of container and the second set of image data associated with the consumer's finger or indicating object , as indicated at . Similar to step , this second set of image data, as indicated at , is processed by the image segmentation algorithm within controller at step to correct any image distortion problems, if necessary. If the existence of the consumer's finger or other indicating object is sensed by optical sensing system based on the processed image data, then morphological operations are carried out at to remove background noise and automatically detect a top portion of the consumer's finger or indicating object , as depicted at . This top point is then mapped to real world dimensions using a single view metrology algorithm at . It should be understood that controller distinguishes between objects within a predetermined distance from container and objects located outside of a predetermined distance from container . In this way, a user's finger adjacent container will be recognized as a user indicating a desired fill level for container .
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FIG. 4
Next, controller regulates dispensing of ice and/or water from dispenser assembly based on the data points obtained by optical sensing system . In one embodiment, shape recognition software is also utilized to further control dispensing of ice and/or water from dispenser assembly . More specifically, after image data is captured and processed as indicated at and in , shape recognition software within controller determines the shape of an object within dispenser well , particularly the shape of container , as depicted in step . Additionally, image data from camera is utilized by controller to determine alignment of opening of container with spout or the ice dispensing chute (not shown), as indicated at . If the container is present and properly aligned, controller allows for water or ice to be dispensed from dispenser assembly at step .
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Optionally, image data continuously processed by controller during the filling operation is utilized by controller to detect the fill rate of container and control the speed of water or ice dispensing based, at least in part, on the change in height of product introduced into container , the top and bottom points and of container , and the shape of container , as indicated at step . More specifically, controller is preferably utilized to adjust the speed at which liquid and/or ice is dispensed into container based on how quickly the liquid or ice level increases within container . Thus, for a narrower container, fluid is dispensed slower to prevent an over-fill event as compared to fluid dispensed into a larger container, which fills up more slowly. Once a desired fluid or ice level is obtained, controller terminates the dispensing event at step . In addition, the filling operation can initially proceed at a faster rate and then be slowed down as the actual fill level approaches the selected fill level. Further, notifications of various conditions may be communicated to a user through indicators (not shown) on control panel , or in the form of sounds, such as beeps or buzzes, etc. For example, control panel may initiate a beep or other sound effect when a fill event is complete, as indicated at step .
Although described with reference to preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be readily understood that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, although mainly depicted and described in connection with a household refrigerator, the dispensing assembly of the invention may be utilized in other types of dispensers, such as a water cooler. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a front view of a refrigerator incorporating a select-fill dispensing system in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2
FIG. 1
is an enlarged view of the dispenser of illustrating the beginning of a dispensing operation in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3
is a flow chart depicting a method of utilizing the select-fill dispensing system of the present invention; and
FIG. 4
is a flow chart depicting optional fill steps of the present invention. | |
The journey of life: We are born with a clean slate – completely innocent and with no prejudice or information whatsoever – like a paper with no impression on it. The world is black and white, there are no shades of gray. Through the eye, innocence is a dove perceiving life as a journey that it is about to initiate.
In the second phase, by their nature, the two birds of prey – representing Genetic Heritage and Experience – devour innocence. In exchange, they color the surrounding world with perspective and dynamics.
The final part of the metamorphosis converts the virgin paper (i. e. the “tabula rasa”) into unlimited space, where the apple of wisdom and the fountain of expression are encountered.
As part of the transformation – the eye of innocence, the two birds of prey, and the apple with the pen – have the exact form although they are depicted in different colors and positions. | http://www.kimekemar.com/from-tabula-rasa-to-universal-knowledge |
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The intention of this study is Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that are known to provide unique services in health care. They offer their patients with the chance to opt for preferred procedural as well as surgical services carried out beyond the environment of a hospital. ASCs were set up and have been serving people with their services for over three decades. ASCs have been successfully representing an outstanding and incomparable capability of enhancing quality along with their service towards their customers while concurrently bringing down the expenses over the years. ASCs are being considered to be an exception because of the mounting expenses of services in the health care industry. Developments in services and technologies in the health care industry are increasing the costs and in such a time ASCs are considered to be of great relief for the people. Great efforts are being made throughout the nation in order to enhance the system of health care and ASCs have appeared to be triumphant in altering the services related to health care in a positive way. All kinds of surgical procedures were carried out in hospitals in the past. Previously, people needed to wait for months in order to get an appointment and patients had to spend quite a few days in the hospitals in order to recover. The concept of ASCs was developed by physicians. They felt the need and recognized a prospect to set up a superior quality, lucrative choice and a substitute for the surgical services being provided in the hospitals. Physicians were disturbed and annoyed of the postponements, inadequate rooms for carrying out operations and difficulty in acquiring new equipment for surgical procedures. This made them to look out for an alternative and build up centers with better facilities and services (Ambulatory Surgery Centers, 2002). Organizational Structures and Responsibilities The developers that are the physicians carry on offering force for growth of the already existing ASCs along with the new ones. Physicians enjoy more freedom while carrying out their operations compared to the hospitals. They are capable of ...
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The findings of this research will provide insight of the importance of ethics in the Ambulatory Surgical Centers operating in the health care industry. Ethical considerations were not considered to be important in the course of making decisions concerning the various facets of healthcare…
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The goal of this project is to investigate the phenomenon of novelty- induced facilitation of long-term potentiation (LTP). LTP is a mechanism of synaptic plasticity that may underlie certain forms of learning. LTP induced in medial perforant path projections to the dentate gyrus induce din awake, freely-moving animals persists from 3-5 days following a single stimulation session 6/24/51. However, if LTP is induced during the first 5-20 minute period of exploration of a novel environment, then both the probability of LTP induction and the magnitude of LTP are increased Further, LTP induced in a novel environment persists for an average of 10 days following a single stimulation session. These effects are independent from both brain temperature and movement, as well as theta rhythm occurring during exploration. Importantly, repeated exposure to the same novel environment produces progressively less facilitation of LTP. By contrast, LTP induced in the home cage is consistent in magnitude and time course with repeated induction. Thus, it appears familiarity with the environment reduces the novelty facilitation effect. These data indicate that processes(s) associated with the detection of novelty and/or arousal associated with exploratory behaviors facilitate LTP induction and longevity. In these studies, we will address behavioral, pharmacological and anatomical aspects of novelty-induced facilitation. The studies in Specific Aim 1 will determine the time course of facilitation, and assess the longevity of facilitation following placement in a novel environment. We will also assess whether familiarity underlies the decrement observed with repeated exposures to the same novel environment by determining if returning the animal to a familiar environment rapidly reverses the effect of novelty-induced facilitation, and if distinct novel environments lead to re-emergence of LTP facilitation. In Specific Aim 2, pharmacological methods will be used to determine if neuromodulatory systems that are active during exploration and arousal contribute novelty-induced facilitation of LTP induction and maintenance. We will investigate the contribution of cholinergic, adrenergic and opiodergic neuromodulatory systems to this facilitation effect, each of which are active during exploration. The studies of Specific Aim 3, we will determine if novel environments similarly alter LTP induction and LTP maintenance in Schaffer-CA1 projections, commissural-CA3 proje3ctions, and direct perforant path projections to hippocampal area CA3. These studies will allow us to determine the effects of novelty and neuromodulatory systems on LTP induction in the primary synaptic systems of the hippocampus, and address the role of neuromodulators and novelty detection in processes of memory storage that may be relevant to both memory disorders and current models of hippocampal information processing.
| |
N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE 07/30/2019
AT NASHVILLE
January 9, 2019 Session
MAURICE PINSON v. DAVID KENT DEBOER M.D. ET AL.
Appeal from the Circuit Court for Davidson County
No. 13C2897 Kelvin D. Jones, Judge
________________________________
No. M2018-00593-COA-R3-CV
________________________________
Appeal of an award of discretionary costs to Defendants in healthcare liability action that
had been voluntarily dismissed. The trial court initially awarded Defendants, inter alia,
expert witness fees for medical providers who had treated Plaintiff, expenses for
videotaped depositions, and costs for the travel time and deposition preparation time for
Plaintiff’s vocational expert. On Plaintiff’s motion, the court modified the award to
exclude videographer expenses, expenses attendant to the vocational expert’s deposition,
and other court reporter expenses. We modify the award to exclude the witness fees for
the providers who treated Plaintiff and to include the court reporter fee for the deposition
of Plaintiff’s vocational expert; vacate the portion of the award that reduces the amount
of court reporter fees and expenses and remand the case for reconsideration of the award;
and reverse the order to the extent it requires the Plaintiff to post a bond or pay
discretionary costs prior to re-filing the suit.
Tenn. R. App. P. 3 Appeal as of Right; Judgment of the Circuit Court Modified in
Part, Reversed in Part, and Affirmed in Part; Case Remanded for Further
Proceedings
RICHARD H. DINKINS, J., delivered the opinion of the court, in which ANDY D. BENNETT
and W. NEAL MCBRAYER, JJ., joined.
Luvell L. Glanton, Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Maurice Pinson.
Phillip North, Edward A. Hadley, and Brent A. Kinney, Nashville, Tennessee, for the
appellees, David Kent DeBoer, M.D., and Southern Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic
Center, P. C..
OPINION
I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Maurice Pinson filed a healthcare liability action against Dr. David DeBoer and
Southern Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center, P.C., d/b/a Southern Joint Replacement
Institute, (“Defendants”) on July 19, 2013. Mr. Pinson (“Plaintiff”) alleged, inter alia,
that Dr. DeBoer performed knee replacement surgery on both of his knees on August 19,
2010, improperly installed the knee replacements, and “failed to provide appropriate and
reasonable care” to Plaintiff; in due course, the case was set for trial on November 2,
2017.
On October 3, 2017, Plaintiff filed a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal and gave
Defendants notice, pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 29-26-121, of his
intent to re-file the action on October 5; the court entered an Order of Voluntary
Dismissal on October 10. Defendants moved the court, pursuant to Tennessee Rule of
Civil Procedure 54.04 and Tennessee Code Annotated section 20-12-101 and 20-12-110,
for an award of discretionary costs in the total amount of $17,356.31 on October 18; in
the motion, Defendants asked the court to require Plaintiff to pay the discretionary costs
prior to proceeding with the new action. Plaintiff responded to the motion, requesting
that the court reserve ruling on the motion “until such time as there is a prevailing party
in the re-filed action” and opposing the request that the new action be stayed pending
payment of the judgment. On November 27, the court entered an order granting the
motion and awarding Defendants a judgment in the amount of $17,356.31; the court
declined to stay the proceedings in any new action until Plaintiff paid the costs of the
dismissed action.
On December 1, 2017, Plaintiff moved to alter or amend the judgment by reducing
the award by $8,641.19.1 The court entered an order on March 16, 2018, reducing the
amount of costs awarded to $9,736.12, holding that $7,620.19 was not recoverable.2 The
court ordered that Plaintiff pay the modified award or post a bond in that amount prior to
re-filing the suit.
Both sides appeal. Plaintiff contends that the court erred in awarding costs for the
depositions of Drs. William Kurtz and Stuart Smith and Physician Assistant Bryn
Southards, who had treated the Plaintiff, and in requiring that Plaintiff pay the judgment
1
Plaintiff contended that $3,675.00 for deposition fees charged by Drs. Kurtz and Smith, and P.A.
Southards, $4,166.19 in fees for videotaped depositions, and $800.00 in travel expenses for Plaintiff’s
vocational expert to attend a deposition were not properly awardable.
2
The reduction was apportioned between $4,166.19 for videographer fees and $800.00 for preparation
fees and travel expenses for Plaintiff’s vocational expert; the court did not explain the allocation of the
remaining $2,654.00 but stated that the previous award for Drs. Kurtz and Smith and P.A. Southards
would remain.
2
or post a bond for the costs prior to re-filing the action. Defendants contend that the court
abused its discretion in reducing the judgment. Defendants agree with Plaintiff that the
court erred in requiring that Plaintiff pay the costs or post a bond prior to filing the new
action but argue that the court may stay the action until Plaintiff pays the award.
II. ANALYSIS
A. STANDARD OF REVIEW
The issues raised call for us to consider Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure
54.04,3 governing the assessment of costs, and 41.04,4 governing payment of costs in an
action that was previously dismissed. “Awarding costs in accordance with Tenn. R. Civ.
P. 54.04(2), like awarding other costs, is within the trial court’s reasonable discretion.”
Mass. Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. Jefferson, 104 S.W.3d 13, 35 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002) (citing
Perdue v. Green Branch Mining Co., 837 S.W.2d 56, 60 (Tenn. 1992)). “Accordingly,
we employ a deferential standard when reviewing a trial court’s decision either to grant
or to deny motions to assess these costs. . . . Because these decisions are discretionary,
we are generally disinclined to second-guess a trial court’s decision unless the trial court
has abused its discretion.” Mass. Mut. Life. Ins. Co., 104 S.W.3d at 35 (citing Scholz v.
