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ICHCAP aims to promote intangible cultural heritage (ICH) safeguarding activities of individuals, communities, organizations, institutions, and countries through management and effective sharing of information and cultural data focusing on ICH....
Network Building
Our Centre establishes networks among communities, groups, and individuals to help transmit and share intangible cultural heritage. This initiative strengthens cooperative networks among NGOs, research institutes, and government organizations regionally...
Raising Awareness
Promoting the value of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and raising public awareness about cultural assets, domains of knowledge, and practices relevant to ICH safeguarding shape conducive conditions for the protection...
RECENT NEWS
Impact of the Intangible Cultural Heritage on Creative Economy, 2021 South Asia Sub-regional Meeting was held
The International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (hereinafter ICHCAP) held the 2021 Sub-regional Meeting for Intangible Cultural Heritage...
Finding the Value of Creativity and Innovation in Intangible Cultural Heritage
The 2021 World Intangible Cultural Heritage Forum, hosted by the National Intangible Heritage Center (Director, Jong-Hee Lee) of the Cultural Heritage Administration and supervised by ICHCAP (Director-General, Gi-Hyung Keum), will...
2021 Cheongju Craft Biennale, The Craft for Conviviality to overcome Global Pandemic Fatigue
The Cheongju Craft Biennale, an international exhibition event representing Cheongju and the world's first and largest event in the field of crafts, opened on September 8. This event is colored...
Fourth Preparatory Committee Meeting for the Silk Roads Living Heritage Network Held
On 25 August 2021, UNESCO-ICHCAP and its collaborative partners IICAS and the KF Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum Secretariat held the fourth preparatory committee meeting for the Silk Roads Living Heritage...
Qalishuyan Heritage
The Qalishuyan is the 1,000-year-old ritual of Mashhad Ardehal is the only religious ceremony in Persia that history is according to the solar-agricultural calendar. This ritual is known as "Qali...
Different Communities in Nepal Celebrates Shrawan Shukla Purnima
Nepal is a diverse country, which is reflected in the rituals, traditional festivals and practices. Even the same day is celebrated by different ethnic communities with different practices and even...
Related Sites
ichLinks
ichLinks is a one-stop online platform where you can easily meet and experience intangible cultural heritage information and content from forty-eight UNESCO member states in the Asia-Pacific region. ichLinks will advance as a common venue for communication and cooperation among various stakeholders, including policy makers, research institutes, experts, NGOs, communities and practitioners related to intangible cultural heritage.
ICH Courier
ICHCAP publishes the ICH Courier as a specialized magazine in the field of ICH to provide news and information related to intangible cultural heritage in the Asia-Pacific region. The recent volumes can be viewed and downloaded online ICH Courier website.
e-Knowledge Center
ICHCAP has uploaded some of its project outcomes on our e-Knowledge Center website. Here, you can find multimedia materials and electronic versions of many ICHCAP publications. | https://www.unesco-ichcap.org/ |
Background: Circulating platelets roll along exposed collagen at vessel injury sites and respond with filipodia protrusion, shape change and surface area expansion. These events precede stable adhesion and wound-healing hemostatic plug formation. Various glycoproteins and integrins are considered to be both collagen responders and mediators of platelet adhesion, although the kinetics of the signaling circuits emanating from these receptors do not fully account for the rapid platelet cytoskeletal changes that occur in blood flow.
Aims: To demonstrate the role of GPR56 in hemostasis and thrombosis..
Methods: Protein biochemistry, platelet aggregometry, transgenic mice and in vivo hemostasis and thrombosis models, collagen flow chamber model with human platelets.
Results: We report that GPR56/ADGRG1 is a platelet adhesion G protein-coupled receptor (AGPCR) that transduces the signal from collagen and blood flow-induced shear force to activate G protein 13 signaling for platelet shape change. AGPCRs are two-fragment receptors that have been proposed be activated by shear force-mediated fragment dissociation to unmask a tethered-peptide-agonist. We trapped the freed GPR56 N-terminal fragment (NTF) from human plasma using collagen-coated beads. Gpr56-/- mice were found to have prolonged bleeding and defective platelet plug formation. Blood perfusion over collagen demonstrated that Gpr56-/- platelets or platelets in human blood treated with recombinant GPR56 NTF adhered defectively at high shear. The GPR56 rNTF exhibited anti-coagulant properties in mouse circulation.
Conclusions: Our work updates the hemostasis model by placing GPR56 as an initial collagen-responder and shear-force transducer that fulfills platelet shape change.
[Role of GPR56 in Platelet Action During Hemostasis]
To cite this abstract in AMA style:Yeung J, Adili R, Stringham E, Vizurraga A, Roselli L, Yu M, Holinstat M, Tall G. GPR56 is a Platelet Collagen-Responsive GPCR and Hemostatic Sensor of Shear Force [abstract]. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2020; 4 (Suppl 1). https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/gpr56-is-a-platelet-collagen-responsive-gpcr-and-hemostatic-sensor-of-shear-force/. Accessed December 3, 2021. | https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/gpr56-is-a-platelet-collagen-responsive-gpcr-and-hemostatic-sensor-of-shear-force/ |
Just as no man is an island, neither is any bird, insect, plant, or mammal. Many species live in close relationships with others, affecting each others ways of life. It seems logical to think that species that live closely with each other might evolve in adaptation to each other. This logic is extremely difficult to prove, since it requires direct proof of evolution in not one but two species. However, there is ample evidence to suggest that coevolution does take place.
In order to live in symbiotic or parasitic relationship, species must be adapted to each other. For example, cattle harbor bacteria in their stomachs that help them break down plant material. To live like this, the immune system of the cattle must be adapted to not kill these useful bacteria and the bacteria themselves must be adapted to live in the harsh environment of the cow's stomach. If a population of cattle moved to a new location where radically new plant material was available, they might adapt to eating this new food source. The bacteria, in turn, might then undergo adaption of their own digestive mechanisms to the new plant material. This would be an example of coadaptation. Most biologists accept coevolution on the basis of coadaptation if there is no overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
In parasitic relationships, the prey species often evolves mechanisms to defend itself against the parasite. However, the parasite may also evolve to evade these new mechanisms. This back-and-forth evolution of defense and offense, often called a coevolutionary arms race, can often result in a rapid burst of evolutionary change in both species. | https://www.sparknotes.com/biology/evolution/patternsofevolution/section2/ |
Gravitation Question and Answer
In this post, we share some question’s about gravitation. This topic is most important topic for all student and also a topic of general knowledge . Some exams asking question in this topic.
Ques 1. The period of artificial geostationary satellite is.
Ans :
Ques 2. If the mass of the earth is not changed and its radius decreased by 1% then the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the earth would be .
Ans :
Ques 3. When satellite orbits close to a planet, its time period depends upon .
Ans :
Ques 4. The value of universal gravitational constant G is .
Ans :
Ques 5. Name the world’s first artificial Satellite?
Ans :
Ques 6. When body falls towards earth its motion is due to .
Ans :
Ques 7. What is the unit of the magnitude of the weight?
Ans :
Ques 8. Acceleration due to gravity decreases with:
Ans :
Ques 9. Do you know the acceleration of the moon depends upon:
Ans :
Ques 10. Who said that in the universe every body exerts a gravitational force on every other body?
Ans : | https://notesplanet.com/gravitation-question-and-answer/ |
I'm wondering how to reharmonize a jazz song using a traditional jazz style that avoids modern substitutions and extensions.
As an example, I've got this score here. You can see the two reharmonizations on the first two A sections that I tried on the score below, but am not totally satisfied. On the one hand, I don't want to just sit on the same chord all the time, but the challenge is that there is a lot of chromaticism in the melody that makes it hard for me to think of straightforward chords using circle of fifths type ideas. I want to use 30s style harmony, which is closer to classical, rather than jazz. The original A section harmony is on the bottom two lines.
Can anyone help me out with some ideas and general techniques for achieving a traditional jazz reharmonization? | https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/113268/old-school-reharmonization-of-jazz-songs |
Siobhan C.
Lesson Details
Viola
- Levels Taught:
- Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Siobhan teaches
About
- Teaches students:
- Ages 5+ and special needs
- Teaching since:
- September 2004
Siobhan is an internationally performing violinist originally from Detroit, Michigan. Currently residing in Miami, Florida, she maintains an active studio of violin, viola, and piano students while being an active performer on stages all over the country.
She has most recently served as Principal Second Violinist of the Miami Symphony Orchestra, Concertmaster of the Miami Chamber Orchestra, Guest Principal Second Violinist of the South Florida Symphony, and Principal Violist with the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra. She currently holds a position in the violin section with Miami-based NuDeco Ensemble and often performs with several other orchestras, including the Southwest Florida Symphony, Palm Beach Symphony Orchestra, the Villages Philharmonic, as well as the Atlantic Classical Orchestra. She has appeared recently as a soloist with the Filarmonia Xalapa in Veracruz Mexico performing a variety of solo repertoire and concertos.
Siobhan has performed on stage with Plácido Domingo, Emanuel Ax, Midori, Andrea Bocelli, Audra McDonald, and Christine Goerke, as well as on tour with nationally recognized artists including Il Volo, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, and the Trans Siberian Orchestra. She is currently the touring violinist for the internationally recognized cinematic rock band, Starset.
She has maintained violin and piano studios in Michigan, Florida, and online for all levels. Her teaching experience includes mentorship with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Miami Music Project, and after school music programs at the Cushman School in Miami.
She holds a Master of Music in Performance as well as a Bachelor of Music in Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Experience
Section ViolinJan 2016 - Present
Section ViolinJan 2015 - Present
Principal Second ViolinSep 2016 - May 2017
Education
Masters Degree, MusicSep 2012 - May 2014
Bachelors Degree, Economics and MusicSep 2007 - May 2012
Languages
English
French
Photos & Videos
2 ReviewsWrite a Review
Made it easy to understand. Was very clear, supportive and helpful. Really enjoyed the lesson. | https://takelessons.com/profile/siobhan-c?service=viola |
This salary is an average estimate between all available diplomas degrees related to this career. Click here to get an overview of salary depending of diploma.
No certificate, diploma or degree : 43 550 $
High school diploma or equivalent : 40 320 $
Postsecondary certificate or diploma below bachelor level : 50 120 $
University certificate, diploma or degree at bachelor level or above : 57 400 $
Career's stability
Stable
The career's stability is based on the employment projection for that working area for the year 2022.
Employment requirements
- Conservators require a master's degree in art conservation or Completion of a three-year college program in conservation technology and several years of experience in conservation work.
- Curators require a master's or bachelor's degree in museology, art history or a field related to their specific area of work.
Job overview
Conservators restore and conserve artifacts belonging to museums, galleries and owners of cultural property. Curators recommend the acquisition of museum artifacts and gallery works of art and research their artistic history. Conservators and curators are employed in museums, art galleries and universities. Conservators may be self-employed.
Main duties
- Examine artifacts, determine their condition, suggest methods for treating them and recommend preventive conservation techniques to their owners
- Restore and conserve paintings, photographs, sculptures, furniture, pottery and other museum and art gallery artifacts
- Provide advice on display and storage of museum and gallery artifacts to ensure proper maintenance and preservation
- Research new conservation and restoration techniques
- Provide consultation to museums, art galleries or private individuals
- Supervise conservation technicians and other museum technicians.
- Recommend the acquisition of paintings, photographs, sculptures, documents and other museum and art gallery artifacts
- Research origins and artistic history of artifacts
- Develop storylines and themes and organize displays and exhibitions
- Co-ordinate the storage of collections and the setting up of displays and exhibitions
- Oversee the conservation, display and circulation of collections
- Supervise curatorial assistants and other museum technicians. | http://canadacareersfinder.ca/en/career&proid=337 |
Columbian born Gonzalo Fuenmayor combines familiar symbols of Latin America with those of Europe, melding jungle flora and fauna with ornate decorative objects. Unexpected combinations reference the cultural clash between the two regions and “magical realism”- a blend of the fantastic and the mundane.
In Carmen Imperial, a towering headdress features a mythical pairing of opulent flowers and fruit, tropical birds and a crustacean. Carmen Miranda, the exuberant Brazilian entertainer, is the inspiration for this remarkable charcoal drawing.
In 2004, Fuenmayor earned a BFA from the School of Visual Arts, New York and a MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA). He has exhibited throughout North and South America, and is the recipient of numerous awards including the SMFA’s prestigious Traveling Fellowship. Gonzalo Fuenmayor: Tropical Mythologies, the artist’s recent solo exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, was a compilation of work completed during his fellowship.
Carmen Imperial can be viewed in the Longwood Center. | https://www.dana-farber.org/about-us/locations/yawkey-center-for-cancer-care/new-art-acquisitions-and-hidden-treasures/carmen-imperial/ |
On June 6, 2021, the European Commission published the Strategy for Financing the Transition to a Sustainable Economy which sets out a series of actions to better integrate sustainability into the financial services sector. It builds on the 2018 Action Plan on Financing Sustainable Growth by devising stronger measures to achieve the new objectives under the European Green Deal, and to sustainably recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, an estimated €350 billion per year in additional investment over this decade is needed to meet the Green Deals’ 2030 emissions-reduction target in energy systems alone, in addition to €130 billion to achieve other environmental goals.
The revamped sustainable finance strategy, therefore, complements environmental regulation in providing a sustainable finance roadmap that seeks to increasingly channel private financial flows towards relevant sustainable economic activities, bypassing unsustainable activities and assets likely to become stranded, and better involve financial institutions. While the Commission has progressed in implementing the 2018 Action Plan, for instance by recently publishing the proposal on Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive, the new strategy identifies areas where more measures are needed to address the new challenges. The strategy reorganizes work around the following four main pillars to achieve six sets of actions.
Pillar 1: Financing the Transition of the Economy Towards Sustainability
The Commission readily accepts that economic actors’ transition will vary due to different starting points and business strategies, as long as such efforts are “ultimately (…) consistent with the EU’s sustainability goals.” Under Action 1 the Commission aims to develop a more comprehensive framework and to help finance intermediary steps towards sustainability. To do so, among others, it will:
- consider proposing legislation to support the financing of certain economic activities, primarily in the energy sector, including gas, that helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
- consider options for extending the EU Taxonomy framework to possibly recognize economic activities performing at an intermediate level;
- adopt a Complementary EU Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act covering new sectors including agriculture and certain energy activities; and
- consider a general framework for labels for financial instruments, and work on an ESG Benchmark label, minimum sustainability criteria for financial products that promote environmental or social characteristics.
Pillar 2: Towards a More Inclusive Sustainable Finance Framework
The Commission aims under Action 2 to improve the inclusiveness of sustainable finance by involving and drawing on the strengths of all actors and tools which can contribute to sustainable finance. These range from enhancing retail investors’ and SMEs’ access to sustainable financing, to adapting insurance coverage and digital technologies. In particular, the Commission will:
- ask the EBA to explore options to facilitate the uptake of green loans and mortgages by 2022, and increase citizens and SMEs’ access to sustainable finance advisory services; and
- identify insurance protection gaps in relation to climate risk coverage, and initiate a Climate Resilience Dialogue with all relevant stakeholders by 2022.
Pillar 3: Improving the Financial Sector’s Resilience and Contribution to Sustainability: the Double Materiality Perspective
Under Action 3 the Commission makes clear that double materiality must be integrated into the financial sector workings to enhance economic and financial resilience to sustainability risks. In doing so, Commission commits in particular to:
- work with EFRAG, ESMA and the IASB on how financial reporting standards can best capture relevant sustainability risks;
- take action to ensure that relevant ESG risks are systematically captured in credit ratings and rating outlooks in a transparent manner;
- propose amendments in the Capital Requirements Regulation and Capital Requirements Directive to ensure the consistent integration of sustainability risks in risk management systems of banks, including climate change stress tests by banks this year;
- propose amendments to the Solvency II Directive to consistently integrate sustainability risks in risk management systems and supervision of insurers, including climate change scenario analysis by insurers this year.
Under Action 4, the Commission seeks to ensure the financial sector steps up its contributions to sustainability, by:
- improving financial institutions’ disclosures of sustainability targets and transition planning;
- asking EIOPA to assess the need to review the fiduciary duties of pension funds and investors to reflect sustainability impacts, including stewardship and engagement activities by 2022; and
- taking action to improve the reliability and comparability of ESG ratings and further assess certain aspects of ESG research, to decide on whether an intervention is necessary.
Lastly, under Action 5 the Commission seeks to monitor the orderly transition and ensure the integrity of the EU’s financial system, in particular by:
- monitoring greenwashing risks;
- developing a robust monitoring framework to measure capital flows and assist Member States in assessing the investment gap and progress made by their financial sectors by 2023;
- strengthening cooperation among all relevant public authorities (Member States, the ECB, the ESRB, the ESAs, EEA) to work towards a common approach to monitor an orderly transition and ensure the double materiality perspective is consistently integrated across the EU financial system by 2022; and
- establishing a Sustainable Finance Research Forum to foster knowledge exchange between researchers and the financial community.
Pillar IV: Fostering Global Ambition
This Pillar reflects the international prominence of the challenge of reforming financial services towards greater sustainability. Under Action 6, the Commission aims to set a high level of ambition in developing international sustainable finance initiatives and standards and to support EU partner countries. To do so, the Commission will:
- seek an ambitious consensus in international forums, mainstream the concept of double materiality, stress the importance of disclosure frameworks, and agree on objectives and principles for taxonomies;
- propose to expand the work of the IPSF to new topics and strengthen its governance; and
- support low- and middle-income countries in scaling up their access to sustainable finance by developing a strategy and by promoting sustainability-related financial instruments.
Conclusion
The Commission has laid out a comprehensive strategy to reform the financial sector towards sustainability, consisting of both new (non) legislative measures and restatements of measures announced previously. The short timeline against which the actions are set demonstrates these reforms are among the EU’s priorities.
Overall, the strategy not only aims to ensure the financial sector’s resilience against the risks posed by climate change, but also to ensure that financial institutions fully get on board and contribute to the European Green Deal’s objectives under the banner of double materiality, and that investments are increasingly channeled towards sustainable activities as defined in the EU Taxonomy.
While the strategy will result in new legislative initiatives which will affect financial institutions in a variety of ways, including how they market and label their services, report data, and consider social factors in their strategies, the strategy falls short on details as to how the EU aims to tackle greenwashing other than noting the Commission will “consider steps to ensure a sufficient, consistent level of enforcement and supervision to address greenwashing”. The Commission has committed to reporting on the implementation of the strategy by the end of 2023, which will provide the opportunity to assess the progress made. | https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=cd7a13e6-bb14-4b2a-955c-33b69dcdbfff |
•Parts of whole tables. Prism has always created structured data tables, and Prism 6 adds a sixth kind of table: Parts of Whole. As the name suggests, this table is used for the kind of data where it makes sense to sum all the values in a data set column, and divide each value in the table into this total.
•Pie charts and more. Each data set column in the parts of whole table can become its own pie chart, and each value represents one slice of the pie. Prism will graph column A automatically. To graph the other columns, use New...Graph of existing data. Prism can also plot these kind of data as a donut plot, stacked bar plot, or a percentage dot plot.
•A new fraction of total analysis computes each value in a table as a fraction or percent of its column total. In a parts of whole table, each value represents one slice in a pie chart defined by the sum of all the values in that column, so this analysis computes the fraction (or percentage) of the pie represented by each slice. It can also be used with contingency (or Column, XY or Grouped, if needed and if there are no subcolumns) tables to compute each value as a fraction of its column total, its row total, or the grand total.
•Compare an observed categorical distribution with an expected distribution using either the chi-square test (any number of categories) or the binomial test (works only with two categories). | https://www.graphpad.com/guides/prism/8/user-guide/goal_work_with_parts-of-whole_.htm |
17th c. fluyt shipwreck identified
The 17th century fluyt discovered in the Gulf of Finland last summer has been identified as the Swan, built in 1636. It was a carved timber transom, preserved in the cold and shipworm-free waters of the Eastern Baltic that solved the mystery. This is the first time a 17th century has been identified from markings on its transom.
The merchant vessel was found on the seabed 280 feet beneath the surface by divers from the Finnish organization Badewanne which documents and maps the many shipwrecks from the World Wars that litter the Gulf of Finland. The ship had been damaged by fishing trawlers. Its three masts had been pulled out and some of the deck timbers. The wooden transom, once mounted vertically above the stern post and tiller, had broken off and fallen face down onto the seabed under the stern.
Fluyt ships typically carried a transom plate that was engraved with key data about the ship — the name in figure form, the year of construction, often the coat of arms of the vessel’s home port — so it was important to get a look at the face of the transom. With a 20-minute limit on dives and just a few days to do them in, Badewanne divers were unable to turn the heavy timber over last year.
They returned to the find site this summer for a two-week diving camp to explore the wreck while filming a documentary about it, and this time they were able to turn the transom over, revealing the engraved image of a swan and the year 1636. At the time carving on the transom was often a visual depiction of the name of the ship to make it recognizable without requiring literacy. The large swan standing in profile above the 1636 construction date was not a random decoration, therefore, but rather the ship’s name. The corroded circle is likely the attachment point of a lantern, now lost.
The diving team took detailed measurements and photographs of the wreck. The images were stitched together to create a detailed photogrammetric 3D model of the wreck. Extrapolating from the model, researchers were able to calculate the original dimensions of the ship before its sinking. The team hopes to be able to find documentary records of the fluyt now that they know the name, year and measurements.
According to Niklas Eriksson, a maritime archaeologist at Stockholm University specialising in fluits, the ships were identified at the time on the basis of the information engraved on the transom. Pieces of the transom have been found in marine archaeological research in the past, but this is the first time, according to Eriksson, that all transom information is available.
“More detailed investigations are likely to reveal the coat of arms that will show the ship’s home port,” Eriksson said.
The real reason for the sinking of the ship may never be clear, Polkko said, noting that there are a couple of manual water pumps on the deck of the wreck. This suggests the crew may not have had time to pump water out fast enough.
“At that time, grain was transported in the hold of the ships. If a lot of water gets in there, it could block the pumps,” Polkko explained. | http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/62098 |
November 5, 2009 By Lizzie ETB Buchen This article courtesy of Nature News.
A treatment based on HIV finds first success in humans.
Researchers have halted a fatal brain disease by delivering a therapeutic gene to the stem cells that mature into blood cells.
The gene was transferred using a virus derived from HIV, a technique that researchers have pursued for more than a decade but has not been successful in humans until now.
Together with his colleagues, paediatric neurologist Patrick Aubourg at INSERM — France's main biomedical research agency — and at the Saint-Vincent de Paul Hospital in Paris, developed the system to treat X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a neurodegenerative disease that affects young males.
ALD results in severe degeneration of the myelin sheath, a structure that is crucial for brain-cell function. The disease is caused by mutations in a gene encoding the ALD protein, which has an important role in cells that make up the myelin sheath and in microglia, the immune cells that reside in the brain. The mutations lead to a deficiency of ALD protein and a subsequent loss of myelin, which begins affecting cognitive function in boys aged 6 to 8 years; most die before reaching adolescence.
Aubourg and his colleagues removed haematopoietic stem cells from two young male patients with ALD and infected the cells with an HIV-derived virus carrying the normal, non-mutated gene for the ALD protein. The patients underwent chemotherapy to eradicate their bone marrow to stop them producing further stem cells, and then received an infusion of their own fixed stem cells carrying the normal gene.
Brain scans and cognitive tests demonstrated that the disease stopped progressing after 14–16 months and was still stabilized after a further 12 months. Neither patient showed any sign of cancer, which can be a tragic consequence of virus-delivered gene therapy. The authors report their results in Science1.
"It's the first time that a really severe disease of the brain has been treated with success by gene therapy," says Aubourg. "My hope is it gives a boost to the gene-therapy field. A lot of trials using [other viral techniques] were stopped because there was no efficacy, but now others can use this kind of virus to treat other diseases."
Currently, the only effective way of treating ALD is bone-marrow transplantation, which replaces a patient's haematopoietic stem cells with those from a healthy donor. These cells give rise to all blood cells, including immune cells such as microglia, which are altered in ALD. But transplants are only possible when there is a compatible donor — and even if a donor is found, there is still a high mortality rate in patients with ALD who have received a transplant.
Aubourg and his team wanted to improve the treatment by using gene therapy to correct a patient's own haematopoietic stem cells. Viruses have long been the tools of choice for delivering genetic material to cells because it's what they do naturally. But most viruses can only get their genes into a host cell's genome if that cell is actively dividing — a problem for cells that divide very slowly, such as stem cells.
Gene-therapy vectors based on lentiviruses, such as HIV, are an exception: they can integrate genes into a target cell regardless of whether the cell is dividing or not.
However, a major concern with any virus used for gene therapy is safety. Viruses can integrate their genes in unpredictable locations in the host cell's genome — including locations that may activate cancer-causing genes. To overcome this problem, Aubourg and his colleagues used a modified lentivirus that would not activate nearby genes.
When Aubourg and his team tested the patients' blood for cells that come from the same line as microglia, they found that about 15% of the cells had received the non-mutated gene.
They analysed the safety of the gene's insertion by searching for its positions in the genomes of targeted cells. Cancerous cells divide rapidly so a cancer-causing insertion would quickly become more common than any others. But the team found that the insertion locations were diverse and remained so, indicating that no insertion was activating cancer-causing genes.
"Leukaemia is the worst-case scenario [in gene therapy]," says Aubourg. "We're now on three years and did not observe any biological effects. We need a longer follow-up, but we are quite reassured now."
"It's a huge advance," says Mark Kay, director of the Program in Human Gene Therapy at Stanford University School of Medicine in California. "If you look in general at the vectors we use for gene therapy, we've really come a long way. This is the first successful use of lentiviral vectors, and it gives me a lot more cautious optimism moving forward."
Cartier, N. et al. Science 326, 818-823 (2009). | http://www.bioedonline.org/news/nature-news/brain-disease-treated-gene-therapy/ |
1. What Is Unique About Photography At Law?
There are many unique aspects to photography at law.
Photographs can:
- Invade a person's privacy.
- Defame a person.
- Infringe on a trademark or registered design.
- Be found, in some jurisdictions, to be an actionable breach of character merchandising rights.
- Not be authorised because the release is not clear or is limited to a specific use.
- Result in awards of punitive damages if copyright is infringed and the infringement causes the owner of the copyright emotional distress.
As a photograph reproduces a visual art work (e.g. a painting or a drawing), if there is copyright in that work, the photograph can infringe the copyright in the original work.
Some types of professional photography are supplied to consumers (e.g. portrait photography) meaning that the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 applies. In that situation it is illegal for a photographer to try to contract out of the statutory warranties. In particular this involves dealing with the statutory warranty of fitness of the service to the consumer.
Photographers have, under statute, both legal and moral rights (right to attribution, right to object to derogatory treatment of works etc) and in some cases a client will also have statutory moral rights to insist upon privacy and non-publication of other images (irrespective of copyright ownership).
2. "Copyright" In A Photograph - What Is It?
Copyright is the right to copy.
That right exists in every photograph from when it is taken and lasts for 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the photographer dies. (Section 22 (1) of the Copyright Act, 1994)
Someone, although not necessarily the photographer, owns copyright in every photograph.
That right gives the copyright owner the exclusive rights to:
- Make copies for themselves and;
- Control the copying of that photograph by others (by licensing) and;
- Issue copies to the public and;
- Show the work in public and;
- Broadcast the photograph (that is show it on TV or display it on computer terminals over computer networks like the Internet and similar broadcasts) and;
- Adapt or change the photograph and;
- Allow others to use your copy rights.
(see Section 16 (1) of the Copyright Act, 1994).
If the work is of a different type to a photograph, that is another type of artistic work or a literary work there are other rights that may be relevant.
Copyright is all about property rights. This right to copy can be sold or part of the rights licensed to others for them to exploit the photograph. Copyright itself can be jointly owned, in equal or unequal shares.
For example a photograph may be so good that a postcard manufacturer wants to use it. That photograph may also be intended for a book of photographs. In this case the copyright owner would usually license the two organisations that wanted to use the copyright, the book publisher for the use in the book and the postcard manufacturer on the postcards. The copyright owner might be paid a flat fee or royalties (or a combination) for each use.
3. Who Owns Copyright?
The owner of copyright in photograph is either:
- THE PHOTOGRAPHER - if the photographer is NOT commissioned or takes the photograph as an employee; OR.
- THE EMPLOYER - if the photograph is taken by an employee in the course of their employment, OR
- THE CUSTOMER - if the photographer accepts a commission to produce a photograph.
Commissioning a photographer occurs when a person commissions (engages) a photographer to take a photograph(s) and at the time of the commission agrees to pay or pays the photographer for that work.
If the photographer is not commissioned then the person that took the photograph owns the copyright.
- It does not matter who owns the film.
- It does not matter who owns the prints.
- It does not matter who owns the camera.
The only issue is who took the photograph and whether - at the time the image was taken- that photographer was commissioned. See paragraph 7.3 below for more discussion on the "commissioning rule".
4. What Are The Owners Rights In Prints?
The owner does have rights over prints or copies made of the film or transparencies. The owner's rights may vary but generally include:
- The right to prevent copies of the prints.
- The right to seek destruction of the prints if any print is being used for illegal copying.
- The right to seek orders from the Courts to force the illegal copier to pay damages for losses sustained by illegal copying.
- The right to lay a compliant with the Police and seek prosecution for those who copy as part of a business (Section 131 of the Copyright Act, 1994). The fines can be up to $10,000 for each copy up to $150,000 and up to five years imprisonment.
5. Its Just A Photo!
Making copies of photograph when the person making the copy does not own the right to copy that photograph can expose that person to:
- Civil court proceedings; and
- If those copies are made for sale, criminal proceedings. Parliament in 1994 intended, by setting new high fines (up to $ 150,000) and prison (up to five years) as a penalty, to clearly indicate that profiting by stealing work the work of others should be treated seriously by the Police and the Courts.
Apart from the penalties for stealing another person's work there are further reasons for not illegally copying photographs:
- By copying without permission the person copying may be breaching the rights of persons other than the photographer's rights. For example copying posters of famous people will be illegal copying of the photograph concerned and may also give rise to a claim from the person in the photograph who may have control over reproduction of their own image. These rights to control your own image are called character-merchandising rights.
- Copying a photographer's work takes away income from the owner. The owner may not be a helpless self-employed photographer, but instead may be a sizeable media or stock photography company. These owners have the resources to bring formal enforcement proceedings, and will do so when necessary.
6. Property Rights & the Copyright Act 1994
The Copyright Act 1994 aims to protect the rights of the creators of original expressions of ideas by giving the creator a property right in that original work.
This property right can be compared to the ownership of a vehicle.
The owner of a car may use the car as he or she pleases and may allow others to use or hire the car. The owner of a car also has the right to take action against anyone who steals the car or vandalises it. In a similar way the owner of copyright in a work decides who may copy, publish, sell, perform, play, show, broadcast that work and can protect the work from being used in a derogatory manner.
This property right can, in some cases, form a very valuable asset for the copyright owner. For example the value of the copyright in a novel by Stephen King or a song by the Beatles can be worth millions of dollars. The copyright in collections of works by local photographers such as Anne Geddes or Andris Apse will similarly be valuable. The photographer can transfer these valuable rights by will or by assignment to a trust.
6.1. Scope Of The Works Protected
The law of copyright in New Zealand is contained entirely within the Copyright Act, 1994, which became law on 1 January 1995. The change in the law was brought about by New Zealand's international trade commitments under the GATT agreement.
Original works are granted property rights and protected by the Act. Original works are divided into various descriptions in section 14. The description "artistic works" included photographs.
The definition of photograph under the Act is:
"...a recording of light or other radiation on any medium on which an image is produced or from which an image may by any means be produced; but does not include a film or part of a film"
The term ‘film' in this context is referring to the recording of a ‘moving image'. Films are protected separately in the Act.
6.1.1. Authorship
The author must be a citizen of, resident of or incorporated in New Zealand or a foreign country that is a party to a convention or other international agreement with New Zealand. Copyright of foreign owners will in other circumstances be acknowledged, although the protection for the foreign owner will only be as good as the foreign country offers New Zealanders.
6.2. Ownership
Under Section 21 of the Act the ownership of the copyright usually vests, upon creation of the work, in the author. However there are two situations where this is not the case:
- Where certain copyright works are created by an employee in the course of his or her employment; or
- Where certain copyright works are created pursuant to a commission.
Both of these cases include photographs and unless there is an agreement to the contrary, the ownership vests in the employer or commissioner.
A "commissioning" requires two elements:
- The engagement/ retention/ briefing of the photographer by a client; and
- Payment, or an agreement to pay, for the photographic works.
Section 21(3)(b) then provides that, where a work is produced under such a commission, then copyright vests in the commissioning client.
Although not expressly stated, the language of section 21 strongly indicates that the commissioning arrangement (both (i) and (ii)) must exist before the image is created. Copyright will vest immediately upon creation, and in the absence of a pre-existing commissioning arrangement, copyright will only vest in the client if a formal assignment in writing is subsequently completed, which must be signed by the owner or their authorised representative (section 114).
6.3. Term Of Protection
The term of protection for photographs expires 50 years after the end of the calendar year in which the author dies.
7. Infringement Under The Copyright Act 1994
7.1. Infringement Of Copyright
Under Section 16 of the Act the owner of the work is granted the exclusive right to do certain acts with the copyright work in New Zealand. The restricted acts relevant to photographs are:
- To copy the work.
- To issue copies of the work to the public, whether by sale or otherwise.
- To show the work in public
- To broadcast the work or include the work in a cable programme service.
- To make an adaptation of the work.
- To authorise another person to do any of the above acts.
The restricted acts include situations where the copying is of any substantial part of the work as well as the whole work.
7.2 What is "Copying"?
The Copyright Act 1994 defines "copying" broadly, as including:
- Reproducing or recording work in any material form.
- The making of a copy in 3 dimensions of a two-dimensional work and the making of a copy in 2 dimensions of a three-dimensional work.
- The making of a photograph of the whole or any substantial part of any image forming part of the film, broadcast, or cable programme.
Furthermore, the Act provides guidelines as to what constitutes an infringement of copyright. Copyright in a work is infringed by a person who, other than pursuant to a copyright licence, does "any restricted act". A "restricted act" relates to either directly or indirectly to the copying of work, as a whole or any substantial part of it.
The basic elements constituting infringement of copyright, by copying works are:
- A sufficient degree of objective similarity between the two works; and
- Some causal connection between the work infringed and the infringer's work (so that one could say that the latter was derived -consciously or subconsciously- from the work of the original author).
These factors need to be considered in conjunction with the Copyright Act 1994 and fairly balanced, based on the need to protect the rights of the original artist against allowing creative development.
The extent of "copying" required to constitute infringement has been discussed in several leading Court decisions. The main established principle is that it is the quality of what is adopted from the original work, not the quantity that dictates whether work has been copied. This will be a question of fact and degree examined in each case. In theory, 8 bars from a song, or one page from a book, can constitute infringement if these form a "substantial" part of the work.
For e leading case concerning infringement of copyright in a photograph (which was reported by a painter), see Bauman v Fussell RPC.485
7.3 Owners Of Copying Devices & Infringement Of Copyright
Under Section 29 a person who does any restricted act other than pursuant to a copyright license infringes copyright.
Section 37 says:
"Copyright in a work is infringed by a person who, other than pursuant to a copyright license"
(a) Makes; or
(b) Imports into New Zealand; or
(c) Possesses in the course of business; or
(d) In the course of business or otherwise, sells or lets for hire; or
(e) In the course of business, offers or exposes for sale or hire-an object specifically designed or adapted for making copies of that work, knowing or having reason to believe that the object is to be used to make such infringing copies.
Where a reprographic retailer knows (or should have reason to believe) that the person obtaining the copy or copies is not the owner of the copyright in the work, then the retailer may also have committed an infringement of the copyright.
Due to the uncertain nature of the initial copyright ownership, not to mention the possible subsequent sale or assignment of those rights, it is very difficult for the reprographic retailer to know who owns the copyright and who is therefore entitled to copy or authorise the copying of the photograph.
The key issue is whether, in the circumstances, the reprographic retailer is put on notice of a likely unlawful copying. The words of the Section 37 include "...having reason to believe..." that an unlawful copying is occurring. The reprographic retailer can therefore be expected to inquire as to the ownership of the copyright if they are put on notice that the copyright does not belong to their customer. Professional photographers should therefore put a copyright notice on their work so the reprographic retailer is put on notice. Appropriate metadata details should be attached to digital works, and other Digital Rights Management techniques can be adopted (discussed further below).
Other circumstances that should put the reprographic retailer on notice are:
- Reproductions of photographs of well known events/personalities/object that are unlikely to be have been photographed by an amateur.
- Copies of photographs that feature subjects that the reprographic retailer should know their customer is not likely to have created e.g. photographs of Princess Diana.
- Requests for volume prints from other than transparencies. The most common example here is studio work that would normally have been submitted by transparencies.
If the reprographic retailer is still in any doubt after those inquiries then the prudent retailer will ask for evidence, such as the contract of engagement or the deed of assignment. If the copyright is alleged to have been transferred, the retailer should ensure that the assignment is in writing and signed by the photographer, as this is what is required at law to effect a valid assignment. If the retailer does not get this information it should decline the work.
8. Moral Rights
The 1994 Act introduced a new set of rights, moral rights, which are additional to the copyright rights.
These rights are called moral rights and are divided into three areas which affect the copying of photographs:
(1) The right to be identified as the author;
(2) The right to object to derogatory treatment of the work; and
(3) The right not to have work falsely attributed to them; and
(4) The right to privacy of certain photographs.
The first two rights are designed to give some residual protection to the creators of works if they have sold (by assignment) the copyright in the work or never have had the copyright because they were commissioned so never had the copyright.
Moral rights on photographs, if a photographer asserts her/his rights under this section, ensure that the photographer is entitled to be named as the photographer.
To assert moral rights, a photographer must ensure that all people dealing with the image are put on notice that the moral rights are asserted. This can be done simply by the following statement:
"© (M) All copyright reserved and all moral rights asserted - "
If copying includes a photo with a copyright/moral rights notice, apart from a release from the owner of the copyright to enable the copying to occur, the reprographic retailer or magazine publisher or poster maker is obliged to ensure that any reproduction attributes the photograph to the photographer.
9. Digital Rights
Digital photography has grown rapidly in recent years. The digital age enables swift global transmission of high-quality images, and also enables copyright piracy/breaches to occur efficiently. Although the same laws apply to digital works (compared with traditional film photography), specific laws are emerging in response to the increasing use - and misuse - of digital copyright works.
For example, Section 226 of the Copyright Act 1994 is directed at devices or means that circumvent technological protection measures. The section provides copyright owners and persons who issue electronic "copy-protected" works to the public with rights against those who make, sell, advertise or publish information concerning these circumvention devices or means.
Key issues concerning digital photographic works include:
- Storage of the works and archive retrieval - does the photographer assume an obligation to maintain historical electronic files?
- Reproduction - what is "permitted" and "infringing", compared to automatic backups and servers with mirrored hard drives for high speed disaster recovery?
- "Delivery" - does the Electronic Transactions Act 2002 apply? Is there some other method for achieving electronic delivery?
- With 'orphaned works' legislation proposed in the US and mooted elsewhere, what Metadata should accompany the image? And how should the image be 'tagged' with that data?
- What licensing process should the photographer adopt, and how does this interrelate with the practical viewing, ordering and delivery process in place?
- In addition to 4 and 5, what digital rights management systems should be adopted to protect the images supplied/made available? This can be particularly important if the photographer is giving the client the right to sub-license the image(s) in question.
The AIPA Standard Photographic Terms v2006 (Clause 5) has specific provisions directed at these issues.
10. Rights of People (Models etc) in Photos
People featured in a photograph can also involve consideration of rights at law.
These can include:
- Privacy rights (under the Privacy Act and/or at law).
- Character merchandising rights; and/or
- The right to be represented in the photograph in a specific manner; and/or
- Rights arising from the conditions, and the circumstances, under which the photograph was taken.
10.1. Privacy Rights of People (models etc) In Photographs
Privacy rights under the Privacy Act can be a complex issue.
Photographs have been recognised as "personal information" under the Privacy Act (Case Note 60017 NZPrivCmr 1 (March 2006))
If the photograph is made by a collecting ‘agency' (which is any party that collects personal information about a person), then a photograph made as part of that information collection process will be covered by the Privacy Act.
That means that the ‘information' (the photograph) cannot be disclosed to anyone outside the collecting ‘agency' or used for any other purpose than the purpose disclosed at the time of collection.
An example:
Bill comes to a modelling agency to be considered as a model. Bill has his photograph taken by the agency for the agency to consider whether the agency will have him on their books. The agency then uses the photograph for other purposes. - say for instance that they sent it to a client as an example of an ugly male that could be used in a campaign that required ugly males.. Even though Bill wanted modelling work he was unhappy about the agency's use of the photograph. Bill does not consider himself ugly. The modelling agency did not have Bill's permission to use the photograph in that way and as a collecting ‘agency' would have breached Bill's rights under the Privacy Act. The modelling agency would probably also be found to have engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct under Section 9 of the Fair Trading Act 1986.
It is the role of the Privacy Commissioner to receive written complaints from the public outlining potential breaches of privacy. The Privacy Act 1993 enables the Commissioner to either disregard or investigate the complaint and assess whether the grounds amount to a breach of privacy.
An action for breach of privacy may be brought by the Commissioner where a breach has occurred and that breach has caused;
(a) Loss, detriment, damage or injury to the complainant; or
(b) The rights, benefits, privileges, obligations of the complainant to be adversely affected, or may do so; or
(c) Significant humiliation, loss of dignity or injury to the complainants feelings, or may do so.
An example:
A complaint was made in March 2006 after a man was photographed, by a professional photographer, in a shopping mall and later saw two photographs of himself in a business directory, promoting the mall. The Privacy commissioner treated the photographs as personal information. However, the complainant fell short of proving a breach of privacy, as he was unable to show he had suffered any adverse effects as a result of the information being published.
An alternate route to asserting privacy rights is bringing a claim in tort. In the 2004 case of Hosking v Runting, the New Zealand Court of Appeal confirmed the existence of the tort of breach of privacy. For a claim for interference with privacy to be successfully brought, it must be shown that:
(i) In the particular circumstances, there is a reasonable expectation of privacy; and
(ii) Those circumstances are publicised in a manner that would be considered highly offensive to an objectively reasonable person.
10.2. Merchandising Rights of People (Models etc) in Photographs
Character merchandising is not an area that is yet established at law in New Zealand.
If however, a dispute arises concerning the use of a model's image, the photographer needs the protection of a well-drafted model release.
The model's engagement will be covered by a contract, whether written or oral. Unless covered by a comprehensive written contract, the Courts (if necessary) will imply customary or usual terms into the modelling contract. As the limitation of a model's appearance in a campaign is general practice in the industry, professional photographers that do not use model releases are running the risk that restrictions and obligations might be imposed by Court into the modelling contract.
A Court, if the issue is raised properly, may for example find that the contract between the photographer and model includes implied terms such as strict limitations on use of the photograph. If this happens the photographer is at risk of being sued by both the model and the photographer's client if the client is not aware of the restriction and then cannot use the image.
It is therefore good practise to insist that:
(i) All models sign a model release; and
(ii) The release be appropriately written in order to enable the current (and any foreseeable future) commercial exploitation of the image by the photographer.
The use of model releases is only the starting point. If the model or subject has a public persona the photographer will need to consider the possibility of character merchandising complications. Again a good general rule is to ensure that when dealing with a public persona the primary and any intended collateral uses of the image are very clearly defined in a contract.
A model release is required in any situation where a photographer intends to sell images for advertising or commercial exploitation. By obtaining a release a photographer is able to increase sales potential by securing rights to sell/ exploit the image at the outset.
The contents of a release may vary depending on the circumstances. However, a model release should contain the following:
(i) The names of both contracting parties; and
(ii) Details of the sitting (date, time, hours worked etc); and
(iii) Total hours and total fee; and
(iv) The photographers entitlement to commercial exploitation of the image (and any specific restrictions on the same); and
(v) If the model is under the age of 18 years, parental consent is required; and
(vi) The period of time the licence extends until; and
(vii) The signatures of the parties, stating that they have read and understood the terms of the release and consent to the commercial exploitation of the image.
10.3. Contractual Rights of People (Models etc) in Photographs
Among most common problems faced by professional photographers are problems arising from cropping of images, and from representation made to subjects.
Cropping instructions often are forgotten or become detached from transparencies. Damages for failure to ensure that cropping occurs can be very large due the emotional distress on the subject if for example the crop was designed to prevent identification of the subject when photographed in the nude. The failure to crop will give rise to rights of action in contract against the photographer by the subject and possibly the modelling agency in contract and tort. The subject may also have rights against the other parties in the chain, the advertising agency, its client, publisher and others such as billboard companies.
Representation problems arise if the photographer or others in the chain have made representations to the subjects that are then not observed. Typical representations that give rise to problems are representations that the subject will have the right to reject images that do meet her/his approval.
Model releases and agreements and good paperwork on transmission of the transparencies up the chain are the best form of defence and should be adopted as best practice.
10.4. Legitimate Public Concern
The Courts have recognised a possible defence for breach of privacy (both statute and tort based). If publication is justified by a legitimate public concern for the information, the photographer will be justified in releasing the images to the public. However, the court clearly distinguishes between "interest or curiosity to the public" and information or images of "legitimate public concern".
11. Rights In Objects Or Trademarks In Photographs
The law on the rights relating to reproduction of images of other artistic works or trademarks in a photograph is complex and not settled in New Zealand.
General principles are:
- Photographs of other artistic works (e.g. paintings, other photographs, drawings etc) will usually be an infringement of the original copyright. Some copyright owners (e.g. the Audubon Society, modern art galleries) employ watcher services and special reproduction techniques to protect their works. If in doubt as to use photographers should seek permission from the copyright owner to reproduce even part of such a work.
- Most countries extend special legal protection to national symbols (e.g. in New Zealand in the Flags, Emblems, And Names Protection Act 1981) and increasingly for indigenous peoples in their sacred symbols. In New Zealand we have claims for protection of Maori symbols before the Waitangi Tribunal and there has been considerable concern expressed over use of symbols such as the koru. The only advice that can be given is thinking about what is being photographed. If a national symbol or indigenous peoples sacred symbol is being used it is best to check to see whether the image can be included in the photograph without breaching some law before making what may turn out to be an expensive mistake.
- A question that often comes up is whether a building or object in a public place or that can seen from a public place is able to be photographed without a release from the owner or creator of the work (architect or sculptor etc). The answer here is ‘yes'. In the case of buildings there is a specific exemption for photographing buildings in the Copyright Act.
- Finally photographs of registered trademarks (even if on a building) will almost certainly create problems if the image is being used for brand surfing. It may be, however, that the existence of a third-party trademark in a photographic image does not breach the rights of the third party, depending on:
- Whether the trademark was an integral part of the photograph, or was merely peripheral.
- The relative (qualitative) prominence of the mark in the photograph.
- The use of the photograph.
- Site access rights.
- The particular characteristics of the photograph.
12. Liability For Infringement
12.1. Civil Remedies
The most like cause of action to be brought under the Act is a civil claim by the copyright owner for damages resulting from the infringement.
The remedies available from the court are the same as for any other property right and include:
- Damages including an accounting of lost profits;
- Exemplary (sometimes called punitive) damages for flagrant breaches - these are not linked to any economic loss but will be awarded for emotional distress or as penalty in the form of a fine;
- Injunctions; and
- Orders to deliver up infringing copies or objects specifically used to make copies.
12.2 Criminal Remedies
As stated above it is a criminal offence to knowingly commit an infringement of copyright in the course of business or otherwise than for a domestic purpose.
The potential liability under the Act for fine of up to $10,000 per infringing copy up to a maximum of $150,000 or a term of imprisonment for a term of up to 5 years.
If the offender has profited or gained from the infringement then the Court can order that reparations be paid to the victim.
13. Avoiding Liability For Copyright Infringement
13.1. Only the Owner Of Copyright Work May Make Copies
The simplest situation is where the person or company wishing to make the copy is the owner of the copyright work. In this situation no infringement occurs. However reprographic retailers, magazine publishers etc should still be aware of the possible breach of the Copyright Act 1994 if they know or have reason to believe that the person or company obtaining copies is not the owner.
As noted above then the reprographic retailer magazine publishers etc could be liable as well as the copyist.
13.2. Obtaining Authority To Make Copies Of A Copyright Work
The owner may expressly or impliedly permit another person to commit an infringing act.
This is known as a copyright licence. The terms of the licence depend on each particular circumstance. The licence may be limited (e.g. As to time (duration), territory, categories of use, number of reproductions, medium/ mode of reproductions) and may impose specific conditions on use or other legal/ moral rights.
Unlike assignment of copyright, a licence does not need to be in writing to be effective. An unwritten licence is, of course, a recipe for dispute.
There are circumstances where a licence must be in writing and signed by the copyright owner. For example, if the licencee wishes to be the "exclusive licencee" of a copyright work in New Zealand (Sections 123, 124), which enables the licencee to enforce key copyright rights as if they were the owner, then the licence needs to be documented and signed.
14. Defences
The Act does allow certain exceptions to the copyright protection.
These exceptions fall into several categories, which are generally justified as desirable reductions of the monopoly rights of the copyright owner because of the public good that they create.
14.1. Fair Dealing
The term "fair dealing" is used in several of these exceptions.
Although it is not possible to precisely define what constitutes fair dealing we can say that it is a matter of degree taking into account the extent and use of the original work. This makes sense when applied to a literary work to the extent that extracts may be used.
The application to photographs is usually less certain because of the completeness of the photograph.
The following is a more detailed discussion of this topic.
14.2. Criticism, Review and News Reporting
This is an exception that allows fair dealing with copyright works for the purpose of criticism or review of that particular work or another work (i.e. used for comparison purposes). However the fair dealing must be accompanied by sufficient acknowledgement. The same is true for fair dealing with a work for the purpose of reporting current events HOWEVER this exception does not include photographs.
14.3. Research or Private Study
The fair dealing with a work for the purpose of research or private study will not infringe copyright.
The Act gives the following guidelines as to what should be considered when assessing what constitutes fair dealing:
- Purpose of copying.
- Nature of work copied.
- Reasonableness of obtaining at ordinary commercial price.
- Effect copying will have on the works marketable value.
- Amount of the work copied.
The copying of photographs without cropping will usually mean that it is the whole work that is copied therefore the person claiming this defence will usually have to rely on the other factors. This defence relates specifically to the individual who is conducting the research or private study therefore the Copyright Act says that only one copy can be made. This is not to be confused with the education exceptions discussed below.
14.4 Education Exceptions
If copying is done in preparation for or for use in the course of instruction there are again special exceptions.
In this area there are sufficient complications and grey areas that anyone planning to copy for educational purposes should not rely on their own judgement but rely on an indemnity from the school or other educational institution involved.
This can be done by an official order from the school or other educational institution that specifically acknowledges that the copying is done on its instruction relying on the educational exceptions under the Copyright Act 1994.
15. Contracting
The professional photographer needs to understand that contracting practise with consumers and commercial customers has to be different. One size does NOT fit all. This is because of the provisions of the Consumer Guarantees Act, 1993 and the Privacy Act 1993.
15.1. Commercial
The most recently updated forms (including NZIPP Standard Terms and Booking/ Ordering forms 2004; and AIPA Standard Photographic Terms and Conditions, and Licence and Order Confirmation Form, 2006) are available from the NZIPP and AIPA web sites at:
- http://www.aipa.org.nz/
- http://www.nzipp.org.nz/
Model release and property release forms are also available.
15.2. A final word on Forms and Standard Terms
You should check from time to time to see whether changes have been made to any of the forms. Changes will be made to reflect photographer's experiences and ensure that legislative updates and new strategies by publishers etc are covered in the wording.
16. Disclaimer
This Background Paper by its nature cannot be comprehensive and cannot be relied on by clients as advice.
This Background Paper is provided to assist clients to identify legal issues on which they should seek legal advice.
Please consult the professional staff of Clendons for advice specific to your situation. | https://www.clendons.co.nz/resources/background-papers/intellectual-property/photography-law-new-zealand-clendons-guide-nz-law-relating-photography/ |
The present invention relates to ultrasonic testing of high temperature materials, such as metals, ceramics and composite fabrications, in order to detect internal flaws. In particular, the present invention relates to the combination of a buffer and a couplant in an ultrasonic testing device which can detect flaws in steel at temperatures in the range from about 1700.degree. F. to about 2200.degree. F.
In the reheating method of converting steel from ingot to bloom or slab form after stripping, the ingots are held in the soaking pits of the blooming or slabbing mill, wherein they are brought to a uniform temperature of about 2400.degree. F. The ingots are then removed from the soaking pit and placed on the entry roll table of the rolling mill. The ingots are passed along the roller table to the reducing stand which shapes the ingots into the blooms or slabs. The bloom or slab workpiece is advanced toward a cutting device, such as a crop shear or a cutting torch, at the end of the mill roller table. The cutting device severs the product to the designated length by cropping sufficient scrap from the two ends of the product to correspond to what was the top and the bottom of the original ingot. This cropping of the workpiece insures the elimination of primary pipe, mechanical foldover or fish tail, porosity, and other similar defects.
In the continuous casting of steel, changes can occur in the internal quality of the cast steel because of changes made in the continuous casting process to compensate for variations which may occur in the thermal and metallurgical characteristics of the process. Anomalies such as subsurface cracks, internal cleanliness and/or center looseness or porosity must be detected prior to shipment of the product. It is well recognized that with a suitable sensor for hot in-line detection of such internal discontinuities, process control action could be initiated immediately to correct these deficiencies in quality. In addition, a computer based system could immediately readjust cut length at the runout in order to compensate for steel which has been removed by the cropping shear or cutting torch because of poor internal quality.
The problem of accurately determining the optimum cropping point in the hot steel products has plagued the steel industry for years. The location of this optimum cropping point is in the sound product just beyond the extent of the flaw. Traditionally, locating the cropping point has been dependent upon the experience and judgment of the cropping shear operator. He would often have to shear the product more than once before he would cut through sound product. This procedure resulted in a waste of the operator's time as well as in a reduction of product yield.
It has been estimated that the capability of effectively exercising process control to rapidly compensate for internal quality changes sensed in-line would represent, conservatively, an improvement of 1% in yield. In a typical steel producing installation, such an improvement could represent an annual savings of 1.0 to 1.4 million dollars per year.
Ultrasonic transducers are commercially available which can scan a relatively cold slab, bloom or billet and reveal any internal nonhomogeneous portions of the product, since an acoustic couple can be easily achieved with the cold steel. The use of ultrasonics in testing steel products at relatively high temperatures is a different matter, however. Many investigators have tried ultrasonics but have encountered problems in attempting to achieve a proper acoustic couple between the workpiece and the ultrasonic transducer. Normal production temperatures of about 1950.degree. F. are detrimental to transducers commercially available and, therefore, proper intimate contact between the product and the transducer to form the acoustic couple is very difficult. Without the necessary acoustic couple, an accurate determination of any flaw in the workpiece is not possible.
In one device for severing hot steel, an ultrasonic transducer is fitted with a water jacket and then embedded in one of the blades of a crop shear. When the shear blade contacts the hot workpiece with sufficient pressure, an acoustic couple is formed between the transducer and the workpiece through the shear blade. Before the cut is made, the sheer operator is able to ultrasonically scan the hot workpiece to determine the optimum cropping length for the elimination of flaws from the workpiece. This system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,175 442 to Terry.
A more recent device which is capable of detecting flaws within the hot steel workpiece by ultrasonic testing was demonstrated at Argonne National Laboratory in June of 1986. This device is the result of funding by the American Iron And Steel Institute and a cooperative technical effort between Magnaflux Corporation (Chicago, Illinois), Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne, Illinois) and the National Bureau of Standards (Gaithersburg, Maryland). The device is called a Rolling Contact Ultrasonic Transducer, and it can detect flaws as small as 1/4 inch in steel at temperatures of about 2000.degree. F. The ultrasonic transducer which generates the sound waves is placed in contact with the inside rim of a thermal buffer comprising a large stainless steel wheel having a diameter of three feet. With a cooling system, the transducer is maintained cool enough to carry out an inspection of the hot steel. The buffer wheel is rolled by means of computer control over the hot slab or billet to be tested. Sound waves travel through the wheel rim and into the hot steel directly by high pressure contact between the wheel and the billet. The contact between the wheel and the billet is enhanced to an elevated pressure by a hydraulic mechanism which presses the wheel tightly down upon the surface of the hot steel billet. Sound waves reflecting off of defects within the hot steel can be observed on the monitor of a small computer. A color defect map of the steel can be generated by the computer and this color map clearly defines the bad region of the specimen which must then be severed from the billet. This device was disclosed in a paper delivered at the University of California, San Diego, on Aug. 3-8, 1986, during a conference entitled "Review Of Progress in Nondestructive Evaluation". The paper was entitled "Advances In The Development Of An In-Line Sensor System For The Internal Inspection Of Hot Steel".
With this then being the state of the art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for detecting internal flaws within hot materials, such as metals, ceramics, and composite fabrications such as laminates or metal matrices.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for detecting internal flaws within hot materials wherein no cooling system is required for the detection apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for detecting internal flaws within hot materials wherein no hydraulic system is required to push the detector tightly against the workpiece in order to obtain a good couple for transmitting sound into the workpiece being tested.
These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof, will become more clear from the description which follows.
| |
It is common, often necessary, practice to transfer biological materials while conducting biological research. Biological materials may be introduced to or removed from research facilities for a variety of reasons including:
- Exchange of research materials with collaborators
- Movement of faculty or research personnel for technical training
- Faculty assignment/job transfer
- Field studies
Whatever the reason, it is important to remember that import, interstate movement, and export (in some cases) of biological materials are tightly regulated by various federal agencies and may require permits. Biological materials permits are intended to ensure that these materials that may bear an infectious disease or environmental impact risk are not inadvertently released. Additionally, permits minimize the potential for clandestine or inappropriate use of such materials.
