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1. Place chicken in ziploc baggie & add honey mustard (a few squirts will work). Seal well and let your older kiddos shake it up. Fridge it until about an hour before dinnertime.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees & prepare cookie sheet (spray, grease, parchment, whatever!) I use my Pampered Chef stone and therefore didn’t need any greasing since it’s been aged over time.
3. Coat chicken in panko & place on sheet.
4. Cook for 20-25 minutes, then broil to crisp for 2 additional minutes.
5. Serve with BBQ, extra honey mustard or whatever else strikes your fancy.
Thanks, Shannan! Do you have any go-to quick dinners that your kids love? | https://www.mixedprintslife.com/2012/04/04/honey-mustard-chicken/ |
The recipes for glazed terracotta were closely guarded workshop secrets developed over decades and used by the Della Robbia family for about a century. The first step in the process was gathering earthen clay from riverbeds. Luca set a standard by seeking out the finest quality of clay available, a light-colored, chalky variety that bound particularly well with his lead-tin glazes. He then refined the clay through cleaning, sifting, and the addition of soft river sand.
The prepared clay was mixed with water and formed by hand-modeling, pressing it into molds, or a combination of the two techniques. A mold was used to replicate this composition. The two reliefs probably emerged from the same mold but were finished slightly differently, with details refined by hand and variations in glaze colors and applied gilding. The transparency and matte surfaces of the glaze, along with the “runny” quality of the glaze in the eyes of the New York version, suggest early experimentation with the new technique.
Larger sculptures in the round were made in pieces, often hollowed out, and joined together at a later stage. Production in sections facilitated the works’ transport to destinations outside Florence. This figure group for a church in Pistoia was built in four separate parts. Once the individual pieces were formed and the clay was air dried, they were fired in a kiln at approximately 1700 degrees Fahrenheit. This step was known as “bisque firing.” The process could take several days.
Andrea della Robbia, Prudence, c. 1475, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1921, 21.116. Photograph © 2017 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
After bisque firing, the sculpture was coated with glazes, composed of finely ground glass, metallic compounds as colorants, and water. Della Robbia glazes contained a high proportion of tin and lead, which lent them an opaque, bright effect. The glazes were applied by brush, sometimes in a large field of a single color, sometimes in layers to achieve various tones and shades. Then the ceramic was fired a second time at a temperature of about 1650 degrees Fahrenheit to “vitrify” the glazes, or harden and fuse them with the clay below.
The glazes took on their colors by the addition of various metallic compounds: tin oxide for white, cobalt for bright blue, copper for green, manganese for purple, and lead and antimony for yellow. The only primary color that could not be achieved with glaze was red. Most Della Robbia sculptures were glazed in a limited palette of one to five hues. Luca’s great-nephew Giovanni, however, distinguished himself by the use of a wider range of color and detail. The expressive quality of his lunette relief of the Resurrection was intensified by glazes in a variety of realistic flesh tones and by the addition of paint and gilding after firing. This monumental work was first recorded in an outdoor setting, at the top of a portal in the garden of an Antinori villa outside Florence. The patron, shown in prayer, was a member of that Florentine patrician family. Recent conservation of the relief was supported by his descendants through Marchesi Antinori S.p.A.
In Giovanni’s Pietà, the skin tones of Mary and the dead Christ are not glazed. Instead, the terracotta is left in its natural color, enhanced by paint, to suggest the color of flesh without the addition of luminous white. Giovanni’s father, Andrea, seems to have introduced this treatment, which heightened realism, in Della Robbia holy figures of the 1490s. The innovation may have been in part a response to calls for greater simplicity and austerity in religious practice during the later 15th century. | https://www.nga.gov/features/slideshows/della-robbia-feature-1-slideshow.html |
controlled areas.
CLASSIFIED MATERIAL
from gaining access to it. The security requirements
must allow work to be accomplished while providing
adequate security. In the Navy, the commanding officer
is directly responsible for safeguarding all classified
information within his command. He is also responsible
to ensure that classified material is stored properly when
not actually in use.
person, it must be guarded or stored in a locked security
container.
combination lock as approved by the General Services
Administration (GSA) or a class A vault that meets the
standards established by the Director of Naval
Intelligence. An alarm-protected area may be used to
protect Top Secret material when the responsible local
official decides that an alarm system provides protection
equal to, or better than, the safe, steel file, or vault. The
alarm-protected area provides a physical barrier that
prevents removal of the material and prevents the
material from being viewed by unauthorized personnel
and compromised.
B vault, a vault type of room, or a secure storage room
that has been approved according to the standards
prescribed by the Director of Naval Intelligence.
to store classified materials because they increase the
risk of theft. Only classified materials are to be placed
in containers designated for storage of classified
material.
symbols are located in an obvious location on the
outside of the container. Each container must also meet
the security requirements for the highest classification
of material stored in the container. However, this
designation is not marked externally on the container.
officer, communications officer, or other person(s)
designated by the commanding officer. Combinations
for containers with noncryptographic material will be
changed under any of the following conditions:
discovered unlocked and unattended
numerical series, and personal data (such as birthdays
and serial numbers) must not be used. The same
combination cannot be used for more than one container.
classified material stored in the container.
combination 50-25-50. Combination padlocks must be
reset to 10-20-30. | http://dofmaster.com/courses/basic/photographycourse-357.html |
Various mixing devices have long been utilized for mixing polymeric flocculants to improve their contact with a low solids mixture. A water based slurry containing solids from which the water is to be removed is a common situation which presents itself in many industries. Many techniques have been utilized in handling such slurries (whether sludges or whether having other physical properties) for enhancing water removal, such as improved centrifugation or filtration, including vacuum filtration. In many of such water removal process techniques, the dewatering can be even further enhanced via the addition of a suitable polymeric substance. Suitable polymeric substances vary widely, depending upon the substance to be dewatered and its chemical, physical, and electrostatic properties. In many sludge handling applications a suitable polymer might be a high molecular weight and high charge density cationic polymer. However, in many commonly encountered applications, such as in the treatment of sewage sludge, achieving enhanced water removal even with addition of a suitably selected polymer is often difficult to achieve. One approach often used, which is rather expensive, is simply to increase the polymer dosage. However, in some cases, even that technique does not provide much improvement. In such cases, the ultimate solids dryness remains sufficiently low that significant savings in further handling costs (particularly with respect to charges for drying, transportation, and disposal) could be achieved if only the polymer addition achieved the performance results in full scale that were (and sometimes still are) seen in comparable bench scale trials.
A common problem encountered in the methods heretofore tried which are of interest to us is that polymer addition is often done only in conjunction with pumps designed to move the material. In such cases, the amount of work done on both the sludge and to the polymer being added has been primarily (if not totally) dependent on the work that the pump device, such as a progressive cavity pump impeller, did in the process of moving the sludge or slurry from one location to another. Thus, those methods inevitably leave the results in the hands of the selection of a few variables, namely polymer selection and dosage rate, since the pump itself is usually provided for a fixed service (i.e., flow, impeller rpm, and pressure differential). It is often rather difficult (if not impossible) to accomplish a quick adjustment of the pump, so, plant workmen are often found to be simply too lazy or too pressed for time to properly make use of the available adjustments, if any. So, a commonly encountered situation is that vendors of polymers are called in to test their various products, at different dosages, until an optimum product and dosage selection are attained to most cost effectively achieve the desired dewatering results.
Thus, there remains a continuing and as yet unmet need for a device that would provide immediate and precise control over polymer mixing, and which separates the work of sludge/polymer mixing from sludge pumping, and which can withstand the hazards inherent in sludges from sources such as municipal wastewater treatment plant operations.
The foregoing figures, being exemplary, contain various elements that may be present or omitted from actual implementations depending upon the circumstances. An attempt has been made to draw the figures in a way that illustrates at least those elements that are significant for an understanding of the various embodiments and aspects of the invention. However, various other elements of an in-line blender and of a method of mixing polymer with sludge are also shown and briefly described to enable the reader to understand how various optional features, methods, or structures may be utilized in order to provide a useful in-line blender application that easily accommodates adjustment of polymer application rates and of the mixing work accomplished on a sludge/polymer mixture, in order to achieve optimization of sludge dewatering and drying processes.
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Today was day #1 at the #innovategraded conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
This conference is all about innovation in education, and how to start this process both in your classroom and at your school.
Today I attended a day-long workshop with @suzieboss on Project Based Learning (PBL).
Here are my top 10 takeaways:
- The teacher must plan and implement the driving question, the end product, the first day lesson, and the learning engagements along the way.
- When teachers are new to PBL, it’s critical that they design many parts of the project for students.
- The driving question should be action-oriented and appeal to students’ interests.
- The initial activity must grab students’ attention.
- The audience for this project must be authentic and add value to students’ learning.
- PBL is inquiry based and allows for students’ individual questions.
- PBL is not the same as projects because the latter often do not have lasting learning value.
- It is not necessary to do PBL all the time. Depending on a teacher’s particular situation, once or twice a year may be all that she can manage.
- It is important for colleagues to collaborate with each other on the design of a PBL project even if not everyone will be implementing it in their classroom.
- Finally, it is important to scaffold students’ learning through mini lessons and check-ins along the way.
Tomorrow there will be many 30 – 90 minute sessions on a variety of topics. I look forward to continuing on this learning journey. | https://elisawaingort.com/2015/03/05/project-based-learning-with-suzie-boss/ |
Why Econophysics?
Econophysics is the interdisciplinary science where physicists try to adapt mathematical theories from physics to economics and financial markets. This is an attempt to apply models used in physics to finance - especially to the financial markets.
There is a huge number of models in physics and applied mathematics which exhibit parallels to phenomenon seen in financial markets. In particular financial markets seem to be largely random, but also appear to have some possibly exploitable time structure. Simple methods to identify time structure, such as the Fourier analysis or ARIMA type models perform poorly. This has led researchers to apply more powerful techniques that can handle non-stationarity (eg Wavelet analysis). A primary reason why these models perform poorly is the non-stationarity of financial series. In addition financial returns have distributions which are not Normal: high frequency financial data is characterized by power law distributions in the tails: extreme moves, beyond 3 standard deviations, are seen.
The anticipation of large financial price changes is extremely important for money management. For this reason some investigation of models which show phase transition or mode switching seems to perhaps better reflect financial market behaviour. Some application of the deterministic chaotic models, or – more generally recovery the nonlinear map of the generating process show apparent parallels between phenomenon in the physical world and behaviours seen in financial markets.
As it has been observed, the world economy is composed of individual participants (the economy of particular countries, market participants, etc) and can be compared to a system of many bodies (electrons, liquid molecules) that effect each other. The statistical, quantum physics methods that describe the behaviour of many bodies systems can provide answers that until know were unaddressed in the traditional economy.
The latest achievements in physics together with the modern tools used for statistical analysis and the available IT instruments will enable us to better understand these issues. Although we cannot foresee the future, we believe that the research conducted by the Econophysics will help understand the rules of such complex systems as the economy or the financial markets.
Joining us you can either choose studies which will provide a Bachelor’s diploma or a Master of science diploma. The obtained knowledge will make you a perfect candidate for senior positions in banking & finance, insurance, public administration, industry and the service sector. You will be able to carry out tasks related with risk management in financial institutions, quality management and security, statistical analysis, organisations of auctions and bids, preparation and carrying out procedures in crisis situations. | http://prac.us.edu.pl/~ekonofiz/index.php/en/ |
Resumen:
Crusader Gold : The massive gold menorah - a sacred golden lampstand - symbol of the Jewish faith, torn from its home in Jerusalem's Holy Temple during the final sack of the city. Carried in triumph through Rome, it came to represent the Empire's relentless conquest of people and faiths the world over. When the Roman Empire's capital moved to Constantinople, the menorah went with it . . . But it had vanished when the bloodthirsty Crusaders plundered the city in 1204. Turkey, present day. When archaeologist Jack Howard begins an exploratory dive in Istanbul's harbor, he is hoping to uncover some of the fabled treasures lost during the Crusades, including the menorah itself. What he discovers, however, is something quite different. Meanwhile, in a dusty cathedral library in England, someone unearths a long-forgotten medieval map. Together both could change the way we see history itself. And suddenly the clock is ticking: to find the gold, and find those who will stop at nothing to get it . . . The quest for the menorah's whereabouts - and its secrets - takes Jack Howard from the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Vikings in the North, to the days of Nazi power, and uncovers a trail more thrilling and potentially devastating than anyone could have imagined. | http://www.ofertondelibros.com/Libreria/Libro/Crusader-Gold/_/R-9780755329274B |
Do Jews believe in the afterlife? Unequivocally, the answer is yes! Unfortunately, in contemporary Jewish life we have lost touch with traditional Jewish wisdom on the afterlife. In this presentation, we shall explore Judaism's teachings on life after death, particularly in Kabbalah – Jewish mysticism.
Through discussion, story-telling and study of mystical texts, we shall explore the relevance of these teachings in dealing with the human encounter with death. We shall also discover the connection between Jewish teachings on the afterlife and traditional Jewish death rituals.
Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 PM CDT on ZOOM
Free Event // Registration is required by Wednesday, May 18 at 4:00 PM CDT — Scroll down to fill out the form to register.
About Our Guest
Reb Simcha Raphael, Ph.D. is Founding Director of the DA’AT Institute for Death Awareness, Advocacy and Training. He has been Adjunct Faculty in Religion at LaSalle University and Temple University, and works as a psychotherapist and spiritual director in the Philadelphia area. Ordained as a Rabbinic Pastor by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, he has written extensively on death and afterlife and is author of the ground-breaking Jewish Views of the Afterlife, and co-editor of Jewish End-of-Life Care in a Virtual Age: Our Traditions Reimagined. His website is www.daatinstitute.net.
This program is brought to you by Chesed Shel Emes and Congregation Shaarey Zedek
__________________
Questions about the event? Reach out to us – we’re here to help! | https://www.szwinnipeg.ca/event/2022-05-18-Exploring-Jewish-Views-of-the-Afterlife |
In 1990, twelve independent show organizers met to discuss how they could meet with some frequency to discuss industry trends, opportunities and the differences between for profit and not for profit issues that affected the way they could improve their companies’ ability to succeed. It was at this first meeting that The Society of Independent Show Organizers was formed and has been dedicated to meeting the needs of the for-profit show organizer through networking, the exchange of ideas and experiences, and the ability to learn from each other in a non-competitive and candid environment. SISO members include companies, corporations and other for-profit entities that own, produce or provide full service management of “face to face” trade shows, consumer shows, expositions, conferences and /or similar events as a substantial part of their business. SISO membership is a combination of large corporations and small entrepreneurial enterprises that do business primarily in North America, as well as in Europe, Asia, Africa, India, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. SISO’s more than 175 members produce over 3,500 events, creating an overall $122B impact on the global economy. | http://www.ieia.in/front/siso |
Birla voices concern over "continuous disruption" of Parliament, state legislatures
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday expressed concern over continuous disruption of proceedings and lack of decorum in Parliament and state legislatures, and noted dissidence should not lead to impasse. Calling obstruction of proceedings ethically and constitutionally wrong, he said, it was even more disturbing when such disruptions are pre-planned.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday expressed concern over ''continuous disruption'' of proceedings and ''lack of decorum'' in Parliament and state legislatures, and noted dissidence should not lead to impasse. Calling obstruction of proceedings ethically and constitutionally wrong, he said, it was even more disturbing when such disruptions are pre-planned. Addressing the Assam Assembly, Birla said, ''Democracy is based on debates and dialogue. But continuous disruption of debates in the House and lack of decorum is a matter of concern.'' While it is natural for treasury and opposition benches to disagree, ''dissidence should not lead to impasse'', he added.
The Speaker advised political parties to hold discussions on intractable issues and ensure the House functions in a manner that it can fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people. ''To obstruct the proceedings of the House is not right, ethically and constitutionally. Many a time, disruptions are not organic but pre-planned. Such conduct is even more disturbing,'' Birla said. He said disruption and adjournment of proceedings are not part of India's democratic traditions, and asked the legislators to come true to the hopes of the people. Birla said a diverse country like India is bound together by parliamentary democracy, and as the nation celebrates 75 years of Independence, it has become necessary to revisit how the House, which is an integral part of the system, functions. The first Lok Sabha Speaker to address the Assam Assembly, Birla said, the state is a vibrant example of unity in diversity. ''Assam is the bridge that connects the richly diverse North-East with the rest of India. This diversity makes our democracy even more resilient,'' he added. Birla also launched the Assam Legislative Assembly Digital TV at a programme in the central hall of the legislature.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | |
London. A fox makes its way across Waterloo Bridge. The distraction causes two pedestrians to collide--Jean, an American studying the habits of urban foxes, and Attila, a Ghanaian psychiatrist there to deliver a keynote speech. From this chance encounter, Aminatta Forna's unerring powers of observation show how in the midst of the rush of a great city lie numerous moments of connection.Attila has arrived in London with two tasks: to deliver a keynote speech on trauma, as he has done many times before; and to contact the daughter of friends, his "niece" who hasn't called home in a while. Ama has been swept up in an immigration crackdown, and now her young son Tano is missing.When, by chance, Attila runs into Jean again, she mobilizes the network of rubbish men she uses as volunteer fox spotters. Security guards, hotel doormen, traffic wardens--mainly West African immigrants who work the myriad streets of London--come together to help. As the search for Tano continues, a deepening friendship between Attila and Jean unfolds.Meanwhile a consulting case causes Attila to question the impact of his own ideas on trauma, the values of the society he finds himself in, and a grief of his own. In this delicate tale of love and loss, of cruelty and kindness, Forna asks us to consider the interconnectedness of lives, our co-existence with one another and all living creatures, and the true nature of happiness....
|Title||:||Happiness|
|Author||:|
|Rating||:|
|ISBN||:||9780802127556|
|Format Type||:||Hardcover|
|Number of Pages||:||368 pages|
|Url Type||:||Home » Happiness » Happiness|
Happiness Reviews
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‘At that time of the day Waterloo Bridge is busy with shoppers and weekend workers who make their way on foot across the bridge to Waterloo Station.’
On that day and at that time, a fox makes its way across Waterloo Bridge. Among those distracted by the sight are Jean, an American studying the habits of urban foxes, and Attila, a Ghanaian psychiatrist in London to deliver a keynote speech at a conference. This chance encounter defines a starting point for a series of interactions between Jean and ...more
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This insightful novel captures the interconnectedness of humans and animals alike as it spans across time, continents, circumstances and emotions, with a diversity of characters.
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This is a multi-layered fictional account of a man’s introspection and love for three different women, while at the same time allowing the reader to briefly glimpse the lives of those he loved. Intermingled throughout the story are wild fox and coyotes (which seems very knowledgeable), plus wild birds. The author weaves the mating of humans and the wild rather interestingly. The reader is left with hope.
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I just adored this book. It spoke to me on so many levels and I didn't want it to end. But end is inevitable, so as it was drawing to its conclusion I found myself instead wishing I could sit down and have a chat with... the author? ... maybe the character, Attila? I'm not fussy - either would do!
One evening, crossing Waterloo Bridge in London, Jean runs into Attila. Literally, ending up on the ground. She is a divorced American wildlife biologist, living in London while she conducts a study of ...more
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The premise of two strangers meeting on Waterloo Bridge because of an urban fox was enough to make me want to read this book. I lived in London for ten years and the city and its fox population have a special place in my heart. And now, so has this lovely beautifully crafted novel.
This is a story of two people who have already had a life. Throughout the book we get glimpses of the past that has shaped them into the people they are in the present. Atilla is a psychiatrist from Ghana, who has hist ...more
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Perplexing. There is a lot going on in this novel and I’m not sure how much happiness is contained within. Ms. Forna is attempting to show the interrelatedness of lives that can intersect and cause a change reaction. Attila and Jane meet in London, totally by chance, she bumps into him on a bridge, and no words are exchanged initially but they see each other later, again by chance and converse with each other, and those exchanges form the basis of this busy novel. The prose is what carried me th ...more
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Review copy courtesy of Grove Atlantic via NetGalley, many thanks for the opportunity.
I’ve not read Aminatta Forna’s earlier novel ‘The Memory of Love’, though I saw it on bookshop shelves at the time of publication and admired its cover, but I shall be seeking it out as a matter of urgency as a result of my reading this latest of hers and how interested it has made me in Sierra Leone and its recent history. | http://insideoutmusic.org/35458040/happiness.html |
How to Choose an Essay Topic That Focuses on Water ConservationFor students who have always been interested in water conservation, the current drought may be a major concern for their college essay topics. While many students are knowledgeable about the issues that are relevant to the current drought, some students have only heard of the situations that have played out before the drought hit.
An essay on a recent research paper on water conservation may present a scenario that only few know about. Many students are already well-versed with the issue of water conservation when they get to college, but others do not have a clue. How will the information in the essay reflect the knowledge the students will bring with them when they leave college? Will it be researched information or anecdotal data?
Some students might volunteer for a study or survey participants would not be able to make it to the college. So the respondents may give the story from personal experience or a second-hand account of events that occurred during a summer they were forced to use more than their normal supply of water. This can make for a difficult combination of facts and stories that will be presented to the reader.