S.B. Int’l, Inc., 40 S.W.3d 78, 84 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000); Woodlawn Mem’l Park, Inc. v.
Keith, 70 S.W.3d 691, 698 (Tenn. 2002); Stalsworth v. Grummons, 36 S.W.3d 832, 836
(Tenn. Ct. App. 2000); Mitchell v. Smith, 779 S.W.2d 384, 392 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1989)).
Decisions awarding costs under Rule 41.04 are governed by the same standard of review
applicable to Rule 54.04. J.P. Morgan Chase Bank v. Franklin National Bank, No.
M2005-02088-COA-R3-CV, 2007 WL 2316450, at *3 (Tenn. Ct. App. Aug. 13, 2007).
This deferential standard of review was explained in Lee Medical, Inc. v. Beecher:
3
Rule 54.04 states in pertinent part:
(2) Costs not included in the bill of costs prepared by the clerk are allowable only in the court’s
discretion. Discretionary costs allowable are: reasonable and necessary court reporter expenses for
depositions or trials, reasonable and necessary expert witness fees for depositions (or stipulated
reports) and for trials, reasonable and necessary interpreter fees not paid pursuant to Tennessee
Supreme Court Rule 42, and guardian ad litem fees; travel expenses are not allowable
discretionary costs. Subject to Rule 41.04, a party requesting discretionary costs shall file and
serve a motion within thirty (30) days after entry of judgment. The trial court retains jurisdiction
over a motion for discretionary costs even though a party has filed a notice of appeal. The court
may tax discretionary costs at the time of voluntary dismissal. . . .
4
Rule 41.04 states:
If a plaintiff who has once dismissed an action in any court commences an action based upon or
including the same claim against the same defendant, the Court may make such order for the
payment of costs of the action previously dismissed as it may deem proper and may stay the
proceedings in the new action until the plaintiff has complied with the order.
3
Discretionary decisions must take the applicable law and relevant facts into
account. An abuse of discretion occurs when a court strays beyond the
applicable legal standards or when it fails to properly consider the factors
customarily used to guide the particular discretionary decision. A court
abuses its discretion when it causes an injustice to the party challenging the
decision by (1) applying an incorrect legal standard, (2) reaching an
illogical or unreasonable decision, or (3) basing its decision on a clearly
erroneous assessment of the evidence.
312 S.W.3d 515, 524 (Tenn. 2010) (internal citations omitted).
B. EXPERT WITNESS FEES FOR TREATING PHYSICIANS
We first address Plaintiff’s contention regarding the award of discretionary costs
as to Dr. Smith, Dr. Kurtz, and Ms. Southards. The Plaintiff argues “Dr. Stuart Smith,
Dr. William Kurtz, and Bryn Southards, P.A.’s roles in this case were as treating
physicians and/or medical providers of the Plaintiff, and are therefore considered fact
witnesses.” The Plaintiff asserts that treating physicians are typically considered fact
witnesses and that, “a legal distinction is made between physicians who testify based
solely on facts gained by their actual treatment of a patient (fact witnesses) and
physicians who give opinions based upon facts and/or material furnished to them during
the course of litigation (expert witnesses).”
In response, Defendants argue that Rule 54.04(2) of the Tennessee Rules of Civil
Procedure does not distinguish between “experts” for purposes of Rule 265 and “experts”
for purposes of Tennessee Rules of Evidence 701 and 702.6 The Defendants argue that
5
Rule 26.02(4)(A)(i) of the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure states:
A party may through interrogatories require any other party to identify each person whom the
other party expects to call as an expert witness at trial, to state the subject matter on which the
expert is expected to testify, and to state the substance of the facts and opinions to which the
expert is expected to testify and a summary of the grounds for each opinion. In addition, upon
request in an interrogatory, for each person so identified, the party shall disclose the witness’s
qualifications (including a list of all publications authored in the previous ten years), a list of all
other cases in which, during the previous four years, the witness testified as an expert, and a
statement of the compensation to be paid for the study and testimony in the case.
6
Rule 701(a) of the Tennessee Rules of Evidence states:
If a witness is not testifying as an expert, the witness’s testimony in the form of opinions or
inferences is limited to those opinions or inferences which are
(1) rationally based on the perception of the witness and
(2) helpful to a clear understanding of the witness’s testimony or the determination of a fact in
issue.
Rule 702 states: “If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will substantially assist the trier of fact to
understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill,
experience, training, or education may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise.”
4
Dr. Smith, Dr. Kurtz, and Ms. Southards, P.A., are experts within the meaning of
Tennessee Rules of Evidence 702 because “the testimony of Ms. Southards, Dr. Smith,
and Dr. Kurtz would certainly help the jury to understand the causes of the types of injury
alleged by Plaintiff and whether Plaintiff’s subsequent treatment/surgeries, or need for
future treatment/surgeries, was a result of Dr. DeBoer’s alleged negligence.”
In the case of White v. Vanderbilt University, plaintiff sought review from directed
verdicts and a jury verdict entered in plaintiff’s medical malpractice action. 21 S.W.3d
215, 219 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1999). The court stated:
[E]xperts who were not specifically retained in anticipation of litigation or
in preparation for trial, such as regular employees of a party or treating
physicians . . . do not fit within Tenn. R. Civ. P. 26.02(4)(A) or
26.02(4)(B), [and thus] their identity, as well as their facts and opinions, are
freely discoverable as with any ordinary witness.
Id. at 224.
Similarly, in Parks v. Royal Insurance Co. of America, a worker’s compensation
case, Plaintiff appealed the trial court’s award of a psychologist’s witness fee as a
discretionary cost. No. W2000-02778-WC-R3-CV, 2001 WL 1584107, at *9 (Tenn.
Workers Comp. Panel Dec. 4, 2001). On appeal, the panel differentiated between “fact”
witnesses and “expert” witnesses and found that “because Dr. Ciocca testified as a fact
witness, rather than an expert witness, his fee [wa]s not recoverable as costs. The award
of costs [wa]s reduced by the amount of his fee.” Id.
The Supreme Court considered the distinction between a fact witness and expert
witness for purposes of Rule 54.04(2) in Miles v. Marshall C. Voss Health Care Center,
and ruled:
In the instant case, the trial court allowed as discretionary costs assessed
against the employer the charges made by a vocational rehabilitation expert
for examining the injured employee and testifying in her behalf at trial.
***
This Court has not before addressed the question of whether the charges of
a vocational disability and rehabilitation expert for examining an employee
and for testifying are recoverable as discretionary costs.
There is no question that Dr. Colvin served as an expert witness. In fact, the
parties stipulated at trial that he was qualified to testify as a vocational
disability expert. There is also no doubt that his trial testimony was
important to the trial court’s assessment of the extent of the employee’s
vocational disability. He was the only vocational expert to testify in the
case. The Court referred to Dr. Colvin’s testimony in its opinion and the
Court’s finding of permanent total disability was consistent with Dr.
5
Colvin’s finding. Thus, Dr. Colvin was a “necessary expert” within the
meaning of Rule 54.04(2).
However, the rule specifically limits discretionary costs with regard to
expert witnesses to their fees for testifying. The record reveals that Dr.
Colvin met with the employee one time for the purpose of evaluating her
disability. He also spent time reviewing the medical proof as part of his
evaluation. He testified in person at the trial. He charged $750 for his
services. The employee’s motion for discretionary costs does not indicate
how much of Dr. Colvin’s fee was for his evaluation, and how much was
for his appearance and testimony at trial. Since, as indicated above, the
portion of the fee charged for evaluating the employee is not recoverable
under Rule 54.04(2), but the portion of the fee charged for his trial
testimony is recoverable as discretionary cost, the case must be remanded
to the trial court to make this determination.
896 S.W.2d 773, 776 (Tenn. 1995) (citations omitted).
The record shows that at all times prior to the dismissal of the case, Defendants
argued that Drs. Kurtz and Smith and P.A. Southards could only testify as fact, and not
expert, witnesses.7 Consistent with this characterization, these witnesses did not give any
opinions or observations outside of their personal evaluations and treatment of the
Plaintiff in their depositions. Thus, they are fact witnesses, not expert witnesses. In
accordance with the cases discussed previously, the fees for these witnesses are not
recoverable as discretionary costs under Rule 54.04. Accordingly, we modify the award
of discretionary costs to exclude the $900.00 fee of Dr. Kurtz, the $1,875.00 fee of Dr.
Smith, and the $900.00 fee of P.A. Southards.
7
Prior to the voluntary dismissal, Defendants filed a motion in limine, requesting “an Order prohibiting
Plaintiff from introducing into evidence the testimony of Dr. Kurtz, who has testified by two depositions
as a treating physician.” Defendants filed a second motion in limine regarding Dr. Stuart Smith’s
testimony on the grounds of speculation, asserting:
Plaintiffs sought testimony from Dr. Smith that exceeded the scope of his role as a
treating physician and crossed into the scope of a Tenn. Rule of Civil Procedure 26
testifying expert. Because Plaintiff did not provide a disclosure of opinions from Dr.
Smith pursuant to TRCP 26, this testimony should be excluded.
The Defendants further contended that any of Dr. Smith’s testimony regarding the standard of care that
came from his knowledge or training, rather than personal treatment of the Defendant, should be
excluded, as Dr. Smith was not retained as an expert witness in anticipation of litigation, but rather was
testifying as a treating physician.
6
C. REDUCTION IN AWARD OF DISCRETIONARY COSTS
In the Order on Plaintiff’s motion to alter the award the court held:
$7,620.19 of the previously-awarded discretionary costs are not
recoverable, including $4,166.19 for the videographer fees, $800.00 for
Plaintiff’s vocational expert Linda Jones’s fee for deposition preparation
and travel expenses, and court reporter expenses for postage, e-transcripts,
and copies. The cost of $3,675.00 for depositions of Dr. Stuart Smith, Dr.
Kurtz, and Bryn Southards, P.A., shall remain, as previously ordered on
November 27, 2017.
Defendants acknowledge that the expense of a videographer is not within the costs listed
as recoverable in Rule 54 but argue that those fees “are reasonable and necessary and
should be recoverable”; that they should be awarded the fee which they paid to Linda
Jones; and that the trial court abused its discretion in sua sponte deducting $2,654.00 in
other expenses.8 We discuss the cost items in order; as noted earlier, we review the
award under the abuse of discretion standard.
With respect to the videographer fees, Defendants argue that “[p]resentation of a
video is more effective that merely reading from a transcript because the video shows the
witness’ demeanor, cooperation, pauses between questions, answers, and thoughts, and
yields great insight to the jury who must decide the credibility of the witness.” This
argument is without merit inasmuch as it ignores the fact that Rule 54.04(2) lists which
discretionary costs are recoverable, and the list does not include videographer fees. It
does appear, however, that the court reporter fee for the deposition of Linda Jones, which
the record shows was not a video deposition, was included in the amount disallowed as a
recoverable cost by the trial court and should be reinstated.
With respect to the travel expense and preparation fee of Ms. Jones, the affidavit
that counsel for Defendants filed in support of the motion for discretionary costs includes
an entry of $1,000.00 paid to Vocational Economics, Inc., for Ms. Jones’ deposition.9
The court initially awarded the $1,000.00 shown in counsel’s affidavit, and at the hearing
on the motion to alter or amend, counsel for the parties agreed that the bill was actually
8
Plaintiff moved the court to reduce the award by $8,641.19, consisting of: $3,675.00 for the fees of Drs.
Kurtz and Smith and P.A. Southards, $4,166.19 in videographer fees, and the fee of $800.00 for time
spent by Linda Jones, Plaintiff’s vocational expert, in preparation for her deposition.
9
On the invoice from Vocational Economics, the time for preparation for the deposition and giving the
deposition are each two hours; the deposition rate is $400.00 per hour and the preparation rate is $250 per
hour. The rate for preparation has been crossed out and the word and figures “Total = $800.00” are
handwritten.
7
$800.00. Defendant’s counsel went further and explained that the bill had been paid by
mistake.10
Rule 54.04(2) does not provide for recovery of travel or preparation expenses.
The rule expressly states “travel expenses are not allowable discretionary costs.”
Defendant’s counsel acknowledges the bill for which reimbursement is sought is one that
he mistakenly paid; however, this amount is not recoverable from Plaintiff as a
discretionary cost. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in disallowing this expense.
Next, Defendants argue that the trial court abused its discretion in not
distinguishing between the videographer fees and the regular court reporter expenses
when it reduced the award. We have previously held that the attendance fees for Dr.