If you plan to apply for any of the following permits, please contact the Biosafety Office (974-1938 or 974-5547) prior to your application submission. We can assist with form preparation and implementation of specific biocontainment procedures that may apply to your work. Also, please notify the Biosafety Office if you currently possess any of the following permits.
U.S. DHHS/CDC Permits
The Etiologic Agent Import Permit Program (EAIPP) of the CDC requires an import permit for all etiologic agents, biological materials, and hosts and/or vectors entering the U.S. As defined by the CDC:
- Etiologic agents are microorganisms and microbial toxins that cause disease in humans and include bacteria, bacterial toxins, viruses, fungi, rickettsiae, protozoans, and parasites. Etiologic agents are sometimes referred to as infectious agents.
- Biological materials are unsterilized specimens of human and animal tissues (such as blood, cell lines, body discharges, fluids, excretions or similar material) containing or suspected to contain an etiologic agent.
- Hosts and vectors are organisms that contain and/or may transmit etiologic agents to humans and other animals. Examples include arthropods, bats, snails, rodents, and any animal known or suspected of being infected with an organism capable of causing disease in humans.
Importation permits are issued only to the importer, who must be located in the United States. The importation permit, with the proper packaging and labeling, will expedite clearance of the package of infectious materials through the United States Public Health Service Division of Quarantine and release by U.S. Customs.
Additionally, the importer is legally responsible to ensure that the import-permitted material is packaged and shipped in accordance with all applicable shipping regulations by the party initiating the shipment.
There is no service charge for CDC import permits.
Related websites
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Permits
APHIS is the branch of the USDA that provides leadership in ensuring the health and care of animals and plants, especially those that are vital agricultural commodities. Biological materials that may pose a risk to plants and/or animals or their environment are tightly regulated by APHIS. APHIS permits are granted by one of three agencies based on the biological material involved and the at-risk population (i.e. plants or animals):
- Veterinary Services (VS; 9 CFR, Part 122 inter alia)
- Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ; 7 CFR, Part 330 inter alia)
- Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS; 7 CFR, Part 340)
Veterinary Services is dedicated to preventing, controlling and/or eliminating animal diseases, and monitoring and promoting animal health and productivity. VS provides permits for the import, interstate movement, and export of materials derived from animals or exposed to animal-source materials. Examples include:
- Animal tissues including blood, cells or cell lines of livestock or poultry origin
- Animal semen, ova or embryos
- RNA/DNA extracts
- Hormones and enzymes
- Monoclonal antibodies for in vivo use in non-human species and certain polyclonal antibodies/antisera
- Microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi
VS permits have a service charge of $137, though this price can vary depending on number of revisions reviewed, need for facilities inspections, etc.
Related websites
- General information on the USDA APHIS Animal Health program
- Veterinary Services permit information and application forms
Plant Protection and Quarantine safeguards agriculture and natural resources from the risks associated with the entry, establishment, or spread of animal and plant pests and noxious weeds to ensure an abundant, high-quality, and varied food supply. PPQ provides permits for the import, interstate movement, and export of:
- Plant pests and pathogens including insects, mites, bees, butterflies and moths, earthworms, entomopathogens/biocontrol agents, snails and slugs, earthworms, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, viruses, live arthropods for display or education, and noxious weeds. More information on plant pests and pathogens permits and PPQ Form 526.
- Plants and plant products including fruits, vegetables, rice, maize, sugarcane and associated products, foreign cotton, cut flowers, and miscellaneous products associated with Khapra beetle. More information on plants and plant products permits and PPQ Form 587.
- Timber and timber products including unfinished lumber. More information on timber and timber products permits and PPQ Form 585.
- Prohibited plants/plant products for purposes of research only. More information on permits for the research use of prohibited plants/plant products and PPQ Form 588.
- Plants or plant products for transit through the U.S. More information on transit permits and PPQ Form 586.
- Protected or rare plant species. More information on rare and endangered plants, CITES, and PPQ Form 621.
- Soil of foreign origin. More information on soil permits and PPQ Form 525A.
- Post-entry quarantine materials. More information on post-entry quarantine and PPQ Form 546 [PDF].
There is no service charge for PPQ permits.
Related websites
Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) protects America’s agriculture and environment using a dynamic and science-based regulatory framework that allows for the safe development and use of genetically engineered (GE) organisms. BRS regulates genetically engineered organisms including plants, plant pests, and transgenic arthropods through either a notification or permit system.
BRS Notifications constitute an expedited permitting process for GE plants that BRS has extensive experience regulating in the past.
- GE plants must meet six eligibility requirements that are related to safety. BRS notification requirements and guidance [PDF]
- Performance standards are established and applicants must comply with these for movement, planting, growing, harvesting, and isolation.
- BRS reviews the application for meeting eligibility requirements and assesses whether performance standards can be met, taking up to 30 days to process.
- Notifications require submission of a letter to BRS or e-submission (see below).
- More information on the BRS notification criteria and process
BRS Permits are used for crops that don’t meet current notification criteria including pharmaceutical and industrial products, plants with a high potential to persist outside the field site, and multi-year field trials.
- Permits require up to 120 days to process for the science review of conditions and confinement protocols.
- BRS authorizes the procedures for field production and isolation in the permit.
- All organisms and all traits are eligible.
- More information on BRS permits and application forms
There is no service charge for BRS notifications or permits.
USDA APHIS Electronic Permits
Many of the APHIS permits are available as e-permits through the APHIS website. E-permitting is highly recommended because it is more time efficient than the conventional mail-in forms, sometimes cutting days to weeks off of the permit approval process. However, to meet eligibility requirements for e-permitting, an investigator must complete an e-permit registration form and obtain a security code prior to submitting an e-permit. This process takes approximately one week. Below are some links that may be useful:
Like CDC permits, holders of APHIS permits assume all legal responsibility for the materials, their transport, and their security.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Permits (50 CFR, Part 13)
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (a branch of the U.S. Department of the Interior) issues permits under various wildlife laws and treaties at different offices at the national, regional, and/or wildlife port levels. These permits cover a wide range of import/export regulations including the trapping, buying, selling, and trading of live animals (non-agricultural), preserved animal trophies, animal hides, and animal tissues. For further information, visit:
- General information on U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service permits
- More information on applicable laws, treaties, and regulations
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Import and Collection Permits (Title 70, Chapter 2)
Live wildlife animal species may require a TWRA import permit before being brought into the state of Tennessee. A scientific collector’s permit may also be required for capture of certain species for study in Tennessee. For further information, visit:
- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency information
- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency animal importation regulations [PDF]
- Scientific collections permit information
Department of Commerce Export of Biological Agents (15 CFR, Parts 730-774)
The DOC has developed a list of biological agents (among other products and technologies) that are restricted by licensing requirements for export. The list includes many items on the current DHHS/USDA “select agent” list as well as specific viruses and Escherichia coli, serotype O157, and other verotoxin producing strains.
Below are links to the current Commerce Control List of biological agents and toxins:
- Commerce Control List (biological agents/toxins list begins on p. 60)
- Commerce-controlled biological agents/toxins [PDF]
For further information the Department of Commerce, the Commerce Control List, or export license requirements, contact:
- UTK – Dairin Malkemus at (865) 974-0232 or [email protected]
- UTIA – Jane Burns at (865) 974-7375 or [email protected]
- GSM – Gene Hines at (901) 448-1869 or [email protected]
Please contact the UTK/UTIA/GSM Biosafety Office or visit http://biosafety.utk.edu if you would like more information regarding biological materials permits and/or if you need assistance with permit applications. | https://biosafety.utk.edu/biosafety-program/a-guide-to-biological-materials-permits/ |
Once a disease-related protein is identified as a therapeutic target, the study of its three-dimensional structure – the positions of each of its atoms and their interactions – allows a deep understanding of its action in the body, and its interaction with a potential drug. In this way, it is possible to discover potential new drugs, or to understand the functioning of known drugs and to increase their effectiveness.
Protein crystallography is an essential tool in the investigation of the three-dimensional structure of these molecules and, consequently, of their biological function. So much so that about 90% of the currently known protein structures were determined using X-ray diffraction in protein crystals. However, in order to apply this technique, it is necessary to obtain a protein crystal of adequate quality, which requires quite specific conditions.
The limiting step in this process is nucleation, which requires orderly agglomeration of protein molecules to initiate crystal growth. There are several methods to facilitate such nucleation (and growth) of protein crystals. However most of these methods still have limitations: many do not bother to evaluate the quality of formed crystals and others involve the use of sophisticated technologies.
In a recent study published in the journal ACS Omega , Tássia Karina Walter et al. presented an alternative method for protein crystallization.
As a model, the researchers used lysozyme, an enzyme with antimicrobial function abundant in secretions such as tears, saliva and mucus. This molecule is capable of breaking down components of the cell wall of bacteria, causing their death. Lysozyme was the first protein to have its three-dimensional structure elucidated by X-ray diffraction methods.
In their new method, the researchers used as support for the crystal formation a thin film constituted by the protein itself, previously prepared and subjected to an electrical potential difference.
The application of the potential difference results in the orientation of the protein molecules in the film, as verified by atomic force microscopy images. The preparation of the film does not require sophisticated equipment and can be easily carried out in any molecular biology laboratory.
These films, later used as support for the growth of crystals under different conditions, allowed an increase in the nucleation rate, that is, a larger number of crystals in a shorter incubation time. In some cases, they have also resulted in the formation of larger crystals with more regular morphology, which allows better data collection by X-ray diffraction. In addition, the use of these films indicates the possibility of obtaining crystals in conditions closer to the activity (which would allow the study of its structure in its active form), whereas in the classical method more extreme conditions are usually employed.
X-ray diffraction experiments were performed in the MX2 Macromolecular Crystallography beamline of the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS). Through the analysis of the data, it was possible to evaluate the quality of the crystals obtained from the thin films and to compare it with the classical method, used as control.
In some cases, the crystals showed diffraction properties similar to the control, which demonstrates that even with increasing nucleation speed it is possible to collect diffraction data with good quality. In other cases, it was possible to significantly increase the resolution limit of the crystals in relation to the control, which allows for more information in the construction of models of the protein structure.
Thus, by using these films of organized proteins as a support for crystallization, several possibilities are opened in the study of the three-dimensional structure of proteins, including the obtaining of high quality crystals in conditions closer to their functional role, using very accessible resources. | https://www.lnls.cnpem.br/a-novel-approach-to-protein-crystallization/ |
This qualification is part of the Health Training Package. It covers workers who provide support for the effective functioning of health services, requiring discretion and judgement. These functions are carried out under supervision. These workers may also provide a team leadership, workplace training or leading hand function. Health support services do not involve direct care assistance tasks such as assisting other staff with care of clients.
Subjects you can Study
Core: Contribute to effective workplace relationships; Communicate and work effectively in health; Comply with infection control policies and procedures; Participate in WHS processes. Elective streams: Cleaning; Laundry; Food services; Grounds maintenance; General maintenance; Work relationships.
About Graduate Business SchoolEstablished in 2004, Graduate Business School is a private Registered Training Organisation that offers courses in conservation and land management, horticulture, health, public sector, business, leadership, customer engagement, correctional services and training and assessment. RTO code: 21567
Certificate IIICourse code: HLT32812
Duration
Melbourne
- Flexible Delivery
Structure
15 units: 4 core; 11 electives
Entry Requirements
No minimum education
Life after Study
Related Careers
Cleaner
Cleaners clean schools, construction sites, commercial, industrial and domestic premises, industrial machinery and vehicles using portable cleaning equipment.
Kitchen Hand
Kitchen hands assist cooks and chefs in preparing and storing food, washing dishes and kitchen utensils, and cleaning work areas.
Laundry Worker
Laundry workers sort, check and stack items of clothing and linen, and load and unload washing and drying machines in laundries. | http://www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au/course/view/Certificate-III-in-Health-Support-Services-12/provider/Graduate-Business-School |
The report on the Freeze-Dry Powder Injector market provides a bird’s eye view of the current proceeding within the Freeze-Dry Powder Injector market. Further, the report also takes into account the impact of the novel COVID-19 pandemic on the Freeze-Dry Powder Injector market and offers a clear assessment of the projected market fluctuations during the forecast period. The different factors that are likely to impact the overall dynamics of the Freeze-Dry Powder Injector market over the forecast period (2019-2029) including the current trends, growth opportunities, restraining factors, and more are discussed in detail in the market study.
For top companies in United States, European Union and China, this report investigates and analyzes the production, value, price, market share and growth rate for the top manufacturers, key data from 2019 to 2025.
The end users/applications and product categories analysis: On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue (Million USD), product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into- General Type
On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Freeze-Dry Powder Injector for each application, including- Hospital Clinic | |
The court shall be divided across the middle by a net suspended by a cord or metal cable which shall pass over or be attached to two net posts at a height of 3 ½ feet (1.07 m). The net shall be fully extended so that it completely fills the space between the two net posts and it must be of sufficiently small mesh to ensure that a ball cannot pass through it. The height of the net shall be 3 feet (0.914 m) at the centre, where it shall be held down tightly by a strap. A band shall cover the cord or metal cable and the top of the net. The strap and band shall be completely white.
• The band shall be between 2 inches (5 cm) and 2 ½ inches (6.35 cm) deep on each side.
For singles matches, if a singles net is used, the centres of the net posts shall be 3 feet (0.914 m) outside the singles court on each side. If a doubles net is used, then the net shall be supported, at a height of 3 ½ feet (1.07 m), by two singles sticks, the centres of which shall be 3 feet (0.914 m) outside the singles court on each side.
• The net posts shall not be more than 6 inches (15 cm) square or 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter.
• The singles sticks shall not be more than 3 inches (7.5 cm) square or 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter.
• The net posts and singles sticks shall not be more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the top of the net cord.
Two lines shall be drawn between the singles sidelines, 21 feet (6.40 m) from each side of the net, parallel with the net. These lines are called the servicelines. On each side of the net, the area between the serviceline and the net shall be divided into two equal parts, the service courts, by the centre serviceline. The centre serviceline shall be drawn parallel with the singles sidelines and half way between them.
• The centre serviceline and centre mark shall be 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
• The other lines of the court shall be between 1 inch (2.5 cm) and 2 inches (5 cm) wide, except that the baselines may be up to 4 inches (10 cm) wide.
IN ADDITION TO THE COURT DESCRIBED ABOVE, THE COURT DESIGNATED AS "RED", AND THE COURT DESIGNATED AS "ORANGE" IN APPENDIX VI CAN BE USED FOR 10 AND UNDER TENNIS COMPETITION.
FROM JANUARY 2012, FOR 10 AND UNDER TENNIS COMPETITION, THE BALLS DESCRIBED IN APPENDIX I CANNOT BE USED. INSTEAD ONE OF THE STAGE 3 (RED), STAGE 2 (ORANGE) OR STAGE 1 (GREEN) BALLS DESCRIBED IN APPENDIX VI MUST BE USED.
The International Tennis Federation shall rule on the question of whether any ball or prototype complies with Appendix I or is otherwise approved, or not approved, for play. Such ruling may be taken on its own initiative, or upon application by any party with a bona fide interest therein, including any player, equipment manufacturer or National Association or members thereof. Such rulings and applications shall be made in accordance with the applicable Review and Hearing Procedures of the International Tennis Federation (see Appendix VII).
A court, designated "red" for the purposes of 10 and under TENNIS competition, shall be a rectangle, between 36 feet (10.97 m) and 42 feet (12.80 m) long, and between 16 feet (4.88 m) and 20 feet (6.10 M) wide. The net shall be between 31.5 inches (0.800 m) and 33.0 inches (0.838 M) high at the centre.
A court, designated "orange", shall be a rectangle, between 59 feet (17.98 M) and 60 feet (18.29 m) long, and between 21 feet (6.40 m) and 27 feet (8.23 m) wide. The net shall be between 31.5 inches (0.800 m) and 36.0 inches (0.914 m) high at the centre.
A stage 3 (red) ball, which is recommended for play on a "red" court, by players aged up to 8 years, using a racket up to 23 inches (58.4 cm) long.
A stage 2 (orange) ball, which is recommended for play on an "orange" court, by players aged 8 to 10 years, using a racket between 23 inches (58.4 cm) and 25 inches (63.5 cm) long.
A stage 1 (green) ball, which is recommended for play on a full sized court, by advanced players aged 9 to 10 years, using a racket between 25 inches (63.5 cm) and 26 inches (66.0 cm) long.
NOTE: FROM JANUARY 2012, OTHER BALL TYPES DESCRIBED IN APPENDIX I CANNOT BE USED IN 10 AND UNDER TENNIS COMPETITION.
For 10 and under tennis competition using stage 3 (red), stage 2 (orange) or stage 1 (green) balls, scoring methods specified in the Rules of Tennis (including the Appendix IV) can be utilised, in addition to short duration scoring methods involving matches of one match tie-break, best of 3 tie-breaks/match tie-breaks or one set. | http://www.caribbean.usta.com/rules_of_tennis/ |
The Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest, began in 1897. It is held annually on the third Monday of April, also known as Patriot’s Day, which celebrates the battles of Lexington and Concord. Boston is one of the world’s most prestigious marathons due to its rigorous qualifying times.
In April 2020, five women from Flagstaff were supposed to run this marathon, but due to COVID-19, the Boston Marathon was canceled this year, for the first time in its 124-year history. An option to run a virtual Boston Marathon in September was given to all athletes scheduled to compete. Stephanie Hunt, Beth McManis and I have accepted this challenge.
Knowing that the Boston Athletic Association uses funds from entries to benefit local charities, we chose to dedicate our marathon efforts to one of our favorite local nonprofits, the BLE (Best Life Ever) Foundation. BLE performs random acts of kindness with the intent to make a positive difference in the community.
“As of September 2019, the BLE Foundation has infused $55,000 into the Flagstaff community in random ways,” Annette Avery told me. She’s one of the founders of BLE, which takes its name from her late husband, Nate, a Flagstaffian and beloved pediatric neurosurgeon who died in 2012. Nate’s favorite saying after any adventure was, “That was the best day ever!”
Stephanie Hunt has completed two marathons (April would have been her second Boston). She’s also a two-time Flagstaff Summer Series champion.
“Yes, we were very disheartened by the cancellation of the actual marathon,” she says, “but the virtual marathon is gearing up to be an exciting event for us; a way to celebrate our training and hard work as well as give back to our community that supports runners in so many ways.”
We’ll start our run at 7 a.m. Sept. 12 on a course that will take the three of us through many areas of northwest Flagstaff. BLE will be at Buffalo Park (miles 20 through 22 on the course) from 9 to 11 a.m. to provide an aid station for us. They will give away BLE socks to anyone who comes out to support us (keep in mind masks and social distancing, per CDC and health guidelines that are likely to be in place).
The mission of kindness that defines BLE celebrates the good in all of us, as Nate Avery’s personality inspired. As of Aug. 12, we’ve raised nearly $1,000 for the foundation, almost half of our goal of $2,620, a number chosen to correspond to the distance of the marathon (26.2 miles). Please consider a donation to BLE through our GoFundMe.com account named “2020 Virtual Boston Marathon in Flagstaff” or directly through the BLE site at bleflagstaff.org.
I’ll give Beth McManis the closing words. A runner since high school, she ran cross country and track at Cal Poly Pomona. April would have been her Boston Marathon debut. “We recognize this has been a challenging year economically, but we wanted to do something positive for Flagstaff. While we recognize that many cannot donate, we hope our efforts will encourage others to continue their training or even provide motivation for some to start a healthy activity program.”
Staci Whitman started running at the age of 31 and hasn’t stopped. She is a six-star finisher, having completed all of the six world major marathons, and has run a total of nine marathons. April would have been her second Boston Marathon.
Do you have a column, tip or idea for High Country Running? Send it to coordinating editor Julie Hammonds at [email protected]. | |
The present study invalidates the idea to extend in sitting the VIF paradigm but the unexpected results open a new window about the basic mechanisms underlying muscle vibration effects.
The age-related changes of trunk responses to Achilles tendon vibration
- MedicineNeuroscience Letters
- 2009
The findings showed that the trunk and hip angle responses to proprioceptive stimulation might be a good indicator of age-related destabilization in balance control.
Perception of body movement when real and simulated displacements are combined
- Mathematics, MedicinePloS one
- 2018
The simulated whole-body displacement evoked by Achilles tendon vibration was able to either enhance or disrupt the perception of real, slow, whole- body tilt movements, depending on the congruence between the direction of real and simulated displacements.
Sensory Integration during Vibration of Postural Muscle Tendons When Pointing to a Memorized Target
- MedicineFront. Hum. Neurosci.
- 2017
Vibrating ankle muscles in freely standing persons elicits a spatially oriented postural response. For instance, vibrating the Achilles tendons induces a backward displacement of the body while…
Effects of tibialis anterior muscle vibration on quiet stance
- Computer Science2014 IEEE Haptics Symposium (HAPTICS)
- 2014
Postural responses obtained during the quiet stance conditions suggest that the distorted input associated with vibration was not fully down weighted by the sensory motor system during quiet upright stance, despite repeated exposure to vibration throughout the testing protocol.
Effect of Achilles tendon vibration on posture in children.
- MedicineGait & posture
- 2014
The results suggest that 6-year-old children may start showing an adult-like directionally specific response and temporal parameter to tendon vibration during standing; however, the development of anAdult-like spatial postural response to Achilles tendon vibration may take more than 10 years.
Postural challenge and adaptation to vibration-induced disturbances
- MedicineExperimental Brain Research
- 2010
It is concluded that although the absence of any postural challenge concomitant to the sensory stimulation prevented adaptation to occur, a minimal challenge was sufficient.
Effects of tendon vibration during one-legged and two-legged stance in elderly individuals
- Medicine
- 2010
The decrease in COP sway may improve the ability to balance during one-legged stance by combined vibration in elderly subjects, and is important for the use of somatosensory information processing to regulate postural adjustments in the elderly.
Tendon vibration during submaximal isometric strength and postural tasks
- MedicineEuropean Journal of Applied Physiology
- 2012
The vibration-induced muscle excitation and accompanying increase in motor output, probably due to excitatory Ia afferent input, was confirmed during strength and postural tasks, however, motor output attenuates when the magnitude of central drive to the ankle muscles increases.
Postural control strategies enlightened by the usage of tendon vibration technique
- Medicine2009 14th National Biomedical Engineering Meeting
- 2009
It has been observed that the subject experienced a motion illusion in the condition where his feet bore his total body weight with eyes closed, which has been revealed through the analyses of Center-of-Pressure (CoPx) and EMG data.
References
SHOWING 1-10 OF 25 REFERENCES
Foot sole and ankle muscle inputs contribute jointly to human erect posture regulation
- Psychology, MedicineThe Journal of physiology
- 2001
It is proposed that tactile and proprioceptive information from the foot soles and flexor ankle muscles might be co‐processed following a vector addition mode to subserve the maintenance of erect stance in a complementary way.
Postural responses to vibration of neck muscles in patients with idiopathic torticollis.
- Psychology, MedicineBrain : a journal of neurology
- 1997
The results suggest that neck proprioceptive input retains local postural functions in ST, however, it is relatively ignored in the context of the whole body postural control and spatial orientation.
Effects of neck muscles vibration on the perception of the head and trunk midline position
- MedicineExperimental Brain Research
- 2006
Results suggested that the input from neck muscle proprioceptors participates directly to the elaboration of the Egocentric space and the question may be raised as to how the sensory cues interacted in their contribution to the neural generation of an egocentric, body centred coordinate system.
Kinaesthetic role of muscle afferents in man, studied by tendon vibration and microneurography
- Physics, MedicineExperimental Brain Research
- 2004
The characteristics of the vibration-induced illusory movements and the muscle spindle responses to tendon vibration and to active and passive joint movements strengthened the possibility of the contribution of primary endings to kinaesthesia, as suggested by several previous works.
Body orientation and regulation of the center of gravity during movement under water.
- Medicine, GeologyJournal of vestibular research : equilibrium & orientation
- 1995
The results suggest that "axial synergies" associated with upper trunk movements are learned motor habits that regulate the center of gravity position regardless of the equilibrium constraints.
Effect of slow, small movement on the vibration-evoked kinesthetic illusion
- Physics, MedicineExperimental Brain Research
- 2005
Whether the exaggerated perception of slow, small movement during vibration is better explained by contributions of non muscle spindle Ia afferents or by changes in the mechanical transmission of vibration to the receptor is discussed.
Perceptual and motor effects of agonist-antagonist muscle vibration in man
- Physics, MedicineExperimental Brain Research
- 2004
The studies show that the velocity and the amplitude of the ilusory movement is related to the difference in vibration frequency applied to the two muscles, and support the notion that the sensation of movement at a joint may be derived from a central processing of the proprioceptive inflow data obtained from flexor and extensor muscles.
Modification of human postural responses to soleus muscle vibration by rotation of visual scene.
- Mathematics, MedicineGait & posture
- 2007
The results showed that early velocities and final angles of body tilt induced by soleus muscle vibration were modified by motion of visual scene, indicating an important influence of unstable visual field on posture response to somatosensory stimulation.
Contribution of Somesthetic Information to the Perception of Body Orientation in the Pitch Dimension
- Psychology, MedicineThe Quarterly journal of experimental psychology. A, Human experimental psychology
- 2003
Data suggested that gravity-based somesthetic cues are more informative than otolithic cues for the perception of a quasi-static body orientation, when pitching at very slow velocities.
Effects of Upper Limb Muscle Vibration on Human Voluntary Wrist Flexion-Extension Movements
- MedicinePerceptual and motor skills
- 1994
The effect of upper limb muscle tendon vibration during alternating step flexion-extension movements about the wrist was studied and indicated the pattern of transjoint projections from elbowextensor and flexor muscles to motoneurons supplying wrist extensor and Flexor muscles play an important role in coordinated movement of wrist and elbow joints. | https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Effect-of-Achilles-tendon-vibration-on-postural-Ceyte-Cian/ede7bb8540af42cd08542eaa304fb649ed912cdf |
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A Cluster of Cholinergic Premotor Interneurons Modulates Mouse Locomotor Activity
- Laskaro Zagoraiou, T. Akay, James F. Martin, R. Brownstone, T. Jessell, G. Miles
- Medicine, Biology
- Neuron
- 10 December 2009
It is shown that the transcription factor Pitx2 marks a small cluster of spinal cholinergic interneurons, V0(C) neurons, that represents the sole source of C bouton inputs to motor neurons, suggesting a role in the modulation of motor neuron firing frequency. Expand
TLDR
V3 Spinal Neurons Establish a Robust and Balanced Locomotor Rhythm during Walking
- Y. Zhang, Sujatha Narayan, +9 authors M. Goulding
- Medicine, Biology
- Neuron
- 9 October 2008
It is proposed that the V3 neurons establish a regular and balanced motor rhythm by distributing excitatory drive between both halves of the spinal cord and ensuring a symmetrical pattern of locomotor activity during walking. Expand
TLDR
Descending command systems for the initiation of locomotion in mammals
- L. Jordan, J. Liu, P. Hedlund, T. Akay, K. Pearson
- Biology, Medicine
- Brain Research Reviews
- 31 January 2008
5-HT neurons located in the parapyramidal region (PPR) constitute the first anatomically discrete group of spinally-projecting neurons demonstrated to be involved in the initiation of locomotion in mammals, and it is concluded that the PPR is the source of a descending 5-HT command pathway that activates the CPG via 7-HT(7) and 5- HT(2A) receptors. Expand
TLDR
Neuronal Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Is a Determinant of Selective Neurodegeneration
- Artem Kaplan, Krista J Spiller, +6 authors C. Henderson
- Medicine, Biology
- Neuron
- 22 January 2014
In ALS model mice expressing mutant superoxide dismutase (SOD1), reduction of MMP-9 function using gene ablation, viral gene therapy, or pharmacological inhibition significantly delayed muscle denervation and defined M MP-9 as a candidate therapeutic target for ALS. Expand
TLDR
Quantification of gait parameters in freely walking wild type and sensory deprived Drosophila melanogaster
- C. S. Mendes, I. Bartos, T. Akay, S. Márka, R. Mann
- Biology, Medicine
- eLife
- 8 January 2013
Surprisingly, it is found that inactivation of sensory neurons in the fly's legs, to block proprioceptive feedback, led to deficient step precision, but interleg coordination and the ability to execute a tripod gait were unaffected. Expand
TLDR
Patterns of Spinal Sensory-Motor Connectivity Prescribed by a Dorsoventral Positional Template
- Gülşen Sürmeli, T. Akay, G. Ippolito, P. Tucker, T. Jessell
- Biology, Medicine
- Cell
- 28 October 2011
It is shown that the final pattern of sensory-motor connections is initiated by the projection of sensory axons to discrete dorsoventral domains of the spinal cord without regard for motor neuron subtype or, indeed, the presence of motor neurons. Expand
TLDR
Degradation of mouse locomotor pattern in the absence of proprioceptive sensory feedback
- T. Akay, W. Tourtellotte, S. Arber, T. Jessell
- Biology, Medicine
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- 11 November 2014
It is found that locomotor pattern degrades upon elimination of proprioceptive feedback from muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs, establishing a role for proprioception feedback in the control of fundamental aspects of mammalian locomotor behavior. Expand
TLDR
Neural Control of Unloaded Leg Posture and of Leg Swing in Stick Insect, Cockroach, and Mouse Differs from That in Larger Animals
- S. Hooper, C. Guschlbauer, +4 authors A. Büschges
- Biology, Medicine
- The Journal of Neuroscience
- 1 April 2009
Size-dependent variations in whether legs have constant, gravity-independent postures, in whether swing motor neurons fire throughout the entirety of swing, and calculations of how quickly passive muscle force would slow limb movement as limb size varies suggest that these differences may be caused by scaling. Expand
TLDR
Behavioral and electromyographic characterization of mice lacking EphA4 receptors.
- T. Akay, H. Acharya, K. Fouad, K. Pearson
- Biology, Medicine
- Journal of neurophysiology
- 1 August 2006
The data give the first detailed description of the locomotor behavior of an adult mouse with genetically manipulated spinal networks, suggesting an influence of sensory feedback in shaping the pattern of muscle activity during locomotion in the mutant animals. Expand
TLDR
The role of sensory signals from the insect coxa-trochanteral joint in controlling motor activity of the femur-tibia joint.
- T. Akay, U. Bässler, P. Gerharz, A. Büschges
- Biology, Medicine
- Journal of neurophysiology
- 1 February 2001
Experiments showed that fCS activity plays an important role in generating tibial motoneuron activity during the stance phase of walking, and suggested that sensory signals from the CT joint only weakly affect central rhythm-generating networks of the FT joint. Expand
TLDR
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2
3
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... | https://www.semanticscholar.org/author/T.-Akay/39223798 |
AT&T Alien Labs has recently published an analyzis of the Linux version of the Darkside ransomware, which was one of the most active in the last quarter. Even though having hit Colonial Pipeline and drawn much attention, Darkside developers announced they would be closing operations, AT&T researchers found evidence that Darkside has made a Linux version of its malware.
They say, unlike other Linux ransomware encrypting files with a password, Darkside encrypts using crypto libraries. This makes it impossible to recover files without an encryption key.
Researchers say although Linux servers are regarded as more secure and reliable, if not maintained properly, attackers can easily infect them with a single infection.
“Linux and UNIX servers are often set up and then forgotten, left without detection or protection mechanisms. This makes them very attractive to attackers. By infecting unprotected virtualization servers, attackers can perform devastating attacks on companies, taking down all the services of a company with a single infection.”
Darkside is a group that operates as a service (RaaS) and has infected companies globally. But after the notorious pipeline attack, fearing much attention from law enforcement, the group decided to shut down its operations. But, according to AT&T Alien Labs, not before the gang released a Linux version of its Darkside malware, which is targeted at ESXi, servers hosting VMware virtual desktops. The threat actors announced the Darkside version 2.0 with Linux capabilities on March 9, 2021, on the XSS Forum.
Darkside Linux mostly targets ESXi servers. Its default configuration is installed in the root path of an ESX server. The behavior of the malware is unusual, researchers note, as it displays on the screen most of the actions it performs. This could mean that the malware is being operated manually.
The malware is written in C++ and it uses several open-source libraries. Some of these are: crypto++, boost, and curl. The use of these libraries allows the final binary to weigh 2.7 MB.
To communicate with Command and Control (C&C), the malware uses libcurl function. The malware can also execute arbitrary commands to shut down virtual machines with esxcli commands. Its operators can also interact with virtual machines through the console.
“When executed, the malware prints its configuration to the terminal. This includes the root path to encrypt, RSA key information, targeted file extensions to encrypt, C2 addresses, and more, as seen in figure 4. The C&C addresses are encrypted using a rotated XOR key, which will be decrypted when the malware is executed. The C&C addresses are encrypted using a rotated XOR key, which will be decrypted when the malware is executed,” researchers explain the specifics.
The malware then counts the encrypted files and exfiltrates information from the infected machine to the C&C server.
When done, the malware will encrypt the files using the ChaCha20 algorithm and the RSA 4096 key. After encryption, the malware creates a ransom note in the folder where the encrypted files are stored.
“Ransomwares remains one of the biggest threats to companies globally, especially when it comes to virtual machine servers that may contain multiple machines that are primary targets for Darkside malware,” researchers concluded. | https://cyberintelmag.com/malware-viruses/darkside-v-2-0-linux-version/ |
Ingredients 1 Lb. of Raw Shrimp 2 Lemons (sliced) 1 Large Onion 1 Tablespoon of Your Favorite Seafood Boil (I...
Spring
Ingredients This recipe makes a large batch for a party. If you love mushrooms make these to keep eat over...
Ingredients This recipe is meant to be made for a crowd. If you are planning to make for a family, by all means, cut the recipe in half or quarters. 2 Lbs. of Orzo Pasta 1 Cup to a Cup and a Half of Chopped Cherry Tomatoes (quartered) 3/4 Cup...
Ingredients 6 Eggs ¼ of a Small Onion Sliced 6 Ounces of Sharp Cheddar Cheese (sliced) ¼ Cup of Black...
Ingredients 1 Half of a Fresh Pineapple (skin and spines removed) 2 Quarts of Cold Fresh Water Instructions Add the...
It is springtime in the south and nothing says spring has arrived better than the number of outdoor fun-filled, food events in March. We started the month by attending Jimbo’s Annual BBQ competition. It is held just up the road from me at Stonewall Farm. The proceeds from the event...
Ingredients 6 Hardboiled Eggs (peeled and sliced in half) 1 Tablespoon of Mayonaise 1 Teaspoon of Dry Mustard 1/2 Teaspoon...
This lovely compound butter can be served room temperature or heated. At room temperature, it is a wonderful spread and...
Ingredients 8 Medium Eggs ¼ Cup of Milk 1-1/2 Cups of Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (washed) (You can use sliced if you remove seeds) 1 16 Oz. Ball or Log of Mozzarella Cheese (Sliced) ¾ – 1 Cup Fresh Basil (washed) 2 Tablespoons of Parmigiano Reggiano (grated) Cooking Spray for Pan...
This is one of our summer vegetarian favorites. You can serve this as a meal, appetizer, or as a side...
Ingredients This is a perfect appetizer for summer or anytime. My neighbors actually made these wonderful little appetizers that allow...
Ingredients 2 Vine Ripe Tomatoes 6 Leaves of Fresh Basil 1 Ball Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Salt and Pepper Serve with a Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Instructions Slice tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese ¼” thick, layer and fan out. Wash basil and pat dry with a towel. Layer leaves on top of... | http://loveoffood.net/category/spring/ |
On 16 September 2011 the Minister of Energy ("the Minister") published Regulations on the Allowance for Energy Efficiency Savings ("the Regulations") under section 12L of the Income Tax Act No. 58 of 1962 ("the Act").
Section 27(1) of the Taxation Laws Amendment Act No. 17 of 2009, inserted section 12L: Allowance for energy efficiency savings, into the Act.
Section 12L(2) allows for a taxable income deduction for energy efficiency savings based on the following formula:
in which formula—
- 'A' represents the deduction amount to be
determined;
- 'B' represents the energy efficiency savings
expressed in kilowatt hours or kilowatt hours equivalent for the
year of assessment of the taxpayer as contemplated in section
12L(1)(c) of the definition of the energy efficiency savings
certificate, i.e. the annual energy efficiency savings expressed in
kilowatt hours or kilowatt hours equivalent for the year of
assessment including the full criteria and methodology used to
calculate the energy efficiency savings determined in accordance
with the Regulations;
- 'C' represents the applied rate as the lowest
feed-in-tariff expressed in Rands per kilowatt hour in effect at
the beginning of the year of assessment as determined in terms of
the Regulatory Guidelines of the National Energy Regulator of South
Africa issued in terms of sections 4 (a) (ii) and 47 (1) of the
National Energy Regulator Act No. 40 of 2004; and
- 'D' represents the number two, unless a different number has been announced by the Minister in the Gazette in which case 'D' represents that number.
To be able to claim the allowance, the taxpayer must:
- register with the South African National Energy Development
Institute ("SANEDI") in respect of any energy efficiency
savings measure for which the allowance is intended to be
claimed;
- appoint a measurement and verification professional to compile
a report, to be submitted to SANEDI, that contains a computation of
the energy efficiency savings in respect of that person for which
the allowance is claimed;
- submit a certificate from SANEDI together with the claim for the allowance to the South African Revenue Service.
SANEDI was established in April 2011 in terms of section 7 of the National Energy Act No. 34 of 2008, to:
- undertake energy efficiency measures as directed by the
Minister;
- increase energy efficiency throughout the economy;
- increase the gross domestic product per unit of energy
consumed;
- optimise the utilisation of finite energy resources; and
- conduct energy research and development
SANEDI must appoint a committee to evaluate the reports and issue the certificates if they are satisfied that the report complies with the South African National Standard 50010.
The deduction will not be allowed if the taxpayer receives any concurrent benefit that is prescribed in the Regulations as any credit, allowance, grant or other benefit granted by any sphere of government for any energy efficiency savings.
The Clean Development Mechanism ("CDM") was established in December 1997 by the Third Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ("UNFCCC"). The CDM allows industrialised countries with emission-reduction commitments to meet part of their commitments by investing in projects in developing countries that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions while contributing to the local sustainable development needs of the host country.
Carbon credits are "units" that an entity acquires for developing or funding a project that assists with the reduction of Green House Gases ("GHG") in the atmosphere in the form of tradable carbon credit certificates.
To allow CDM projects to occur, host countries need to designate national authorities to evaluate and approve the operation of CDM projects in their country.
The Director-General of the Department of Minerals and Energy (now the Department of Energy ("DoE")) was designated the Designated National Authority ("DNA") by regulations under the National Environmental Management Act No. 107 of 1998, in 2004.
The main task of the DNA is to assess potential CDM projects to determine whether they will assist South Africa in achieving its sustainable development goals and to issue formal host country approval for potential CDM projects. As part of its functions, the DNA issues Letters of Approval that, amongst other functions, authorise the project proponent to sell the title and all rights to the greenhouse gas emission reductions generated by the CDM project.
Taxpayers that earn carbon credits based on Letters of Approval issued by the DoE could potentially be disallowed the deduction in terms of section 12L since it represents a benefit granted by a sphere of government.
The Developmental Electricity Pricing Programme ("DEPP"), administered by the Department of Trade and Industry ("the DTI"), aims to attract industrial investment projects to South Africa, which would in the absence of DEPP not invest in South Africa, through providing them with electricity tariffs that will, where justified in terms of competitive international electricity prices:
- enable an internal rate of return that will ensure that the
applicant can invest in South Africa;
- facilitate beneficiation of downstream industries in the
Republic by requiring approved applicants to apply an equivalent
pricing policy and domestic supply policy;
- contribute to economic growth and employment, which includes the realisation of a more labour-absorbing growth path.
Taxpayers that receive beneficial electricity rates under DEPP should also qualify for a section 12L allowance since the benefit received is not a benefit granted for any energy efficiency savings.
We further understand that the DTI is in the process of developing new incentives for investment in renewable energy sources.
The Department of Finance should exclude taxpayers that receive only the benefits of carbon credits for energy efficiency savings from the provisions of section 12L(4) and the DTI should consider the implications of section 12L(4) in developing any incentives for the renewable energy industry.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances. | http://www.mondaq.com/southafrica/utilities/154050/regulations-on-the-allowance-for-energy-efficiency-savings |
Unemployment is increasing in Europe and the traditional systems can clearly not solve today’s problems. It requires inventive thinking and a different type of interaction between political authorities and civil society, says Niels Rosendal Jensen, Associate Professor at Aarhus University and Manager of the VERSO project.
- Nations have traditionally different models for how individual citizens must handle unemployment problems. To put it roughly you might say that in some parts of Europe, citizens are referred to public welfare packages, in other parts the market is expected to solve problems and then we see parts where the family is expected to step in. Common for these three models is clearly that none of them is the answer to Europe’s current problems. We must study this circumstance further to better understand how we can mobilise volunteers – individuals and organisations alike - to solve the tasks that cannot be solved within traditional ways of thinking, explains Mr Rosendal Jensen.
A tool box for regional political authorities
- European regional political authorities are faced with certain challenges. Some must revitalize societies that have more or less come to a halt. They focus on how to generate dynamism that can revive local communities by means of resources in civil society and voluntarism together with the public sector. And they need concrete tools to solve that task, says Mr Rosendal Jensen.
The researcher also points out that the regions in Europe differ greatly. In Southern Europe the youth unemployment rate is nearly 50 per cent and millions of well-educated youths cannot enter the labour market, while in other parts of Europe the challenge is a high number of elderly unemployed industrial workers with no educational qualifications.
- The researchers in VERSO will identify what actually works and provide the participating regional political authorities with a relevant ‘toolbox’ at the end of the project. We conduct evidence-based analyses of good practices from eight different regions in Europe, where regional political authorities have joined forces with volunteers in civic society to counteract unemployment. We will work our way to the core and identify ‘what works’. A critical challenge in this work is how to ‘de-contextualize’ existing experiences to make them transferable from one European context to another, adds Mr Rosendal Jensen.
Informal learning processes
- Another aspect is the fact that several processes of informal learning and informal competence development are at play in the volunteers’ social networks, which can be instrumental in sharpening skills that are relevant for future positions or vocation. The volunteers may, for instance, undergo non-formal learning that the educational system or other institutionalised systems cannot provide. For the individual it may be a pathway to new employment, says Mr Rosendal Jensen.
However, Mr Rosendal Jensen stresses that the aim is not to reduce civic voluntarism to a competence tool to get unemployed into the established, traditional job market. Volunteerism can be instrumental in creating new types of social spaces capable of including or connecting with marginalized groups whose employment needs are not currently met by the established employment systems. Such new social spaces (cafés, workshops, cinemas, festivals, TV-stations) can be examples of new and more flexible non-formal service formats expanding the scope of existing employment services.
Social cohesion in Europe
VERSO offers a new partnership between regional political authorities and research institutions across Europe. Public authorities have a very real interest in having concrete tools developed to tackle problems of unemployment, but the researchers’ work extends beyond that.
- VERSO gives the participating research institutions an opportunity to make comparative analyses of what generates social dynamics and prevents new social dynamics from developing across Europe. Social cohesion is a core concept, Mr Rosendal Jensen explains and continues: “The basic structure of Europe requires everyone to work, but what becomes of social cohesion when large segments of the population are outside the labour market?”
- When the EU points to the voluntary sector as a crucial factor in tackling problems, it is an attempt to reinforce some of the social cohesion we fear is eroding. If we cannot create social cohesion qua the labour market because a certain number of people are excluded, we must identify other ways to do so, concludes Mr Rosendal Jensen. | http://versonet.eu/news/europe-needs-inventive-thinking/index.html |
To see the full list of Policy Briefs, click here.
Latest Policy Briefs and Reports
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Over the past few years, internet access and adoption in India has grown tremendously, giving Indians more access to the online information ecosystem than ever before. Today, India is one of the largest markets for technology platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook. However, the adoption of these technology platforms has also enabled misinformation and disinformation to spread at scale in the country. This has resulted in the eruption of violence and even the deaths of dozens of people. This policy brief explores the false information ecosystem in India, highlighting the key players and approaches they have implemented to curb the spread of misinformation and disinformation. It also offers a set of recommendations for how these efforts can be improved going forward.
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History supplies few examples of successful great power cooperation for preserving peace over long periods. For the emerging multipolar structure, one of the rare templates of successful peace-preserving collaboration has been the Concert of Europe (CoE), which emerged in the course of the Vienna Congress of 1815. The CoE worked for a century; it prevented great power war for two long periods and managed at least to avoid all-out war in the interim period of the Crimea War and the Wars of German and Italian unification). This policy brief examines the achievements and shortcomings of the CoE, and discusses how these insights might be applied in light of current global power relations.
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Policy Brief No.53 - October, 2019
Since the possession of nuclear weapons, India is more awake to the realistic utility of nuclear arms control as an arms race management instrument or a risk reduction instrument. Ongoing developments in nuclear arms control should matter for India, even if these are taking place in the US-Russia bilateral domain. Whether the future trajectory of NAC will result in positive consequences or adverse ones for New Delhi will depend on many factors, including how these are handled. This policy brief highlights four main issues that will have implications at the global and regional levels, for India in particular and offers five ideas for future NAC possibilities.
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Policy Brief No.52 - October, 2019
There is a sense that world order is at a point of transition but we do not know what we are transitioning to. How can we ensure that these processes do not threaten international peace and security? How can we direct the processes of change and transformation to our advantage while avoiding the dangers that they create? What adjustments do we have to make to ensure that the basis exists for cooperative security in the emerging world order? This policy brief considers cooperative security in the rules-based world order and what the future might hold as rules-based order declines. It proposes that a productive approach is to explore a vision of a shared future and concludes with five recommendations.
Social Media, Technology and Peacebuilding
Social Media in Zimbabwe: A Toxic Tool or a Future Bridge to Peace?
Policy Brief No.51 - October, 2019
The rise of social media in Zimbabwe has brought with it a greater variety of platforms which offer people a means to express themselves. However, the democratisation of information and the increase in digital spaces have also come with greater state restriction and polarisation among Zimbabweans. This policy brief discusses the state’s attempts to act as the proctor of social media in order to explore the relations between users of online platforms in terms of political leanings and gender. To this end, it will also discuss how online targeting can exacerbate already existing political divisions between people and how the state uses legal instruments to surveil and regulate online activity as a way of maintaining its iron grip on the people. The policy brief concludes with recommendations aimed at stopping hateful, harmful or false narratives being spread at the click of a button. | https://toda.org/policy-briefs-and-resources/policy-briefs.html?list_page=4 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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This invention relates generally to unlicensed (e.g. MulteFire) and other non-licensed radio technologies (e.g., U.S. 3.5 GHz band) that do not have direct communication with an HSS server for subscriber data retrieval and authentication, where instead they access an AAA server, and, more specifically, relates to adding SCEF to MulteFire (MF) in NHN access mode.
This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention disclosed below. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived, implemented or described. Therefore, unless otherwise explicitly indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section. Abbreviations that may be found in the specification and/or the drawing figures are defined below, after the main part of the detailed description section.
This disclosure relates to a new technology initiative called MulteFire (MF). MF is, e.g., a Qualcomm-Nokia co-operation initiative to create a new communications system where LTE radio technology is applied to an unlicensed radio band. The difference from the currently on-going Licensed Assisted Access (LAA/LTE-U) activities is that in MF there is not expected to be a macro network or licensed carriers in use, but instead the MF is a standalone system designed to operate on unlicensed band frequencies. The MF can operate, e.g., on the same 5 GHz band as Wi-Fi does but is not limited to this. MF specifications are developed in the MulteFire Alliance. Wi-Fi is a technology for wireless local area networking with devices based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
In the MF architecture, the radio interface terminates in the UE and in the MF Access Point (MF-AP) on the network side. The MF-AP can be connected to a Neutral Host Network (NHN), which realizes the minimum set of necessary core network functions for the MF operations to provide IP connectivity. When MF-AP is deployed with an NHN, the network setup may resemble Wi-Fi deployment, however operating with 3GPP protocols. Therefore NHN is −considered a non-3GPP access network when interworking with a 3GPP PLMN is deployed.
The next release of MF specifications will be Rel-1.1. The most important enhancement over Rel-1.0 is the support of CIoT (Cellular Internet of Things) features developed in 3GPP.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. All of the embodiments described in this Detailed Description are exemplary embodiments provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims.
FIG. 1A
FIG. 4-2-1
b
An important aspect of the enhancement related to the support of CIoT features is how a Neutral Host Network (NHN) can be connected to Service Capability Exposure Function (SCEF) specified in 3GPP TS 23.682. According to 3GPP specifications, the SCEF is in the HPLMN and the Interworking-SCEF is in the VPLMN. (copied from 3GPP TS 23.682) presents the 3GPP architecture.
FIG. 1B
In the MF architecture, there is no VPLMN, but the NHN is connected to the 3GPP PLMN via SWa when the 3GPP PLMN considers NHN as an untrusted Non-3GPP access network and via STa and via S2a when the 3GPP PLMN considers NHN as a Trusted Non-3GPP access network. Similarly, there is an AAA interface (Diameter/RADIUS) with the PSP when non-3GPP operator is providing the service but this does not have 3GPP specific STa/SWa components by default. presents the architecture (copied from MF.202).
FIG. 2
According to a Qualcomm proposal, the SCEF can be added into the NHN (see , which is copied from Qualcomm MF contribution mf2017.037.00). A problem of this proposal is that it is not clear how the SCEF can get subscription-related information and thus this technique most probably can work only with features not requiring subscription information and HSS interaction. Note that in the 3GPP architecture, there is the S6m/S16t interface between the HSS and SCEF/MTC-IWF. Another issue with this technique is that it cannot re-use the SCS deployed in a 3GPP PLMN, as TsP and API interfaces between the SCEF/MTC-IWF are intra-PLMN interfaces. An additional problem with the Qualcomm proposal is that SCS/AS wishing to trigger a monitoring service would not know which SCEF to contact. The UE may use any number of different NHN networks. If a UE authenticates to the service provider (PSP/3GPP), the service provider may be able to deduce the originating NHN entity from the used AAA attributes, but the service provider would still not know which SCEF entity is serving the UE in the NHN network and how to reach the UE. The SCEF and service provider domains (3GPP PLMN/PSP) belong together (˜intra-PLMN interfaces below), but the NHN is the access network provider, and as such, these are separated now.
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
An exemplary embodiment herein proposes to add an IWK-SCEF function to the NHN architecture. See , which is a block diagram of an exemplary architecture proposal for adding CIOT/MTC features to an MF NHN. The IWK-SCEF is connected to the external SCEF that can be in a 3GPP PLMN or in the network of an external Participating Service Provider (PSP) via a slightly modified version of the 3GPP defined T7 interface (illustrated in as the interface T7′ between the IWK-SCEF and the non-3GPP SCEF).
In this scenario, the IWK-SCEF resides in NHN core network with the following impacts on the NHN core network:
Implementing the IWK-SCEF;
Implementing the T6ai interface between the NH MME and IWK-SCEF (the protocol between IWK-SCEF and NH-MME might be left for implementation, but the functionality should be there); and
Implementing the T7 interface between the IWK-SCEF and SCEF.
With the IWK-SCEF scenario, the IoT applications reside outside the NHN and are located in the PSP network. The trust domain is now the T7 interface. Providing security on this interface is similar to other interfaces (e.g., STa) and is simpler than the trust domain requirements needed between the SCEF and SCS/AS. The 3GPP AAA resides in the MNO network and is used for managing access with non-3GPP networks (e.g., Wi-Fi). The PSP AAA resides in a non-MNO PSP (e.g., non-3GPP) network and is used for managing access with other networks. The non-3GPP network could be Wi-Fi, such as Boingo (Boingo Wireless is an American company that provides mobile Internet access for wireless-enabled consumer devices). A local proxy AAA provides interworking functions for AAA procedures with external AAA servers. It also provides single point of contact in the NHN to these AAA servers and can therefore hide internal structure of the NHN network from them. The proxy maintains trust relationships of the NHN and 3GPP/PSP operators for AAA procedures. It is noted that a 3GPP network covers cellular (e.g., mobile broadband) technologies defined in 3GPP standards, and non-3GPP networks are those networks not covered by such standards.
This scenario has dependencies on the HSS for identity management and subscription management for the monitoring event configuration and device triggering functions, but since the SCEF is now in the PSP network, this dependency is managed by the SCEF and HSS in their home networks and these are not impacted by the deployment of the IWK-SCEF in the MF NHN. There still are possible HSS issues, but these issues are resolved by enhancing the STa/SWa interfaces and adding the required information as new AVPs in the following manner
Event Monitoring configuration requires AVP enhancements to STa/SWa to push the configuration information to the NH MME. This allows the HSS to trigger a subscription update over SWx. Already specified procedures over STa/SWa would deliver the information to the NH MME.
Enhancing the STa/SWa interfaces with AVP enhancements provides the APN and SCEF routing information needed to establish an NIDD connection. The connection is then established using the attach procedures for non-3GPP networks.
Device triggering may work as specified in TS 23.682. As long as the IoT device establishes a NIDD connection prior to a device trigger request, the device is registered in the HSS and the feature works as specified.
6
6
The problem of having subscription information in the SCEF is solved by this architecture, as the legacy St/Sm interfaces in a PLMN can be used. When a non-3GPP operator (PSP) deploys the SCEF, then the operator can use a proprietary intra-operator interface between PSP SCEF and PSP AAA. Note that there are no specifications for the non-3GPP operator deployed SCEF. Further, this architecture in an exemplary embodiment also solves the problem described above, where an SCS/AS wishing to trigger a monitoring service would not know which SCEF to contact. In exemplary embodiment, in this case the SCS/AS can find the SCEF in the same way as the SCS/AS can find an SCEF in the case when a 3GPP access network is used.
FIG. 4
In some procedures, the HSS sends CIOT/MTC related information to the MME; e.g., via Monitoring Event configuration. See , which illustrates a signaling diagram of monitoring event configuration via an HSS procedure in 3GPP, and is a reproduction of FIG. 5.6.1.1-1 from 3GPP TS 23.682. This procedure is not supported in an MF NHN, since there is no HSS interface so steps 5 and 7 are not possible.
FIG. 5
FIG. 7
In MF NHN, the STa/SWa interfaces resolve this problem with the HSS and are used to enable the IWK-SCEF solution are shown in for Event Monitoring Configuration and in for NIDD Connection Establishment.
FIG. 3
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
1
9
More particularly, another aspect of the exemplary embodiments is that these types of procedures are supported with the architecture proposed in via the 3GPP AAA server (PSP AAA server when SCEF is in the PSP's network) and the Local AAA proxy. The procedure is depicted in . In , the Monitoring Request to the SCEF is the Monitoring Request from the SCS/AS to the SCEF illustrated by signaling operation of . Similarly, the Monitoring Response from the SCEF is the Monitoring Response from the SCEF to the SCS/AS illustrated by signaling operation of .
It should be noted that an AAA server is typically an independent network element. This is true because AAAs tend to scale differently than the other network elements, which also leads to them being independent elements. This is starting to change now that AAAs and other network elements are being virtualized. So the trend is to deploy servers and host the AAA software along with the other network elements as virtual network functions. Similarly, in an exemplary embodiment, the Local AAA proxy is a logical function and not a specific network element. For instance, an NH-MME could take care of all local AAA proxy functionalities in a small network. Other options, for other networks, are possible, such as having the local AAA proxy functionality being implemented by one or more network elements. Thus, for any AAA server or AAA proxy herein, it is assumed each of these is a separate network entity, but it is possible that the corresponding functionality is performed by a network element (or network elements) having functions other than AAA functions.
FIG. 5
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
FIG. 4
5
7
One way to view the signaling operations of as compared to is the PPR/PPA, RAR/RAA and AA-Req/AA-Resp operations in are replacing operations and in . This is done because the MF NHN does not have an interface to the HSS, so this is replaced with the AAA interface which is supported. Additional AVPs may then be used to include the information needed to operate these SCEF features.
FIG. 5
Regarding , the following are notes for the information flow.
1) PPR/PPA messages sent over SWx are used to update a profile (3GPP TS 29.273 clause 8.1.2.3).
2) The PPR message contains a User Profile. The User Profile specified in 3GPP TS 29.273 is mapped to the Non-3GPP-User-Data AVP, which does not currently contain any monitoring event information. Monitoring Event information may be added to the PPR message (e.g., a new AVP could be added for Monitoring Event information).
3) The 3GPP AAA initiates RAR to NHN Local AAA proxy which forwards RAR to the NH MME serving the UE. The NH MME responds with RAA. The RAR acts as a trigger to NHN to start AA-Req for a profile update. The NH MME issues AA-Req (AA-Request) to the Local AAA which forwards it to 3GPP AAA. The 3GPP AAA sends an AA-Resp (AA Response) to the Local AAA which forwards the AA-Resp to the NH MME. The AA-Resp currently does not contain any monitoring event information. However, this embodiment adds monitoring event information to the AA-Resp message (e.g., a new AVP is added for Monitoring Event information). Such event monitoring configuration information can be configured for one or more of the following: user equipment reachability (e.g., can the device be contacted by the NHN?); changes in the user equipment location; loss of connectivity with the user equipment; and communication failure with the user equipment.
4) A Configuration Information Request (CIR) is an optional message and sent if the IWK-SCEF needs to update cached information related to continuous event reporting; IWK-SCEF also verifies that the SCEF is known to the IWK-SCEF.