The topic of drought is sure to be a topic for any essay on conservation, but some students may not feel fully equipped to handle the subject. Other students are already aware of the problem, but this can be complicated by the fact that the source of information does not necessarily tell the whole story. When choosing a topic for an essay on conservation, focus must be on the more comprehensive perspective rather than the direct. With so many people already concerned about global warming, it is clear that this is not an area where people can afford to not take an active interest.
In addition to using personal experience, it may be easier to relate the story to information from the school, the county, or the state as well as personal experience. Students are asked to use their own words when writing an essay on conservation. Inother words, the writer's opinions or experiences are often what makes the subject more personal. It is a great way to present a different point of view.
Also, one should consider the type of students that will be writing the essay. This should be taken into consideration as it can really affect the overall topic of the essay. Younger readers or even older students should look for another perspective or study about the topic or even use their observations to write their own opinion piece.
Before entering a discussion about the issue, it is important to give the overall perspective of the writer. This is a good way to give more emphasis to the opinions and knowledge of older readers or younger ones as it shows the author is aware of the issue and has a perspective on it. Also, it should be noted that by turning the discussion into a personal perspective can make the subject of conservation less personal or the problem more personal. A few people may still be hesitant to participate, but if it is given a more personal perspective, many more people will be more likely to take an active interest in the subject.
Whether or not there is a particular cause for the drought or perhaps another subject that can be used to create an essay topic, writing an essay on water conservation is not always easy. With so many of us watching the weather and worrying about the end of the season, it can be easy to feel down about the situation and this will affect the way you view your essay.
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Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. | https://collegeessayformat70.weebly.com/ |
Which values occur exactly three times?
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Celsius to Fahrenheit converter
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Returning a "greater than" vector
164 Solvers
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202 Solvers
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Select the China site (in Chinese or English) for best site performance. Other MathWorks country sites are not optimized for visits from your location. | https://in.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/cody/problems/1735?s_tid=prof_contriblnk |
Dr. Leena Hilakivi-Clarke, head of the Women’s Health research section at The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, published new research into dietary modifications that could lead to reduced breast cancer recurrence. Dr. Hilakivi-Clarke joined The Hormel Institute in 2020 formerly with Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
The article, “Genistein reduces the risk of local mammary cancer recurrence and ameliorates alterations in the gut microbiota in the offspring of obese dams” was published in the journal Nutrients.
“Our study indicates that imbalance in the gut microbiota may be involved in determining who develops breast cancer recurrence” said Dr. Hilakivi-Clarke. “This is important because when we corrected the imbalance, also called gut dysbiosis, by feeding experimental animals genistein, the increase in breast cancer recurrence was prevented.”
Dr. Hilakivi-Clarke and her research team looked specifically at estrogen receptor positive breast cancer and the relationship between cancer recurrence and dietary factors. In previous research, Dr. Hilakivi Clarke found breast cancer was very likely to recur in in vivo model daughters born to obese mothers.
Others have shown in humans that daughters born to obese mothers are at increased risk of dying from breast cancer.
It is not clear how maternal obesity years later can influence a daughter’s breast cancer, but Dr. de Oliveira Andrade, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral investigator at The Hormel Institute suggests “it could involve low grade inflammation and gut dysbiosis observed in the daughters.” In the article, Dr. Hilakivi-Clarke and team looked at the natural compound genistein in soy foods to see if ingesting it after taking tamoxifen to treat breast cancer reversed gut dysbiosis and reduced breast cancer recurrence.
The team found that consuming genistein after breast cancer had responded to tamoxifen not only prevented recurrence, but also reversed the increase in the abundance of inflammatory gut bacteria and gut metabolites linked to increased all-cause mortality. Among the many other effects on the gut microbiota observed in the daughters, regardless whether their mother was obese or lean, the research team saw a significant increase in the bacteria called Akkermansia muciniphila that has many health benefits beyond cancer.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American women and is the second highest cause of death, after lung cancer. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and while breast cancer death rates have decreased significantly in recent years, still too many women succumb to this disease when it recurs.
Estrogen receptor positive breast cancers tend to have a great outlook in the short term since they usually grow slowly and can be treated with hormone therapy drugs, but these cancers can come back, even many years after treatment. The great challenge for breast cancer researchers is to be able to predict which patient might recur 15-20 years after the initial diagnosis, and how to prevent and treat these recurrences.
“Our findings suggest dietary modifications which target the gut microbiota may be one tool to prevent breast cancer recurrence among survivors,” said Dr. Hilakivi-Clarke.
“We are driven to determine through research what prevents recurrence in our quest to extend human life.”
The next step for the research team is to determine if the gut dysbiosis in the daughters of obese mothers is causing the increase in breast cancer recurrence and identify other dietary factors, or pre- or probiotics that reverse their gut dysbiosis. | https://www.myuscountry.com/breakthrough-research-linking-breast-cancer-recurrence-to-diet/ |
A three-story downtown office building on North Fourth Street near the Wisconsin Center will be demolished this month because of structural problems.
That demolition likely would result in the property becoming a parking lot.
The vacant building at 734 N. Fourth St. belongs to Mental Health America of Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization. Mental Health America moved from Fourth Street to the Tannery office building in Milwaukee years ago.
The Fourth Street office is functionally obsolete and structurally unsound, said Ryan Schultz, principal with HSI Properties LLC, Waukesha. Demolition is planned for this month, he said.
HSI Properties is listing the property for sale on behalf of Mental Health America, and is negotiating with a company that may buy it to operate a surface parking lot on the property, Schultz said. Spaces in the lot would be used by people working in nearby office buildings, he said.
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La industria manufacturera de América Latina ha experimentado diversas transformaciones en los últimos años. Se percibe un desempeño favorable en sus exportaciones, pero un lento crecimiento de la producción y la inversión ante la débil recuperación de la demanda interna y la mayor competencia externa. También se registra una mayor especialización ...
Technological changes and industrial dynamics in Latin America
(2000-08)
The subject-matter of this article lies at the crossroads between the literature on technological change and that on industrial dynamics. The analysis centers on the links between the form of accumulation of technical know-how in an industry and the likelihood that the innovation in question can become a vehicle for the entry of new enterprises into ...
Technological change and opportunities for development as a moving target
(2001-12)
This article puts forward an interpretation of development as a process of accumulation of technological and social capabilities dependent upon taking advantage of successive and different windows of opportunity. These windows are determined from the core countries, through the technological revolutions which occur every half-century and the four ...
Changement technologique et opportunités de développement, une cible mouvante
(2005-06)
Le présent article propose d 'interpréter le développement comme un processus d 'accumulation de capacités technologiques et sociales,dépendant de la mise à profit de fenêtres d 'opportunité successives et différentes.Celles-ci sont déterminées,à partir des pays du centre,par les révolutions technologiques qui se produisent tous les demi- siècles ...
Structural change and domestic technological capabilities
(2006-08)
This paper examines the role of structural change as a source of economic growth and institutional and technological change. With the creation of new activities in the economy, significant changes occur in institutions and in the way domestic production capabilities are organized, which alters the ultimate sources of growth in society. This is a ...
Cambio estructural y capacidad tecnológica local
(2006-08)
Este trabajo examina el papel del cambio estructural como fuente del crecimiento económico y del desarrollo institucional y tecnológico. Con la creación de nuevas actividades, la capacidad de organización productiva local y las instituciones experimentan cambios significativos, que alteran las fuentes esenciales de crecimiento de la sociedad. Se trata ...
Política económica, instituciones y desarrollo productivo en América Latina
(1996-08)
La CEPAL ha presentado a los gobiernos de la región un balance de las reformas económicas acaecidas en los últimos quince años y, derivado de él, una propuesta para fortalecer el proceso de desarrollo. De tal balance surge como mensaje central la necesidad de avanzar hacia una mayor articulación entre macroeconomía, microeconomía e institucionalidad, ... | https://repositorio.cepal.org/handle/11362/68/discover?rpp=10&etal=0&group_by=none&page=2&filtertype_0=topic&filtertype_1=coverage&filtertype_2=topic&filter_relational_operator_1=equals&filter_relational_operator_0=equals&filter_2=PRODUCTIVITY&filter_1=AMERICA+LATINA&filter_relational_operator_2=equals&filter_0=INNOVATION+AND+EXPORT+DIVERSIFICATION |
Inspired by drawing so many blanks on job and rental applications, this list has been expanded by others to include medical records and living wills.
Note that some items such as Passwords and Social Security Number should not be shared with others.
-
Name(s), maiden name, etc.
Address(s)
Phone number(s)
Email address(s)
Passwords, PIN numbers
Birth certificate
Birth hospital
Social Security Number
Driver’s License Number
Passport
Mother’s maiden name, father’s middle name
Genealogy
Birthdays, anniversaries
Contact names, addresses, phone numbers, email
Emergency contacts, address, phone numbers, email
Previous addresses
Dates
Landlord names
Landlord phone numbers
Job objective
Career objective
Synopsis of skills
High school education, proof of graduation
College education
Degrees
Certificates
Awards
Volunteerism, clubs, associations
Debt(s) $, student loan(s) $, addresses, phone numbers
Work references
Company names
Company addresses
Company phone numbers
Start dates
Start position titles
Start duties
Start wages
Start supervisors
End dates
End position titles
End duties
End wages
End supervisors
Reasons for leaving
Can contact former employer?
Checking account
Savings account
Monies in bank
Extra income $
Hourly, monthly, annual income
Assets (autos, stocks (keep certificates current), bonds, etc.)
Auto VIN numbers (some people carve them into every window)
Rent $ (incl. what percent of income is rent), lease paperwork
Deposit $ (damage, pet, etc.), paperwork
Utilities $
Child support $
Pet’s emergency clinic phone number, address
Criminal convictions (felonies and misdemeanors)
Dates of convictions
Current status of convictions
Deferments (e.g. community service, rehab)?
Voter registration address, political party
Credit cards (companies, account numbers, PIN numbers, phone numbers, billing addresses)
Save purchase receipts
Save tax receipts for 5 years
Mortgage and title company…account numbers, addresses, phone numbers.
Insurance records: home, car, medical, other property
Life insurance policy: account number, policy holder, beneficiary
Medical / Dental records:
Family history of disease and social interaction
Communicable diseases
Injuries
Distinguishing features (moles, scars, tattoos)
Eyewear prescription
Blood type
Where were tests taken?
Where are the x-rays?
Doctors’ current addresses.
Pediatricians
Where are the records now?
What meds have you taken? Reactions?
What immunizations? Reactions?
Disease indicators (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.)
Surgeries…surgeon…hospital name. I can tell you the anesthesiologist.
Insurance info
Signed release of medical information on file for emergency purposes
Doctors, case managers
Location of will, powers of attorney, living wills, Directive to Physicians
Religious affiliation, burial plot, church services? cremation? open casket? | https://skewsme.com/blog/2011/05/essentials-to-living/ |
Local chess player Candidate Master (CM) Ndawana Mosenya is on a mission to acquire a new Fide Master (FM) title by the end of this year. Speaking to this publication in an interview this week, Mosenya said that he is aiming for the stars and his intention is to change his current rankings and title (CM). The ambitious Mosenya feels that the current title does not suit his current game level. “I feel above it, this is my year of breakthrough and bringing home positive results. This is a work in progress that I am willing to undergo,” he said.
As one of the best performing senior chess players locally, Mosenya is convinced that he is currently at the peak of his chess career and his recent performance serves as testimony. Mosenya draws inspiration from his past weekend victory where he managed to defeat and humble British Grandmaster Nigel Short during the Talking Squares Chess Trust Grandmasters programme tournament.
During the weekend simultaneous clash between Short and 22 other local athletes, Mosenya made the chess community proud when he became the only Motswana to defeat the highly rated British grandmaster. The local player managed to contain Short throughout the game until he finally embarrassed him in the end. “My strategy was to play to the best of my ability and avoid unnecessary mistakes, I pushed him to a point where he could no longer contain the pressure and I took over,” Mosenya said. He noted that he managed to pull it off through intensive training and proper research on short, saying he watched more of his games and studied his way of play on the Internet.
Moreover, team Botswana managed to give Short a good run for his money as the Grandmaster found himself neck to neck with the likes of Moakofi Notha, Kgolagano Makalane and John Hutcheson. Meanwhile Short left one of the country‘s best players Barileng Gaealafshwe in stitches during the day, coming into the tournament, Gaealafshwe had said that it was a dream come true for him to play against the grandmaster. However Short did not have any mercy on the local player, “I did not play my opening game well, nevertheless it was a lesson well learnt, I have since gone back to the drawing board and will do better next time,” he said.
For his part, the founder of the trust Kenneth Boikhutswane said they managed to reach an agreement with Short, that he will play the ambassadorial role of their project. He is also said to have promised to find a grandmaster who can reside in Botswana and deliver the project. Short is also said to have promised that he will then visit Botswana once or twice a year to review the implementation of the programme with the resident grandmaster.
Sports
New GU Stadium Excites Mochudi based soccer rivals
Officials at Mochudi village’s biggest soccer clubs Mochudi Centre Chiefs and Mochudi Rovers are excited at the news that their district will soon have a state of the art football stadium after property and construction magnate Nicholas Zackhem announced the erection of the facility for Gaborone United.
Zackhem, owner and director of Zac Construction, revealed recently to this publication that a football stadium would be built in Bokaa village at a cost of P70 million, with the hope that all phases will be completed by 2025.
Edwin Mothulatshipi, Chairman of Centre Chiefs, as well as Mochudi Rovers’ Chairman Sugar Molefhe both spoke to The Midweek Sun on what the construction of the stadium means for their respective clubs. Both admit they would jump at the opportunity to use the facility for their official matches, and based on what Gaborone United financier Zackhem has shared with The Midweek Sun, it will not be difficult for all the other clubs based around the area to use the facility. TO READ THE COMPLETE STORY, BUY THIS WEEK’S EDITION (11 August 2021) OF THE MIDWEEK SUN AT A STORE NEAR YOU.
Sports
Local hockey body to incur massive financial loss post Covid-19
Botswana Hockey Association (BHA) President Unaswi Matebu has confessed that her Association will suffer major financial losses post the Covid 19 pandemic that has left the sport fraternity at a standstill.
Matebu recently told this publication that the current situation does not only have tremendous effects on their schedule, but also there will be financial implications more especially that the association does not have full time sponsors.
“We had to cancel most of our calendar activities such as tournaments, national team trainings, Board meetings, and club activities since mid-March this year, all of which have cost us money to prepare for,” Matebu remarked in an interview.
Additionally she said the planning phase for their 5-year Development Plan which was supposed to be launched in June will have to be postponed. Also there are national competitions that were postponed till further notice despite them having already set up teams and having already started preparing.
“Our Indoor Hockey Senior National teams had already started preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations – a World Cup qualifier – that was supposed to be held in June, 2020, in South Africa. Our Field Hockey Senior National teams had already begun preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that were supposed to be held in August, 2020 in Zimbabwe,” she added.
Moreover, it was going to be an excessively detailed and decorated year for local hockey governing body, with the Youth National teams having already began preparations for the Africa Youth Championships that were billed for September, 2020, in Ghana. | http://www.themidweeksun.co.bw/6141-rising-chess-star-defeats-grand-master/ |
ATCC, the world's premier biological materials management and standards organization, today announced that it has been awarded a two-year task order, with a ceiling value of $5.6 million, by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This task order is part of the company's existing Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with NCI to support the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) Molecular Epidemiology Assay Support (MEAS) program.
According to the DCEG website, its mission is to “discover the causes of cancer and inform the means for prevention by conducting transdisciplinary epidemiological and genetic research.” DCEG investigators rely on contract services to provide technical support for specimen collection, receipt and processing, and assistance identifying laboratories to perform state-of-the-art testing using high-quality biological specimens collected from clinical and field sites. The MEAS program provides support services for clinical studies on the genetic and other cellular events that influence the onset of different types of cancer.
"At ATCC, we are committed to supporting members of the clinical research community by providing them with the highest quality biomaterials for cancer research," said Raymond H. Cypess, D.V.M., Ph.D., chairman and CEO of ATCC. "We know how important this is when they are designing studies to discover cancer's genetic and environmental determinants and innovative approaches to cancer prevention. Scientific research is critical for unlocking incredible breakthroughs in global health."
Under the contract, ATCC may coordinate receipt of specimens from clinical and field sites, process fresh samples within 24 hours, and perform a broad range of state-of-the-art molecular assays to characterize the models as required. ATCC may also provide support services for the procurement, storage, and shipment of specimens to and from international and domestic specimen sites and prepare specimens for transport to testing laboratories by aliquoting, labeling, and batching, as needed.
"Through our expertise in providing standard reagents, functional testing, and biorepository operations and management, ATCC continues to support cancer research through DCEG's clinical studies," said Joseph Leonelli, Ph.D., senior vice president of ATCC Federal Solutions. "We look forward to our continued relationship with NCI through the MEAS program."
About ATCC
ATCC is a premier global biological materials and information resource and standards organization and the leading developer and supplier of authenticated cell lines, microorganisms, and associated data for academia, industry, and government. With a history of scientific contributions spanning nearly a century, ATCC offers an unmatched combination of being the world’s largest and most diverse collection of biological reference materials and data, and is a mission-driven, trusted partner that supports and encourages scientific collaboration. ATCC products, services, partnerships, and people provide the global scientific community with credible, advanced, model systems to support complex research and innovations in basic science, drug discovery, translational medicine, and public health. ATCC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with headquarters in Manassas, Virginia, and a research and technology center of excellence in Gaithersburg, Maryland. | https://www.atcc.org/about-us/newsroom/2022-news-releases/atcc-announces-award-from-nci-to-provide-cancer-epidemiology-services-to-the-research-community |
Tao Xiuming is founding partner and managing partner at JunZeJun Law Offices. He has been practicing law for nearly 30 years, which provides him with rich experience and excellent expertise in international finance, securities and foreign investments, among other areas. In addition, Tao is very experienced in dispute resolution industry and is a well-known arbitrator specialized in dealing with disputes related finance and investment. He is currently listed on the panel of arbitrators at the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (also a member of the Expert Advisory Committee of CIETAC), China Maritime Arbitration Commission, Beijing Arbitration Commission/Beijing International Arbitration Center, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (also on the panel of arbitrators for the Financial Services Disputes), Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, Chinese Arbitration Association (Taipei CAA), Cross-Strait Arbitration Center, Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration, Guangzhou Arbitration Commission, Chongqing Arbitration Commission and Zhuhai Arbitration Commission. Also, he is an active mediator at Conciliation Center of China Council for Promotion of International Trade/China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) and US-China Business Mediation Center. Additionally, Tao is a member of Financial Derivative Committee and Legal Committee of National Association of Financial Market Institutional Investors of China, a member of Legal Experts of China Banking Association, a member of Expert Committee of China Insurance Assets Management Association, and a member of Finance and Security Committee of All China Lawyers Association. | https://www.vantageasia.com/china-business-law-journal/tao-xiuming/ |
Moving to another country is an opportunity to escape and run away from all your problems and all the hurt from the place you call home. Sometimes we need a brand new start, where we are allowed to make new mistakes and be hurt in another language. I wanted South Africa to give me a new chance and I opened my heart to this country. I had high expectations and I tried so much not to judge individuals in Africa’s most diverse economy based on my experiences and opinions of my homeland Angola.
Sometimes I am reluctantly African. Please do not assume this is related to the standard arguments of our colour, hair, facial features and traditional values and so on. I am very truthful to what I am and what my race has given me. I am a black woman with Afro hair, chocolate skin tone, and I am proud of how these features allow me to smell, taste and feel the treasures of this life. What makes me reluctant when it comes to my African roots is how sometimes through issues such as racism and colourism, we are programmed to take minimal pride in our skin.
When I was younger, I did not know I was black because I did not realise there was something else other than black. When I started to see the world and understand life, I knew we were all different and I was fine with that. Growing up in Angola, I was just a girl. Travelling around this world, I became a black girl. When I came to South Africa I became a dark-skinned black girl.
Travelling and meeting new cultures has allowed me to study other peoples, habits, behaviour and language. Among these languages, I have always found English resourceful to me wherever I have gone. Besides being valuable, this international language is a confirmation of a promising future for me. I am passionate about it, as I feel it brings people together and allows me to express myself in a profound way.
It is a joy to play with words, meanings, and they provide my suffering a wider audience. For instance, English has taught me that brightness has a positive connotation such as the quality of being intelligent, cheerful, lively, successful and happy. It can also be the quality or state of giving out or reflecting light, and light continues to bring positive definitions such as illumination, radiance and brilliance. In English and any other language, we learn the universal true meaning that light is good and dark is bad. I guess this applies to societies such as South Africans where social and economic hierarchy is dependent on one’s skin colour.
Being educated and having travelled around the world, I have faced discrimination. However, I never imagined I would feel prejudice in an African country. I could have never imagined that someone would be made to feel inferior due to their skin tone.
Racism is hate towards other races; discrimination within your own race based on skin colour is ignorance. Today, we have the opportunity to make better choices but we still fail ourselves. Our race is seen as powerful because we have endured pain and injustice for so long but this power is failing to unite us. Instead, it is creating egos and distancing us from our sense of worth.