Kurtz, Dr. Smith, and Ms. Southards were not recoverable as costs due to their status as
fact witnesses; however, the non-videotape court reporter fees for these witnesses are
recoverable as discretionary costs pursuant to Rule 54.04(2). From the affidavit of
Defendants’ counsel, the only court reporter fees included for either of these witnesses
are for depositions of Dr. Kurtz on February 17, 2016, in the amount of $155.75, and an
undated deposition expense of $496.00; neither expense distinguishes the charge for
videotape from a regular deposition. It is apparent that the court ruled on the basis of the
evidence in the record, and we have not been cited to any countervailing evidence. While
there may have been a separate charge for the videotape and regular depositions, such is
not apparent from the record, and we cannot conclude on the record presented that the
court abused its discretion.
Lastly, Defendants argue that the trial court abused its discretion in reducing the
award for the costs attributed to court reporter expenses for postage, e-transcripts, and
copies. Defendants allege “the trial court gave no explanation for why it was reducing the
discretionary costs award by an additional $2,654.00; instead, the trial court simply
announced during the hearing that it was deducting some postage and fees for copies and
e-transcripts.”
There is no cost breakdown provided for computing court reporter fees other than
the court’s explanation during the hearing on the Motion to Amend that “the initial award
was $17,356.31…we deducted some of the postage that were invoiced on some of the
bills…and e-transcripts on portions of them…but we also deducted some court reporter
10
At the hearing on the motion, counsel for Defendants explained:
Here’s what happened with Linda Jones. She’s an expert witness, vocational expert. She
does this. She -- she knows the drill. So does Mr. Glanton. We had an off-the-record
discussion. I said: You bill me for your time for on the record. That’s what’s customary.
She didn’t do that. She billed me for her prep time and her travel expense, and that’s
wrong. I -- trusting them as familiar with the way this works, I didn’t review her bill. And
so I paid it voluntarily at the time of the deposition. And then when I presented my
Motion for Discretionary Costs, I realized: Wait a minute, I never should have paid that
in the first place. I’m entitled to that money back.
8
attendance fees, transcript fees…so internally we came up with that number after we
deducted the postage and transcript fees.”
Defendants attached invoices of copy, transcript, and postage expenses in support
of the Motion for Discretionary Costs. Nothing in the record indicates the expenses
incurred were not reasonable or necessary for trial preparation. We believe that the costs
for postage, e-transcript, and copies are recoverable as court reporter fees pursuant to
Rule 54.04(2) and were reasonable and necessary in trial preparation; however, the court
did not itemize the computation of the court reporter expenses or how the $2,654.00
reduction was reached. Accordingly, we vacate this portion of the judgment and remand
the case for the court to reconsider the award of court reporter expenses and to include all
amounts properly recoverable under Rule 54.04(2).
D. REQUIREMENT THAT PLAINTIFF PAY COSTS PRIOR TO RE-FILING SUIT
As noted earlier, after reducing the initial award of costs pursuant to the motion to
alter or amend, the court ordered that Plaintiff pay the modified award or post a bond in
that amount prior to re-filing the suit. On appeal, both parties agree that Rule 41.04 does
not require the costs to be paid prior to the suit being refiled; we agree with the parties in
this regard. Accordingly, we reverse the trial court’s order that Plaintiff must pay the
costs or post a bond prior to re-filing.
Defendants contend, however, that it is within the court’s discretion to stay the
proceedings in the new case until the costs are paid and that the court should do so. As
noted earlier, Rule 41.04 allows that, when a suit is refiled, the trial court “may make
such order for the payment of costs of the previously dismissed action as it may deem
proper,” and the court may “stay the proceedings in the new action until the plaintiff has
complied with the order.” Thus, Defendants’ request is premature inasmuch as the
refiling of the action is a prerequisite for the court make any order relative to the payment
of costs, including staying the proceeding.
III. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, we modify the award of discretionary costs to exclude
the $900.00 fees of Dr. Kurtz, the $1875.00 fee of Dr. Smith, and the $900.00 fee of P.A.
Southards, and to include $743.65 for the deposition of Ms. Jones, which this results in a
net reduction in the award of $2,931.35; we vacate that portion of the order reducing the
costs award by $2,654.00 for court reporter expenses and remand the case for the court to
reconsider the award, and to include all amounts properly recoverable under Rule
54.04(2); we reverse the order to the extent it may be construed as requiring Plaintiff to
pay the discretionary costs or post a bond prior to refiling suit.
RICHARD H. DINKINS, JUDGE
9
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- Published:
Further refining stress perfusion imaging: the initial clinical impact of a 32 channel surface coil
Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance volume 12, Article number: P224 (2010)
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638 Accesses
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Introduction
Adenosine stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is widely accepted as a safe, reliable and reproducible investigation to identify areas of inducible ischaemia. Optimal images depend on sequence parameters, including a large field of view (FOV) coverage, a high signal to noise ratio (SNR) and minimal artefact. 32-channel surface coils may provide a higher SNR over a larger FOV compared to standard 5-channel coils.
Purpose
We therefore examined if the use of a 32-channel coil led to a significant improvement in observed image quality.
Methods
50 perfusion scans were performed using a Philips Achieva CV 1.5 T MRI scanner (Philips Medical Systems), using either a 5 or 32-channel coil (25 patients each) using standardised protocols. First-pass perfusion-imaging was performed using a 0.05 mmol/kg gadolinium bolus during induced stress (adenosine at 140 mcg/Kg/min for 3 minutes). 3 short axis slices were acquired per cardiac cycle using a single-shot prospectively-gated balanced TFE sequence (TR 2.5 ms TE 1.3 ms, flip-angle 50° and voxel size of 2.8 × 2.8 × 10 mm). The cine images were optimised using dedicated software (Philips) and reviewed by two blinded CMR specialists in a randomised and anonymised sequence. Each video was scored on a scale of 1-5 (1 Non diagnostic, 2 Poor, 3 Adequate, 4 Good, 5 Excellent). The scores for each coil were compared using the Mann-Whitney test. Observer scores were compared using Bland-Altman analysis. Phantom studies were performed using identical acquisition parameters with acceleration factors of 2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.7 and 3. Mean signal and standard deviation were measured; from this, the SNR was calculated and compared for each coil using a Students t-test.
Results
There was a significant improvement in image quality score using the 32-channel coil compared to the 5-channel coil for observer 1 (mean score 4.1 ± 0.7 vs. 3.5 ± 1 p = 0.04), observer 2 (mean score 3.4 ± 0.7 vs. 3.0 ± 0.6 p = 0.02) and with both observers' scores combined (mean score 3.8 ± 0.7 vs. 3.2 ± 0.9 p = 0.002). The mean difference in scores was 0.6 ± 1.7. The SNR was higher for the 32-channel coil (mean SNR 203 ± 20 vs. 159 ± 12 p = 0.003). The mean patient age was 62 ± 11 years and 50% of patients were male. The cohorts were matched for age, gender and peak heart rate during stress.
Conclusion
The 32-channel coil produces significantly higher quality images and a higher SNR than the 5-channel coil in routine stress CMR.
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Open Access This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Cite this article
Burchell, T.R., Boubertakh, R., Mohiddin, S.A. et al. Further refining stress perfusion imaging: the initial clinical impact of a 32 channel surface coil. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 12, P224 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1186/1532-429X-12-S1-P224
Published: | https://jcmr-online.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1532-429X-12-S1-P224 |
3,829 gross tons, 383ft x 43ft, one funnel, three masts (rigged for sail), clipper bows, iron hull, single screw, speed 13 knots. Accommodation for 60-1st, 75-2nd and 300-3rd class passengers.
Launched on 14th Jan.1873 by Robert Napier & Sons, Glasgow for Pacific Steam Navigation Co. and on 23rd April started her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Valparaiso via Cape Horn. In 1898 she was sold to Canadian Steam Nav. Co., Liverpool and renamed GASPASIA. Scrapped at Genoa in 1900.
4,768 gross tons, length 410ft x beam 52ft, one funnel, two masts, single screw, speed 12 knots. Launched on 28th Jul.1908 by Northumberland Shipbuilding Co., Howden-on-Tyne for Thos. Wilson, Sons & Co., Hull. 2nd Sep.1908 maiden voyage Hull to New York. 1917 transferred to Ellerman's Wilson Line. 31st May 1918 torpedoed in the English Channel and beached near Newhaven, refloated and repaired. 28th Aug.1926 Fire discovered in the coal bunkers after leaving New York for Hull, Tyne and Antwerp with cargo including explosives and acetone and returned to New York. 30th Aug.1926 flooded and capsized in New York harbour. Oct.1926 abandoned by owners to the U.S. Government and sold the following year to Merritt Chapman Scott Corporation. Refloated and sold to Union Shipbuilding Co., Baltimore and scrapped.
Completed in 1963 as the GALILEO GALILEI by Cant Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Trieste for Lloyd Triestino, she was launched on 2nd July 1961, but due to industrial disputes, it was 22nd Apr.1963 before she started her maiden voyage from Genoa for Fremantle and Sydney. Her high 24 knot service speed enabled her to sail from Genoa to Sydney in 23 days. She had fully air conditioned accommodation for 156-1st and 1,594-tourist class passengers and carried 443 crew. Her length was 700ft and beam 94ft and gross tonnage 27,907 tons. She continued the Australia trade, using the Suez Canal until it was closed in 1967 when she was diverted via Cape Town and Durban. In Oct.1968 she returned to Genoa from Sydney via the Panama Canal and then made round-the-world cruises and limited cruises out of Sydney as well as Italy - Australia voyages. On 13th Jan.1975 she struck rocks off the West Coast of Africa, diverted to Monrovia where inspection found major damage to her hull. The cruise was cancelled and she returned to Genoa for repairs. The Italian government withdrew subsidies in about 1975, and the Australia service which had been running at a loss continued until May 1977 and was then terminated. Refitted as a full time cruise ship with accommodation for 900 single class passengers, she made short Mediterranean and European cruises in 1979-80. She spent considerable time laid up and in 1981 was chartered to Chandris for a while. Laid up again until late 1983 when she was sold to Chandris Line who completely refitted her and used her on cruises out of New York and Miami and in 1984 renamed her GALILEO. In 1989 Chandris created an up market company called Celebrity Cruises, had the ship rebuilt at Hamburg and renamed MERIDIAN. Used on high quality cruises out of US ports until June 1997 when she was sold to Metro Holdings of Singapore. Renamed SUN VISTA in 1998 she cruised out of Singapore mostly to Thailand. On 19th May 1999, while carrying 472 passengers and 632 crew, fire broke out in the engine room near Singapore. There was no loss of life, but so much water was pumped into her to try to extinguish the fire that she sank.
7,988 gross tons, length 452.3ft x beam 56.3ft, one funnel, two masts, twin screw, speed 12 knots, accommodation for 87-1st, 130-2nd and 195-3rd class passengers.
17,100 gross tons, length 609ft x beam 75.5ft, two funnels, two masts, twin screw, speed 19 knots, accommodation for 4,680 troops. Designated class P2-SE2-R1 and one of eight sister ships built by Bethlehem Steel Co, Alameda, Calif. Launched as the ADMIRAL R. E. COONTZ on 22nd Aug.1944 for the US Army. 21st Nov.1944 transferred to the US Navy, commissioned AP122. 3rd Jan.1945 maiden voyage San Francisco - Pearl Harbor. 25th Mar.1946 handed to the US Army. 1947 renamed GEN.ALEXANDER M. PATCH. 1st Mar.1950 placed in Military Sea Transportation Service by US Navy (T-AP122). 26th May 1970 to US Maritime Administration and laid up in James River. 1985 still laid up, but I have no later info on this ship..[Great Passenger Ships of the World by Arnold Kludas, vols 4 & 6] Vol.4 contains a photo.
This ship was one of a class of 30 ships designated C4-S-A1, built as a US Navy transport by Kaiser Shipyard, Richmond, Calif. Her details were 10,654 gross tons, length 523ft x beam 71.2ft, one funnel, engines aft, single screw, speed 17 knots. Accommodation for 3,000 troops.
Launched on 24th Nov.1944, she was commissioned AP-142 on 12th Apr.1945 and started her maiden voyage on 13th May when she left San Francisco for Pearl Harbour. On 18th Jun.1946 she was taken over by the US Army and was used for carrying displaced persons from Europe to the USA. Returned to the US Navy in 1950 and used for Military Sea Transportation Service (T-AP142). 30th Jun.1960 laid up by the US Maritime Commission at Suisun Bay until 1968 when she was sold to Sea Land Services, Wilmington, Del and rebuilt by Todd Shipyard, Galveston as an 18,455 gross ton container ship. 1969 entered commercial service and renamed CHICAGO. 1975 sold to Puerto Rico Maritime Shipping Authority, San Juan and renamed SAN JUAN.