FIG. 5
In the event monitoring configuration information flow (), the following observations are noted:
The existing messages specified in TS 23.682 for Monitoring Request and Monitoring Response are used.
The existing procedures for re-authorization over STa specified in TS 29.273 are used for transferring the event monitoring configuration to the NHN.
The AVPs specified in 3GPP TS 29.273 for re-authorization do not contain any monitoring event information. An enhancement is needed to add the event monitoring information to the PPR and AA-Resp messages.
Using the re-authorization procedure gets the event monitoring information to the NH MME which then updates the IWK-SCEF as specified in 3GPP TS 23.682.
A new trigger in the HSS is needed to send updated monitoring event information to NHN via SWx instead of S6a.
While this information flow shows the operation over STa, similar enhancements can be made to enable this procedure over SWa if desired.
The following is a summary of exemplary (but non-limiting) changes from 3GPP specifications to make this work: (1) a new trigger in the HSS is used to send updated monitoring event information to NHN via SWx instead of S6a; (2) Monitoring Event information is added to PPR and AA-Resp messages.
This technique uses the already-specified User Profile Update procedure. The only addition needed is the addition of the information elements related to monitoring.
FIG. 5
If a non-3GPP PSP deploys SCEF, then the PSP AAA performs the 3GPP AAA/HSS role in . It is likely RADIUS is used instead of Diameter as in 3GPP, and in this case the monitoring information should be conveyed using the RADIUS CoA procedure. Both RADIUS and Diameter are authentication, authorization, and accounting protocols for computer networks. The general description of the procedure is found in RFC 5176 (Chiba, et al., “Dynamic Authorization Extensions to Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS)”, Network Working Group, Request for Comments: 5176 (2008)). SCEF specific information elements should be included into the procedure. NAI may be used instead of IMSI or MSISDN.
FIG. 5
FIG. 6
The example of may also be applied to non-3GPP networks. is a signaling diagram for monitoring event configuration via a non-3GPP PSP procedure in MulteFire, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. In this example, both functions of the PSP AAA and the Subscriber Database have a dotted line box around both. This implies these functions could be implemented either together in one network element or in separate network elements. One point is the updated event monitoring configuration data is available to the PSP AAA based on a trigger from the PSP specific SCEF. Also, while the PPR/PPA messages are shown, any message could be used, since this actual means of transferring the information is specific to the PSP operator.
The following are notes for this information flow.
1) The subscription DB in the non-3GPP network provides SCEF functions similar to HSS SCEF functions in 3GPP network. It could be implemented as part of a PSP AAA or separately (e.g., this is an implementation decision on the part of the PSP operator).
2) The PPR/PPA messages are shown for illustrative use only. Actual messages are implementation specific. An important point is that updated event monitoring configuration data is available to the PSP AAA based on a trigger from the non-3GPP SCEF.
3) The PSP AAA initiates RAR to the NHN Local AAA proxy, which forwards RAR to NH MME. The NH MME responds with RAA and Local AAA proxy forwards it to PSP AAA.
4) The NH MME issues an AA-Req to the Local AAA, which forwards it to PSP AAA. The PSP AAA sends an AA-Resp to the Local AAA, which forwards the AA-Resp to the NH MME. The AA-Resp does not contain any monitoring event information. This information will be added to the AA-Resp message (e.g., add a new AVP for Monitoring Event information).
5) The Configuration Information Request (CIR) is an optional message and sent if the IWK-SCEF needs to update cached information related to continuous event reporting. The IWK-SCEF also verifies SCEF is known to IWK-SCEF.
An exemplary summary of changes from 3GPP specifications to make this work include the following: add a new trigger in the PSP network to send updated monitoring event information to the NHN; and add Monitoring Event information to AA-Resp messages.
FIG. 7
FIG. 7
Turning to , this figure is a signaling diagram for connection establishment using IWK-SCEF for non-IP data delivery, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The following are notes for the information flow in .
1) The attach procedure specified for MulteFire is used as it is specified in clause 6.2.2 of MFA MF.202. The use case is an IoT UE which needs access to Application Servers in the MNO domain As part of the attach procedure, EAP-AKA′ is used for authentication.
2) As part of this procedure, the existing procedure which the 3GPP AAA uses to register the UE with the HSS is maintained. This allows the service provider to deduce the originating NHN entity from the used AAA attributes. The HSS sends the User Profile containing APN related information to the 3GPP AAA after the authentication succeeds. The 3GPP AAA sends the APN information to the Local AAA which sends the APN information to the NH MME.
3) The latest version of 3GPP TS 29.273 identifies the Non-IP Data Delivery information (SCEF ID, SCEF Realm) as information which need not be in the APN-Configuration AVP. Consequently, there is no guarantee the SCEF information needed to establish the NIDD connection is provided to the NH MME. The DEA message may be updated to add this information (e.g., via a new AVP). By updating the DEA message with this information, the MF NHN can deduce which SCEF to contact for Non-IP Data Delivery.
6
4) The CMR/CMA as specified in 3GPP TS 23.682 are used without modification to establish the NIDD connection. The NH MME uses the SCEF-ID and the SCEF realm that the NH MME received in the subscribed APN as the Destination-Host AVP and the Destination-Realm AVP in the CMR message sent over the Tai interface. The technique described immediately above allows the MF NHN can deduce which SCEF to contact for Non-IP Data Delivery
5) The IWK-SCEF behaves as a Diameter Proxy and forwards Diameter messages, keeping the Destination-Host and Destination-Realm AVPs unchanged.
Information used for SCEF discovery and routing (SCEF ID, SCEF Realm) may not be included in the APN Configuration AVP. An AVP update may be needed to add this information.
Summary of changes from 3GPP specifications to make this work include following: update the DEA message to add the NIDD related connection information (e.g., via a new AVP).
While enhancements are required for STa and SWa for this solution, these are minor impacts and do not change the MF NHN and MNO architectures. These impacts only affect the PSPs who want to provide IoT services and are also minor changes for the PSPs. Additionally, there are no new procedures introduced by this solution.
Non-IP Data Delivery using a Point-to-Point (PtP) SGi tunnel is also an option in 3GPP specifications. This delivery option can be supported with this architecture using Trusted mode when the PGW is in the MNO's network. It requires the extension of S2a with S5/S8 extensions specified for this purpose in 3GPP, but no other architecture changes are needed.
Another advantage of this solution is easy support for different Non-IP data delivery options. If the NHN is configured to use SGi based delivery via S2a for NIDD traffic, APN configuration is still needed to correctly establish the tunneling to the Application Servers in the MNO PSP. In this case, the APN configuration information contains the APN information needed to establish the connection.
For the case when the PSP is non-MNO, the PSP AAA server (or the subscriber database behind the AAA server) should provide the required HSS functions and data. There is also a need to enhance the AAA interface with new information elements between NHN and PSP-AAA for providing event monitoring, SCEF discovery and routing information and APN configuration information for Non-IP data delivery. These extensions can also be standardized in MFA.
The IWK-SCEF also manages the scaling of SCEFs nicely which is expected given the likely composition of MF IoT devices and the desire to provide a neutral hosting environment for IoT devices from multiple PSPs. Also, this scenario allows local IoT applications and services.
FIG. 3
FIGS. 5 and 6
FIG. 5
FIG. 7
Regarding the ability for the SCS/AS to find the SCEF in the same way as the SCS/AS can find an SCEF in the case when a 3GPP access network is used, the structure in and the flows in allow this to happen. For instance, in , the 3GPP AAA, HSS and SCEF are in the home network and the IWK-SCEF, Local AAA and NH MME are in the NHN. In , there is a similar allocation. It is this allocation of HSS and SCEF in the home network that helps to provide the ability for the SCS/AS to find the SCEF in the same way as the SCS/AS can find an SCEF in the case when a 3GPP access network is used.
It is also noted that there could be problems if NHN would provide SCEF. The following are two possible options for solving these problems:
Option 1 would be to let NH-MME select the SCEF for the UE and indicate the selected SCEF to the PSP in AAA attributes during authentication or authorization. This would entail adding a completely new attribute (AVP) to AAA messages carrying EAP (Diameter DER/RADIUS Access Request). Alternatively, it is the Local AAA proxy which could select the SCEF for the UE.
Option 2 would allow instead the PSP to query the SCEF location from the NHN using Diameter RAR/RAA or RADIUS CoA exchange with suitable indicators.
Thus, an exemplary embodiment herein proposes also a solution where SCEF could reside in NHN and introduces new signaling to indicate SCEF location to the service provider (PSP or 3GPP MNO). The proposed solution requires the NHN to select SCEF for the UE itself and this selection is made known to the PSP/3GPP MNO. Selection could happen in the Local AAA proxy as this has an overall view over the NHN network. The first solution pushes the SCEF information to the PSP/3GPP AAA piggybacked into AAA authentication and authorization signaling (DIAMETER DER / RADIUS-Access-Request). This could be provided in the final message of the AAA authentication and authorization exchange to the PSP/3GPP AAA server. The second solution uses a pull model where the PSP/3GPP AAA would request the SCEF information from the NHN (instead of the HSS). The UE still has AAA context active with the PSP/3GPP AAA for the NHN which previously authenticated the user and this can be used to access the NHN. The solution could deploy suitably built DIAMETER RAR/RAA messages. In one implementation, the PSP/3GPP AAA would send RAR to indicate the requested information and the NHN Local AAA proxy would provide the RAA with the requested information. Alternatively, a RADIUS CoA procedure could be used.
FIG. 8
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Referring to , this figure is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system suitable for use as any of the network elements described herein. The computer system may include one or more processors , one or more memories , one or more network interfaces (N/W I/F(s)) , and one or more transceivers interconnected through one or more buses . Not all these would be used for each possible network element, as described more below. Each of the one or more transceivers includes a receiver, Rx, and a transmitter, Tx, . The one or more transceivers are connected to one or more antennas . The one or more memories include computer program code . The computer system includes a MulteFire module , comprising one of or both parts - and/or -, which may be implemented in a number of ways. The MulteFire module may be implemented in hardware as MulteFire module -, such as being implemented as part of the one or more processors . The MulteFire module - may be implemented also as an integrated circuit or through other hardware such as a programmable gate array. In another example, the MulteFire module may be implemented as MulteFire module -, which is implemented as computer program code and is executed by the one or more processors . For instance, the one or more memories and the computer program code are configured to, with the one or more processors , cause the computer system to perform one or more of the operations as described herein. The one or more network interfaces communicate over a network (which can include a wired or wireless network to other network element(s)) such as via the link (and e.g., via one or more interfaces over the link ). The one or more buses may be address, data, or control buses, and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, fiber optics or other optical communication equipment, wireless channels, and the like.
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Although the term “MulteFire” is used for the module , this is not meant to be limiting. Module may also be used for LTE radio technologies not operating in licensed spectrum. In particular, radio technologies may be used that do not have direct communication with an HSS server for subscriber data retrieval and authentication, where instead they access an AAA server.
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Any wireless network devices such as a UE or an AP would contain the transceiver and the antenna(s) , but any network devices that are not wireless would not. Also, the network interface(s) are meant in a general sense, and include interfaces for cellular networks, Wi-Fi networks, and the like.
The advantages and technical effects of one or more of the embodiments described above include the followings:
Legacy SCEF, MTC-IWF, SCS and AS in a PLMN can be used with minor modifications. It is possible the only modification is the modification of T7 interface needed, as NHN is not a PLMN.
No new procedures in the 3GPP networks are foreseen, only some additional information elements are needed on AAA interfaces.
This architecture also enables deployment and use of SCEF by Participating Service Providers (PSPs) that are not PLMNs. In that case, IMSI and MSISDN related identities may be replaced with other PSP-specific or UE-specific identities, and may be conveyed for example using NAI related formatting.
FIGS. 9 to 12
FIG. 8
are logic flow diagrams for adding SCEF to MF in NHN access mode, and illustrate the operation of an exemplary method or methods, a result of execution of computer program instructions embodied on a computer readable memory, functions performed by logic implemented in hardware, and/or interconnected means for performing functions in accordance with exemplary embodiments. Each of these figures also corresponds to a network entity implementing certain functionality, and each of these network entities may be implemented as described above with respect to .
FIG. 9
FIG. 5
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corresponds to a network entity implementing the HSS of . In block , the network entity performs the operation of receiving a monitoring request message at an apparatus in a network outside of a neutral host network. The monitoring request message comprises information defined to start a process to configure the neutral host network to monitor a selected Internet of things user equipment for specific events. In block , the network entity performs the operation of in response to receiving the monitoring request message, sending, from the apparatus and toward the neutral host network, a message comprising event monitoring configuration information corresponding to the monitoring request message, at least part of the event monitoring configuration information configured to cause a neutral host MME in the other network to monitor the selected user equipment for specific events.
FIG. 10
FIG. 6
1010
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corresponds to a network entity implementing the PSP AAA/Subscriber database of . In block , a network entity performs the operation of receiving a monitoring request message at an apparatus in a network outside of a neutral host network, the monitoring request message comprising information defined to start a process to configure the neutral host network to monitor a selected Internet of things user equipment for specific events. In block , the network entity performs the operation of in response to receiving the monitoring request message, sending, from the apparatus and toward the neutral host network, a message comprising event monitoring configuration information corresponding to the monitoring request message, at least part of the event monitoring configuration information configured to cause a neutral host MME in the other network to monitor the selected user equipment for specific events.
FIG. 11
FIG. 5
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corresponds to a network entity implementing the local AAA proxy of . A network entity in block performs the operation of receiving at an apparatus in a neutral host network a message comprising information defined to configure an MME in the neutral host network to monitor a selected Internet of things user equipment for specific events. In block , the network entity performs the operation of in response to the received message, sending a message comprising the information from the apparatus toward the MME in the neutral host network.
FIG. 12
FIG. 7
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corresponds to a network entity implementing the local AAA proxy of . A network entity in block performs the operation of receiving at an apparatus in a neutral host network a message comprising an access point name for an access point in the neutral host network, the access point communicating with a user equipment, the message part of a connection establishment procedure for non-IP data delivery between a cellular network, the neutral host network, and the user equipment. In block , the network entity performs the operation of in response to the received message, sending another message comprising the access point name from the apparatus toward an MME in the neutral host network, the MME able to connect to the user equipment via the access point
FIGS. 9-12
It should be noted that are described as using a single network entity, but it should be considered that these could use multiple network entities performing the same functionality.
FIG. 13
In an alternative solution/scenario (shown in ) the SCEF may reside in the NHN core network with the following impacts on the NHN core network:
Implementing the SCEF
Implementing the T6a interface between the SCEF and NH MME
Establishing a trust domain incorporating the SCEF and the SCS/AS entities
Note the SCS and Application Servers could reside either inside the NHN core network, outside the NHN Core Network or both locations.
SCEF related functions identified for MF NHN have these dependencies on the HSS in the PSP MNO network:
Device triggering requires the MTC-IWF query the HSS for the serving CN node to correctly deliver the trigger information. The HSS is also used to map the device identity used by the applications to the device's IMSI.
Event monitoring configuration requires the SCEF to inform the HSS so the HSS can deliver updated event monitoring configuration information to the 3GPP MME via S6a.
NIDD requires APN and SCEF routing information to establish a connection. In 3GPP networks, this information is sent by the HSS to the MME over S6a during attach.
When the SCEF is in NHN, the NHN must configure APN which the UE uses to establish a NIDD connection with the SCEF.
The lack of an interface to the HSS is the key limitation of this scenario. Resolving these dependencies for this option requires adding the required HSS functionality to the MF NHN. Since the MF NHN architecture does not support a HSS or any interface to a HSS, adding this functionality would be a major impact to the architecture.
As mentioned previously, the key problem with this alternative solution/scenario is the lack of HSS support in the MF NHN. The SCEF functions identified for MF NHN have a heavy dependency on the HSS for identity management and subscription management. These capabilities have to be replicated in the NHN core network. This scenario also introduces scaling concerns. With the SCEF in the NHN, MTC applications may have to establish sessions with multiple NHN SCEFs complicating their operation. Finally, not all IoT devices will only want access to applications associated with the NHN SCEF. These devices may need access to applications in the PSP domain (e.g. a 3GPP PSP) which necessitates and additional mechanism to reach those applications.
Furthermore, additional examples are provided below for the IWK-SCEF function being added to the NHN architecture.
A method, comprising: receiving a monitoring request message at an apparatus in a network outside of a neutral host network, the monitoring request message comprising information defined to start a process to configure the neutral host network to monitor a selected Internet of things user equipment for specific events; and in response to receiving the monitoring request message, sending, from the apparatus and toward the neutral host network, a message comprising event monitoring configuration information corresponding to the monitoring request message, at least part of the event monitoring configuration information configured to cause a neutral host MME in the other network to monitor the selected user equipment for specific events.
The method of example 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an HSS and the network outside of the neutral host network is a cellular network, and wherein the sent message is sent toward an AAA server in the cellular network and further toward an AAA proxy in the neutral host network.
The method of any of examples 1 to 2, wherein the message comprising the event monitoring configuration information is contained in a push-profile-request message from the HSS to the AAA server in the cellular network
The method of example 3, wherein the message comprising the event monitoring configuration information is also contained in an AA-Response message from an AAA server in the cellular network to an AAA proxy in the neutral host network.
The method of any one of examples 1 to 4, wherein the event monitoring configuration information comprises a user identity and a user profile corresponding to a selected user equipment, and the user identity is a part of the event monitoring configuration information.
The method of example 5, wherein the user identity comprises one of an IMSI, NAI, or MSISDN.
The method of any one of examples 1 to 6, further comprising:
receiving at the apparatus a message indicating a result of the monitoring event configuration transfer; and
sending, from the apparatus and toward an SCEF, a message comprising a monitoring configuration response.
The method of any of examples 1 to 7, wherein the neutral host network supports one or more unlicensed bands or non-licensed bands but does not have direct communication with an HSS server for subscriber data retrieval and authentication and instead has to access an AAA server in a cellular network.
The method of any of examples 1 to 8, wherein the event monitoring configuration information can be configured for one or more of the following: user equipment reachability; changes in the user equipment location; loss of connectivity with the user equipment; and communication failure with the user equipment.
A method, comprising:
receiving a monitoring request message at an apparatus in a network outside of a neutral host network, the monitoring request message comprising information defined to start a process to configure the neutral host network to monitor a selected Internet of things user equipment for specific events; and
in response to receiving the monitoring request message, sending, from the apparatus and toward the neutral host network, a message comprising event monitoring configuration information corresponding to the monitoring request message, at least part of the event monitoring configuration information configured to cause a neutral host MME in the other network to monitor the selected user equipment for specific events.
The method of example 10, wherein the apparatus comprises one or more network entities having PSP AAA and subscriber database functionality and the network is a non-3GPP network, and wherein the sent message is sent toward an AAA proxy in the neutral host network.
The method of any of examples 10 to 11, wherein the message comprising the event monitoring configuration information is contained in an AA-Response message or a Radius CoA message from a PSP AAA server in the non-3GPP network to an AAA proxy in the neutral host network.
The method of any one of examples 1 or 3, wherein the event monitoring configuration information comprises a user identity and a user profile corresponding to a selected user equipment, and the user identity is a part of the event monitoring configuration information.
The method of example 13, wherein the user identity comprises one of a CUI or a session identifier.
The method of any one of examples 1 to 14, further comprising:
determining at the apparatus a result of the monitoring event configuration transfer; and
sending, from the apparatus and toward an SCEF, a message comprising a monitoring configuration response.
The method of any of examples 1 to 15, wherein the neutral host network supports one or more unlicensed bands or non-licensed bands but does not have direct communication with an HSS server for subscriber data retrieval and authentication and instead has to access an AAA server in a non-3GPP network.
The method of any of examples 1 to 16, wherein the event monitoring configuration information can be configured for one or more of the following: user equipment reachability; changes in the user equipment location; loss of connectivity with the user equipment; and communication failure with the user equipment.
A method, comprising:
receiving at an apparatus in a neutral host network a message comprising information defined to configure an MME in the neutral host network to monitor a selected Internet of things user equipment for specific events; and
in response to the received message, sending a message comprising the information from the apparatus toward the MME in the neutral host network.
The method of example 18, wherein the apparatus comprises an AAA proxy.
The method of any of examples 18 to 19, wherein the received and sent messages are formatted as AA-Resp messages.
The method of any of examples 18 to 20, wherein the event monitoring configuration information can be configured for one or more of the following: user equipment reachability; changes in the user equipment location; loss of connectivity with the user equipment; and communication failure with the user equipment.
The method of any of examples 18 to 21, wherein the neutral host network supports one or more unlicensed bands or non-licensed bands but does not have direct communication with an HSS server for subscriber data retrieval and authentication and instead has to access an AAA server in one of a cellular network or the non-3GPP network.
A method, comprising:
receiving at an apparatus in a neutral host network a message comprising an access point name for an access point in the neutral host network, the access point communicating with a user equipment, the message part of a connection establishment procedure for non-IP data delivery between a cellular network, the neutral host network, and the user equipment; and
in response to the received message, sending another message comprising the access point name from the apparatus toward an MME in the neutral host network, the MME able to connect to the user equipment via the access point.
The method of example 23, wherein the apparatus comprises an AAA proxy in the neutral host network and the message is received from an AAA server in the cellular network.
The method of any of examples 23 to 24, wherein the received and sent messages are formatted as DEA messages.
The method of any of examples 23 to 24, wherein the neutral host network supports one or more unlicensed bands or non-licensed bands but does not have direct communication with an HSS server for subscriber data retrieval and authentication and instead has to access an AAA server in one of a cellular network or the non-3GPP network.
An apparatus, comprising:
a neutral host network, wherein the neutral host network supports one or more unlicensed bands or non-licensed bands but does not have direct communication with an HSS server for subscriber data retrieval and authentication and instead has to access an AAA server in one of a cellular network or the non-3GPP network; and
an interworking service capability exposure function, wherein the interworking service capability exposure function is in the neutral host network.
A computer program comprising program code for executingthe method according to any of examples 1 to 26.
The computer program according to example 28, wherein the computer program is a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer.
An apparatus, comprising:
means for receiving a monitoring request message at an apparatus in a network outside of a neutral host network, the monitoring request message comprising information defined to start a process to configure the neutral host network to monitor a selected Internet of things user equipment for specific events; and
means, responsive to receiving the monitoring request message, for sending, from the apparatus and toward the neutral host network, a message comprising event monitoring configuration information corresponding to the monitoring request message, at least part of the event monitoring configuration information configured to cause a neutral host MME in the other network to monitor the selected user equipment for specific events.
The apparatus of example 30, further comprising means for performing the methods of any of examples 2 to 9.
An apparatus, comprising:
means for receiving a monitoring request message at an apparatus in a network outside of a neutral host network, the monitoring request message comprising information defined to start a process to configure the neutral host network to monitor a selected Internet of things user equipment for specific events; and
means, responsive to receiving the monitoring request message, for sending, from the apparatus and toward the neutral host network, a message comprising event monitoring configuration information corresponding to the monitoring request message, at least part of the event monitoring configuration information configured to cause a neutral host MME in the other network to monitor the selected user equipment for specific events.
33. The apparatus of example 32, further comprising means for performing the methods of any of examples 11 to 17.
An apparatus, comprising:
means for receiving at an apparatus in a neutral host network a message comprising information defined to configure an MME in the neutral host network to monitor a selected Internet of things user equipment for specific events; and
means, responsive to the received message, for sending a message comprising the information from the apparatus toward the MME in the neutral host network.
The apparatus of example 34, further comprising means for performing the methods of any of examples 19 to 22.
An apparatus, comprising:
means for receiving at an apparatus in a neutral host network a message comprising an access point name for an access point in the neutral host network, the access point communicating with a user equipment, the message part of a connection establishment procedure for non-IP data delivery between a cellular network, the neutral host network, and the user equipment; and
means, responsive to the received message, for sending another message comprising the access point name from the apparatus toward an MME in the neutral host network, the MME able to connect to the user equipment via the access point.
The apparatus of example 36, further comprising means for performing the methods of any of examples 24 to 26.
A system comprising one or more of the apparatus of examples 27; 28 or 29; 30 or 31; 32 or 33.
An apparatus, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories including computer program code,
the one or more memories and the computer program code configured, with the one or more processors, to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any of examples 1 to 26.
26
A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising code for causing the computer to perform a method according to any of examples 1 to b .
FIG. 8
755
Embodiments herein may be implemented in software (executed by one or more processors), hardware (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit), or a combination of software and hardware. In an example embodiment, the software (e.g., application logic, an instruction set) is maintained on any one of various conventional computer-readable media. In the context of this document, a “computer-readable medium” may be any media or means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate or transport the instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer, with one example of a computer described and depicted, e.g., in . A computer-readable medium may comprise a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., memories or other device) that may be any media or means that can contain, store, and/or transport the instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer. A computer-readable storage medium does not comprise propagating signals.
If desired, the different functions discussed herein may be performed in a different order and/or concurrently with each other. Furthermore, if desired, one or more of the above-described functions may be optional or may be combined.
Although various aspects are set out above, other aspects comprise other combinations of features from the described embodiments, and not solely the combinations described above.
It is also noted herein that while the above describes example embodiments of the invention, these descriptions should not be viewed in a limiting sense. Rather, there are several variations and modifications which may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The following abbreviations that may be found in the specification and/or the drawing figures are defined as follows:
3GPP third generation partnership project
AAA authentication, authorization and accounting
AKA authentication and key agreement
AP access point
APN access point name
AS access stratum
AVP attribute-value pair
CIoT cellular internet of things
CIR configuration information request
CMA connection management answer
CMR connection management request
CoA change of authorization
CUI chargeable-user-identity
DB database
DEA Diameter EAP Answer
EAP extensible authentication protocol
GHz gigahertz
HPLMN home PLMN
HSS home subscriber server
ID identification
OF interface
IMSI international mobile subscriber identity
IoT Internet of things
IP Internet protocol
IWF interworking function
IWK interworking
IWK-SCEF Interworking SCEF
LAA licensed assisted access
LTE long term evolution
LTE-U LTE unlicensed
MF MulteFire
MFA MulteFire Alliance
MME mobility management entity
MNO mobile network operator
MSISDN mobile station international subscriber directory number
MTC machine-type communications
MTC-IWF MTC interworking function
NAI network access identifier
NCE network control element
NH neutral host
NHN neutral host network
NIDD non-IP data delivery
N/W network
PLMN public land mobile network
PPA push-profile-answer
PPR push-profile-request
PSP participating service provider
RAA re-authorization answer
RADIUS remote authentication dial in user service
RAN radio access network
RAR re-authorization request
Rel release
RRH remote radio head
Rx receiver
SCEF service capability exposure function
SCS services capability server
SGW serving gateway
TS technical standard
Tx transmitter
UE user equipment (e.g., a wireless, typically mobile device)
VPLMN visited PLMN
WFA Wi-Fi Alliance, an industry trade group
Wi-Fi A trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance indicating a WLAN device certified by WFA
WLAN A technology for wireless local area networking with devices
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the attached Drawing Figures:
FIG. 1A
FIG. 4.2-1
b
is a block diagram of 3GPP Architecture for Machine-Type Communication (Roaming), and is copied from of 3GPP TS 23.682 V14.2.0 (2016- -v12);
FIG. 1B
is a block diagram of 3GPP interworking with MF NHN Architecture, copied from MF.202;
FIG. 2
is a block diagram for a Qualcomm proposal on adding SCEF into MF NHN architecture;
FIG. 3
is a block diagram of an exemplary architecture proposal for adding CIOT/MTC features to MF NHN, in an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 4
FIG. 5.6
1
1
1
is a signaling diagram of monitoring event configuration and deletion via an HSS procedure in 3GPP, and is a reproduction of ..- from 3GPP TS 23.682;
FIG. 5
is a signaling diagram for monitoring event configuration via an HSS procedure in MulteFire, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 6
is a signaling diagram for monitoring event configuration via a non-3GPP PSP procedure in MulteFire, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 7
is a signaling diagram for connection establishment using IWK-SCEF for non-IP data delivery, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 8
is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system suitable for use as any of the network elements described herein; and
FIGS. 9 to 12
are logic flow diagrams for adding SCEF to MF in NHN access mode, and illustrate the operation of an exemplary method or methods, a result of execution of computer program instructions embodied on a computer readable memory, functions performed by logic implemented in hardware, and/or interconnected means for performing functions in accordance with exemplary embodiments.
FIG. 13
is a block diagram of an alternative solution/scenario where the SCEF resides in the NHN core network. | |
The genetic code allows an organism to translate the genetic information found in its chromosomes into usable proteins . Stretches of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) are built from four different nucleotide bases, while proteins are made from twenty unique subunits called amino acids . This numerical disparity presents an interesting problem: How does the cell translate the genetic information in the four-letter alphabet of DNA into the twenty-letter alphabet of protein? The conversion code is called the genetic code.
Requirements of a Code
The information transfer from DNA to protein, called gene expression , occurs in two steps. In the first step, called transcription , a DNA sequence is copied to make a template for protein synthesis called messenger ribonucleic acid (messenger RNA, or mRNA). During protein synthesis, ribosomes and transfer RNA (tRNA) use the genetic code to convert genetic information contained in mRNA into functional protein. (Formally speaking, the genetic code refers to the RNA-amino acid conversion code and not to DNA, though usage has expanded to refer more broadly to DNA.)
Mathematics reveals the minimum requirements for a genetic code. The ribosome must convert mRNA sequences that are written in four bases—A, G, U, and C—into proteins, which are made up of twenty different amino acids. A one base to one amino acid correspondence would code for only four amino acids (4 1 ). Similarly, all combinations of a two-base code (for example, AA, AU, AG, AC, etc.) will provide for only sixteen amino acids (4 2 ). However, blocks of three RNA bases allow sixty-four (4 3 ) combinations of the four nucleotides, which is more than enough combinations to correspond to the twenty distinct amino acids. So, the genetic code must use blocks of at least three RNA bases to specify each amino acid. (This reasoning assumes that each amino acid is encoded by the same size block of RNA.)
In addition, a ribosome must know where to start synthesizing a protein on an mRNA molecule and where to stop, and start and stop signals require their own RNA sequences. A series of experiments carried out in the 1960s confirmed these mathematical speculations, and went on to determine which triplet sequence (called a codon ) specifies which amino acid.
Indeed, the genetic code uses codons of three bases each, such as ACC or CUG. Therefore, the protein synthesis machinery reads every triplet of bases along the mRNA and builds a chain of amino acids—a protein—accordingly. Reading triplets, however, would allow a ribosome to start at any one of three positions within a given triplet (see Fig. 1). The position that the ribosome chooses is based on the location of the start signal and is called the "reading frame."
Experiments have shown all but three of the sixty-four possible codons that A, G, U, and C specify code for one amino acid each. This means that most amino acids are encoded by more than one codon. In other words, the genetic code is said to be redundant or degenerate. This redundancy allows the protein-synthesizing machinery of the cell to get by with less, as will be seen below. The three that don't, the "nonsense" codons, indicate the end of the protein-coding region of an mRNA, and are termed stop codons.
Starting, Stopping, and Making Protein
In any mRNA molecule, one codon always marks the beginning of a protein. That "start" codon is usually AUG in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes , although eukaryotes use GUG on rare occasions. AUG codes for the amino acid methionine. To start synthesizing at an AUG, however, ribosomes require more information besides a start codon; this information is found in the sequence surrounding the initial AUG. AUG codons in the middle of a protein-coding sequence are translated like any other codon.
Three codons signal the end of the mRNA template. These so-called stop codons, UAA, UAG, and UGA, do not code for any amino acid. Instead, the ribosome gets stuck, waiting for the tRNA that never comes, and eventually falls off, releasing the newly synthesized protein.
The complementary sequence of a codon found on a tRNA molecule is called its anticodon. The tRNA molecule matches up its anticodon with the correct codon on the mRNA. A tRNA molecule holds an amino acid in one of its molecular arms and works with the ribosome to add its amino acid to the protein being synthesized. Each tRNA is then reloaded with its specific amino acid by an enzyme in the cytosol .
Codons that code for the same amino acid are called redundant codons. The first two bases of redundant codons are usually the same and the third is either U or C, or alternatively A or G. For example, two redundant codons for the amino acid arginine are CGU and CGC, both of which pair with the same tRNA, despite having different third bases. This characteristic of the codon-anticodon interaction is called "wobble," and it allows organisms to have fewer than sixty-four distinct tRNA genes. In some tRNAs, wobble is made possible by a modified base within the anticodon. This modified base is called inosine (designated by I) and is made from adenine.
Evidence for Evolution
For almost all organisms tested, including humans, flies, yeast, and bacteria, the same codons are used to code for the same amino acids. Therefore,
Mammalian mitochondria , which contain DNA, use the codon UGA not as a stop signal but instead to specify the amino acid tryptophan, and they have four stop codons instead of three. Also, the modified base inosine is not used in mitochondrial anticodons. Mitochondrial genetic codes from different organisms can also be distinct from each other as well as from the universal code, reflecting both their ancient bacterial origins and their long isolation within their host species.
SEE ALSO Archaea ; Cell Evolution ; DNA ; Eubacteria ; Gene ; Mitochondrion ; Nucleotides ; Protein Synthesis ; Protista ; Ribosome ; Transcription
Mary Beckman
Bibliography
Alberts, Bruce, et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th ed. New York: Garland Publishing, 2000.
Creighton, Thomas E. Proteins: Structures and Molecular Properties, 2nd ed. New York: W. H. Freeman, 1993.
Freifelder, David. Molecular Biology, 2nd ed. Boston: Jones & Bartlett, 1987.
Lehninger, Albert L. Principles of Biochemistry, New York: Worth Publishers, 1982. | http://www.biologyreference.com/Fo-Gr/Genetic-Code.html |
The material on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice and care of your physician. Please consult a professional before beginning any weight loss program or other dietary regimen. Keep in mind that nutritional needs vary from individual to individual depending on their age, sex, health status and lifestyle.
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I strive to be completely honest and transparent with my readers as well as to the companies that may hire me. While information that I convey may support my client’s objectives, the opinions I express are always my own and based on my interpretation of current scientific evidence and practice. I value my professional reputation and integrity to support brands and products that I personally believe in as I strive to provide honest, evidence-based content as a dietitian and nutrition professional. | http://nutritionbymia.com/disclosure |
Ian Callum steps down as Director of Design at Jaguar after 20 years
Whenever there is a mention about Jaguar cars, its stunning design has always been one of the most important topics. And the name synonymous with the same was that of Ian Callum. The 64-year old Scotsman has decided to step down as Director of Design at Jaguar after a tenure of 20 years. He will be succeeded by Julian Thomson who is currently the company's Creative Design Director. Julian will assume his new responsibilities from July 1. The British automobile manufacturer confirms that the Ian Callum will continue his association with the company as design consultant.
Ian Callum steps down as Director of Design at Jaguar after 20 years
Ian Callum joined Jaguar in 1999 and has been instrumental in giving the company's portfolio a new design direction, which also included award-winning work. These include the F-Type, the XE, XF and XJ saloons and also the brand's first SUVs, the F-Pace, E-Pace as well as the all-electric I-Pace that won the 2019 World Car of the Year as well as World Car design of the year. Prior to Jaguar, Callum had spent 12 years at Ford Design Studios, followed by his stint as Designer of TWR Design responsible for the Aston Martin DB7, Vanquish and DB9. In 2014, he received the Minerva Medal, the highest accolade bestowed by the Chartered Society of Designers, awarded for a lifetime's achievement in design.
"I have had an incredible career at Jaguar. One of my biggest highlights was creating XF because it represented the beginning of a new era moving Jaguar from tradition to contemporary design it was a significant turning point in our story. Designing the F-Type was a dream come true for me, and I-Pace was an opportunity to create something hugely innovative that would really challenge the perception of Jaguar and its success is testament to just how far the brand has come," Callum commented.
He further added, "I came into this role with a mission to take Jaguar design back to where it deserved to be. It has taken 20 years, but I believe I have achieved what I set out to do. Given the strength of both our products and the design team, I feel that now is the right time to move on, both personally and professionally, and explore other design projects. Designing Jaguar cars was a lifelong dream for me and I'm delighted to remain involved as a consultant for the brand. I have worked closely with Julian Thomson for 18 years he is a hugely talented designer and absolutely the right person to lead Jaguar design into its next chapter."
Ian's successor at Jaguar, Julian joined the company in 2000. He has overseen the development of the design concepts for the entire current product range. Julian began his career at Ford in Dunton, England, before moving to Lotus, where he became Head of Design, then Chief of Exteriors at Volkswagen Group's Concept Design Centre. | http://overdrive.in/news-cars-auto/ian-callum-steps-down-as-director-of-design-at-jaguar-after-20-years/ |
A review of the Identity Theft Resource Center’s annual reports about data breaches for the years 2012 to 2016 shows that the frequency of breach events and the volume of records exposed increased by 50 percent in that five-year span.
Security trends
In healthcare, the frequency of breach events increased by 54 percent and the number of records affected increased by 85 percent.
When we evaluate the frequency of healthcare breaches across all industries, breaches had increased only 4 percent. Yet, the percentage of records exposed increased by 69 percent. Attacks are becoming more targeted and more significant.
Overall, we can make a few observations from the frequency and volume of healthcare data breaches over the past five years:
- 50 percent increase in frequency of data breaches across industries.
- 50 percent increase in severity per breach.
- 54 percent increase in frequency of medical and healthcare breaches.
- 69 percent increase in medical and healthcare records exposed.
Observations tell us that the frequency of occurrences has increased and the impact, or severity, of each occurrence has magnified. Additional steps are required to protect data and informational assets.
What’s captured?
The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) recently published its annual data breach report covering 2016. The report concentrates on breaches. How do we define a breach?
A breach is an exposure where either electronic or paper data is accessed by unauthorized actors. The ITRC publishes two reports weekly: the ITRC Breach Stats Report, which is a summary of information by category, and the ITRC Breach Report, an ongoing list of data exposure events with totals running throughout the year. Together these reports provide a complete profile of data breaches by sector for the year. The “ITRC Breach Stats Report” (summary) and the “ITRC Breach Report” (detail) present data breaches across the following five business categories or economic sectors:
- Business: Hospitality, transportation, utilities.
- Educational: Public or private educational institutions, from preschool to the university level.
- Medical/healthcare: Medical covered entities (CE) or business associates (BA), as defined by HIPAA, including healthcare facilities and healthcare organizations.
- Government/military: Any city, county, state, national or military entity, or any department within one of those entities.
- Banking/credit/financial: Banks, credit unions, credit card companies, mortgage and loan brokers and financial services companies.
Additionally, the ITRC tracks the following seven types of data breaches:
- Insider theft: The theft of data by someone with privileged access to an organization’s systems, such as an employee or a contractor.
- Hacking/skimming/phishing: The theft of data by someone who exploits weaknesses in a computer system or network, copies information from identity devices such as credit and debit cards, or defrauds an account holder by posing as a legitimate company or provider of a product or service.
- Data on the move: Theft via unauthorized access to information while data is in transit.
- Subcontractor/third party/BA: Theft by a vendor or other third party who gains unauthorized access to information through a contract arrangement.
- Employee error/negligence/improper disposal/loss: Unintentional loss of data via the loss or theft of an employee’s laptop, for example.
- Accidental web or internet exposure: Loss of data via an inadvertent internet or web posting, such as an internal report that is somehow exposed publicly on the internet.
- Physical theft: Data theft via unauthorized removal of property from a location.
Changes in payloads and breach causes
The SANS Institute published a report that highlights results from an incident response survey. The intent of the survey was to identify changes in the underlying causes of breaches between 2015 and 2016. This summary of the findings, showing year-over-year increases and decreases in various types of breaches, provides insight into the shifting threat profile:
- Unauthorized access: 8.7 percent increase
- Malware infections: 7.3 percent increase
- Data breaches: 4.9 percent increase
- Advanced persistent threat or multistage attack: 2.4 percent increase
- Unauthorized access: 8.7 percent increase
- Other: 3.7 percent increase
- Insider breach: 3.0 percent decrease
- DDoS diversion attack: 4.3 percent decrease
- DDoS as the main attack: 5.9 percent decrease
- Destructive attack (aimed at damaging systems): 0.9 percent decrease
To prevent attacks, organizations should start with an understanding of attacker’s tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP). There were major changes in underlying causes of breaches in 2016. First, 70 percent of the respondents to the SANS survey said breaches they experienced involved malware infections. Second, 51 percent reported having been affected by unauthorized access. Third, 43 percent of those polled said they experienced a significant increase in data breach attempts. Fourth, 36 percent mentioned advanced persistent threats (APT) or multistage attacks as a progressive threat. Fifth, 25 percent said they had found the root cause of incidents came from from inside the organization.
Understanding the types of threats is critical for prevention. However, let’s explore which of these threats resulted in data being removed from the organizational walls — a primary CIO concern.
Common targets of data exfiltration
Across industries, organizations reported an increased frequency of attacks with escalating severity. The changing threat profile also shifted the pattern of data exfiltration. Here’s a look at changes in the type of data lost from 2015 to 2016, according to the SANS survey:
- Employee information: 7.1 percent increase
- PCI data (payment card numbers, CVV2 codes, track data): 6.6 percent increase
- Intellectual property (source code, manufacturing plans, etc.): 4.9 percent increase
- Other: 1.7 percent increase
- Proprietary customer information: 0.7 percent increase
- Other regulated data (SOC, non-PHI personally identifiable information, etc.): 0.5 percent increase
- PHI data (health information): 0.6 percent decrease
- Legal data: 2.5 percent decrease
- Individual consumer customer information: 3.7 percent decrease
Employee information accounted for the most common type of data stolen, according to 48.3 percent of respondents to the SANS survey. The next most targeted data was individual consumer customer information, followed by intellectual property and proprietary customer information. Attackers are going after employee data.
Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) indicates that time is not on your side as a CIO. The DBIR uses Veris as a common language to describe security incidents in a structured and repeatable manner. The results on how much time CIOs have to respond were disheartening.
Incident response teams do not have weeks or months to respond: less than 1 percent of breaches compromised and exfiltrated data in months or weeks. Shockingly, 68 percent compromised data in days, 3 percent in hours, 21 percent in minutes, and 8 percent in seconds. The time-to-compromise is almost always, days if not minutes.
Recommendations
It’s not possible to address every vulnerability. Accept that you can’t solve everything, and focus on mitigation, which is often just as useful as remediation. What will 2017 have in store? If history is an indicator, threats will increase and the severity per attack will double. Prepare by taking these steps.
- Have a plan B: If your organization is unable to patch or remediate a threat, apply other risk mitigations in the form of configuration changes or isolation.
- Filter well: Defend against threats before humans are involved. Email filtering, for example, can be a great ally in the fight against cybercriminals. Segment the network by implementing strong authentication, which makes it possible to isolate compromised devices quickly.
- Limit privileged access: In healthcare, 32 percent of data breaches involved privilege misuse. Use expiring credentials for checkout procedures as an administrative control.
- Screen your partners: 97 percent of breaches involving stolen credentials took advantage of legitimate partner access. Isolate and segment your partners’ access to internal networks.
- Know your data: if you don’t know where your data resides, you can’t protect it. Identify the most sensitive data set and place additional controls in those regions.
- Educate your employees: In the DBIR report, loss of assets was more than 100 times more common than theft of assets. Common sense goes a long way toward prevention.
Security prevention and detection are complex. It’s difficult to determine where to focus your limited business and technology resources. CIOs must focus incident response teams on these two key metrics:
- Mean time from compromise or infection to incident detection (also known as dwell time).
- Mean time from detection to remediation, or the mean time to repair within a specific security target.
Evaluate the time your team takes between incident detection and remediation. This is the gold standard. Forewarned is forearmed. | https://www.cio.com/article/236922/how-cios-prepare-for-tomorrows-healthcare-data-breaches.html |
We construct a physically motivated model for predicting the properties of the remnants of gaseous galaxy mergers, given the properties of the progenitors and the orbit. The model is calibrated using a large suite of SPH merger simulations. It implements generalized energy conservation while accounting for dissipative energy losses and star formation. The dissipative effects are evaluated from the initial gas fractions and from the orbital parameters via an “impulse” parameter, which characterizes the strength of the encounter. Given the progenitor properties, the model predicts the remnant stellar mass, half-mass radius, and velocity dispersion to an accuracy of 25%. The model is valid for both major and minor mergers. We provide an explicit recipe for semi-analytic models of galaxy formation.
keywords:galaxies: interactions – galaxies: evolution – galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD – galaxies: formation – methods: .
1 Introduction
Major mergers between galaxies are central to the formation and evolution of elliptical galaxies (Toomre & Toomre, 1972; Toomre, 1977; Mihos & Hernquist, 1994). The hierarchical buildup of galaxies in the CDM cosmology consists of a sequence of mergers, of which a significant fraction are “major,” involving progenitors with a mass ratio larger than 1:3. The gravitational interactions in such mergers have a dramatic effect on the dynamics and morphology of the galaxies, in particular turning rotating disks into pressure-supported spheroids. If the progenitors also contain gas, the mergers induce starbursts followed by gas consumption, which leads to aging stellar populations. The modeling of major mergers is therefore a key element in the attempts to confront the broad picture of galaxy formation with detailed observations. This is commonly performed via simulations incorporating Semi-Analytic Models (SAMs), where the complex physical processes are modeled using simplified parametric recipes.
Advanced SAMs are currently attempting the non-trivial task of following the sizes and internal velocities of galaxies. For disk galaxies, sizes are evaluated using the halo virial radii and spin parameters via , with some modifications due to the halo density profile (Fall & Efstathiou 1980; Mo, Mao & White; Bullock, Dekel et al. 2001; Dutton et al. 2006). The sizes of the remnants of gas-poor (“dry”) mergers, where the dominant interaction is gravitational, can be extracted from the properties of the progenitors and the orbital energy by assuming conservation of energy and relaxation to virial equilibrium (Cole et al., 2000). These considerations work well in simulations of relatively dry mergers, quite independently of the details of the orbit.
While dry mergers may dominate in the formation of the most massive galaxies (Naab et al., 2006), the most common mergers are “wet” mergers of gaseous galaxies. It is thought that gas processes play an important role in the formation of ellipticals (Robertson et al., 2006; Dekel & Cox, 2006; Ciotti et al., 2007). As demonstrated below, the sizes predicted by dissipationless energy conservation can be off by a factor of a few for gas-rich mergers. Our goal is to construct a more accurate recipe to predict the size and velocity dispersion of the remnant of a wet merger given the properties of the progenitors and the orbital parameters. Cosmological mergers involve a complex mixture of variables (such as orbital parameters, gas fractions, mass ratio and bulge fraction) and physical processes (such as star formation and feedback), all of which can influence the properties of the merger remnants. Given a rich suite of high-resolution SPH merger simulations (Cox, 2004; Cox et al., 2006), that span the available parameter space and physical processes, albeit in a rather sparse and nonuniform manner, we seek a model that will properly represent the simulation results and enable an interpolation between them as well as an extrapolation to outside the simulated regime.
For such a recipe to be successful, it should be based on a toy model that grasps the essence of the main physical processes involved in wet mergers. Our intuition is guided by the finding from the simulations that the remnants are more compact when the initial gas fraction is higher and when the first passage involves a stronger tidal impulse, namely when a larger fraction of the orbital energy turns into internal kinetic energy. At a first glance, this may seem surprising, as a system that gains energy is not expected to become more tightly bound, and indeed, the remnants of dry mergers are not very sensitive to the strength of the impulse. This dependence on gas fraction and on the impulse implies that a higher gas fraction and a stronger impulse are associated with a higher degree of dissipation, via shocks, collisions of gas clouds, and induced gas flows toward the centres of the merging systems. The resultant higher gas densities enhance the energy losses to radiation, leaving behind a more tightly bound remnant. In parallel, the higher degree of dissipation yields a stronger burst of star formation, which tends to be focused in the central region of the remnant. This understanding is the basis for our proposed recipe, which characterizes the merger by the impulse at first passage, evaluates the associated degree of dissipation and the resultant radiative energy losses and star formation, and accounts for these energy losses in the energy balance. A few free parameters with values of order unity can hopefully compensate for the crude approximations made. These approximations include, for example, an assumption of structural homology between the progenitors and remnant. The physically motivated recipe is then calibrated using the merger simulations, and its success is to be judged by its accuracy in matching the simulated remnant properties.
In §2 we describe the simulations used for this study. In §3 we present the details of our model for predicting remnant properties. In §4 we generalize the model to unequal mass mergers. In §5 we discuss certain limitations of our model, and in §6 we summarize our conclusions. Appendix A discusses the details of our impulse approximation. Appendix B presents an explicit recipe for SAMs.
2 Merger Simulations
2.1 Numerical Code
The numerical simulations analyzed in this work are part of a large suite of galaxy merger simulations designed to study the induced star formation (Cox, 2004; Cox et al., 2006) and observable counterparts (Jonsson, 2006; Jonsson et al., 2006) of such events. Details of these simulations can be found in the above references, but we include here a brief description for completeness.
All numerical simulations performed in this work use the N-Body/SPH code GADGET (Springel, Yoshida & White, 2001). Hydrodynamics are included via the Lagrangian technique of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). We use the “conservative entropy” version of SPH (Springel & Hernquist, 2002). Gas is assumed, for simplicity, to be a primordial plasma that can radiatively cool via atomic and free-free emission.
All of the numerical simulations presented here include star formation. Stars are formed in regions of gas which are above a critical density for star formation at a rate proportional to the local gas density and inversely proportional to the local dynamical time-scale. The efficiency of star formation is fixed by requiring star formation to follow the observed correlation between gas and star-formation rate surface densities (Kennicutt, 1998).
We also include a simple prescription to simulate the effects of feedback from massive stars. This feedback acts to pressurize the interstellar medium and regulates the conversion of gas to stars. Details of this model and the parameter choices can be found in Cox et al. (2006). Specifically, most simulations studied in this paper used the parameter set. Under these assumptions the gas pressure increases as the density squared; i.e, star-forming gas has a “stiff” equation of state. Other cases are discussed in §5.
The simulations presented here adopt a gravitational softening length pc for the dark matter particles and 100 pc for the stellar and gas particles. We remind the reader that, in GADGET, forces between neighboring particles become non-Newtonian for separations .
2.2 Initial Galaxies
All of the simulations presented here are mergers between two identical disk galaxies, except for cases discussed in §4. The disk galaxy models are motivated by observations of low-redshift galaxies. In some cases we made systematic studies of varying progenitor galaxy properties (e.g. varying gas fraction in the G3 gas fraction series). While many of these varied cases would not look like typical low-redshift galaxies, we made no attempt to vary properties in such a way as to capture variation with redshift. Furthermore, the simulations are not cosmological since the two galaxies are isolated. Disk galaxies are constructed in equilibrium and contain dark matter, an exponential stellar disk, an extended exponential gas disk, and some contain a dense central bulge. Our suite consists of five main types of models, detailed in Table 1:
-
Z galaxies are gas-poor bulgeless disks and are roughly modeled after the Milky Way.
-
D galaxies are of the mass of the Z’s, are bulgeless disks, and have a high gas fraction.
-
Y galaxies are of the mass of the Z’s, are bulgeless disks, and have a high gas fraction.
-
Sbc galaxies are modeled after local Sbc-type spirals, with a small bulge and high gas fraction.
-
The ratio of the gas to stellar exponential radii varies with model type. For the Z, D, and Y models, the gas and stellar radii are equal. For the Sbc and G models, the gas radii are three times the stellar radii. For more detail on these models see Cox (2004).
2.3 Merger Orbits
The sizes of merger remnants are affected by the initial orbits and orientations. To understand this relationship a sufficient exploration of the merger orbit and orientation parameter space is required. To this end, we perform mergers on an identical orbit with various orientations of the merging galaxies. We also perform mergers with many different orbits. Of all of the galaxy models, the Sbc models have the largest variety of orbits and orientations. The majority of the orbits in the suite are parabolic or near parabolic with eccentricities of to . While these orbits are generally motivated by statistics from N-body simulations (Benson, 2005; Khochfar & Burkert, 2006), the distribution of orbits in the merger suite was not designed to exactly duplicate these statistics.
3 Modeling Properties of the Remnants
3.1 Non-dissipative Energy Conservation Model
Energy conservation during the merger may be a useful constraint to impose. If the progenitors and the remnant are homologous, then energy conservation and the virial theorem may be applied to the stellar systems as if they are self-gravitating without introducing a large error. Current SAMs employ such considerations to predict merger remnant radii (Cole et al., 2000; Hatton et al., 2003). We start by summarizing the model of Cole et al.
In order to take orbital energy into account, this model assumes that the baryonic components of the progenitors spiral in under dynamical friction, losing energy to the outer dark matter halo, until reaching a distance that equals the sum of their three-dimensional stellar half-mass radii. Energy conservation is assumed from this point on. Thus the orbital energy term in the conservation equation is equal to the energy of a zero eccentricity (circular) orbit of the two galaxies with a constant separation equal to the sum of their half-mass radii,
|(1)|
This equation relates the stellar three-dimensional half-mass radius of the remnant, , to the masses and three-dimensional stellar half-mass radii of the progenitors, , , and , respectively. For major mergers, the masses are assumed to include the total stellar mass plus, as a rather arbitrary choice, twice the dark matter masses within and respectively. The constant is a structural parameter which relates to the actual internal binding energy. It is assumed to take the same value, , for both the progenitors and the remnant.
This model, though crude, provides a general framework for estimating the outcome of a given merger. However, it has not been previously tested against realistic simulations that include gas dynamics and star formation. We begin by applying this recipe to the cases in our merger simulation suite. The predictions of the model are plotted against the actual half-mass radii of the simulated remnants in Figure 1. Throughout this paper we use the fractional rms scatter, , to assess goodness of fit.
|(2)|
where is some property that we are trying to predict from the initial conditions and are measuring from the simulation for comparison.
The predictions of this simple model deviate from the true radii by . Figure 1 shows that the model systematically over-predicts the radii of the remnants. This is a straightforward result of ignoring the radiative energy losses. Note that the predictions are best for the cases where the progenitors have the lowest gas fraction, cases Z and G3. For each type of progenitor, we see a wide spread in actual sizes for a given predicted size. This results from the variations in orbits and orientations, which are not addressed by the model. Despite the shortcomings of the dissipationless energy conservation model, it is a useful starting point. Our next goal is to correct for the dissipative effects.
3.2 A Toy Model for Radiative Losses
While the above dissipationless model works quite well in the case of low gas fraction, dissipative losses are likely to play an important role in the gas-rich mergers that were especially frequent in the early epochs of galaxy formation. In particular, they seem to be a crucial element in the formation of the Fundamental Plane of elliptical galaxies (Robertson et al., 2006; Dekel & Cox, 2006). We therefore wish to incorporate the radiative losses in our model.
When two gas-rich galaxies merge, a number of processes cause gas interactions and result in radiative energy losses. Tidal torques during a close pass can decrease the angular momentum in the gas disks and induce inflows into the galaxy centres. In a nearly radial encounter, the gas disk of one galaxy collides with that of the other creating shocks, which can result in loss of angular momentum. Furthermore, tidal forces during a merger introduce orbital crossings and density perturbations within the gas disks which ultimately lead to an increased gas collision rate. As the gas clouds collide and radiate away their kinetic energies, they fall toward the centre of the galactic potential well. This results in higher gas densities which lead to star formation and further radiative losses. Hence, the orbit, energy losses, and star formation are intimately linked.
The first step toward predicting energy losses from a given initial configuration is to characterize the perturbative strength of a given encounter. More specifically, we need to assess the dependence of the gas collisions and dissipation on the properties of the orbit. We find that the dissipation resulting from a given orbit can be characterized using the orbital parameters at the first close pass. This may seem surprising at first, since often most of the stars are formed in the final coalescence rather than at the initial encounter, but it can be explained by the sequence of events following the first pass. The gas disks are perturbed during the first pass, inducing a continuous gas in-fall toward the galactic centre, lasting . A stronger disturbance in the first pass leads to a larger buildup of gas in the progenitor centres. Some of this gas is involved in a first starburst immediately following the first pass, but a large fraction of this gas serves as a reservoir for star formation during the later stages of the merger, especially the violent final coalescence. Consequently, an orbit that is more disruptive on the first pass also suffers more energy losses, and forms more stars, during the final coalescence. This is illustrated in Figure 2.
During a close pass of two galaxies, orbital energy is injected into the internal kinetic energies of both galaxies. We define this “impulse” as the difference between the peak in the total internal kinetic energies during the encounter and the total initial internal kinetic energies of the two progenitors. We approximate the impulse on galaxy 1 by
|(3)|
where and are the total mass of the perturbed and perturbing galaxies respectively, baryons plus dark matter, and is the total half mass radius of the perturbed galaxy. is the “pericentric distance” of the first passage, as calculated from the initial orbit assuming point masses. The best-fitting values of the parameters are found to be , and . The fit of the equation to the impulse measured from the simulations in shown in Figure 3. A more detailed discussion of this impulse approximation is given in Appendix A.
We characterize the dissipative strength of a merger using the fractional impulse at the first pass, , where is the impulse and is the total initial internal kinetic energy of the galaxy, baryons and dark matter. We find that , the fraction of new stars formed in the merger relative to , is indeed proportional to the fractional impulse and to the gas fraction ,
|(4)|
The best fit to our simulations is obtained for . The gas fraction determines the overall normalization of star formation, whereas the impulse factor tracks the variations with orbit. This prediction for the fraction of new stars is plotted in Figure 4 against the actual fraction of new stars in the simulated remnants. In order to consistently treat the star formation in simulations that were run for different lengths of time, and in keeping with previous work (Somerville et al., 2001), we separate star formation into a merger-induced burst component and a quiescent component. We accomplish this by subtracting out star formation measured from simulations of each progenitor in isolation. The quantity in equation 4 refers to the burst component only.