I understand that this pursuit of brightness was caused by xenophobia and deprivation and so on, but I also believe that the “yellow bonisation” (from yellow bones — a popular culture term used to describe lighter skinned Africans) will take us back to negative times. Let us embrace our natural beauty, which brings light to our hearts. If “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, it’s our duty to educate the beholder to be free from prejudice. | https://southerntimesafrica.com/site/news/dark-skin-is-not-a-badge-of-shame |
The company has extended its MIS capabilities with a complete and scalable end-to-end solution for converters in the folding carton and rigid boxes business.
The CERM MIS increases the productivity of packaging converters, thanks to its focus on the technical packaging production process and the specific interfaces to partners within this branch of the printing industry. CERM specializes in software that enables swift but detailed MIS implementations for the packaging printers. The company targets a standardized workflow while allowing parameter configuration according to client requirements.
“Ever since the very beginning of CERM, we have developed our MIS to be industry-specific to meet the special demands of industrial printshops," says Geert Van Damme, managing director. "We have a product-oriented approach since, unlike commercial print, the majority of sales orders in the packaging industry are recurrent in nature. And because the products and the production of labels and packaging are different, it’s only logical that this leads to two specialized technical solutions within the same software.”
The new CERM packaging software provides detailed instructions to streamline every step of a converter's packaging production. It contains additional software modules for a complete support of the two packaging keystones: the shape design and the nested imposition, both seamlessly integrated to Esko’s ArtiosCAD. | https://www.labelandnarrowweb.com/live-from-shows/labelexpo-americas/2021-10-02/cerm-debuts-new-mis-software-at-label-congress |
（1）a. Susan brought Stella a book.
b. Susan brought a book to Stella.
（3）a. The children showed a man a picture.
b. The children showed a picture to a man.
↑ 1.0 1.1 Krashen, S.
↑ 2.0 2.1 McLaughlin, B.
Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching, 3rd ed.
↑ Richards, J. C. and Rogers, T. S.
Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, 2nd ed.
↑ Krashen, S. D. & Terrell, T. D.
The natural approach: Language acquisition in the classroom.
Input, interaction and second language acquisition. In H. Winitz (ed). Native language and foreign language acquisition and the negotiation of comprehensible input.
↑ Goulden, R., Nation, I. S. P., and Read, J.
How large can a receptive vocabulary be?
↑ Nation, I. S. P.
The phonological loop as a language learning device.
A positron emission tomography study of the short-term maintenance of verbal information.
Phonological short-term store impairment after cerebellar lesion: a single case study.
Cerebrocerebellar networks during articulatory rehearsal and verbal working memory tasks.
↑ Makita, K., Yamazaki, M., Tanabe, C. H., Koike, T., Kochiyama, T., Yokokawa, H., Yoshida, H., & Sadato, N.
↑ Baddeley, A. D., Thomson, A., & Buchanan, M.
↑ Kovács, G. &, Racsmány M.
Lexical competition and the acquisition of novel words.
Lexical integration of novel words without sleep.
↑ Bakker, I., Takashima, A., van Hell, J. G., Gabriele, J., & McQueen, J. M.
↑ Brown, H., & Gaskell, M. G.
Learning and consolidation of novel spoken words.
The brain basis of syntactic processes: functional imaging and lesion studies.
↑ Trueswell, J. C., Tanenhaus, M. K., & Garnsey, S. M.
Evoked potentials and the study of sentence comprehension.
↑ Rayner, K., Carlson, M., and Frazier, L.
↑ McElree, G., and Griffith, T.
↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 Clahsen, H., & Felser, C.
↑ Narumi, T., & Yokokawa, H.
An ERP study of second language learning after childhood: effects of proficiency.
Towards a neural basis of auditory sentence processing.
The influence of language proficiency on lexical semantic processing in native and late learners of English.
An ERP study of regular and irregular English past tense inflection.
↑ 48.0 48.1 Pickering, M. J., & Branigan, H. P.
↑ Morishita, M., Satoi, H., & Yokokawa, H.
Recent experience affects the strength of structural priming.
↑ Morishita, M., & Yokokawa, H.
Syntactic priming in language production.
Evidence for Priming Across Intervening Sentences During On-Line Sentence Comprehension.
Experience and sentence processing: statistical learning and relative clause comprehension.
Why is conversation so easy? | https://bsd.neuroinf.jp/w/index.php?title=%E5%A4%96%E5%9B%BD%E8%AA%9E%E5%AD%A6%E7%BF%92&printable=yes |
Distance Learning courses can be attended through a web-based platform (Moodle) that you have access to when you have formally enrolled in the programme. Through this platform, you have access to the material of your chosen courses for the corresponding semester.
Each course consists of lectures, assignments and a final assessment. Lectures and assignments are delivered through the online platform.
In each course, there is the corresponding online “Forum”, in which you can communicate with both the lecturer and your fellow students. You can also communicate directly with your lecturer, whose contact information is permanently posted on the Moodle platform.
Every programme also has an “Announcement Forum”, in which announcements on important academic and administrative issues are posted throughout each semester.
3. When and how can I apply for admission to Distance Learning Undergraduate/ Postgraduate programmes and what are the admission criteria for each programme?
New applications for Distance Learning Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes are accepted for the Fall Semester, which commences in October, and for the Spring Semester, which begins in February.
Applications can be sent throughout the year, and you can choose the semester you wish to join by marking a specific field on the admission application form. The application form for admission and the necessary supporting documents can be sent electronically to [email protected] or by post. You may also apply online following the link https://www.unic.ac.cy/apply/.
The admission criteria for Distance Learning Programmes can be found on the University of Nicosia website: https://www.unic.ac.cy/distance-learning-degrees/.
Once you arrange the down payment for the new semester, three more monthly instalments will have to be paid. The amount of monthly instalments is determined according to the number of courses you choose.
The down payment for Master’s programmes is 400 euros, while for the Bachelor’s it is 500 euros.
The monthly instalments appear in the UNIC Portal in “Instalments”. All your account transactions (charges/credits) are also shown in the UNIC Portal in “Statement of Account”.
Payment Method Information is sent along with your acceptance message to the Distance Learning Programmes. You can also find the information electronically at: https://www.unic.ac.cy/admission-requirements/financial-information/payment-options/.
If the full amount of the tuition fees for the semester or for the programme is prepaid (before the end of the Add/Drop period), you will receive a 4% reduction in the corresponding tuition fees.
The courses can be selected electronically via the UNIC Portal software by selecting “Academic”, then “Course Pre-registration”. The courses offered have the option “Add” next to them, and you should select the first available section. Courses that do not show the option “Add” next to them are not offered in the current semester and you cannot choose them.
Access to the online pre-registration system is not interrupted when there are financial debts, and you can proceed normally. However, financial debts result in the student losing access to the Moodle platform and to the final grades in the UNIC Portal, in “Academic”, “My Grades”. To be able to officially register in the courses of a new semester and to be able to access the Moodle platform, you must settle all financial debts of the previous semester and pay the down payment for the new semester (400 euros for Postgraduate programmes and 500 euros for Undergraduate programmes).
When you choose courses, Academic Advisors check your choices. You will receive an email confirming the course choices before the start of the new semester. In the event that a mistake is made in your course choices or if there is any problem with the course pre-registration, the Academic Advisors will contact you directly to make the necessary corrections. We recommend that you carefully review the instructions sent to you and consult your Academic Path through your UNIC Portal to avoid selecting the wrong courses.
This is because your registration for the current semester is not finalized. In order for you to complete the official registration of the courses that are selected and for the relevant access to the Moodle platform, all the financial debts of the previous semester must be settled and the down payment for the new semester must be paid (400 euros for the Postgraduate and 500 euros for Undergraduate).
Any changes to the course selection should be made within the Add/Drop period, by the end of the second week of the semester at the latest. If you wish to withdraw from any course(s), you have to inform the Academic Advisors to withdraw from the course and fill in a Withdrawal form for each course. Apart from tuition, all other fees (i.e. Application fee) are not refundable. Cancellation of tuition (refund) will be based on the following schedule:
|(Tuition fees Return)||Tuition fees Charge|
|Before the beginning of the course||100%||0%|
|First week of the semester||80%||20%|
|Second week of the semester||70%||30%|
|Third week of the semester||50%||50%|
|Fourth week of the semester||25%||75%|
|After the fourth week of the semester||0%||100%|
11. The reference number in which I added my courses (A ...N...) does not allow me to enter the UNIC Portal. What should I do?
For newly enrolled students, after the Academic Advisors approve the courses, they will receive a Permanent Student Identity Number (U … N …), which is then used for entering the UNIC Portal and Moodle platform. The reference number (A … N …) expires.
You may temporarily interrupt your studies for one or more semesters, provided that your total attendance (including interruption) does not exceed the maximum duration of the programme.
The live face-to-face meetings are held simultaneously through a teleconference system (WebEx – video conferencing facility). You are informed in advance about these meetings and you are provided with relevant instructions. These teleconferences are also recorded and posted on the Moodle platform, so you can watch them throughout the semester.
You may request a confirmation letter of study by sending an e-mail to [email protected] stating the type of the confirmation letter as well as the semester for which the confirmation letter is required. Confirmation letters are issued only for semesters you have already completed or for the current semester, provided that the 4th week of course attendance has been completed.
For any issues related to your studies, as well as for general issues, you can contact the Academic Advisors at +357 22367300 and +30 2103004660. Alternatively, you can contact the secretariat of the Department at [email protected]. The Moodle platform also has permanently posted the contact details of the Distance Technical Support Unit and the Library.
For any questions/clarifications/comments regarding the courses, you should contact your lecturers. You can contact your lecturer through email and through the Moodle platform. Through the Moodle platform, you can contact your lecturer using the Course Forum, which is a public course forum. You can discuss any aspect of the course and share any questions or concerns about the course content in the Course Forum. Alternatively, you can add a new discussion topic to ask a public question to your lecturer and classmates. You can also contact your lecturers directly by sending them a message through the Moodle platform. The lecturer’s contact information is on the Moodle platform.
Every course has a Required Textbook, which students should obtain. In some cases, the Required Textbooks might be available through the UNIC Library.
If you forget your password for the UNIC Portal, you may choose the link “Forgot My Password?” displayed when selecting “Login”. If you cannot find your UNIC Portal code through this process or from the original email sent to you through your registration to the Distance Learning Programme, you can contact the Distance Learning Unit at [email protected].
If you cannot find your code for the Moodle platform from the original email that you received, you can choose “Forgot my Password”, which will generate an automated email with a link through which you can activate your code. Alternatively, you can contact the Distance Learning Unit at [email protected].
Student ID cards are delivered to you before the end of the first semester of your studies.
New students: An announcement will be posted on the Moodle platform, to which new students should upload an appropriate photo of themselves to their profile on the platform. Relevant instructions will be attached in the announcement.
Current students: Students who for any reason did not receive their Student ID card at the first semester of their studies need to check when the next announcement is posted that the photo they uploaded for their Student ID card is appropriate and perhaps replace it. Relevant instructions will be attached to the announcement.
The Final Assessment for each course can be an exam or a take home exam, or an e-invigilated exam or a project or any other form of assessment.
According to the University regulations, your participation in the final assessment is mandatory. In the exceptional case that a student cannot take a final assessment, he/she will have to inform the lecturer before the final assessment and submit a relevant certificate.
If the student had submitted the course assignments normally, and the lecturer considers the absence to be justified, the lecturer can give a “Deferred” (DE) or “Incomplete” (I) grade, and the student will be able to take the final assessment of the course during the next examination period, following the allocation of the “Deferred” (DE) or “Incomplete” (I) grade.
The relevant make-up exam fee is €35, which is automatically charged.
If you fail a course (grade F), you can either repeat the course from the beginning, by selecting it again, or take the final assessment during the Second Examination period. The option to take the final assessment in the Second Examination period depends on the student’s total grade in the course until that point.
You are allowed to attend the Second Examination of the course you have failed during the following semester’s examination period.
You can only take a second exam once. If you fail the second examination, you will have to repeat the course, the fees of which will be 50% of the regular price.
Examination: Will cover the entire course curriculum.
Examination Fee: €65 per course/examination
Grade: The first total grade of F will have a weight of 30% and the final grade on the second exam will have a weight of 70% in the final grade of the course.
You should also know the final numerical grade of each course so that you can decide:
- Whether you have chances to pass the second exam;*
- What is the maximum final grade you can achieve;
- What is the minimum grade you need to get in the second exam in order to pass the course
*If your first total grade in the course is very low (e.g. 20/100), and there is no chance you can successfully complete the course by taking the second examination, then you will have to repeat the entire course (activities, assignments, final assessment) by selecting it again and paying the corresponding cost, minus 50%.
The University of Nicosia takes all necessary measures to facilitate students who require special treatment during both their studies and their final assessments. Students experiencing either physical or learning disabilities should fill in the relevant field in the application form and send the following documents when they complete and submit their application:
- An official and original attested document from a doctor explaining the disability/problem faced by the student as well as the proposed way or special facility that the University of Nicosia should offer.
Upon completion of your final assessment, you have the opportunity to receive a confirmation letter.
Final grades are shown in the UNIC Portal in “My Grades”, under “Academic” provided that the tuition fees for the semester have been paid. By clicking on the final grade, you can see the detailed grades for participation, assignments and the final assessment.
After you have completed the graduation application, you receive an e-mail message informing you whether you meet the graduation criteria or not. The academic documents (e.g. academic transcript, diploma supplement) are sent to you via mail. For students from Greece, the relevant documents are submitted to DOATAP in Greece (if recognition for DOATAP is required) upon request of the student.
In order to receive your degree, you have to settle all outstanding financial issues and submit attested copies of your first Academic Documents (Degree, Transcript or Apolytirion) to the Distance Learning Unit. This process can be done by post, before the academic degrees are issued.
28. What procedure should I follow with DOATAP in Greece to get recognition? (If recognition for DOATAP is required)
Once your final grades have been posted and you are informed that you have successfully completed the programme, you may submit your application to DOATAP in Greece. The list of supporting documents you must submit can be found on the DOATAP website https://e-doatap.doatap.gr/ .
The university submits the necessary documents (Copy of the Degree, Transcript, Diploma Supplement, University Certificate and DOATAP questionnaire) to DOATAP in Greece to complete your application upon your request.
Participation in the graduation ceremony is not compulsory. After the final grades are announced, the necessary academic checks are conducted and the issuing process is completed, the degrees and other academic documents are sent to you via courier and are submitted upon request to DOATAP in Greece (for students from Greece) regardless of whether you participated in the graduation ceremony. | https://www.unic.ac.cy/distance-learning/faq/ |
The Alliance for Continuing Medical Education is a membership organization that provides professional development opportunities for CME professionals. Its Web site offers listservs, information on conferences, networking, education opportunities and resources to help CME professionals. Related CME Web sites are also provided.
The American Medical Association (AMA) has a Web presence offering information for physicians, health professionals and patients. Each of these sections can be accessed from the top left-hand navigation bar. For physicians and healthcare professionals, the AMA offers information on the AMA, including access to JAMA, medical education and more. Patients can use the Web site to find a doctor, hospital or medical group.
As a reference tool, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers data and statistics of information collected nationwide on various health topics. Users can access statistics on behavioral risk, cancer registries, state-by-state cancer data and more. The CDC site also offers safety and education information, as well as disease prevention and information for travelers visiting foreign countries.
Doctor's Guide is a resource for professionals to read the latest research news on various diseases and conditions. The news is updated regularly and comes from clinical and medical journals, as well as original reported articles. The site also offers Web casts and cases. Users can register to customize the site so that the areas of interest launch when the site is accessed. To access a specific condition channel of interest, go to the top navigation bar. This also is where users can find information on a number of specific cancers.
Health A to Z is a consumer health Web site that offers, news, features, online chat, information on specific diseases and more. From the home page, users can scroll down to read the features, or use both left- and right-hand navigation bars to go to the section of interest. Users who register free of charge can access Health A to Z tools including Personalized News e-mailed weekly; online family health records organizer, calendar and address book that includes free e-mail reminders about immunizations, checkups, prescription refills and appointments; an online fitness journal; online symptom diaries; and more.
HealthWeb is a collaborative project of the Greater Midwest Region National Network of Libraries of Medicines, the Committee for Institutional Cooperation and 20 actively participating libraries supported by the National Library of Medicine. Its Web site offers a gateway to other Web sites on the Internet offering more information about the health topics listed. As a link-to-link site, exploring the information requires moving from Web site to Web site, which can take time. Be sure to use your browser's back button to return to this Internet ResourceDisc.
InteliHealth is a health Web site geared toward patients and offers health information from the Harvard Medical School and is a service of Aetna. Users can access information on diseases, healthy lifestyles, database information, health tools and more.
From the Mayo Clinic, this consumer-directed Web site provides material online that has been reviewed or developed by a Mayo Clinic physician or researcher. The home page offers access to News and Features and Health Lifestyle Planners for weight management, exercise, and smoking cessation. The left-hand navigation bar offers links to the following sections: Disease and Conditions, Healthy Living Centers, Drug Information, and First Aid and Self Care. Take Charge of Your Health offers access to the lifestyle planners, health decision guides, and more.
MDChoice offers physician-reviewed health information for both professionals and consumers. Consumers can access various disease centers to learn more information. Health professionals can search by topic, read interactive cases, or view photo and ECG rounds.
MDLinx provides daily medical news for 33 specialty Web sites for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Each site aggregates the latest research and developments from journals for that specialty. To choose a specialty, scroll down to the bottom of the main page and register. Click here to go directly to the neurology specialty area www.neurologylinx.com.
A gateway site to medical information on the Web, MedExplorer allows users to click on the medical or health topic of interest to be directed to a list of Web sites applicable to that category. Users can then visit the Web site of their choice. As a link-to-link site, exploring the information requires moving from Web site to Web site, which can take time. Be sure to use your browser's "back" button to return to this Internet ResourceDisc.
This link takes users directly to the government's National Library of Medicine's Web site. From here, users can search the library's databases, including MEDLINE, by using two search capabilities: PubMed or Internet Grateful Med. Users can also access the library's TOXNET and ClinicalTrials.gov, to search current clinical trials. All research programs are listed on this site, as are the library's vast resources.
Medscape is a resource for professionals seeking medical and clinical information. The main page offers daily headlines, features, specialty spotlights, and access to the different Medscape Networks on the left-hand navigation bar. These networks act as online communities for medical students, medical office managers, nurses and pharmacists. Specialty pages on conditions are accessible via a top navigation bar.
The 17th edition of the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy is searchable from the home page and offers easy navigation and ability to find information. A link to the home edition of the manual also can be found on the main page.
This link takes users directly to the online version of this well-known dictionary, which is hosted by Harvard Medical School's Consumer Health Information Web site. Users just need to key in the word to look up definitions.
The National Library of Medicine Web site offers access to MEDLINE/PubMed and MEDLINE Plus, as well as the NLM Gateway. The site also offers links to library services, research programs and more general information about the library.
Physicians' Online (POL) is a registered site for physicians to access medical information. The site also acts as a communication network. Physicians can access up-to-date and comprehensive medical and non-medical resources, as well as visit links to associations, health plans, pharmaceutical sponsors and healthcare organizations. It also offers online CME and discussion groups.
From the publishers of the Physician's Desk Reference, PDR.net allows users to search by drug name or advanced search options; however, users must be registered. The site also offers drug interactions information, and again, users must be registered.
WebMD is a consumer health site containing condition-specific information for patients, the latest in health news from medical journals and medical meetings, a searchable articles archive, special live chats and events, message boards, interactive health tools and more. | http://seniorpsychiatry.com/links5.html |
I say, this is like something by that novelist chap, Mister Wells.
Now Wells impact on Doctor Who is rather obvious. One of Wells most famous works “The Time Machine” helped inspire the very concept of the series itself. However Wells influence on the series runs a little deeper than the fact that Doctor Who simply revolves around time travel, a science fiction trope that Wells perfected and defined with his classic novel.
Many stories and prominent characters and concepts in Doctor Who have been lifted from Wells novels and the franchise has even paid tribute to him a number of times.
Doctor Who is not unique in taking inspiration from Wells. Wells truly is one of the founding fathers of science fiction and his influence can be seen in many prominent genre stories across many different mediums.
However as Doctor Who is probably the most prominent piece of time travel fiction other than Wells iconic novel itself, then I think Doctor Who will perhaps always be more associated with Wells than other works.
Examples of Wells Influence on Doctor Who
The whole concept of Doctor Who about an eccentric scientist travelling though time obviously owes a lot to Wells classic novel “The Time Machine.” However stories in particular which draw on Wells work include the first two Dalek stories “The Daleks” and “The Dalek Invasion of Earth”. Terry Nation the author of both stories cited Wells as one of his favourite authors.
“The Daleks” bares many similarities to “The Time Machine”. Both stories are set in the future. Though its not made clear in the narrative that the Daleks takes place in the future, Nation intended it to be as revealed in the next Dalek story, “The Dalek Invasion of Earth”. Both stories also see a society splinter into two factions. One peaceful, but ultimately useless, beautiful humanoids, the other frail, but technologically and intellectually superior creatures.