17,951 gross tons, length 622ft x beam 75.ft, two funnels, two masts, twin screw, speed 20 knots, accommodation for 5,200 troops. One of a class of 11 sister ships designated P2-S2-R2. Built by Federal SB & DD Co, Kearny, NJ, launched on 19th Sep.1943 and commissioned AP113 on 11th Jan.1944. Maiden voyage 23rd Feb.from Norfolk to Morocco. Oct.1949 entered Military Sea Transportation service as T-AP113. Mar.1960 Maritime Administration and laid up in James River. 1976 sold to Luris Bros, Brownsville, Texas for scrapping. [Great Passenger Ships of the World by Arnold Kludas, vols 4 & 6] Vol.4 contains a photo.
17,100 gross tons, length 609ft x beam 75.5ft, two funnels, two masts, twin screw, speed 19 knots, accommodation for 4,680 troops. Designated class P2-SE2-R1 and one of eight sister ships built by Bethlehem Steel Co, Alameda, Calif. Launched as the ADMIRAL E. W. EBERLE on 14th Jun.1944 for the US Army. 24th Jan.1945 delivered to the US Navy and commissioned AP123. 6th Mar.1945 maiden voyage San Francisco - Philippines. May 1946 handed to the US Army. 1947 renamed GEN. SIMON B. BUCKNER. Mar.1950 placed in Military Sea Transportation Service by US Navy (T-AP 123). 1970 Maritime Administration, laid up in James River. 1985 still laid up but no later information.[Great Passenger Ships of the World by Arnold Kludas, vols 4 & 6] Vol.4 contains a photo.
The GENERAL W. G. HAAN was one of a class of 30 ships designated C4-S-A1. 10,654 gross tons, length 523ft x beam 71.2ft, engines aft, single screw, speed 17 knots. Accommodation for up to 3,000 troops. Built by Kaiser Shipyard, Richmond, Cal, she was launched on 2nd Aug.1945 and commissioned AP 158 for the US Navy on 4th Sep.1945. She made her maiden voyage from San Diego to East Asia and in Jun.1946 transferred to the US Army. 1950 returned to the US Navy for MSTS service and designated T-AP 158. Oct.1958 Laid up at Beaumont, Tex. 1968 sold to Hudson Waterways Corp, New York and rebuilt as a container ship by Maryland SB & DD Co, Baltimore. Dec.1969 entered commercial service as the TRANSOREGON (13,489 gross tons). 1975 sold to Puerto Rico Maritime Shipping Authority and renamed MAYAGUEZ. 1982 Sold to Merchant Terminal Corp, New York renamed AMCO TRADER. 1985 Laid up at New York.
William Orlando Darby, born 8 February 1911 at Fort Smith, Ark., graduated from the U.S. Military Academy 13 June 1933 and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery. Prior to the beginning of World War II, he served with the 82d, 3d, and 80th Field Artillery Divisions and with the 1st Cavalry. In 1942 he assumed command of the 1st Ranger Battalion and distinguished himself during operations in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. Promoted to Colonel 11 December 1943, he returned to the United States in April 1944 for duty with the Army Ground Forces and later with the Operations Division, War Department General Staff. He returned to Europe in March 1945, and became Assistant Commander of the 10th Mountain Division the following month. He was killed by an exploding shell 30 April 1945 and was posthumously promoted to Brigadier General.
The GERMAN was a 6,763 gross ton passenger / cargo ship, length 440.3ft x beam 53.2ft, one funnel, two masts, speed 12 knots, accommodation for 76-1st, 105-2nd and 98-3rd class passengers.
Built 1898 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast for the Union SS Co., she collided with and sank Wilson Line's s/s CORSO the same year in the River Elbe. Shortly afterward, she collided with the sailing barque SAVERNAKE with minor damage. She arrived at Capetown from Southampton on her maiden voyage on 29th Jan.1899. 1900 came under the ownership of Union-Castle Mail SS Co. In 1914 she was converted into a hospital ship with 423 beds and because of anti-German sentiment was renamed GLENGORM CASTLE.. 1921 Among the last hospital ships to be decommissioned, but apart from one mail voyage to South Africa, she continued in Government service as a troopship.In 1925 she returned to intermediate service for Union-Castle Line and in 1930 was scrapped at Rotterdam.
was a 714 gross ton ship, 209.5ft x 27.8ft, clipper bows, one funnel, two masts (rigged for sails). Built in 1872 by Denton Gray & Co, West Hartlepool for C.M.Webster & W.J.Young. 1876 purchased by the West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Co. 19th Jan.1902 wrecked on Spiekeroog while on passage from West Hartlepool to Hamburg. [The West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Co by B.G.Spaldin & H.S.Appleyard, published by the World Ship Society 1980] There is a photo of the ship in this booklet.
1542 gross tons, length 230ft x beam 34.6ft, single screw, speed 12 knots. Built 1921 by Svendborg Skibs. & Msk., Svendborg for H/f Eimskipafelag Islands, Reykjavik, Iceland (Iceland Steamship Co). Used on the Reykjavik - Copenhagen - Leith service. 10th Nov.1944 torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U.300 at 64.08N 22.45W while on voyage Loch Ewe to Reykjavik.
GOLDEN AGE 1853 2,864 gross ton wooden paddle steamer, one funnel, two masts, there was accommodation for 200-1st, 200-2nd and 800-3rd class passengers.. Laid down in 1852 by Wm. H. Brown, New York as the ADRIATIC for the Collins Line, but purchased by the newly formed New York & Australian Navigation Co. and completed as the GOLDEN AGE. Her maiden voyage was from New York 30th Sep. 1853 for Liverpool where passengers for Cape of Good Hope, Melbourne, and Sydney were embarked on 28th Nov. 1853 and she arrived in Sydney on 23rd Feb. 1854. After several voyages on the Australian coast, she left Melbourne on 5th May 1854 with 100 passengers and called at Sydney where she took on more passengers and sailed 12th May, Tahiti for coal and Panama which she reached on 17th June. The high cost of coal at Tahiti meant that this experimental service was too expensive to operate. The ship was sold to Pacific Mail SS Co. and used on the Yokohama - Kobe - Nagasaki - Shanghai connecting service. She was sold in 1875 to Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha, Tokyo and renamed HIROSHIMA MARU. 1885 transferred to Nippon Yusen Kaisha, 1890 scrapped Yokohama.
The "Gothia" was built by Raylton, Dixon & Co, Middlesborough in 1884 as the "Jacatra" for the Insulinde SS Co, Amsterdam. She was a 2,381 gross ton ship, length 314.5ft x beam38.1ft, straight stem, one funnel, two masts, iron construction, single screw and a speed of 11 knots. There was accommodation for 20-1st and 550-3rd class passengers. Launched on 13/3/1884, she was purchased by Hamburg America Line on 30/6/1886 and renamed "Gothia". She commenced sailing from Stettin to Gothenburg and New York on 2/8/1886 and made 15 round voyages on this service, the last one commencing 1/1/1889. On 26/2/1891 she transferred to the Hamburg - New York service and commenced her last voyage on this route on 7/4/1892. She transferred to the Stettin - Helsingborg - Gothenburg - Christiansand - New York route on 23/7/1892 until her last voyage with this company started in July 1894.(7 round voyages). In 1898 she was sold to the Deutsche Levant Line and renamed "Lipsos". In 1913 she went to Wm Eisenach of Stettin who renamed her "Anna Strowig" and in 1914, went to other German owners and was named "Rudolf". Ceded to France in 1919 as war reparations, she went to Lalande Lofebrie & Cie in 1922 and was renamed "Maguyla". She was scrapped in 1923.
Voyage 2 from Milford Haven to New York on 1/5/1861 which took her 9 days 13 hours 20 minutes.
Voyage 3 27/6/1861 Liverpool - Quebec 8d 6h. 10/9/1861 Left Liverpool but put back in disabled condition.
Voyage 4 7/5/1862 Milford Haven - New York 10d 3h.
Voyage 5 1/7/1862 Liverpool - New York 10d 3h.
Voyage 6 17/8/1862 Liverpool - New York 11d 3h.
On 27/8/1862 she struck an uncharted rock off Montauk necessitating extensive repairs. On 6/1/1863 she sailed from New York for Liverpool.
Voyage 7 16/5/1863 Liverpool - New York 11d.
In 1864 she was sold to Daniel Gooch & colleagues and in July of that year proceeded from Liverpool to Sheerness where 10 boilers and one funnel were removed to make way for cable tanks. Between 1865-66 she was employed laying transatlantic cable. In 1867 she was refitted by G.Forrester & Co, Liverpool and steam steering gear fitted and on 26/3/1867 commenced her 10th voyage from Liverpool to New York for Societe des Affreteurs du GREAT EASTERN. On 16/4/1867 she left New York for Brest for the same company. In 1869 she laid cable from Brest to St Pierre-Miquelon, Newfoundland and in 1870 laid cable from Bombay to Aden. She was later laid up at Milford Haven until becoming an exhibition ship at Liverpool , Dublin and Greenock . She was then sold and on 22/8/1888 sailed from the Clyde to Birkenhead where she was scrapped.
8,255 g.t., 509.5ft x 63.1ft, triple screw, 23 knot passenger ship built 1915 as GREAT NORTHERN by W. Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia for Great Northern Pacific SS Co., Astoria, Ore. Used on the Astoria - San Francisco coastal service. Sep.1917 became a U.S. Military transport. 1921 renamed COLUMBIA, 1922 owners became the U.S. Shipping Board. 1922 renamed H. F. ALEXANDER for the Admiral Line (Pacific SS Co.), Tacoma / Seattle. Seattle - San Francisco coastal service. 1926 transferred to New York - Florida route. 1942 transferred to Ministry of War Transport, London (managed by Canadian Pacific SS Co.), 1942 returned to USA renamed GEORGE S. SIMONDS for U. S. Army. 1946 reverted to H. F. ALEXANDER for U.S. Maritime Commission. 1948 scrapped at Baltimore.
GRELROSA / EMPIRE GUINEVERE / SHUN TAI 1942 O.N.168718.
713 gross ton ship belonging to the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Co (later Great Central Railway Co). They ran passenger services between Hamburg and Grimsby where there were rail connections to Liverpool and London, where transatlantic liners could be boarded. Sold in 1888 she sank in 1897 while on passage Swansea-St.Malo. The company owned a second GRIMSBY built in 1888, but this was a ferry and was used on the New Holland, Lincolnshire - Grimsby service.
1414 gross tons, length 230.1ft x beam 25.2ft, single screw, speed 12 knots. Built 1915 by Kjobenhavns Flydedok & Skibsvert, Copenhagen for H/f Eimskipafelag Islands, Reykjavik, Iceland (Iceland Steamship Co). Used on the Reykjavik - Copenhagen - Leith service. 1947 sold to P/F Skipafelagid Foroyer, Faroes, renamed TJALDUR. 1953 renamed GAMLA TJALDUR, same owner. 1953 scrapped at Hamburg.
It is mentioned in Basil Lubbock's book "The Western Ocean Packets" as being a 1419 ton vessel, owned by William & Guion's Black Star Line which was partly British owned, was built by W.H.Webb at New York in 1849 and confirms that it was under the command of Capt.Edwards. It was claimed by the owners that she made two 9-day passages to Cape Clear.
2,733 gross tons, 351.6ft x 38.3ft, one funnel, three masts, speed 12 knots, accommodation for 51-1st and 30-2ns class passengers. Launched 9th May 1873 by Wm. Denny & Bros, Dumbarton (Yard No.164) for Peninsular & Oriental S.N.Co, used mostly on Southampton / London - Bombay and Bombay - Shanghai services. In 1883 she transferred to Venice - Bombay route and was also used as a Venice - Alexandria ferry. 21st Jan.1894 sold to Kishimoto Gohei, Osaka and renamed SINSHU (SHINAHU) MARU. 2nd Mar.1904 wrecked at Chemulpo while serving as a transport in the Russo-Japanese War. | http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsG.shtml |
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic transmission for a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a planetary gear train of an automatic transmission of a vehicle that improves power delivery performance and reduces fuel consumption by achieving eight forward speed stages using a minimum number of constituent elements.
Description of Related Art
The recent increase in oil prices causes carmakers to meet global demands of improving fuel efficiency.
Accordingly, researches are being conducted on engines in terms of reducing weight and improving fuel efficiency by down-sizing, and researches are also being conducted to ensure both drivability and competitiveness by maximizing fuel efficiency by implementing an automatic transmission with multiple stages.
However, in the case of the automatic transmission, the number of internal components is increased as the number of gear shift stages is increased, which may cause deterioration in terms of mountability, costs, weight and power transmission efficiency.