Given the above correlation between impulse and star formation, we proceed to predict the energy loss by assuming that the colliding gas that forms new stars during the merger loses a constant fraction of its kinetic energy in the collision. In more detail, we make the following assumptions:
-
Gas clouds have initial velocities approximately equal to the average initial velocities of the dark matter/baryon system.
-
The average impulse per mass imparted to gas that will form new stars is approximately equal to the average impulse per mass for the entire dark matter/baryon system.
-
The energy lost during the merger is proportional to the kinetic energy of the gas that will form stars. This includes: 1) the initial kinetic energy, and 2) the kinetic energy gained from the impulse.
While simplistic, these assumptions allow us to make a connection between radiative losses and star formation. Assumption (i) would be valid if the system resembled an isothermal sphere. Assumption (iii) provides a sensible way for parameterizing the energy loss, given that it is associated with collisions of gas clouds. Under this assumption, the radiative energy loss can be written as
|(5)|
The first term is the total initial internal kinetic energy of the gas that forms stars, and the second term is the energy imparted to that gas by the impulse. Dividing by , and using equation 4 gives
|(6)|
This expression is plotted in Figure 5 against the actual radiative energy losses in our simulations, showing a crude proportionality, with the proportionality constant .
3.3 A Dissipative Model for Remnant Radii
Guided by this toy model for dissipative losses during a galaxy merger, we construct a modified energy conservation equation for predicting remnant radii. Note that the final stellar mass can be computed using the initial mass and the equation for star formation (4). We choose to include in our energy formula the initial stellar mass plus the mass of the stars formed during the merger, such that the dissipative term tracks the loss of energy of the progenitor’s gas that becomes stars in the remnant. The energy equation is
|(7)|
where the final and initial internal energies are
|(8)|
|(9)|
and , , , and are the initial stellar masses and the corresponding three-dimensional half-mass radii of the progenitors, is the final three-dimensional half-mass radius of the remnant, and and are the mass of new stars formed during the merger in galaxies one and two respectively, as predicted by our model. The constant structural parameter, which relates the internal energy of the systems to , is determined by best fit to the radii of the simulated remnants to be . In assuming homology, we set the structural constants for the progenitors and remnants to the same value.
The radiated energy term is the sum of the losses from the two progenitors,
|(10)|
where , and are the initial internal kinetic energy, gas fraction and impulse corresponding to progenitor . The constant of proportionality relating our expression for energy loss to the actual energy lost is determined by best fit to the radii of the simulated remnants to be .
The orbital energy is:
where , the distance between the progenitors’ centres of mass, and and , the centre of mass velocites of each progenitor, are defined at the beginning of the encounter. Most of our simulations are nearly parabolic, such that this term is close to zero.
Our model predictions for the remnant radii are plotted against the actual stellar half-mass radii of the simulated merger remnants in Figure 6. The overall scatter is , which is a significant improvement over the dissipationless model. There is no obvious systematic error, and the fit is good both for the wide range of progenitor properties and for the different choices of orbital parameters. The spread for a particular progenitor type results from differences in orbit and orientation. For most cases this orbital spread is well fit by the model. This is particularly evident with the D and Y series, for which only orbit is varied and not orientation. The spread in Sbc series is not quite as closely tracked by the model. This additional spread is the result of differing orientations. Orientation is not taken into account in the model for reasons described in §5.2. We note that the performance of the final model for radii is somewhat better than what might have been expected from the quality of the prediction of radiative losses, shown in 5. However, this is not as surprising if one remembers that radiative losses are only a correction on the non-dissipative model. Even if this correction is not exact, it always acts in the proper direction and makes the remnants more compact.
3.4 Velocity Dispersion
Naab et al. (2006) have shown that the kinematics of merger remnants change as a function of initial gas fraction. When predicting the central velocity dispersion of merger remnants we take gas fraction into account in two ways: first by using the gas fraction dependent predicted radius, and second by adjusting the central dark matter fraction to account for the rearrangement of gas and subsequent formation of new stars. In order to compute the stellar velocity dispersion of the merger remnants, we implement a virial relation of the type
|(11)|
where is the dynamical mass of the system. This mass includes all of the stellar mass of the system and also a contribution from the dark matter near the centre of the galaxy. is a constant that varies slightly with galaxy structure and also accounts for the conversion between the three-dimensional radius and the projected, two-dimensional velocity dispersion. is a characteristic radius (e.g., the stellar half-mass radius). is a line-of-sight velocity dispersion of stars inside the projected half-mass radius. We measure this from the simulations by averaging over 50 random projections.
Given the predicted values for and the final stellar mass, one may attempt to estimate . However, variations in central progenitor dark matter fractions and differing amounts of star formation result in significantly different ratios of to the total stellar mass in the remnants. Because we are dealing with an approximate virial relation of a system that actually is not completely self-gravitating, it is not obvious from first principles what the exact contribution to from dark matter should be. We track the dark matter contribution by estimating the dark-matter fraction for each remnant. Therefore the uncertainty above, concerning which dark matter mass to include, translates into an uncertainty in which radius to choose for defining a dark-matter fraction. Because we use the three-dimensional stellar half-mass radius in our virial relation, it would be reasonable to choose a radius . However, one can pick a range of radii and still achieve sensible results by making slight adjustments to . We find the best results when we focus on the dark matter fraction inside half of the three-dimensional stellar half-mass radius. We define the dark-matter fraction within a given radius by
|(12)|
where and are the dark matter and stellar masses inside that radius, respectively. Much of the variation in the remnant dark matter fraction, , is due to the variation in initial dark-matter concentrations and baryon distributions. However, another important effect is the tendency of new stars to form near the galaxy centre, causing mergers that form more stars to end up with lower values. We thus predict the final dark-matter fraction using the initial dark matter masses and our model prediction for the mass in new stars,
|(13)|
and are the dark matter masses inside half of the three-dimensional stellar half-mass radii of the progenitors. and are the stellar masses of the progenitors, and is the total mass of stars formed during the merger as predicted by equation 4. This expression simply assumes that the inner region of the remnant contains the same amount of dark matter as the sum of the inner regions of the progenitors, and that a fixed fraction, , of the final stellar mass is inside one-half of the three-dimensional stellar half-mass radius. We find that the best fit to the simulated remnants is .
Our modified virial relation becomes
|(14)|
The best-fitting value from our simulations is . The model predictions for the stellar line-of-sight velocity dispersions are shown in Figure 6, in comparison with the simulated values. The scatter in is , and the overall performance is similar to that of the model for the final radii. There are no obvious systematic errors, and the predictions properly capture the variations due to either progenitor properties or orbital parameters.
4 Unequal Mass Mergers
The cases studied so far were mergers of identical galaxies, and the model was built using the simulations of these cases. However, most mergers in the universe are of unequal mass galaxies. More recent simulations were run of unequal mass mergers (Cox et al., 2007), and given the importance of unequal mass mergers in the real universe we here examine the accuracy of our model for different progenitor mass ratios. For this study we used simulations of unequal mass mergers from the G series of galaxies (Cox et al., 2007). These mergers cover a range of mass ratios and a variety of orbital parameters. For unequal mass mergers, the predictions of remnant properties remain relatively accurate with about the previously fit relation for radii, and for (see Figure 7). Note that in some cases the spread does not fall directly along the line. This is the result of a number of simulations with the same progenitors and orbital parameters, but with different orientations of the progenitors with respect to the orbital plane. Variations due to orientation do not have clear enough systematics to be accounted for in the model. We discuss this limitation in §5.2.
In major mergers, which have mass ratios greater than 1:3, the gas disks of the galaxies are severely disrupted, and we see large flows of gas toward the galactic centres. However, in minor mergers, which have mass ratios less than 1:3, these flows are much less pronounced because the gas disk of the larger progenitor is only modestly disrupted. For example, central gas densities in a major merger of two G3 galaxies reach values roughly four times that of a minor merger (1:6) of G3 and G1 galaxies on the same orbit. Hence, dissipation is expected to be much less important in the centres of the big progenitors of minor mergers. Our model captures this effect through the impulse dependence of the radiation term. For minor mergers where , the radiation term becomes insignificant in comparison to the internal energy term. It is also worth noting that the the star formation equation (4) under predicts star formation in the smaller progenitor in this extreme minor merger regime. However, this has little effect on the predictions of remnant properties since the mass of new stars formed in a much smaller progenitor is much smaller than the mass of the larger progenitor.
5 Caveats
5.1 Feedback
Arguably the largest uncertainty in the physics of our simulations is in the prescription for feedback. The merger simulations fit by our model all use the same prescription for feedback with the same parameters, hence, it would be useful to vary these feedback parameters and examine the effect on our model. The feedback recipe is characterized by two parameters: feedback efficiency and an equation of state parameter, , which sets the polytropic index. The effective pressure is
|(15)|
We explore three equations of state, , , and , where corresponds to an isothermal equation of state and results in a stiff equation of state. The feedback efficiency determines how quickly the feedback energy is allowed to thermalize. Higher efficiencies result in a quicker dissipation of the feedback energy. For each value of , we examine two different values of efficiency. As a lower limit, we use a low efficiency value that gives just enough pressure to stabilize the disk. We also simulate cases of super-stable disks where the efficiency is set to ten times that needed for disk stabilization. In table 2, labels of the feedback parameter sets denote the values of and efficiency chosen. Unstable cases with even lower feedback efficiency were run but are not discussed here. Thus, for consistency our “low” efficiency cases are labeled “med”(e.g. n2med means and the feedback efficiency is low). In general, with lower feedback, the maximum star formation rate is higher, but the starburst duration is shorter. For a more detailed description of our feedback model see Cox et al. (2006, 2007).
To examine the effects of feedback on our remnant model, we take the fiducial Sbc merger and simulate identical initial conditions with varied values of the feedback parameters. As expected, feedback has a significant effect on star formation. The effect is twofold. First, both increased feedback efficiency and, to a smaller extent, stiffer equations of state (higher n) decrease the total number of stars formed. This can be a dramatic effect. As shown in Table 3 the total number of stars formed varies by more than a factor of three. Secondly, feedback can change the radial distribution of stars formed. A stiffer equation of state will lead to more stars being formed at large radii (Cox et al., 2006).
Both of these effects can act in concert to increase the size of the merger remnant. However, the effect is weak enough that it takes both high feedback efficiency and a stiff equation of state to significantly alter the final half-mass radius (see Figure 8). In our set of feedback models, the only model for which the radius is significantly different than the others is n2high. Even in this model the remnant radius is only a factor of larger than the most compact remnant. Differences in radius and compactness will also affect the central velocity dispersion. Higher efficiency and stiffer feedback models produce somewhat lower . This effect is similar in magnitude to the effect on radius, with a factor of between the largest and smallest . For velocity dispersion, our fiducial model lies near the centre of the distribution (see Figure 8). These differences are roughly comparable to the scatter in our remnant model.
While we have chosen a specific feedback model as a fiducial, and used it to run most of our cases, we note that there are currently no theoretical or observational motivations for this choice. Feedback in the real universe could resemble any of these models. If feedback in the real universe is significantly different from our fiducial case, then it is possible that the parameters of our model would require some tuning. is the parameter most affected by differing feedback. The variations in star formation suggest that could vary roughly from to . It is also possible that the structural parameters , , and would need to be adjusted. However, aside from the mass of new stars, the relatively drastic changes in feedback produce relatively minor changes in remnant properties. This suggests that any tuning needed to match the real universe would be small. Further verification of the model will require testing with independent feedback recipes.
5.2 Orbits
There are several potential sources of uncertainty concerning our treatment of the initial orbits of the progenitors. The first regards the orbital energy term in our energy conservation equation. Cole et al. (2000) assume in their dissipationless model that some of the orbital energy is transferred to the outer dark matter halo through dynamical friction. In order to estimate the energy transferred from the orbit to the baryonic remnant, they assume that the two galaxies come into a circular orbit at a radius that equals the sum of their half-mass radii. However, the orbits in our simulations actually tend to quickly radialize after the first close passage. We therefore adopt the better approximation that all the orbital energy ends up in the baryonic remnant. This too may be an over-simplification, as the energy deposited in the dark halo is likely to depend on the initial eccentricity of the orbit, and may get larger for increasingly tangential orbits. Unfortunately, our suite of simulations is not particularly well-suited to exploring this dependence, as most of them start with initial orbital eccentricities close to unity. Our suite does contain three Sbc simulations and one Z simulation with , and also one unequal mass merger, a G3-G2, with an initially circular orbit, . We find that these few cases are well fit by our model as is. However, given our limited sampling of non-radial orbits, we keep in mind that our orbital-energy term may require some modification. On the other hand, we note that statistical studies of cosmological merger orbits suggest that they tend to be rather radial (Benson, 2005; Khochfar & Burkert, 2006), and that all attempts we made to include a term for energy transfer to the dark matter did not significantly improve the model.
A second potential concern is the initial orbital parameters we use. Our simulations typically start when the centre of one galaxy is near half of the virial radius of the other galaxy, whereas the typical analysis of halo orbits in N-body simulations refer to orbits at the virial radius (Benson, 2005; Khochfar & Burkert, 2006). Furthermore, our simulations involve the final entry into this radius, whereas in cosmological situations many of the halos enter and leave the virial radius more than once before merging. One practical concern is how to convert between orbits at and at . Dynamical friction undoubtedly induces some evolution in the orbital parameters as the galaxies fall between and . This effect should be evaluated using cosmological N-body simulations.
Finally, our model does not take into account the effect of the initial orientation of the progenitors with respect to the orbital plane. Our suite of simulations does include a number of different initial orientations, including both prograde and retrograde encounters. Previous authors have observed systematic differences between encounters with different orientations (Naab et al., 2006; Barnes, 2002), but the effects on the remnants in our simulations do not show clear enough systematics for us to effectively characterize them. The performance of the model could be improved by including a term that depends on orientation, but the modest improvement did not seem to justify the inclusion of yet another parameter that would increase both the complexity of the model and the risk that the model is over-fit.
5.3 Gas Fraction
Our merger suite primarily consists of disky progenitors with high gas fractions. It is possible that we are missing some of the effects that dominate the results of dry mergers of spheroids. For example, Boylan-Kolchin et al. (2006) find that more radial encounters of dry ellipticals result in larger remnants. However, we see no evidence for such a trend, not even in our lowest gas fraction simulations, the Z series, where . In fact, for these low-gas cases, we see essentially no systematic trend of remnant size with orbit, and a generally smaller scatter in remnant size. We conclude that if we miss any effect of this sort, it is likely to be small. Apparently, the dissipationless energy conservation equation becomes a relatively accurate approximation in the limit of low gas fraction, and our model converges to the dissipationless model when the progenitors are gas-free.
Another limitation of our model is that it is unlikely to apply to extremely gas-rich mergers, where . For such cases the initial energy term should account for the size of the gas disk, whereas our model only takes into account the initial size of the stellar disks. The highest gas fraction case that we include has a ratio of . For the cases that we simulate, where we find that the final sizes are relatively insensitive to the initial sizes of the gas disks. Specifically, our suite includes cases where the gas disk scale length is equal to the stellar disk scale length and cases where the gas disk scale length is three times the stellar disk scale length. Both of these cases are well fit by our model.
One final note is that our merger simulation suite does not attempt to model galaxies at higher redshift by systematically changing gas fraction and concentration as has been done in other studies (Robertson et al., 2006). Since progenitors are primarily modeled after low-redshift galaxies, this is the regime where the model is most well-calibrated. However, the model is based on simple physical principles and is robust to systematic changes in gas and bulge fraction. We see no obvious reason why it should not apply to binary mergers at higher redshifts.
6 Conclusions
We have developed a simple toy model for the physical processes involved in wet mergers of galaxies, and have calibrated it using a suite of hydrodynamical merger simulations. This modeling helped us to gain a better understanding of these processes, and provides a practical semi-analytic recipe for predicting post-merger galaxy properties in SAMs.
Crude models of this sort have been used by Cole et al. (2000), Hatton et al. (2003), and Shen et al. (2003), but these models did not account for energy losses through dissipative processes, and they have not been calibrated against realistic merger simulations. Using a suite of merger simulations, we have demonstrated the key role of dissipative energy losses in determining the final radii and velocity dispersions of merger remnants. We found that the dissipative effects depend on the initial orbits of the progenitors. More violent, lower angular momentum orbits create greater disturbances in the gas disks, which in turn radiate more energy and produce more stars. This orbital “violence” can be parameterized through an impulse approximation for energy exchange between the orbital and internal components during the first close pass of the encounter.
We present a physically-motivated, simulation-calibrated model that is capable of predicting star formation, central dark matter fraction, remnant radius and remnant velocity dispersion, given the properties of the progenitors and the initial orbital parameters of a merger.
The non-dissipative energy conservation model often predicts radii that are off by a factor of , and it does not reproduce the spread due to orbital variations. Our model, which accounts for the dissipative energy losses, results in only errors in the predicted radius and velocity dispersion when a wide variety of progenitor types is considered. For a given progenitor type, the error in remnant properties is reduced to , indicating that our model correctly captures the variation of remnant properties due to merger orbit.
Since we used the whole available simulation suite to calibrate our model, via a few proportionality constants of order unity, a proper evaluation of the model performance is yet to be pursued using an independent suite of simulations.
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7 Appendix A: Impulse Approximation
A number of previous researchers have studied and parameterized the transfer of orbital to internal kinetic energy during galaxy encounters (Richstone, 1975; Dekel et al., 1980; Aguilar & White, 1985). Binney & Tremaine (1987) summarize these studies and present formulas for impulse approximations valid in the tidal and radial cases. Aguilar & White (1985) find that the tidal approximation breaks down at approximately , but that a smooth interpolation between the two cases gives an approximate fit to actual energy transfers:
|(16)|
|(17)|
and are the masses of the perturbed and perturbing galaxies respectively, and and are the pericentric distance and velocity. For the tidal case, is the mean-square radius of the perturbed galaxy. A Plummer model, , is assumed for the radial approximation.
We measure the change in internal kinetic energy of each progenitor during the first close encounter and define this as our “impulse.” In order to compare with the above approximations we assume that the galaxies are point masses and use values of and calculated at the beginning of the simulations. The impact parameters simulated in our suite all fall well within , as might be expected for merger orbits. Consequently, the tidal approximation performs quite poorly at predicting the impulse. Furthermore, any impulse approximation assumes that the dynamical time of the perturbed galaxy is much less than the time of the encounter. However, if two galaxies are going to merge, then the encounter velocity is typically of the same order as the internal velocity of the larger galaxy. Therefore, it is not clear that either impulse approximation above would apply. We compared the radial approximation, and several similar functions that included a dependence on impact parameter, to the measured impulses and found that they did not provide satisfactory fits.
However, we do find that the measured impulse, during an encounter with orbital parameters within our range of simulated values, is well-fit by the following formula:
|(18)|
where and are the total mass of the perturbed and perturbing galaxies respectively, baryons plus dark matter, and is the total half mass radius of the perturbed galaxy. The parameters are set by best fit to the simulation results with , , and .
For a radial orbit, this formula vaguely resembles the radial approximation. However, the mass dependence of the formula is different. In the radial impulse approximation , whereas in our formula . This suggests that the impulse approximation is breaking down, that we cannot simply assume that the potential of the perturbed galaxy is constant during the encounter. At intermediate impact parameters, where , the fitting formula falls off as . At larger impact parameters, , it falls off as . The parameter sets the cutoff radius at which the impulse ceases to increase with decreasing impact parameter and approaches the constant radial case. The fit of is somewhat tenuous since our simulations do not actually probe the range of . However, these cases are so radial that the probability of such encounters is low, and the effects of small changes in are likely to be insignificant. Our suite probes a range of roughly and , where is the initial velocity dispersion of the larger progenitor. The formula is plotted against impulses measured from our simulations in Figure 3. This plot includes both equal and unequal mass mergers. The fit is valid over a range of progenitor mass distributions. Specifically, the structure of the fitted galaxies varies widely with a variety of bulge fractions and dark matter concentrations.
8 Appendix B: Summary of the Model
The model presented requires the integration of formulas and ideas found throughout the paper. Hence, for pragmatic purposes, we present a brief summary of the model for the reader who wishes to implement it as a recipe within a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation. In Figure 9 we illustrate the outline of the model. The relevant equations are included, except for the definitions of the energy terms in the conservation equation. For these, we refer the reader to the list in §3.3. Inputs, parameters, and outputs are defined in Tables 4, 5, and 6.
The general flow of the model is as follows:
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Use orbits and masses to calculate impulse.
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Use impulse and gas fraction to calculate new stars formed in the burst.
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Use mass of new stars and properties of progenitors to calculate radius.
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Use initial dark matter fraction and final mass of stars to calculate remnant central dark matter fraction.
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Use central dark matter fraction and radius to calculate velocity dispersion. | https://www.arxiv-vanity.com/papers/0710.4584/ |
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How do plants exist in challenging environments? Investigate how plants are adapted to a variety of native habitats (available seasonally from May - September).
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1 or 2 hours
KS3 Biology: Freshwater studies
Use a variety of techniques to study the freshwater environment using the tranquil wetland areas at Wakehurst.
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1 or 2 hours
KS3 Biology: Meadow studies
Take part in an investigation in one of our beautiful meadows.
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1 or 2 hours
KS3 Biology: Woodland studies
Students take part in a woodland investigation in one of the sustainably managed coppice woodland areas at Wakehurst.
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1 or 2 hours
KS3 Biology: Plant reproduction
Students learn about plant reproduction through close observation using microscopes in the laboratory, and explore the diversity of flowers, fruits and seeds.
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60 - 90 minutes
KS3 Biology: A place to grow
Join us for an introduction to fieldwork techniques.
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1 hour
KS3: Plant forensics
Become a pollen expert and use your microscope skills to help solve a crime.
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1 hour
KS3: To save or not to save?
Explore the diverse plant collection at Wakehurst and get to know some of the useful plants growing. Should their seeds be saved for the future in our Millennium Seed Bank?
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1 hour
KS3: Saving seeds for our future
Visit the inspirational Millennium Seed Bank to discover its vital role in the worldwide conservation of plant biodiversity. | https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/school-visits/browse-sessions/key-stage-3 |
Laboulaye suggested in 1875 that the French fund the statue while the United States furnish the land and build the pedestal. Bartholdi finished the head and torch-bearing arm before the rest of the statue was finished, and these components were displayed at several international expositions. The American government agreed to pay for the remainder of the statue if Laboulaye's company would manufacture it here.
The statue was shipped piece by piece across the Atlantic Ocean in a series of mostly unsuccessful attempts beginning in 1884. It was finally completed in 1886 after several more attempts had failed. The statue now stands in New York Harbor as a symbol of freedom for all people.
Auguste Bartholdi, a French artist, backed de Laboulaye's vision and began creating the monument of "Liberty Enlightening the World" in 1870. In 1871, while creating the monument, Bartholdi visited the United States. During the journey, Bartholdi chose Bedloe's Island as the location for the statue. He also decided to include some references to America in the sculpture.
Bartholdi died in 1935 without seeing his dream come true but not before he sold several copies of the model he had been working on to pay for his health expenses. The original model is now on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Bedloe's Island is located in Upper New York Bay between Jersey City, New Jersey and Lower Manhattan, across from Battery Park. The island was named after David Bedell, who owned the land where the prison stood. It was acquired by the government in 1797 and used first as a military fort and then as a prison until it was closed in 1825.
The statue was unveiled on April 13, 1884. It stands about 14 feet high and weighs 11 tons. The inscription on the base states that the statue is "To the glory of God and in honor of our own country."
American artists have also created other famous sculptures in America. One example is "Jacob Lawrence's" statue of Moses which is located in the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing.
The huge statue was a gift from France and the creation of French artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, who built it when dismayed by the ruins and wretchedness of his own nation following defeat by Germany in the Franco-Prussian War. He sculpted the head of its copper sheathing after studying photographs of America taken by the photographer William Henry Jackson. The face of the sculpture is based on one of these photos, that of an American Indian woman.
Bartholdi began work on the statue in 1872 and it was completed four years later at a cost of $2.5 million (today's money). The arm holding the torch had been prepared separately and mounted on the pedestal afterwards. Bartholdi chose to place the statue in New York City because he believed that it would have the greatest impact on the world audience.
After its installation in New York Harbor in 1884, the statue became a symbol for freedom around the world. In 1989, Congress designated the Statue of Liberty National Monument, thereby protecting it from future destruction or modification.
Today, the face of the statue is illuminated during the night time hours as part of a national monument tourism campaign.
In addition to its role as a monument, the statue has become a popular subject for artists and photographers.
While it is now an iconic part of American history, the statue was initially planned and built in France and was donated by France in appreciation of the two nations' friendship.... The statue's hair, skin, and fingernails are made of copper, which has been treated to resist corrosion from the elements.
Copper is a metal that is both resistant and attractive to wear. Because of this, many things people eat and drink will not damage statues made of copper. However, certain foods can cause problems for the eyes or throat of someone who views the statue without protection from harmful rays. Certain liquids too hot or cold can also be dangerous if ingested.
For these reasons, the statue is usually protected by a plastic helmet with glass eyes. However, you can see right through the plastic if you look hard enough. For this reason, children should be warned not to stare at the statue for long periods of time... Even with protective gear, visitors should never touch the statue or its surroundings. If anything feels warm, they should call security immediately.
The statue is on an island in the New York Harbor, accessible by ferry from Manhattan.
It was created by French artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi as a gift for the United States. It was designed to represent the ideals of liberty and democracy. | https://bindleyhardwareco.com/how-did-the-statue-of-liberty-get-built |
Overview:
Originally a vintage Art Deco era stick pin (circa 1920s to 1930s), the stylized clover is crafted in 14 karat white gold and platinum.
Specifications:
Weight: 2.4 grams
Stones: The 7 old single cut diamonds are estimated at 0.01 carats each and total an estimated 0.07 carats (estimated at H-I color and VS2-SI1 clarity).
Size & Measurements: The ring is a size 7 (sizable). The clover measures 19mm in length (0.74 inches) and 11mm wide (0.43 inches), rising 4.5mm from the finger.
Metal & Hallmark: 14 karat white gold and 900 platinum. The ring is not hallmarked though it has tested positive for 14 karat white gold and platinum (mount). | https://www.sophiejanejewels.com/products/antique-clover-conversion-ring-art-deco-diamond-14k-white-gold-platinum-fine |
Low level of antioxidants with exposure to blue light increases risk of macular degeneration, study suggests.
Some cases of age-related macular degeneration may arise from a combination of low plasma levels of antioxidants and exposure to blue light from the sun, a multinational European study suggested.
By itself, blue-light exposure had no associations with neovascular or early-stage age-related macular degeneration. However, analysis of blue-light exposure by antioxidant quartile revealed consistent and significant association with neovascular age-related macular degeneration among those in the lowest quartile of vitamin C, vitamin E, zeaxanthin, and dietary zinc (odds ratio of about 1.4 per standard unit deviation increase in blue-light exposure).
Fletcher AE, et al “Sunlight exposure, antioxidants, and age-related macular degeneration” Arch Ophthalmol 2008; 126: 1396-1403. | https://www.naturaleyecare.com/blog/low-level-of-antioxidants-with-exposure-to-blue-light-increases-risk-of-macular-degeneration-study-suggests/ |
One of the foundations of effective public relations is establishing strong relationships with potential advocates for a cause, brand or company. In the pharma industry, one of the most critical allies is the patient advocacy group (PAG) sector. Whether it’s securing optimal market access, or gaining access to funding for outreach and awareness activities, the industry and PAGs need each other’s support like never before.
The good news is that a recent survey by PatientView of 850 international, national or large regional patients’ groups found that about half of the groups have current or past relationships with pharma companies. Of those, about 85% say their relationship is good.
But there may be some suspicion lurking beneath the surface—another survey by the same organization reported that only 37% of PAGs considered pharma companies trustworthy.
So how can we as consultancies help foster mutually beneficial relationships based on a foundation of trust?
One way is to ensure that we start with solid knowledge of how advocacy groups are formed and operate, which in turn helps us understand their drivers and motivations.
A patient group’s evolution broadly follows some key stages:
- An individual (usually someone personally affected by a specific disease) recognizes the need to do something to improve the situation and starts to act.
- Like-minded individuals come together to collectively share expertise and deliver more.
- Raising a group’s profile and securing more funds to support its work.
- Greater professionalism and a more businesslike approach to operations, such as forming a board of directors.
- Registering as a charity.
- Geographical expansion and service diversification.
- Mergers and growth.
- Establishing international networks and influence.
Pharma companies are likely to form alliances with PAGs in the later stages of their evolution, but it is important to remember that they have usually grown out of one individual’s vision and mission.
Building trust is critical—and that means being transparent and reliable. There are plenty of regulations governing financial transparency surrounding pharma/PAG relationships, but it is just as important to be transparent about our aims and objectives when partnering on a campaign or other project. PAG partners also value stability in a relationship—no one likes to be dropped after a project is completed or have their key contacts constantly changing.
Finally, we need to remember that the value exchange in the relationship doesn’t always need to be financially based. Pharma companies, and their consultancies, hold a wealth of knowledge, expertise and services that PAGs may not be able to access otherwise. Providing help with business planning, market research, public relations, insight into health service reforms, organization and operational development, and process and systems analytics may provide value far beyond that of a non-restricted educational grant.
As a consultancy, it is often our job to help form and manage these critical relationships, and we can best do this by being the advocates for the advocates. | https://blog-archive.ogilvychww.com/2012/04/03/advocates-for-advocates/ |
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (�OPIC�) is an agency of the United States Government that supports U.S. private sector investment in new and emerging markets abroad. OPIC supports a wide range of investments, including renewable energy and clean technology projects, and is required by U.S. law to evaluate the potential environmental, health, safety and social impacts of projects is supports and to decline support for projects that, in OPIC�s judgment, would result in major or unreasonable hazard to the people or the environment of the host country. The IC will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement with OPIC. The IC will provide technical support on a time and materials basis to OPIC.
OPIC is seeking the services of an independent consultant (�IC�) to assist in the social due diligence of OPIC�s potential investment in the construction and operation of a proposed greenfield open pit phosphate mine in Guinea Bissau (the �Project�). Project-related land acquisition will result in the physical and/or economic displacement of approximately 3,500 individuals across five villages in addition to impacts on cultural heritage.
� proposed management and monitoring plans for the social and cultural impacts associated with the project. | https://globalcontact.com/trade-leads.php?lead_id=1159 |
Absent a federal law requiring police to report deaths on their watch, citizens are stepping in.
Michael Brown. Walter Scott. Freddie Gray. Tamir Rice. Those are just four of the unarmed black men killed by on-duty police officers in the last year. How many deaths there were in total, surprisingly, no one actually knows. That’s because there is no federal law in place that requires every incident of police violence and homicide by a police officer to be collated in one place.
This government knows who I call on my cell phone . . . It doesn’t keep track of the names of the people it kills, and the circumstances under which it killed them.
When it comes to overall crime, there is a wealth of data available to law enforcement, governments, and researchers through the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, which compiles crime statistics of virtually every criminal act in the United States. But the UCR is very crucially defunct in one metric: the number of incidents of homicide by law enforcement. And there, the UCR only reports two points of data: people killed by police in justifiable action and the weapon used in those homicides. The UCR does not report non-justified police-induced deaths, nor does it include all the deaths by police that were deemed “justified.” In fact, out of the 17,000 law-enforcement agencies in the United States, only 750, or 4.4% of them, submitted death-by-police data to the FBI in the most recent year available.
“Frankly, this government knows who I call on my cell phone, who I email, and probably even the contents of those calls and emails. The fact that it doesn’t keep track of the names of the people it kills, and the circumstances under which it killed them, is beyond my comprehension,” says D. Brian Burghart, editor of the Reno News & Review, and founder of Fatal Encounters, a project that crowdsources media accounts and public records to create a national database of people killed by law enforcement.
Alongside Killed by Police, which scours local media for reports of officer-involved homicides, Fatal Encounters may be the most thorough aggregator of such incidents, tracking killings between January 1, 2000, and the present. Among its findings so far: there are about 1,110 police homicides per year, or about three a day; African-Americans account for about three in 10 deaths, and whites roughly half.
Earlier this month, the Guardian launched “The Counted,” a reported and crowdsourced chronicle of deaths by police throughout 2015, based partly on Burghart’s open-source database. According to the Guardian‘s analysis, of the 464 people killed so far this year in incidents with law enforcement up to May 31, 102 were unarmed, and black Americans were more than twice as likely to be unarmed when killed during those encounters as white people were.
While criminologists say that police-involved homicides in the U.S. are at their lowest point in history, scrutiny from the public–abetted by cell-phone cameras–has forced these incidents, and the lack of detail about them, into new relief.
A partial map of fatal encounters with police since January 1, 2000, as assembled by Burghart and volunteers.
Washington is making efforts to collect more data. Last month, the White House announced an initiative to gather data at an initial 21 police departments around the country, “to increase transparency, build community trust, and support innovation,” as well as “to identify problems, increase internal accountability, and decrease inappropriate uses of force,” which were recommendations made in December by President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Meanwhile, a bill proposed last month by Senators Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) and Barbara Boxer (D-California), called the Police Reporting of Information, Data and Evidence Act, would require states to collect information whenever police maim or kill anyone.
Despite incidents like the atrocious murder of Walter Scott by a white police officer in South Carolina in early April, Burghart says it’s important to keep in mind that most law enforcement officers don’t like to open fire. “Some of my reporting in the Reno News & Review has shown that officers almost always have severe psychological and emotional trauma when they kill somebody in the line of duty,” he says.
Map of officer-involved homicides, 2000-2014, by Fatal Encounters; data analysis by Sarah Cohen, New York Times. See the full spreadsheet.
Burghart soon discovered that there was no adequate database by which citizens, researchers, or law enforcement can track trends in officer-involved homicides across regions or time. “I don’t think [the absence of statistics] says that much about law enforcement, but more about government,” says Burghart.
It also appears that police in Western states kill more people than police in Eastern ones, though Burghart stresses that could change when data for larger states like Florida are complete.
Burghart notes that the current crowdsourced data is revealing, not only about police homicides, but also about the way homicides by police are reported by the media.
Fatal Encounters offers five different tools to help the public track and build the largest known database of police homicides. The first tool is the morbidly named Database of the Dead, which allows users to access records of people who have been killed by law enforcement. Maps are another popular tool, allowing people to visualize police homicides by location over time. Other tools include a database of law enforcement agencies that people can contact for public records requests, a tool to submit incidents of fatal encounters with police, and a tool that allows the public to download the data for their own use.
Eventually, Burghart hopes that better data and projects like his and the Guardian’s “The Counted” won’t just assist journalists and researchers, but help communities and police departments identify which policies and scenarios tend to lead to a use of lethal force.
When Fatal Encounters began in March 2014, the database was assembled from media reports and public records, but Burghart soon discovered how challenging making requests for even public data could be. Dozens of public records requests he’s made at the federal level and in several states have become ensnarled in bureaucracy and a patchwork of record-keeping systems.
If it’s wrong in our database, it was probably wrong in the original media reports.
Fatal Encounters now relies on a team of 20 volunteers who sort through crowdsourced data to fill in gaps in public records. Using the tools on its website, more than 1,000 people have contributed incidents of police homicide directly to Fatal Encounters. All crowdsourced reports must be submitted with supporting evidence, including government or media reports of the homicide. The Fatal Encounters team then checks the information submitted against any other public accounts of the incident. If everything checks out, it’s added to the database.
“I check the information submitted against the published accounts, which is not true fact checking, since I’m not calling primary sources, but our records at least reflect what’s in the public record,” Burghart admits. “In other words, if it’s wrong in our database, it was probably wrong in the original media reports.” He also notes that Fatal Encounters receives corrections and clarifications several times a week.
In one video produced by Fatal Encounter volunteers, which shows police homicides over time, it’s not hard to be startled by the trend line in the lower left-hand corner. It steadily increases until 2011-2012, when it begins to radically spike. But Burghart cautions that true conclusions can’t be drawn just yet.
Yet as most policing is done on a state and local level, the federal government has little control over forcing police agencies to submit to the request; currently, the White House is only threatening to withhold 10% of federal grants from police departments who receive federal funds and who refuse to comply. Meanwhile, the White House’s Police Data Initiative will begin with an initial set of 21 police departments who have committed to releasing a total of 121 data sets including uses of force, police pedestrian and vehicle stops, and officer-involved shootings.
Until there’s a national legislative push to require all police departments to transparently report all data surrounding police homicides, it will be up left to nonprofits like Fatal Encounters and its volunteers to fill the gaps. | https://www.fastcompany.com/3045724/fatal-encounters-crowdsourcing-deaths-by-police |
Drug Delivery Systems for Diabetes Treatment.
Insulin is essential for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and is necessary in numerous cases of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Prolonged administration of anti-diabetic therapy is necessary for the maintenance of the normal glucose levels and thereby preventing vascular complications. A better understanding of the disease per se and the technological progress contribute to the development of new approaches with the aim to achieve better glycemic control. Current therapies for DM are faced with some challenges. The purpose of this review is to analyze in detail the current trends for insulin delivery systems for diabetes treatment. Contemporary ways have been proposed for the management of both types of diabetes by adequate application of drug via subcutaneous, buccal, oral, ocular, nasal, rectal and pulmonary ways. Development of improved oral administration of insulin is beneficial regarding mimicking physiological pathway of insulin and minimizing the discomfort of the patient. Various nanoparticle carriers for oral and other ways of insulin delivery are currently being developed. Engineered specific properties of nanoparticles (NP): controlling toxicity of NP, stability and drug release, can allow delivery of higher concentration of the drug to the desired location. The successful development of any drug delivery system relies on solving three important issues: toxicity of nanoparticles, stability of nanoparticles, and desired drug release rate at targeted sites. The main goals of future investigations are to improve the existing therapies by pharmacokinetic modifications, development of a fully automatized system to mimic insulin delivery by the pancreas and reduce invasiveness during admission.
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Fibromyalgia is a disease that produces chronic pain and hypersensitivity in the muscles of the sufferer. This also tends to cause pain in the tendons and ligaments. The probability of women getting this disease is about 2-4 percent and up to 25% in women suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and Crohn’s disease, or Sjogren’s syndrome meet the criteria for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
The root cause of the disease is still unknown; however several cases have shown that women are more sensitive towards this syndrome. This widely accepted theory about its cause is a certain imbalance of brain chemicals. Fibromyalgia is found to be intensified by life experiences like physical injuries, autoimmune disease, emotional stress or hormonal changes.
Fibromyalgia has also been found to be somehow genetic disorder. It arises after infections, commonly mononucleosis, and Lyme disease.
This situation is certainly more widespread in women. And it is much more common in women who have some autoimmune disease. The most symptoms of fibromyalgia and other autoimmune diseases overlap each other. For instance, chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome are common symptoms of fibromyalgia and other autoimmune diseases.
The state of depression and anxiety is more common with people suffering from fibromyalgia. Women are two times more likely to develop depression as men, and 40-70 percent women are seen to develop depression in fibromyalgia.
The other symptoms of the syndrome are sleep disruption, pain sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety, memory issues, trouble concentrating and headaches.
The other autoimmune diseases with similar symptoms that can prompt FMS include Crohn’s disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Cohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This disease causes inflammation in the digestive tract which leads to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and other health issues including malnutrition. Its effects vary from person to person as different areas of the digestive tract are affected in different ways.
If the disease spreads into deep layers of bowel tissue can be extremely painful and maybe sometimes life-threatening. The ileum of the small intestine and the colon are most affected parts.
There is a range of signs of Crohn’s disease that vary from mild to severe conditions and can trigger up without any warnings. Diarrhea is among one of the most common diseases in people who have Crohn’s disease. Due to this disorder, a body is unable to absorb excess fluid produced, which leads to diarrhea. Intestinal cramping, abdominal pain, and cramping are other problems associated with the disorder.
The swelling and scarring of bowel walls will cause serious harm to the digestive tract. The bleeding during stool can cause inflamed tissue to bleed. Blood may appear as bright red in the toilet or dark blood streaks in the stool. An ulcer may also form in the intestinal walls.
The common symptoms of Crohn’s disease and FMS are; fever, fatigue, and arthritis.
Lupus is a disorder in which the immune system starts to attack its own tissues and organs. This inflammation can be harmful to various body parts including joints, skin, brain, heart, and others. Lupus is difficult to diagnose as its symptoms overlap with symptoms of other diseases.
The common condition found is a rash on the face that resembles a butterfly’s wings spread over both cheeks. The cause of lupus may vary, and it gets intensified by usage of certain drugs, sunlight, or infections.
The other symptoms of lupus are fatigue and fever, joint pain, stiffness and swelling, facial rash, headaches or confusion and the condition may flare up at times.
Chronic pain, fatigue, and stiffness are also common in fibromyalgia disorder. Almost 25% of women diagnosed with an autoimmune disease are likely to develop fibromyalgia.
An adequate treatment that can include various medications, drugs, and other treatments like massage and exercise is necessary to manage the fibromyalgia pain. Regular massage can help to ease the pain of fibromyalgia.
Exercise is an enormous way to strengthen and stretch muscles, and regular exercise routines are highly recommended for those suffering chronic pain. Low impact exercises that do not put stress into a body like a walk, jogging, yoga are best.
Fibromyalgia and chronic pain are often associated with autoimmune disease, as people who have certain autoimmune diseases are up to 25% more likely to develop fibromyalgia.
How does a fibromyalgia patient feel and how to help?
Fibromyalgia and sciatic pain: can one affect the other?
26 Symptoms of Invisible Fibromyalgia You simply can not ignore, I have all but one. What have you?
Brain damage and Fibromyalgia: is there any connection between the two?
Did you know that there are 4 types of fibromyalgia?
6 Stages of Fibromyalgia, I have on 3 stage. what is your stage ?
What Is Polyneuropathy? How Is It Related To Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia: “I am 41 years old and I live in the body of an old man”.
Fibromyalgia is Actually Not an Autoimmune Disease۔ Why Do People Get Confused? | http://healthcure247.com/the-interaction-between-autoimmune-diseases-and-fibromyalgia/ |
Every now and then, a public employer gets nabbed for enacting a facially age discriminatory policy, such as (most recently) EEOC v. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Dept., 467 F.3d 571, 99 FEP 180 (6th Cir. 2006) (en banc). In EEOC v. City of Independence, No. 05-4489 (8th Cir. Dec. 22, 2006), the city adopted a policy that allowed employees to bank unused leave time on behalf of disadvantaged co-workers who exhausted their allocated leave and needed additional time off (“Leave Donation Program”). This benevolence did not extend to employees “eligible for regular retirement,” i.e., those age 60 or older with over with five or more years of service. And so the complainant Richard Hopkins, who was over 60 and had eight years of service with the city, could not withdraw leave time from the program to recover from complications posed by tachycardia (a form of heart disease). The record also constrained age-discriminatory remarks directed at Hopkins (“I didn’t know that you were that old”; “Well, you’re of retirement age, Richard, you’re over 60”).
The EEOC challenged application of the policy to Hopkins. The district court granted summary judgment on the framework that the policy — based on retirement eligibility, not age per se — merely “correlated” with age. But the Eighth Circuit reverses, holding that “[b]ased on the direct evidence that the city’s Human Resources Administrator and other personnel decision makers said the disqualification was because of age and acted accordingly, Hopkins raises a genuine issue of material fact as to what the employer supposed about age. In this case, . . . the discriminatory acts were not ‘isolated’ but were the standard operating procedure for the Leave Donation Program.” The court, for good measure, finds the above comments to be “direct evidence” of age discrimination. The panel does, nevertheless, affirm summary judgment on the constructive discharge claim.
Bless the EEOC for bringing this case which, given the exasperatingly limited remedies allowed under the ADEA, is probably worth in the single-thousands of dollars on remand.
In the Sixth Circuit, the court affirms enforcement of a release of age discrimination and other claims by a former employee (in a declaratory judgment action by the employer) — The Kellogg Co. v. Sabhlok, No. 05-2626 (6th Cir. Dec. 22, 2006) — a lawsuit triggered by demand letters sent by the employee’s counsel. The district court and the Sixth Circuit, applying Michigan law (oddly disregarding the federal Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA), which governs the enforceability of waivers of age claims), held that the employee’s post-release attempts to seek rehire by Kellogg were covered by a form separation agreement:
“We agree with the district court that the issue turns on whether the failure to ‘rehire’ Sabhlok during the retention period provided him with a new and discrete claim of discrimination or was merely an attempt to resurrect age discrimination claims for which he was paid to release. Most tellingly, Sabhlok’s proposed complaint alleged that his ‘age was at least one factor that made a difference in Kellogg’s decision to terminate [him] from his position of Vice President of the International Research and Development Group, and not transfer [him] to any of the other positions given to younger, less experienced and lower paid Kellogg employees.’ Also, it was alleged with respect to two of those positions that the younger employee was given virtually all of his duties and responsibilities ‘and essentially replaced [him].’ Here, the failure to ‘rehire’ Sahblok into a permanent position during the period between the notice of his termination and his last day of work did not arise separately from the decision to terminate his employment rather than offering him a different permanent position.”
The court cites Adams v. Philip Morris, Inc., 67 F.3d 580, 585 (6th Cir. 1995) (employee may not prospectively waive rights under ADEA or Title VII), but distinguishes it (sort of) by finding that the re-hire claims are part and parcel of the wrongful termination claim that the employee waived. Yet under the OWBPA, it’s a squeaker whether this broad construction of the release would pass the “knowing and voluntary” standard. The only good news for the employee is that the court found that his demand letters and counter-claim in the declaratory-judgment action did not trigger a loser-pays attorneys’ fee clause in the agreement.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
As Santa dumps out his bag of EEO year-end leftovers. . .
Four plaintiffs get lumps of coal instead of back-pay relief, because the Court holds that they slept on their rights under a 1985 federal Title VII consent decree: Andrews v. Roadway Express Inc., No. 05-51772 (5th Cir. Dec. 19, 2006). The court holds that Texas law time limits apply to a writ of execution under Fed. R. Civ. P. 69(a) (incorporating the “practice and procedure of the state in which the district court is held”) and that the Consent Decree, though formally “retainin[ing the court’s] jurisdiction” to enforce the Decree, did not direct otherwise. And the employees’ time just plumb ran out because “[under Texas law, appellants had ten years to execute their judgment and two years after that to revive and execute it. Appellants did not attempt to collect from the defendant until seventeen years after the judgment became final on appeal.” Finally, the panel rejects the suggestion that the consent decree was too indefinite under Texas law to support a writ of execution and that any attempt to comply with local procedures would have been futile.
Jean McGowen, a jail guard in Oklahoma, claims that her suspension without pay — after a prisoner committed suicide on her watch — was motivated by retaliation for her cooperation in a co-worker’s Title VII suit. But the Tenth Circuit affirms summary judgment against her anyway. McGowan v. City of Eufala, No. 04-7083 (10th Cir. Dec. 19, 2006). The court also holds that the refusal to grant a shift change or to stem alleged harassment did not meet the standard of “adverse action” laid out under Burlington Northern v. White, 126 S. Ct. 2405 (2006), while the work-related reasons for her suspension were not pretextual. Most intriguing, and a bit unsettling, was the suggestion that the employer could separate the original Title VII complainant (Ms. Lollis) and Ms. McGowen — on advice of city counsel — by keeping them on different shifts, because of the city’s interest in defending against the original Title VII lawsuit: “the City was not required to compromise its defense of Lollis’s claims simply to accommodate McGowan’s subjective desire for a change in shifts. In sum, this record does not support a conclusion that the City’s reason for denying McGowan a shift change was pretextual. The City’s temporary refusal to grant McGowan’s request for a shift change was perhaps reactive, but cannot be said on this record to have been retaliatory.” It takes a subtle mind to parse out the reason for the shift change (because of the lawsuit) from the motive (to deter and punish the employee for cooperating). How many Christmas angels can dance on the head of a pin?
Finally, the Third Circuit slips a goodie in Judy Scheidemantle’ stocking — a chance to try her Title VII hiring case against Slippery Rock U: Scheidemantle v. Slippery Rock University, No. 05-3850 (3d Cir. Dec. 19, 2006). The district court mechanically applied the McDonnell Douglas test to bar a hiring claim because the female applicant for a locksmith’s position lacked the posted experience and credentials and thus supposedly did not meet the employer’s “legitimate expectations.” Such a finding cannot stand, the Third Circuit holds, when male candidates were waved through without the same qualifications. “If an employer could, with impunity, appeal to objective qualifications to defeat any female job applicant’s challenge to its hire of an objectively unqualified male in her place, discrimination law would be reduced to bark with no bite. Title VII demands that employers apply the same standards for hiring women and other protected minorities that they apply to all other applicants. “
Monday, December 18, 2006
On September 11, 2001, Susan Asmo discovered that she was pregnant with twins. Then, owing to a post 9/11 slowdown in the economy and her employer Keane Inc’s merger with a second enterprise, Ms. Asmo’s boss (Mr. Santoro) eliminated her position as redundant. According to the summary judgment record, the decision came within two months of Ms. Asmo announcing her pregnancy at work. That news was welcomed joyously by everyone on Ms. Asmo’s team except (of course) the boss, Mr. Santoro, who maintained silence for weeks afterwards. The final RIF decision came down to the plaintiff and another (non-pregnant) woman of roughly plaintiff’s tenure. The principal reason assigned at the time of the termination (Ms Asmo’s relatively high salary) was apparently repudiated by Mr. Santoro during his deposition.
Does this record support a genuine issue of material fact for trial of a Title VII pregnancy discrimination case? The panel majority in Asmo v. Keane, Inc., No. 05-3818 (6th Cir. Dec. 18, 2006) says “yes.” The majority applies the Sixth Circuit’s modified, indirect prima facie test for a reduction-in-force (RIF) — i.e., “additional direct, circumstantial, or statistical evidence tending to indicate that the employer singled out the plaintiff for discharge for impermissible reasons.” Borrowing from the parallel Title VII retaliation case law, the majority holds that the nearly two-month turnaround between the pregnancy announcement and the termination either (1) substituted for the additional evidence by establishing “temporal proximity,” or (2) furnished circumstantial (“indirect”) evidence of intent to discriminate. (The dissent would have stopped here, finding the employee didn’t make out a prima facie case.)
The majority also held that there was a genuine issue of material fact about pretext: (1) the evidence of Mr. Santoro’s failure to comment on the plaintiff’s pregnancy for two full months (despite regular contact on the telephone) which supplies an inference of discriminatory animus; (2) a comment by the Regional Vice President that he understood Ms. Asmo needed to seek legal counsel, telling her to “do what she needed to do”; and (3) that the employer offered different arrays of reasons for its RIF decision to the employee, to the state civil rights agency and during the litigation, some of which were factually dubious. Pulling all of this together was evidence that the employer’s decision seem to have been made before Mr. Santoro began his investigation into which employee to let go, based on depositions of vice presidents who testified about Mr. Santoro’s selective questioning about their future personnel needs.
Meanwhile in the Ninth Circuit, a warning to employees seeking injunctive relief in an employment case that you may have to spell it out in the complaint. In Walsh v. Nevada Dep’t of Human Resources, No. 04-17440 (9th Cir. Dec. 18, 2006), a Title I ADA case against a state agency, the court held that the employee’s monetary claim was barred by immunity (Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama v. Garrett, 531 U.S. 356 (2001)), while her injunctive claim was not preserved in the complaint. “In her prayer for relief, Walsh makes an explicit claim for “injunctive relief to force the defendant to adopt and enforce lawful policies regarding discrimination based on disability.” This statement clearly fulfills Rule 8(a)(3)’s requirement of a ‘demand for judgment.’ Nonetheless, Walsh’s single reference to injunctive relief is insufficient because it is unsupported by any facts or allegations regarding the Department’s failure to adopt or enforce discrimination policies. Walsh made no assertions that the discrimination she suffered was caused by the failure to enforce a state policy, or that such discrimination could be cured by an official policy.” No mention of Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(c) in the opinion (“every final judgment shall grant the relief to which the party in whose favor it is rendered is entitled, even if the party has not demanded such relief in the party’s pleadings”).
Friday, December 15, 2006
After a week-long drought of EEO cases, the D.C. Circuit obliges us with two race, sex and age discrimination decisions concerning federal employees, and a mandamus action filed by an employer.
The mandamus petition, Banks v. Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and Doorkeeper of the U.S. Senate (SAA), No. 05-5322 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 15, 2006), concerned a sanction entered by the district court against the employer, after (over a several-month period) it failed to produce requested documents claimed as privileged, move for a protective order or furnish a Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(5) log. (The Senate office is subject to suit Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. §§ 1301-1438 .) The apparently unaccounted-for delay resulted in an award of attorneys’ fees to the plaintiff under Fed. R. Civ. P. 37 for filing a motion to compel. With the case still progressing below, the SAA sought to appeal the sanction. But the D.C. Circuit rebuffs the employer, imposing the final judgment rule to bar an interlocutory appeal, holding that the issue did not meet the conditions for the collateral order doctrine and finding mandamus improvident owing to an adequate post-judgment remedy (i.e., a direct appeal).
All of this is well-settled law, but the intriguing nugget here is the SAA’s suggestion that it enjoys sovereign immunity from monetary sanctions. The panel refrains from addressing the merits of the argument, but observes: “Because an alleged right to avoid discovery sanctions is not forever extinguished once fees are paid, the SAA’s sovereign immunity from discovery sanctions, if it exists at all, does not depend on our immediate review. The district court’s decision that the SAA has no sovereign immunity from Rule 37 sanctions, though temporarily unfavorable to the SAA, is not permanently unreviewable and therefore causes no irreparable harm to the SAA, nor any threat to the public interest. If harm is done to the SAA’s alleged interest by the district court’s order, it may be remedied on appeal after final judgment.” I wonder, though, whether the alternative to monetary sanctions (against which the defendant claims immunity) would be a prospective ruling excluding the SAA’s evidence. In which case, it is the employee who suffers the irreparable loss if the sanctions are eventually reversed.
The two discrimination appeals, both from summary judgment, are pretty ordinary by comparison. In Price v. Bernanke, No. 05-5361 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 15, 2006), most of the appeal was disposed of (against the employee, natch) in an unpublished order, but the panel reserved its ruling on an ADEA retaliation claim for this reported opinion. In essence, the employee waited ten months to file his lawsuit after receiving a final agency decision letter that on its face allows only 90 days for the filing of a civil action. Under Title VII, the 90-day period is expressly provided by the statute, and while the ADEA lacks a limitations provision applicable to federal employees, by regulation the EEOC imposes a 90-day period as well (29 C.F.R. § 1614.407(c)). The employer argued for the 90-day period. The employee pointed the panel to a possible six-year period under 28 U.S.C. § 2401 (non-tort civil claims against the U.S.); the four-year period under the catch-all, 28 U.S.C. § 1658; and a two-year limitations period of the FLSA, 29 U.S.C. § 255. The panel goes with the 90-day period, creating a split with the Ninth Circuit (which, prior to the 1991 Civil Rights Act, adopted the six-year period in Lubniewski v. Lehman , 891 F.2d 216, 221 (9th Cir. 1989)).
The third appeal also concerned the 90-day period, Colbert v. Potter, No. 05-5330 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 15, 2006), specifically when the limitations period accrued. The panel devotes 18 pages (and a separate concurring opinion) to address the significance of a date-stamped Domestic Return Receipt, bearing the employee’s counsel’s signature and showing delivery of the final agency decision 92 days prior to the filing of the action. The employee sought to contest the date-stamp, hinging its argument on the failure of the U.S. Postal Service (coincidentally, the employer in this case) to produce a complete copy of the receipt. Given leave on appeal to supplement the record, the Postal Service submitted the entire original document, which left no doubt about the date of delivery as stamped. Although the panel majority and concurring judge disagree about the propriety of receiving original evidence on appeal, both wind up in the same place — the uncontested evidence established that the complaint was filed two days late.
Friday, December 8, 2006
Next week, the BNA Employment Discrimination Report will be carrying a short piece they commissioned me to write (“More Federal Circuit Splits in the EEO Field”). One of the issues I mentioned was the disagreement about whether an employer’s “legitimate job expectations” for an employee constitutes a prima facie element of the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting method of proof or simply merges with pretext. Though most circuits permit consideration of the employer’s evaluation of the employee only after the prima facie stage, the Fourth Circuit allows the issue to be presented at the threshold (Warch v. Ohio Cas. Ins. Co., 435 F.3d 510 (6th Cir. 2006)).
After the article was already in galleys, the Eighth Circuit handed down Arnold v. Nursing and Rehab. Center, No. 05-4055 (8th Cir. Dec. 8, 2006), joining the majority of circuits on this issue: “Arnold argues that the district court erred by requiring her to show that she performed her job satisfactorily instead of merely requiring her to show that she was qualified. We agree. By requiring Arnold to prove that she executed her duties satisfactorily, the district court ‘raised the standard set by the Supreme Court for what suffices to show qualification.’ Slattery v. Swiss Reinsurance Am. Corp., 248 F.3d 87, 91 (2nd Cir. 2001), cert. denied, 534 U.S. 951 (2001).” Thus the fact that she was duly licensed and had a history of acceptable performance was sufficient to make out a prima facie case. The ruling does not help Nurse Arnold much, though, as the panel affirms summary judgment on the alternative ground that the employee failed to present a genuine issue of material fact that the proffered reason for her termination (abusing a patient) was pretextual.