The Daleks are essentially the Morlocks (Morlocks, Darlecks, Daleks) whilst the Thals are the Eloi and the Doctor and friends are substitutes for Wells time traveller who tries to convince the peaceful, but placid humanoids to stand up to their oppressors.
Of course whilst there are similarities between both stories, it would be wrong to say the Daleks is derivative of “The Time Machine” The Daleks used the same basic idea of two societies, one peaceful but stagnated being persecuted by the other more advanced but weaker physically and added the race hatred aspect to it.
The story is able to make its Morlocks, The Daleks serve as a brilliant metaphor not just for race hatred and the Nazi regime in particular, but man’s inhumanity to man in general, as well as man’s destructive effect on the environment and the threat and consequences of nuclear power. “The Daleks” takes on a whole new life to “The Time Machine” and serves as a powerful story in its own right.
The comparisons between the Daleks and the Morlocks and the Thals and the Eloi get even stronger when you take Nations short story “We Are The Daleks” into account.
This story which Nation wrote for the Radio Times marked the first time Nation attempted to give an actual origin for the Daleks. It revealed that the Daleks were in fact human beings from a point in the future and the humans who would become the Dalek’s evolution was accelerated, which turned them into the Daleks on the planet Ameron by a race known as the Halldon.
As the Daleks were once human beings so logically therefore were the Thals, as Ameron it is implied would one day become known as Skaro with the Thals being the humans whose evolution was not accelerated.
The Thals and the Daleks therefore much like both the Eloi and the Morlocks were actually our descendants too.
“The Dalek Invasion of Earth” meanwhile draws on “The War of the Worlds” The Daleks are comparable to Wells other most famous creations The Martian Invaders.
The Martians are octopus like creatures who house themselves in near indestructable robotic casings exactly like the Daleks. Like the Daleks they also come from a dead planet. Both the Daleks and the Martians manage to conquer the earth too and both stories show us the earth under these cruel invaders rule.
The film version of “The Daleks Invasion of Earth” titled “Daleks Invasion Earth 2150AD” meanwhile sees the Daleks just like the Martians get destroyed by a natural force on the earth, a force that does not affect human beings. In the Martians case it is bacteria that poisons them whilst in the Daleks it is the magnetic power of the earths core that pulls them into it and destroys them.
Both cases show the planet itself destroying the invaders rather than humanity.
Whilst they may have taken on their own life ultimately, in many ways the Daleks in their earliest appearances can really be seen as an amalgam of Wells two most famous creations. The Morlocks and the Martians.
One thing in particular that “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” and many other Doctor Who invasion earth stories do, that comes from H.G. Wells “War of the Worlds” is show the alien oppressors marching in front of familiar earth landmarks to demonstrate how the alien menace has triumphed over us as it has now claimed an iconic symbol of humanity for its own.
The chances of anything coming from Mars, Skaro, Planet 14 and Raxacoricofallapatorius are a million to one, but still they come.
Whilst the Daleks are essentially the Martians and the Morlocks combined, Davros can also be seen as something of a Doctor Moreau figure. Whilst Davros obviously draws on a number of sources both literary and real life, there are aspects of Moreau in Davros, and Davros’s failed experiments in Genesis are comparable to the monsters Moreau creates too.
Another story to draw on Wells influence specifically is the three part Season 3 finale. “Utopia, The Sound of Drums and The Last of the Time Lords”.
The future the Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones and Captain Jack visit is very like the future in the Time Machine. Here humanity has split into two sides, one degenerate and one peaceful like the Morloks and the Eloi. However in quite a good twist the degenerate side are the more primitive. The Toclafane meanwhile much like the Daleks could also be seen as an amalgam of the Martians and the Morlocks. Like the Morlocks they are our degenerate deescendants, but like the Martians they are also withered creatures who are housed in mechanical shells and the Toclafane’s subject of humanity is comparable to the Martians.
Wells influence runs right throughout Doctor Who, but definitely the strongest examples are on some of the most prominent icons and characters of the series such as The Daleks, The TARDIS and even the main character the Doctor himself.
Nods and Tributes to Wells in Doctor Who
- In “Frontier in Space” The Master is shown to be reading Wells novel “War of the Worlds”. The plot of this adventure sees the Master try and provoke a war between two planets Earth and Draconia.
- In “Pyramids of Mars” Lawrence Scarman comments that the Doctors TARDIS is like something from H.G. Wells.
- In the story “Timelash” H.G. Wells actually appears as a character.played by David Chandler. This story reveals that his stories were inspired by an adventure with the Doctor where he travels to an alien world, witnesses a battle between two planets, the Doctor seemingly turning himself invisible, encounters alien monsters called Morlocks and helps the Doctor defeat a scientist called the Borad who has been performing experiments, one of which turned him into a freakish monster. Sadly “Timelash” was panned, and in all honesty it is quite frankly awful. However in some ways I see Timelash as ironically being quite influential. Its basic formula of having the Doctor encounter a figure from history who helps him defeat a monster, with his adventure with the Doctor going on to inspire his own famous work.. Yes ironically “The Unquiet Dead”, “The Shakespear Code”, “The Unicorn and the Wasp” and “Vincent and the Doctor” are all essentially the same idea as “Timelash”. Maybe “Timelash” isn’t so bad after all?
- The Tenth Doctor encounters H.G. Wells in a comic strip “The Time Machination” where he helps him battle the renegade time traveller Jonathan Smith and Torchwood. This story also sees Wells encounter the 4th Doctor and Leela at the end of the story too, though he does not make himself known to them.
- The Second Doctor encounters Wells in the Big Finish Audio The Piltdown Men.
The Doctor meets that guy that ripped off all of his adventures. | https://burrunjor.com/2015/02/08/the-roots-of-doctor-who-2-h-g-wells/ |
This Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 10 AM to 2 PM, the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office will participate along with other agencies and organizations in the Arkansas Statewide Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative. This event provides an opportunity for the public to dispose of expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical substances and medications in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. There will be two sites in Mountain Home where people may bring their medications “FREE OF CHARGE” and with “No Questions Asked” to be disposed of.
One location will be at the Baxter County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Division located at 206 West 8th Street in Mountain Home. The second location will be at vacant car lot across from Arby’s Restaurant on Highway 62 East in Mountain Home. Sheriff’s deputies will be on hand at both locations to assist with the collection of those medications, answer questions, and provide any other assistance needed. People may go to either of these locations on April 30th, and there is also a secured permanent drop box available at the Sheriff’s Office CID location on 8th Street for use anytime. We do ask that sharps (such as syringes), medical waste (such as oxygen masks and intravenous tubing and connections) and IV solutions not be placed inside this drop box.
By returning your unwanted or expired medications to these collection sites on April 30th, you help:
1. Remove a potential source of prescription drugs from those who might otherwise try to steal, abuse, or sell them.
2. Keep them from being taken from your own medicine cabinets by children, grandchildren, or their friends.
3. Protect small children from accidentally ingesting prescription drugs.
4. Prevent those drugs from polluting the environment by being flushed or placed in landfills.
Information supplied by the U. S. Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration indicated that in 2008, there were 6.2 million Americans aged 12 years and older who had abused prescription drugs for non-medical purposes within the past month – more than the number of people who are abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and inhalants combined. Also in 2008, on average, almost 6,000 persons per day abused prescription pain relievers for the first time. The total number of persons who used controlled substance pharmaceuticals for the first time exceeded the number of persons who abused marijuana for the first time. More than half of all teenagers surveyed believed that prescription drugs are easier to obtain than illicit drugs, with many coming from the medicine cabinets of family and friends.
Additional research has shown that Arkansas has the worst teen prescription pain reliever abuse problem in the entire United States. Teenagers often believe that medicine is much safer to use than illegal drugs and that pain relievers are not addictive. There are several recognized warning signs that people can look for if prescription drug abuse is suspected by a child, grandchild, or other family member. These include:
1. Fatigue, red or glazed eyes, and repeated health complaints.
2. Sudden mood changes, irritability, negative attitude, personality changes, and lack of interest in hobbies or activities.
3. Secretiveness and withdrawing from family.
4. Decreased/obsessive interest in school work.
5. Missing prescription medicines from your medicine cabinet. Check frequently !
6. Additional filled prescriptions on your pharmacy record that you did not fill.
The Sheriff’s Office was able to purchase an incinerator device to destroy pharmaceuticals and other medicines in an environmentally safe manner with funding provided by Roller Funeral Home. During two previous drug take back events held within months of one another in 2010, more than 160,000 pills were turned in by members of the public to be disposed of.
In the past, flushing medications and drugs seemed to be a safe and responsible method of disposal. We now realize that the drugs do not completely disintegrate and are contaminating our waterways. Wastewater treatment plants and septic systems are not generally designed to treat pharmaceutical waste. The risk to the health of our waters is significant when we contribute to pollution by what we pour down our drains. This ends up in our creeks, rivers, and lakes, and it places our drinking water supply at unnecessary risk.
Support for this particular event is being provided by Magee Pharmacy of Mountain Home and by some students from the Arkansas State University – Mountain Home Campus. Anyone having questions about the drug take back event may contact the Sheriff’s Office for additional information.
/s/ John F. Montgomery, | https://www.baxtercountysheriff.com/press_view.php?id=690 |
GMOs On Kaua‘i And Seed FreedomYou can always plant the seeds from inside your fruit and vegetables to grow more, right?
What if the answer is no? Would that make you concerned? What if there were no “free” seeds left? What if the only seeds available had random fish DNA and were blasted with pesticide?
I don’t pretend to be a genetically modified organism (GMO) expert, and that’s why I know what I’m going to be doing Jan. 17 at 5 p.m., when Dr. Vandana Shiva, Indian philosopher, environmental activist, author and eco-feminist (also one of the leaders of the International Forum on Globalization) will be in Lihu’e at Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Center. Whether you’re on the fence about GMOs or want to learn more about them, I’m not being hyperbolic here: This is an amazing opportunity to learn. Shiva will speak to legislators, students, agricultural specialists and community members about food justice and sustainable agriculture – issues that are gathering momentum as Hawai’i attempts to address the question of its growing food insecurity. The theme of Shiva’s presentation – “Seed Freedom is Food Freedom” – refers to the importance of preserving biological diversity and intellectual democracy in agricultural policy. Her work has been informed by the experience of traditional farmers in India, who have lost their livelihoods because of industrial agriculture and biotechnology. | https://midweekkauai.com/editorials/kauai-kine/gmos-on-kauai-and-seed-freedom/ |
The Trump administration has rescinded an Obama-era ban on the use of pesticides. The ban was linked to declining bee populations and the cultivation of genetically modified crops in dozens of national wildlife refuges where farming is permitted.
Background
(EPA) is responsible for regulating pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA). The EPA regulates pesticides under two main acts, both of which were amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. In addition to the EPA, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set standards for the level of pesticide residue that is allowed on or in crops The EPA looks at what the potential human health and environmental effects might be associated with the use of the pesticide
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal lands and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, territorial affairs, and insular areas of the United States. About 75% of federal public land is managed by the department, with most of the remainder managed by the United States Department of Agriculture's United States Forest Service.The Department is administered by the United States Secretary of the Interior, who is a member of the Cabinet of the President. The current Secretary is Ryan Zinke.
National Wildlife Refuge System is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants. Since President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida's Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge as the first wildlife refuge in 1903, the System has grown to over 562 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts encompassing more than 150,000,000 acres.
Analysis
United States Department of Interior announced plans to reverse a rule that banned the use of pesticides in national wildlife refuges.The decision, announced in an internal memo posted online, reverses an Obama-era ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides as well as genetically engineered crops within refuges where there is farming.
The announcement from Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) deputy director Greg Sheehan said the rollback is to benefit land specifically purchased to become refuges to help waterfowl and migratory bird species. Some of the land has historically been used to maintain crops to support the birds.Mr. Sheehan said the regulation made it hard for refugees to meet their targets.
"Some National Wildlife Refuge Lands are no longer able to provide the amount or quality of food that they once did due to changes in cooperative food practices within the Refuge system," Sheehan wrote. "Realizing that farming practices will continue into the foreseeable future within the NWRS ... we must ensure that we are appropriately making use of farm practice innovations as we actively manage farm areas.Those innovations, Sheehan writes, include incorporating genetically modified seeds into the farming practices.
"A blanket denial of Genetically Modified Organisms does not provide on-the-ground latitude for refuge managers to work adaptively and make field level decisions about the best manner to fulfill the purposes of the refuge," Sheehan wrote.The National Wildlife Refuge System will now determine whether to use genetically modified seeds on a "case by case basis," according to the memo.
Animal conservation groups Ducks Unlimited and the National Wild Turkey Federation hailed the decision."We are pleased the USFWS reversed this decision and restored this essential tool for waterfowl and wildlife management to our National Wildlife Refuges," the groups wrote in a joint statement on Friday.
The memo released by US Fish and Wildlife service named 50-plus national wildlife refuges across the country where the revised policy now applies. The entire system consists 560 refuge units encompassing roughly 150 million acres nationwide.
Counterpoint
The Obama administration and other environmentalists argued that the pesticides threatened bees and butterflies, as well as other pollinators, and wildlife such as birds.
Many environmental groups are wary of the use of GMOs, arguing that they could provide adverse scientific impacts to species and are disruptive to ecosystems due to their modified nature.
Assessment
Our assessment is that reversal of the pesticide ban will pose a grave threat to the pollinating insects and thereby causing disruptions in the ecosystem. We feel that the rollback ends a policy that had earlier prohibited farmers on refuges from planting biotech crops and this could have severe scientific impact to species. We believe that the administration must also look to adopt environmentally friendly measures that increase the productive of these farmers. | https://www.synergiafoundation.org/insights/analyses-assessments/trump-lifts-pesticide-ban |
Geochemistry and microbiology of groundwater and solids from extraction and monitoring wells and their relation to well efficiency at a Federally operated confined disposal facility, East Chicago, Indiana
In cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, the U.S. Geological Survey investigated the processes affecting water quality, geochemistry, and microbiology in representative extraction and monitoring wells at a confined disposal facility (CDF) in East Chicago, Indiana. The CDF is a 140-acre Federally-managed facility that was the former location of an oil refinery and is now used for the long-term disposal and storage of dredge material from the Indiana Harbor and Indiana Harbor Canal. Residual petroleum hydrocarbons and leachate from the CDF are contained within the facility by use of a groundwater cutoff wall. The wall consists of a soil-bentonite slurry and a gradient control system made up of an automated network of 96 extraction wells, 42 monitoring wells, and 2 ultrasonic sensors that maintain an inward hydraulic gradient at the site. The pumps in the extraction wells require vigilant maintenance and must be replaced when unable to withdraw water at a rate sufficient to maintain the required inward gradient. The wells are screened in the Calumet aquifer, a coarse-grained sand and gravel unit that extends approximately 35 feet below the land surface and is not utilized for drinking-water supply at the CDF or in the surrounding area. This study was initiated to identify the cause of decreased pump discharges and to identify potential mitigation strategies.
For this study, the U.S. Geological Survey collected groundwater and solids from monitoring and extraction wells. Groundwater samples were collected during June 2014 for precautionary health screening and on four occasions during September 2014 through November 2014. Groundwater samples collected from two extraction wells during June 2014 were analyzed for concentrations of anthropogenic organic constituents. During September through November 2014, groundwater samples were collected from one additional extraction well, and samples from three monitoring wells were analyzed for concentrations of inorganic and organic constituents, dissolved gases, and bacterial abundance and diversity. Solid samples were collected during April 2014, during September 2014 through November 2014, and during November 2016. Solid samples were collected from the exterior of extraction-well pumps and as flocculent from water samples. Solid samples were collected from 10 wells, including 1 extraction well and 3 monitoring wells sampled for water quality. Solid samples were analyzed for mineralogy, solid-phase habit, geochemistry, and organic composition.
The following is a list of observations that were made during this study: (1) the water quality is substantially variable among the six well locations sampled as part of this study—lower (more negative) redox values and higher concentrations of many constituents (including calcium, magnesium, sodium, and sulfate) and properties (including dissolved solids, hardness, and turbidity) were detected in sampled wells located near the extraction wells with the highest frequency of failure; (2) water-level drawdown is variable between extraction wells—wells with the greatest drawdown may pull deeper groundwater into the borehole; (3) dissolved gas results indicate reducing oxidation-reduction processes in the aquifer material that can feasibly contribute iron, carbon dioxide, and other byproducts from hydrocarbon degradation to precipitates and solids that accumulate on and impair pump operation; (4) crystalline and amorphous solid-phase minerals are precipitating in the borehole; (5) several types of bacteria are present in water pumped from extraction wells and are likely responsible for bonding mineral and microbiologic matter to the pump (and other well components); and (6) bacteria may create microenvironments that facilitate precipitation of solids or inhibit dissolution of unstable minerals once the bacteria adhere to biofilm attached to the pump. Results of the study indicate that bacteria may be accumulating and entrapping solid material on the exterior of pumps. This accumulation reduces heat transfer and water discharge from the pump and may lead to decreased efficiency or mechanical failure. Observations could not be made on the well screen, gravel pack, or surrounding geologic formation; therefore, mitigating measures in the borehole may not solve well-productivity issues.
Remedies for the pump fouling problems were derived from the review and interpretation of data collected during this study and from information documented in other sources about groundwater well fouling. Potential remedies to problems associated with pump fouling at the CDF may include the following: (1) reducing attractiveness of the extraction wells for microbiological growth by modifying the chemical or physical environment of the well, (2) modifying the pump exterior to decrease microbiological adherence, (3) changing the pumping regime to control the chemistry of water entering the well from the surrounding aquifer material, (4) modifying the pumps to be less physically and thermally attractive, and (5) removing hydrocarbons from groundwater and the aquifer material surrounding the wells or adding surfactants to make them more mobile. Pilot scale testing may be necessary to identify the most effective treatment or combination of treatments. | https://www.usgs.gov/publications/geochemistry-and-microbiology-groundwater-and-solids-extraction-and-monitoring-wells |
‘It Has Haunted Me’ Says Frank Gehry About His Appearance on The Simpsons
Just this weekend, this writer and his wife were talking about something or another and she brought up that episode of The Simpsons where architect Frank Gehry crumples up a letter, tosses it on the ground, and upon seeing it, gets the inspiration for his next building. Turns out, not only was that funny scene on our minds this weekend but CNN‘s Fahreed Zakaria as well. The host had on Gehry and asked him about his process (or in his words: “…the strangeness comes from where?”), which inevitably led to the architect’s appearance on The Simpsons. Turns out, that scene has followed him around more that perhaps he’d like. Here’s from the transcript:
ZAKARIA: So this – the famous story that you took a piece of paper and crumpled it and looked at it and that was the Disney Hall in L.A.
GEHRY: But that’s a famous story because the Simpsons had me do that.
ZAKARIA: But in fact, it was a long, long –
GEHRY: No, no, no, no. That was just a fun – fun thing. But it has – it has haunted me. People do – who’ve seen “The Simpson’s” believe it.
A hat tip to the Observer for the link. | https://stage.adweek.com/digital/it-has-haunted-me-says-frank-gehry-about-his-appearance-on-the-simpsons/ |
When it comes to growing a career as an analyst, soft skills might be pretty low on the hierarchy of what someone might imagine it takes to succeed. After all, thinking of an analyst position, the technical skills are what come to mind first. Technical skills are vital in being an effective analyst. Having the hard skills to do your job effectively cannot be understated.
However, the need for soft skills in this position (or any position really) are very important as well. As an analyst, you serve a vital role in an organization’s effectiveness. But if you are unable to effectively communicate your work, or ask the questions that will lead you to the right answers, then you will find your hard skills will lag behind as well.
Soft skills are important not only because they will help you do your job better, but because they will help you to advance your career.
In this article, we will be looking at 5 soft skills that are essential to being an effective analyst. These skills will work in conjunction with your technical capabilities to make you the most effective analyst possible.
Top 5 Soft Skills For an Analyst
Communication
We will start with what is perhaps the most important soft skill for an analyst – communication. Outside of your technical capabilities, you might find that communication is the foundation of anything you do.
Whether it is sharing your work with others, making recommendations, or simply just being respectful and friendly, communication is essential to fit into just about any work environment. As an analyst, it becomes especially important because your job is technical in nature, so knowing how to communicate your findings to others is very important in making sure that they know the value you contribute.
And at the end of the day, people want to work with people they like. It really is that simple. In order to advance in a career, you need to be respectful, you need to be kind, and you need to work well with others. Fitting into an organization is sometimes just as important as the quality of your work, and communication is a vital part of your fit.
Explanation and Recording
The next important step that an analyst should take is to ensure that they explain what they are doing. You can think of this as an offshoot of the communication skill. It is the simple fact that most analysts do tasks that are not well understood by the rest of the organization. Therefore, a good analyst will do their best to keep others in the loop as to what they are doing and be sure to keep detailed records that document their work.
While it is important to get your work done effectively and efficiently, it is also important that your co-workers and managers know what you are up to. This will keep people happy with your performance and will improve your chances of advancement.
Translation
As an analyst, your job is technical, by definition. Your skills allow you to interpret areas that others can’t. However, your work is still meant to help the organization achieve something, and to work toward an ultimate goal. This is why you need to know how to effectively share your findings to other areas of the organization.