Therefore, in order to increase an effect of improving fuel efficiency by implementing an automatic transmission with multiple stages, it is important to develop a planetary gear train capable of maximizing efficiency using a small number of components.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
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The present invention relates to a point of sales (POS) system capable of changing or updating information on benefits including discount, earn points, coupon provision, and bonus product provision provided to clients calculation of products or service price payment at a counter such as retail stores or large marts selling products in real time without changing a POS terminal through a service main server, and a control method thereof. The POS system and control method thereof include and control a plurality of POS clients which store and manage product information, service information, client information, and benefits information; and a service main service which stores and manages product information, service information, client information, and benefits information, and transmits and updates the product information, service information, client information, and benefits information to the plurality of POS clients in real time through wired/wireless communication. Therefore, since the POS system and control method thereof according to the present invention may update benefits information including discount, earn points, coupon provision, and bonus product provision, a service provider may apply to various sales strategies to stores. | |
Despite new amendments to Azerbaijan’s constitution that bar ‘forcing’ children to practice a religion, Ashura commemorations went on largely without incident and included children’s participation.
On 19 August, Muslims in Azerbaijan marked Ashura, one of the most important days in the Islamic calendar.
In Baku, Sumgait, Ganja and other cities, crowds gathered to hold public ceremonies. Despite the fact that a new Constitutional Amendment appears to ban children's participation in such religious events, videos from around the country show minors participating without incident.
For Azerbaijani Shia Muslims, the majority of the country’s population, the day commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
Public commemorations of Ashura were cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year, they were allowed for those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. When commemorations got underway, those who did present proof of vaccination were physically barred from participating by police.
Constitutional Amendments
The amendments to the Law on Freedom of Religion came into force on 16 June.
The law previously stated that ‘parents or guardians may, by mutual consent, bring up their children in accordance with their religious beliefs and attitudes.’
The updated law states that ‘it is forbidden to force children to believe in religion’, and that ‘the religious upbringing of children should not have a negative impact on their physical and mental health.’
According to Kamala Aghazade, the chair of the Azerbaijan Children’s Union, an NGO and children’s shelter in Baku, one benefit of the amendment would be that children would ‘no longer participate in public religious ceremonies’.
Shahin Hasanli, a theologian and representative of the Caucasian Muslims Office, said that the amendment would apply only to ‘certain religious movements whose participation in rituals and religious conversations is not considered appropriate by the state’ and cited ‘satanic currents’ as an example.
‘This change in the law does not prohibit children from participating in the ceremonies of traditional religions of Azerbaijan: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism’, he said.
Fariz Namazli, a Baku-based lawyer, told OC Media that the essence of the constitutional amendment was related to the word ‘coercion’.
‘The law does not prohibit a child from engaging in any religious activity. But, if a child is forced to perform a religious rite, then it is prohibited by law’, he explained.
The difficulty, he said, is how authorities will determine whether children consent to participation in religious activity.
‘It is likely that the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations will conduct regular raids to find out whether children in religious places agree to this’, Namazli said.
Such raids, he said may take place either in private spaces being used for religious purposes, or, more likely, in mosques. The target of the amendment, according to Namazli, is ‘extremist religious movements’ rather than Azerbaijan’s religious mainstream.
The wording of the constitutional amendment itself does not specify any religions or religious currents, nor does it list any exclusions. | https://oc-media.org/constitutional-change-does-not-dampen-azerbaijan-ashura-commemorations/ |
This growing collection of e-texts - currently more than 1500 - includes classic works of Literature, Philosophy, Science, and Medicine.
Includes e-Print "preprints" in Physics, Mathematics, Nonlinear Sciences, and Computer sciences, quantitative biology and statistics.
Thousands of mainly French and Swiss-authored e-texts, across a broad range of especially Literature, Science & the Arts.
A portal for digital resources in humanities disciplines in Australia.
This collection may be read in either HTML and/or PDF.
Commercial bookstore offers free e-books in HTML Ms Reader, Palm, Rocket & RTF formats. Registration requested.
The Encyclopedia of World History and The Harvard Classics are among many free texts offered at this award-winning site.
Bibliomania Offers more than 2,000 free classic texts, plus research works. In HTML format, readable by your web browser.
Includes Bibliothecae Latina, Graeca, Germanica, Anglica, Gallica, Italica, Hispanica, Polonica et Russica. "Collectio textuum electronicorum.
With a goodly range of free e-books, this site also endears by offering six e-book formats and a special Australian section.
1,500 classic titles available, for Palm or other handheld devices.
Irish literary, historical & cultural texts, in Irish, Latin, Anglo-Norman French, and English. Presented in HTML, with a searchable online database.
Cognitive Sciences Eprint* Archive - papers in psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, biology, medicine, anthropology and computer science. Some areas of the archive require registration.
The Institutional Repository of CUT provides access to research produced by its staff and students. Around 260 items were available as at May 2005 covering material from 1980 onwards.
Over 13,000 searchable educational resources organized into themes or collections, broadly on physical sciences, technology, policy and educational issues.
A repository of e-resources in Library and Information Science (LIS) and Information Technology (IT). It contains published and unpublished papers, data sets, reports & bibliographies.
A collection of Dr Jack Cross's writings, plus major historical works. It includes many of the seminal historical source documents of the modern Western world, including key works by Homer, Dante, Milton, Goethe, Darwin and many more.
Links site for literary texts in Western European languages other than English. Languages include Catalan, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish & Swedish.
A useful links page with over eighty entries.
Elfwood is a huge, non-profit home to amateur Fantasy/Sci-Fi literature and art, plus some How -To Guides. The site holds over twenty thousand works of art & literature by over fifteen hundred Science Fiction/Fantasy artists and writers.
An institutional archive of research papers produced at Queensland University of Technology by QUT staff and postgraduate students. Items now deposited span from 1984 to date, and this fast-growing new collection already offers no less than 967 of them (in May 2005).
The embryonic University of Melbourne eprint collection. The oldest item dates back to 1945. In order to access some areas of the archive, you'll need a user registration (no charge).
Primary historical documents from Western Europe. Selected Transcriptions, Facsimiles and Translations.
Nearly fifty new novels ranging over many genres, including SF/Fantasy, mystery, romance, humour and lots more. A gift from new authors seeking your attention. Either as HTML or as downloadable files.
More than 440 mainly Greco-Roman texts, with some Chinese and Persian in English translations by 59 different authors. For online reading, some downloads are available.
Over 20,000 free books available online.
Collection of digital literary texts from famous, mostly U.S. authors. May be read online, printed, or downloaded for further study.
Features works of literature in English, including classics, mystery, horror, sci-fi, westerns, Sherlock Holmes, Americana. For reading online, or save each chapter to read offline in your web browser.
Lysator is a lively academic computer society & major e-publishing stalwart located at Linköping University in Sweden. They also offer few miscellaneous e-texts.
Free PDA e-books. Many thousands of public domain e-books from Project Gutenberg and elsewhere. They're available here either to read online in plain text or formatted to download for the Adobe Reader, Palm eReader, Palm Doc, iSilo, Rocketbook and other r-reader softwares.
This free downloadable material for 500 courses has been accessible since the end of September 2003. Presented in HTML, however courses may include other readers. (software for all of these may be downloaded from the site's Technical Requirements page).
Links to digital theses/dissertations available in Australia, Canada, many European nations, Hong Kong, Taiwan & the USA.
This University of Pennsylvania site offers access to more than 35,000 books online.
"The Labyrinth" PSU's e-books are presented as pdf files. Established in 1997, the site offers many classical works of literature in English, plus original works published by Penn. State Uni.
A great classical digital library site, with Greek & Latin texts, commentaries, an atlas, coin images, art, archaeology and more.
Recent asset for popular classic novels in the PDF format.
It is the original free digital library of books no longer in copyright. The full Gutenberg collection now exceeds 5,000 books. The whole collection represents a monumental effort in unpaid, unselfish, labour since 1971.
The University of Washington, Seattle, provides this library of Latin texts, readable in your web browser. In HTML & TeX (a subset of ASCII). Thirteen classical Latin authors represented.
Project Runeberg publishes free electronic editions of old Nordic literature on the Internet. Since 1992. More than 900 titles, mostly in Swedish.
A great selection of free classic novels, stories, plays and non-fiction available online from over 200 authors. Browse the author list for your favourites.
Free public library offering books on holistic agriculture, holistic health, self-sufficient living, and personal development.
An archive of international literature on "the commons". A full-text Digital Library, a Working Paper Archive of author-submitted papers, and links to relevant references are included and can be access via PDF.
Bit of a mind flip might be an exaggeration, but there is certainly nothing stodgy about this large & contemporary collection of online intellectual texts & resources. Based at the University of Washington.
It is the oldest catalog of the web, started by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of html and the Web itself. Unlike commercial catalogs, it is run by a loose confederation of volunteers.
IQ Over ten thousand online e-books, in plain text. Available in order of popularity or search for title.
It provides free, unlimited public access to a comprehensive collection of public domain texts & references, and links to thousand of on-line libraries around the world. For a small annual fee, also offers access to over than 500,000+ PDF e-books and e-documents, plus 23,000 mp3 audio books. | https://www.aku.edu/library/pk/ied/Pages/online-books.aspx |
Posted on 7 July 2016
Professor Alastair Lewis and Dr Peter Edwards call on researchers to test the accuracy of low-cost monitoring devices before regulators are flooded with questionable air quality measurements.
The public is increasingly aware of the health and economic costs of air pollution. Poor air quality is linked to over three million deaths each year, and 96 per cent of people in large cities are exposed to pollutant levels that are above recommended limits.
The costs of urban air pollution amount to two per cent of gross domestic product in developed countries and five per cent in developing countries.
Media attention and the increasing availability of data are reinvigorating efforts in many countries to tackle air pollution, driven as much by local and national politics as by science.
For regulatory purposes, governments and scientists use the most accurate, but expensive, detectors.
And although the interpretation of the data is a subject of lively debate, the quality of readings is rarely questioned. By contrast, few of these low-cost devices have been rigorously tested.
Writing a comment piece in the journal Nature, the academics say: “The research and regulatory communities are behind the curve.
“The penetration of these devices into the public domain, generating large volumes of untested and questionable data available to all, is inevitable and will increasingly become a headache for those who are responsible for managing air quality.
“Although we do not wish to stifle innovation, sensors that claim to be able to measure ambient pollution levels could be required to undergo an independent testing regime, as is the case for instruments that are used in regulatory measurements.
“The academic air pollution community must engage to ensure that it does the hard yards in the lab and field on calibration and testing.
“It must also find ways to overcome some measurement challenges. Researchers should take the lead on evaluating sensor performance, creating better devices and designing research applications that are suited to the quantified capabilities of sensors.”
Alastair Lewis is Professor of atmospheric chemistry at the University of York. Dr Pete Edwards is a research fellow in the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories at the University of York. | https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2016/research/pollution-monitors-comment/ |
12 Steps to Helping an Upset Child
1. First and foremost, outside of the upset moment, develop your own practice of regulating and calming YOURSELF. Know how to get grounded and centered. Intellectually knowing this is VERY different from doing it. You must set aside time in your day to regularly do this. You must practice before it’s game time. I use belly breaths. I pause at the top and bottom of the breath, and make the out breath twice as long as the in breath. Make this part of your life so that when you need it, it is there.
2. Cultivate the idea of Healthy Separation and being able to create your own calm and safe internal environment regardless of the what is happening on the outside. You are in charge and in control of your internal environment, no one else. You regulating you is TOP priority. Healthily detaching from the child’s emotions allows you to not get caught up in the emotions of others or take them personally. Other’s emotions belong to them, don’t make it about you. Do not make meaning of or take on your child’s feeling or actions personally.
3. Recognize that emotions are natural. They get felt, and they move on, especially if there is a safe place for them to do so. This is true for both you and your child. Remind yourself that you yourself are safe and that you are going to be okay. While you breathe, make this your mantra. “I am safe, I’m okay. I got this. Emotions come and go”
4. Be okay with not taking immediate action. In fact, your immediate action is to do nothing. Resist the urge to teach, correct, or blame. You’ll know you are getting the hang of it when the child gets upset and you just remain calm, compassionate, and positive. The first few times will be hard, know that. It might feel like you need to do more, fix more, or control more. Get comfortable with this discomfort
5. Let your child see you be calm. When you make eye contact with them, take a big deep breath. Often times your child might take a breath too.