The issue also got a mention, albeit in passing, in Timmons v. General Cotors Corp., No. 05-3258 (7th Cir. Dec. 7, 2006) (available at the Seventh Circuit website), in which it held that there was no genuine issue of material fact regarding whether the employee was meeting GM’s legitimate expectations: “First, the record establishes that Timmons was not meeting GM’s legitimate expectations. There is evidence that Timmons was not at work and in the field when required, and also that he failed to return several phone calls to customers, skipped required meetings, and had his assistant doing some of his job duties. Timmons disputes some-but not all-of this evidence. For instance, he challenges whether his assistant was doing parts of his job, and he says he returned all his phone calls. Still, he disputes neither his absences from the field and the office nor the skipped meetings. Even if we accept, as Timmons urges, that his past performance reviews establish his prior satisfactory performance, he has not disputed that at the time he was placed on leave, he was failing to meet GM’s legitimate expectations in the foregoing respects.”
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Two fairly ordinary decisions reported today deliver a couple of jolts worth conducting along.
In Gordon v. Shafer Contracting Co., Inc., No. 06-1963 (8th Cir. Dec. 6, 2006), the opinion (authored by the legendary Judge Lay) affirms in fewer than seven pages a summary judgment on a variety of race-based discrimination claims. On one such claim, race harassment by a supervisor (who greeted the plaintiff with racial slurs twice to three times a week), the employer is excused by a holding that the employer maintained an effective policy to correct and prevent harassment that the employee unreasonably failed to use. One eye-catching detail: the employee manual “identifies three company officials to whom harassment can be reported and provides their work and home telephone numbers” (emphasis added). Here’s a company that takes harassment seriously enough that it requires its management to be on call 24 hours a day! Wow–that ought to be standard for all employers!
In Merillat v. Metal Spinners, Inc., No. 05-4053 (7th Cir. Dec. 6, 2006), a heftier 24-page opinion discharges various sex and age discrimination claims, also dismissed on summary judgment. Dropped into a footnote, though, the panel slips in an unexpected good word (for plaintiffs) about the Equal Pay Act. The Seventh Circuit has generally endorsed reliance on “market forces” as a “factor other than sex,” a defense under the EPA, most recently trumpeted in Wernsing v. Dep’t of Human Services, 427 F.3d 466, 96 FEP 1153 (7th Cir. 2005). But without cross-citing to last year’s decision, the panel here cautions against undue reliance on that argument. | https://www.employmentlawblog.info/2006/12/december-2006/ |
By René Wadlow
The assassination on December 4, 2017 of former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh has potentially opened a new chapter in the ongoing struggle for power in Yemen. There might be a possibility that with a major actor pushed off the stage, the lesser actors might accept the good offices of the United Nations (UN) mediator Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and form an inclusive central government. There is also a real possibility that the armed conflict becomes even more protracted as factions see increased opportunities to advance their interests.
The Saudi Arabian leadership had expected a quick victory when in March 2015 they launched their operation at the time called “Decisive Storm”. Despite limitless weapons from the USA and Great Britain, including the use of U. S.-made cluster weapons now banned by world law, the Saudi-led coalition made relatively few territorial gains beyond those tribal areas within Yemen that were already favorable to the Saudis, tribes that often existed on both sides of the frontier.
Both Saudi Arabia and Iran have been backing separate and opposing factions. The lack of progress as well as the costs of the military operations may create a climate favorable to stopping the fighting. However, Saudi Arabia and its coalition are directly involved in the fighting while Iran only supplies some weapons and political support to its allies. Thus, of the outside actors, most responsibility for a change lies with the Saudi decision-makers.
There are two major issues that shape the future. The first is the possibility or not of forming a decentralized but relatively inclusive central government. Yemen remains largely a tribal society with political decisions made by the tribal head. Tribes usually have a specific geographic base. Thus, a central government requires participation by members from the major tribal groups. However, through economic development, people from different tribes now live in the cities and larger towns. These more urbanized populations do not depend as much on the decisions or views of tribal chiefs.
The relative strength of the central government has been based on patronage strategies, offering major tribal leaders some economic advantages. Until March 2011, most people had little say as to government policy. In March 2011, in the spirit of the “Arab Spring”, there were popular demonstrations throughout the country demanding jobs, the end of corruption and some respect for all citizens. By the end of 2011 Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had been in power for 33 years, was pushed out and replaced by his Vice-president Abdu Rabbu Mansur Hadi who has the same governing style but who was considered as a change without upsetting too much the governing pattern.
Saleh, however, never really accepted the idea of giving up power and its material benefits. He formed an alliance with a religious movement that drew its members from the same geographic region. Saleh had combated this Huthi movement, including by force of arms, when he was president. But for a time, the alliance seemed to be mutually beneficial. The alliance broke sharply this November. Fighting among the Huthi forces and those loyal to Saleh broke out in the capital Sana’a in November and on December 4, Huthi troops shot Saleh in his auto as he was trying to leave the city.
The second major issue concerns the ability of Yemen to remain as one State or again to split into two with Sana’a as the capital of one State in the north and Aden as the capital of another State in the south. The two States were the political structure until 1990 when the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen, with its center in Aden, combined with the Yemen Arab Republic in the north to become the Republic of Yemen. Leading up to 1990, there was wide hope that the union of the two States would lead to increased economic well-being. In practice, there has been little improvement. If there has been an improvement, it is because of external economic factors and not directly linked to the union. The lack of improvement in the south has led to resentment in the south and on the part of some persons, a desire for southern separation. Now, some in the south have formed militias. It is difficult to know how far they will push for separation and the creation of an independent State. Already in 1994, there had been armed attacks to push for a return to an Aden-based State.
The Association of World Citizens (AWC) has been concerned with three issues in the Yemen conflict:
1) The violation of international humanitarian law, involving attacks on medical facilities, medical personnel and the use of weapons banned by international treaties, especially cluster munitions. The AWC had been particularly active in promoting a treaty on the prohibition of cluster munitions.
2) Humanitarian relief, especially food aid. With the Saudi-led blockage of ports and air fields, it has been difficult for the UN or relief organizations to bring in food supplies. It is estimated that some eight million people suffer from famine-like conditions and that some 17 million others are in conditions of food insecurity. The fighting makes certain roads unsafe, preventing the delivery of food and other relief supplies.
3) The creation of a Yemen confederation. While the form of State structures depends on the will of the people of Yemen (if they were able to express themselves freely), the AWC proposes con-federal forms of government which maintain cooperation within a decentralized framework as an alternative to the creation of new independent States. In 2014, a committee appointed by then president Abu Hadi proposed a six-region federation as the political structure for Yemen. The AWC believes that this proposal merits close attention and could serve as a base of a renewal for an inclusive Yemen government.
Today, the choice between an end to the armed conflict with negotiations for a renewal of a Yemeni State on the basis of the con-federal system proposed and continued fighting in the hope that one faction become a “winner-take-all” is relatively clear. The AWC is resolutely for an end to the armed conflict with serious negotiations on the structure of a future State. We encourage others to support such a policy.
Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens. | https://awcungeneva.com/2017/12/06/strangled-by-saudi-led-war-famine-and-internal-divisions-yemen-faces-a-possible-turning-point/ |
Goal-setting is something that has been talked about on the blog before. It may appear to be a bit of an odd tip as it pertains to amassing your personal wealth, but there is something to be said for the sense of excitement you feel when you create meaningful objectives for yourself.
I don’t know why, but it has long been held that only a small percentage of people actually commit their goals to paper. There are many studies showing that writing down your goals will increase your chances of achieving them, so if you are serious about working towards your financial goals, you may want to start cultivating the habit. It will serve you well throughout your life.
Whether you are in the process of writing down your goals or you are already working towards them, beware of perfectionism. It’s the extra productivity that you’re after. It’s the sense of excitement that you’re after. It’s all about the extra rep you make when you are beyond the point of exhaustion. Motivating goals will help you to make that extra push.
If your goals aren’t motivating, you know that you haven’t hit upon anything that matters to you. Maybe you’re trying to mould yourself into the person that you think others think you should be. Maybe you’re afraid of what it will mean to commit to what you actually want.
Ultimately, goals are worthless if they don’t mean anything to you. If they don’t give you a reason to stretch a little, you’re probably on the wrong track.
Don’t overwhelm yourself at first; start with a single, achievable goal. As you complete one goal, set a bigger one. Gain some momentum in your goal setting and getting before making a long list of everything you hope to see, do and have in your lifetime.
What’s one thing you could be doing every day to improve your finances? Is it paying off your debt? Is it keeping an eye on your bank account? Is it making up a ledger to track your spending? I’m sure you can think of something that would give you a greater sense of control over your finances.
Get specific in your goal-setting. If you want to earn $100,000 in the next year, assign every dollar to a specific area of spending now, as if you already had the money. You need to have a compelling reason for earning that amount. It can’t be just because. If you know why you want and need that money, it will increase your chances of getting it.
Hi, I'm David Andrew Wiebe and I make things.
Stay up to date with my latest blog posts, Meetup invitations, books, music releases, recommendations and more. | https://davidandrewwiebe.com/set-goals-99-days-amassing-personal-wealth-day-17/ |
If everyone is migrating, who’s farming?
Farming is a major source of livelihood for households in rural Nepal and is central to rural life. But this is transitioning in recent times. Farming is no longer able to support the needs of rural households, forcing people to see alternative livelihood sources. Also, natural resource dependent livelihoods are highly vulnerable to climatic and environmental stresses, particularly in isolated mountain contexts. This has led to changes in the agriculture land use. In a recent study under HI-AWARE program at ICIMOD, researchers highlighted the differential impacts of migration of male and female members of the households on the changes in agricultural land use in three sites in different agro-ecological zones in Nepal.
The study follows a transdisciplinary approach while understanding the impacts of migration on agricultural land use change from 1990 to 2010 in Lamjung, Nuwakot, and Chitwan districts in Gandaki basin, Nepal using geospatial technology, survey data and participatory research approach. The researchers found varying patterns in changes in area under agriculture in three different sites over the two decades. In the mountain areas there was agriculture land contract (by about 2200 ha) and in plains agriculture expansion (by about 2100 ha).
The statistical analysis based on the Census data and land use dynamics for the study period revealed that the most dominant factor in agricultural land abandonment is the ecology, i.e. mountains are facing high agriculture land abandonment compared to plains. The study showed differential impact of internal and international migration and gendered nature of such effect. Out-migration of women had significantly higher influence on agriculture land fallowing, confirming the increasing feminization of agriculture sector in Nepal. Similarly, higher precipitation also significantly influenced agriculture land abandonment.
This study was presented at a public event organized by Social Science Baha, IWMI, and CIFOR on Saturday, 16 December, 2017 in Kathmandu. | http://hi-aware.org/news_aware/if-everyone-is-migrating-whos-farming/ |
The CLIMBIOMEDNET research project has investigated, using theory, observations and predictions, the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem properties and temperature and salinity changes, which are going to be the immediate effects of climate change on Mediterranean lagoons. To this aim, (i) we developed a theoretical background highlighting paradoxes (low biodiversity but high productivity) and common trends (dominance of generalist species) for these particular ecological systems, (ii) we built the largest database on Mediterranean and Black Sea lagoons available on the web (Climbiomednet Web Portal: www.circlemednet.unisalento.it) gathering information on 635 lagoons with biological (species lists) and physico-chemical (salinity, temperature) parameters, and (iii) we collected projections of climate change for each lagoon and its watershed regarding land use, temperature, precipitation and salinity.
We show that the overall lagoon surface area in the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins is close to 10,000 km2 with few large lagoons and many small ones (314 out of 635 have a surface area lower than 1 km2). Our results on biodiversity point out that most of species are rare with half of species detected in a single lagoon. At the regional scale (Italy) our analyses suggest a decoupling between the strength of conservation funding and the gradient of ecological status with respect to macro invertebrates species richness. Finally, following the A2 IPCC scenario, sea surface temperature (SST) in front of coastal lagoons is expected to increase by 0.11°C and 1.21°C by the middle and the end of the century, respectively, with a maximum temperature increase of 2.54°C by the end of the century in the Adriatic Sea and more particularly for lagoons along the coast of Croatia.
As a perspective, the CLIMBIOMEDNET Transitional Waters Platform will contribute to the large research infrastructure project LifeWatch to maximize the accessibility of data, their integration and use, thus substantially increasing the impact of the CLIM.BIO.MED.NET project towards Mediterranean scientific and stakeholder communities interested in lagoon biodiversity. This integration will contribute to tackle the challenge of (i) anticipating climate change effects on Mediterranean lagoon biodiversity and functioning and (ii) identifying areas of conservation priorities.
The Mediterranean scientific community will gain from the CLIMBIOMEDNET project at least in four ways. First, the database, which will be available for scientists, will allow to tackle many issues dealing with lagoon biodiversity and climate change. Beyond the scientific papers written by the project partners we believe that many future research studies will benefit from the database and the credit will be given to the CLIMBIOMEDNET project. Second, the data gathered during the project will help the Mediterranean scientific community working on coastal lagoons to propose new, innovative and ambitious projects at regional, national and international levels. Indeed the existence of such an database and such a web tool will bring convincing arguments to any initiatives. Third, the original results we have provided (the heterogeneity of biodiversity distribution and of climate change impacts), shed light on the need to consider a local scale when assessing the potential threats on coastal lagoons and the map we have produced will contribute to focus on critical areas. Fourth, protected areas are established worldwide to counteract human impacts on ecosystems. However the strategic choice for the new protected areas is highly controversial and even more challenging when spatial information in lacking and when climate change interplays. Our project, which overcomes these two limitations, may help conservationists to propose appropriate designs of protected areas dedicated to coastal lagoons and their watersheds.
Guilhaumon F., Basset A., Barbone E. & Mouillot D. Species!area relationships as a tool for the conservation of benthic invertebrates in Italian coastal lagoons. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. In Revision.
A New Conceptual Framework for Assessing Implications of Climate Change on the Functioning of Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons ClimBioMedNet partners. | http://circle-med.net/climbiomednet.php |
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
First Embodiment
Second Embodiment
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-140796 filed on Jul. 4, 2013 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, the vehicle having a resonance suppression mechanism that suppresses the resonance of the exhaust pipe of the internal combustion engine.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-137298 (JP 2007-137298 A) discloses a hanger rubber as a support member that supports an exhaust pipe. Two holes are formed in the hanger rubber. The exhaust pipe is suspended on a vehicle body by inserting an exhaust-pipe-side stay protruding from the exhaust pipe into one of the two holes, and inserting a vehicle-body-side stay protruding from the vehicle body is inserted into the other hole. Further, a mass body formed from a metal or the like is embedded in the hanger rubber around the hole connected to the exhaust-pipe-side stay. JP 2007-137298 A indicates that the resonance of the exhaust pipe is suppressed by setting the volume of the mass body to an appropriate value. Thus, the mass body functions as a resonance suppression mechanism that suppresses the resonance of the exhaust pipe.
However, in order to suppress effectively the resonance of the exhaust pipe, it is desirable that the support member having the resonance suppression mechanism be provided at the adequate position of the exhaust pipe. However, in JP 2007-137298 A, the arrangement position of the hanger rubber in which the mass body has been embedded is not described, and there is a room for improvement in this regard.
The invention provides a vehicle in which the resonance of an exhaust pipe can be effectively suppressed.
The vehicle is equipped with an internal combustion engine, and the exhaust pipe of the internal combustion engine is supported on a vehicle body by a plurality of support members. A resonance suppression mechanism that suppresses a resonance of the exhaust pipe is provided at at least the support member positioned on a mostdownstream side of the exhaust pipe, among the plurality of the support members.
With such a configuration, the resonance suppression mechanism is provided at the support member that is the farthest from the internal combustion engine which is the source of vibrations. As a result, the function of suppressing the wide range resonance of the exhaust pipe can be imparted to the support member positioned on mostdownstream side. Therefore, the resonance of the exhaust pipe can be effectively suppressed.
Examples of the resonance suppression mechanism may include a mechanism that attenuates vibrations acting upon the resonance suppression mechanism by converting the vibrations into heat using viscosity of a fluid, and a mechanism that attenuates vibrations acting upon the resonance suppression mechanism by converting the vibrations into heat using friction.
With such configurations, the vibrations acting upon the resonance suppression mechanism are converted into heat and absorbed by the resonance suppression mechanism. Therefore, the vibrations inputted to the resonance suppression mechanism are unlikely to be reflected. By suppressing the reflection of vibrations in such a manner, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a resonance caused by superposition of the incidence wave propagating from the internal combustion engine in the exhaust pipe toward the downstream side thereof and the reflection wave reflected by the resonance suppression mechanism, and the resonance of the exhaust pipe can be effectively suppressed.
For example, a mechanism in which the value of an internal resistance can be adjusted may be used as the resonance suppression mechanism. With the abovementioned configuration, the amount of friction or value of viscosity, which is the internal resistance in the resonance suppression mechanism, can be adjusted according to the characteristics of vibrations generated in the exhaust pipe or characteristics of the exhaust pipe.
When the internal resistance value of the resonance suppression mechanism is denoted by η, the tension of the entire exhaust pipe is denoted by F, the average propagation speed of vibrations acting upon the resonance suppression mechanism is denoted by c, and the average density of the entire exhaust pipe is denoted by σ, where the internal resistance value η is adjusted such that the relationship represented by Eq. (1) below is fulfilled, the vibrations inputted to the resonance suppression mechanism are prevented from being reflected. Therefore, the occurrence of a resonance caused by superposition of the incidence wave propagating from the internal combustion engine in the exhaust pipe toward the downstream side thereof and the reflection wave reflected by the resonance suppression mechanism, can be suppressed.
F/c
F
η=√(×σ) (1)
Further, since the frequency ω is equal to a product (k×c) of the elastic constant k of the exhaust pipe and the average propagation speed c, the internal resistance value η can be also calculated by substituting a value (ω/k), which is obtained by dividing the frequency ω by the elastic constant k, instead of the average propagation speed c in Eq. (1).
Therefore, when the value of internal resistance is adjusted, the value of internal resistance may be adjusted on the basis of the frequency of vibrations acting upon the resonance suppression mechanism and the tension of the entire exhaust pipe, or the value of internal resistance may be adjusted on the basis of the tension of the entire exhaust pipe and either of the average density of the entire exhaust pipe and the average propagation speed of the vibrations acting upon the resonance suppression mechanism.
A sensor that measures the characteristic of vibrations generated in the exhaust pipe may be further provided and the value of the internal resistance may be adjusted on the basis of a measured value measured by the sensor during the engine operation. With such a configuration, even when the characteristic of vibrations generated in the exhaust pipe changes during the engine operation, the value of internal resistance in the resonance suppression mechanism can be adjusted according to such changes and the resonance in the exhaust pipe can be effectively suppressed.
The resonance suppression mechanism may include inside thereof an elastic member and a liquid chamber filled with a working oil. The liquid chamber may be formed to be comparted into two spaces as a pressure receiving chamber and a balancing chamber, and the pressure receiving chamber and the balancing chamber may communicate with each other by a communication passage with an adjustable cross-sectional area. With such a configuration, where vibrations act from the exhaust pipe upon the resonance suppression mechanism, the elastic member is deformed, the volume of the pressure receiving chamber is changed, and the working oil flows as a fluid through the communication passage. As a result, the vibrations are attenuated by the flow channel resistance generated when the working oil flows through the communication passage. In the resonance suppression mechanism, the hydrodynamic resistance of the working oil generated when the working oil flows through the communication passage, that is, the value of the internal resistance of the resonance suppression mechanism, can be adjusted.
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The first embodiment of the vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine will be explained hereinbelow with reference to . As shown in , a ball joint unit , an exhaust purification catalyst , and a muffler (two mufflers in the present embodiment) are provided, in the order from the upstream side of an exhaust pipe , at the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine provided in a vehicle . In the ball joint unit , the upstream and downstream exhaust pipes are connected by a spherical movable unit such that the exhaust pipes can rotate relative to each other in a fixed range. As a result, vibrations transferred from the internal combustion engine to the ball joint unit are absorbed. The exhaust purification catalyst oxidizes hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) contained in the exhaust gas and reduces nitrogen oxides (NOx), thereby purifying the exhaust gas.
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The exhaust pipe is supported at a vehicle body by a plurality of support members. Two hanger rubbers , and a buffer member are provided in the order from the upstream side of the exhaust pipe as the support members supporting the exhaust pipe . Two holes are provided in each of the hanger rubbers , . An exhaust-pipe-side stay protruding from the exhaust pipe is inserted into one hole, and a vehicle-side stay protruding from the vehicle body is inserted into the other hole. As a result of the stays being inserted into the respective holes, the exhaust pipe is suspended on the vehicle body by the hanger rubbers , .
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For example, the buffer member has the following configuration. Specifically, the buffer member includes inside thereof an elastic member and a liquid chamber filled with working oil. The liquid chamber is formed to be comparted into two spaces as a pressure receiving chamber and a balancing chamber, and those chambers communicate with each other by a communication passage with an adjustable cross-sectional area. Where vibrations act from the exhaust pipe upon the buffer member , the elastic member is deformed, the volume of the pressure receiving chamber is changed, and the working oil flows as a fluid through the communication passage. As a result, the vibrations are attenuated by the flow channel resistance generated when the working oil flows through the communication passage. In the buffer member , the hydrodynamic resistance of the working oil generated when the working oil flows through the communication passage, that is, the value of the internal resistance of the buffer member , can be adjusted. Essentially, the buffer member demonstrates a function of using the viscosity of the working oil sealed inside thereof to convert the vibrations into heat and attenuate the vibrations, as in the engine mount of a liquid sealed system. By sealing the measured amount of the working oil in the liquid chamber, it is possible to obtain the configuration of the buffer member in which the vibrations are attenuated using the working oil sealed inside the liquid chamber.
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Where the value of the internal resistance is adjusted in the below-described manner, the buffer member functions as a resonance suppression mechanism suppressing the resonance of the exhaust pipe . Thus, when the internal resistance value of the buffer member is denoted by η, the tension of the entire exhaust pipe is denoted by F, the average propagation speed of vibrations acting upon the buffer member is denoted by c, and the average density of the entire exhaust pipe is denoted by σ, where the internal resistance value η of the buffer member is adjusted such that the relationship represented by Eq. (1) below is fulfilled, the vibrations inputted to the buffer member are prevented from being reflected.
F/c
F
η=√(×σ) (1)
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Since the frequency ωis equal to a product (k×c) of the elastic constant k of the exhaust pipe and the average propagation speed c, the internal resistance value η can be also calculated by substituting a value (ω/k), which is obtained by dividing the frequency ω by the elastic constant k, instead of the average propagation speed c in Eq. (1).
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Accordingly, in the vehicle of the present embodiment, the occurrence of a resonance in the exhaust pipe is confirmed by an evaluation test or computer simulation performed in advance. After the occurrence of the resonance in the exhaust pipe has been confirmed, the internal resistance value η which fulfills the relationship represented by Eq. (1) above is calculated using a value (ω1/k) obtained by dividing the resonance frequency ω1, which is the frequency of this resonance, by the elastic constant k of the exhaust pipe . The value of the internal resistance of the buffer member is then adjusted to become equal to the calculated internal resistance value η. More specifically, the value of the internal resistance is adjusted by adjusting the cross-sectional area of the communication passage connecting the pressure receiving chamber and balancing chamber, or by measuring the amount of the working oil sealed in the liquid chamber.
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The operation of the buffer member is explained below. Where vibrations are inputted to the exhaust pipe from the internal combustion engine which is the source of vibrations, the vibrations propagate in the exhaust pipe , and the vibrations also act upon the buffer member positioned at the mostdownstream side of the exhaust pipe , among the support members. The vibrations incident upon the buffer member are converted into heat by the hydrodynamic resistance of the working oil flowing through the communication passage in the buffer member . Since the vibrations incident upon the buffer member are thus converted into heat and absorbed, the vibrations generated in the exhaust pipe are attenuated. When the relationship represented by Eq. (1) above is fulfilled, the vibrations inputted to the buffer member are not reflected. Therefore, when the frequency of the vibrations incident upon the buffer member is close to the resonance frequency ω1, practically no reflection wave is generated from the buffer member .
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The following effects can be demonstrated with the above-described vehicle . (1) The resonance suppression mechanism that attenuates vibrations by using the viscosity of the working oil inside thereof is provided at the buffer member . Thus, the resonance suppression mechanism is provided at the buffer member , which is the support member farthest from the internal combustion engine which is the source of vibrations. For this reason, the buffer member can be imparted with the function of suppressing the wide range resonance of the exhaust pipe . Therefore, the resonance of the exhaust pipe can be effectively suppressed.
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(2) Since the vibrations acting upon the buffer member are converted into heat and absorbed in the buffer member , the vibrations inputted to the buffer member are unlikely to be reflected. By suppressing the reflection of vibrations in such a manner it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a resonance caused by superposition of the incident wave propagating from the internal combustion engine through the exhaust pipe to the downstream side and the reflected wave reflected by the buffer member , and the resonance in the exhaust pipe can be effectively suppressed.
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(3) By adjusting the internal resistance η of the buffer member on the basis of Eq. (1) above, it is possible to adjust the value of the internal resistance of the buffer member according to the characteristic of vibrations generated in the exhaust pipe or the characteristic of the exhaust pipe . Thus, by adjusting the value of the internal resistance of the buffer member in accordance with the measured resonance frequency ω1, it is possible to suppress the resonance of the exhaust pipe . Therefore, an effective measure against the resonance can be taken easier than with the method of the related art in which an evaluation test or computer simulation is repeated each time the characteristic of the resonance suppression mechanism is changed.
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(4) When vibrations with a frequency close to the resonance frequency ω1 are incident upon the buffer member , the reflection thereof is significantly suppressed and the occurrence of a resonance caused by the superposition of the incident wave and reflected wave can be significantly suppressed.
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In the above-described first embodiment, the internal resistance of the buffer member functioning as a resonance suppression mechanism is adjusted in advance on the basis of evaluation test or simulation results, but in the second embodiment, values used for calculating the internal resistance are measured during the engine operation, thereby making it possible to adjust the internal resistance of the resonance suppression mechanism during the engine operation. Explained below is mainly the difference between the first and second embodiments.
FIG. 2
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As shown in , in the present embodiment, the two hanger rubbers , and a buffer member are also provided in the order from the upstream side of the exhaust pipe as a plurality of support members supporting the exhaust pipe . The configuration of the buffer member is the same as that of the buffer member in the above-described first embodiment.
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However, in the exhaust pipe of the present embodiment, an acceleration sensor is provided as a sensor that measures the characteristic of vibrations generated in the exhaust pipe . The measured value obtained with the acceleration sensor is inputted to a control device . The adjustment of the cross-sectional area of the communication passage in the buffer member is then performed in response to a command from the control device on the basis of the inputted value measured by the acceleration sensor . As a result, the value of the hydrodynamic resistance of the working oil generated when the working oil flows through the communication passage, that is, the value of the internal resistance of the buffer member , can be adjusted during the engine operation. The measurements with the acceleration sensor are performed with a predetermined period during the engine operation.
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Where the value of the internal resistance is adjusted in the below-described manner, the buffer member functions as a resonance suppression mechanism suppressing the resonance of the exhaust pipe . Thus, when the internal resistance value of the buffer member is denoted by η, the tension of the entire exhaust pipe is denoted by F, and the average propagation speed of vibrations acting upon the buffer member is denoted by c, where the internal resistance value η is adjusted such that the relationship represented by Eq. (1) above is fulfilled, the vibrations inputted to the buffer member are prevented from being reflected. Therefore, the occurrence of a resonance caused by superposition of the incident wave propagating from the internal combustion engine through the exhaust pipe to the downstream side and the reflected wave reflected by the resonance suppression mechanism is suppressed. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the internal resistance of the buffer member is adjusted on the basis of the frequency ω of vibrations in the exhaust pipe , which has been measured by the acceleration sensor , such that the relationship represented by Eq. (1) above is fulfilled. The average propagation speed is denoted by c, and a value (ω/k) obtained by dividing the frequency ω of vibrations in the exhaust pipe , which has been measured by the acceleration sensor , by the elastic constant k of the exhaust pipe is used.
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The operation of the buffer member is explained below. Where vibrations are inputted to the exhaust pipe from the internal combustion engine which is the source of vibrations, the vibrations propagate in the exhaust pipe , and the vibrations also act upon the buffer member positioned at the mostdownstream side of the exhaust pipe , among the support members. The vibrations incident upon the buffer member are converted into heat by the hydrodynamic resistance of the working oil flowing through the communication passage in the buffer member . Since the vibrations incident upon the buffer member are thus converted into heat and absorbed, the vibrations generated in the exhaust pipe are attenuated. When the relationship represented by Eq. (1) above is fulfilled, the vibrations inputted to the buffer member are not reflected. In the present embodiment, the internal resistance of the buffer member is adjusted on the basis of the frequency ω of vibrations in the exhaust pipe , which has been measured by the acceleration sensor , such that the relationship represented by Eq. (1) above is fulfilled. Therefore, practically no reflection wave is generated from the buffer member .
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With vehicle provided with the above-described support members, the following effects can be demonstrated in addition to the effects (1) to (3) that can be obtained in the first embodiment. (5) Even when the characteristic of vibrations generated in the exhaust pipe changes during the engine operation, the value of the internal resistance in the buffer member can be adjusted according to this change and the resonance in the exhaust pipe can be effectively suppressed.
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The above-described embodiments can be also implemented in the following variations. In the first embodiment, a support member having another resonance suppression mechanism that attenuates the vibrations by using the viscosity of a fluid may be used instead of the buffer member . For example, a hanger rubber having a liquid sealed inside thereof, or an oil damper provided with a piston movable inside a cylinder filled with a liquid may be used. Those resonance suppression mechanisms are also preferably configured such that the value of the hydrodynamic resistance generated inside thereof, that is, the value of the internal resistance of the resonance suppression mechanism, can be adjusted. Further, the occurrence of a resonance in the exhaust pipe is confirmed by an evaluation test or computer simulation performed in advance, and the internal resistance value η that fulfills the relationship represented by Eq. (1) above is calculated using a value (ω1/k) obtained by dividing the resonance frequency ω1, which is the frequency of this resonance, by the elastic constant k of the exhaust pipe . The value of the viscosity of fluid inside the resonance suppression mechanism is then adjusted such that the resonance suppression mechanism has the calculated internal resistance value η. With such an embodiment, the effects same as those that can be obtained with the above-described first embodiment can be demonstrated.
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In the first embodiment and second embodiment, a support member having another resonance suppression mechanism that attenuates the vibrations by using friction may be used instead of the buffer member or the buffer member . For example, a support member having a brake mechanism provided with a pair of opposing members and a friction member fixed to the opposing members, as in a vehicle brake, may be used. In such a brake mechanism, the exhaust pipe is supported by sandwiching a protruding portion that protrudes from the exhaust pipe between the pair of opposing members. Where a configuration is used in which a bolt is inserted into the pair of opposing members and a nut is screwed on the bolt, a gap between the opposing members can be adjusted by adjusting the tightening degree of the nut. Thus, the level of friction generated between the friction member of the brake mechanism and the exhaust pipe can be adjusted. With the support member having such a brake mechanism, the vibrations inputted to the brake mechanism are prevented from being reflected by adjusting the degree of friction generated between the support member and the exhaust pipe , that is, the internal resistance value η, such as to fulfill the relationship represented by Eq. (1) above. Therefore, with such an embodiment, the effects same as those that can be obtained with the above-described first embodiment or second embodiment can be demonstrated.
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The configurations of the first embodiment, second embodiment, and variation examples each have a resonance suppression mechanism with an adjustable internal resistance as a support member that supports the mostdownstream position in the exhaust pipe , but a configuration having a resonance suppression mechanism in which the internal resistance cannot be adjusted can be also used. In such a modification, a plurality of support members that differ in the value of internal resistance of the resonance suppression mechanism are prepared, a support member that is optimum in terms of the vibration characteristic of the exhaust pipe is selected there among, and the mostdownstream position in the exhaust pipe is supported. With such a configuration, the vibrations acting upon the resonance suppression mechanism are also converted into heat and absorbed by the resonance suppression mechanism. Therefore, the vibrations inputted to the resonance suppression mechanism are unlikely to be reflected. By suppressing the reflection of vibrations in such a manner, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a resonance caused by superposition of the incidence wave propagating from the internal combustion engine in the exhaust pipe toward the downstream side thereof and the reflection wave reflected by the resonance suppression mechanism, and the resonance of the exhaust pipe can be effectively suppressed.
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A mechanism other than that attenuating the vibrations by using viscosity or friction can be also used as the resonance suppression mechanism of the support member. Essentially, where a support member having a resonance suppression mechanism that can suppress the vibrations of the exhaust pipe is used as the support member that supports the mostdownstream position in the exhaust pipe , a function of suppressing the wide range resonance of the exhaust pipe can be imparted to the resonance suppression mechanism.
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In the configuration described in the second embodiment, the acceleration sensor is provided in the exhaust pipe as a sensor for measuring the characteristic of vibrations generated in the exhaust pipe . The configuration in which the sensor is mounted on the exhaust pipe is not limiting, and it is also possible to detect the vibration characteristic of the exhaust pipe on the basis of the detection value of the acceleration sensor measuring the acceleration acting upon the vehicle and adjust the internal resistance of the buffer member on the basis of the detected value. Further, it is also possible to estimate the vibration characteristic of the exhaust pipe on the basis of various detection values relating to the internal combustion engine, such as an intake air amount and engine load, and adjust the internal resistance of the buffer member on the basis of the estimated value. With such a configuration, the vibration characteristic of the exhaust pipe can be determined without providing a separate sensor.
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In the second embodiment and the variation examples, the value of the internal resistance of the buffer member may be adjusted in the following manner. That is, it is possible to measure the average propagation speed c of the vibrations acting upon the buffer member and adjust the internal resistance value η of the buffer member , such that the relationship represented by Eq. (1) above is fulfilled, on the basis of the measured average propagation speed c and the tension F of the entire exhaust pipe . Further, it is also possible to measure the average density σ of the entire exhaust pipe , and adjust the internal resistance value η of the buffer member , such that the relationship represented by Eq. (1) above is fulfilled, on the basis of the measured average density a and the tension F of the entire exhaust pipe .
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The number and positions of the ball joint unit , exhaust purification catalyst , and muffler provided in the exhaust pipe can be freely set. Two or more support members, from among a plurality of support members for supporting the exhaust pipe at the vehicle, may have the resonance suppression mechanism. Essentially, the number of the support members having the resonance suppression mechanism can be freely set, provided that at least the support member, from among the plurality of support members, that supports the mostdownstream position in the exhaust pipe has the resonance suppression mechanism.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like elements, and wherein:
FIG. 1
is a schematic diagram illustrating the support structure of the exhaust pipe in the vehicle of the first embodiment; and
FIG. 2
is a schematic diagram illustrating the support structure of the exhaust pipe in the vehicle of the second embodiment. | |
Introduction
============
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase on chromosome 7p12, containing an extracellular ligand-binding domain, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular tyrosine kinase domain, belonging to the HER family. The family includes four members (HER1/EGFR, HER2/neu, HER3, and HER4), with downstream signaling pathways regulating a number of processes, including growth, migration, and survival.[@b1-ott-11-731] The pathway is involved in the development and progression of several human malignancies, including non-small-cell lung cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.[@b2-ott-11-731]--[@b6-ott-11-731]
Glioma is the most common primary malignancy of the central nervous system, accounting for over half of all malignant brain tumors in adults.[@b7-ott-11-731] According to the WHO grading (2016), glioma can be divided into four grades. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) has the highest grade and the greatest malignancy. The median survival after standard treatment is ∼13 months. Median progression-free survival (PFS) is only 7.2 months.[@b8-ott-11-731] The EGFR gene is one of the earliest known carcinogenic genes found in GBM. Its increased transcriptional activity directly causes EGFR expression.[@b9-ott-11-731] Due to its pro-oncogenic effects, it is not surprising that increased EGFR expression is associated with the malignancy of glioma.[@b10-ott-11-731] A study has found that serum levels of EGFR are substantially increased in patients with malignant glioma, suggesting poor survival.[@b11-ott-11-731]
It has been hypothesized that EGFR may be a potential prognostic biomarker for glioma. However, there remains some controversy as to the prognostic value of EGFR in glioma. Because of the limitations of sample size and research methods, individual studies have not reached consensus on the question. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of abnormal EGFR expression on overall survival (OS) in glioma patients.
Materials and methods
=====================
Retrieval strategy
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Comprehensive literature retrieval was conducted using electronic databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library (up to June 10, 2017). Medical subject headings (MeSH) (Emtree for EMBASE) and free-text words were adopted to balance comprehensiveness and accuracy. The following search terms were used: "Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor" \[Mesh\], "Receptor Tyrosine-protein Kinase erbB-1", "Transforming Growth Factor alpha Receptor", "TGF-alpha Receptor", "Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Kinase", "erbB-1 Proto-Oncogene Protein", "erbB-1 Proto-Oncogene Protein", "Receptor, Transforming-Growth Factor alpha", "Receptor, TGF-alpha", "c-ErbB-1 Protein, Proto-oncogene"; "Glioma" \[Mesh\], "astrocytoma", "ependymoblastoma", "ependymoma", "glioblastoma", "medulloblastoma", "oligodendroglioma", "optic nerve glioma", "pontine glioma", and "subependymoma", and key words related to survival included prognostic, survival, predictive, outcome, and death. The references of retrieved articles were also screened for eligible studies.
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
--------------------------------
Inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) studies on pathological diagnosis of glioma in humans and investigation of EGFR expression in glioma; 2) studies containing hazard ratio (HR) or including survival data such as survival curves to estimate HR and its 95% confidence interval (CI); 3) studies published in English; 4) studies in which detection methods for EGFR were restricted to immunohistochemistry (IHC); and 5) randomized controlled trials, retrospective or prospective studies.
Exclusion criteria were as follows: 1) non-human experiments; 2) letters, case reports, and reviews; 3) duplicated publications; and 4) inability to extract HR or necessary information.
Data extraction and quality assessment
--------------------------------------
All data were extracted independently by two authors (Junhong Li and Ruofei Liang). Disagreements were resolved by consensus with a third investigator (Yanhui Liu). The following data were extracted from the eligible studies: last name of the first author, publication year, region, study design, tumor type, assay, sample size, cutoff point, maximum follow-up time, HR, and its 95% CI.
HR and its 95% CI were extracted directly from the publications. If HRs and 95% CI were not available directly, they were calculated from the available survival data or extracted from the Kaplan--Meier curves by using the methods of Parmar et al[@b12-ott-11-731] and Tierney et al.[@b13-ott-11-731] If a study contained both univariate and multivariate analyses, both with HR, the HR provided by multivariate analysis was selected preferentially.
The quality of the eligible articles was evaluated on the Newcastle--Ottawa Scale (NOS), including assessments of patient selection, study comparability, follow-up time, and relevant outcome. NOS scores ranged from 0 to 9, with high-quality study defined as a score of \>6.
Statistical analysis
--------------------
HR and 95% CIs were used to evaluate the association between EGFR expression and OS in glioma. An HR of \>1 indicated worse survival with elevated EGFR expression, and a 95% CI not overlapping 1 was taken to be statistically significant. Statistical heterogeneity of the included studies was assessed by *I*^2^ statistics and chi-square test, and *I*^2^ value \>50% or *P*~heterogeneity~ \<0.05 indicated substantial heterogeneity. The random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled HR if heterogeneity appeared. Otherwise, the fixed-effect model was applied.[@b14-ott-11-731] All *P*-values were two-sided, and *P*\<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to evaluate the stability and reliability of the combinative results. The funnel plot with Begg's test and Egger's test was applied to evaluate publication bias. STATA 12.0 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA) was used to perform statistical analysis.
Results
=======
Characteristics of the included studies
---------------------------------------
A total of 476 articles were screened from the databases, and 17 eligible articles including 1,458 patients were selected ([Figure 1](#f1-ott-11-731){ref-type="fig"} and [Table 1](#t1-ott-11-731){ref-type="table"}).[@b15-ott-11-731]--[@b31-ott-11-731] The publication dates ranged from 1998 to 2015, sample size from 18 to 199, and maximum follow-up time from 25 to 180 months. On NOS scoring, five articles were rated 6 points, one article was rated 7 points, and only one article was rated 8 points. Among all the included studies, only two were prospective studies, and the rest were retrospective studies. In most studies, specimens were fixed with formalin and embedded with paraffin. The treatment of tumor tissues was not clearly defined in two studies. IHC was performed in all studies. Of the 17 articles, seven reported the available HR and 10 provided the Kaplan--Meier curves. Considering glioma subgroups, 10 studies focused on GBM, two studies focused on ependymoma, two focused on low-grade glioma (LGG), one focused on astrocytoma, one included anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) and GBM, and one included glioma of various subgroups and grades. No study reported disease-free survival or PFS.
Prognostic significance of EGFR expression in glioma patients
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A total of 1,458 glioma patients were included in the survival analysis. The pooled HR was 1.72 (95% CI 1.32--2.25, *P*=0.000, random effect; [Figure 2](#f2-ott-11-731){ref-type="fig"}). High expression of EGFR had a significant relationship with poor prognosis for glioma patients.
Due to the emergence of high heterogeneity in the study (*I*^2^=79.8%, *P*~h~=0.000), a subgroup analysis was conducted to further explore the source of heterogeneity. The subgroups included tumor types, publication years, region, study design, sample size, cutoff value, maximum follow-up time, source of HR, and quality score ([Table 2](#t2-ott-11-731){ref-type="table"}). High EGFR expression was significantly associated with reduced OS in GBM (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.15--2.14, *P*=0.004) and mixed gliomas (HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.37--2.77, *P*=0.000), but not in LGG (HR 1.67, 95% CI 0.037--7.62, *P*=0.508). There was substantial heterogeneity in GBM (*I*^2^=83.8%, *P*~h~=0.000), while heterogeneity was not found in LGG (*I*^2^=0%, *P*~h~=0.731) and mixed gliomas (*I*^2^=0%, *P*~h~=0.522). In subgroups of publication years, study design, sample size, source of HR, and quality score, the following predicted poor survival: publication year \<2010 (HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.37--2.77, *P*=0.000); publication year ≥2010 (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.10--2.10, *P*=0.011); retrospective study (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.39--2.19, *P*=0.000); sample size \<100 (HR 1.99, 95% CI 1.54--2.57, *P*=0.000); sample size ≥100 (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.04--2.97, *P*=0.027); HRs extracted from the Kaplan--Meier curves (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.71--2.58, *P*=0.000); quality score \<7 (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.00--1.87, *P*=0.048); and quality score ≥7 (HR 1.72, 95% CI 1.32--2.25, *P*=0.000).
Apparent heterogeneity existed in the subgroup of publication year ≥2010 (*I*^2^=80.2%, *P*~h~=0.000), prospective study (*I*^2^=81.1%, *P*~h~ =0.000), sample size ≥100 (*I*^2^=85.5%, *P*~h~=0.000), HRs that were reported (*I*^2^=69.5%, *P*~h~=0.003), and quality score ≥7 (*I*^2^=84.8%, *P*~h~=0.000). Low heterogeneity existed in the subgroup of publication year \<2010 (*I*^2^=45.6%, *P*~h~=0.065) and retrospective study (*I*^2^=45.8%, *P*~h~=0.024). Sample size \<100 (*I*^2^=0%, *P*~h~=0.501) and quality score \<7 (*I*^2^=0%, *P*~h~=0.618) did not show heterogeneity.
The subgroup region included three variables: Europe, America, and Asia, where Europe (HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.32--2.61, *P*=0.000) and Asia (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.04--3.23, *P*=0.037) were significantly related to worse prognosis, but not related to America (HR 1.32, 95% CI 0.98--1.79, *P*=0.070). The heterogeneity of America (*I*^2^=0%, *P*~h~=0.546), Europe (*I*^2^=53.3%, *P*~h~=0.036), and Asia (*I*^2^=85.7%, *P*~h~=0.000) gradually increased. In the two subgroups of cutoff value and maximum follow-up time, each subitem gave significance for predicting prognosis. The heterogeneity of cutoff value \<20% (*I*^2^=28.2%, *P*~h~=0.223) and cutoff value ≥20% (*I*^2^=43.9%, *P*~h~=0.129) was relatively low, while there was substantial heterogeneity in the subgroup of cutoff value determined by other modes and of unavailable cutoff value (*I*^2^=83.3%, *P*~h~=0.000). There was substantial heterogeneity in the subgroup of maximum follow-up time \<100 months (*I*^2^=81.8%, *P*~h~=0.000), while there was no substantial heterogeneity in the subgroup of maximum follow-up time ≥ 100 months (*I*^2^=0%, *P*~h~=0.976) and unavailable maximum follow-up time (*I*^2^=0%, *P*~h~=0.944).
Prognostic significance of EGFR expression in GBM patients
----------------------------------------------------------
GBM is one of the most common gliomas with the highest degree of malignancy. It accounts for a large proportion of the included studies, and therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to determine the prognostic significance of EGFR expression in GBM patients. Ten studies including 1,074 patients were considered in the survival analysis. The pooled HR was 1.57 (95% CI 1.15--2.14, *P*=0.004, random effect; [Figure 3](#f3-ott-11-731){ref-type="fig"}). This indicated that high expression of EGFR was significantly associated with poor prognosis in GBM patients. Similarly, subgroup analysis was performed because of high heterogeneity (*I*^2^=83.8%, *P*~h~=0.000). The grouping and results of subgroup analysis are displayed in [Table 3](#t3-ott-11-731){ref-type="table"}.
Sensitivity analysis and publication bias
-----------------------------------------
All the studies were sequentially removed to determine whether a single study had significant influence on pooled HR and to verify the stability and reliability of HR estimates. It was found that the pooled HRs were not significantly influenced by any individual study ([Figures 4](#f4-ott-11-731){ref-type="fig"} and [5](#f5-ott-11-731){ref-type="fig"}).
Publication bias was assessed using the funnel plot ([Figure 6](#f6-ott-11-731){ref-type="fig"}), Begg's and Egger's tests. The funnel plot was asymmetrical. Begg's test (*z* =0.54, *P* \> \|*z*\| =0.592) revealed no publication bias among the 17 eligible studies, while Egger's test (*t*=5.41, *P*\> \|*t*\| =0.000) showed clear bias.
Discussion
==========
EGFR plays an important role in tumor growth, participating in cell motility, adhesion, invasion, and angiogenesis.[@b32-ott-11-731] In recent years, EGFR has been a focus of numerous studies on tumor prognosis. Similar meta-analyses involving gastric cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma have shown poor prognosis associated with EGFR expression.[@b32-ott-11-731]--[@b36-ott-11-731] Comparatively speaking, biomarker studies in glioma have been relatively recent. There have been a large number of inconsistent and even contradictory results regarding the prognostic significance of EGFR in glioma. Among the included studies, 12 suggested that high expression of EGFR indicates poor prognosis, while five others were negative or uncertain on the question. In addition to the 17 studies included in the current meta-analysis, the studies that were excluded according to the inclusion criteria also showed a substantial degree of polarization. High expression of EGFR was not found to predict the poor prognosis of glioma in the studies of Reis-Filho et al,[@b37-ott-11-731] Bouvier-Labit et al,[@b38-ott-11-731] Smith et al,[@b39-ott-11-731] and Dorward et al,[@b40-ott-11-731] while other studies suggested that elevated EGFR predicted reduced OS.[@b41-ott-11-731]--[@b46-ott-11-731]
Similarly, as the direct source of EGER expression, EFEG amplification was also used as a prognostic marker of glioma. The literature also returned two levels of differentiation. Some studies showed that EGFR amplification was related to worse survival,[@b47-ott-11-731]--[@b50-ott-11-731] while other studies returned the opposite result.[@b51-ott-11-731]--[@b53-ott-11-731] Hobbs et al[@b54-ott-11-731] showed that low-to-moderate EGFR amplification was an independent adverse prognostic variable, while high-level EGFR amplification did not play a role in a similar model. In the study of EGFR gene polymorphisms, Costa et al[@b55-ott-11-731] found that EGFR variants "−191C/A" and "intron 1 (CA)n repeat" were prognostic markers in GBM patients. Li et al[@b56-ott-11-731] conducted a similar gene polymorphism study. In the molecular studies of the Tunisian population, both EGFR amplification and EGFR overexpression predicted significantly poor OS.[@b57-ott-11-731] The study on pediatric glioma indicated that no association was apparent between EGFR expression level and either PFS or OS.[@b58-ott-11-731],[@b59-ott-11-731] All the abovementioned studies have provided rigorous experimental design and accurate and reliable data analysis but contradictory results. A previous meta-analysis of EGFR amplification done by Chen et al[@b60-ott-11-731] concluded that there is not enough evidence to suggest that EGFR amplification has prognostic value in GBM patients.
In addition to being a potential prognostic factor, EGFR is also a potential target for the treatment. Some reports claim that 97% of primary GBM show EGFR amplification.[@b61-ott-11-731] Because of the important role of EGFR signaling in the pathogenesis of malignant tumor, a growing number of studies have been devoted to developing therapeutic strategies targeting EGFR aberrant activity. As a transmembrane tyrosine kinase, small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) may theoretically inhibit EGFR expression and function in malignant tumor. The mechanism would involve displacement of ATP from the catalytic pocket of the enzyme to inhibit kinase activity. Monoclonal antibodies may play a role by combining with the extracellular domain of EGFR.[@b9-ott-11-731] Both the methods have been applied in clinical practice with remarkable results in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer and colon cancer. However, the use of TKIs and monoclonal antibodies in glioma is challenged. Preusser et al[@b62-ott-11-731] concluded in their clinical trial that only a small number of malignant glioma patients benefited from EGFR inhibitor monotherapy. Bevacizumab has a tendency to increase the risk of adverse effects in people older than 65 years, and there is not enough evidence to recommend the use of bevacizumab in pediatric glioma patients.[@b8-ott-11-731] Combined with other treatments, such as temozolomide and radiation therapy, stereotactic surgery may be helpful in controlling glioma. Newer and safer targeted therapies have yet to be developed to improve treatment efficacy.
There is a considerable degree of heterogeneity among various studies. Heterogeneity emerged from differences in experimental items, overall experimental design, and analyzed indicators. There was substantial heterogeneity (*I*^2^=79.8%, *P*~h~=0.000) in pooled HR in the current meta-analysis. Similar results in pooled HR were observed in the GBM group (*I*^2^=83.8%, *P*~h~=0.000). Although the final results suggested poor prognostic role of EGFR, high heterogeneity substantially reduces the reliability of the results. The operations from setting include criteria, subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were used to ensure the reliability of the final results, in other words, to provide a strong reference. All the included studies used HR with 95% CI as the index of survival analysis. With *I*^2^ and *P*~h~ as indicators of heterogeneity, subgroup analysis suggested high heterogeneity in tumor types, publication year, region, sample size, maximum follow-up time, source of HR, and quality score, as follows: GBM (*I*^2^=83.8%, *P*~h~ =0.000), publication year ≥2010 (*I*^2^=80.2%, *P*~h~=0.000), Asia (*I*^2^=85.7%, *P*~h~ =0.000), sample size ≥100 (*I*^2^=85.5%, *P*~h~=0.000), and other methods to divide cutoff value and cutoff value not available (*I*^2^=83.3%, *P*~h~=0.000), maximum follow-up time \<100 months (*I*^2^=81.8%, *P*~h~=0.000), and quality score ≥7 (*I*^2^=84.8%, *P*~h~=0.000). There was low heterogeneity in Europe (*I*^2^=53.3%, *P*~h~=0.036) when HR was reported (*I*^2^=69.5%, *P*~h~=0.003). The abovementioned items were the actual source of heterogeneity; other items showed low or no heterogeneity. Among 22 items in the nine subgroups, only three had HR with no statistical significance, including LGG (HR 1.67, 95% CI 0.37--7.62, *P*=0.508), America (HR 1.32, 95% CI 0.98--1.79, *P*=0.070), and HR that were reported (HR 1.28, 95% CI 0.98--1.66, *P*=0.072). This suggested a stable and reliable final result.
In the GBM subgroup analysis, there was substantial heterogeneity in items such as publication year ≥2010 (*I*^2^=82.2%, *P*~h~ =0.000), Europe (*I*^2^=73.7%, *P*~h~=0.010), Asia (*I*^2^=88.1%, *P*~h~=0.000), sample size ≥100 (*I*^2^=84.4%, *P*~h~=0.000), other methods to divide cutoff value (*I*^2^=80.4%, *P*~h~=0.000), unavailable cutoff value (*I*^2^=80.4%, *P*~h~=0.000), maximum follow-up time \<100 months (*I*^2^=82.0%, *P*~h~ =0.000), and quality score ≥7 (*I*^2^=86.2%, *P*~h~=0.000). The condition was basically consistent with HR subgroup analysis of the whole set of glioma. Among 19 items in the eight subgroups, pooled HR of eight items showed no statistical significance, and the reliability and stability of the pooled results were lower than that of the entire group of glioma. The greater heterogeneity of the GBM group (83.8% vs 79.8%) is one of the reasons for these results.
In sensitivity analysis, individual studies were sequentially removed, and the bottom limits of 95% CI of pooled HR of other studies were all larger than 1, suggesting that individual studies had limited impact on the entire study. The pooled HR had statistical significance, and the entire study was stable.
Asymmetry of the funnel plot and Egger's test demonstrated the existence of publication bias (the most common source of bias) affecting the authenticity and reliability of the data to some extent. First, positive results are easier to publish. Of the 17 studies, five were negative, and the inclusion of negative results would theoretically reduce publication bias. Second, repeatedly published theses will also lead to bias, if a single-center or multiple-center results are both published and included. Repeated calculation would lead to larger weight for some studies, affecting the reliability of the clinical research. The research institutions and localities were carefully checked, and overlapping of institutions or experimental data was not found. Next, the small sample size studies return low test efficiencies. In other words, positive results may be caused by opportunities, which may not provide a reliable basis for clinical practice. In the subgroup analysis, HR was merged with a sample size of 100 as the boundary. Our results suggested larger HR and lower *P* in the subgroup with a sample size of \<100, without heterogeneity, while greater heterogeneity was observed in the subgroup with large sample size (≥100). This confirmed that bias was caused by small sample size from the side. There may be many other unknown confounding factors that play a role in publication bias.
As a meta-analysis of prognostic analysis, there are inevitable limitations in several aspects which should be further discussed. First, the areas and population involved in this study are irregular (Africa, the Middle East, South America, and other regions). In addition, China, with a large population, was not considered. Second, there are differences in diagnostic standard and inspection methods in studies on glioma at different times. The accuracy of IHC results is improved by the optimization of the equipment and test methods with the passage of time. The diverse definitions of cutoff values among the studies may also lead to bias. Among experimental designs, there were no randomized controlled trials, which might have improved the accuracy of the analysis. However, there were two prospective studies, which are superior to retrospective studies. Finally, patients in several studies underwent standard therapy with temozolomide plus radiotherapy after surgery[@b15-ott-11-731],[@b22-ott-11-731],[@b29-ott-11-731] and some patients did not undergo uniform treatments, while the remaining studies failed to report postoperative treatments. This too may result in heterogeneity of survival data.
Conclusion
==========
Our meta-analysis suggested that EGFR may serve as a useful biomarker for poor prognosis in glioma patients. In the future, targeted therapy aiming at EGFR signaling pathways may help slow the disease progression of glioma and prolong OS. To verify this result, studies with large sample sizes, covering extensive areas, with more reasonable experimental designs, more standardized diagnostic criteria, and standardized postoperative treatment are required.
This study was supported by the Key Research and Development Item from the Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province, China (No 2017SZ0006). Junhong Li and Ruofei Liang are the co-first authors.
**Disclosure**
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.
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{#f2-ott-11-731}
{#f3-ott-11-731}
{#f4-ott-11-731}
{#f5-ott-11-731}
{#f6-ott-11-731}
######
The main characteristics of the included 17 studies in the meta-analysis
Authors Publication year Region Study design Tumor type Range Detected sample Assay Number of patients (male) Median/mean\* (range) or Mean ± SD Cutoff point (%) Maximum follow-up time (m) Survival analysis Hazard ratios Quality score Author's attitude
-------------------------------------- ------------------ ----------- --------------- ------------- ------------ ------------------- ------- --------------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------------ ---------------------------- ------------------- --------------- --------------- -------------------
Srividya et al[@b15-ott-11-731] 2010 India Prospective GBM NA Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 140 47 (18--65) NA 34 OS Report 8 Negative
Viana-Pereira et al[@b16-ott-11-731] 2008 Portugal Retrospective GBM NA Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 27 NA 10 93 OS Report 7 Negative
Umesh et al[@b17-ott-11-731] 2009 India Retrospective GBM 2002 Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 54 (41) 46.15\* (16--80) 20 53 OS K--M curve 7 Positive
Choi et al[@b18-ott-11-731] 2013 Korea Retrospective GBM 1997--2006 Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 30 (18) 55.5 (24--77) 10 NA OS K--M curve 7 Positive
Nabika et al[@b19-ott-11-731] 2010 Japan Retrospective AA and GBM 1995--2005 Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 59 (35) 61.2±13.3 30 NA OS Report 7 Positive
Korshunov et al[@b20-ott-11-731] 1999 Russia Retrospective GBM 1997--1998 Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 168 (95) 50 (18--73) NA 60 OS K--M curve 7 Positive
Senetta et al[@b21-ott-11-731] 2011 Italy Retrospective Ependymoma 2001--2006 Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 22 (6) 38.7\* (18--63) 20 109 OS K--M curve 7 Positive
Tini et al[@b22-ott-11-731] 2015 Italy Retrospective GBM 2008--2013 Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 144 63 (35--84) 50 100 OS K--M curve 7 Positive
Varela et al[@b23-ott-11-731] 2004 Argentina Retrospective LGG 1995--2000 Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 25 (16) 37 (18--72) 10 140 OS K--M curve 6 Positive
Simmons et al[@b24-ott-11-731] 2001 USA Retrospective GBM 1987--1995 Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 110 (68) 55 NA 75 OS Report 6 Negative
Saha et al[@b25-ott-11-731] 2014 India Prospective Astrocytoma 2009--2012 Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 57 (45) NA 15.40 25 OS K--M curve 7 Positive
Abdullah et al[@b26-ott-11-731] 2015 USA Retrospective GBM 2003--2013 Tumor tissue IHC 47 NA NA 72 OS K--M curve 6 Positive
Andersson et al[@b27-ott-11-731] 2004 Sweden Retrospective LGG NA Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 18 NA 20 180 OS K--M curve 6 Positive
Etienne et al[@b28-ott-11-731] 1998 France Retrospective Glioma 1985--1995 Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 40 NA 4.60 120 OS K--M curve 6 Positive
Michaelsen et al[@b29-ott-11-731] 2013 Denmark Retrospective GBM 2005--2010 Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 199 NA 10 60 OS Report 7 Negative
Mendrzyk et al[@b30-ott-11-731] 2006 Russia Retrospective Ependymoma 1987--2003 Tumor tissue IHC 163 NA NA 120 OS Report 7 Positive
Chakravarti et al[@b31-ott-11-731] 2005 USA Retrospective GBM NA Tumor tissue/FFPE IHC 155 NA MOD 26.3 60 OS Report 7 Negative
**Abbreviations:** AA, anaplastic astrocytoma; FFPE, formalin fixed and paraffin embedded; GBM, glioblastoma multiforme; IHC, immunohistochemistry; K--M curve, Kaplan--Meier curve; LGG, low-grade glioma; m, months; MOD, mean optical density; NA, not available; OS, overall survival.