Effectively translating means that you need to know how to take the complex things that you do and convey it in terms that anyone can understand.
Help Others
As an analyst, you are in charge of areas that others in the organization may not understand. People may come to you with questions that they don’t understand how to answer. You must be open and willing to help. Even if the answer is simple to you, you should always be sure you are willing to help in a non-condescending manner.
Analysts need to work in harmony with the rest of the organization, and your willingness to help others with their problems is a major part of this harmonization. So approach any problem with an open mind, and recognize that your role in the organization is sometimes to help clear up the confusion.
Ask Questions
One of the most important things you can learn to do in any role is to ask questions. Often, people are deterred from asking questions because they feel it represents that they do not understand their tasks, or that they struggle with their role.
The reality is that any manager’s top concern is whether you can get your job done correctly. So you need to learn not to hesitate when you have a question that you think will determine your performance on a certain task.
Of course, you don’t want to be the person that asks unnecessary questions. A good practice to eliminate the number of questions you need to ask is to listen attentively and take notes.
Carrying a note pad is an excellent strategy to ensure that you retain any and all important information, and it also shows your co-workers and managers that you are taking your task seriously. Once they know this, they will be more than happy to help you with any questions you may have.
Conclusion
As you can see, soft skills are very important as an analyst in growing and progressing your career. You can think of communication as the bedrock for all of your soft skills. Knowing how to effectively communicate with others will improve all aspects of your work. It will give others more efficient access to your findings and will help the organization overall.
It is important to take these skills and make them a habit. Because of the technical nature of an analyst position, many do not always make time for soft skills as much as they should. As an analyst, you should dedicate time every day to grow these skills. It might involve going outside of your comfort zone, but you will find the rewards well worth the extra effort.
Also check out our post "Data Scientist Skills" to find what makes you keep your job and advance as a data scientist. | https://www.stratascratch.com/blog/5-soft-skills-that-will-make-you-a-great-analyst/ |
Objectives of the service
The overall principle of this service is to identify and develop relevant indicators, produced from spatial data (satellite images, GIS data...), to support organic farming professionals in their task of planning and organic certification.
MEO-Certif provides an added value service to improve the reliability and the compliance of the certification and control operations. The service is designed to be a real decision-making tool, thanks to the complementarity of the indicators, the resulting analysis thus offers a new and useful vision for the main organic farming players.
Users and their needs
The users targeted by the service are European certification bodies in organic farming and French agricultural cooperatives.
The certification bodies are behind schedule with regard to the digitization of some of their tasks. However, in some countries the problem is not with the certification bodies themselves but with the procedures put in place by governments. Digitization would allow certification bodies to save time, improve internal organization, improve conditions for employees, and in particular perform audits more reliable and within shorter deadlines.
The agricultural cooperatives are created to structure the sector and pool the farmers’ means and resources. The main need of cooperative managers is to be able to anticipate the future in order to calibrate planning actions. A good knowledge of the territory, agro-climatic potentialities is therefore necessary to make prospective scenarios.
The targeted users also have common needs, such as:
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Increase the reliability,
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Modernize and digitize activities,
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Have a customized solution.
The challenge for the service is to propose, from a common base, a customizable service to meet the differentiated needs of the two types of users identified
Service/ system concept
MEO-Certif is a web mapping consultation tool. Intended for a non-expert audience in geographic information systems, this viewer is designed to be easy to use and intuitive. The goal is to give maximum autonomy to auditors. Access to indicators is made easier through previously structured and understandable information.
In addition to the basic functions (zooming, moving, modifying the base map), the tool allows you to view localized information and compare several indicators. Beyond the simple visualization, the user can interact with the data by modifying the cartographic representation (opacity), by filtering on an attribute, enriching the cartographic information by clicking on an entity. A help sheet is also available to help users get started and interpret the information.
The toolkit provides spatial information about:
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Crops analysis (rotation history, evolution, plots eligible for the reduction in conversion time);
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Hedge detection (risk of pollution, risk of erosion);
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Vegetation cover profile (outdoor poultry courses, phenology);
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Moisture profile;
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Surface temperature.
Space Added Value
The added value of this solution comes obviously from the contribution of data from earth observation.
Satellite data offers incomparable temporal tracking, relevance and high precision. Coupled with local data, the analysis models developed from satellite data are enriched and their reliability is improved.
The added value of MEO-Certif resides in the numerous advantages mentioned above, which also save time and modernize the activities of certification bodies and agricultural cooperatives.MEOSS ontribute its expertise in spatial data processing and analysis, as well as in Machine Learning applied to space imagery data. Access to Copernicus data* is a decisive element for the implementation of the proposed system. The high repetitiveness of the images allows to analyze very large areas in a very regular way, making their use particularly adapted to the context of organic certification.
*Copernicus data used:
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optical images: Sentinel-2
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Radar data: Sentinel-1
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Weather information: ERA5, C3
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Derived products: landcover maps (OSO), soil moiture maps
Current Status
The key results are a panel of cartographic decision support indicators for Certification bodies and agricultural cooperatives. The indicators are available online with secure access by means of a login and password. They give access to an easy-to-use and entertaining cartographic interface. Users can choose the indicators to be displayed, their display order, display additional information and move around the experimental area.
The technical feasability step allowed to iterate with potential customers and partners on indicators, their display and validation. Overall, the majority of the panel of indicators identified are technically feasible using free and open-source data (rotation history, Barriers/risk of pollution, crop areas’ evolution, phenological cycle, weather conditions and soil moisture), with the exception of two indicators (AB eligible plots and Outdoor poultry runs).
The Proof of Concept revealed a gap between the operational teams who expressed the need for a decision support tool to improve and optimize their daily work and the decision-making strata for whom the act of purchasing is motivated/constrained by the legal value required in the certification procedure.
The back and forth with the second segment, Agriculture cooperatives, has allowed to better appreciate the real expectations behind the expression of the need initially formulated. Near-real-time management and simulation of future scenarios are the major challenges for this segment. The indicators developed in the PoC enable to test and to validate the technical feasibility on historical data and to identify the inherent limitations. In particular, they do not offer enough guarantee of reliability on the current year. | https://business.esa.int/projects/meo-certif |
Cortisol and vital exhaustion in relation to significant coronary artery stenosis in middle-aged women with acute coronary syndrome.
The role of chronic stress in coronary artery disease (CAD) is not well known. Conflicting results have been obtained with regard to the stress hormone cortisol and 'vital exhaustion', a psychological construct defining the effects of long-term stress. We investigated the relationship between chronic stress, assessed by serum cortisol and vital exhaustion, and coronary artery stenosis and the importance of chronic stress in relation to standard risk factors of CAD. Women, <or=65 years, consecutively admitted to coronary care units presenting with acute coronary syndrome, were examined after 3-6 months regarding morning serum cortisol, vital exhaustion, lifestyle, clinical variables, and coronary artery stenosis. Evaluated from coronary angiography in 238 patients, coronary stenosis was dichotomized to significant vs non-significant luminal narrowing (<50%). Women with coronary stenosis (>or=50%) had elevated cortisol levels compared to the others (p=0.009). A 25% increase of cortisol increased the probability of significant coronary stenosis by 41% (p=0.005). Compared to standard risk variables of CAD, only high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was a more important predictor. Each 25% decrease of HDL-C increased the probability of significant coronary stenosis by 65% (p=0.0021). Vital exhaustion was not related to coronary stenosis (p=0.47). However, it appeared to have an additive effect as women with both a cortisol level and vital exhaustion score above the sample median, had a near three-fold risk of having CAD, OR=2.85 (95% CI 1.31-6.18), compared to those who did not have this combination. The results remained after adjusting for age, glucose, and use of calcium channel- and beta-blockers. Cortisol, but not vital exhaustion, was independently related to coronary stenosis in women with acute coronary syndrome. The influence of cortisol was important compared to standard risk factors of CAD.
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Statistics > Machine Learning
Title: Semi-Unsupervised Learning: Clustering and Classifying using Ultra-Sparse Labels
(Submitted on 24 Jan 2019 (v1), last revised 20 Feb 2020 (this version, v2))
Abstract: In semi-supervised learning for classification, it is assumed that every ground truth class of data is present in the small labelled dataset. Many real-world sparsely-labelled datasets are plausibly not of this type. It could easily be the case that some classes of data are found only in the unlabelled dataset -- perhaps the labelling process was biased -- so we do not have any labelled examples to train on for some classes. We call this learning regime semi-unsupervised learning, an extreme case of semi-supervised learning, where some classes have no labelled exemplars in the training set. First, we outline the pitfalls associated with trying to apply deep generative model (DGM)-based semi-supervised learning algorithms to datasets of this type. We then show how a combination of clustering and semi-supervised learning, using DGMs, can be brought to bear on this problem. We study several different datasets, showing how one can still learn effectively when half of the ground truth classes are entirely unlabelled and the other half are sparsely labelled.
Submission historyFrom: Matthew Willetts [view email]
[v1] Thu, 24 Jan 2019 18:24:39 GMT (381kb,D)
[v2] Thu, 20 Feb 2020 18:11:27 GMT (7994kb,D)
Link back to: arXiv, form interface, contact. | http://export.arxiv.org/abs/1901.08560 |
What should I do if I have a problem with on line registration?
If you encounter any problems during on line registration first examine any error message you receive on your web browser and follow any instructions provided to correct the problem. If this is unsuccessful, starting over from the beginning of the registration process (the BYB home page) will correct many problems.
Do not repeat the same unsuccessful steps many times over. This is very unlikely to be successful, is very likely to be frustrating and is almost certain to be nonproductive in other ways as well. We can solve most problems fairly quickly once we have the right information.
You will never be penalized for technical problems, either yours or ours. Your responsibility for late fees is determined by the date you first attempt to register. You will not be assessed a late fee if you attempt registration prior to any particular deadline even if your registration is not completed until after that deadline. However, it is very important to ASAP WHEN PROBLEMS ARISE so we can correct the situation quickly. Similarly, to the extent possible, when you experience problems your registration priority will be determined by the date you first attempt to register. Again, please ASAP in such cases. | http://brooklineyouthbaseball.org/Page.asp?n=63691&org=AA.BROOKLINEYOUTHBASEBALL.ORG |
Homegardens in urban are found to be an important refuge for native biodiversity and provide huge contribution for climate change mitigation. The study was undertaken to investigate potential of homegarden in conservation of woody species and carbon sequestration in Jimma City. A complete listing of woody species within 138 homegardens and 39 sample plot size 10m×10m (100m2) were surveyed. Diameter at breast) height and the height of the tree were measured. Shannon diversity and Jaccard coefficient of similarity index were used to determine the species composition. Allometric equation was used to estimate aboveground carbon stocks of woody species. A total of 40 woody species (36 in homegarden and 22 in government institution) belonging to 24 families were recorded. Very significantly higher (P<0.001) species richness and diversity were observed in homegardens. But no significant difference was observed (p>0.5) among homegardens in three kebeles. Jaccard coefficient of similarity index (47.5%) showed low similarity in woody composition between two systems. About 2,877.13Mgha-1(884.2 Mgha-1 in homegarden &1,992.95Mgha -1 in government institution) carbon of about 319.57Mg of CO2 equivalents were measured. Very highly significant (p<0.001) and non-significant difference (p>0.05) in carbon storage were observed between systems and among homegardens respectively. The result reveled homegardens in Jimma city have good potential for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Hence, responsible bodies need to consider the role of homegarden in maintaining native biodiversity and climate change mitigation in urban development planning.
Keywords: Biodiversity conservation, government institution compound, carbon stock, climate change mitigation.
DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/9-13-02
Publication date:July 31st 2019
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ISSN (Paper)2224-3186 ISSN (Online)2225-0921
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This journal follows ISO 9001 management standard and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. | https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JNSR/article/view/48788 |
This work ships from the United States.
Jean-Baptiste Bernadet’s paintings channel the thick brushstrokes and sensitivity to color and light of Impressionists like Claude Monet. His canvases notably resist any one point of focus, instead conveying an overall sense of atmosphere and vivid optical shimmer that captivates and holds the viewer’s attention.
American Contemporary Gallery, New York
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The condition noted above is as represented by the seller to the best of their ability. This work has not been inspected in person by Paddle8.
For questions on this lot please email [email protected]. For more information on terms of purchase with Paddle8, please refer to our conditions of business.
Jean-Baptiste Bernadet (French, b. 1978) is an artist living in Brussels, Belgium. Bernadet was an artist-in-residence at Triangle Studios, Brooklyn in 2012, APT Studios, Brooklyn in 2011, and the Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas, in 2010. The artist’s abstract paintings display his sensitivity to color, transforming his canvases through a process of overlapping, negation, and revision. Through his works, Bernadet aims to negotiate the inherent restrictions of the medium he has chosen. | https://m.paddle8.com/work/jean-baptiste-bernadet/175222-untitled/ |
Acid vs Base. Bases are the chemical opposite of acids.
Acids are defined as compounds that donate a hydrogen ion (H+) to another compound (called a base). Traditionally, an acid (from the Latin acidus or acere meaning sour) was any chemical compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a solution with a hydrogen ion activity greater than in pure water, i.e. a pH less than 7.0. Correspondingly, a base was any compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a solution with a hydrogen ion activity lower than that of pure water, i.e. a pH higher than 7.0 at standard conditions.
A soluble base is also called an alkali. A reaction between an acid and a base is called neutralization and this neutralization results in production of water and a salt. Properties of acids vs bases Bases have a slippery feel on fingers and taste bitter. Litmus Test and Other Reactions Litmus paper is made from dyes derived from lichens; it is water-soluble, meaning it can be fully dissolved in water. References. IonicChargesChart.pdf. Laws of Thermodynamics. Acid-Base Reactions in Solution: Crash Course Chemistry #8. How-to-bohr_and_lewis-structures_ppps.pdf. Electron configurations. Vector Free Body Diagrams Part 1 Physics Lesson.
Inherited traits. How Mendel's pea plants helped us understand genetics - Hortensia Jiménez Díaz. Protein Synthesis! Plant vs Animal Cells - Differences in Organelles. DNA Replication and Protein Synthesis. Linear Motion. Plate Tectonics for Kids - from www.makemegenius.com.
Human skeletal system. The Periodic Table: Crash Course Chemistry #4. Bill Nye Lenses. The Respiratory System. Middle Level Science (Grades 5–8) Subtest 1 Sample Items 1.
Radioactive isotope labeling using elements such as carbon and nitrogen has contributed most significantly to biology by facilitating the: creation of diffraction images for deducing the chemical structure of nucleotides. use of spectral analysis to determine the chemical composition of biomolecules. analysis of the movement of molecules during biochemical processes. ability to physically separate large macromolecules such as proteins from the cell cytoplasm. 2. Which of the following strategies would be most effective in promoting students' understanding and retention of new earth science vocabulary words associated with a unit of study that focuses on earth systems?
3. According to the diagram, which of the following statements about the sequence of geologic events must be true? The top layer of shale eroded before the faulting. 4. Warm air at the top of the atmosphere flows toward cooler air at Earth's surface. MN036_PeriodicTable.pdf. MN036_Formulas.pdf. Middle Level Science (Grades 5–8)
0002 Understand connections between science, technology, and soc. 0003 Understand the content and methods for developing students' 0004 Understand the components and evolution of the Earth system. 0005 Understand matter and energy in Earth systems. 0006 Understand Earth in the solar system and universe. 0007 Understand human interactions with Earth systems. 0008 Understand the structures and functions of living organisms. 0009 Understand molecular and cellular life processes. 0010 Understand the diversity and biological evolution of life. 0011 Understand the interdependence among living things and the. 0012 Understand linear motion and forces. 0013 Understand vibrations, wave motion, and the behavior of lig.
0015 Understand the properties and structure of matter. 0016 Understand chemical reactions, thermodynamics, and chemical. How To Memorize Things Quickly & Effectively. What separates you from someone that can memorize π (pi) to the 100th decimal?
It’s not natural ability; it’s technique and practice. In this tutorial, I will teach you how to master memorization and change your life. Table Of Contents Chunking | Break the information up into smaller chunks and re-categorize it.Spaced Repetition | Exploit the spacing effect by using an SRS flashcard application.Understand Memory | Learn the 11 properties that determine the difficulty of a given piece of information.Preparation | Avoid music with lyrics. Disconnect from the internet. Hover over the to see a preview of each section. Tap on the to see a preview of each section.
Jump to Part 2 | Part 3 (Coming Soon!) 1. Did you know that there is an optimal size of information for memorization? Scientists and marketers have long known that the ideal information chunk size is approximately 3 to 4 units, and have used this knowledge to design everything around us to be easier to memorize. | http://www.pearltrees.com/mattharmon/ms-science-mtle-studies/id14107633 |
This matter is presently before the Court on the Report and Recommendation of U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis W. Dohnal (the "R&R"), as well as Plaintiff's objections thereto. The Magistrate Judge recommends that Defendant's Motion for Dismissal and Attorney's Fees be granted and that Plaintiff's claims be dismissed as a sanction for violating Court orders. The Court will dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the Court, and oral argument would not aid in the decisional process. For the reasons set forth herein, Plaintiff's objections will be overruled; the R&R will be adopted; and this action will be dismissed with prejudice.
Plaintiff's "request for hearing" (ECF. No. 162) will be denied.
I. BACKGROUND
The facts and procedural posture of this case are thoroughly detailed in the R&R, so the Court will present only a brief recitation here. Since filing this employment discrimination action more than two years ago, Plaintiff Ralph Stewart, Jr. ("Plaintiff or "Stewart") has consistently failed to heed this Court's orders and refused to comply with his discovery obligations. Such misconduct has prompted Defendant Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority ("Defendant" or "VCUHS") to file several motions to compel, as well as the present request for sanctions.
Stewart's abuse of the discovery process came to a head in August 2011. On August 23, upon finding that Stewart had failed to comply with certain discovery requests, the Court issued a Memorandum Order granting Defendant's Motion to Compel Discovery and overruling Plaintiff's numerous objections. (The "August 23 Order," ECF No. 103.) As a result, Stewart was directed to provide a complete and verified answer to Defendant's Interrogatory No. 4, which sought information concerning Stewart's employment history. (Id. at 9-10.) The Court further ordered Stewart to furnish any materials responsive to VCUHS's Document Request Nos. 6, 11, 13, and 18, which sought, inter alia, tape recordings of Stewart's conversations with VCUHS employees regarding this case, federal and state income tax returns from 2007 to present, and documents pertaining to Stewart's involvement in other legal actions. (Id. at 10-11.)
The August 23 Order also required Plaintiff to attend a continuation of his prior deposition, which Stewart had unilaterally terminated, on either September 1 or 2, 2011. (Id. at 2-4.) In denying his Motion to Quash the Deposition (ECF No. 68), the Court specifically found that Stewart had misrepresented his agreement to continue his initial deposition and mischaracterized the circumstances and duration of that deposition. (August 23 Order at 3.) Accordingly, the Court also awarded Defendant attorney's fees for the costs incurred in opposing the Motion to Quash and compelling the continued deposition.
Stewart failed to comply with the Order. In fact, at his wife's deposition on August 31, Stewart indicated on the record that he was refusing to appear for his continued deposition, exclaiming: "No, I'm not coming for depositions. You want to put that on the record? I'm not going - I'm not coming for deposition on - on whatever date it is." (S. Stewart Dep. 5:10-21, ECF No. 117-3.) Stewart also sent an e-mail to opposing counsel expressly stating that he would "not be attending the deposition on the 2nd of September." (Jacob Decl. Ex. B-3, ECF No. 117-2.)
Despite this Court's explicit warning that a violation of Court orders might warrant dismissal of his case, Stewart did not appear for his scheduled deposition. Moreover, he remained steadfast in his refusal to produce information responsive to Defendant's discovery requests, in direct contravention of the Court's instructions. Accordingly, on September 2,2011, after Stewart's absence from his deposition, VCUHS filed the Motion now at issue, seeking dismissal of this action as a sanction for Stewart's numerous acts of defiance and the prejudice caused thereby.
In fact, this Court directly queried Stewart whether he complied with the order of "[t]he U.S. Magistrate Judge ... to appear for a deposition on either September 1st or 2nd." Stewart answered, "No." (Show Cause Hr'gTr. 10, ECF No. 171.)
On September 7,2011, in order to give Plaintiff a final opportunity to rectify his noncompliance, the Court issued, sua sponte, an Order (the "Show Cause Order," ECF No. 123) directing Stewart to appear before the Court to show cause why he should not be found in contempt for violating the Court's discovery orders. The Order expressly advised Stewart "that should he fail to comply with this Court's Order, the U.S. District Court may DISMISS his case pursuant to Rules 16(f)(1)(C), 37(b), 37(d)." (Id. at 1.) At the Show Cause Hearing, this Court reprimanded Stewart for his flagrant and ongoing "gamesmanship" and reiterated the likely consequences of further non-compliance with the mandates set forth in the August 23 Order. (Show Cause Hr'g Tr. 9, ECF No. 171.) Addressing Stewart from the bench, this Court made its expectations clear:
Mr. Stewart, I don't think you have fully complied with discovery; however, you are pro se, and the rule in the Fourth Circuit is fairly clear that the remedy of dismissal is only to be awarded in the most egregious of cases. I think that there have been violations here. I don't think you are participating in good faith in this case, but here's what we're going to do. You're going to sit for the deposition sometime between now and 5:00 next Friday. You're going to supply every one of the items that Judge Dohnal's [August 23] Order required by 5:00 on Friday, or I will enter a dismissal order at that time.