6. Use the child’s upset or (mis)behavior as a cue to get curious. The child’s upset is a sign they need some help, that is all that it means, no more. Do not label the child as rude or disrespectful. This doesn’t help. This puts you in a negative head space which will have you going back to reactive disconnecting kind of parenting behaviors. Replace anger and judgement with curiosity and a desire to help. Look at your child with loving eyes and try to understand what they are going through. This might be hard to do at first. It might take longer than you want to get past the discomfort and through to the love, but it will happen. An example that may help is to try to imagine how you would be present and hold space for a friend who was really upset. Could you be this present and non-judgmental and calm for your child?
7. Make it clear that you are okay and that their upset is not a problem. Take this as an opportunity with the number one goal being that get to teach calm by modeling calm. Allow yourself to move slowly and deliberately. Don’t make any big moves. Ask your child to take a few deep breaths with you if they will.
8. When the child has calmed down a bit. Let them know you see them. “You seem upset” If they respond and tell you why, you can nod and acknowledge. Keep the slow pace. Do some more breathing, waiting, and being present. Notice how we have not given advice, fixed, or blamed. (and we are not going to).
9. Offer a hug. You can let them know it’s okay to be upset, and that you are there to help. Oftentimes this where the child will give over to your loving leadership and melt into you.
10. When the child is calm, you can listen and start guiding the solution-finding process. Ask some questions in positive tone like “How can I help you here” “What would you like” “What do you need”. These questions allow you to start a conversation and to further understand what is going on for you child. If the child feels safe, they will tell you what going on and how it isn’t what they want. That’s okay. It’s good actually. Children want to be heard. And you get to create that space for them. If they get upset while talking to you, help them pause and breathe.
11. Empathize and validate the feelings and the wants of the child. “That makes sense, you are angry, you wanted _________” “I understand that.” Don’t be threatened by what they want, or what they think. Don’t try to stop them from thinking a certain way. Validating is just showing that you understand. You don’t need to agree and you don’t need to make them wrong for anything or for wanting what they want.
12. After listening and validating and creating a calm and connected place, this is where you can talk about solutions that work for everyone. This is where you can model, teach a skill and and help guide. This is where you can help the child understand other’s perspectives. This is where you can set a limit. For example: “It’s hard, you want X and you can’t have it. I understand. That’s hard for you.”
This is where you can collaborate and empower. You can ask them what they think would be best. This is where you get to help develop their internal compass. You’d be surprised how many children rise to the challenge of solving their own problems in completely reasonable and positive ways. As the parent, you get to facilitate the conversation so there is never a need to feel out of control. The idea is to remain at your best so you can bring out the best in your child. | https://drewtupper.com/2020/02/12/12-straightforward-steps-to-helping-an-upset-child%E2%80%A8/ |
In order to create a better experience for your patients, you need to understand what their care experience was like. This is where survey collection comes in. Learning about your patient’s needs, experiences, and whether they need additional assistance can go a long way in providing optimal care in your facility.
In-Person Interview
A common method for survey collection is speaking to a patient face-to-face. There are many benefits to this type of survey. For example, you can watch for cues in their body language to determine whether or not there is more than they are sharing.
However, this type of survey does have a major downfall… Although there are many people who will be straightforward and tell you exactly what is wrong (or right) with their care, there are also other patients who do not feel comfortable telling a provider to their face what they need help with or the quality of their care. This can lead to an inaccurate description of the provider’s care and how the patient is doing.
Paper Surveys
Many facilities still utilize mailed questionaries for survey collection. This is a decent option for collecting data on your patients because it gives them time to work on a detailed survey in the comfort of their own homes and they are usually sent out after they have been home for a certain period of time. However, there are still some issues with this method.
One big issue is that many people do not take the time to fill out and send back these paper surveys. This is a more time-consuming method for busy individuals. Additionally, if they do get around to filling out the surveys, it may be much later… even weeks after their time in your facility. This can lead to inaccurate descriptions of the care and you would be unable to catch any misunderstandings in time.
While paper surveys can still be used, you should also use another method of survey collection to ensure the most accurate data.
Interviewing Over the Phone
For a personal touch, you could use phone interviews to collect data on your patient’s visit. While this adds in the benefits of a quick turnaround time and connection with your patients, this is another instance where patients may not be totally up front with their care because they are speaking directly to a person, even if it wasn’t their actual provider.
You can also use phones to send simple surveys, like Net Promoter Scores(TM) (NPS) via SMS text, and capture immediate results. Or, for more complex surveys with the same quick response, consider sending survey links to mobile devices with a link to an online, digital survey.
Digital Surveys
Digital and online surveys are by far the best survey collection tool you can use in your facility. This is the case for many reasons.
For example, the National Business Research Institute explains that this method of data collection has a much higher response rate than the other options and a faster response time.
Because the response time and rate are higher than other methods, you are also much more likely to identify patients in need of follow-up support. This can help you clear up patient misunderstandings and reduce readmissions later on.
Because of the clear benefits of digital and online surveys, Notivate Health has incorporated an application to allow your facility to quickly reach your patients through satisfaction surveys. These surveys allow you to receive actionable feedback, maintain your reputation, and track results easily between locations, providers, departments, etc.
Creating a Better Experience for Your Patients
If you want to improve patient-provider relationships, you need to understand what your patients need. This is where satisfaction surveys come in. By using an online survey collection method, you can send out post-discharge surveys within hours of your patient leaving the facility, giving you the upper hand in patient experience and facility reputation.
If you want to learn more about Notivate’s platform and how its survey application can benefit your facility, request a demo today. | https://notivatehealth.com/methods-for-healthcare-survey-collection/ |
We regularly host conferences and events to engage with our stakeholders and promote quality assurance in education and training in Ireland.
On this page you will find details of upcoming events.
For the full listing of all our corporate events, meetings and briefings, please view our corporate calendar.
A one-day conference to explore the importance of professional development in improving education and training.
QQI will host a one-day conference on Thursday 13th February 2020 to explore the importance of Professional Development of staff in improving the quality of teaching and learning, educational management and other areas.
The conference is aimed at policy-makers, academic management, front-line educators, support staff and quality assurance teams from across the higher education, further education and training and English Language Education sectors who wish to better understand the importance of personal professional development in a high-quality teaching and learning environment.
Delegates will learn from the experience of national and international speakers through keynote addresses, workshop sessions, panel discussions and cross-sectoral networking opportunities with peers. Themes covered will include:
• Different national staff development frameworks and CPD models • Best practice from a range of education and training providers • Policies, practices and frameworks developed by agencies and other supporting organisations to promote staff development • National and international models of successful practice • Staff development for academic and professional services staff • The approach of professional bodies to staff development • Digital badging and micro-credentials to support staff development • Useful tools and tips to maximise staff participation
This event is part of QQI’s series of quality enhancement engagements with its stakeholders and brings together respected experts from each of the above sectors for a day of networking, mutual learning and opportunities to showcase best practice in all sectors. It is informed by advice on staff development contained in the QQI Core Quality Assurance Guidelines and the various professional development frameworks that have been adopted in different sectors.
The conference delegate rate is €100.
To register, click here. | https://www.qqi.ie/Articles/Pages/Conferences-and-events.aspx |
In January 1999 scientists from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia announced the discovery of a new radioactive super-heavy element. In December of the previous year they had aimed a beam of accelerated calcium-48 ions at a target made of plutonium-244 atoms. The speed of the impact of these ions overcame the forces that usually keep two elements from combining. For a few brief seconds one atom of element 114 had come into existence.
The element has been given the holding name of ununquadium and the symbol Uuq by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). This organization is responsible for the overseeing of the naming of all new chemical elements. Ununquadium relates to the elements atomic number un-un-quad meaning 1-1-4. Holding names for elements are usually replaced by a name of a place or a scientist nominated by the team making the discovery of a new element.
Element 114 has also been known as eka-lead. The term “eka” was used for an element that has yet to be discovered.
The first isotope produced by the Russian team of this new element was ununquadium-289 which has a half life of 21 seconds. This is the most stable isotope of ununquadium produced to date. Ununquaium-289 decays by alpha decay to form an isotope of another super-heavy element – ununbium-285. Three other isotopes have since been produced these are ununquadium-285 (half life 0.58 milliseconds), ununquadium-286 (half life 0.13 seconds) and ununquadium-287 (half life 0.48 seconds).
As so few atoms of this element have been produced very little is known about its properties. It is in the p-block, group number 14 and period number 7 of the periodic table. If ever a sufficient amount of ununquadium was produced to become visible it is expected to be metallic and gray or white in color. It is highly unlikely that such a quantity of ununquadium will ever be produced and with its short half life studying its chemical interactions would be extremely difficult.
There are no industrial applications for ununquadium and it is probable there never will be. At present the element remains of interest in the study of super heavy elements in specialized laboratories around the world. | http://www.actforlibraries.org/an-overview-about-the-chemical-element-ununquadium/ |
The best known projective psychological test is the Rorschach, or inkblot test. The patient is asked to look at each blot and to say what it looks like or what it could be. Because the stimulus is ambiguous, the patient must impose his or her own structure. In doing so, thoughts, feelings, and themes, some of which are unconscious, are projected into the material. Projective tests tend to have lower validity and reliability than objective tests. That is, they are less stable, and have lower relationships with other criteria. However, the information which they provide tends to be richer and more varied.
The Rorschach test is particularly useful for detecting the types of disordered thought patterns seen in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The scoring of this test takes into account the popularity of the patient’s responses, the content of the responses, whether the figures are seen as moving or stationary, response complexity, whether color or shading is used, and other factors. As with most tests, there are no single responses which are seen as necessarily pathological. Response frequencies and ratios are compared to normal and abnormal averages to determine if pathology or a particular tendency is present.
Other projective tests include the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), in which the patient tells stories about pictures, the Sentence Completion test, Draw-A-Person, and House-Tree-Person. The TAT is often used in a test battery in conjunction with the Rorschach. The TAT provides information about important themes in a person’s life or the content of their thinking, whereas the Rorschach provides information about the process and form of a person’s thoughts. | http://psychologicaltesting.com/test-types/projective/ |
The normal pleura consists of a single layer of mesothelial cells lining a fibroelastic connective tissue matrix.
The visceral pleura invests the surfaces of both lungs, and it reflects to form the parietal pleura of the adjacent chest wall.
The pleural blood supply is derived from the systemic bronchial circulation, and drainage is via a parallel system of veins.
The potential pleural space is drained by three adjacent lymphatic pathways that separately course to hilar lymph nodes, retroperitoneal nodes, and lower mediastinal node groups.
As the distal lung is also drained by the visceral pleural lymphatics, malignant diseases of the peripheral lung frequently spread to the adjacent pleura.
The close approximation of mesothelial cells, blood and lymphatic vessels, and nerves in the pleura insures that all components of pleural tissue and the pleural space will be involved by most inflammatory and neoplastic processes. | http://www.humpath.com/spip.php?article19930 |
The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) is an educational non-profit whose mission is to inspire, educate, and connect future leaders with the economic, ethical, and legal principles of a free society. These principles include individual liberty, free-market economics, entrepreneurship, private property, high moral character, and limited government. FEE has been trusted by parents and teachers since 1946 to captivate and inspire tomorrow’s leaders with top-rated in-person seminars, resources for classrooms, and perspectives on relevant and worldly topics.
About the Role
We are looking for a Web Design Intern with some front-end developer experience. Your primary duties will be to create user-friendly, responsive and visually striking web page layouts, in line with our organizational branding. This includes user interface prototyping, interaction design, wireframes in Adobe XD, and HTML/CSS implementation.
You will participate in sprints as a full-time member of the scrum team. You will develop your front-end development skills while working with our web developer and Director of Technology, and your graphic design skills with our senior graphic designer and Director of Media.
To be successful in this role, you should have some experience in visual design skills, user experience and experience with design prototyping solutions using software such as Adobe XD, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
Both part-time and full-time commitments are possible, but you must participate in scrum meetings and make weekly work commitments. If you are a student, we will try to work within your class schedule.
Responsibilities
- Participate in sprints as a full-time member of the marketing/technology scrum team.
- Produce wireframes, sitemaps, interaction flows, desktop & mobile layouts in Adobe XD.
- Prepare user-friendly designs for desktop, mobile web, apps, and landing pages in Adobe XD.
- Work from completed Adobe XD designs, code style HTML templates for mobile and desktop.
- Work with the senior designer on completing graphic designs from wireframes and our web developer on creating static HTML/CSS templates and integrating them into our content management system.
Skills and Qualifications
- Experience in graphic design or prototyping software including Adobe XD, Balsamiq, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or other visual design tools.
- Great understanding of design principles, typography, and colors.
- Some experience in front-end development web programming languages such as HTML and CSS.
- You should be willing to work closely with the scrum team on writing design specifications and be accountable for weekly commitments.