######
Meta-analysis results of subgroups for the OS of gliomas
Subgroup analysis Number of studies HR (95% CI) *P*-value Heterogeneity
------------------------ ------------------- ------------------- ----------- --------------- -------
**OS** 17 1.72 (1.32--2.25) 0.000 79.8 0.000
Tumor types
GBM 10 1.57 (1.15--2.14) 0.004 83.8 0.000
LGG 2 1.67 (0.37--7.62) 0.508 0 0.731
Mixed gliomas 5 1.95 (1.45--2.63) 0.000 0 0.522
Publication year
\<2010 9 1.95 (1.37--2.77) 0.000 45.6 0.065
≥2010 8 1.52 (1.10--2.10) 0.011 80.2 0.000
Region
Europe 8 1.86 (1.32--2.61) 0.000 53.3 0.036
America 4 1.32 (0.98--1.79) 0.070 0 0.546
Asia 5 1.83 (1.04--3.23) 0.037 85.7 0.000
Study design
Prospective 2 1.47 (0.53--4.08) 0.460 81.1 0.021
Retrospective 15 1.75 (1.39--2.19) 0.000 46.8 0.024
Sample size
\<100 10 1.99 (1.54--2.57) 0.000 0 0.501
≥100 7 1.43 (1.04--1.97) 0.027 85.5 0.000
Cutoff value
\<20% 6 1.57 (1.02--2.43) 0.041 28.2 0.223
≥20% 5 2.30 (1.49--3.55) 0.000 43.9 0.129
Others and NA 6 1.46 (1.01--2.10) 0.044 83.3 0.000
Maximum follow-up time
\<100 m 9 1.55 (1.13--2.12) 0.006 81.8 0.000
≥100 m 6 2.36 (1.71--3.26) 0.000 0 0.976
NA 2 1.56 (1.08--2.25) 0.016 0 0.944
Source of HR
Report 7 1.28 (0.98--1.66) 0.072 69.5 0.003
Kaplan--Meier curves 10 2.10 (1.71--2.58) 0.000 0 0.658
Quality score
\<7 5 1.37 (1.00--1.87) 0.048 0 0.618
≥7 12 1.82 (1.31--2.51) 0.000 84.8 0.000
**Abbreviations:** CI, confidence interval; GBM, glioblastoma multiforme; HR, hazard ratio; LGG, low-grade glioma; m, months; NA, not available; OS, overall survival.
######
Meta-analysis results of subgroups for the OS of GBMs
Subgroup analysis Number of studies HR (95% CI) *P*-value Heterogeneity
------------------------ ------------------- ------------------- ----------- --------------- -------
OS 10 1.57 (1.15--2.14) 0.004 83.8 0.000
Publication years
\<2010 5 1.88 (1.15--3.09) 0.012 68.0 0.014
≥2010 5 1.36 (0.95--1.97) 0.096 82.2 0.000
Region
Europe 4 1.69 (1.09--2.63) 0.018 73.7 0.010
America 3 1.31 (0.96--1.78) 0.086 0 0.381
Asia 3 1.85 (0.63--5.41) 0.262 88.1 0.000
Study design
Prospective 1 0.95 (0.92--0.99) 0.027 / /
Retrospective 9 1.70 (1.26--2.30) 0.001 64.5 0.004
Sample size
\<100 4 2.50 (1.38--4.50) 0.002 42.7 0.156
≥100 6 1.32 (0.97--1.80) 0.078 84.4 0.000
Cutoff value
\<20% 3 1.25 (0.77--2.04) 0.370 22.4 0.276
≥20% 2 3.11 (1.15--2.14) 0.003 64.9 0.092
Others and NA 5 1.31 (0.93--1.86) 0.126 80.4 0.000
Maximum follow-up time
\<100 m 8 1.47 (1.07--2.02) 0.017 82.0 0.000
≥100 m 1 2.28 (1.50--3.46) 0.000 / /
NA 1 1.51 (0.55--4.14) 0.424 / /
Source of HR
Report 5 0.96 (0.92--1.00) 0.077 0.4 0.404
Kaplan--Meier curves 5 2.13 (1.59--2.85) 0.000 33.0 0.202
Quality score
\<7 2 1.36 (0.84--2.18) 0.211 48.1 0.165
≥7 8 1.65 (1.13--2.41) 0.009 86.2 0.000
**Abbreviations:** CI, confidence interval; GBM, glioblastoma multiforme; HR, hazard ratio; m, months; NA, not available; OS, overall survival.
[^1]: These authors contributed equally to this work
| |
A couple of new projects which centre on the use compound semiconductors are to be funded through the Technology Inspired Innovation competition for collaborative research & development funding. They are described below.
Project title: System development of novel CW OPO for hyperspectral imaging and sensing
Project outline: SYNOPOSIS will develop an active, long-wave mid-infrared (LWIR) imaging system capable of catering for a wide range of applications including the detection of explosives, oil and gas prospecting and medical diagnostics.
To date, active imaging systems operate mostly in the short-wave mid-infrared spectral region. Moving the technology to longer wavelength will enable access to the so-called molecular fingerprint region where the interaction with light and molecules is significantly stronger, therefore enabling higher sensitivity and specificity.
The limiting factor in the context of LWIR active imaging technology has so far been the availability of practical LWIR light sources. SYNOPOSIS will address this issue by advancing the continuous-wave, intracavity-pumped, optical parametric oscillator into the LWIR by employing novel nonlinear materials such as orientation-patterned gallium arsenide and zinc germanium diphosphide.
Partners in the project are M Squared Lasers Ltd , based in Glasgow, who will lead the project. Other collaborators include Solus Technologies Ltd and the Institute of Photonics based in the University of Strathclyde.
Project title: PEARGaN - Power Electronics Applications for Reliability in GaN
Project outline: GaN-on-Silicon is a hot topic at the moment. One of its applications is in discrete devices for high-voltage power electronics applications, with the potential to deliver superior performance in breakdown voltage, on-state resistance and higher switching speeds. This material system also promises to reduce system losses and enable greater levels of efficiency at lower cost than current solutions.
The PEARGaN project has assembled a consortium of world class partners from UK industry and academia, to develop new system level concepts and circuit architectures, evaluate advanced manufacturing process technologies and create device demonstrators to fully understand the device behaviour and failure mechanisms, proving that these devices are robust and can deliver the required levels of life-time reliability that is demanded by the early adopters in a broad range of power management and control applications.
The lead partner is NXP Semiconductors UK Ltd based in Stockport. Also involved in the project are IQE (Europe) Ltd, Bristol University – Device Reliability Centre, Manchester University – Power Conversion Group and Liverpool University – Materials & Structures Centre.
The offer of funding to these projects is conditional and remains subject to the successful completion of Technology Strategy Board, Scottish Enterprise and BBSRC compliance and financial review processes.
CS International to return to Brussels – bigger and better than ever!
The leading global compound semiconductor conference and exhibition will once again bring together key players from across the value chain for two-days of strategic technical sessions, dynamic talks and unrivalled networking opportunities.
Join us face-to-face between 28th – 29th June 2022
- View the agenda.
- 3 for the price of 1. Register your place and gain complementary access to TWO FURTHER industry leading conferences: PIC International and SSI International.
- Email [email protected] or call +44 (0)24 7671 8970 for more details.
*90% of exhibition space has gone - book your booth before it’s too late! | https://compoundsemiconductor.net/article/89544/Two_new_projects_target_GaAs_imaging_and_GaN_power_ |
McGillicuddy’s Humanities Center hosts guest lecture on the racial history of free-verse poetry
Visiting Professor Erin J. Kappeler of Tulane University explores the texts of modernist poet and activist Mary Austin, to show the concept of free verse poetry and cultural domination in Hill Auditorium on Wednesday, March 4. Photo by Antyna Gould.
On March 4, Erin J. Kepler, a visiting professor from Tulane University, gave a talk on Native American poetry and innovation of language titled “Mary Austin’s Time Machine: Modernist Poetics and Settler Time.” Introduced by Margo Lukens, the director of the McGillicuddys Humanities Center, the talk furthered this year’s theme, “Society, Colonization, and Decolonization” by introducing the importance of Native American language regarding our modern perceptions of time and rhythm.
Beginning with a lecture and followed by a relaxed Q&A, Kepler introduced free verse as an ideal of white America’s identity rather than a strictly aesthetic movement, highlighting her current book project, as abbreviated, “The Secret History of Free Verse,” unpacking how translations of Native American oral expressions are commonly understood without sufficient context. Kepler adds that she doesn’t want to reconcile the past, but recognize the significance of native literature among settler ideals.
“I don’t think reconciliation is a good paradigm for this kind of work but rather I’m interested in getting all of us to acknowledge the way that settler, colonial racist thinking shapes the study of native literature,” Kepler said.
She went on to explain her research within the context of Mary Austin, an author and activist who claims that free verse poetry was a poetic expression designed to be perfected by white poets. Through her activism, Austin may have buried the true expressions of Native American poetry and song. Exemplified by Austin’s analysis of poetic rhythm in Native American poetry, Kepler extrapolated problematic “settler time,” or the white interpretation of a native form of rhythm.
“Free verse was a poetic expression of an emerging modern white race,” Kepler said. “The idea that race and poetic form are connected had a profound effect on the development of Native American poetry as an object of study … my work on Austin seeks to understand Austin’s major contributions to modernist poetics and to the formation of Native American poetry in all of their contradictory fullness.”
Kepler discussed transcription later in the lecture, emphasizing Austin’s idea that Native American poetry was written song, or written spoken culture, leaving Austin to attempt the translation of available narratives. Kepler described how Austin mistakenly equates forms of textual literacy to stages of civilization development, believing Native American songs to be a “pure” form of poetry later to develop as based on a white narrative. Although there certainly were Native American poets by the time of Austin’s transcriptions, the white narrative analyses of earlier poems prove to be either convoluted or, at the very least, requiring a second eye.
More talks concerning the theme “Society, Colonization, and Decolonization” will continue throughout the rest of the semester, run by the McGillicuddy Humanities Center, some of which have included: “Innocence Unprotected: The Cinema of Colonization and Decolonization” and “Cancion/Cancao, a recital of art songs from Cuba, Brazil and Argentina featuring mezzo-soprano Caitlin Felsman.” The next event will be a free movie viewing on Monday, March 9 from 6-8 p.m. featuring “Coffy: The Cinema of Colonization and Decolonization” in the Barrows Hall Hill Auditorium. | |
Avoid the midday sun – between 13.00 and 17.00 ensure you have shade and plenty of fluids, and limit physical activity.
The wearing of a sunhat is recommended at all times, especially for children and sun screen should be used and reapplied often.
Avoid swimming after a heavy meal.
Insect repellent products, for both your skin and your room are recommended. Long trousers and long sleeves are also recommended especially around dusk.
Food and Drink – no special precautions are necessary,the local water supply is generally safe, bottled water is always an option to ensure safety of drinking water.
Animal and/or snake bites – if you are unlucky enough to have either, medical attention is recommended.
Should you need a prescription for your regular medication either because you have run out or lost your own supply, consult the local doctor. Many drugs are available under a different trade name.
Should you need any kind of mobility aid, for example crutches, wheelchair) please enquire.
In case of extremely serious injuries/accidents or fatal incidents we are able to provide you with contact details for foreign consulates based on Corfu Island.
Corfu has many blue flag beaches. Enjoy the sea, be aware of lifeguard warnings, and never dive into water where you do not know the depth.
Corfu is still a safe island with a low crime rate, but don’t tempt fate by leaving your valuables in view.
Using the same common sense you would at home whilst on Corfu will ensure that you enjoy your stay, and have a safe and healthy holiday. | https://www.ioniancare.gr/medical-advice-for-travelers/ |
Dutch artist Willem De Kooning was an abstract expressionist artist. Born in Rotterdam, he moved to America in 1926. In 1943, De Kooning married the painter Elaine Fried and in 1962 he became an American citizen. After World War II, De Kooning developed a style known as Abstract Expressionism also known as ‘action painting’, he was part of what is known as the New York School, a close group of artists which included the likes of Jackson Pollock, Elaine de Kooning, Arshile Gorky, Mark Rothko, Clyfford Still, and Richard Pousette-Dart to name but a few. | https://www.printed-editions.com/artist/willem-de-kooning/two-figures-www-kunzt-gallery-1/ |
By Shannon Pacella, DPT, PHRC Lexington
If you’ve been a patient of mine, you probably remember me talking about the mind-body connection. This is especially important when it comes to pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction. The pelvic floor muscles are innervated by the pudendal nerve which contains both motor and autonomic nerve fibers. Most other skeletal muscles (like your hamstrings, quads, glutes, etc.) are innervated by nerves that only contain motor fibers, not autonomic. Because of this special physiology, the pelvic floor muscles will respond to training in mindfulness, and this should be incorporated into the treatment of pelvic pain.
The word mindfulness gets thrown around quite a bit, and you may often hear it connected to meditation. But do you really know what mindfulness is all about? Hopefully by the end of this post, you’ll have a better understanding!
Mindfulness is a process of regulating attention in order to bring a quality of non elaborative awareness to current experience and a quality of relating to one’s experience within an orientation of curiosity, openness, and acceptance.
Let me break this down for you. There are two components of mindfulness:
- First component:
- Involves the self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on immediate experience, allowing for increased recognition of mental events in the present moment.
- Second component:
- Involves adopting a particular orientation toward one’s experiences in the present moment, characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance.
Mindfulness is a form of mental training used to reduce cognitive vulnerability to reactive modes of mind that might otherwise heighten stress and emotional distress, while meditation is a tool/technique used to enable mindfulness.
Training in meditation can be used to cultivate the capacity to evoke and apply mindfulness to enhance emotional well-being and mental health.
Here’s a quick ‘how to meditate’ guide*:
- First, try to find a comfortable position, this may be laying down, sitting, standing, or even walking.
- Attempt to maintain attention on a particular focus, most commonly it is on your own breathing.
- Whenever your attention wanders from the breath to inevitable thoughts and feelings that arise, you simply take note of them and then let them go, as your attention is returned to your breath.
- Do not try to suppress your thoughts or feelings, they are welcome, however, do not dwell on them. Allow them to come, but then allow them to go as you focus on your breathing.
- This process is repeated each time that your attention wanders away from your breath.
*There are many ways to meditate, but most varieties are similar in their basic procedures and goals.
There is an emphasis on simply taking notice of whatever your mind happens to wander to and accepting each object (any stimulus: thoughts, feelings, sounds, etc.) without making judgements or elaborating on its implications, additional meanings, or need for action.
It is encouraged to use this same general approach outside of formal meditation practice by bringing awareness back to the here-and-now during the course of the day, using the breath as an anchor, whenever attention has become focused on streams of thoughts, worries, or ruminations. By going through the procedure of meditation, it will lead to a state of mindfulness.
In a state of mindfulness, thoughts and feelings are observed as events in the mind, without over-identifying with them and without reacting to them in an automatic, habitual pattern of reactivity. This state of self-observation is thought to introduce a “space” between one’s perception and response.
Mindfulness is thought to enable one to respond to situations more reflectively (instead of reflexively). When you respond reflexively, you are not giving yourself time to think about how you are responding to the situation; you may say something or do something that you did not truly want to say/do. By being mindful and allowing yourself to respond reflectively, you are able to create a space where you can react thoughtfully.
Mindfulness can be described as a kind of non elaborative, non judgemental, present-centered awareness in which each thought, feeling, or sensation that arises in the attentional field is acknowledged and accepted as it is.
Did you know that mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) is a treatment program originally developed for the management of chronic pain? If you like to learn more about the connection between mindfulness and chronic pain, check out this previous post: Mindfulness Meditation: Is it actually effective for treating chronic pain?
I hope this has inspired you to try and be more mindful throughout the day, and I urge those with pelvic pain to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine.
Here’s a quick and simple guided meditation to give you a place to start!
References:
- Bishop SR, Lau M, Shapiro S, et al. Mindfulness: a proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice. 2006;11(3):230-241. doi:10.1093/clipsy.bph077
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Are you unable to come see us in person? We offer virtual physical therapy appointments too!
Due to COVID-19, we understand people may prefer to utilize our services from their homes. We also understand that many people do not have access to pelvic floor physical therapy and we are here to help! The Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center is a multi-city company of highly trained and specialized pelvic floor physical therapists committed to helping people optimize their pelvic health and eliminate pelvic pain and dysfunction. We are here for you and ready to help, whether it is in-person or online.
Virtual sessions are available with PHRC pelvic floor physical therapists via our video platform, Zoom, or via phone. The cost for this service is $85.00 per 30 minutes. For more information and to schedule, please visit our digital healthcare page.
In addition to virtual consultation with our physical therapists, we also offer integrative health services with Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS. Jandra is a pelvic floor physical therapist who also has her Master’s degree in Integrative Health and Nutrition. She offers services such as hormone testing via the DUTCH test, comprehensive stool testing for gastrointestinal health concerns, and integrative health coaching and meal planning. For more information about her services and to schedule, please visit our Integrative Health website page. | https://pelvicpainrehab.com/pelvic-pain/7951/what-is-mindfulness-and-how-can-it-help-pelvic-pain/ |
CFS works with a range of organizations to research financial issues affecting households.
Highlighted below are some current and recent projects:
My Classroom Economy: Developing Life-Long Financial Capability through Experiential Learning for Elementary Students
9/30/14 – 9/30/16
U.S. Department of the Treasury
My Classroom Economy is a simulated economy designed to increase the financial capability of elementary school students. Fourth and 5th grade students practice make decisions about spending and saving while learning about the consequences of their choices in real time in their classrooms. CFS is working with the School District of Palm Beach County, the 12th largest school district in the U.S. in terms of student enrollment, this program will be implemented in September 2015.
Borrow$mart: A Field Study of an Online Financial Capability Tool’s Effects on the Schooling and Financing Decisions of Private-Sector College Students
9/30/14 – 2/28/16
U.S. Department of the Treasury
This project studies the role of online financial counseling for college students who are at high risk of problems in the student loan market. Borrow$mart will yield new insights into strategies for using technology-based tools to assist people in making more informed choices regarding higher education financing and student loan debt. The main goal is to increase college student retention and graduation rates.
Financial Well-Being Metrics
Corporation for Enterprise Development/Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
1/8/14 – 6/30/15
This is a multi-method project with the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) on behalf of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that seeks to define financial well-being and identify its drivers for working-age and older Americans and to determine the antecedents of these drivers in youth (ages 3 to 20). The project includes an in-depth review of the literature, field scans, and large-scale qualitative studies involving interviews with consumers, practitioners, and experts from a variety of fields such as developmental psychology, family and consumer science, financial education, and youth marketing.
Assessing Financial Capability Outcomes (AFCO)
U.S. Department of the Treasury/Corporation for Enterprise Development
1/11/11 – 3/27/14
Parks Opportunity Program Direct Deposit Evaluation
This study measures the impacts of financial counseling on the bank account use and financial stability of individuals offered low-risk checking accounts and direct deposit of their paychecks as part of their participation in a transitional employment program, the NYC Parks Opportunity Program. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and supported by the Corporation for Enterprise Development. The results of this study show that integrating access to financial products and services is feasible at scale. The study saw a high take-up rate of bank accounts, which suggests that unbanked participants had a strong desire to become banked and would take advantage of an opportunity if offered an account that had agreeable terms and was easy to open. Results suggest that embedding financial product offers and financial counseling into public programs can be an effective way to promote financial access and financial capability.
MyBudgetCoach: Identifying Effective uses of Technology in Financial Coaching
Ohio Benefit Bank/Solutions for Progress
11/1/13 – 1/31/16
The MyBudgetCoach project, being implemented by the Ohio Benefit Bank and Solutions for Progress, Inc., seeks to assess the effectiveness of a twelve-month budget coaching program administered through an online interface. This study uses a randomized research design to analyze the MyBudgetCoach (MyBC) interface in two contexts: 1) Remote- the use of MyBC as a standalone tool with all coaching sessions occurring remotely via screen sharing and phone, and 2) In-Person- the use of MyBC in combination with in-person coaching meetings. The project is funded by the Center for Financial Services Innovation. | https://cfs.wisc.edu/work/research-and-evaluation/ |
Innovation & Trends in Educational Technology - serves as a venue to discuss and demonstrate some of the latest trends, developments, and creative ideas in educational technology. Topics include mobile devices and BYOD (bring your own devices) in the classroom, models of innovative course and program design and delivery, promoting a culture of innovation, social media for learning, agile development, active collaborative classrooms, flipped learning, badges, learning spaces, and personalized learning to name a few.
Best Practices - focuses on well established, proven and applied methods in the field of distance learning. Topics include best practice in teaching and learning, course and program design and delivery, efficient and effective support systems, etc.
Research - Theoretical, methodological, empirical, or application-oriented study of distance learning, blended learning, and educational technology is showcased in this track. Student research is encouraged.
Accessibility & Universal Design - focuses on how to provide equal access and opportunity to people with disabilities through universal design of online courses, websites, and other internet-based resources. Topics include strategies for creating an accessibility evaluation plan & policies, universal design considerations, creating and extending support services, understanding the laws, addressing legal issues, etc.
System Administration, Cybersecurity, and Data Analytics – focuses on how an organization is dealing with cyber security and the implications for a breach along with what data is being used to determine internet integrity, as well as data analytics, which can range from using big data for institutional success to data at the course, student, and/or program level. Topics include showing student retention & persistence, determining at-risk students, evaluating course design, showing faculty or staff engagement, data-driven decision making, analysis and creation of new insights, system administration, etc.
Faculty & Student Support – focuses on concepts related to providing employees, faculty, staff, and trainers appropriate professional development opportunities to help them stay current and productive in their fields including strategies and resources for providing technical and academic support to help distance education students succeed. Topics include identifying training needs, designing programming, training tools and resources, continuing education, incentives, help desk functions, call centers, technical manuals, work flows, self-help tools, written and video-based support resources, identifying student and faculty needs, etc.
PK - 12, Educational Outreach & Workforce Development -focuses on Pre Kindergarten to 12th grades, educational outreach activities, and workforce development opportunities at distance education or heavy technology integration. Topics include strategies for creating distance education courses, managing a distance education program with PK-12 audiences, distance education/blended continuing education certificates, creation of professional development series for employees, citizen science, etc.
Administration, Leadership, & Policy – focuses on how to setup and administer an online or distance education program, including administering quality measures, planning, budgeting, compliance standards (THECB, SACS, HERC), leadership, mentoring, institutional effectiveness, administrative support structures, upgrade management and design plans, legal and policy issues, marketing, public and legislative policy updates and the impact on distance programs, students, and faculty. | https://conference19.txdla.org/attend/tracks/ |
About The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (LMNA) will serve as the premier public venue for the celebration and exploration of the storytelling tradition in the visual arts. The Museum will be a gathering place for all people to experience narrative art and to trace the evolution of its many forms—from illustration to cinema to the digital media of the 21st century. Narrative art forms can ignite the imagination, evoke powerful emotions, and capture and explore universal cultural truths and mythologies. The Museum will establish a rich educational environment that attracts and engages people from local, national, and international communities.
The Museum’s seed collection—a gift from founder George Lucas—features works of art that have profoundly shaped our cultural heritage. These works, spanning the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, are both a testament to the power of narrative images and a window into our constantly evolving social experience. The collection includes fine art, works on paper, comic art, digital art, sculpture, cinematic props, costumes and fashion, and ephemeral materials related to the cinematic arts. Represented artists include N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, Jessie Wilcox Smith, Norman Rockwell, Thomas Hart Benton, Beatrix Potter, George Herriman, Egon Schiele, Carl Larsson, R. Crumb, and many others. The foundational collection will continue to grow and evolve as the Lucas Museum strategically acquires additional works and collections.
The Lucas Museum will be housed in an iconic structure designed with sensitivity to its surroundings. An approximately 290,000 SF state-of-the-art facility designed by Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, the Museum will offer collection galleries as well as temporary exhibitions, two cinematic theaters, classroom and workshop spaces, a welcoming library, a café and a restaurant, a museum store, green spaces, and many other visitor amenities. Mr. Lucas and his family foundation will fully fund the costs of building the Museum, and he has committed to endowing the operations of the Museum with at least $400 million in initial operating endowment funds.
The Museum will partner and collaborate with cultural and educational institutions both locally and internationally. The vision of the Museum is to elevate the public’s understanding and appreciation for the narrative arts, their historical and cultural impacts and their role in inspiring people. The Lucas Museum will bring together the most compelling aspects of creativity, scholarship, and current thinking about narrative art and its role in society.
For more information on LMNA, please visit their website here.
The Opportunity
This is a highly specialized opportunity for the right leader to join an exceptional leadership team as Chief Communications Officer, to help establish a unique and prominent new museum. The Lucas Museum is currently in a strategic planning phase as the leadership team lays the groundwork for a successful, high-profile launch in Los Angeles. In partnership with the Lucas family and LMNA’s leadership, the Chief Communications Officer (CCO) will serve a critically important role in creating and guiding the overall branding and messaging for the Museum, and building strong relationships with the community, elected officials, press and media outlets, and peer organizations.
In collaboration with the Founding President and senior leadership, the CCO will provide clear, actionable thought leadership around the Museum’s communications and marketing strategy, and oversee the successful implementation of its disparate pieces. The CCO will have the unique opportunity to create and steward a major brand, positioning the Museum to impact the cultural landscape in Los Angeles and around the world.
Key Responsibilities:
Reporting to the Founding President, the CCO will serve as the institutional leader of all communications activities and marketing initiatives at LMNA, in support of the overall strategic goals of the Museum. The ideal candidate will be strategic and results-driven with strong leadership skills and a proven track record of success in roles of progressively greater responsibility. S/he will have a strong marketing and communications background, excellent relationship-building capabilities, and impeccable organizational skills to complement an entrepreneurial, visionary mindset.
As a key strategic partner to the President and other members of the senior leadership team, the CCO will be relied upon for good business judgment, an analytical mindset, great capacity for flexibility and adaptability to shifting priorities or needs, and sound and influential decision-making abilities. This leader will also be integral in shaping a positive and spirited internal culture and will proactively address opportunities and challenges as the Museum launches in Los Angeles. The CCO will work in tandem with leadership across the organization to develop a strategic vision for how the Lucas Museum communicates across all platforms.
In partnership with the Museum President, Deputy Director and Board leadership, the CCO will:
- Cultivate meaningful and productive relationships with local, national and international media representatives;
- Strategize, draft and execute the overall communications and marketing plan for the Museum; including refining and tracking metrics and integration of the brand into all communications.
- Develop and refine messaging, talking points, and strategy for all Museum communications;
- Assess and strategize responses to all incoming media requests;
- Communicate with relevant media and act as Museum spokesperson when appropriate;
- Represent the Museum to select constituencies, including media, community groups, and public fora;
- Develop digital and print communications vehicles, in alignment with the Museum’s goals and communications plan;
- Oversee all social media communications and strategies; and
- Fulfill other duties as appropriate.
Core Competencies:
The Chief Communications Officer will be a seasoned and accomplished communications and marketing leader with a strong, successful background in managing complex startup environments or major institutional changes. The CCO will be a strategic and tactical collaborator, providing thoughtful direction and feedback during the launch phase of LMNA, and will have a significant role as a part of the Museum’s senior leadership team in advising around a variety of issues as they emerge, including possible crisis communications.
A nimble problem solver with strong attention to detail, the CCO will make sound decisions while prioritizing the long-term goals of LMNA. A creative, expert communicator, the CCO will lead messaging, branding and marketing for the Lucas Museum, guiding the Museum to a successful, supported launch in Los Angeles. The CCO will have relationships with the important stakeholders in Los Angeles, including the media, city officials, film and television industry executives, and prominent community leaders, and have a history of achieving high-impact press placements.
The ideal candidate will have the following competencies and personal characteristics:
Strategic and Visionary Leadership:
As a member of the founding senior leadership team, the Chief Communications Officer (CCO) will be a visionary and strategic leader with the knowledge, foresight and clarity to inform decision-making around communications and marketing, in alignment with the overall goals at each phase of the Museum’s establishment. With at least ten years of progressive responsibility in similar or related roles, the CCO will be nimble in adjusting to shifting priorities and able to balance multiple tasks efficiently and effectively. S/he will anticipate, analyze and interpret complex problems, achieving sustainable, creative solutions, with the flexibility and confidence to participate fully in important debates.
Communications and Marketing Expertise:
The CCO will be an experienced marketing and communications leader with demonstrated success within a complex, high-profile organization undergoing startup or substantive institutional change. Able to provide clarity and perspective in the midst of the complex and disparate moving pieces of the Museum’s launch, the CCO will provide strategic and tactical expertise as a member of LMNA’s senior leadership team. The CCO will be a passionate, proactive advocate for the Museum with media, elected officials and other community leaders, and will create and identify key marketing and public relations opportunities. The CCO should be well versed in crisis management, including the quick assimilation of large volumes of complex material and speedy development and execution of plans.
Exceptional Communicator and Manager:
A persuasive, confident member of the senior leadership team, the CCO will be an engaged, active listener, able to communicate effectively with a broad group of stakeholders and outlets – from Museum attendees and community members to the Museum’s founder and Board. The CCO will be a leader known in the community for honesty, fairness, humor, a willingness to listen, and a keen mind. This individual will be an advocate for and mentor to staff and peer leadership, creating and identifying opportunities for growth and development.
Relationship Builder and Collaborator:
Critical to success in this role, the CCO will be an individual with strong networks across Southern California, particularly among the region’s media outlets and personalities, the museum and arts community, higher education institutions, and film and television studios and executives. This leader will be adept at building and sustaining excellent relationships with Board members, community leaders, and peer organizations in Los Angeles, and harnessing their professional networks in support of LMNA. As a part of the senior leadership team, this individual will be a key spokesperson for the Museum, able to identify, build and enhance strategic partnerships and leverage them creatively. A natural consensus-builder, the CCO will be comfortable with ambiguity and have the persistence to drive process forward through collaboration and dedication.
Passion for the Mission and Vision:
The CCO will have a true passion for the vision of the Museum, with an understanding and appreciation of the educational weight and impact of important works of art, including those in the Museum’s seed collection. This individual will have a strong sense of ethics, a high degree of integrity and a personal commitment to the success of the LMNA in Los Angeles, with a clear understanding of where the Museum fits in the cultural landscape. The CCO should possess a commitment to shared governance and cultural diversity, and enthusiasm for embracing the regional community. This individual will have a pulse on the demands and trends that may impact the Museum, and will be dedicated to preparing LMNA for continued long-term success.
Contact:
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (LMNA) has engaged Koya Leadership Partners to help in this hire. This search is being led by Michelle R.S. Bonoan and Sheila Hennessey.
Michelle R.S. Bonoan
Managing Director
[email protected]
Sheila Hennessey
Principal
[email protected]
Please submit a compelling cover letter and resume here.
Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy:
LMNA is firmly committed to creating an environment that will attract and retain people of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. LMNA is committed to prohibiting discrimination, whether based on race, national origin, gender, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other criterion prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws. LMNA is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, including the opportunity for upward mobility for all qualified individuals. Applications from minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged.
About Koya Leadership Partners: | https://koyapartners.com/search/chief-communications-officer/ |
The Director of Marketing and Communications oversees development and implementation of JCP’s and its brands’ marketing technology strategies, communications and public relations activities. This includes the development of creative strategies for outreach to support financial resource development and strengthening JCP’s visibility and image in pursuit of our mission. This position directs marketing efforts to enhance our donor acquisition and retention, and evaluates the effectiveness of our online marketing to support these efforts.
The Director of Marketing and Communications is our brand champion and works with key staff members to maximize the value of our brand, including Jewish Foundation of Memphis, Memphis Jewish Federation, PJ Library, Lion of Judah, Young Adult programming, Hillels of Memphis, etc.
This position directs the marketing and communications efforts of staff and coordinates at the strategic and tactical levels with the other functions of JCP. This position is responsible for determining and implementing strategy in partnership with the senior management team, department heads and community lay leadership.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
o Provides strategic guidance for targeted marketing and donor/constituency communications.
o Coordinates efforts to understand our market’s needs and donor/prospect behaviors.
o Devises and implements appropriate marketing strategies to intersect with donors/prospects, including the use of technology and new media.
o Responsible for working with team members and their brands/projects, creating persuasive messages and strategies to develop relationships with different target audiences.
o Sets JCP’s marketing strategy and mix, including the balance between print, web, email and new media. Responsible for communicating strategy throughout the organization.
o Responsible for overseeing editorial direction, design, production and distribution of all JCP communications and publications.
o Oversees communications, mass campaigns, direct marketing, web and online marketing, and branding/messaging at events.
o Positions JCP in the media and managing agency relations by handling queries from media, including local, national and community organizations.
o Responsible for development of short and long term plans and budgets for marketing and communications strategies.
o Responsible for hiring and onboarding key team members to assist in marketing specialist roles
o Additional responsibilities include but are not limited to, serving as liaison with local and national affiliates and other functions as determined by senior management.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree required, concentration in Marketing preferred.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Experience in digital and print marketing required. Content marketing and social media marketing preferred.
• Experience with non-profit arena.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including some nights and weekends.
Skills and Abilities:
• 3 years management experience preferred.
• Solid understanding of non-profit organizations.
• Strong sense of the budget process and the ability to maintain expenses within budget.
• Strong aptitude for office software to include Windows, Word, Excel, Canva and Adobe.
• Demonstrated strong written, verbal, and customer service skills.
• Ability to effectively prioritize multiple tasks and projects within allotted timeframe and with a great attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong sense of protocol, tact, and diplomacy to work effectively with a variety of people and personalities.
• Must provide sensitivity and confidentiality in all matters with key stakeholders.
Physical Demands:
Include the ability to sit for extended periods at a desk. Standing, climbing stairs, walking, mental pressure, lifting files and boxes weighing up to 25 pounds. Ability to work flexible hours, including some weekends and holidays. | https://www.jcpmemphis.org/careers/director-of-marketing-and-communications |
Teaching and learning of Mathematics at OLOR is based on the NSW Syllabus for Mathematics
Students appreciate Mathematics as an essential and relevant part of life and develop their ability to work mathematically.
We encourage positive attitudes towards learning by developing students’ understanding for applying Mathematics effectively to become proficient problem solvers and to value the place of Mathematics in society.
Through our Mathematics program students will:
- develop a sound understanding of mathematical concepts, processes and strategies and the capacity to use these in solving problems
- develop the ability to apply their mathematics to analyse situations and solve real life problems
- develop appropriate language for the effective communication of mathematical ideas and experiences
- develop an appreciation of the applications to mathematics of technology, including calculators and computers
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School has mandatory assessment requirements and student tracking in Mathematical learning, from Kindergarten to Year Six. Consistent assessment data analysis from teachers provides valuable information to continually develop student learning from their point of need in Mathematics. | https://www.olorwdbb.catholic.edu.au/learning-teaching/mathematics/ |
Andy Warhol, a famous artist, took photographs of many famous people, such as Marilyn Monroe, and modified them creating his own expression of art ("Andy Warhol'S Marilyn Prints", n.d.).
The Arts influence Pop Culture in many ways as well. When an artist creates something, such as a piece of music, a painting, or even a photograph, this creation may become very popular in society. This piece of art can be transformed into something else. This then becomes Pop Art. Pop Culture can be influenced greatly by music and clothing trends.
In closing, Pop culture has spawned a new breed of art that will forever be popular and cherished. Women have influenced art for years. It was the shape and form of a women’s body that inspired many artist to paint and sculpt. The Harlem renaissance gave way to many ethic artists giving them a voice in a society of creativity. Art gives life to the creativity of man. Art will continue to be an avenue of great expression for centuries to come. | https://www.educationindex.com/essay/ARTS-125-Week-5-Assignment-Art-And-F3YJ2L74EY |
The present invention pertains to a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine with at least one spark plug tube per cylinder, wherein the spark plug tube has an end area facing the combustion chamber of the engine with a connection thread for screwing a spark plug into the said cylinder head and an adjoining area with increased diameter, which area is open toward the outside of the engine.
The cylinder head of internal combustion engines seals the working space of the cylinder and transmits part of the thermal energy generated during the combustion to the coolant circulating in the cylinder head in order to thus limit the temperatures of the components as a whole.
The cylinder head is subject to mechanical stresses due to pretensioning and gas forces and to thermal load due to the combustion. The pretensioning forces of the cylinder head originate from the screw connection with the cylinder block, while the gas forces are caused by the combustion in the combustion chamber, which are thus also responsible for the thermal heating of the components.
In addition, the cylinder head is responsible for a considerable portion of the gas exchange of the combustion process and accommodates the intake and exhaust valves and, in gasoline engines or gas-operated diesel engines, the spark plug of every cylinder.
High-performance engines of modern design now usually have a plurality of intake and exhaust valves. The valves, which comprise a valve head and a valve shaft each, are sealingly in contact with a valve seat, which is milled into the cylinder head. The respective intake and exhaust channels of the engine are arranged downstream of the valve head.
To prevent leaks of the valve seat, which are caused by a one-sided wear of valve areas subject to increased stress, the valves are often arranged rotatably on engines of prior-art designs, so that they perform a small rotary movement, which usually takes place during the opening of the valve, during each stroke.
In addition, it may happen for various reasons that the valves do not seal one hundred percent, because, e.g., the central axis of the valve is located outside the central axis of the valve seat ring as a consequence of existing inaccuracies in manufacturing or installation, i.e., there is an offset or the valve seat is damaged.
Regrinding or milling of the valve seats in the cylinder head is necessary in case of greater wear or damage, such as scars or impacted areas. In extreme cases, the valve as well as the valve seat ring must be replaced. This is not only expensive, but also complicated.
Another problem arises for proper valve seating from the fact that current cylinder heads of internal combustion engines are made mostly of aluminum. This material shows an increased tendency to nonuniform material expansions, so that the cylinder head and, last but not least, the valve seat rings are warped along with it. This problem arises especially after a cold start of the engine. In particular, the parts of the cylinder head in the combustion chamber are now subject to high thermal loads.
Another of the possible causes of this undesired deformation of the valve seat rings can be seen in the spark plug tube present in the cylinder head. The spark plug tube is a mounting opening for the spark plug of the engine and is therefore needed on each cylinder head in which a spark plug is present. The spark plug tube may consist of a material different from that of the cylinder head, but in most cases it is milled directly into the cylinder head during the manufacture of the cylinder head in the form of a hole or recess. It makes it possible to accommodate the spark plugs and to make same accessible, and it must therefore also have an opening on one side.
The valve seat rings are inevitably arranged in the immediate vicinity of the thread of the spark plug because of the short distances between the valves. The individual assembly groups are proportional and show no warping in the cold state of the cylinder head. Consequently, they are 100% dimensionally accurate. During heating after the start-up of the internal combustion engine, the material of the cylinder head is subject to locally greatly different expansions. This in turn causes a nonuniform deformation of the valve seat rings as well, and it is consequently the cause of the so-called xe2x80x9ccold stall effect.xe2x80x9d
The valves become leaky, and the problem of depositions in the area of the leaky areas leads to accelerated wear of the valves and also of the valve seat ring. Even though the above-mentioned effect is equalized during uniform heating, e.g., longer operating time of the engine, the increased wear phenomena occurring in the valve seat area during the cold start phase may lead, on the whole, to premature failure of the engine.
The primary technical object of the present invention is to develop a cylinder head in which nonuniform deformation of the valve seat rings is extensively avoided. In addition, a process shall be provided that makes possible the manufacture of such a cylinder head.
To accomplish the technical object, it is proposed that on a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine with at least one spark plug tube per cylinder, in which the spark plug tube has an end area facing the combustion chamber of the engine with a connection thread for screwing in a spark plug in the cylinder head and an adjoining area with increased diameter, which said area is open toward the outside of the engine. The spark plug tube is designed such that it is cut through at right angles to its longitudinal direction.
Due to the cutting through at right angles to the longitudinal direction, the expansion of the cylinder head does not affect the spark plug tube, so that deformation of the valve seats is thus also avoided.
Using the solution being proposed here, it is now possible, for the first time ever, to equip both new cylinder heads and engines already in operation with such devices and thus to guarantee satisfactory operation both during the cold start phase and the hot running of the engine. The valve seats are not deformed any more, and the engine is subject to wear in considerably longer lifecycles only. A very inexpensive variant of the processing of old engines and of the improvement of new engine systems has thus been made possible.
Thus, it is also proposed according to the invention being presented here that a sleeve be inserted in the spark plug tube and that this sleeve be fastened in the spark plug tube by means of a permanently elastic sealant. The permanently elastic sealant makes possible the expansion of the cylinder head and of the spark plug tube to a limited extent without the components mutually affecting one another. The permanently elastic sealant, which may be manufactured, e.g., on the basis of a thermally loadable silicone, is thus used to compensate the different deformations of the corresponding cylinder head areas as a consequence of their different thermal expansions. At the same time, the sleeve seals the spark plug tube cut through against the escape of coolant in conjunction with the permanently elastic sealant if a coolant-carrying cavity of the engine block is touched during the cutting through.
Since the cross section of the spark plug tube must be increased for the sleeve to be able to be inserted into it, it is proposed in another embodiment of the present invention that the sleeve be provided with a length that corresponds to the length of the spark plug tube, so that the difference in diameters is again compensated and there is consequently no reduction in cross section in this sensitive area of the cylinder head, which could possibly lead to destruction of the cylinder head.
The process according to the present invention comprises the process steps described below. According to this process, the internal diameter of the spark plug tube is first increased by a material-removing process to a diameter that is greater than the external diameter of the sleeve. Machining processes as they are known per se may be used as the material-removing processes. The spark plug tube is subsequently cut through at right angles to its longitudinal axis, which is followed by the insertion of the sleeve into the spark plug tube, the sleeve being provided with the permanently elastic sealant. This permanently elastic sealant also has the advantage that the tightness of the cylinder head continues to be guaranteed as before, i.e., no coolant can escape.
The process according to the present invention as well as a cylinder head according to the solution being presented can be integrated in the motor vehicle manufacturing cycles without problems, without any greater changes being necessary in the course of the manufacture. In addition, the retrofitting of old cylinder heads is possible.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.
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Our goal is to provide at least one point of contact in each department to assist citizens with inquiries and requests.
Service points – like City Hall – will be reconfigured so citizens can easily find and connect with the friendly, front-line experts they need.
Human Resources will collaborate with various departments to ensure employees have the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to increase customer satisfaction.
Customer Service Representatives will be helpful, prompt, friendly and knowledgeable in addressing citizen questions, requests or concerns.
Ensuring these people have the information, technology, and resources they need to serve citizens is essential.
Make the time to provide positive or constructive feedback when you interact with City staff. Your feedback will help us in our continuous improvement efforts.
Work continues on the development of a new intranet site to help keep staff informed and involved in citizen service improvement initiatives.
Ongoing staff training is held on our website content management system to ensure we are able to keep information current and relevant.
An Innovation Fair was held in June to showcase the process improvements and innovations that City employees at all levels have made over the past year.
Service Saskatoon has created 3 new customer service training programs for the organization. They focus on the fundamentals of customer service, the culture of customer service and empowering employees to become service ambassadors. The intention is to provide consistent training to all staff and set the expectations of our service delivery model.
Culture of Service Workshop is a full day training session for all employees. Creating an Exceptional Citizen Services Team is a ½ day session for Managers and Supervisors. Customer Service for Field Staff is 2 hours and provides tips and tricks to help with effective communication in the field.
Approximately half of the City’s workforce completed the Employee Engagement Survey, which will give valuable feedback on how to create a culture where everyone feels their ideas and contributions matter and they’re treated with respect and integrity. The independent survey company is currently analyzing the online and hard-copy submissions. Survey results will be available to all staff this fall. Work will begin on areas of improvement right away with groups of staff forming subcommittees and tasked with developing action plans/programs to address specific areas identified.
Service Saskatoon recently launched a new online services page that provides easy access to all of the City’s online forms and services by consolidating them all into one location.
Sign up and join our Citizen Advisory Panel to shape the design and delivery of City services into the future. It’s quick, easy and a great way to help us understand how we can serve you better.
Through Service Saskatoon, we're making it easier for citizens to access information and services related to City programs and services. To support this goal we've partnered with Shaw Communications to provide complimentary WiFi access at a variety of City-owned facilities. | http://www.city.saskatoon.sk.ca/city-hall/send-comments-concerns-city/service-saskatoon/staffing |
This cluster focuses on two broad and complex themes: those of peace and development. It argues that sustainable peace and security are the prerequisites of sustainable development.
In the twenty-first century, religion has become an important factor in the fields of global development and international (peace and) security. Policy-makers and academics increasingly recognise religion as a factor in both local and regional conflicts and their resolution and transformation. In addition, humanitarianism and development have emerged as influential sites for the mediation of transnational relations between people, communities and organisations in Europe and the Global South. While religion has been fundamental in structuring peacebuilding, humanitarianism, and development, it is often overlooked in the predominantly secular frames that shape public policy. Religion is therefore an important issue, one that remains both under-theorised within the social sciences and humanities, and un(der)addressed in policy and practice.
This research cluster aims to deepen our knowledge of the role of religion in conflict and violence, as well as in human security, peacebuilding and development. It engages with the role of non-secularist, -militarist and -state actors in security, thus problematizing the hegemony of neorealism in international relations and in the formulation of development policy. It aims to rethink human security and development, as well as human rights, democracy and citizenship from a plurality of voices, perspectives and world views. It examines the possibilities through which these cultural, religious and spiritual ways of being might have a place in theory and practice, as well as how the intervention both state and non-state actors can be most beneficial for people across different contexts.
Please contact the cluster conveners for more information. | https://www.rug.nl/research/centre-for-religious-studies/religion-conflict-globalization/research/clusters/religion-law-and-humanrights?lang=en |
His newly created position involves responsibility for corporate and financial comms and also spans issues management.
A part of his role will be communicating Capita’s transformation programme to stakeholders.
Woodward brings more than 20 years of experience as a journalist and held several senior roles at the Telegraph including City editor, website editor and executive editor. He has also held senior roles at the Daily Mail and Sunday Telegraph and is highly regarded in business and news journalism.
Most recently, he has worked as a consultant to HSBC and the Institute for Public Policy Research.
"We are really pleased and excited to have Tim on board. We’ve known him for a while and his work is outstanding," Capita’s director of corporate affairs Katja Hall told PRWeek. "Tim has been at the top of British journalism for years – his vast knowledge and experience will prove invaluable to Capita."
Woodward added: "I am delighted to be taking up this new role at Capita at such an exciting time for the company.
"I look forward to working with a talented team of colleagues, ensuring effective and proactive communications – about the ongoing transformation of the business – to the media and other external audiences."
Communicating Capita’s turnaround
A key part of Woodward’s role is helping Capita communicate the progress of its turnaround plan.
In March, Capita reported its pre-tax profits had fallen 26 per cent to £282.1m in FY18, and revenues dropped by five per cent to £3.87bn.
Outsourcing giants have struggled for profitability in recent years as government cuts and a sluggish economy have led clients to place pressure on fees and payment terms.
The company said it had been hit by cost overruns on a contract to provide NHS England’s primary care support services; penalties and extra costs related to the Transport for London congestion charge contract; and contractual disputes in relation to its mortgage-servicing deal with the Co-operative Bank.
There have also been viability challenges about providing too many bespoke outsourcing services and solutions.
Last year, Capita CEO Jonathan Lewis admitted its business model relied too much on acquisitions to grow and was far too complex.
As a result, the company unveiled a transformation plan that would heavily cuts costs and narrow its focus from 40 sectors to five – software, HR, customer management, government and IT services. | |
Jose ESCOBEDO, Plaintiff and Appellant, v. TRAVELERS INSURANCE COMPANY, and Takeichi Oda, Defendants and Respondent.
Plaintiff appeals from judgment rendered for defendants after demurrer to complaint sustained without leave to amend. Primarily the action is one seeking recovery from defendant Travelers Insurance Company of the amount of a judgment previously rendered in favor of Jose Escobedo against Ben Oda for $7,267.15, as damages for the death of a son, Rudy Escobedo. Defendant insurance company had issued to Takeichi Oda, the owner of the automobile which caused Rudy's death, a liability insurance policy naming Takeichi Oda as insured and covering Ben Oda, who drove the death car with the permission of the owner and as such was an additional insured under the policy. Judgment went in favor of defendant Takeichi Oda in that action. It was entitled Jose Escobedo and Rita Escobedo, plaintiffs, v. Ben Oda, Takeichic Oda, Cruz Salinas, et al., defendants, and numbered Comp. C 1392;1 the judgment was entered on July 5, 1959; no appeal was ever taken therefrom.
The instant action was filed on March 11, 1960. The complaint alleged in Count I that plaintiff Jose Escobedo was the father of Rudy Escobedo, that Takeichi Oda was the owner of a certain Chevrolet automobile and defendant Insurance Company before the day of the accident had issued to Takeichic Oda ‘its policy of automobile indemnity insurance, in which said policy of insurance the defendant, Travelers Insurance Company, Doe I and Doe II, agreed to indemnify the said Takeichi Oda against any liability, together with taxed Court costs and interest, which should arise against the said Takeichi Oda in favor of any person or persons who should sustain any bodily injuries by an accident by reason of the ownership, maintenance, or use of said automobile; that said policy of automobile indemnity insurance issued, as aforesaid, by the defendant to the said Takeichi Oda was in full force and effect covering the use of said automobile on the 14th day of August, 1955. That said policy provided further that the word ‘insured’ as used therein should be construed to include in addition to the named insured in the policy any person or persons operating said automobile with permission of the said named insured, Takeichi Oda.' Also, that Ben Oda was operating said automobile on August 14, 1955, with the permission of the owner and ‘so negligently, carelessly, willfully, and wantonly operated said 1951 Chevrolet automobile so as to cause injuries and death to Rudy Escobedo.’ It further alleged the bringing of the above mentioned damage action and the rendition of judgment in favor of plaintiff Jose Escobedo against Ben Oda for said $7,267.15, and that the judgment had become final and remained wholly unsatisfied. In Count II it reiterated the pertinent allegations of the first cause of action and further averred that defendant Takeichi Oda signed and verified Ben's application for an operator's license and that Ben was 17 years old at the time; that Takeichi agreed in writing to be jointly and severally liable with said minor for any damages proximately resulting from the negligence or willful misconduct of said Ben Oda as provided in § 352, Vehicle Code [now Vehicle Code 1959, § 17708];2 that said agreement has been in effect at all times since its making on February 17, 1955; that Ben's negligence, carelessness, willful and wanton misconduct was imputed to defendant Takeichi. Judgment against the insurance company and Takeichi Oda was sought in the amount of $7,267.15, plus interest and costs.
The respective defendants interposed general and special demurrers to the instant complaint, uncertainty being specified ‘in that it cannot be ascertained therefrom: (a) Whether or not on August 14, 1955, Ben Oda operated the automobile owned by Takeichi Oda negligently or carelessly or wilfully or wantonly. (b) Whether or not the judgment in favor of Jose Escobedo against Ben Oda was based upon a finding of negligence, or upon a finding of wilfulness, or upon a finding of wantonness.’ The demurrers were presented to the same judge who had tried the damage suit and having been submitted were sustained without leave to amend ‘on the ground that these causes of action have been adjudicated in Escobedo Vs Oda, Comp C 1392, of which this court has taken judicial notice.’ This taking of judicial notice of the other case seems to have been upon the court's own motion, a novel proceeding but not one to be disapproved per se.
The law on the subject to judicial notice upon demurrer has now been clarified by the opinion in Flores v. Arroyo, 56 A.C. 491, 495, 15 Cal.Rptr. 87, 89, 364 P.2d 263, 265, as follows: ‘Second. In ruling on a demurrer essentially founded on res judicata, may a court take judicial notice of a prior judgment in a different case even though such judgment or its content is not pleaded in the complaint, provided (a) the judgment is appropriately drawn to the court's attention and (b) the plaintiff has adequate notice and opportunity to be heard on the question of the effect of such judgment?
‘Yes. Courts take judicial notice of the public and private official acts of the judicial departments of this state and of the United States and the laws of the several states of the United States and the interpretation thereof by the highest courts of appellate jurisdiction of such states. [Citing numerous cases.]
‘Any statements in prior cases decided by this court contrary to the rule we now approve are overruled [citations].
‘Any statements in decisions of the District Courts of Appeal contrary to the rule announced in this decision are disapproved [citations].
‘In the present case the prior judgment which was not pleaded in the complaint, but of which the trial court took judicial notice, was appropriately drawn to the attention of that court, and plaintiff had adequate notice and opportunity to be heard on the question of the effect of such judgment. It was therefore proper for the court to give it judicial notice.’ A reviewing court will take judicial notice of the same matters as a trial court (Varcoe v. Lee, 180 Cal. 338, 343, 181 P. 223), but it may require proof or other type of aid toward ascertaining accurately the fact to be so noticed (Varcoe, 180 Cal. at page 348, 181 P. 223; 18 Cal.Jur.2d § 21, p. 442).
The point upon which respondent insurance company here relies is that the judgment in favor of the owner proceeded upon the basis of willful misconduct upon the part of Ben Oda, the driver, which conduct is not imputable to the owner and therefore the former judgment was based upon conduct not covered by the insurance policy which is limited to negligence.
Counsel for both sides concede that the court properly took judicial notice of the former action and in view of this fact we do not examine that question further in the abstract but accept for present purposes the postulate that this was a case for judicial notice. In order to know just what the trial court did judicially notice, we have ordered up the original file in said case of Escobedo v. Oda (Rules on Appeal, Rule 12). So far as that file discloses a basis for the lower court's ruling at bar, we go along with judicial notice. But counsel for both sides talk about the evidence in that former case upon the assumption that the trial judge included it within his judicial cognizance. We cannot go that far. The verdict was rendered in 1959, the judgment in June of that year; no appeal was taken and there is no reason to assume that a transcript of the evidence was ever prepared. To permit the judge to base a ruling of res judicata upon his recollection of evidence given more than a year before would be impracticable and conductive to error and injustice. There would be no way for an appellate court to use the same basis of ruling as the trial judge, or to know in fact what entered into and controlled his ruling based upon judicial notice. We therefore turn to the clerk's file of the former action as the sole basis for determining whether there was adequate ground for the court's ruling at bar.
As previously stated, respondent insurance company's basis contention is that it was adjudged in the former action that Ben Oda was guilty of willful misconduct, which adjudication if made would absolve the insurer at bar.
It appears from said former file that the amended complaint alleged negligence and mere violation of § 482, Vehicle Code [now Vehicle Code 1959, § 20003], on the part of defendant Ben Oda; the answers did not raise the issue of willful misconduct, but the pretrial conference order says: ‘In addition to the contentions set out in the previously incorporated pretrial statement, the defendant, Tachechi Oda, contends that the acts of the defendant, Ben Oda, at the time of this incident, were intentional, both as to causing the incident and as to the violation of Section 482 of the Vehicle Code as contended by plaintiff, and also that the same were willful and wanton. The defendant, Ben Oda, contends that any conduct committed by him during the incident was not only not intentional but also that he committed no negligent conduct. * * * Plaintiff contends that both defendants were negligent and that the decedent was not negligent.’ So the issue was in the case.
The court gave no instruction on willful misconduct (or intentional infliction of wrong) but did instruct as follows: ‘It has been stipulated by all parties to this lawsuit that the failure of defendant, Ben Oda, to stop the automobile after striking Rudy Escobedo was a proximate cause of the death of Rudy Escobedo. In view of this stipulation and in view of other evidence in the case, you are directed to find that defendant, Ben Oda, is responsible for all damages, if any, caused by the wrongful death of the deceased.’ Undoubtedly this was based upon Brooks v. E. J. Willing Truck Transp. Co., 40 Cal.2d 669, 678, 255 P.2d 802, 808, wherein it is said: ‘The court instructed the jury that Farnsworth, knowing Brooks had been struck, was under a duty to stop immediately and render such aid as was reasonably necessary to save his life or prevent aggravation of his injuries, that judgment should be for plaintiffs if Farnsworth's breach of the duty was a proximate cause of the death of Brooks, and that the duty to stop and render aid did not depend upon the negligence of Farnsworth in causing the accident or the freedom of Brooks from contributory negligence but existed irrespective of any legal responsibility for the original injuries. This is a correct statement of the law. One who negligently injures another and renders him helpless is bound to use reasonable care to prevent any further harm which the actor realizes or should realize threatens the injured person. This duty existed at common law although the accident was caused in part by the contributory negligence of the person who was injured. * * * Failure to stop and render aid constitutes negligence as a matter of law, in the absence of a legally sufficient excuse or justification.’