(Id at 33.)
Although Stewart appeared at his continued deposition on September 23, he otherwise exhibited little effort to comply with the Court's instructions. Indeed, even a brief review of video footage from the deposition reveals that Stewart assumed an uncooperative stance during questioning, providing evasive or argumentative responses even to straightforward queries. Far more disconcerting, though, is the fact that Stewart refused—even with substantial sanctions looming—to abide by the Court's directive that he disclose any materials or information responsive to Defendant's discovery requests.
Defendant maintains that "[s]ince the filing of VCUHS' initial Motion and this Court's [show cause] hearing on September 16, 2011 [,] [Plaintiff] has made virtually no effort to comply with the Court's Orders." (Def.'s Supp. Mem. 1.) That contention appears well founded.
Stewart often answered even simple questions either by responding "I don't know" or by simply repeating the question and offering some vague reply.
First, Stewart failed to produce his income tax returns as filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In its August 23 Order, this Court specifically addressed and rejected the argument that Stewart's jointly-filed tax returns would contain confidential and irrelevant information—namely, his wife's income. Finding such evidence covered by an agreed protective order, the Court instructed Stewart to produce the documents, whether filed individually or jointly with his spouse. (August 23 Order at 10.) Yet despite this Court's clear orders, Stewart tendered at his continued deposition merely a series of unsigned, individual IRS Form 1040s, each bearing the notation: "Taxpayers file a joint return. This return is prepared only to show Ralph Stewart's income." (Def.'s Suppl. Ex. 5, filed under seal.) To date, Stewart continues to withhold his actual returns.
The Court interprets this annotation to indicate that that Stewart prepared these forms solely for the purpose of this litigation, as a substitute for the joint tax returns filed with the IRS during 2007 through 2010.
Stewart also appears to have only partially satisfied his duty to produce audio recordings of conversations with former co-workers. He concedes that although he eventually produced a smartphone purportedly containing such digital recordings, he failed to provide a battery or any power source for the phone, and could not describe the exact contents of the recordings. Such minimal production does not constitute full compliance with the Court's order that he produce any "notes and tape recordings related to [his] discussions with anyone regarding the allegations in this lawsuit." (August 23 Order at 10.)
Magistrate Judge Hannah M. Lauck, in resolving a dispute during Stewart's continued deposition, described the Court's August 23 Order as "very clearly written" and noted that it was then "a month old." In her view, Stewart had been plainly "ordered to provide the information" sought in Interrogatory No. 4 and Document Request Nos. 6, 11, 13, and 18, which he "failed to do." (Stewart Dep. II 1023:9-1024:10.) That Order is now nearly six months old, and Stewart still has not improved his compliance in any meaningful regard.
II. THE REPORT & RECOMMENDATION
As Magistrate Judge Dohnal recognized in his R&R, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure authorize district courts to impose sanctions, including "dismissing the action or proceeding in whole or in part," when a party violates a discovery order, fails to attend his own deposition, or fails to serve answers to interrogatories. Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(b)(2)(A)(v); id. 37(d)(l)(A)(i)-(ii). Further, "[i]f the plaintiff fails ... to comply with [the] rules or a court order, a defendant may move to dismiss the action or any claim against it." Id. 41(b). Such dismissal, whether on motion or sua sponte, is within the sound discretion of the district court. Anderson v. Found, for Advancement, 155 F.3d 500, 504 (4th Cir. 1998).
Here, the Magistrate Judge applied the framework prescribed by the Fourth Circuit for dismissal under Rules 37 and 41, considering (1) the extent of Stewart's bad faith and personal responsibility, (2) the prejudice suffered by VCUHS as a result of Stewart's noncompliance, (3) the deterrence value of dismissal as a sanction, (4) Stewart's history of deliberate dilatoriness, and (5) the availability and efficacy of a less drastic sanction. Mut. Fed Sav. & Loan Ass'n v. Richards & Assoc., Inc., 872 F.2d 88,92 (4th Cir. 1989) (citing Wilson v. Volkswagen of Am., Inc., 561 F.2d 494, 505-06 (4th Cir. 1977), and articulating the Rule 37 framework); Ballard v. Carlson, 882 F.2d 93, 95 (4th Cir. 1989) (citing Chandler Leasing Corp. v. Lopez, 669 F.2d 919, 920 (4th Cir. 1982), and explaining the Rule 41 analysis). Though cognizant that "dismissal is not a sanction to be invoked lightly," Ballard, 882 F.2d at 95 (citations omitted), Judge Dohnal submits that Stewart's history of defiance and bad faith in this case justifies severe sanctions, and that any course other than dismissal "would ... place the credibility of the court in doubt and invite abuse." Id. at 96. Accordingly, the R&R recommends that Defendant's Motion be granted, and that this Court sanction Stewart by dismissing his claims. The R&R also recommends that Stewart be required to pay any "reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees," incurred by VCUHS as a direct result of his non-compliance with the rules and orders of the Court. Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(b)(2)(C).
The final paragraph of the R&R explains that "[f]ailure to file written objections to the proposed findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Magistrate Judge ... within fourteen (14) days after being served with a copy of the report may result in waiver of any right to a de novo review of the determinations contained" therein. (ECF No. 158, at 19.) Since the R&R was issued on November 22, 2011, Plaintiff's objections, if any, were due on December 6, 2011. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). On December 2, however, Plaintiff contacted Judge Dohnal's chambers, asking that a copy of the R&R by sent to him via e-mail. The Court accommodated the request, and in light of Stewart's representation that he was not "served with a copy" of the R&R until December 2, granted a ten-day extension, until December 16, for him to file any objections. (ECF No. 164.)
Yet on December 12, Plaintiff once again indicated a need for additional time. By motion (ECF No. 167), Stewart requested that he be afforded an opportunity to obtain and review a transcription of the Show Cause Hearing held before this Court on September 16, 2011. Finding good cause to do so, the Court granted Plaintiff's motion and ordered that he submit objections to the R&R within fourteen days after receiving a copy of the transcript.The Court also instructed Stewart "to give immediate notice to this Court upon" such receipt. (ECF No. 170, at 2.) Stewart finally acknowledged by e-mail on January 5, 2012 that he had received the transcript, and filed the immediate objections on January 23. (Pl.'s Objs., ECF No. 174.) Although they were due on January 19, the Court is mindful of Plaintiff's pro se status and will therefore review his objections as though they were timely filed. Plaintiff's Second Amended Objections, however, filed on February 9, 2012, will be overruled as time barred.
Plaintiff's Partial Objections to Magistrate's Report and Recommendation "Orders", filed on December 16, 2011 (ECF No. 169) merely explains Stewart's need for a transcription of the Show Cause Hearing; it does not contain any substantive objections to the R&R and thus need not be addressed in the analysis at hand.
The Court's Order of December 19, 2011 plainly stated: "Plaintiff is hereby ORDERED to submit his objections to the Report and Recommendation, if any, no later than fourteen (14) days after he receives from the Court Reporter, including by electronic mail, a transcript of the September 16 Show Cause Hearing." (ECF No. 170.)
Contrary to Plaintiff's claim, the Court Reporter represents that she e-mailed Stewart a transcript of the Show Cause Hearing on December 29, 2011. Stewart being pro se, however, the Court will accept the later date of January 5, 2012 as the date from which his deadline for filing objections should be calculated.
Stewart submitted an additional thirty-one pages of objections to the R&R on February 9, 2012 (ECF No. 176)—well beyond the already-generous filing deadline of January 19,2012. Untimely objections are not entitled to de novo review. Wright v. Collins, 766 F.2d 841, 845-46 (4th Cir. 1985). Throughout the pendency of this litigation, Plaintiff has repeatedly invoked the rules of this Court and has evidenced a clear awareness of the Court's procedures. Stewart was well aware of his deadline. He cannot invoke the rules when advantageous, and disregard them when inconvenient. The Court will overrule Plaintiff's second set of objections as untimely filed.
III. STANDARD OF REVIEW
"The filing of objections to a magistrate's report enables the district judge to focus attention on those issues—factual and legal—that are at the heart of the parties' dispute." Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 140, 147 (1985). The Court reviews de novo any part of the Magistrate Judge's report and recommendation to which a party has properly objected, and may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or part, the recommended disposition. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C); Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b)(3). However, "when a party makes general and conclusory objections that do not direct the court to a specific error in the magistrate's proposed findings and recommendations," de novo review is unnecessary. Orpiano v. Johnson, 687 F.2d 44, 47 (4th Cir. 1982) (citations omitted); see also Diamond v. Colonial Life & Accident Ins. Co., 416 F.3d 310, 316 (4th Cir. 2005). Likewise, "frivolous" objections need not be considered. Wilson v. Att'y Gen. of Md, 991 F.2d 793,793 (4th Cir. 1993) (citations omitted); see also Battle v. U.S. Parole Comm'n, 834 F.2d 419, 421 (5th Cir. 1987); Mira v. Marshall, 806 F.2d 636, 637 (6th Cir. 1986). "In the absence of 'specific written objection,' the district court [is] free to adopt the magistrate judge's recommendation ... without conducting a de novo review." Diamond, 416 F.3d at 316.
IV. ANALYSIS
Although Stewart's objections are often meandering and at times difficult to decipher, this Court appreciates the deference due to pro se litigants, and thus will construe Plaintiff's contentions in the manner most favorable to him. See Cox v. City of Charleston, S.C., 416 F.3d 281, 288 (4th Cir. 2005) (citation omitted). Plaintiff's varied complaints coalesce into two broad claims: that the R&R misrepresents the precise nature of his actions; and that his behavior was reasonable, even if contrary to Court orders. As explained in the analysis which follows, these "objections" fail to lessen the seriousness of Stewart's defiance throughout the course of this litigation, and, consequently, neither claim undermines the proposed conclusion of the Magistrate Judge that dismissal is warranted by the facts at hand.
As an initial matter, Stewart raises a host of inconsequential—if not irrelevant— objections, alleging certain factual inaccuracies in the R&R. For example, Stewart disputes the extent to which he "misrepresented the duration" and "mischaracterized the conditions" of his first deposition, even though he concedes that he "may have miscalculated the duration of the deposition." (Pl.'s Objs. at 2-3.) Correspondingly, he claims that the air conditioning unit was malfunctioning for "half of the deposition (id. at 3)—not merely for an hour, as suggested by VCUHS. Such trivial details are of little significance to the analysis of this Court. Regardless of the particular surrounding circumstances, the undisputed facts remain that Stewart unilaterally terminated his initial deposition, agreed to resume it at a later date, and then subsequently refused to do so—in contravention of the Court's orders. Because the R&R's alleged inexactitudes do not undermine the soundness of its proposed disposition, no further consideration of this strain of objections is necessary.
To the extent Plaintiff objects to the Court's consideration of his testimony on the grounds that the deposition was excessive in duration, the objection is overruled. Though depositions are generally "limited to 1 day of 7 hours," additional time is permissible if "stipulated or ordered by the court." Fed. R. Civ. P. 30(d)(1). Further, the Court must "allow additional time consistent with Rule 26(b)(2) if needed to fairly examine the deponent or if the deponent... impedes or delays the examination." Id. In a previous Order, this Court found the circumstances of Stewart's initial deposition to justify its extended duration of approximately nine hours. (August 23 Order at 2-3.) This Court declines to revisit the content or reasoning of its prior orders.
Stewart also persists, even now, in proffering excuses and proposing scapegoats for his misdeeds. Notably, Stewart does not tether his flurry of "objections" to any particular finding or proposed conclusion in the R&R. Instead, he simply alleges unfair treatment by opposing counsel and the Court. For example, he claims that counsel for VCUHS engaged in "misconduct and deception" during discovery, and that they caused him to become combative during depositions by asking "numerous questions that were ambiguous, indefinite, hearsay, argumentative, threatening, inadmissible, and irrelevant to his case." (Id. at 1, 4.) In the same vein, he contends that his failure to provide his employment history should be excused, notwithstanding the Order of this Court to the contrary, because Defendant's request for such information was intended solely to "harass" him. (Id. at 4.)
Relatedly, Plaintiff asserts that the review of "only" 189 minutes of footage from Stewart's first 534-minute deposition caused Judge Dohnal to "overlook" defense counsel's "attempts to intimidate the Plaintiff and cause delay." (Id.) This Court ardently disagrees. The Magistrate Judge reviewed not only over three hours of footage from Stewart's initial deposition, but also the entire videograph of his second deposition. These thorough viewings unquestionably provided ample evidence of the manner of counsel's questioning, as well as—unfortunately for Stewart—the truculent posture that Stewart maintained throughout the depositions. Further, this Court's own assessment of the record, including a substantial portion of the footage and transcripts, reveals no impropriety by counsel for VCUHS. Like the Magistrate Judge, however, this Court is deeply troubled by Stewart's confrontational posture during questioning.
This Court also wishes to address Stewart's concern that the R&R cites excerpts from transcripts which Stewart himself claims not to possess. (Id. at 6-7.) As Plaintiff correctly points out, where "a party offers in evidence only part of a deposition, an adverse party may require the offeror to introduce other parts that in fairness should be considered with the part introduced, and any party may itself introduce any other parts." Fed. R. Civ. P. 32(a)(6) (emphasis added). But where, as here, the Court itself has incorporated portions of deposition and hearing transcripts into its analysis, the Rules do not entitle Stewart to the relief he seeks. The question of whether Defendant, in its briefing below, improperly proffered segments of depositions is not before this Court.
In any event, Stewart has not demanded that VCUHS introduce other portions of the deposition records relied upon, nor has he made any effort himself to obtain and offer other parts of those depositions. Further, the Court's independent review of the complete videograph from Stewart's first deposition, as well as substantial portions of both the recording and transcripts from other depositions cited by Defendant, negates any danger that the excerpts might be misconstrued. As the present motion does not concern the merits of Plaintiff s claims, but merely the extent of his misconduct, the Court is fully satisfied that its review of the record has adequately and accurately captured the nature of Stewart's behavior during this litigation.
As to his refusal to produce his actual income tax returns, Stewart (inconceivably) maintains that the Court never "explicitly instructed" him "to produce joint tax returns" (Id. at 9.) To the contrary, the Court's Order of August 23 stated unequivocally:
The Defendant's Document Request No. 11 seeks the Plaintiff's federal and state income tax returns for 2007 through the present. Although the Plaintiff has objected on the basis that the documents also contain his wife's tax information, since they filed jointly, such is not a proper basis to object to production of all the documents. Indeed, the Plaintiff's tax records are relevant to his earned income after termination and, therefore, they are relevant to the issue of the mitigation of damages which impacts on the issue concerning any possible back-pay award. Accordingly, the Plaintiff's objection to Document Request No. 11 is OVERRULED, and the Plaintiff is ORDERED to produce those documents.
(ECF No. 103, at 10-11 (emphasis added).) And yet again, at the Show Cause Hearing before this Court, Stewart was specifically instructed to provide his "tax returns, state and federal, from 2007 to present." (Hr'g Tr. 6-7.) Plaintiff was thus clearly ordered by this Court to produce his genuine income tax returns, and not merely a manufactured return form prepared specifically for litigation. Stewart's continued insistence to the contrary is both baffling and disturbing.
Plaintiff similarly attempts to downplay his failure to furnish certain audio recordings by explaining that he "had no intentions of using" the recordings at trial (Pl.'s Objs. at 8)— an objection which the Court already rejected in compelling the production of such evidence. (See August 23 Order at 10.) Stewart appears to be disputing not whether he defied discovery orders, but whether he should have been required to follow those orders in the first instance. By continuing to protest this Court's directives and failing to appreciate the seriousness of his contemptuous conduct, Stewart exemplifies the very sort of insubordination that lead to this juncture. Moreover, while Stewart eventually did make some effort to comply with Document Request No. 6 by producing a smartphone allegedly containing pertinent recordings, that attempt was "last ditch and only offered when it became crystal clear that [he was] going to lose the case unless [he] did something." Mut. Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass'n, 872 F.2d at 93 (emphasis added). "In the context here, the things done did not add up to an adequate 'something.'" Id.
Although Stewart's pro se status makes him "entitled to some deference," it does not relieve him of his duty to abide by the rules and orders of this Court. Ballard, 882 F.2d at 96 ("Pro se litigants ... as well as other litigants are subject to the time requirements and respect for court orders without which effective judicial administration would be impossible."). It is well settled that "[f]ulfilling obligations under the rules requires much more than simply going through the motions. It requires, among other things, a true effort to fully answer interrogatories, to produce relevant documents in a timely manner, and to properly conduct oneself during depositions." Smith v. U.S. Sprint, No. 92-2153, 1994 WL 62338, at *4 (4th Cir. Feb. 28, 1994) (per curiam). It is equally well established that a litigant's "flagrant bad faith" and "callous disregard" of these responsibilities may warrant "the extreme sanction of dismissal." Nat'l Hockey League v. Metro. Hockey Club, Inc., 427 U.S. 639, 643 (1976).
Of critical importance, at no point in his eleven pages of objections does Plaintiff specifically object to the Magistrate Judge's proposed findings that he (1) failed to provide a complete and verified record of his employment history (Interrogatory No. 4), as ordered by the Court; (2) failed to furnish income tax returns as filed with the IRS in 2007, 2008,2009, and 2010 (Doc. Request No. 11), as repeatedly instructed by the Court; and (3) failed to attend his own continued deposition on September 2, 2011, as directed by Court order. Moreover, there is sufficient evidence in the record for the Court to find that Plaintiff knowingly withheld evidence responsive to Document Request No. 6. In light of these uncontested facts, and even setting aside the peripheral portions of the R&R on which Stewart's objections focus, this Court agrees with the Magistrate Judge's recommended disposition.
Stewart is, by far, one of the most prolific litigants—pro se or otherwise—that this Court has ever witnessed. Yet, despite his active and, at times, seemingly restless approach to this litigation, Stewart has proven incapable of following instructions and observing simple rules. This Court has cautioned Stewart on at least three occasions that his non-compliance with discovery orders could result in sanctions, including dismissal of his case. Moreover, the Court has granted Stewart every possible benefit of the doubt, and given him numerous opportunities to take corrective action. Despite these warnings, however, Stewart has failed to act in good faith, and has demonstrated contempt for both opposing counsel and the Court. He has been, and is now, the author of his own fate.
Plaintiff has filed no less than twenty-nine (29) motions in this case.
Stewart recognizes as much in the objections at hand. (See Pl.'s Amended Objections, at 4-5 ("Judge Hudson ... order[ed] Stewart to sit [for a] continued deposition and supply all materials so ordered ... or Judge will enter a dismissal order at that time") (emphasis added).)
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In view of Plaintiff s deficient discovery responses, recalcitrance during depositions, and conscious disregard of the rules and orders of the Court, this Court finds that Stewart has acted in bad faith. The Court further finds that Plaintiff's non-compliance substantially prejudiced the Defendant by delaying this case, impairing the progress of VCUHS's defense, and requiring a significant dedication of time and resources to resolve needless discovery disputes. In addition, because Stewart's "stalling and ignoring the direct orders of the [C]ourt with impunity ... must obviously be deterred," the Court finds dismissal to be necessary to send "an unmistakable message to [Stewart] and others that the judicial system will not tolerate repeated misconduct never wholly remedied in the future." Mut. Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass'n, 872 F.2d at 93-94. Finally, given Plaintiff's continued defiance even after being forced to pay more than $4,044.50 in attorney's fees for his misconduct (ECF. No. 139), this Court agrees with the Magistrate Judge that any sanction less drastic than dismissal would be inadequate.
V. CONCLUSION
Upon careful consideration of the factors set forth in Wilson v. Volkswagen of America, Inc., 561 F.2d at 505-06, and Chandler Leasing Corp., 669 F.2d at 920, it is this Court's judgment that the sanction of dismissal is warranted in this case. Further, because Plaintiff has not objected to the Magistrate Judge's recommendation that he be required to reimburse VCUHS for any fees and expenses incurred as a direct result of his noncompliance, the Court adopts that recommendation. Cf. Camby v. Davis, 718 F.2d 198, 199 (4th Cir. 1993).
This Court will adopt the Report and Recommendation of the Magistrate Judge, and Plaintiff's objections thereto will be overruled. Accordingly, this action will be dismissed with prejudice, and Plaintiff shall be required "to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, caused by" his failure to comply with the rules and orders of this Court. Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(b)(2)(C). All other motions pending in this matter will be denied as moot.
An appropriate Order will accompany this Memorandum Opinion. | https://casetext.com/case/stewart-v-vcu-health-sys-auth-5 |
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1/30/2016 2:36 PM
The last couple of weeks have a number of articles on the five naked eye visible planets in the morning sky. A lot of them are well meaning, but don't offer much help in the way of assisting the observer in identifying the stars AND planets visible, or specifically when and where to look.