Compensation
- $1,500 per month stipend (negotiable)
- Transportation assistance to the office each day
To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials in one PDF document: | https://fee.org/about/job-opening-web-design-internship/ |
The first postwar period
With the fall of the monarchy at the end of the First World War, the Republic was proclaimed in November 1918, and in 1920, with the Treaty of the Trianon (➔ # 10132;), the Hungary it had to cede part of its territory to Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia.
● Internally, faced with the tough demands of the Allies, the republican government led by Count M. Károly resigned (March 1919); a Social Communist government was then established, which proclaimed the Soviet Republic, de facto presided over by the Communist leader B. Kun. This revolutionary experiment, however, was severely repressed after a few months by the counterrevolutionary forces led by Admiral M. Horthy von Nagybánya. Elected in February 1920 a parliament dominated by conservatives, the monarchy was restored: postponed the question of the recognition of the dynasty, Horthy was appointed provisional head of state and regent; in the following years a severe repression of the revolutionary and communist elements was put in place. Severely damaged by the war and strongly affected by the repercussions of the international economic crisis, the Hungary saw the succession of different governments that led to a progressive approach to Nazi Germany, with the aim of a revision of the Trianon treaty. In 1938, with the first arbitration in Vienna, the Hungary obtained southern Slovakia and in 1939 the Ruthenia Carpathian; with the second Vienna arbitration he reacquired Transylvania (1939).
The Second World War and the Communist regime
Signed in November 1940 the Tripartite Pact, the Hungary participated in the war on the side of Germany; in April 1941 it occupied Vojvodina. In August 1944, surrendered to the Allies, it was occupied by the Germans, who, having resigned Horthy, installed the leader of the pro-Nazi militias crosses arrows F. Szálasi. Liberated by Soviet troops in April 1945, the Hungary he signed the peace treaty with the Allies in Paris in 1947 which restored the borders of 1920, with a rectification in favor of Czechoslovakia; a Soviet occupation force remained in the country. Proclamation of the republic (January 1946), Z. Tildy, exponent of the Independent Party of Small Owners (PIPP), was elected president and another exponent of the same party, Ferenc Nagy, assumed the leadership of the government of national unity (1946-47). The control of the police and the presence of the Soviet occupation troops allowed the communist party, led by M. Rákosi (vice-president since 1945 and prime minister since 1952), to assume a hegemonic role in political life, which was strengthened following the merger with the left of the Social Democratic Party, from which the Hungarian Workers’ Party was born (1948). A Soviet-type constitution was introduced in August 1949. For Hungary military, please check militarynous.com. In the following years the country it underwent a process of profound social and political transformation centered on the development of heavy industry and the collectivization of agriculture, within the framework of a planned economy. All forms of opposition or dissent were repressed and the party was subjected to an extensive purge. The integration of the Hungary in the socialist camp it was consolidated by joining COMECON (1949) and the Warsaw Pact (1955). In 1953, however, Stalin’s death allowed for a strengthening of reformist positions and the leadership of the government passed to Imre Nagy. In the following two years the Hungary experienced a cautious political, economic and cultural liberalization, interrupted in April 1955, when Nagy was replaced by A. Hegedüs. However, the critical positions were accentuated and the protest continued to grow, turning in October into a revolutionary movement against Soviet domination and the totalitarian regime. Nagy returned to the leadership of the government (October 24) and in the face of the spread of the revolutionary movement he accepted its main demands: having established a multi-party cabinet, he proclaimed the neutrality of Hungary. On November 4, Soviet troops violently suppressed the revolutionary movement and overthrew the Nagy government (executed in 1958). Outbreaks of resistance were crushed in about ten days. J. Kádár, formerly at the head of the party, he also assumed the leadership of the government (until 1958 and again in 1961-65). After repressing the opposition (around 20,000 arrests and a few hundred death sentences) and restoring the party’s authority, the government achieved, also thanks to Soviet aid, a gradual improvement in economic conditions which broadened the basis of consensus. A liberalization policy was therefore initiated in 1961. After a first phase of production growth and improvement of the living conditions of the population, from the mid-1970s economic difficulties related to the international energy crisis emerged. After a brief setback in the years 1974-78, the reform policy was relaunched and trade with the West increased. | https://www.simplyyellowpages.com/hungary-contemporary-history/ |
The Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) is a global knowledge and technical assistance program administered by the World Bank. It provides analytical and advisory services to low- and middle income countries to increase their know-how and institutional capacity to achieve environmentally sustainable energy solutions for poverty reduction and economic growth. ESMAP is funded by Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, as well as the World Bank. As the global tracking framework report makes clear, there is a great deal of work to be done if those goals are to be met. About 1.2 billion people around the world still lack access to electricity, and 2.8 billion lack accesses to modern household fuels. Household air pollution caused by cooking with traditional fuels contributes to about four million premature deaths a year, most of them women and children. Renewable energy accounts for only 18 percent of the global energy mix, with most of that coming from traditional biomass fuels such as charcoal and firewood. While the world has made steady progress in the past two decades, that improvement will have to speed up, and hundreds of billions of dollars in new financing will have to be mobilized, to achieve the three SE4ALL goals by 2030.
Details
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Document Date
2013/01/01
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Document Type
Annual Report
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Report Number
83897
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Volume No
1
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Total Volume(s)
1
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Country
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Region
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Disclosure Date
2014/01/17
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Disclosure Status
Disclosed
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Doc Name
Energy sector management assistance program : 2013 annual report
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Keywords
Energy;small and medium enterprise finance;access to modern energy service;Sustainable Energy for All;Energy Sector;vulnerability of energy system;United Nations Environment Programme;Analytical and Advisory Activities;small island developing states;global energy mix;Access to Electricity;technical assistance program;transmission and distribution;flora and fauna;efficient energy supply;demand for energy;state power utility;cost of supply;development of hydropower;geothermal power plant;power sector reform;water management policy;International Finance Institution;supply of energy;modern cooking fuels;industrial energy efficiency;Cumulative Environmental impact;cost of electricity;sustainable energy future;electricity and gas;channels of communication;cross-border energy trade;energy efficiency programs;high energy intensity;aging energy infrastructure;support energy;power generation capacity;ministries of finance;efficiency of utility;burden on woman;regional power trade;hydroelectric power plant;climate change impact;peak load period;fossil fuel power;high water stress;renewable energy resource;renewable energy dissemination;cost of development;gender and energy;improving energy efficiency;world health organization;Climate Smart;investments in energy;strategic environmental assessment;energy efficiency improvement;renewable energy source;clean energy program;small power plant;renewable energy option;fossil fuel subsidy;global energy market;renewable energy capacity;energy efficiency measure;electricity production cost;energy sector development;consultations with stakeholders;renewable source;energy access;geothermal development;electricity grid;small hydropower;Climate Risk;development partner;Advisory services;adaptive capacity;global knowledge;
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English
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Renewable Energy, Energy and Extractives, Energy Efficiency, Power and Electricity Sector, Hydropower and Dams,
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Rural and Renewable Energy, Hydro Power, Energy Consumption, Energy Policies & Economics, Energy Conservation & Efficiency, Water and Energy, Environment and Energy Efficiency, Energy Demand, Energy and Environment, Energy and Mining, Renewable Energy,
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Energy (LCSEG)
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Final
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*The text version is uncorrected OCR text and is included solely to benefit users with slow connectivity. | https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/543661468327412011/energy-sector-management-assistance-program-2013-annual-report |
For some this question may be a provocation already: Why and how could one think about quantifying human rights? And what sense does it make to measure the avoidance of severe violations of these rights in numbers? Even more so, if one thinks global capitalism’s tendency to permeate and subjugate all spheres of social life puts a price tag on everything, including the most intimate expressions and sacred values of human life (Zelizer, 2011). And, of course, this tendency to calculate everything in a utilitarian fashion is suspicious of bringing about sooner or later exactly those forms of irresponsibility encountered in the violation of labour standards.
From a realist stance on the issue, one may emphasize that in any type of society what is held in high value culturally should be valued in numbers, too, and if it would be just for facilitating how societal expectations can be transformed into a practice of accountability. Also, many policymakers and bureaucratic authorities seem to believe in measurement these days (see for example SDG labour market indicators, ILO 2018), and hence, they may be more convinced to put more resources into upholding labour standards if their benefits to individuals, societies and economies would be demonstrated beyond any doubt. The latter, however, is a difficult task as there is neither a general agreement on the criteria to be used for that end nor on the units or dimensions to look at for establishing the benefits of labour standards unequivocally. What should count more: an individual’s quality of life, the development of an inclusive society, an economy’s overall welfare or corporations’ cost-benefit calculations?
Unsurprisingly, there is not just one big overall formula for calculating the net benefits of an adherence to labour standards and workers’ rights in all their variety. Rather, there is a giant mosaic picture of various results from various disciplines looking into very different areas for assessment: From occupational health specialists checking for the impacts of single workplace practices such as shift work, physical working conditions or contractual arrangements on health outcomes like life expectancy, injuries, accidents, and illnesses (e.g. EU-OSHA, 2017), to broad brushed macro-economic assessments of the influence of labour standards on the economic development of whole countries or world regions (e.g. Kucera & Sarna, 2006). Somewhere located in between are those calculations that want to establish (or deny) a business case for responsible business conduct (for example by examining stock market performance of public corporations, Vogel, 2005) or indexing rights performances of single countries ( e.g. Kucera & Sari 2019, Center for Global Workers’ Rights, the “Labour Rights Indicators”). Other studies try to assess the effectiveness as well as the costs and benefits of single policies and management practices in various areas from labour inspection (e.g. Li & Singleton, 2019) to quality management systems (Lim & Prakash, 2017).
Although the regular data collections do not allow for a routine assessment of the direct and indirect benefits of labour standards in a single figure or even just a handful of indicators, several recent advancements have been made to estimate the overall work-related health impacts, which is at least an indirect indication for the potential benefits of increasing labour standards’ coverage. A first rough indication can be derived from the recent estimates as reported by the European Health agency in collaboration with the ILO. Globally, for 2015 the economic costs of work-related injuries and deaths have been estimated to amount to 2,600 billion Euros or about 4 percent of global GDP (EU-OSHA, 2017). For the European Union, this figure stands at 476 billion Euros (EU-28), roughly 3 percent of GDP. For this comparative assessment, a figure called DALYs is used which is estimated Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) monetarized by an average nominal product in Euro. This is compared with the ideal scenario, in which a country or a region would lose no DALYs at all, either through work absences, fatal accidents or various illnesses. Fatal work-related injuries show a lower number in the EU28-area compared to other world regions such as South-East Asia or in Africa, whereas fatal illnesses are much more widespread in the European Union and other high-income countries. The authors account for the fact that this is just a rough estimate of work-related impacts on health costs as some sorts of illnesses (especially mental health issues) are not included and the cost estimate is based on an indirect assessment of productivity loss by life years lost. Also, various forms of informal and precarious work are omitted as are the more indirect effects of certain working conditions like presenteeism or high work stress levels; for example, the negative health impacts of long working time are a rather well-established fact (see for a detailed longitudinal study of Finnish managers von Bonsdorff et al 2017, for a recent study on the German labour market, Müller, Tisch, & Wöhrmann, 2018). Overall, all these omissions combine into a likely underestimation of the true costs of work-related health impacts.
Using a workplace-related approach which compares a zero-treatment situation with the additional costs of various negative health influences of workplace management practices, Goh, Pfeffer & Zenios (2016) provide a similar assessment for the United States. In this study, the workplace-related stressors identified are, for example, shift work, long working hours, low organizational fairness or whether an employee has a health insurance or not. For the outcomes, the authors distinguish between health outcomes as such and their associated costs. The data sources for the calculations are drawn from various sources, because a single data set containing various workplace stressors and individual health outcomes as well as their direct monetary valuation does not exist. For deriving the health impacts the authors control for the joint exposure to a workplace treatment, the relative risk to show a health condition, the overall prevalence of a health condition in the populations as well as the incremental cost associated with each illness. Based on these calculations the authors report an estimated lower bound of 120,000 additional deaths each year due to work-place related stressors and the additional costs of these amount to between 5 and 8 percent of total U.S. healthcare expenditures or $117 billion in 2008 (Goh, Pfeffer & Zenios, 2016: 620). It may be interesting to note that no indirect effects on the cost burden of workplace stressors are included in this calculation. Such indirect effects contain labour productivity issues as well as effects on an individuals’ relatives and friends. Studying one example for these indirect effects of management practice, Lim and Prakash (2017) have shown that countries with a higher number of firm accreditations with the ISO9001 quality standard also have statistically significantly reduced rates of fatal and non-fatal injuries. Nevertheless, like Covid 19, the violation of labour standards is a disease which is more deadly than the common flue (if you wish to compare you could check the regular update of Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. issued by John-Hopkins University).