The court submitted the cause to the jury upon a special verdict (without a general verdict). The jurors were told that their answers to the questions therein propounded ‘will determine whether under the law the father of Ben Oda is also answerable for the damages, if any, sustained by plaintiff.’ The pertinent portions of that special verdict as returned by the jury read as follows:
‘I. Mark One of the Following: The conduct of defendant, Ben Oda, in striking Rudy Escobedo was: (X) Negligent ( ) Intentional.
‘II. You Are Directed to Find that defendant, Ben Oda, is legally liable to plaintiff for damages caused plaintiff by the failure of defendant, Ben Oda, to stop and render aid after striking Rudy Escobedo. The amount of said damages are to be set forth below in Section ‘V’, below.
‘III. Mark One of the Following: The entrustment by Tachechi Oda of the 1951 Chevrolet to defendant, Ben Oda, on the night in question was: ( ) Negligent and proximately contributed to the cause of the collision. (X) Negligent and did not proximately contribute to the cause of the collision. ( ) Not negligent.
‘IV. Answer ‘Yes' or ‘No’: Did the deceased, Rudy Escobedo, commit negligence which proximately contributed to the cause of the collision. Answer: Yes.'
Though the first question was directed to negligence ‘in striking Rudy’ we think that the jurors hardly could have construed it so narrowly because (1) they were directed in paragraph II of the special verdict that Ben Oda's failure to stop and render aid rendered him liable for the death of Rudy Escobedo; (2) the instructions given before submission of the special verdict to the jurors had told them in effect that the ultimate question to be answered by them was whether Ben's misconduct was chargeable to the owner of the car, Takeichi Oda; as the case was presented to them interrogatory I had no place in the special verdict except to aid in answering that ultimate question. We think the only reasonable construction of the special verdict is that the jurors found negligence and rejected willful misconduct, or its equivalent intentional misconduct, on Ben Oda's part.
The court later signed a document bearing the caption ‘Conclusions of Law drawn from Special Verdict (Points and Authorities Attached)’ from which we quote the following recitals: ‘All parties stipulated that the failure of Ben Oda to stop after striking the decedent was a proximate cause of the death of the decedent Rudy Escobedo. Further, it was undisputed that the acts of Ben Oda in failing to stop and render aid constituted a violation of California Vehicle Code Section 482 in that the defendant Ben Oda knew he caused injury to the decedent Rudy Escobedo after he struck him with the automobile, and that the defendant Ben Oda failed to stop and render aid, all of which conduct was without excuse or justification. Further, That it was stipulated to be all counsel that the defendant Tachechi Oda was the registered owner of the vehicle being driven by defendant Ben Oda and that the defendant Ben Oda was driving the said automobile with the consent and permission of the owner-defendant Tachechi Oda.’ By way of conclusions the court stated that Ben Oda's failure to stop and render aid was a violation of § 482, Vehicle Code, was the proximate cause of the death, and ‘therefore the said defendant Ben Oda is legally liable to plaintiff’; also that his violation of his statutory duty was not imputed to the owner, Takeichi Oda, ‘in that the said conduct of Ben Oda constituted more than mere or ordinary negligence.’ Judgment was ordered and rendered in favor of Takeichi Oda.
Although this document recited the jury's finding that Ben Oda ‘was negligent in striking the decedent’ the judge did not expressly approve or adopt that finding and he held that the driver's conduct was not imputable to the owner because it ‘constituted more than mere or ordinary negligence.’ On a page following the judge's signature to these conclusions, and obviously a part of the same document, is a memorandum containing the following: ‘An owner of a vehicle is only liable for the ordinary negligence of the driver under Vehicle Code Section 402. * * * [S]uch vicarious liability in the absence of a principal-agent relationship between the owner and the driver can only be imputed where the driver's conduct constituted no more than mere ordinary negligence.’ Cited are Benton v. Sloss, 38 Cal.2d 399, 240 P.2d 575 and Mish v. Brockus, 97 Cal.App.2d 770, 218 P.2d 849, which deal with willful misconduct. They do not support the propositions just quoted from the memorandum. It seems evident that the court did not repudiate the jury's finding of negligence and absence of willful misconduct but did follow the mistaken notion that conduct constituting something more than ‘mere or ordinary negligence’ (i. e. gross negligence) is not imputable to the owner. The law is to the contrary. Gross negligence is to be imputed under this statute. So held in Goodwin v. Goodwin, 5 Cal.App.2d 644, 647, 43 P.2d 332.3 Respondents' brief says: ‘The real, if not the only, question of this appeal is whether or not, after taking judicial notice of the file in the first action, the trial court correctly decided that Ben Oda's conduct, which resulted in the judgment against him, was not insurable because it was wilful. * * * If it had been merely gross negligence Takeichi Oda would have been liable under Section 402 (17150). Goodwin v. Goodwin, 5 Cal.App.2d 644 at 647, 43 P.2d 332.’
The jury having rejected willful misconduct and placed Ben Oda's liability on the ground of negligence, and the judge having spoken also in terms of negligence, it cannot be said that he exonerated Takeichi Oda on the basis of willful misconduct. It is immaterial what may have been in his mind. The document which alone speaks to us sounds in negligence only. ‘Failure to stop and render aid constitutes negligence as a matter of law, in the absence of a legally sufficient excuse or justification.’ (Brooks v. E. J. Willing Truck Transp. Co., supra, 40 Cal.2d 669, 679, 255 P.2d 802, 809.) Ben Oda, additional insured, was found guilty of negligence, that negligence should have been imputed to Takeichi Oda and he should have been held liable. The fact that he was erroneously exonerated does not support the claim that there was a finding of willful misconduct and, as both sides assert or assume, such a finding is essential to affirmance here.
The ‘additional insured’ under an automobile liability policy is covered just as is the named insured. In Continental Cas. Co. v. Phoenix Construction Co., 46 Cal.2d 423, 436, 296 P.2d 801, 809, 57 A.L.R.2d 914, the Supreme Court said: ‘It is, however, our conclusion reached in the light of all pertinent provisions of the law and the terms of the policy, that Transport's coverage fairly includes Mason's [the driver's] operation of Oilfields' truck and that its liability is direct to Mason as an insured as well as to Oilfields as a named insured.’
Johnson v. Holmes Tuttle Lincoln-Mercury, 160 Cal.App.2d 290, 298, 325 P.2d 193, 198: ‘The statute [§ 11580 Insurance Code] is a part of every policy and creates a contractual relation which inures to the benefit of any and every person who might be negligently injured by the insured as completely as if such injured person had been specifically named in the policy. * * * The statute in effect makes the tort-feasee a creditor beneficiary. It makes the benefit of the policy available to the creditor beneficiary tort-feasee. See 27 Cal.L.Rev. 497, 529.’ Accord Osborne v. Security Ins. Co., 155 Cal.App.2d 201, 210, 318 P.2d 94.
Although the insurer may not cover willful misconduct (Ins.Code, § 533), it must pay the judgment where negligence is established on the part of the driver who is an additional insured. The policy so provides (Ins.Code, § 11580).
It cannot be held that the former judgment exonerated the owner of the automobile because of willful misconduct of Ben Oda. It must be concluded that Ben Oda was found guilty of negligence and that that was the basis of the judgment against him. The fact that the owner was erroneously relieved of liability is immaterial. (Cf. Ford v. Providence Washington Ins. Co., 151 Cal.App.2d 431, 438, 311 P.2d 930; Bachman v. Independence Indemnity Co., 112 Cal.App. 465, 485, 297 P. 110, 298 P. 57; Gugliemetti v. Graham, 50 Cal.App. 268, 270, 195 P. 64). The insurer undertook to protect the additional insured and this it must do.
Though it may be said that this opinion disregards some concessions made by appellant as to applicable law, it is nevertheless true that a reviewing court is never bound by concessions of counsel as to the law (Desny v. Wilder, 46 Cal.2d 715, 729, 299 P.2d 257; Amer. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Seaboard Surety Co., 155 Cal.App.2d 192, 200, 318 P.2d 84), and is “at liberty to decide a case upon any points that its proper disposition may seem to require, whether taken by counsel or not.” (Burns v. Ross, 190 Cal. 269, 276, 212 P. 17, 20; 4 Cal.Jur.2d § 483, p. 317.)
The second count of the instant complaint brings forward a new ground of alleged liability of defendant Takeichi Oda, liability as the signer of a minor's application for a driver's license (Veh.Code, § 352). The facts were available to the plaintiff at the time of the former action. The issue could have been there presented and disposed of. The case went to final judgment in favor of said defendant and plaintiff cannot re-litigate the matter merely because he has evolved a new theory of action. Sutphin v. Speik, 15 Cal.2d 195, 202, 99 P.2d 652, 655, 101 P.2d 497: ‘If the matter was within the scope of the action, related to the subject-matter and relevant to the issues, so that it could have been raised, the judgment is conclusive on it despite the fact that it was not in fact expressly pleaded or otherwise urged. The reason for this is manifest. A party cannot by negligence or design withhold issues and litigate them in consecutive actions. Hence the rule is that the prior judgment is res judicata on matters which were raised or could have been raised, on matters litigated or litigable.’
Triano v. F. E. Booth & Co., Inc., 120 Cal.App. 345, 347, 8 P.2d 174, 175: ‘When he elected to try his case on one theory of liability, he was barred from again trying it upon another ground. To tolerate the practice contended for would prolong litigation indefinitely.’ This language was quoted with approval in Panos v. Great Western Packing Co., 21 Cal.2d 636, 639, 134 P.2d 242.
The judgment is reversed as to defendant Travelers Insurance Company and affirmed as to defendant Takeichi Oda.
FOOTNOTES
1. Rita Escobedo and Cruz Salinas soon ceased to be of any importance in the case.
2. All references to Vehicle Code relate to same as it existed prior to the 1959 recodification.
3. While this case dealt with § 141 3/4 of the Vehicle Act and § 1714 1/4 of the Civil Code, those sections have been carried into §§ 403 and 402 respectively of the Vehicle Code [now Vehicle Code 1959, §§ 17158, 17150], and the reasoning of Goodwin v. Goodwin is equally applicable thereto.
ASHBURN, Justice.
FOX, P. J., and HERNDON, J., concur. | https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1810835.html |
Texas State Parks has adopted rules and regulations to protect park areas for future generations as well as for the convenience and safety of current visitors. Please note this is a partial listing of state park rules and regulations. Visit the detailed Park Rules & Regulations page for a complete list. Know these before you go!
If you still have questions, check our FAQ page.
Alcohol
Public display or consumption of alcohol is prohibited. All outdoor areas within the park are public.
Arms and firearms
A person 21 years of age or older may carry a handgun in a holster with or without a license in compliance with Texas State Law (Constitutional Carry). Handguns are not allowed in parks leased from the federal government, except by written authorization of the governing federal facility. Check with the park before you go.
Refer to the detailed Park Rules & Regulations for definitions and rules.
Campfires
Campfires are permitted only in designated rings to avoid ground scarring and wildfires.
Collecting
Take only memories and photographs. Federal and state laws prohibit collecting plants, animals and artifacts. Preserve the past for the future by leaving artifacts in place and reporting locations to park staff.
Drones
Drones are allowed in state parks in two circumstances:
- Two parks have designated areas for drones: San Angelo and Martin Dies, Jr. state parks.
- For filming purposes at other parks. You must obtain a filming permit from the park.
Firewood
Downed dead wood offers food and shelter to wildlife and provides essential nutrients for the soil. Please do not gather firewood.
Geocaching
We need to know about your caches. Please check with park headquarters before placing geocaches within a park.
Hammocks
You can use hammocks under the following conditions:
- Check with park staff to ask about site-specific rules or requirements.
- No permanent anchors such as screws or eyebolts may be used.
- Trees must be at least 8” in diameter at the point of strap contact to ensure they are strong enough to support the hammock.
- Straps must be at least two inches wide, preferably made of nylon or polypropylene.
- We recommend using padding underneath straps to protect trees' bark.
- No more than two straps may be attached to a single tree.
- Do not prune or cut plants to make way for hammocks.
- Hang hammocks for overnight camping within the bounds of the assigned campsite.
- Hammocks may not be attached to park structures such as shade shelters, lantern posts or buildings unless specifically authorized.
Litter
Please recycle appropriate litter and deposit trash in dumpsters. Leaving no trace of your visit helps the park remain beautiful and reduces the possibility of human/animal conflicts.
Parking
Park only in designated areas to protect the plants and soil.
Pets
Protect pets and wildlife by keeping pets on leashes, no longer than 6 feet, at all times. Please note: Pets are not permitted in any buildings at Texas State Parks. If you plan to take your pet hiking, see note under Trail Safety.
Rules and regulation on pets at Texas State Parks.
Quiet hours
Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Respect your neighbors and celebrate nature's night noises.
Safe driving
Protect all park users and wildlife by obeying speed limits. No passengers under 18 are permitted in truck beds.
Snakes
Don't be afraid of snakes, be aware! They are signs of a healthy environment. If you cross paths with a snake, back away slowly.
Swimming
Swim in designated areas only; no lifeguards are on duty. We highly recommend that children and weak swimmers wear personal flotation devices. Pets and glass containers are not allowed in swimming areas. Pets can create unsanitary conditions and may feel threatened by strangers. Broken glass can cause serious injury. Read these tips on swimming safety.
Tent camping
Please camp only on designated camp pads or sites to protect fragile plants and minimize soil compaction.
Wastewater
Wastewater (both black and gray) can only be discharged at designated dump stations. Wastewater carries bacteria that can spread serious illnesses and food particles that can attract undesirable animals, including fire ants.
Wildlife
Keep wildlife wild. Do not feed or harass wildlife. | https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/parks/park-rules/park-rules-regs |
Finatic’s goal is to educate the next generation of youth on crucial money management skills, fostering the confidence to make correct financial judgments and decisions. Through chapters, publications, handcrafted curriculum, interactive workshops, engaging informational videos, newsletters and social media we hope to provide accessible, informative financial literacy knowledge and raise awareness about financial illiteracy, an issue highlighted by COVID-19.
Studies suggest that 43% of American adults are financially illiterate.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans can’t pass a basic test of financial literacy.
About Finatic
Finatic’s chapters aim to establish a network of passionate high schoolers across the globe wanting to learn about money management and spread awareness about the importance of financial literacy.
Chapters foster an environment through regular activities, events and project where members collectively expand their knowledge about personal finance and educate their community on similar concepts. | https://finatic.org/new-home-page/ |
11 Fab Repurposing Ideas for Sheets, Curtains, Tablecloths and Other Home Textiles
We can all come up with more repurposing ideas if we put our mind to it. And we all have old sheets, towels, and more laying around that can find a new function.
Reduce, reuse, recycle. We all know the mantra. Our first our goal should be to reduce our impact on the environment by reducing our consumption. Then, we should attempt to repurpose as much as possible from the stuff we buy. Lastly, we should recycle what we can. The one downside to this plan is that we often lack repurposing ideas for how to reuse the stuff in our homes, which means more stuff is recycled, or thrown away, instead of being repurposed.
My goal to reduce my family’s consumption and repurpose what I can has led me to make some startling discoveries about myself. Chief among those is how clever I can be about coming up with repurposing ideas, when I put my mind to it. It's pretty amazing just how many things in the home really can be repurposed.
Among the more overlooked repurposable items are home textiles. Things like curtains, tablecloths, sheets, towels, and more are almost infinitely reusable. It’s only been in the last 30-50 years that we lost the skill, desire, and creativity for reusing these household items. Our grandparents had endless repurposing ideas for home fabrics. From quilts to cleaning rags, everything ended up being useful again for some purpose.
From the Organic Authority Files
Here are Some Repurposing Ideas for Home Fabrics
- Towel Kitty Blankets - In our home there can never be enough kitty blankets to protect our furniture. Fold over towels and sew up the edges for repurposed kitty blankets.
- Sheets into Fabric Yarn - twist sheets into fabric yarn that you can use to create chunky knit and crochet projects.
- Apron Made from Sheets- With minimal sewing skills, you can transform sheets into a practical apron.
- Tablecloth Into a Pinboard - Turn a pretty, but well-worn, tablecloth into a covering for a pinboard as a well to extend the life of a much loved textile.
- Cloth Napkin Sachets - Make lavender-filled drawer sachets from retired cloth napkins. These make nice gifts too!
- Curtain Draft Dodger - Repurpose heavy-weight curtains into a practical draft dodger to help keep out the cold this winter.
- Fabric Market Bags - Repurpose any fabric into reusable market bags.
- Pillowcase Hamper Bag - Turn mismatched pillow cases into useful hamper bags for each bedroom in your home.
- Fabric Garland - Get ready for your next celebration by making a DIY garland from repurposed fabrics from around your home.
- Cloth Napkin Curtains - When you need to replace your fancy cloth napkins, because you no longer have a matching set, repurpose them into cafe curtains for the kitchen window.
- Baby Bibs from Oilcloth Tablecloth - With some basic sewing skills and a pattern you can repurpose oilcloth table coverings into easy to clean baby bibs. | https://www.organicauthority.com/live-grow/11-fab-repurposing-ideas-for-sheets-curtains-tablecloths-and-other-home-textiles |
Innovation to Inclusion (i2i) project.
Project Name: Innovation to Inclusion (i2i)
Client: Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN)
Assignment Period: September to December, 2021
Background:
Innovation to Inclusion (i2i) is a three-year Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded programme designed to develop, test, validate and share learnings from innovative interventions that will directly improve access to waged employment in the private sector for women and men with disabilities.
The programme is being delivered by a consortium which brings together a diverse group of partners who work collaboratively to ensure a global impact with findings and learnings disseminated to a variety of local, national and international stakeholders including but not limited to beneficiaries, DPOs, local and national government, the private sector, global actors, between consortia partners and with other UK Aid Connect grantees, including Inclusion Works.
It is anticipated that findings and learning generated throughout the project life cycle, particularly those relating to technology, will achieve sustainable change for women and men with disabilities and enable them to access the same opportunities offered to others in the private sector.
Bangladesh Business & Disability Network (BBDN) is a unique network of employers and employers’ associations formed in collaboration with disability focused organizations, Disabled People’s Organizations, NGOs and development partners, with a purpose of creating a more disability inclusive workforce in Bangladesh. The network was founded as an initiative of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF) in 2016. Bangladesh has many companies that employ persons with disabilities and there are many others who are willing to employ workers with disabilities. However, there has been no forum to bring together the experiences, learning and successful policies, practices and models to promote disability inclusion in the
workplace. In addition, there has been a missing link between skilled and qualified people with disabilities seeking employment and employers that are willing to hire them. BBDN is acting as a linkage between the demand and supply side.
As a consortium member, BBDN has been playing the “missing link” role throughout the project activities and connecting the supply and demand sides in collaboration with other national level stakeholders (like CRP, CSID, CDD, Bangladesh Computer Council, Department of Social Science, JPUF etc.) for achieving the project specific objective.
Context:
Disability and poverty are linked in a causal and consequential relationship. People with disabilities often experience considerably higher rates of socioeconomic disadvantage than people without disabilities, including lower rates of employment. Disability inclusion is a neglected, under-prioritised, and complex issue that – as a result of limited attention – lacks evidence regarding effective interventions.
i2i has been designed as a holistic, innovative and people-centred approach that will deliver direct and sustainable change for women and men with disabilities in Bangladesh and Kenya, while demonstrating the potential for change of successful interventions that strengthen disability inclusion and validating these in a third country.
As part of the UK Aid Connect Terms of Reference, i2i is committed to producing and disseminating rigorous and influential practical evidence, knowledge and learning to progress the programme at scale. Within this there should be mechanisms for systematically listening and responding to beneficiaries, and ensuring this feedback informs programme design and adaptation.
Applications: | https://hotjobs.bdjobs.com/jobs/bbdn/bbdn2.htm |
Posted: Wed 4th Jan 2023
Before getting stuck into the blog, it's important to look at where retail is now, as a whole.
The following is taken from a recent article published by Forbes, which examined the ups and downs of retailing over the past three years:
"Retailers and brands are coming out of a pandemic that has essentially lasted three years. Over the past year, challenges across the supply chain, inflationary pricing, economic uncertainty, and geo-political factors have taxed retailers and squeezed their financials.
"With the new year, however, there is a positive outlook and focus on the customer shopping journey, as retailers adjust to a new normal – a seamless experience and hybrid shopping are shaping the future of retail."
I'm hearing the following:
"I'm making increases in payroll and I can't afford to keep the business open."
"People are all shopping online now so I won't be in business for much longer."
"People don't have the money so I can't see myself being able to stay open for much longer."
"That won't work, I just know it won't."
Implementing any change is not easy, and the pain of not doing it needs to exceed the pain of doing it in order for any change to occur.
This could be on any number of key performance indicators (KPIs) within your organisation. But here I'll discuss the following:
ATV (average transaction value)
IPC (items per customer)
PPP (price per product)
FF (footfall counter at front door)
Conversion (footfall/customers)
Not every store will have the luxury of being in a high-traffic footfall area, so it does not make sense for that store to be going after footfall over and over again.
Don't focus on every KPI – this is one mistake that I see a lot with retailers. It rarely works and is not the norm for all to be performing at an exceptionally high level, consistently.
You will waste a lot of money. Instead, if you put those same resources into KPIs that will give you the return needed to increase your cash flow, you will generally see a higher profit.
So focus only on those key KPIs, whichever you identify that'll provide the best ROI.
This is where retailers need to reinvent themselves and be innovative in their approach to being omnichannel businesses.
We need to think like customers and put ourselves in their world. We need to meet them where they are, where they are spending their time – whether it's apps, watching video content, or consuming online content.
The appetite has increased and many shoppers are wanting their shopping included in their experiences. Having online shopping that customers can purchase live from needs to be available.
The benefit of this is to increase cash flow through adverts on your webpage. Many companies in the US have found this to be very successful and it's growing year-on-year.
Use technology such as phones in stores to interact with customers who visit. Ask yourself, as a retailer, how interactive your shop floor is for those of us that want to use mobiles to interact with products.
QR codes for 'how to' videos or to get products into your shopping basket, or iPads to take quizzes to find that perfect sofa – these are just some ways a retailer can incorporate interactivity.
If you want to know what you can use in your business to really stand out, be sure to connect with me on Enterprise Nation.
What additional services could you offer for your business that will build on the community of your brand?
Shop-in-shop has popularised over recent years. Brands such as Next feature other brands such as Nike, Topshop and many others that you can purchase from.
If your brand ethos is very aligned with sustainability – as Patagonia's is – then having a 'reuse or repurchase preloved clothing' in a part of the store works well.
Zara is also piloting this in the UK, having preloved clothing repaired for customers to help strengthen sustainability within their brand offering.
Take the first step to successfully starting and growing your business. | https://www.enterprisenation.com/learn-something/3-tips-to-help-your-retail-business-thrive-not-survive-for-2023/ |
Book Details:
|Year:||2014|
|Publisher:||CK-12|
|Pages:||22 pages|
|Language:||english|
|Since:||03/06/2015|
|Size:||4.10 MB|
|License:||CC-BY-NC|
Content:
Physical optics, also called wave optics, is the study of phenomena where light behaves like a classical wave and not like a ray or particle. A rainbow is a classic example of this, where different colors of light separate based on their wavelength. This also includes dispersion, the double-slit experiment showing interference, thin films, and polarization.
Table of contents:
- Dispersion
- The Double-Slit Experiment
- Thin Films
- Polarization
Categories:
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Our McHenry County Board is important.
It is as important as the folks in the Courthouse, right?
At the Courthouse, they have Deputy Sheriff’s searching through visitors (read taxpayers) belongings in order to keep the judges, the Circuit Clerk, the Sheriff, the State’s Attorney and support staff safe from outside threats.
Well, County Board members think they are as important as those elected officials and employees in the Courthouse, so on days the County Board meets everyone entering the building from the public doors are wanded and their bags given a look.
That was the first thing that happened in my journey to see the swearing in ceremony of the new County Board members.
On the way out of the building, the security had been withdrawn.
One could conclude that others in the Administration Building–the County Clerk, County Auditor, Regional Superintendent of Schools, the Record of Deeds, the Veterans Assistance folks, the Planning and Zoning Department employees, etc.–aren’t as important as the County Board members.
This did not occur because Jack Franks was being sworn in as County Board Chairman.
Those who attended his Town Hall Meetings might conclude that he had a hand in the increased secutiry, considering the presences of professional security people at them.
But this fear of the taxpaying public originated when Republicans held every seat on the County Board.
And I understand that occupants of the building will be treated just like those important people in the Courthouse once the Sheriff’s Department gets its new walk-through threat detectors.
Then, all entering the building from its front will be potential threats.
And, if you think I find the County Board members’ sense of self-importance exaggerated, you are correct.
But, I guess, as Mel Brooks put it, | http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/12/05/protecting-the-mchenry-county-board/ |
PLEASE NOTE: This documentation applies to Pentaho 8.0 and earlier. For Pentaho 8.1 and later, see Text File Output on the Pentaho Enterprise Edition documentation site.
Description
The Text file output step is used to export data to text file format. This is commonly used to generate Comma Separated Values (CSV files) that can be read by spreadsheet applications. It is also possible to generate fixed width files by setting lengths on the fields in the fields tab.
Note: It is not possible to execute this step on parallel to write to the same file. In this case you need to set the option "Include stepnr in filename" and merge the files later on.
Options
File Tab
The File tab is where you define basic properties about the file being created, such as:
Option
Description
Step name
Name of the step. Note: This name has to be unique in a single transformation.
Filename
This field specifies the filename and location of the output text file.
Run this as a command instead?
Enable to "pipe" the results into the command or script you specify. It can also be used for some database bulk loaders that can process the input from stdin. In this case set the filename to the script or binary to execute.
Pass output to servlet
Enable this option to return the data via a web service instead writing into a file (see PDI data over web service)
Create parent folder
Enable to create the parent folder
Do not create file at start
Enable to avoid empty files when no rows are getting processed.
Accept file name from field?
Enable to specify the file name(s) in a field in the input stream
File name field
When the previous option is enabled, you can specify the field that will contain the filename(s) at runtime.
Extension
Adds a point and the extension to the end of the filename. (.txt)
Include stepnr in filename
If you run the step in multiple copies (Launching several copies of a step), the copy number is included in the filename, before the extension. (_0).
Include partition nr in filename?
Includes the data partition number in the filename.
Include date in filename
Includes the system date in the filename. (default _20041231).
Include time in filename
Includes the system time in the filename. (default _235959).
Specify Date time format
Enable to specify the date time format
Date time format
Chose the date time format to append to the filename
Add file name to rest
This adds all processed filenames to the internal result filename set to allow for further processing.
Show filename(s)
This option shows a list of the files that will be generated.
Content Tab
The content tab contains the following options for describing the content being read:
Option
Description
Append
Check this to append lines to the end of the specified file.
Separator
Specify the character that separates the fields in a single line of text. Typically this is ; or a tab.
Enclosure
A pair of strings can enclose some fields. This allows separator or enclosure characters in fields. The enclosure string is optional.
Force the enclosure around fields?
This option forces all fields of an incoming string type (independent of the eventually changed field type within the Text File Output field definition) to be enclosed with the character specified in the Enclosure property above.
Disable the enclosure fix?
This is for backward compatibility reasons (since version 4.1) related to enclosures and separators. The logic since version 4.1 is: When a string field contains an enclosure it gets enclosed and the enclose itself gets escaped. When a string field contains a separator, it gets enclosed. Check this option, if this logic is not wanted. It has also an extra performance burden since the strings are scanned for enclosures and separators. So when you are sure there is no such logic needed since your strings don't have these characters in there and you want to improve performance, un-check this option.
Header
Enable this option if you want the text file to have a header row. (First line in the file).
Footer
Enable this option if you want the text file to have a footer row. (Last line in the file). Note: Be careful to enable this option when in Append mode since it is not possible to strip footers from the file contents before appending new rows. There are use cases where this option is wanted, e.g. to have a footer after each run of a transformation to separate sections within the file.
Format
This can be either DOS or UNIX. UNIX files have lines are separated by linefeeds. DOS files have lines separated by carriage returns and line feeds.
Encoding
Specify the text file encoding to use. Leave blank to use the default encoding on your system. To use Unicode specify UTF-8 or UTF-16. On first use, Spoon will search your system for available encodings.
Compression
Allows you to specify the type of compression, .zip or .gzip to use when compressing the output. Note: Only one file is placed in a single archive.
Right pad fields
Add spaces to the end of the fields (or remove characters at the end) until they have the specified length.
Fast data dump (no formatting)
Improves the performance when dumping large amounts of data to a text file by not including any formatting information.
Split every ... rows
If this number N is larger than zero, split the resulting text-file into multiple parts of N rows.
Add Ending line of file
Allows you to specify an alternate ending row to the output file.
Fields Tab
The fields tab is where you define properties for the fields being exported. The table below describes each of the options for configuring the field properties:
Option
Description
Name
The name of the field.
Type
Type of the field can be either String, Date or Number.
Format
The format mask to convert with. See Number Formats for a complete description of format symbols.
Length
The length option depends on the field type follows:
Precision
The precision option depends on the field type as follows:
Currency
Symbol used to represent currencies like $10,000.00 or E5.000,00
Decimal
A decimal point can be a "." (10,000.00) or "," (5.000,00)
Group
A grouping can be a "," (10,000.00) or "." (5.000,00)
Trim type
The trimming method to apply on the string. Note: Trimming only works when there is no field length given.
Null
If the value of the field is null, insert this string into the textfile
Get
Click to retrieve the list of fields from the input fields stream(s)
Minimal width
Alter the options in the fields tab in such a way that the resulting width of lines in the text file is minimal. So instead of save 0000001, we write 1, etc. String fields will no longer be padded to their specified length.
Metadata Injection Support
All fields of this step support metadata injection. You can use this step with ETL Metadata Injection to pass metadata to your transformation at runtime. | https://wiki.pentaho.com/pages/diffpagesbyversion.action?pageId=7701492&selectedPageVersions=23&selectedPageVersions=22 |
*Position location: Manila, Philippines or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
*Please submit your CV in English.
PURPOSE OF POSITION:
The Engineer role is responsible for developing secure and highly available global computing platforms for the organisation. They will work as part of the infrastructure team (network and systems) acting as technical leads and supporting systems that integrate with authentication, applications, and cloud providers. They will be responsible to define and manage technical policies and configurations for those supporting systems and ensure any compliance if applicable. They will work with business units to define, assess, or change business processes, policies, and technologies to protect World Vision systems and data. Works closely with Information Security and Field staff on technical solutions and will
also handle level 3 support, reporting and metrics.
Individuals within the Systems Administration job family are responsible for the design, installation, maintenance and upgrades of critical enterprise systems. They are also responsible for the ongoing reliability, performance and support of the infrastructure. This includes monitoring systems, responding to problems and planning for growth.
Individuals design and build the operating environment and infrastructure to meet business requirements. This can include servers, storage, networking, and security. They monitor and optimize the performance of the systems and applications such as Active Directory, cloud providers, servers, etc. They maintain a secure systems environment by installing/maintaining security applications, managing access control mechanisms, and assigning user ids and passwords to authorize systems access. Other responsibilities include providing operations support 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. They analyze console messages, diagnose system failures and take corrective action in order to ensure continuity of
operations.
System Administrators and Engineers need good communication skills and must be able to work collaboratively with system users and other technical colleagues. Individuals work across all functional areas of the enterprise and use a strong customer service orientation to ensure that all requests and problems are resolved in a professional manner. They share their expertise and provide individual training and support to users. Systems Administrators and Engineers work with other technical staff and vendors to provide IT services to all customers.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Business and IT Strategy:
Implements the tactical components of the IT strategy at an Enterprise level.
Works with business partners to understand business needs.
Manages the development and implementation of IT initiatives to support business strategy.
Change Management:
Embraces and executes change through frequent, communication to staff and clients about the change and the impact of the change (individual and business).
Consistently advocates for the change.
Coaches staff through the change.
Identifies and removes obstacles to change.
Governance:
Provides input into demand management process and executes on plan.
Architecture:
Provides input to technology planning within a functional area.
Implements solutions consistent within current context of overall architecture.
Process Improvements:
Implements defined process improvements.
Finance:
Participates in the development of IT budgets.
Tracks and takes appropriate steps to stay within budget.
Provides high-quality services at optimal cost to customers.
Measures service performance and implements improvements.
IT Technology Development:
Develops and implements technologies to improve the performance of a business efficiency and effectiveness.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs):
Participates and provides input to the SLA development process.
Ensures internal SLAs are met.
Vendor Management:
Provides advice and counsel to the vendor relationship decision-making and contract development processes.
Reviews service provider performance.
Identifies and confirms performance problems and notifies contract managers.
Resource Management:
Meets regularly with team to gather work statuses.
Discusses work progress and obstacles.
Provides advice, guidance, encouragement and constructive feedback.
Ensures work, information, ideas, and technology flow freely across teams.
Establishes measurable individual and team objectives that are aligned with business and organizational goals.
Documents and presents performance assessments.
Recognizes and rewards associates commensurate with performance.
Implements organizational practices for staffing, EEO, diversity, performance management, development, reward and recognition, and retention.
Workforce Planning:
Identifies the roles, skills and knowledge required to achieve goals.
Ensures staff has the resources and skills needed to support all work initiatives within the assigned function or Center of Competency (COC).
Participates in IT workforce deployment activities.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or other related field. Or equivalent work experience.
Strong technical background with technologies like on premise Active Directory but could also include knowledge of cloud solution from vendors like Microsoft, Ping, Okta.
Experience working with and interfacing with network and server teams.
Experience working with or managing IaaS or SaaS providers.
Typically has 7 to 10 years of relevant IT work experience.
Effective in written and verbal communication in English.
Preferred:
Experience working in a global organisation supporting Active Directory.
Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
Has demonstrated the successful ability to work in a virtual team.
Demonstrated increased levels of responsibility with IT roles.
Ideally have led teams to deliver technical solutions on a mid to large scale.
Work Environment/Travel:
The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally. | https://careers.wvi.org/jobs/philippines/information-technology/global-infrastructure-services-engineer/18383 |
Sports
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Russian teen makes history with quadruple Lutz jump
MOSCOW: Russian figure skater Aleksandra Trusova, this year’s world junior champion, made history at the weekend by executing a quadruple Lutz jump for the first time in women’s skating.
The 14-year-old Trusova, a pupil of renowned Russian coach Eteri Tutberidze, also performed a combination of quadruple-triple toe loops to collect 146.7 points for her free routine to win the ISU Junior Grand Prix event at Kaunas, Lithuania.
Alexander Gorshkov, the head of the Russian figure skating federation, congratulated the skater.“I’d like to congratulate Sasha (Trusova) and Eteri Tutberidze’s coaching team,” Gorshkov told journalists.
“Trusova already performed the quads last year but with a quadruple Lutz jump she raised her skating to a new, higher level.”The jump named after Austrian skater Alois Lutz, who first performed it in 1913, is one of the most difficult elements in figure skating and was previously performed at official events by men only.
Trusova said she would continue to work to improve her free routine performance.“I was very nervous as it was the first tournament of the season and my first attempt ever to perform three quads in my free routine,” Trusova said.
“In general I’m pleased with my results at this event but I committed some mistakes in my free routine. I will keep on working to improve my performance.“The next Grand Prix stage will take place in Slovenia and I want to present both of my programmes (short and free) in a flawless way there.”
Trusova is just the latest teenage skating star to come off Russia’s remarkable production line. Alina Zagitova was just 15 when she won the women’s singles figure skating title at this year’s Pyeongchang Olympics.
MOSCOW: Russian figure skater Aleksandra Trusova, this year’s world junior champion, made history at the weekend by executing a quadruple Lutz jump for the first time in women’s skating.
The 14-year-old Trusova, a pupil of renowned Russian coach Eteri Tutberidze, also performed a combination of quadruple-triple toe loops to collect 146.7 points for her free routine to win the ISU Junior Grand Prix event at Kaunas, Lithuania.
Alexander Gorshkov, the head of the Russian figure skating federation, congratulated the skater.“I’d like to congratulate Sasha (Trusova) and Eteri Tutberidze’s coaching team,” Gorshkov told journalists.
“Trusova already performed the quads last year but with a quadruple Lutz jump she raised her skating to a new, higher level.”The jump named after Austrian skater Alois Lutz, who first performed it in 1913, is one of the most difficult elements in figure skating and was previously performed at official events by men only.
Trusova said she would continue to work to improve her free routine performance.“I was very nervous as it was the first tournament of the season and my first attempt ever to perform three quads in my free routine,” Trusova said.
“In general I’m pleased with my results at this event but I committed some mistakes in my free routine. I will keep on working to improve my performance.“The next Grand Prix stage will take place in Slovenia and I want to present both of my programmes (short and free) in a flawless way there.”
Trusova is just the latest teenage skating star to come off Russia’s remarkable production line. Alina Zagitova was just 15 when she won the women’s singles figure skating title at this year’s Pyeongchang Olympics. | |
2. Legitimacy and corporate performance perceptions
The term legitimacy was defined by Parsons, 1956 and Parsons, 1960 and then Weber (1978) as a state of congruence towards laws, rules and social values. Scholars of social theory, organization, and the Resource-based View Theory introduced the notion of legitimacy in their theories (Johnson et al., 2006, Ruef and Scott, 1998, Salancik and Pfeffer, 1978 and Suchman, 1995). In the late ’70s, pioneers of the Neo-Institutional approach, such as Meyer and Rowan (1977) and Zucker (1977), while analyzing the ability of an organization to achieve survival, stressed the importance of expressing behavioral patterns conforming to standards, rules and beliefs of the reference context, in addition to more established factors such as organizational efficiency. From the seminal work of Meyer and Rowan onwards, all scholars belonging to the neo-institutional school argue that organizations that shape their behavior to moral rules and regulations of their reference context can be defined as legitimate. According to Fan (2005) (in Kaufmann, Vrontis and Czinkota, 2012 and Camilleri, 2008), effectively communicating legitimacy related values might give the company a differential and competitive advantage. In this context, Hawn, Chatterji, and Mitchell (2011)differentiated between market (related to market actors) and social legitimacy (related to non-market actors) in generating economic value and, innovatively, investigated their interactions. They elicited that increasing their social legitimacy is less beneficial for companies being already on a high level of market legitimacy; on the other hand, the high level of market legitimacy may substitute for a decreasing social legitimacy.
This constant search for contextual conformity and, hence, survival may shield the company from any behavioral change that could induce sanctioning reactions (i.e. strikes) from context members (Brown, 1998). The meaning of legitimacy employed in this study is succinctly expressed by Scott (1995, p. 45), who argues that “legitimacy is not a commodity to be possessed or exchanged but a condition reflecting cultural alignment, normative support, or consonance with relevant rules or laws”. The social dimension of branding in this context is expanded by Meads and Sharma (2008, p.9) who state that: “The business becomes a social purposeful system with the brand aspiring towards ‘social value’” (Meads & Sharma, 2008, p.9).
2.1. Central hypothesis
These definitions mark the central hypothesis of our research: legitimacy should be regarded the conditio sine qua non both to the social acceptance of the company and to a coherent implementation of reputation strategies.
For example, many place marketing studies conclude that the extent of compliance of an organization with social expectations can reinforce or reduce a territory’s attractiveness (for example, companies that do not meet environmental standards may make the area in which they operate to be perceived as highly polluted and, therefore, economically, socially and/or touristically unattractive) (Chiu, 2011 and Zimmermann, 2001).
Following this line of thought, corporate behavior and, in its wake, the entire supply chain behavior, may trigger a dual (economic and institutional) approach towards its reference context.
This work shows that in the first case, when corporate behavior is merely geared towards the bottom line, reputation is exclusively seen as the capacity to cause results related to competitiveness.
The institutional approach, on the other hand, caters to the social, cultural, ethical role that the company plays within its reference context, and, therefore, is also about how the company itself is socially perceived by the community with which it interacts either directly or indirectly (Rindova, Williamson, Petkova, & Sever, 2005).
2.2. Differences between legitimacy and reputation
Some researchers describe the firm as either a social ( Kogut & Zander, 1996) or a discursive ( Tsoukas, 1996) community, or as a community of practice ( Constant, 1987 and Kreiner and Lee, 1999). Shifting the perspective, scholars like Kjellberg and Helgesson (2006), Andersson, Aspenberg, and Kjellberg (2008), orAraujo, Kjellberg, and Spencer (2008), and Storbacka and Nenonen (2008) refer to the notion of co-created markets as actors increasingly engaged in market and/or social practices. Recurring social practices, undertaken by individuals and social organizations within a social system, enable the establishment of relations between social players. Such relations in turn will evolve to mutual adaptation of social actors’ respective activities ( Giddens, 1984). This phenomenon marks a process of reflexive self-regulation, typical of social integration phenomena and of cybernetic systems as well as the expression of relational reciprocity among actors who are co-present ( Staber and Sydow, 2002, Wiener, 1948, Bateson, 1977, Beer, 1959,Beer, 1966, Beer, 1985 and Yolles, 1999). Berger and Luckmann (1966), furthermore, argued that organizations eventually mirror their environment as they reflect socially assembled realities.
A constant search by the company for such a state of consonance in the creation and/or maintenance of its relationships and mutual adjustment/change of practices and behavior employed by the social players, therefore express the existence of a continuous adaptation process (Golinelli, 2010 and Maturana and Varela, 1980).
In such a dynamic business scenario, the corporate system constantly looks for players with which to create and maintain lasting relations, through the development of, first, a state of consonance, and, then, of resonance. Consonance, as previously mentioned, is a condition that is achieved when the relevant players (corporate and supply chain system and context members) identify a common language and shared emotions/passions, while resonance marks a relational evolution in which the players create opportunities to reach common goals (Barile, 2006 and Golinelli, 2010).
Regarding the status, the individual stakeholder could fulfill an alternative or complementary double role. For example, an individual could be a citizen and/or a consumer. In the first case the corporate aim should be to satisfy the environmental and social norms (legitimate behavior), and in the second case to evoke some idiosyncratic features arousing a distinct positioning compared to other competitors (reputation related behavior).
The plan is to have the stakeholder express relational consensus following an assessment of corporate conduct. That conduct in turn is shaped by corporate skills and abilities, which are expressions of two dimensions. First, it reflects conformity to social norms, values, rules and meanings operating within the reference social systems (legitimate behavioral corporate skills). Second, it demonstrates firm-specific features, aimed at making the individual/target discern from other companies, due to the perception of either tangible or intangible specific assets (reputation related corporate skills) (Hawley, 1968, Hirsch and Andrews, 1984, Parsons, 1960, Thornton, 2002 and Tolbert and Zucker, 1996).
The company that meets the expected standards, rules and values can either present itself as a value setting within its context (industry, place, etc.) together with the other players (constituence/audience), or as a system whose survival goals are the result of differentiation towards its competitors (Deephouse and Carter, 2005 and Golinelli, 2010).
Attention is drawn to the innovative organizational behaviors implemented by the firms in Silicon Valley. These behaviors have been, and are still, useful for both to qualify the place, contributing to regional and national economic growth and to increase the reputation and the competitiveness of the local firms.
On the other hand, the organizational behaviors applied by some Chinese firms and supply chains, characterized by disrespect of the environmental or legal (i.e. counterfeiting) norms, detrimentally influence the firms’ and country’s reputation.
Hence, a social actor evaluates, different from a consumer, the condition of a social organization and may rate this organization “adequate”, because of congruence with the contextual legal and cultural values and norms (Albert and Whetten, 1985, Hannan et al., 2007, Rao, 1994 and Zuckerman, 1999).
This acceptance condition reflects a rational-cognitive firm that is congruent with laws, norms and social practices, and mimics the reference context, becoming, in turn, an expression of contextual values. This mimetic approach represents a phenomenon defined by the institutionalist and neo-institutionalist theories as isomorphism ( Di Maggio and Powell, 1983 and Di Maggio and Powell, 1991).
2.3. Legitimacy and isomorphism
Neo-institutionalist scholars regard isomorphism as the key to understanding why companies that operate within the same institutional/social context take decisions and follow behavioral patterns that are usually very similar (Barley and Tolbert, 1997, Di Maggio and Powell, 1991, Jepperson, 1991, Leblebici et al., 1991,Meyer and Rowan, 1977 and Zucker, 1977). According to Meyer and Rowan (1977), the notion of isomorphism implies that organizations should meet the rational criteria set by the institutional context in order to be considered efficient, to maximize legitimacy and resources, and their ability to survive. Isomorphism processes are determined not only by the tendency to conform to the external environment, but also by the action of the environment itself that leads to the creation of new organizations consistent with rational myths (institutionalized rules, norms, procedural ceremonials). With every new myth that consolidates, new organizations correspond to meet the needs that the myth itself has produced (an example is that of companies pursuing the me-too strategy). The best way to manage the conflict between internal rationality criteria and environmental pressure is to develop two parallel structures, one formal, consistent with myths and ceremonials, the other informal, aimed at gaining competitive advantage (Meyer & Rowan, 1977). Taking the generally accepted importance of authenticity, for example, for branding and transformational leadership in terms of leaders and brands being able to “walk the talk” into account (i.e.Kaufmann, Vrontis and Czinkota, 2012 and Lopez, 2011, July 29), Meyer’s and Rowan’s view seems to be very debatable. The relevance of this statement is further supported by the case of the European horse meat scandal. Another example could be the Nike case, where Nike was accused of utilizing children that lived in underdeveloped countries, to produce goods. To show that the behavior was legitimate, the company implemented a control process to evaluate the job agreement and the occupational safety conditions. Nike, by means of these activities, improved its social legitimacy and reputation. Furthermore, Nike adopted the politics named re-use, through which the consumers were encouraged to deliver the used rubber of the shoes to the Nike store, to build and donate some running tracks.
The following Fig. 1 suggests that that rational behavior that is aligned to normative and cultural expectations of social context members, especially individuals, gives the company social legitimacy, which could in turn support the creation and/or maintenance of a favorable reputation for the company itself and its members (employees, managers, consultants, owners, etc.) (see Fig. 1).
-
Fig. 1.
Isomorphism and differentiation.
- Figure options
More detailed, isomorphism tends to have different connotations depending on whether it evolves according to cognitive (social beliefs), normative (existence of scarce resources whose acquisition is essential to survival) and/or coercive conditions (existence of rules essential to social and economic activity) (Di Maggio and Powell, 1983 and Leydesdorff, 2000).
Cognitive or mimetic isomorphism is characterized by a spontaneous process of imitation and/or interpretation in which the interaction between actors and relevant messages is processed and turned into cultural meaning (Bridwell and Mezias, 2012 and Rao, 1994).
In sum, the prevailing existence of rules and resources leads to the identification of forms of isomorphism based on:
- 1.
Awareness of the importance of acquiring new know-how and practices in order to survive: Normative Isomorphism
- 2.
Pressure factors such as laws, regulations etc., that lead to compliance: Coercive Isomorphism (Golinelli, 2010).
Normative Isomorphism is found in company–context interactions in which a greater ability, knowledge and/or possession of intangible assets is present (facility = ability / capacity), so as to define a condition of pre-eminence of one towards the other.
Coercive Isomorphism is found in interactions between actors, every time it becomes necessary to identify rules and/or standards useful to determine how a social actor should behave in order to gain legitimation (i.e. Basel III).
The relationship between players and context can therefore be seen as a continuous and mutual adaptation that depends on environmental determinism and the ability of the company to influence its reference context. While the former affects and constrains corporate activities, the latter is intended to influence context entities and to establish the autonomy of the corporate system towards the surrounding reality (Golinelli, 2010).
Legitimacy and isomorphism, as described, display something very useful to the development of this study: legitimacy is based on the notion of contextual homogenizing aimed at establishing conformity and congruence, and therefore non-rivalry, against the entire reference context and/or members of it (Deephouse & Carter, 2005). At this stage, it is useful to reiterate that legitimation and reputation play a mutual role aimed at company survival. Based on the conditions of the banking industry, Deephouse and Carter (2005)investigated various interrelationships between isomorphism, performance, and legitimacy reputation as well as the antecedents and dimensions of the latter. They concluded that isomorphism has a positive effect on legitimacy and reputation of companies with a lower level of reputation, however, a negative influence on the reputation of companies with a higher level of reputation. Furthermore, the authors found that a better financial performance increases reputation but not legitimacy. They suggest a study researching the corporate effectiveness implications when losing legitimacy and/or reputation for further research. In addition, they call for an informative case study deviating from the best practice standards to an extent of actually losing legitimacy and for knowledge on managing legitimacy and reputation.
2.4. The curative marketing
By discussing the European horse meat scandal and its managerial cross-functional implications, this paper intends to give a contribution in this context.
Cognitive, normative and coercive isomorphism implies a new role definition of marketing, reflecting a paradigm change. In this context, Czinkota (2012) invites participation in an interesting discourse. He recognizes a major shift in the discipline of Marketing related to an increasing societal discontent with marketing and marketing actors due to the detrimental effects of globalization and a resulting global crisis of trust.
Czinkota dubs this paradigm shift as curative marketing. He defines this term as a required contribution of marketing/international marketing to restoring and developing international economic health as a precondition for overall welfare. This new direction implies a new spiritual and behavioral orientation for marketers towards bettering the respective societies characterized by salient motives to deliver joy, pleasure, fulfillment, safety, and personal growth, and achieving advancement towards a better society across borders. According to Czinkota the time is ripe for an intensive reflection of marketers in terms of analyzing and accepting the responsibility for the various global shortcomings caused by companies and their supply chains. Mistakes inflicted by the discipline in the past should lead to future action improvements, driven by a ‘damage restitution spirit’. The multidisciplinary theory provided by this paper underpins the development of curative marketing strategies and the corresponding operational marketing behavior. Values, know how or competences reflecting a curative marketing approach should reflect factual truthfulness and honesty, simplicity, guided by transparency and system understanding. These are aspects important in the context of supply chains’ authenticity, consisting of expanded international expansion and inclusion, communication and empathy with critics, and the acceptance of personal responsibility.
2.5. Previous eclectic literature in the field
The following Table 1 confirms the relevance of eclectic concepts applied in this work but, so far, does not provide them in the coherent and holistic manner as suggested in this research. The papers reflect that CSR, in order to achieve corporate missions and objectives such as social and environmental responsibility (Fearne et al., 2012 and Mäkelä and Näsi, 2010), social welfare, market share (Manning, 2013) as well as competitive advantage (Fearne et al., 2012), is commonly perceived as the key corporate strategy driven by legitimacy as the most important corporate concern (Dodds et al., 2013 and Johansen and Nielsen, 2012). This corporate performance is based on a focus on public reputation (Abratt and Kleyn, 2012b and Zulhamri and Yuhanis, 2013), preferable consumer perception (Blombäck & Scandelius, 2013), sustainable organizational development, employee loyalty (Kryger Aggerholm et al., 2011), product/service differentiation, or effective resource management (Fearne et al., 2012). Increasingly, the authors presented in Table 1 take a wider stakeholder orientation. As means to these ends, isomorphic processes (Johansen & Nielsen, 2012), corporate self-storying (Johansen & Nielsen, 2012) or employer branding and, relating to aspects of behavioral branding, long-term employer–employee relationships (Kryger Aggerholm et al., 2011) are discussed. In addition, a number of papers strongly link the factors of global supply management, especially in the food industry, with the concepts of reputation, legitimacy and sustainability (CSR). These driving factors include:
– a system control based on belief and interactive systems (Nijhof et al., 2008)
– chain members’ bargaining power (Cruz & Boehe, 2008) and balance of power (Spence & Bourlakis, 2009)
– differentiation strategies (Cruz and Boehe, 2008 and Manning, 2013)
– consumer engagement and loyalty in relation to Consumer Social Responsibility (Manning, 2013)
– collaborative awareness building (Cruz & Boehe, 2008)
– reputation risk management at all stages of the global value chain (Lemke & Petersen, 2013)
– positioning sustainability activities (authenticity, due diligence, product safety, credible environment management) in communication messages as an intrinsic aspect of quality (Camilleri, 2008)
– holistic approaches (Spence & Bourlakis, 2009)
– (re)allocation of resources (Fearne et al., 2012)
– linking SME idiosyncrasies with stakeholder interaction and product and process innovation (Theyel & Hofmann, 2012)
– decision on the supply chain length (Lehtinen, 2012)
– requirements for exporting, protection of agricultural land (Dodds et al., 2013).
Table 1.
- Previous eclectic literature.
-
Mäkelä and Näsi (2010) Legitimacy and stakeholders and social contract Farache and Perks (2010) CSR and advertising and legitimacy Johansen and Ellerup Nielsen (2012) CSR and legitimacy and isomorphism Zulhamri and Yuhanis (2013) CSR and reputation and legitimacy Kryger Aggerholm, Esmann Andersen, and Thomsen (2011) Employer branding and organization sustainability & long term employer-employee relationships Fearne et al. (2012) Value chain analysis, sustainability and competitive advantage Manning (2013) Corporate and consumer social responsibility and food supply chain Nijhof, Forterre, and Jeurissen (2008) Legitimacy and supply chain; belief and interactive systems Cruz and Boehe (2008) Sustainability and global value chain Lemke and Petersen (2013) Reputation risk management and supply chain Camilleri (2008) Sustainability and supply chain and corporate reputation Spence and Bourlakis (2009) CSR and supply chain responsibility (food chain) Dodds, Graci, Ko, and Walker (2013) Sustainability and CSR and wine Theyel and Hofmann (2012) Sustainability and value chain and SME and CSR Lehtinen (2012) Sustainability, supply chain (food chain)
This article is a part of a series. Read part 1 here. | http://michaelczinkota.com/2014/02/the-relationship-between-legitimacy-reputation-sustainability-and-branding-for-companies-and-their-supply-chains-pt2/ |
Lynn Tredeau began her love affair with music at the young age of six when her parents got her her first piano. By the age of sixteen she was a master of Classical music. A New Dream is her third album and showcases thirteen original solo piano compositions that give you an up close and personal window into the soul of the artist. Each song is performed with a depth of emotion both evocative and illuminating.
"The Deepest Part of the Lake" begins in an almost hesitant and reverent way as if the listener were looking out over the water and reflecting on the dark fathoms below. Tender and reminiscent of times long past, the piece makes me wonder at the memories invoked. A long ago fishing trip with a loved one? A treasured boat ride or perhaps just a quiet interlude on the side of a lake watching fireworks burst across the darkness of a summer sky. Each keystroke tugs on emotions and the human element within.
"Lunch with Vincent" is an enjoyable piece that makes me at once think of Vincent Anthony "Vince" Guaraldi, the composer of the Peanuts musical scores. Playful and frolicking, the piece could also very well be an audible visit to an art museum on a lunch break to visit the thought provoking art work of Vincent Van Gogh. Either way, the solo piano in this piece is captivating and speaks of creativity of the arts no matter the Vincent in question.
The last song on the album is "Shadow of Your Absence." This piece resonated with me particularly, echoing the loss of a loved one. Tender and careful, each note touches on the more delicate aspects of our suffering. The love, the loss and yes, even the laughter. We are fragile beings, but we do leave behind a pebble in the great ocean of life. It ripples out with our actions and when we love, the currents go on forever.
Lynn Tredeau is an award winning artist and her third album has put her on my watch list. This blend of Classical and New Age music is seamlessly done from playful pixies to somber melodies of love and loss. The art of sharing emotion through music has to be one of this artist's greatest talents and I look forward with great longing to her next project.
5/5 Stars
Key Tracks: The Deepest Part of the Lake, Lunch with Vincent, Shadow of Your Absence
Tracks:
01. Awaken
02. Deepest Part of the Lake
03. Living in a Dream
04. Courageous
05. Lunch with Vincent
06. Pixie Dance
07. Winter Thaw
08. Seasons Change
09. Land of Enchantas
10. A Quiet Memory
11. Ocean of Tears
12. Innocence
13. Shadow of Your Absence
Tracks: | http://www.muzikman.net/2016/06/lynntredeauanewdream.html |
The state’s electoral boundaries commission is considering a swag of changes that could comprise the most radical redrawing of the electoral map in a generation, as a Liberal MP says the final determination could prompt the retirements of a raft of politicians on either side of politics.
The Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission will next month begin a series of regional consultations as it considers submissions proposing the boundaries of various rural centres be dramatically changed.
In an update on its website, the commission says it is considering a number of changes that would impact on Liberal-held seats such as Stuart, Chaffey, Hammond and Finniss, including combining Port Augusta and Whyalla into a single district, and potentially removing or substantially recasting Geoff Brock’s seat of Frome.
Brock has not returned numerous calls from InDaily to discuss his seat.
The commission says the change could see “areas south of Port Pirie and west of the Mount Lofty Ranges, including Jamestown, Clare and Kapunda, be amalgamated to form a mid-north district”.
It also announced that it is “considering changes to the electorates of Chaffey and Hammond, to bring river towns such as Cadell, Morgan and Blanchetown into Chaffey and to move the south-western part of Chaffey into Hammond”.
“It was also suggested that a proposal to amalgamate the townships of Victor Harbor and Goolwa into one district was under consideration,” the commission wrote.
“That would then have flow-on effects in terms of the surrounding electoral districts.”
None of the MPs affected by the proposed changes was aware of them when contacted by InDaily.
Goolwa is currently part of Liberal Adrian Pederick’s seat of Hammond.
He told InDaily “you could look at (Goolwa and Victor) as like-minded communities but I’m not sure how you’d make the numbers work”.
“Over time there’s no doubt Hammond will get tighter and tighter as Murray Bridge grows,” he said.