Located on a different scale, and more developed in theory rather than tested empirically, are the potential positive effects of a compliance with workers’ rights for economic development. One attempt to specify several mechanisms that may contribute to a positive economic impact of labour standard compliance has been given by Sengenberger (2002, s. also Scherrer 2017 for a more recent overview). For Sengenberger, minimum labour standards have a couple of positive effects on the dynamic efficiency of single economies, especially if labour standards are combined in their effects. Sengenberger (2002) argues in the light of the critical case, i.e. low-income countries, and against the backdrop of conventional economic wisdom that sees (and must see given the assumptions) any sort of labour market standards as a hindrance to static competitiveness. Within this context, one argument for a positive effect of minimum labour standards on economic development is that these standards alter firms’ competitive strategies towards more technological and organizational innovation, because these standards set a lower bound on wage and social dumping. This may force firms to strive for productivity increases which also may spill-over to a better market positioning. Also, workers’ rights may prevent monopsonist local labour market situations leading to welfare reducing exploitation. Obvious examples are the prohibition of forced and child labour. Next, standards of workers’ social protection bear the potential to set free additional productivity gains within the workplace, a point not to be overestimated in countries where people are exposed to the severe personal life risks of large informal labour markets. Furthermore, worker participation may lead to positive economic outcomes in local firms through productivity enhancing voice effects, worker motivation as well as reduced costs for conflict handling in wage-fixing where there is collective bargaining. In addition, standards contributing to education and skill formation may contribute positively to the long-run economic performance of an economy. The best examples are those standards that prohibit discrimination and demand equal treatment of employees which has also direct positive effects by contributing to using the full range of available human capacities and by avoiding the under-utilization of talent and skills. For a country’s development, these positive effects of workers’ rights combine into a reduction in the risk of a downward spiral driven by poverty wages and the informality of labour. Also indirectly, labour standards may become economically beneficial because of their positive societal and political effects (“positive externalities”) reducing the level of conflict in societies, combating informality and criminal business activities, and increasing societal integration as well as providing a building ground for democracy.
However, as Scherer (2017) points out, even if complying with labour standards may be beneficial in economic terms for the long-run development of a given country, a government may act against enforcing these standards, because short-term incentives may be detrimental to this end, especially where integration in the world market and competition from other low-income countries are high. Therefore, labour standards are also subject to a tragic situation in which especially poor countries become the prisoners of the global marketplace regardless of any positive effects of labour standard compliance for their long-run development (Scherer, 2017). Furthermore, inasmuch as the political and economic spheres are not independent from each other, and nothing in the current era of globalization actually justifies this assumption, the influential players in the modern world economy, be it multinational corporations and their global production networks or authoritarian development regimes, may benefit from the low labour standards in a given country, undermining either directly or indirectly effective strategies to lift these up (see Yeung & Coe, 2015; Lüthje & Butollo, 2017, for example).
In conclusion, there is no general agreement on how labour standards’ benefits should be assessed and calculated best, also despite recent advances in the respective literature. And, any technique of assessment depends on the precise question one wants to answer. But even if agreement was reached one day and compliance with labour standards’ positive effects had been demonstrated universally in a waterproof fashion, this wouldn’t be sufficient for actual change to happen. This is because just proving that something would be superior in outcome is usually not sufficient for its realization in practice, given the ideological cleavages, interest conflicts and power relations enshrined in the current complexities of economic and political structures. Nevertheless, if read with the necessary precautions for method, measurement, and ideational context, the results of assessing the impacts of labour standards and workers’ rights in various areas may deliver helpful support for those aiming at improving the current state of affairs around labour standard violations.
Reference
Bonsdorff, M.B.v., Strandberg, A., Bonsdorff, M. v., Törmäkangas, T., Pitkäla, K.H. & Strandberg, T. E. (2017). Working hours and sleep duration in midlife as determinants of health-related quality of life among older businessmen. Age and Ageing, 46: 108-112.
Goh, J., Pfeffer, J. & Zenios, S.A. (2016). The relationship between workplace stressors and mortality and health costs in the United States. Management Science, 62(2): 608-628.
International Labour Organization_ILO (2018). Decent Work and the Sustainable Development Goals. A Guidebook on SDG Labour Market Indicators. Geneva.
Kucera, D. & Sarna, R. (2006). Trade union rights, democracy, and exports: a gravity model approach. Review of International Economics, 14(5): 859-882.
Kucera, D. & Sari, D. (2019). New labour rights indicators: Method and trends for 2000-15. International Labour Review, 158 (3): 419-446.
Li, L. & Singleton, P. (2019). The effect of workplace inspections on worker safety. ILR Review, 72(3): 718-748.
Lim, S. & Prakash, A. (2017). From quality control to labor protection: ISO 9001 and workplace safety, 1993-2012. Global Policy, 8(Suppl.3): 66-77.
Lüthje, B. & Butollo, F. (2017). Why the Foxconn model does not die: Production Networks and Labour Relations in the IT industry in South China. Globalizations, 14(2): 216-231.
Müller, G., Tisch, A. & Wöhrmann, A.M. (2018). The impact of long working hours on the health of German employees, German Journal of Human Resource Management, 32(3-4): 217-235.
Scherrer, C. (2017). The development rationale for international labour rights. Indian Journal for Labour Economics, 60: 81-91.
Sengenberger, W. (2002). Globalization and social progress: The role and impact of International Labour Standards. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung: Bonn.
Vogel, D. (2005). The market for virtue. The potential and limits of corporate social responsibility. Brookings: Washington.
Yeung, H.W. & Coe, N.M. (2015). Towards a dynamic theory of global production networks. Economic Geography, 91(1): 29-58.
Zelizer, V. A. (2011). Economic lives. How culture shapes the economy. Princeton University Press: Princeton. | https://labour-inspection.net/2020/08/07/10_how-do-labour-standards-pay-and-for-whom/ |
What is the Nest Project about?
The NEST project seeks to contribute to the development and provision of inclusive education that will enhance the social inclusion of migrants and refugees in the host countries.
NEST projects’ goals:
- Increase the access of migrants and refugees to inclusive education and lifelong learning
- Increase the cultural awareness of migrants through the development and delivery of tailored educational resources
- Reinvigorate policy dialogue and mutual learning among relevant stakeholders through the exchange of best practices in the field of education and cultural integration
- Enhance the skills of education practitioners on conveying cultural knowledge and facilitate the inclusion of migrants and refugees in the host societies
- Develop and implement an innovative cultural learning approach that will be tailored to the needs of migrants and refugees and that will promote mutual understanding and feelings of belonging. | https://www.project-nest.eu/what-is-the-nest-project-about/ |
Updated: May 26, 2020 5:12:23 pm
Bihar Board BSEB 10th Result 2020: The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) will not release the results of class 10 examination today. The board chairman Anand Kishore earlier told indianexpress.com that the results of matric examination may be released today, as the post-evaluation process is completed.
LIVE UPDATES | Bihar Board BSEB 10th Result today
READ | When and where to check matric result
Register here to get Bihar Board 10th results
This year, over 15.29 lakh candidates have appeared for the Bihar Board matric exam. While the result will be available at the official website, biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in, students can register with indianexpress.com to get their results as well. The Board has earlier declared class 12 result and became the first-ever board to do so amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Read | Bihar Board Class 10 result: Why is it ‘delayed’, when to expect
How to check Bihar Board 10th result 2020?
Register at indianexppress.com
To get results here, the students need to fill credentials in the box given below, by registering candidates sign-up to get result mark sheet on the registered mobile number and email address.
Bihar Board 10th result: Results via websites
To get the result, the students need to click on any of the websites mentioned above. Click on the result link. Enter registration number, roll number. The results will appear on the screen. Download it, and take a print out for further reference.
Websites to check
Once released, the students can check the results through the websites- biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in, onlinebseb.in, bsebresult.online, bsebonline.org, biharboard.online.
The mark sheets will be available in August. “The mark sheets get printed in Delhi, and the process will start once lockdown lifted. The students of both matric and intermediate can get their mark sheets by September,” chairman Anand Kishore said earlier.
Last year, over 16.35 lakh students appeared and the pass percentage recorded was at 80.73 per cent.
Bihar Board 10th results: Follow updates in Hindi
Marking scheme
The most recent announcement for the board is of the upcoming academic year of 2021 in which, instead of two 50-mark language papers, one 100-marks exam will be held. The number of additional subjects has also increased. In line with CBSE, students will have the option to select six subjects and the best of five will be calculated. Students will also have the option to chose an elective subject. In case a student fails in one of the major subjects, the marks of the elective subject will be counted. This too is expected to improve the pass percentage further.
Verification of toppers
After the infamous incident of 2016, when the BSEB topper did not know answers to basic questions, the board has started verifying the answer scripts of top-scoring students. For the current year, due to the pandemic, the verification is being conducted through WhatsApp-based video conferencing. Students are reportedly made to write some questions to match handwriting and are quizzed on subject-related matters.
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- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards. | https://indianexpress.com/article/education/bihar-board-bseb-10th-result-2020-how-to-check-biharboardonline-bihar-gov-in-onlinebseb-in-bsebresult-online-bsebonline-org-6422145/ |
Rescued cats ready for adoption in 10 days
The approximately 40 cats and kittens taken from a flea-ridden Hyannisport home Tuesday are continuing to improve and will be available for adoption in about 10 days, said Deborah Doe, founder of the New England Society for Abandoned Animals.
All of the cats have had a health check and will be neutered before they are released for adoption, she said.
Anyone who wishes to make a tax-deductible donation to assist in care of these cats and other rescued animals at the group's Centerville facility may send a check to NESAA, P.O. Box 1041, Osterville, MA 02655 or via the website at www.nesaa.org.
The agency can be reached at 508-771-7800.
The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Centerville is also seeking prospective cat owners. The number of homeless cats brought to the adoption center in June increased by nearly 50 percent when compared with the same month in 2009, the MSPCA says. The shelter, on Route 28, can be reached at 508-775-0940. | https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2010/07/08/rescued-cats-ready-for-adoption/51546067007/ |
China, Singapore Relax Quarantine Rules for Certain Travelers
China and Singapore agreed to “fast lane” rules easing restrictions for approved business and official travelers as part of plans to gradually relax limits on flights and resume trade amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under an agreement effective June 8, travelers from both countries who have obtained approval from authorities will be exempt from rules requiring everyone else to serve quarantine periods of as many as 14 days, the Singapore government said Wednesday.
"This is part of Singapore's gradual reopening of our borders for Singaporeans and residents to conduct essential activities overseas and to allow safe travel for foreigners entering Singapore in limited numbers, with the necessary safeguards in place to ensure public health considerations are addressed," Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a joint statement
The ministries said Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning to Singapore from China must monitor their health and comply with prevailing health measures.
Approved travelers must first agree to be tested and bear the costs. If they are found to be infected with Covid-19 upon landing in Singapore or China, they will be hospitalized and will have to pay for their own treatment, according to the agreement.
Initially, the new system will apply only to business and official travel on flights between Singapore and six provinces in China — Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Travelers will have to jump through several hoops before boarding a flight. The business organization or government entity sponsoring the trip must apply for approval from authorities on behalf of the traveler. Applications open June 8.
In addition, travelers must submit and adhere to an itinerary. Travelers from China must take a Covid-19 swab test 48 hours before departure and another swab test when they land at Singapore’s Changi Airport.
Upon entry into Singapore, travelers must remain in isolation in accommodations at nonresidential addresses they have sourced themselves and declared for one to two days until the test result is known.
In addition, travelers may not take mass public transport such as trains and buses and must instead use private-hire cars, taxis or transport provided by their employers.
They will also have to download the TraceTogether app for the duration of their stay. If a traveler does not have a TraceTogether-compatible device, the host company or government agency should provide one.
Similar rules will apply to Singapore travelers going to China.
There will also be a limit on the number of people whose trips are approved.
To facilitate immigration clearance on arrival, travelers must show a copy of the letter approving their trip issued by the government authority in China.
China currently allows each Singapore carrier to fly to only one city in China once a week. Singapore Airlines now flies to Shanghai, Scoot to Guangzhou and SilkAir to Chongqing. There are no flights to Beijing.
Similar travel discussions are ongoing between Singapore and other countries including South Korea, New Zealand and Malaysia, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said last week.
Priority for the resumption of business travel will go to essential business people, technical personnel for critical operations and government officials, the minister said Wednesday in a Facebook post.
The “fast lane” arrangement represents “some light at the end of the tunnel,” though it will be a long time before life returns to near normal, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said Wednesday in another Facebook post.
“However, recreational travel will have to take a back seat for now,” he said.
This story was first published in The Strait Times. | https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-06-04/china-singapore-relax-quarantine-rules-for-certain-travelers-101562813.html |
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