“It’s going to become a lot more marginal… no doubt, over the next 20 years, it will slowly get tighter and tighter just on the numbers.”
He was unsure how the proposed changes would affect his margin but conceded “every time you compress farmland you’re essentially losing Liberal votes”.
Liberal MP for Finniss Michael Pengilly was uncertain there were enough people in Goolwa and Victor Harbor to justify a standalone seat, but conceded “eventually the south coast will be one seat”.
“But we’re a long way away from that… Victor, Port Elliot, Goolwa and Middleton will become one seat (over time) but that’s a fair way away,” he said.
Asked whether he would be recontesting Finniss in 2018, Pengilly said he was “not making any comment until the boundaries are redistributed”.
“The boundaries findings will determine what happens with a number of people on our side, and on the other side,” he said.
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“It will possibly determine a number of members’ plans on whether they seek to recontest preselection and go on or not, that’s my view.”
The regional changes mooted are likely to be made on the basis of shifting population numbers, with Chaffey MP Tim Whetstone saying: “Sadly for me it tells the story that we have a declining population in Chaffey.”
“We’re still drought-affected, people are moving away… the only real way they’re going to put more people into the electorate is to encompass the more western towns of Cadell, Morgan and Blanchetown,” he said.
But the more radical changes – in terms of their potential electoral impact – would be to more marginal electorates in metropolitan Adelaide, with several under the microscope.
“In relation to the city, it was announced that consideration was being given to re-casting the currently elongated north-south coastal electorates, such as Lee, Colton, Morphett, Mitchell, Bright, Reynell and Kaurna to more regular shapes in an attempt to correct distortions which have occurred due to population expansion over time,” the commission stated on its site.
Any significant redrawing of the metropolitan boundaries would have the Labor Party concerned, given its dominance in metro marginals in recent elections – having won three of the last four polls despite having less than 50 per cent of the statewide vote.
Labor Party state secretary Reggie Martin would not comment on the proposed changes.
Local News Matters
Media diversity is under threat in Australia – nowhere more so than in South Australia. The state needs more than one voice to guide it forward and you can help with a donation of any size to InDaily. Your contribution goes directly to helping our journalists uncover the facts. Please click below to help InDaily continue to uncover the facts. | https://indaily.com.au/news/politics/2016/05/31/warning-of-mp-exodus-as-boundaries-commission-flags-radical-changes/ |
KANYE WEST - ARTIST OF THE MONTH
In 2009 I was working for MySpace in London, while I was creating my first artworks. I was lucky enough to get the attention of Kanye West, he loved my art and featured me as his favourite artist that month.
Artist of the month
Kanye West
In 2009 I was working with several models around the world for my first series of pieces, and one was quite a successful one, featuring Rochelle Haisley.
In this series, I was looking into implementing design, art and music all in one place.
One night I was coming back home when I notice that my mailbox was full, and many people congratulating me, then I discovered that my hard work had paid off, Kanye West featured my art on his blog, the most followed in the world at that time, as his favourite artist.
That gave me the confidence I had talent in the visual arts, so I kept going and kept pushing the boundaries of my vision as an artist.
Thank you Kanye! | https://www.robertogrosso.com/kanye-west-favourite-artist |
It was PR (personal record) week at our CrossFit box. During our strength portion of our workout, we focused on two movements per day and tried to set a new PR. Working on PR’s always used to scare me. I was nervous of failing and not being able to lift the weight especially in movements like a back squat or push jerk. I guess I was just scared of dropping the weight, the noise, not 100% sure. But I’ve slowly gotten comfortable with letting the weight fall. Getting comfortable with lifting heavy weight has taken me a while, about a year.
I have a goal of being able to deadlift 220 lbs before the end of the year. I got very close this week! I increased my deadlift from 205 to 215, so close! I’m sure I’ll be able to achieve it before December.
I also increased my back squat from 135 lbs to 145 lbs and my front squat from 125 lbs to 130 lbs. I discovered that I’m able to push jerk 105 lbs, which is pretty awesome. I have to admit I feel like a badass. Working on my strength has given me a lot of confidence. I didn’t budge on my strict press or push press. Need to work on my upper body strength.
I was only able to go to CrossFit 3 days this week because of our work. I wish I were able to go all week to work on our PR’s, but we’ll have to find another time to do them.
MONDAY
Kayla Itsines Week 16 Resistance (Legs)
CrossFit
- Warm-up
- 3 x 300m Run
- 10 Deck Squats
- 10 Burpees
- 10 HR Push-ups
- 10 Scorpions
- 10 PVC Overhead Squat
- 10 Pss Throughs
- Strength
- 1 RM Back Squat
- 1 RM Strict Press
- Conditioning
- 21 – 15- 9
- Overhead Squats
- Sumo Deadlift Highpull
TUESDAY
LISS – 40 minute light jog
CrossFit
- Warm-up
- 400m Run
- 500m Row
- Banded Squats (3 x 10)
- Sideway Band Walks
- Shoulder Mobility
- Strength
- 1 RM Deadlift
- 1 RM PushPress
- Conditioning
- 12 AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)
- 10 Kettlebell Clean per side
- 400m Run
- 20 Doubleunders
WEDNESDAY
Kayla Itsines Week 16 Resistance (Arms)
THURSDAY
LISS – 40 minute light jog
FRIDAY
CrossFit
- Warm-up
- 500m Row
- 400m Med Ball Carry
- 3 Rounds
- 5 Muscle Snatch
- 5 Overhead Squats
- 5 Back Press
- 5 Back Squat
- 5 Muscle Clean
- 5 Front Squat
- 5 Push Press
- Strength
- 1 RM Front Squat
- 1 RM Push Jerk
- Conditioning
- *Didn’t do it, Peter and I spent all our time on stregth.
SATURDAY
Kayla Itsines Week 16 Resistance (Abs)
3 mile run in 30 minutes
SUNDAY
Stretching – Rest Day at the Lake!
Song of the week
The song of the week is Grace (feat. G-Eazy) – You Don’t Own Me.
Why You Need a Rest Day
You may have heard or read that your body needs a rest day. If you’re constantly working out your body needs a day or two to recover from the stress you’re putting it through. Including a rest day in your workout schedule is essential!
Rest days serve two purposes, for me it’s 3 :). They allow your body to recover from high-intensity exercises. If you never take a day off from working out your body can become very sore, your muscles can’t properly grow, you could have a decrease in strength and performance because of overtraining, you may plateau, and it may even mess with your sleep. Not being able to get a proper night’s sleep is the worst because it affects every other aspect of your life. Your mood, your energy, your productivity and it affects your workouts as well.
The other reason why you need a rest day is because of your mental state. Always working out can be demanding on your mind as much as your body. I need a rest day to get my mind off of exercise. It helps you relax, and you’ll also be more excited to get back in the gym when you leave it for a day.
I also love rest days because it’s a chance for me to go outside for some fun activities. Like a day at the lake! This Sunday Peter and I enjoyed some fun in the sun on a jet ski. We rode around the lake for a couple of hours and just enjoyed a perfect summer day outside! This is more of active recovery.
There is a difference in active recovery and rest days. Rest days can be a variety of things. It can be lying on the couch for some to a light walk for others. It depends on how hard you train during the week and how much your body needs a break.
Active recovery is also done on your rest day and can include a light walk, foam rolling, or fun activity. The main thing is that it needs to be less intense and not demanding on your body.
What do you like to do on your rest days?
Stay StylishlyFit, | https://stylishlyme.com/fitness-blog/rest-day/ |
The city of Cusco was once the capital of the ancient Inca Empire. It was included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1983, and it is one of the most important cultural destinations in all of Peru.
The towns of Pisac, Maras, Chinchero and Ollantaytambo are spread along the Sacred Valley of the Incas, only one hour away from Cusco.
When visiting Cuzco you can’t miss the enigmatic complex of Machu Picchu, the most important and beautiful legacy of the ancient Peruvians. It is one of the few places in the Americas appearing on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage lists by UNESCO. Machu Picchu is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Visit our hotel in Cusco for more information and ideas to enjoy your visit to this enchanting and stunning city. | http://www.cuscobyjwmarriott.com/ |
Views expressed in opinion columns are the author’s own.
“So you pray to cows, right?”
If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that question, I’d probably have a considerable amount of spending money in my wallet right now. However, despite my frustration with people who respond ignorantly when I tell them I am Hindu, I can hardly blame them for their lack of awareness.
Although it is the third-largest world religion, Hinduism remains an enigma to many in countries outside India, where it originated. This is why — as a Hindu woman, born and raised — I thought I’d clear up some misconceptions about my faith.
First off, let me clarify that Hinduism does not have one specific doctrine; rather, it is more of a lifestyle that can be interpreted by people in their own personal manner. This is why it is acceptable in the Hindu faith to worship God by various means, as there is no single correct way to show devotion.
One of the major differences between Hinduism and some other religions is that its followers have never conquered foreign lands to proselytize others. This is because Hindus believe it is fundamentally wrong to assert that “one’s own path towards God is the only true and meaningful path.” Thus, Hinduism encourages coexistence between multiple faiths, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam, even if their beliefs do not directly coincide with those of Hindus.
Hindus worship God in the form of several deities — yet Hinduism is not a polytheistic religion. Although there is some “debate on the proper terminology,” representing God through various manifestations is a way for us to try to wrap our minds around one God whom humans can never fully comprehend. While there may be different names for each manifestation, they are all considered to be one and the same.
Think of it this way: You might have a first name and a nickname, but regardless of which name people use, you are still the same person. Similarly, although there are three main deities (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva), they are all different representations of the same God. On a related note, Hindus depict these deities by constructing idols — but no, we are not worshiping the statues. They merely serve as a tangible representation of God so that people can focus on prayer with the help of a visual aid. Hindus know that the idol is just made of clay and stone; the value lies in the symbolism behind the effigy.
Another misunderstanding some have about Hinduism is the idea that women are expected to be submissive. Now, it would be false to say that women in India are afforded the same rights as their male counterparts. Issues such as female infanticide, rape and dowry still plague some communities in India. However, these travesties are a result of unjust cultural norms, and not spurred by religious beliefs.
In fact, several Hindu deities are females, and each goddess represents a different facet of life. For example, the goddess Saraswati symbolizes wisdom, while the goddess Lakshmi bestows prosperity; Hindus commonly worship both.
To make my way back to one of the most common Hinduism misconceptions: Hindus worship cows. Although cows are revered in the religion, they are by no means worshiped. Cows are respected in the Hindu faith because they are seen as gentle animals that provide milk, an important source of nutrition. Thus, they are admired for their contributions, which is why many Hindus refrain from eating beef.
Now, the next time you run into a Hindu, you will know a little more about their beliefs. After all, Hinduism is more than just cows and karma.
Asha Kodan is a freshman biology major. She can be reached at [email protected].
| |
OBJECTIVE: Adaptive behaviour in Down syndrome is described to increase until middle childhood and to begin to decline in adolescence, whereas significant deterioration in middle adulthood has been attributed to early onset of dementia. Nevertheless, opinions diverge about when the slowing down of adaptive and cognitive abilities starts. Our aims were to describe the profile of adaptive behaviour in Down syndrome, the variability within different age- groups, age-related changes and the correlation to cognitive abilities. METHODS: In a prospective cross-sectional study, individuals with Down syndrome all living in the family and without signs of dementia in 4 Italian sites were included and performed a detailed medical and neuropsychiatric work-up, as well as cognitive testing and adaptive behaviour, using the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales. RESULTS: Seventy-five individuals with Down syndrome from 4 to 52 years were included. Adults from 20 to 30 years showed the highest performance of all groups. The area of communication, always an area of strength, did not change over time, in childhood and especially in adolescence daily living skills (p = 0.012) and socialisation (p = 0.021) scored on average, whereas in young and middle adulthood performance in daily living skills and socialisation and were areas of strength. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with DS continue to increase competence in adaptive behaviour until 30 years, even when cognitive abilities reach a plateau. We found no major decline in middle adulthood. This may be due to exposure to daily life, but needs to be supported by further studies. | https://moh-it.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/adaptive-behaviour-in-down-syndrome-a-cross-sectional-study-from- |
Ankle Sprains From Basketball
We have many types of sprains and strains in the foot and ankle. Very commonly, runners can pick up sprains where that small tendon is sliding behind the heel and coming down to the bottom of the foot. People start to feel stiffness and tightness on the inside of the ankle. This is more common if their foot starts overpronating and rolling inward, we put extra stress and strain on these tendons. These same tendons are coming down to the bottom of the foot to help keep that arch up. If people are wearing old shoes where it’s common, starting to run on rougher surfaces.
Or trails where the foot rolling in and out more often or just requiring more stability. Sometimes people see it if they’re switching from a stability shoe to more neutral shoe. Anything that overwhelms this area can start hurting the muscles, tendons, and ligaments producing foot and ankle pain. Treatments about decreasing the pain and inflammation with electric, ice, cold laser, stretching the calf and affected muscles, and help letting the area rest, recover, and heal. Some people respond better with massage therapy to help work the lower leg, calf and making sure that. | http://sprainedankletreatment.org/sprained-ankle-treatment/ankle-sprains-from-basketball-2/ |
Projects are developed in close collaboration with the customer’s style department, in order to grasp the stylistic requirements of each product and design its shapes and dimensions according to prototype and industrialisation logics.
PROTOTYPING
The design is made with the help of sophisticated 3D software, which makes it possible to create prototypes with the most modern engineering techniques, including 3D printing. The materials can vary, from metal to synthetic resins.
CUSTOMISATION
The real strength of Metalworks lies in the proven ability to customise products, as required by the customer’s stylistic line. 3D modeling and laser engraving makes it possible to rapidly obtain products of the highest level. | http://metalworks.it/design-service/ |
Researchers have discovered how to weld together single-walled carbon nanotubes, pure carbon cylinders with remarkable electronic properties. The discovery could pave the way for controlled fabrication of molecular circuits and nanotube networks.
Pulickel Ajayan, professor of materials science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., and his colleagues in Germany, Mexico, the U.K., and Belgium used irradiation and heat to form the welded junctions.
This is the first time single-walled nanotubes have been welded together, although multi-walled nanotubes with junctions previously have been created using growth techniques. The electrical properties of single-walled nanotubes surpass those of multi-walled tubes, which is why so many researchers have been anxious to try this experiment, said Ajayan.
Patricia Azriel | EurekAlert!
Further information:
http://www.rpi.edu/dept/NewsComm/
Fast flowing heat in layered material heterostructures
18.12.2017 | Graphene Flagship
One in 5 materials chemistry papers may be wrong, study suggests
15.12.2017 | Georgia Institute of Technology
A study carried out by an international team of researchers and published in the journal Physical Review X shows that ion-trap technologies available today are suitable for building large-scale quantum computers. The scientists introduce trapped-ion quantum error correction protocols that detect and correct processing errors.
In order to reach their full potential, today’s quantum computer prototypes have to meet specific criteria: First, they have to be made bigger, which means...
Since 2016, German and Spanish researchers, among them scientists from the University of Göttingen, have been hunting for exoplanets with the “Carmenes”...
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BRONZE (Heb. נְחֹ֫שֶׁת, H5733; Gr. χαλκός, G5910) an alloy formed chiefly or wholly of copper and tin (q.v.) in variable proportions. It is harder and less malleable than copper. It is also more suited for casting than copper because of its greater fusibility. The greater the proportion of tin, the lower the melting point: with 98-90% copper the melting point is c. 1080-1005oC, with 80-70% copper the melting point is c. 800-750oC and with the copper: tin ratio about 60:40, the melting point is 630oC. The arrangement of the atoms in bronze is like that in copper, with the atoms lying on the points of a face-centered cubic lattice. This structure is made up of repeated cubic units, each unit having atoms at the corners of a cube and at the centers of the six faces of each cube. The relative proportions of copper and tin atoms control the physical properties of the particular type of bronze.
As bronze is relatively easy to fabricate, has a pleasant brownish color and resists corrosion, this alloy has been used from prehistoric times for ornaments, statues, coinage and utilitarian articles. The use of copper, from c. 6000-5000 b.c., and then of bronze, from c. 3700 b.c. are among man’s early metallurgical achievements and the term “Bronze Age” (q.v.) denotes a cultural stage during which tools and weapons were fabricated from bronze (and copper) rather than from stone, bone and wood previously, and iron subsequently.
The discovery of the relationship of copper-bearing rock to the metallic metal, which could be produced by the action of fire and charcoal, took place c. 4500 b.c. with copper workings in northern Iraq, Persia and Turkestan in existence before 4000 b.c. The subsequent discovery that the addition of tin hardened the metal prob. resulted from the accidental use of campfire stones composed of ores of copper and of tin, as natural alloys of copper and tin are very rare. Bronze was produced by the ancient Sumer. civilization in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley, e.g. at Ur c. 3500 b.c. Animal drawn plows and chariots with bronze parts were in use in Iraq before 3000 b.c. From there the use of bronze spread to Persia and about 2000 b.c. bronze was first used in Egypt.
The molten metal was made by smelting the ores, with charcoal, using a forced draught created by bellows or by blowing with the lungs. The draught was through a non-inflammable clay nozzle with the molten metal collected in a crucible of the same substance. The extracted metal was then cast into ingots, or cakes, or poured directly into molds. The earliest castings were in sand, but later clay and stone were used with instruments like knives and axes cast in shallow recesses in stone or clay.
Copper was being mined on the Sinai Peninsula before the discovery of bronze and about 3000 b.c. Cyprus was a major producer. However, the tin deposits discovered in the 3rd millennium b.c. were small and not numberous. Only late in this millennium were larger deposits located. The tin deposits of Cornwall, England, were much used in the 2nd millennium b.c., and possibly even earlier, with the Phoenicians trading in tin from Cornwall and from Spain. They prob. played an important role in spreading the early bronze culture with much of the bronze of the middle part of the 2nd millennium b.c., and later, being a combination of tin from western Europe and copper from the eastern Mediterranean and Middle E.
From the end of the 2nd millennium b.c. iron progressively replaced bronze, at least in its more utilitarian uses, with the Bronze Age coming to an end and the Iron Age beginning. See Brass.
Bibliography
J. R. Partington, A Textbook of Inorganic Chemistry, 6th ed. (1950), 718, 722; T. P. Hoar, “Bronze,” Chambers’ Encyclopaedia, II (1950), 603; S. Piggott, “Bronze Age,” Chambers’ Encyclopaedia, II (1950), 603-605. | https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/bronze |
• Limits: From 2 miles north of FM 1247 in Wells, south to 0.9 miles south of FM 1247
• Contractor: Longview Bridge and Road, Ltd.
• Cost: $17.6 million
• Anticipated Completion Date: Spring 2020
The contractor is scheduled to continue cleanup activities and striping operations on the south end of the project using daily lane closures. The speed limit has been reduced on the northern end of the project until work is completed. The project is widening US 69 through Wells from two lanes to four lanes with new curb and gutter and a two-way left turn lane through town.
US 69 Sidewalks in Jacksonville
• Limits: From Nacogdoches St. to Tena St. in Jacksonville
• Contractor: Highway 19 Construction, LLC
• Cost: $507,099.00
• Anticipated Completion Date: Fall 2020
The contractor is scheduled to continue sidewalk and driveway construction. The southbound outside lane will be closed daily on this project to construct sidewalks along US 69 in Jacksonville.
US 79 Widening Project
• Limits: From the Neches River to 1.2 miles northeast of FM 747
• Contractor: Drewery Construction Company, Inc.
• Cost: $8.2 million
• Anticipated Completion Date: Spring 2020
No work is scheduled for the week. Expect delays on this corridor when construction is in progress. The work zone speed limit is 60 mph. The project will widen the roadway to add passing lanes.
US 79 Rehabilitation Project
• Limits: From 0.16 miles east of SH 110 to the Mud Creek Relief Bridge
• Contractor: Madden Contracting Company, LLC
• Cost: $8.2 million
• Anticipated Completion Date: Fall 2020
No work is scheduled for the week. Expect delays on this corridor when construction is in progress. The work zone speed limit is 60 mph. The project will rebuild the roadway pavement and upgrade bridge rails.
FM 343 and FM 1861 Drainage Improvements
• Limits: From US 69 to 2.76 miles east of US 69 and from FM 316 east to Henderson/Van Zandt Co. line
• Contractor: Highway 19 Construction, LLC
• Cost: $0.64 million
• Anticipated Completion Date: Spring 2020
No work plans this week. The project will upgrade safety features on driveways and roadway cross-culverts.
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In its meeting on 15 February 2019, the working group preparing the Management Plan for the Wolf Population discussed illegal hunting of wolves and measures to improve the social acceptance of the wolf. According to a police estimate, illegal hunting of wolves has been commonplace in Finland. However, only a small number of incidents of illegal hunting of wolves come to the attention of the supervisory authorities.
The Criminal Code of Finland recognises three types of offences related to illegal hunting: hunting offences, aggravated hunting offences and unauthorised hunting. In the case of wolves, as with other large carnivores, illegal killing is classified as an aggravated hunting offence for which the offender can be sentenced to imprisonment for at least four months and at most four years.
According to police estimates, illegal hunting of wolves can be considered a common and therefore significant problem in Finland. It is also an example of a hidden crime, as the majority of incidents do not come to the attention of the supervisory authorities. The study “Large carnivore policy in crisis – poaching and community support” estimates that only ten per cent of illegal killings of wolves are brought to the attention of the police.
Investigating illegal killings or attempted killings of wolves, and large carnivores in general, requires targeted monitoring, specialised expertise and time. With this in mind, the working group was of the opinion that more resources are needed for police investigation of incidents. Studies have revealed that illegal hunting is often carried out by small, local groups and that the risk of being caught is diminished by local communities’ silence about the incidents. Local communities and hunting associations play an important role in creating negative attitudes towards the illegal killing of wolves and other large carnivores and in communicating information about illegal killings to the police.
The working group also heard a presentation about a doctoral thesis that used population and survival models to estimate the role of poaching in the mortality of wolves in Finland and Sweden in the 2000s. According to the study, poaching was the most common cause of death for wolves, but the majority of instances of poaching remain unconfirmed. The number of wolves whose fates were unknown was also relatively high. The risk of illegal killing increases in late winter. The number of illegal killings seems to vary from year to year.
Information on the cause of wolf deaths investigated by the Finnish Food Authority is available here (in Finnish). Of the wolves whose deaths were investigated by the Finnish Food Authority (formerly Evira) in 2001–2014, 17 per cent were killed
What can be done to increase tolerance for wolves?
The working group also discussed the theme of tolerance for or social acceptance of wolves, which is connected to the question of reducing the rate of illegal killings. They emphasised that from the perspective of social acceptance, the wolf is a challenging species in many ways. The theme of social acceptance can be used to approach the discussion from perspectives other than those directly related to the wolf or wolf policy.
The working group explored the theme from the perspective of wolf territory cooperation groups and research on environmental conflicts. Grassroots projects have proven to be successful conflict management or resolution methods in many cases involving environmental conflicts. In these situations, collective local decision-making and planning and close cooperation with interest groups play an integral role. The working group stressed the important role of local wolf territory cooperation groups, whose tasks include creating an overall picture of the situation concerning wolves in their areas, providing information to local residents and planning measures to prevent conflicts. The groups also develop territory-specific wolf management planning and work to improve the flow of information between different interest groups.
Finally, the working group stressed the fact that the discussion on the coexistence of wolves and people in Finland should include more examples of the benefit of wolves for the ecosystem and should highlight successful practices, such as those implemented in other countries with wolves.
Read more:
Large carnivore policy in crisis – poaching and community support (report in Finnish)
Poaching regulates legally hunted wolf population in Finland
One way or another: predictors of wolf poaching in a legally harvested wolf population
News archive
Information on large carnivores in Nordic countries
SKANDULV - wolf research in Scandinavia. SKANDULV is working on issues connected with wolf ecology and administration. The main questions concern wolf populations, movement patterns, genetics, ecosystem effects etc. | http://www.largecarnivores.fi/latest-news/working-group-preparing-the-management-plan-for-the-wolf-population-discusses-illegal-hunting-of-wolves.html |
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Question #57576
Oth200617581
Recent Question/Assignment
Assessment Task – Tutorial Questions Assignment 2
Unit Code: HA1011
Unit Name: Applied Quantitative Methods
Assignment: Tutorial Questions Assignment 2
Due: 26th June 2020
Weighting: 25%
Total Marks: 50 Marks
Purpose: This assignment is designed to assess your level of knowledge of the key topics covered in this unit
Unit Learning Outcomes Assessed:
1. Understand the pitfalls and benefits of statistics
2. Distinguish between the different survey sampling methods
3. Summarise numerical data and present it both by means of tables and charts
4. Be able to calculate and interpret descriptive summary measures
5. Develop simple regression models and interpret the regression coefficients
6. Understand basic probability concepts
7. Understand when to apply different distributions, their properties and how to calculate associated probabilities
8. Develop confidence interval estimates for the mean and the proportion
9. Perform Hypothesis Tests and interpret the results
Description
Each week students were provided with three tutorial questions of varying degrees of difficulty. These tutorial questions are available in the Tutorial Folder for each week on Blackboard. The Interactive Tutorials are designed to assist students with the process, skills and knowledge to answer the provided tutorial questions. Your task is to answer a selection of tutorial questions for weeks 7 to 11 inclusive and submit these answers in a single document.
Note:
You are NOT allowed to use Microsoft Excel for any calculations and you need to show all the steps in each question’s calculation. Students’ answers are not allowed to be 100% similar to any other student for any reason and this will NOT be tolerated. This MUST be your own work or penalties will apply! Refer to the section on “Academic Integrity” on page 3 of this document for more information.
The questions to be answered are:
Week 7 – Question 1 (10 marks)
a. Assume the online test in HA1011 has 15 multiple questions. Each question has five possible answers, of which only one is correct.
i. What is the probability that guesswork will yield at least seven correct answers? (2 marks) ii. What is the expected number of correct answers by guesswork? (2 marks)
b. At Delta limited the Chief Administrative Manager analyzed the number of incoming faxes. After an analysis, the manager determined the probability distribution of the number of pages per fax as follows:
x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
P(x) 0.05 0.12 0.2 0.3 0.15 0.1 0.08
Required:
Compute the mean and the variance of the number of pages per fax. (6 marks)
Week 8 – Question 2 (10 marks)
An analysis of the amount of interest paid by ABX banks’ visa card holders reveals that the amount is normally distributed with a mean of $27 and a standard deviation of $7.
a. What proportion of the Bank’s Visa card holders pay more than $30 in interest? (2.5 marks)
b. What proportion of the Bank’s Visa card holders pay more than $40 in interest? (2.5 marks)
c. What proportion of the Bank’s Visa card holders pay less than $15 in interest? (2.5 marks)
d. What interest payment is exceeded by only 20% of the bank’s Visa cardholders? (2.5 marks)
Week 9 – Question 3 (10 marks)
a. Briefly discuss following 3 probability distributions
i. Uniform probability distribution
ii. Normal probability distribution
iii. Exponential probability distribution
(3 marks)
b. The amount of time that bankers devote to their job per week is normally distributed, with a mean of 52 hours and a standard deviation of 6 hours.
i. What is the probability that a banker works for more than 60 hours per week?
ii. Find the probability that the mean amount of work per week for 3 randomly selected bankers is more than 60 hours
iii. Find the probability that if three bankers are randomly selected, all three work for more than 60 hours per week (7 marks)
Week 10 – Question 4 (10 marks)
A researcher has collected a sample of 25 respondents and the mean was calculated as 500. The sample was randomly drawn from a normal population whose standard deviation is 15.
a) Estimate the population mean with 99% confidence (4 marks)
b) Repeat the part (a) changing the population standard deviation to 30. (2 marks)
c) Repeat the part (a) changing the population standard deviation to 60.
d) Describe what happens to the confidence interval estimate when the (2 marks)
standard deviation is increased. (2 marks)
Weeks 11 and 12 – Question 5 (10 marks)
The Coordinator of a Statistics unit has drawn a random sample of 12 undergraduates and asked how many hours they spent for studies. The average time of the selected sample was 34.25. The coordinator has recommended that students should spend 3 hours per week for 12 weeks semester, for a total of 36 hours. It is known that the population standard deviation is 8.
Based on the data listed below, using the p value approach, at 95% confidence level you are required to test whether there is evidence that the average student spent less than the recommended amount of time. You are required to arrange your answer based on the following steps:
a. State the hypotheses (2 marks)
b. Direction of the test (two tail/ left tail or right tail) (0.5 mark)
c. State the relevant test statistic and the reason for the selection (2 marks)
d. Level of significance (0.5 mark)
e. Decision rule (2 marks)
f. Calculate test statistics (2 marks)
g. Conclusion based on the above steps. (1 mark)
Submission Directions
The assignment has to be submitted via Blackboard. Each student will be permitted one submission to Blackboard only. Each student needs to ensure that the document submitted is the correct one.
Academic Integrity
Academic honesty is highly valued at Holmes Institute. Students must always submit work that represents their original words or ideas. If any words or ideas used in a class posting or assignment submission do not represent the student’s original words or ideas, the student must cite all relevant sources and make clear the extent to which such sources were used. Written assignments that include material similar to course reading materials or other sources should include a citation including source, author, and page number.
In addition, written assignments that are similar or identical to those of another student in the class is also a violation of the Holmes Institute’s Academic Conduct and Integrity Policy. The consequence for a violation of this policy can incur a range of penalties varying from a 50% penalty through to suspension of enrolment. The penalty would be dependent on the extent of academic misconduct and the student’s history of academic misconduct issues. All assessments will be automatically submitted to Safe-Assign to assess their originality.
Further Information:
For further information and additional learning resources, students should refer to their Discussion Board for the unit.
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This is the fourth in a series of posts on evaluating the performance of an investment portfolio. So far, we’ve focused on pretax rates of return. Now we turn our attention to the taxation of investment returns, and more specifically, the importance of keeping taxes front and center when making investment decisions. Investment returns are typically reported on a pre-tax basis. Therefore, it’s left to investors to factor in taxes when evaluating how their investments are doing. Unfortunately, this means you need a working knowledge of the laws governing the taxation of your portfolio returns.
Taxation of Capital Gains
As you undoubtedly know, the federal government and most state governments impose income taxes on the appreciation in a security when the security is sold. More specifically, “realized capital gains” are equal to the sale proceeds minus the amount paid when the investment was acquired (referred to as “tax basis”).
Capital gains are broken into two categories: long term and short term. Long term capital gains are gains on investments held for one year or longer, while gains on investments with a holding period of less than one year are short term.
Long term and short term capital gains are taxed at different rates. Short term capital gains must be included in the investor’s income for the year in which the sale occurs, and are taxed at ordinary tax rates. Long term capital gains, however, are taxed at a lower “capital gains rate” in an effort by Congress to encourage long term investment. Here are the long term capital gain tax rates for 2018:
|Long Term Capital Gains Tax Rate||Single Filing Status||Married Filing Jointly||Head of Household||Married Filing Separately|
|
|
0%
|$0-$38,600||$0-$77,200||$0-$51,700||$0-$38,600|
|
|
15%
|$38,601-$425,800||$77,201-$479,000||$51,701-$452,400||$38,601-$239,500|
|
|
20%
|$425,801 or more||$479,001 or more||$452,401 or more||$239,501 or more|
Taxation of Dividends
Dividends are also grouped into two categories for income tax purposes: “qualified” and “ordinary”. Dividends paid by a U.S. corporation are generally qualified, so long as you owned the stock for more than 60 days. All other dividends are considered to be ordinary dividends. Qualified dividends are taxed at the same rates as long term capital gains while ordinary dividends are taxed at the same rates that apply to ordinary income.
Taxation of Bond Interest
The taxation of bond interest depends on the type of bond on which the interest is paid.
- Government Bonds are bonds issued by the federal (not state) government and by federal government agencies. Government bonds are generally not subject to state income taxes.
- Municipal Bonds are bonds issued by states and municipalities. Municipal bonds are generally not subject to federal income taxes, and typically avoid state income taxes as well if the investor lives in the same state or municipality as the issuer. Puerto Rico bonds are also exempt from state income taxation regardless of where the taxpayer resides.
- Corporate Bonds refers to bonds issued by public companies. Interest paid on corporate bonds is fully taxable.
Generally speaking, taxable bond interest is included in the investor’s ordinary income in the year it is received. However, in the case of zero-coupon bonds, which do not pay interest but rather are issued at a discount to their maturity (or “par”) value, a pro-rata share of the discount is reported as income by the taxpayer each year until the bond matures.
Tax on Net Investment Income
The “Net Investment Income Tax” (“NIIT”) is an additional tax that applies to all forms of investment income (capital gains, dividends and interest). The tax is imposed at a flat 3.8% on all investors whose income exceeds the following thresholds:
|Tax Filing Status||NIIT Threshold|
|Single||$200,000|
|Married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er)||$250,000|
|Head of household||$200,000|
|Married filing separately||$125,000|
Strategies to Lessen the Impact of Taxes on Portfolio Performance
The combined impact of the taxes described above can result in investors sharing a significant portion of the returns with state and federal governments. Compounding serves to magnify the negative impact of taxes on portfolio returns. That’s because money pulled from a portfolio to pay taxes cannot be reinvested. This means that not only the money paid to the government is lost to taxes, but also the earnings that would have been generated had those funds been invested. Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to lessen the impact of taxes on your investment returns.
- Be selective when recognizing capital gains. All other things being equal, investments that have been held for a year or longer should be sold before those held for less than a year, and investments with a high tax basis should be sold before those with a low tax basis.
- Select your investment strategy carefully. An investment approach that results in a high number of trades has the potential to trigger greater capital gains than one that trades less frequently, and worse yet, can trigger greater short term capital gains. Accordingly, for taxable accounts, investment strategies that result in fewer trades are preferable to one that is more active. Tax-favored investment accounts, such as qualified plans, IRAs, Roth IRAs, and 529 accounts are better suited to investment strategies that generate frequent trades. Likewise, municipal bonds are best suited to taxable accounts because their tax benefits are wasted if held in a qualified plan, IRA or Roth IRA.
- Tax loss harvesting. Realized capital losses can be subtracted from capital gains, even if those gains are realized years later, provided the same security is not repurchased within 30 days. As a result, “harvesting” capital losses by selling a position at a loss and reinvesting the proceeds in a similar, but not identical, investment can be an effective strategy to lower taxes on current year or future capital gains, without materially affecting the portfolio’s returns.
Example: Penny Wise owns an exchange-traded fund with an unrealized capital loss that tracks the S&P 500 index. Penny could sell this ETF to harvest the loss, and reinvest the sale proceeds in a different ETF that tracks an index that’s very similar to the S&P 500 index.
- Don’t forget about the basis step up at death. Investments that are includable in a deceased person’s estate for estate tax purposes receives a basis adjustment for federal income tax purposes even if the decedent’s estate is not large enough to trigger an estate tax. This adjustment results in an heir’s income tax basis on inherited investments being either “stepped up” or “stepped down” to the property’s fair market value at the date of the decedent’s death. As a result, elderly investors who are not leaving their estates to charity should be especially reluctant to recognize capital gains, and should look for opportunities to harvest capital losses.
It is very important to keep in mind the foregoing suggestions assume tax rates remain constant. Changing tax rates could have a major impact on the effectiveness of these suggestions. For example, if tax rates are expected to rise, it may be advantageous to accelerate the recognition of capital gains before the rate hikes take effect, and wait until after the rate hikes take effect to recognize losses.
Supreme Court Justice Learned Hand once said “Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes or a public duty to pay more than the law demands.” Hopefully this post will help you lessen the taxes paid on your investment returns, and thereby make you a better investor.
Next time we will turn full circle and discuss whether the societal good (or harm) generated by our investments should be considered when evaluating portfolio returns.
______________________________
More precisely, for dividends to be “qualified”, you must own the stock that generates the dividend for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that began 60 days before the ex-dividend date. For preferred stock that pays annual dividends, you must own the stock for 90 days in a 181-day period that begins 90 days before the ex-dividend date. Are we having fun yet?
Iowa, Illinois, Oklahoma, Utah and Wisconsin tax their residents on locally issued municipal bonds to varying degrees. A description of the types local municipal bonds that are taxable to Wisconsin residents can be found here: https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/faqs/pcs-munifaq.aspx.
The formula for comparing a municipal bond’s yield to a taxable bond yield is: Taxable Equivalent Yield = Tax-Free Yield/100 – Your Tax Bracket.
Similarly, if bonds are purchased at a premium (greater than $1,000 per bond), a prorated portion of the amount over par can be deducted yearly on the purchaser’s tax return.
An exception to this rule is “income in respect of a decedent” (or “IRD”), which is earned income that has not yet been taxed (i.e., retirement accounts, IRAs, annuities, deferred compensation, etc.). IRD does not receive a basis adjustment when the owner dies.
Important Disclosures: Please remember that past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product made reference to directly or indirectly from The Market Commentator℠, will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), or be suitable for your portfolio. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions. Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained in The Market Commentator℠ serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from The Milwaukee Company™.
In addition, The Market Commentator℠ may contain links to articles or other information that are contained on a third party website. The Milwaukee Company does not endorse or accept responsibility for the content, or the use, of the website. The Milwaukee Company assumes no liability for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions in or from any data or other information provided on the pages. Thank you. | https://themilwaukeecompany.com/evaluating-investment-performance-part-iv/ |
Mission and Profile
The Fort Bend County Museum Association preserves historical resources by inspiring and educating the public for the purpose of strengthening awareness and appreciation of cultural heritage for future generations.
The strategic plan compiles all Association activities into five goal areas:
-Preservation: To preserve sites, archives, buildings, artifacts and information
-Education: To expand and improve learning opportunities
-Community Involvement: To increase public participation
-Communication: To increase awareness of the Association?s presence and purpose
-Identity: To maintain a reputation of integrity and stability
About Us
The George Ranch Historical Park, a living history partnership of the Fort Bend Museum Association and The George Foundation, helps connect Texans and guests from other states and countries to the region's remarkable history through the stories of four generations who shaped what we now call the George Ranch.
The Park aims to educate people of all ages about Texas history. We develop programming that connects and inspires learners of all ages. We believe that understanding the past is a key to succeeding in the future, and that children and other open-minded people are ideally suited to grasp to the distinctions between the modern world and the ways things were done before.
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Find information about getting a COVID-19 vaccine in your state. CDC information is available at cdc.gov/coronavirus; additional AARP information and resources are at aarp.org/coronavirus. En español, visite aarp.org/elcoronavirus. | https://local.aarp.org/place/george-ranch-historical-park-richmond-tx.html |
Objectives. To analyze the distribution of visual problems which cause and do not cause visual impairment in a working population, and their relation to social class.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 86,831 employed workers (59,397 men, and 27,421 women) in Catalonia ages 16 to 65 years who, in 2009, underwent health surveillance exams at the Asepeyo Health Prevention. The prevalence of visual problems that cause and do not cause visual impairment was calculated by age, sex and occupational social class, and associations were analyzed using logistic regression.
Results: 2.2% (95%CI 2.1-2.3) of the active working population studied had vision problems that cause visual impairment, even while wearing corrective lenses. After adjusting for age, workers in Class V show a 2.4-fold greater risk of visual impairment than those in Class I.
Conclusions: Women, older workers and disadvantaged social groups showed the highest prevalence and risk of visual impairment. Conversely, problems resolved by vision correction that do not cause visual impairment are concentrated in non-manual workers.
Prevalence and burden of visual impairment in Catalonia, SpainLaura Guisasola, Ricard Tresserras-Gaju, Irene García-Subirats, Anna Rius and Pilar Brugulat-Guiteras
The aim of this work is to determine the prevalence of visual impairment in Catalonia and analyze inequalities in vision. Cross sectional study in the population having 15 years of age (7,881 men and 8,045 women) based on data from the Encuesta de Salud de Cataluña 2006. Logistic regression models were used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio by age, civil state, level of studies, income and working situation with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. A 4.7% (CI 95% 4.4-5.0) of the population of Catalonia, a 5.3% of female (CI 95% 4.8-5.8), and 4.1% of men (CI 95% 3.7-4.5) state that they have poor vision. The most unfavourable situations of self-reported poor vision by the Catalan population correspond to the elderly and women with lower levels of both studies and income.
Visual Impairment and Blindness in Spanish Adults. Geographic Inequalities Are Not Explained by Age or Education
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine for the first time the prevalence of visual impairment and blindness among adults in Spain, to explore regional differences, and to assess whether they may vary as a function of sex or be explained by age and individual or regional socioeconomic position. Design: Data were obtained from the 2008 Spanish Survey on Disability, Personal Autonomy, and Dependency Situations, a cross-sectional survey based on a representative sample of the noninstitutionalized population of Spain. Participants: The sample was composed of 213 626 participants aged 15 years (103 093 men and 110 533 women); 360 were blind (160 men and 200 women), 4048 had near visual impairment (1397 men and 2651 women), and 4034 had distance visual impairment (1445 men and 2589 women). Methods: The prevalence of near and distance visual impairment was calculated for each region. Multiple logistic regression models were fitted to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. All analyses were stratified by sex. Main Outcome Measures: Visual impairment was based on 3 questions aimed at identifying blindness and near and distance visual impairment. Results: The prevalence (percentage) of blindness was 0.17 (men, 0.16; women, 0.18): 1.89 for near visual impairment (men, 1.36; women, 2.40), 1.89 for distance visual impairment (men, 1.40; women, 2.34), and 2.43 for any visual impairment (men, 1.81; women, 3.02). Regional inequalities in the prevalence of visual impairment were observed, correlated with regional income, and the prevalence was consistently higher among women than men. The magnitude of the inequalities remained after adjusting for age and educational level, and a north-to-south pattern of increasing prevalence was observed. Conclusions: Regional and sex inequalities in the prevalence of visual impairment and blindness were observed in Spain, with a north-to-south gradient of increasing prevalence that was not explained by age or individual educational level but was correlated with regional level of economic development. Factors that could be prioritized for future policies and research include differential regional economic development, rural environment, quality of eye care services, diabetes, ultraviolet light exposure, or gender inequalities in diagnostic and therapeutic health care.
SAVIM (World Visual Attention System)
The goal of this regional research is to obtain a diagnosis of eye health describing the health and socioeconomic context, gender relations and the demands on eye health. At the same time it provides an analysis of the population’s access to eye care services by identifying constraints and the design and implementation of an accessibility matrix. This study establishes strategic lines of intervention that will guide the actions of the Chair and the participating actors involved. To date we have released 3 reports.
Study of social inequalities and vision in Spain
In coordination with the Departament of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB) and the Research Group in Health Inequalities (GREDS-UPF) the Chair develops research on inequality -socioeconomic, labor, geographic and gender-associated with poor vision and blindness. These investigations are posed as a response to the fact that visual health has been scarcely treated from the standpoint of public health, which has led to an important absence of data regarding the incidences and prevalences, both for refractive error and eye disease.
Meetings for the reduction of inequalities in visual health and blindness
The project is implemented by a consortium of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness-Vision 2020 Latin America, the Unidad Nacional de Oftalmología and the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) and the Universidad Católica de Asunción and the Fundación Visión of Paraguay. It consists in organizing meetings to establish an observatory to develop epidemiological research in Guatemala and Paraguay that contributes to the generation of health policies and which fits policies to the specific needs of women, indigenous people, regions without access and the most vulnerable population. The project works health education, health policy and strengthens education policy and teacher training. It responds to two processes of research-action conducted by institutions of the consortium.
Study of prevalence of refractive error in preschool children from El Salvador
The UNESCO Chair has a database of over 6,000 pre-school children screened and reviewed from 2006 to 2010 in El Salvador. By analyzing these data, the study aims to assess the prevalence of poor vision and blindness among children of between 4 to 6 years, and refractive errors and pathologies associated with such poor vision.
Determination of the rate of use of glasses by Latin American school children
This research consists of the development of a questionnaire and a protocol for determining the rate of use of spectacles by school children in Latin America. This study responds to the request received by the CUSVD at the Latin American Forum on Refractive Error Paraguay 2009 which determined the main lines of work in Latin America for refractive error, creating the Multidisciplinary Group of Experts on Refractive Error in Latin America (GEMERAL), which the Chair forms a part of.
Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness
This research consists of developing a quick survey that will provide data on the prevalence and causes of blindness (cataract, refractive errors, glaucoma...) in people over 50 years old in El Salvador. It also evaluates cataract surgical coverage and identifies the main barriers to demand for cataract surgery, among other benefits. The data from this research is useful to design and monitor programs for eye health care. It is worth noting that the Ministry of Health, PAHO/WHO Latin America, IAPB VISION 2020 LA and FUDEM are working jointly on this project.
Low Vision Research Colombia
The main purpose of this research is the determination of the conditions of potential access to low vision health services in Colombia, in the municipalities of Medellín, Pereira, Barranquilla, Cali, Bucaramanga, Bogota and Popayan. This research is currently underway at the stage of finalizing the fieldwork. A process that, among other things, has allowed the construction of a network of actors for the visually impaired visibility and generating a strategic framework for tackling low vision in this country. | https://unescovision.upc.edu/en/projects/research |
Jacksonville, Florida - DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have always been fairly flexible, so I have never felt compelled to include yoga in my fitness routine. Typically, I just walk and maybe do some weights for strength training. I was talking to a friend who said her physical therapist recommended yoga as part of a well-rounded workout routine. What is the benefit of yoga? Should I add it to my routine or stick with what I'm doing?
ANSWER: Yoga is a wonderful form of exercise that provides benefits that walking or strength training don't provide. In Eastern cultures, yoga is not seen as exercise, but rather "a moving meditation." In the Western world, many people know power yoga or vinyasa yoga, which are classified as exercise.
Regardless of the type of yoga, when practiced mindfully, there are many advantages for the body, mind and soul. Yoga can provide three primary benefits that a typical gym routine may not provide.
Benefit 1: Yoga improves the function of the nervous system. Since yoga is based on breathing, parts of the nervous system are affected when exhales are lengthened and breath is controlled. This is cued throughout particular yoga sequences. Specifically, yoga can help lower the fight-or-flight response and improve the body's "rest-and-digest" response.
Practicing slow, controlled breathing stimulates the body's vagus nerve, which takes information about the current state of relaxation and relays it to the rest of the body, including the brain. One area affected when the vagal nerve is stimulated is the parasympathic nervous system, which controls the body's rest and digestion functions. The mindful breathing practiced in yoga increases the activity of the parasympathic nervous system. As a result, yoga lowers the heart rate, improves digestion and quality of sleep, and strengthens the immune system. Another benefit is an improved stress level.
Benefit 2: Yoga can improve joint range of motion. The difference between flexibility and active range of motion is important. Think of flexibility as how much a muscle can be passively stretched. In contrast, range of motion is how much muscles can be used to control a joint's movement.
It is not uncommon these days for people to report neck and back pain, and poor range of motion in their thoracic spine due to constant sitting, typing on computers and looking down at cellphones. Yoga is excellent in improving thoracic range of motion because many poses involve extending the body through the rib cage and using strength to hold these postures.
Yoga incorporates all four motions of the spine: flexion, extension, rotation and side-bending. Therefore, yoga can prevent stiffness and disuse that also can occur with age. Being able to control the available range of motion in joints is crucial to good posture and decreasing the risk of injury.
Benefit 3: Yoga improves dynamic balance, decreasing the risk of falling. Think of balance like a muscle. By working hard at different exercises, balance can improve. This is similar to improved strength by lifting weights.
Balance is a complex system, requiring three parts: the sensation of the foot on the ground, or proprioception; vision; and the inner ear, or vestibular system. These three parts tell the brain where the head is in space. These three components work together to control both static and dynamic balance. Yoga trains the proprioception and visual systems to improve balance. Depending on the pose, cues are sent to focus, for instance, on the foot rooted to the ground. By concentrating in an attempt to maintain contact, the big toe, little toe and heel form a tripod of sorts, which in turn helps focus the proprioception portion of balance.
In yoga, you may hear the term "drishti," which refers to obtaining a focused gaze or focus in the mind. The concept comes into play as people aim to hold a pose with their eyes closed. Certain poses become more challenging with eyes closed, which improves the visual part of balance.
Also, moving back and forth between poses without fully touching a limb to the ground can increase the ability to dynamically move and not lose balance. Over time, this will reduce the risk of falling while walking on uneven ground or turning quickly. | https://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/about-us/8-news/21854-the-health-benefits-of-yoga.html |
Hyperthermia or heat stroke is an ongoing threat to animals and children confined within enclosed vehicles and other extreme environments, especially during the warmer summer months. Soldiers, working military animals, companion animals and livestock may also be at risk of hyperthermia when living or working in extreme environments. For example, the temperature inside of the passenger section of a parked automobile may rise above 105° F. in less than 10 minutes and when the ambient outdoor temperature is greater than 88° F. Ambient temperatures routinely exceed 105° F. in some military deployment sites such as desert military stations.
To avoid hyperthermia in extreme environments, body temperature may be regulated by disposing of excess heat generated by exertion and/or basal metabolic activity. Conduction of internally generated heat to external body surfaces and evaporative cooling of surface fluids such as sweat are typically the primary means for animals to regulate body temperature. In some animals such as canines that do not generate sweat, respiratory evaporation may be the dominant mechanism of heat loss for body temperature regulation. The effectiveness of body temperature regulation in animals, in particular the efficiency of evaporative cooling, is sensitive to ambient environmental conditions.
High ambient temperatures and elevated humidity reduce the effectiveness of body temperature regulation. Regardless of temperature, when relative humidity exceeds 80% in an environment, the effectiveness of evaporative cooling is substantially reduced. High relative humidity in the ambient air around an animal may be a more critical factor than high temperature with respect to risk of hyperthermia, especially in animals such as canines that rely solely on respiratory evaporation for body temperature regulation.
Existing products monitor animals for signs of hyperthermia by measuring the ambient temperature inside of an enclosed environment such as the passenger compartment of an automobile. However, these existing devices generally only measure ambient temperature inside of the vehicle and fail to accurately measure or otherwise estimate the actual core or skin temperature of the animal. Further, these devices fail to account for variability in an animal's reaction to an extreme environment due to physiological factors, such as the animal's activity level, that may also vary depending on the particular species of animal.
A need exists in the art for a system for monitoring the condition of animals in extreme environments in which both environmental and physiological quantities are measured and processed to assess the animal's risk of developing a dangerous condition such as hyperthermia. A need in the art further exists for a monitor system, that include empirically-derived algorithms to estimate the condition of the animal based on environmental measurements, such as ambient temperature and relative humidity, and physiological measurements such as the animal's skin temperature and activity level. In addition, a need in the art exists for a monitor system that monitors a subset of a plurality of environmental and physiological sensor signals, in which the subset of signals includes non-redundant and/or high-quality signals. Such a system would be able to discern when an animal in an extreme environment is at risk of developing a dangerous condition such as hyperthermia or hypothermia and issue an alert to a caregiver or emergency response entity.
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How mission-support leaders can improve the internal customer experience
Mission-support services such as human resources, information technology, procurement and financial management, provide federal employees with the tools to work effectively. The Partnership and Medallia’s recent “Behind the Scenes” report found that when leaders focus on the customer experience employees have with mission-support services—or the internal customer experience—they enhance federal agencies’ ability to carry out their missions.
But what does it mean to focus on the internal customer experience, and how can mission-support leaders do so? “Behind the Scenes” offers five recommendations for making mission-support services more focused on their internal customers:
- Understand customer needs and perceptions. Mission-support leaders must understand their customers’ needs and then evaluate whether services meet those needs. Leaders should use a variety of research techniques—such as surveys, focus groups and one-on-one conversations—to build a complete and detailed picture of their customers’ needs and experiences. These leaders should also use this research to determine how different customer segments—for example, headquarters or field staff—experience various mission-support services and how different experiences may affect those employees.
- Create a customer experience vision and strategy. When improving the internal customer experience, it’s important for mission-support leaders to have a well-defined vision for success. They should clearly define what a good experience looks like for the federal employees they serve, and develop a strategy to create that experience. An effective strategy should link to the agency’s broader strategic plan and make evident how customer-focused services will support the overall mission.
- Build a customer-focused workforce and culture. Providing a good internal customer experience starts with the workforce that provides that support for the mission. Recognizing staff members who create a good experience will help create momentum for making customer-focused service a top priority across the agency. Leaders can also help set mission-support employees up for success by providing them with professional development opportunities focused on building better customer experience skills.
- Design customer-focused solutions. Soliciting employee input when designing programs and policies helps guarantee those programs and policies will be customer-focused from the start. Leaders should offer federal agency customers a seat at the table when creating or adjusting services and make sure to consider “impact on customers” when making key decisions.
- Measure and evaluate the customer experience to inform continual improvement. Improving the internal customer experience with support services is not a one-off. Mission-support leaders should make it an ongoing practice to solicit multiple forms of customer feedback and use that feedback to improve services and provide customers with a better experience going forward.
Read “Behind the Scenes” for more recommendations on how to create customer-focused mission-support services, and for examples of how agencies have put these principles into action.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment. | https://ourpublicservice.org/blog/mission-support-services-more-customer-focused/ |
COVID-19: Management Accounting
As the novel coronavirus impacts our lives, how we work and the global economy, the Management Accounting (MA) community is coming together to support our members in finance during this time of uncertainty. In order to navigate this challenging environment, we are providing information on topics such as business planning and continuity, resilience, analysis and other industry-specific practical guidance that you need today. Use the management accounting resources below to meet these new challenges of providing high-quality guidance and information in your role as the financial professional on the front lines.
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Q:
Proving the predicate $\forall n \in \mathbb{N} , n \geq 2$ using the Pigeonhole principle
The version of the pigeonhole principle we’ll look at is the following: “For all natural
numbers $n$ greater than $1$, and all subsets $S, T$ of $\mathbb{N}$ where $|S| = n$ and $|T| = n − 1$, there does not exist
a one-to-one function from $S$ to $T$.”
We define the predicate $PHP(n)$:
$$∀S, T ⊆ \mathbb{N}, |S| = n ∧ |T| = n − 1 ⇒
(∀f : S → T, ∃s_{1}, s_{2} ∈ S, s_{1} \neq s_{2} ∧ f(s_{1}) = f(s_{2}))$$
How do we prove that $∀n ∈ N, n ≥ 2 ⇒ PHP(n)$.
I'm having a very hard time with this proof and don't even know where to begin with.
A:
We have $PHP(n)$:
\begin{align*}
\forall S,T \subseteq N,|S| = n \land |T| = n-1 \implies (\forall f: S \mapsto T,\exists s_1,s_2\in S, s_1 \neq s_2 \land f(s_1) = f(s_2))
\end{align*}
We need to prove this for $\forall n \in \mathbb{N}, n \geq 2 \implies PHP(n)$.
The base case $P(2)$, for $n=2$:
Let $S,T\subseteq \mathbb{N}$, assuming $|S|=2$ and $|T|=1$(as given by the above predicate). Letting $f:S \mapsto T$, we observe that there are $2$ elements in $S$ and only $1$ element in $T$ and so, in this case, both of the elements of $S$ are mapped to the only element in $T$.
$\therefore s_1 \neq s_2 \land f(s_1) =f(s_2)$ and, henceforth, $PHP(2)$ is true.
Now, we let $k \in \mathbb{N}$. Assuming $P(k)$:
\begin{align*}
\forall S,T \subseteq N,|S| = k \land |T| = k-1 \implies (\forall f: S \mapsto T,\exists s_1,s_2\in S, s_1 \neq s_2 \land f(s_1) = f(s_2))
\end{align*}
We will try to show $P(k+1)$:
\begin{align*}
\forall S,T \subseteq N,|S| = k+1 \land |T| = (k+1)-1=k \implies (\forall f: S \mapsto T,\exists s_1,s_2\in S, s_1 \neq s_2 \land f(s_1) = f(s_2))
\end{align*}
Now, If we look at the first part of the statement $\forall S,T \subseteq N,|S| = k+1 \land |T| =k$, it is similar the base case, $PHP(2)$. Whereas the original statement comprised of $\forall S,T \subseteq N,|S| = k \land |T| = k-1$.
We observe from $PHP(k)$ that it relates to $PHP(k+1)$ in the following manner:
\begin{align*}
\forall S,T \subseteq N,|S| = k \land |T| = k-1\\
\implies |S| = k+1 \land |T| = (k+1)-1 \\
\implies |S| = k+1 \land |T| = k
\end{align*}
which is equivalent to the statement from $P(k+1)$. Also, similar to $PHP(k)$, $|S|>|T|$ in $PHP(k+1)$. And since we know that $PHP(2)$ is true, and that the domain, $|S|$, will always be $1$ greater than the range, $|T|$, as $k+1>k$ showing that there does not exist a function that is one-to-one from $S$ to $T$.
$\therefore$ We have shown $P(k+1)$ to be true.
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This content was COPIED from BrainMass.com - View the original, and get the already-completed solution here!
First Part:
What is the discriminant? Explain what information the discriminant gives us and why this information is important. What does the discriminant tell us about the graph of a quadratic equation?
Second Part:
What is a parabola and where does it come from? What important information is given by the vertex of a parabola? How do we determine if a parabola has a maximum or a minimum value?© BrainMass Inc. brainmass.com March 4, 2021, 10:41 pm ad1c9bdddf
https://brainmass.com/math/algebra/discriminants-parabolas-353009
Solution Preview
For the quadratic equation ax^2+bx+c=0 the discriminant is the number
D=b^2-4ac
Since in the quadratic formula,
x=[-b + sqrt(D)] / (2a), x=[-b - sqrt(D)] (2a)
used to find the solutions to the quadratic equation the discriminant is under the square root, if it's negative, the equation does not have any real solutions. If the discriminant is zero, the expressions above become identical, so if D=0, the equation has ...
Solution Summary
Discriminants and parabolas are defined and exemplified. | https://brainmass.com/math/algebra/discriminants-parabolas-353009 |
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