I created this chart to specifically tackle that issue. You can download the five planet identification guide here. Also, check out the homepage for a video on finding the planets, along with other great "how to find it" videos.
On January 30, 2016, I took a photo of the sky with these planets in it (see below) Although the Moon was near Spica then, it will move towards Mars, Saturn and eventually Venus and Mercury by February 6th.
Click on image above to open a larger version
Here's how to find each object: In the northern hemisphere, the planets will be in approximately the locations seen in the chart above, about one hour before sunrise. Start looking about 75 to 90 minutes before sunrise, to give yourself time to find and identify the brighter ones. Observe from a location that has a low, flat horizon to the southeast.
1) Locate Venus towards the southeast. Other than the Moon (and later, Sun) it will be the brightest object that direction.
2) Locate Jupiter towards the southwest. It is the next brightest object in the night sky after Venus, so it will be easy to identify.
3) Draw a long line from Jupiter to Venus. Between that line are two stars, and two planets of about equal brighteness (dimmer than Venus and Jupiter).
4) Using the chart at bottom, estimate 30 degrees from Jupiter to find the star Spica.
5) From Spica, estimate 20 degrees to Mars.
6) From Mars, estimate ~ 25 degrees to both Antares, and Saturn. The color of Antares is close to that of Mars. Saturn is cream or white.
7) Venus is easy to find; continue a line from Saturn through Venus to find Mercury, about 5 to 7 degrees away, towards where the Sun will be rising.
Note about Mercury: It tends to be best seen right about an hour before sunrise. This is because it is about 5 degrees above (a flat!) horizon, and early enough that twilight glow is still minimal. It can be seen before then, but it is lower. It can be seen after then, but twilight increases and makes it harder to see with passing time.
8) Bonus! Look down and you've got 6 planets (Earth). That's 3/4 of the planets in the solar system!
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This blog includes what to see in the night and daytime skies, thoughts on telescopes, binoculars, and other astronomy observing accessories and equipment, plus my own occasional notes on objects I've seen and observed. Oh, and the random theater or other "my take on life" post. In other words, there is always something interesting. Check it out. | http://eyesonthesky.com/Blog/tabid/80/EntryId/241/Step-by-step-guide-to-finding-the-five-planets.aspx |
The 12th One World International Human Rights Film Festival was held between 10 and 18 March 2010 in Prague, the Czech Republic. IPHR director Brigitte Dufour was one of the five “Rudolf Vrba” jury members of the Right to Know Award.
This year the Right to Know Award, which underlines the quality of the human rights approach and message, was given to The Sun Behind the Clouds and a special mention was given to the movie Tibet in Songs. The Best Film Award given by professionals of cinema went to Enemies of the People, and the Best Director Award to the documentary Chemo by Polish director Pawel Łoziński. On other awards and for more information on the festival, please see the festival website.
One World is the biggest film festival in Europe. It deals with human rights issues and is among the founding members of the Human Rights Film Network, which bands together 29 festivals around the world. One World’s films strive to provide comprehensive and well-balanced information, and they offer audiences an opportunity to acquire a deeper understanding of human rights, foreign policy and social issues. | https://www.iphronline.org/iphr_20100321_e.html |
The International Journal of Practice-based Learning in Health & Social Care is for all health and social care professionals engaged in educational activities that foster the knowledge, skills and capabilities appropriate for the diverse and complex world of professional practice. It is designed for those colleagues who facilitate learning in practice settings, for academic colleagues, and for learners.
The journal draws on educational theory, philosophy, policy, and applied and pedagogical research to inform any aspect of practice-based learning. This includes: placement learning, continuing professional development, problem based learning, patient learning and models of learning and teaching, assessment and evaluation.
In providing an international forum for sharing new innovations and perspectives on education for practice around the world, it draws on the diversity and richness of differing educational cultures. It also acknowledges the increasing complexity of the practice context and its associated challenges for educators. It offers a forum for dialogue around research into and the development of practice-based learning. As such, it aims to have significant impact on scholarship in health and social care education, and ultimately, on the calibre of practitioners and the quality of health and social care provision.
The journal is published in association with the National Association of Educators in Practice (NAEP) whose mission is to ensure that professional education is grounded in practice through providing the best possible support network for educators in practice across the Allied Health Professions, Midwifery, Nursing and all Health and Social Care Professions. | https://publications.coventry.ac.uk/index.php/pblh |
BENGALURU: The extended Covid curfew, in place in Karnataka since May 19, has been only 36 per cent effective as against 80 per cent during the May 10-24 lockdown, indicating that more stringent measures are need to contain the pandemic, reveals an analysis by a team of researchers from the Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc).
The finding is based on the analysis of the projection model which indicates that the actual number of Covid cases is higher than expected. The lockdown, from May 10 to May 24, was 80 per cent effective with numbers coming down as expected. But from May 19 to May 25, the actual confirmed cases are much higher than what was expected in three different scenarios. The number of confirmed cases in the worst-case scenario (of no lockdown) was expected to be 24.28 lakh; in the scenario with 50 per cent lockdown, it was to be 24.21 lakh; while in the complete effectiveness scenarios it was 24.04 lakh.
However, the confirmed cases were 24.72 lakh, which are much higher than even the worst-case scenario. It is similar with active cases, said Prof Sashikumar Ganesan, Chairman, Dept of Computational and Data Sciences. According to him, the model based on the existing actual number of cases predicted that the state will see 4,18,275 cases in the worst-case scenario, while in the actual scenario it is 4.24 lakh cases.“The lockdown extension was expected to bring down the number of confirmed and active cases, but in the last one week — from May 19 to 25 — the numbers are higher. This should be taken as a warning,” he said.
“Although we cannot directly reason that the lockdown has not been effective, he says the graph of confirmed cases in all three scenarios — no lockdown; 50 per cent effectiveness; and 100 per cent effectiveness — is much higher than what was expected at this time. The same is the case with active cases,” Prof Sashikumar Ganesan.
He points out that though the number of active cases is coming down in the actual scenario, it is still not as expected as per the model. “As per our predictions, the worst-case scenario for June 7 in terms of confirmed cases is 27.15 lakh and in terms of best scenario (100 per cent effectiveness) we have 24.52 lakh cases; and for active cases it is 3.64 lakh in worst-case scenario and 1.89 lakh in the best scenario,” he said.
There could be many possibilities for this to happen. The problem, in the present scenario as compared to the nationwide lockdown in the first wave last year is that the caseload is very high in the second wave. “Active cases currently are around 4.24 lakh. It is not that these people might spread the infection, but there are twice that number of people who could already be infected and are asymptomatic. This means around 8.5 lakh people could be roaming around infecting many others,” he explained. | https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2021/may/27/extension-oflockdown-in-karnataka-only-36-effective-experts-2308085.html |
Volunteer Mountain Hare Survey - frequently asked questions
How do Mountain Hare Square Surveys differ from BBS?
The first thing to emphasise is that, although the Mountain Hare Survey (particularly the 'Square Survey' aspect) has similar methods to the BBS, it is a completely separate survey, with separate data storage systems as well as other important differences (see below). You cannot use the Mammal Mapper app to submit BBS data, and the square registration system is a completely separate system from the one by which BBS squares are allocated.
Because BBS data are incredibly valuable to us, during the BBS season we ask that existing BBS volunteers continue to prioritise BBS (including Upland Rovers) surveys. However, the fact that you can do Mountain Hare Surveys all year-round (as well as at any time of day, and in any 1 km square within the survey area) hopefully means that many BBS surveyors will be able to contribute to the Mountain Hare Survey in addition to their valued participation in BBS.
If you are already familiar with the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey methods then you will hopefully feel at home with several aspects of Mountain Hare Square Surveys. However, there are some important differences to bear in mind when you are carrying out Mountain Hare Square Surveys:
- You don’t need to worry about recording within separate 200 m transect sections. You will be using the app to record the approximate position of the birds and mammals that you observe, and we can work out what section they were in afterwards.
- Likewise, there’s no need to worry about distance bands. The position of birds and mammals recorded in Mammal Mapper is worked out from its distance and angle relative to your position and direction of travel.
- You only need to carry out one visit. That said, if you want to do a second visit to the same square, you can sign up via the interactive square square selection map in the same way that you did for the first visit – there is no limit to how many times you can do this! However, please bear in mind that, from our point of view, visits to different 1 km squares are preferable to repeat visits, particularly if there are priority (red-bordered) squares which you could visit for us.
- You can only record 23 species of birds using the Mammal Mapper app. However, these are likely to cover many of the birds that you will encounter in upland habitats. The similarities in method to BBS will make it easier to compare and combine data from these two surveys. This will make the data from Mountain Hare Square Surveys more useful, by enabling BTO to draw on more information to understand the factors affecting upland birds.
Recording on your smartphone
GPS (‘Location’) is enabled on my phone, but keeps turning off during surveys. What can I do?
On some smart phones, default battery settings can cause GPS to turn off when the phone’s screen is off. This can result in the app failing to correctly draw your route during a survey. You should be able to fix this in the Maintenance/Battery section of your phone’s Settings. Possible fixes include disabling battery-saving mode, or removing Mammal Mapper from the list apps are prevented from using your battery while you are “not using them”. With any of these measures, you may choose to leave these settings on your phone between surveys, or to employ them just for the duration of the survey (in which case remember to do them again when you carry out your next survey).
I want to save my phone battery for emergencies. Will having the GPS on and the App running make my battery go flat?
The App uses the phone’s inbuilt GPS system and this can cause the battery to drain more quickly. For the relatively short duration of a Square Survey this is unlikely to be a big issue if your phone was fully charged when you started. However, every phone is different. You may find that changing the “Locating Method” in your phone’s GPS or Location settings could help. Some phones default to using a combination of GPS, WiFi and mobile networks to estimate your location, but you can change this to “Device only” or “GPS only” mode, which is less battery hungry, and should not impact much on your phone’s location performance while you are in the countryside. If you are worried about battery life (particularly for longer Rambling Surveys, or especially remote Square Surveys) we advise you to take a power bank (a portable battery pack) that you can use to recharge your phone while out in the field.
Must I have the app running all the time on my walk?
Please keep the app on while you are carrying out a survey (i.e. actively looking out for and recording wildlife). However, just as importantly, please turn the app off (or at least Finish the survey) when you have finished surveying. This could be at the end of your walk, or, if you decide not to survey for the whole walk, whenever you make the decision to stop.
What should I do if I forget to put the app in the right survey mode, or don’t remember to pause it between the two transect lines?
Don’t panic – so long as your app was on and recording for the two transects, we should be able to retrieve your data. Please complete your survey and then email science [at] themammalsociety.org to explain what has happened.
How do I place records correctly on the App’s map?
When you enter a record, after entering the distance and orientation of an observation, and pressing 'Add to survey', you can view your observation in List View or Map View. In the latter, observations will usually be shown roughly where you have judged them to be, relative to your path and current position and (if you have internet signal) the background map. However, the App may sometimes place observations in relation to you in a way that looks wrong. If this happens, don’t worry! We should be able to work out where the record should be from the bearing and direction information you entered.
Is this survey for me?
What if I don’t think my identification skills are up to taking part?
The main focus of this survey is on Mountain Hares, which you may be worried about confusing with Brown Hares or Rabbits. However, Mountain Hares are the species most likely to be seen at high elevations and the Mammal Mapper app and training video provide help on how to separate the animals where they occur together.
I’m pretty sure there are no Mountain Hares in the area that I plan to walk - should I still take part?
Yes please! We have very little information on where Mountain Hares are found across much of Scotland. This means that taking part in an area with no hares and recording ‘zero data’ is a really valuable thing to do. In this survey, all that requires is to switch on the app, walk while keeping your eyes and ears peeled for the target species, and then (if you don’t observe any) just finishing the survey without entering any records. Because the app records your route, this will contribute evidence that these species are absent from the area you surveyed. Plus of course while you are participating you can still record and submit sightings of other mammals and upland birds, many of which are very under-recorded.
How do I take part if I don’t have, or don’t want to use, a smartphone?
At present, we are trialling this approach for smartphones only, because they are now so widely used and can make biological recording much more efficient and accurate. However, if this pilot scheme is successful and continues in the future then we may consider adapting it to include other methods of data capture, including paper forms.
What should I record?
Should I record animals which are outside the 1 km square which I’m covering?
For consistency with the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey methods, please do not record animals which are before the start or beyond the end of your transect lines. This will require particular care as you approach the end of each transect. However, animals a long distance away perpendicular to the transect line should be recorded, even if you suspect that they are outside your square. Just note down their angle and approximate distance from you, as with other records.
Should I record birds which just fly overhead?
Please make a judgement about whether the bird is using the square. In most cases the bird will have just taken off or is about to land, will be displaying over its territory (e.g. Skylarks), or will be searching for food (e.g. Raven). If you are certain that the bird is just flying over the square in transit to somewhere else then please don’t record it.
Should I record every single individual of each species?
If you are carrying out a Square Survey then yes, please do record all of the individual birds and mammals that you see (or groups of these where applicable). By recording in this way you will collect data that are as similar as possible to those that we get from the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey. In some squares we know that there will be a lot and this could be quite time consuming. Thank you for your dedication and patience - by submitting your data in this way you are making a valued contribution to our understanding of change in upland birds.
If you are carrying out a Rambling Survey, it is less important that you record every single individual of any very common bird species. Please do record each individual of all of the mammals, and of the 23 bird project species whenever possible. However, if you are encountering a species too frequently to record it while continuing your walk, it’s fine to record an individual every 500m or so, as an indication that the species is present and widespread. If you do this, please add a ‘Comment’ to the records of these abundant species to say that you aren’t recording all individuals and, if possible, give an estimate of the total number of the species you have seen since you last recorded it.
Can I record hare tracks and droppings, which I often find in the snow on hills where I’ve never seen an actual hare?
Yes, field signs of Mountain Hares (as well as other mammals) can be recorded using the app, providing useful additional information on distribution of hares and other mammals. Photos of these signs can also be taken in the app and will be submitted along with your record. This information can be used to help with verification, even if you are not sure what the field sign is yourself. We would be grateful if you record field signs of mammals, particularly in areas where you do not see live individuals of these species. However, mammal field signs can be numerous, and if you are unable or do not want to record every field sign you come across that’s OK. In areas of continuous and numerous signs please try and record on the app at least every 500 m, ideally adding in a comment with an estimate of the number in the vicinity.
How can I avoid double-counting Mountain Hares, other mammals and birds?
Sometimes an animal you have observed and recorded at one position may move to a different location, and be seen by you again. If you record it a second time, as if it were a new individual, this is called double-counting. Please try to avoid this, as when it happens it will tend to lead to the abundance of that animal being over-estimated.
It isn’t always easy to avoid double-counting – for example, if you spot a Mountain Hare running away from you, and it runs out of sight, then shortly afterwards you encounter another hare near the spot where you last saw the first one, how do you know whether the two are the same individual or not? The answer is: you don’t – but if you think that there is a reasonable chance that it is the same individual, please don’t count it again. In this way, counts of animals on your surveys should be conservative. This means we will be able to rely on them telling us the minimum number of animals present in the area you surveyed.
Related content
Working together for seabirds
BTO work supports effective monitoring of our seabirds and aims to provide opportunities for a new generation of seabird surveyors.
What’s the score for Copeland’s symphony of seabirds?
Northern Ireland Seabird Coordinator Katherine Booth Jones describes her love for the wild coastal habitats of Northern Ireland and the charismatic seabirds that inhabit them. | https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/mountain-hare-survey/volunteer-mountain-hare-survey-frequently-asked-questions |
The dissections of craniocervical arteries.
Dissection of craniocervical arteries internal carotid artery (ICA), or vertebral artery (VA) is an increasingly recognized entity and infrequent cause of stroke. We investigated 8 patients (4 women and 4 men) with dissections of the craniocervical arteries. Diagnostic procedures for detection of craniocervical dissection included: extracranial ultrasound-color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) of carotid and vertebral arteries, transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) and radiological computed tomography (CT) and digital subtractive angiography (DSA) examinations. Ultrasound findings (CDFI of carotid and vertebral arteries) were positive for vessel dissection in seven patients (or 87.5 per cent) and negative in one patient. DSA was consistent with dissection in five patients (or 62.5 per cent), negative in one, while in two patients the examination was not performed due to known allergy to contrast media. Five patients (62.5 per cent) were treated with anticoagulants, one with suppressors of platelet aggregation, and two patients were operated. Six patients (75 per cent) after the treatment showed partial recovery of neurological defects, and an improvement of ultrasound finding of dissected arteries. In one patient, following operation, stroke developed with deterioration of motor deficit, and one patient was readmitted three months later due to a newly developed stroke and soon died. The diagnosis should be suspected in any young or middle-age patient with new onset of otherwise unexplained unremitting headache or neck ache, especially in association with transient or permanent focal neurological deficits.
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Collectors know the value of owning a good piece of antique or classic style custom made furniture.
Most people, who collect French antique mirrors for example, do not tend to use them to look at own reflection, but rather to add certain exclusive accent to the room. Owning a valuable antique mirror or other piece of high-end furniture, will add a unique designing touch.
As with any collecting category, quality is key with antique and vintage furniture. Look for undamaged pieces which have been well cared for, with original finishes, hardware, and paint if possible.
We understand the piece’s history and provenance, and ascertain its maker and originality.
Over the years we have helped numerous interior designers and private buyers to acquire the pieces they were looking for. | http://sukoungallery.com/furniture/ |
Nah, it's not just you Timothy. It sounds cool to me too.
I think you could make a case for a Divine Mystery religion of Isis Myrianoma (as great mother/supreme creator) and even the Mongolian Tengri (sky god/creator) as being Divine with a similar sort of construction.
Imagine if the Mongol shamans were holy companions with Purity / Transcendence / Intervention instead of just diabolic summoners?
Cheers, | https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/realm-interactions/2802?page=2 |
Charge Transfer in DNA: From Mechanism to Application.
Charge transfer in DNA; from mechanism to application.
Ed. by Hans-Achim Wagenknecht.
Wiley-VCH
2005
229 pages
$129.95
Hardcover
QP517
The recognition that DNA-mediated charge transfer processes can occur on an ultrafast timescale and result in reactions over long distances has led to advances in researching the formulation of DNA damage that can result in mutagenesis or cancer, developing DNA chips detecting single-base mismatches or DNA lesions by electrochemical readout methods, or modifying DNA to enhance its electron transfer capacities for new nanotechnological devices based on DNA or DNA-inspired architectures, among others. Wagenknecht (Ph.D., U. of Basel, Switzerland) here presents nine articles on important aspects of charge transfer processes in DNA, including the principles and mechanisms of photoinduced charge injection, transport, and trapping in DNA; sequence-dependent dynamics as the regulator of DNA-mediated charge transport; excess electron transfer in DNA probed with flavin- and thymine dimmer-modified oligonucleotides; dynamics of photoinitiated hole and electron injection in duplex DNA; spectroscopic investigation of charge transfer in DNA; and electron transfer and structural dynamics in DNA. | https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Charge+Transfer+in+DNA%3A+From+Mechanism+to+Application-a0139424192 |
The November issue (Volume 55, Issue 14) of Urban Studies now available online here.
2018 Annual Lecture
Neighbourhood effects and beyond: Explaining the paradoxes of inequality in the changing American metropolis by Robert J Sampson
The 2018 Annual Lecture paper is now available open access on OnlineFirst.
Read the blog here.
Latest articles on OnlineFirst
Geographies of ethnic segregation in Stockholm: The role of mobility and co-presence in shaping the ‘diverse’ city by Jonathan Rokem and Laura Vaughan
Space syntax network analysis suggests that Stockholm's spatial configuration and its housing allocation policies severely limit the potential for copresence between new immigrants and the native Swedish population.
Legal geographies of neoliberalism: Market-oriented tenure reforms and the construction of an ‘informal’ urban class in post-socialist Phnom Penh by Benjamin Cyrus Roger Flower
In post-socialist Phnom Penh “market-oriented tenure reforms were exclusionary by design, and directly resulted in an ‘informal’ tenure system that legally rendered self-built dwellings in a constant state of provisionality”.
Lobbying for rent regulation in Hong Kong: Rental market politics and framing strategies by Mandy HM Lau
'The policy contest over rent regulation in Hong Kong has been shaped by existing power relations as well as framing processes.'
Residential relocation and the remaking of socialist workers through state-facilitated urban redevelopment in Chengdu, China by Qinran Yang and David Ley
"The Chinese state simultaneously aims to employ urban redevelopment and residential relocation as an instrument of national economic development, but also to consolidate social order and its own legitimacy."
Analysing the changes of employment subcentres: A comparison study of Houston and Dallas by Xuejun Liu, Qisheng Pan, Lester King and Zhonghua Jin
An analysis of the emergence and growth of employment centres in large metropolitan areas can help urban planners and policymakers understand job changes and allocate resources in an informed manner.
Does traffic congestion influence the location of new business establishments? An analysis of the San Francisco Bay Area by Taner Osman, Trevor Thomas, Andrew Mondschein and Brian D Taylor
Exploring the traffic congestion-economic performance relationship: A nuanced understanding of the effects of traffic on the San Francisco Bay Area. | https://www.urbanstudiesonline.com/mediacentre/news/latest-updates-on-urban-studies-6/ |
From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has called for international attention in the Lake Chad region.
The UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner Operations, Raouf Mazou, made the call in Abuja while briefing journalists after his tour of the Lake Chad region.
During his high-level mission, Mazou met government officials, partners, diplomats, as well as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugee returnees in the Northeast to hear about their situation first-hand and to analyse efforts and progress made to support them in rebuilding their lives.
Mazou who arrived Nigeria last Monday, said he had visited Cameroon where there are over 100,000 Nigerian refugees.
In the Northeast, Mazou also said he visited a number of camps, including Banki where there are 40,000 IDPs and refugees who returned from Cameroon.
He stated that in Borno, he discussed with the authorities, the traumatic IDPs situation and the return of refugees from Cameroon and other countries.
Mazou disclosed that there were 170,000 Nigerian refugees in Niger, and about 16,000 Nigerian refugees in Chad.
Mazou however said the voluntary return of the refugees was depended on the conditions in Borno.
He further said the UNHCR is engaging the Federal Government and the Borno State Government regarding the situation in Borno.
“Generally speaking, I will say that we share the concern as expressed by a number of people on the situation in the Northern part of Nigeria, Borno State in particular and definitely, we need more assistance. We need the international community to give more attention to the situation in that part of the country, that part of the West African region,” Mazou said. | https://www.sunnewsonline.com/lake-chad-unhcr-calls-for-local-international-assistance/ |
I loved Stephanie. She was knowledgeable, patient, focused, and so human. I found many new paths in coaching and it was lovely to explore them. The program helps us understand there are plenty better ways to grow.
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I liked the most working in different groups for each MBTI letter and tasks. To find out more about me and other people in groups. To improve communication and relations between people and sectors.
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The program gave me another perspective on the topic we covered. It helped me asked myself outside of the box questions.
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I like the MBTI questionnaire. It help me to understand more about my personality and why I feel comfortable doing everyday things and work related tasks, the way I do. It also helped me to figure out the different types of personalities I see around me and how to work and compromise in certain situations for the best outcomes. I do believe all leaders, who would have completed the program would have taken away very important aspect of the many exercises. I personally enjoyed seeing the many ways, different ideas and approach my colleagues had when looking at the same scenarios.
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I discovered a lot with the MBTI, as one of the most central parts of the program, not only for my leadership but also because it is important in everyday life.
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It is definitely a must for any aspiring leader, getting a firm grasp of the different personality types and better understanding why people makes certain decisions.
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I think the course was refreshing and entertaining. The subject matter can be a bit boring but the team made it lively and ensured the participants were engaged.
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The key learnings for me are the MBTI, the leadership styles and the possibility to always confront and share. I appreciated the way everything was always turned into practice like most of the models.
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The personality topic was perfectly covered, same with Leadership styles and the coach covered even aspects that we asked in parallel. I have learned to dare, to be more assertive in communication with the team, and I learned new tools to deal with decision taking.
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Altogether this is a great Program, very insightful. I specially enjoyed when we were able to work in rotating groups. That also brought awareness to my strengths & weaknesses I was not able to see before, not only as an individual, but within my team.
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This program is based on your personal skills and character type helping you coping with stress as I discovered things that I had not previously considered.
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I loved both content and training style. In addition seeing how I am similar in thought process as other leaders and how we can work together to achieve more was a highlight. We can learn from each other.
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This program helps getting the big picture of what leadership is about nowadays and how to recognize and focus on your strengths as such.
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I really enjoyed the program and I´m a bit sad it ended already. The exercises and games were the best part because we were able to interact with each other and also they illustrated well the theories discussed.
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I have learned to dare, to be more assertive in communication with the team, and I learned new tools to deal with decision taking.
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This Program enriched my knowledge on leaderhip skills and gave me the possibility to share about different yet similar experiences with peers. I'd definitely recommend it.
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In this program, I learned how to build a team, how to communicate efficiently and how to make sure they work together well.
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Through the leadership program, I have learned to better understand and classify the behavior and reactions of myself and my employees in certain situations. Even as a long-time manager, this program has provided me with numerous learnings and "aha" moments. In particular, the exchange in the peer group was very valuable for me.
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The leadership program from Cambiana is a great way to get equipped as a leader with a vast variety of tools. The training method is an interesting mix of self-learning, group academic teaching and practical implementation. The approach leaves a lot of space to observe the diversity of personalities, as team members as well as leaders. This is an eye-opener for a more inclusive leadership.
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It was great, good pace, good explanations, good examples, great participation from everyone. I felt good energy from everyone and people who were good with themselves. A great team and excellent trainers who are passionate, authentic, attentive and invested, real pros!
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Your digital learning concept, content, structure, set up and flexibility, not only wowed us as a group of very diverse leaders, but it helped us to create a bond like no other... the humility gained as a team is priceless. Thank you Cambiana! :).
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I was looking for a coaching that could explain how I could have reached people and talked to them on the same basis / platform (feelings and thoughts) to better and quicker understand where they are and where they want to go to. On the same way, I was looking how to bring employees together to build a team.
I joined this coaching without knowing what the Myers-Briggs was.
I learned here at Cambiana how to catch up people and how to understand situation/feelings
I could not really figure out where and why suddenly popped out.
I learned to name and frame situations and feelings and so I started interacting better with colleagues, team and family members. I was able to to bring them in the picture without misunderstandings. I had tools to recover lost of trust and strong the team spirit.
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Very friendly and professional. I've known Gaelle and her team for a number of years and I've always felt very comfortable at Cambiana, had very good experiences and learned a lot.
I have always been impressed by the personal level and the professional skills at Cambiana.
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It helped me a lot on a personal level and at a professional level, by better understanding some of traits of my personality, that have been defining me for the past decades.... It has been very helpful to better understand how these help or make interactions with other easier or more difficult. I have learned how these traits have an impact on my interactions with others and learning can be applied also to education with kids and relationships with spouses/partners.
I loved the way Gaelle added to the MBIT Framework many contents about leaderships and recent discoveries in the field. It was very inspiring and I loved the discussions with the other participants from diverse backgrounds.
I can only warmly recommend Gaelle's program.
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The Cambiana Leadership Program and the Personality profiling was sPERSÖNLICHE PRODUKTIVITÄT FREISETZENr helpful to understand myself better specially under stressful situations and how to prevent myself getting into these situations. I got tips and tricks. It helped me work with my team being more harmonised.
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The Leadership Program taught me a lot about myself, how to better interact with others and lead much more collaboratively. | https://www.cambiana.com/testimonials/ |
Fish Principals W. Karl Renner and Roberto Devoto were quoted in the Law360 Article “5 Must-Have Skills To Shine At The PTAB” to discuss the America Invents Act reviews and the special breed of patent proceedings.
Attorneys who tend to succeed at the PTAB are those who have both the technical chops necessary to do well in the prosecution setting and the advocacy skills that are critical for litigation, according to W. Karl Renner, co-chair of Fish & Richardson PC’s post-grant practice.
“The people who excel in this tend to have a strategic approach, where they are able to think of the big picture and can build to the final story,” he said. “They also have to know the record and the technology. Often at the district court, and even at the International Trade Commission, so many times the details of the technology can get swept up and marginalized as one component of a broader fight. Here, at the PTAB, they are front and center.”
Telling an emotional story where one side is the hero and the other side is the villain often pays less dividends at the PTAB and risks alienating the judges, according to Roberto Devoto, a principal at Fish & Richardson.
“The judges have an ear and appetite for the technical arguments, and the other fluff that is put around the issue of whether an innovation is new has less bite and effect,” he said. “The judges are looking for what the technically correct answer is and are focusing on that, not on who has the nice, heart-pulling story or who seems like a nicer, humbler, more down-to-earth guy.”
“Lawyers who have the technical facility and really enjoy the technology are those who are best suited for this forum,” Devoto said.
Critical Thinking
Whether seeking to invalidate or defend a patent before the PTAB, lawyers must have a finely honed ability to critically review the application of prior art on the patent claims, according to Devoto.
“The reason this skill is uniquely important to PTAB reviews is because of the unforgiving nature of the proceedings,” he said. “You only have very few opportunities to advance your arguments, and after laying out your case in chief, your ability to modify, pivot and add arguments is severely limited.”
The strict time limits of the proceeding make it all the more crucial for lawyers to identify in advance all of their arguments and their opposing side’s counterarguments to ensure they are putting their best foot forward with the initial filing, he said.
“Lawyers need to consider claims and prior art from all angles ahead of time to minimize the likelihood of surprises,” he said.
Good Judgment
Petitioner attorneys who focus on the quantity of their arguments over the quality could see their case fall prey to the PTAB’s redundancy doctrine, a time-saving tool the board uses to encourage lawyers to advance arguments based on the best pieces of prior art, according to Devoto.
“Multiple pieces of prior art can hurt you, as it can invite the PTAB to choose on its own initiative which pieces of prior art should go forward,” he said. “If you advance a whole bunch of grounds of claim rejections and fail to explain why they aren’t redundant to each other, the PTAB will pick and choose arguments based on its own selection criteria, and it may institute a trial on one of your weaker grounds.”
Read the full article here.
The opinions expressed are those of the authors on the date noted above and do not necessarily reflect the views of Fish & Richardson P.C., any other of its lawyers, its clients, or any of its or their respective affiliates. This post is for general information purposes only and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed. | https://www.fr.com/5-must-have-skills-to-shine-at-the-ptab/ |
You will be responsible for:
- On label content reviewing including promotional brochure, leaflet, PPT and all related materials.
- Analysising and synthesising medical information, responding on both off label queries and education program and extend product clinical practice application.
- Leading a local professional team to provide leadership and excellence in medical information service and medical communication.
- Providing professional medical/scientific data and medical messages to MSA, BA Marketing and Sales team and other RDSL functions.
- Answering medical related questions or inquiries and provide evidence based data to support.
- Providing clinical literature review and guideline update in a timely manner.
- Reviewing and ensuring the contents and medical claims in promotional materials are accurate, fair, objective and on label.
- Establishing and maintaining the good relationship with KOLs, investigators and sites.
- Keeping good relationship with global MSA colleagues to have a good cooperation.
- Other projects or tasks assigned by line manager
- Conducting business in full compliance including but not limited to Roche Secure, Roche Behavior in Business, Roche Competition Law Interactive Dialogues, Roche Safety, Security Health and Environmental Protection
- Understanding and fulfilling the responsibility of line manager's SHE tasks and duties (as defined in SHE handbook)
You should have:
- PhD or Master Degree in Clinical Medicine or clinical laboratory education background.
- Over 5 years of diverse healthcare experience in medical or clinical research in pharmaceutical, medical device or IVD companies. | https://www.roche.com/zh/careers/country/china/jobs/jobsearch/job.htm?id=E-201903-108024&locale=zh&title=Medical+Information+Manager%2F%E5%8C%BB%E5%AD%A6%E4%BF%A1%E6%81%AF%E7%BB%8F%E7%90%86 |
Description: SG Digital are a developer of online slots, gaming and sports betting products. They are the digital division of Scientific Games.
SG Digital Review
SG Digital are part of Scientific Games a company founded in 1973 which manufacturers casino equipment, casino software and online slots through its subsidiary SG Digital which also handles the sports betting side of things as well as the online gaming division. | https://www.onlinecasinoslotsnews.com/sg-digital-slots |
Battelle delivers when others can’t. We conduct research and development, manage national laboratories, design and manufacture products and deliver critical services for our clients—whether they are a multi-national corporation, a small start-up or a government agency.
We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.
We are currently seeking an Environmental Scientist, Surface Atmosphere Exchange . The preferred location for this position is Boulder, CO , though we are willing to consider remote work locations for qualified candidates.
Job Summary
The Surface-Atmosphere Exchange (SAE) Environmental Scientist will be part of the NEON Science Team that is responsible for operating, maintaining, and ensuring the success of a national program to generate > 180 standardized data products from 81 sites throughout the US for over 30 years. The Science Team develops, maintains, and improves field and lab protocols, derives data processing and data QA/QC algorithms, develops and maintains data analysis pipelines, works with external analytical laboratory partners, and collaborates with NEON Cyberinfrastructure software engineers to produce and publish high quality data products for the research, education, and decision-making communities.
The SAE Environmental Scientist will be an integral part of NEON’s SAE Group, which is responsible for delivering scientific design solutions, software and data products for the eddy covariance system. Core responsibilities of the SAE Environmental Scientist include actively contributing to and developing components of eddy4R (an R-based code package for eddy covariance data processing) by modularizing, hardening and improving its performance, supporting integration into NEON’s data processing pipeline, and actively coordinating across teams to ensure delivery of high-quality data. Additionally, this position will support development of data processing and QA/QC algorithms, monitor data quality, and perform manual flagging, and provide support for resolving data quality issues for the eddy covariance and related data products. The successful candidate will also pursue collaborations with scientists and data users, both internally and externally to support algorithm development, quality improvements, and use of NEON data and infrastructure. Interactions with the science community will include co-leading the SAE and Atmospheric Stable Isotope Technical Working Groups, addressing external inquiries and requests, and contributing to scientific manuscripts and proposals.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- eddy4R (https://github.com/NEONScience/eddy4R) codebase maintenance and development, including modularization (hierarchical workflows, packages, functions with controlled terminology), hardening (sensitivity tests, failsafes), performance improvement (profiling, vectorizing, file-backed objects, parallelization), and microsystems integration (Pachyderm)
- Collaborative eddy4R coding, including feature additions, bug fixes, and integrating community code contributions
- Identify and address ways to improve data quality and contribute to sensor and infrastructure development for eddy covariance and related data products in collaboration with other NEON teams and data users
- Participate in the larger NEON science community, supporting the active engagement between the Observatory and the broader science community in support of its mission (e.g., attending conferences, working groups)
- Support planning, moderating, and tracking of science code development tasks and other activities related to the bundled eddy covariance data products
- Participate in weekly Surface Atmosphere Exchange team coordination and planning meetings
- Work across a multidisciplinary team including Science, Engineering, Field Science, and CyberInfrastructure
- Manually flag eddy covariance and related data products, as needed, and develop and update documentation for end users
- Participate in and co-lead in the Surface Atmosphere Exchange and Atmospheric Stable Isotope Technical Working Groups
- Support scientific publications and proposals
- Support Field Science staff in achieving eddy covariance data quality
- Contribute to other NEON project deliverables as needed
Required Education, Experience, Knowledge and Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in atmospheric science, ecology, environmental science, or a related field with 2 years of experience or master’s degree or PhD.
- Experience with open science/reproducible science workflows, including code sharing on platforms such as GitHub.
- Experience with analysis of eddy covariance data
- High level of attention to detail, with a self-directed and goal-oriented work style
- Demonstrated skills in management and analysis of large, multivariate datasets.
- Expert knowledge in the R Programming language for Statistical Computing and experience in integrating, hardening and performance-improving R-code
- Demonstrated experience effectively communicating across and integrating within a heterogeneous team. Patient listening skills, clear and succinct self-expression
- Ability to speak in public to a diversity of audiences including scientists, science educators, college/university faculty, college-level students, and funding agency (NSF) program directors.
- Strong problem solving and analytical skills
- Proven ability to write and edit technical content, scientific literature and/or scientific proposals for public delivery.
- Willingness to travel occasionally to field sites, conferences, etc.
To learn more about the NEON Project, visit: https://www.neonscience.org/
For more information about NEON surface atmosphere exchange data products and community, please see:
- Eddy covariance data product details: https://data.neonscience.org/data-products/DP4.00200.001
- NEON’s sampling design and approach for measuring flux: https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/100/11/bams-d-17-0307.1.xml
- NEON’s Surface Atmosphere Exchange Technical Working Group: https://www.neonscience.org/about/advisory-groups/twgs/surface-atmosphere-exchange-twg
Please direct questions and inquiries to Stefan Metzger [email protected]
Battelle is an equal opportunity employer. We provide employment and opportunities for advancement, compensation, training, and growth according to individual merit, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, genetic information, disability, veteran-status veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable Federal, state, or local law. | http://mm5.met.psu.edu/careers/job-listings/job-files-1/environmental-scientist-surface-atmosphere-exchange |
CiNii (NII Scholarly and Academic Information Navigator)Display of citation references information on treatises and links to full-text.
KAKEN (Database of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research)
This site presents a brief overview on themes (themes when initially adopted) and results (e.g., reports and reviews) of the research themes funded by grants-in-aid for scientific research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
NII-DBR (Academic Research Database Repository)
Search of specialized databases created by Japanese societies and research groups.
JAIRO is a service providing cross-search of Institutional Repositories which makes it possible to discover educational and research outcomes (journal articles, theses or dissertations, departmental bulletin papers, research papers, etc.) disseminated from universities and academic institutions in Japan.
NII-REO (NII Repository of Electronic Journal and Online Publications)
Search of journal articles across the publishers.
Services aimed at the entire academic community; e.g., Science Information NETwork (SINET), Catalog Information Service (NACSIS-CAT/ILL), Institutional Repositories Program (IRP) and Academic Access Management Federation (GakuNin)
SINET4
The Science Information Network (SINET) is an information communication network connecting universities and research institutions throughout Japan via nationwide nodes. SINET4 plays an important role as the core component of the Cyber Science Infrastructure (CSI) as the successor of SINET and Super SINET.
NACSIS-CAT/ILL
The Catalog Information Service supports operations at institutions such as university libraries, offering Online Shared Cataloging System (NACSIS-CAT) and the Interlibrary Loan System (NACSIS-ILL).
NII Institutional Repositories Program (IRP)
Universities and NII jointly work for various scholarly contents to realize the next generation scholarly content infrastructure. Institutional repositories are to serve for acquiring, organizing, preserving, and disseminating such scholarly information. They are a set of services by academic institutions for their academic communities to manage and publish digital contents they create.
International Scholarly Communication Initiative (SPARC Japan)
SPARC Japan is a project to strengthen the electronic journals of the scholarly publications of Japan's academic societies.
Support Project for Research Bulletin Dissemination (Japanese)
NII conducts a joint project for constructing metadata database of academic information resources which are provided by universities and research institutes in Japan on the Internet. | https://www.nii.ac.jp/en/service/general/ |
Following on from my last post the Newcomers guide to the Ontario School System here is my 2nd installment. Just to reiterate these are simply my observations as a Mum.
Here in Canada the vast majority of children travel to school on the school bus. You know those big yellow ones you see in films?
Here in the suburbs they drive around the streets picking the kids up and driving them to school. For little ones in daycare they can often pick the kids up from daycare take them to school and drop them back there in the evening. Canada really likes to help the working work mum! Once your child is registered in school you get issued a student number, this is all you need to book a place on the school bus.
Like most schools in the UK the school day is usually around 9am-3.30pm give or take. Some schools provide before and after school care (another thing to help those working mums). The amount of lessons and the length of them vary from school to school but a few things stay the same; Canadians like to snack so ‘snack time’ is part usually part of morning recess. They also love their fresh air, so children go outside unless it’s raining hard or below -20C so kids must be dressed appropriately for the weather, whether it’s sun hats and sun screen or snow boots and thick coats.
Schools are equipped with PA systems, they announce important news in the morning, so very rarely send home letters. They also play the national anthem every morning and have the children stand to listen to it.
Generally, Elementary schools don’t have a canteen so kids need to take a packed lunch and their snack.
It is usually only the Catholic schools that have a school uniform. Students dress casually, younger kids don’t always get changed for PE (Phys Ed/gym) so they need to wear suitable clothing. They will also need a pair of indoor shoes that are left at school and are worn whilst inside the building. Trainers are ideal for this.
In Elementary schools homework is rarely given unless it is for a specific project and never given in the holidays, as ‘family time’ is deemed extremely important.
The school year starts in September on the Tuesday following the Labour day weekend and goes through to the end of June (around 27th). The year is divided into 2 semesters September to January and February to June. At the end of January reports are issued and there are usually subject changes.
There are long weekends in October for Thanksgiving, February for Family day, Easter and Victoria Day in May. There are two weeks holiday at Christmas and 10 days for March Break.
My boys really struggled with the change in the school year, they were so used to a break from school every 6 weeks when it came to several months between breaks they were exhausted. 9 weeks off in the summer really makes up for it though!
This entry was posted in Immigration, Newcomers guide and tagged elementary, expat, high school, Immigration, newbies, Ontario, school on February 5, 2013 by Lou.
I might need to update it by then, It’ll be a while before your cute little one is ready for school!
This post made me laugh. Not because of anything you’ve written or experienced, but my experience in reverse has been laughable.
You should have seen the madness we had to deal with when our kids were launched into changing for PE and in front of others to boot! My youngest held up the class and hid under the desks/chairs for months! The school wanted to have a meeting about “anything out of the ordinary happening at home that may be causing this behaviour” ha.
Nope-just another cultural difference. Plain and simple.
They do have rules about distance to the school and even if your child is disabled, you have to prove a genuine need before they will even consider the appeal for transportation if you live any closer. They have been known to ask parents to take video footage of child’s ability to walk to prove it!
Having school breaks as often as we do over here, is a welcomed relief. Makes the transition a little easier for sure!
Can’t imagine how your kids took the change! But I bet they are liking the freedom to express themselves freely through clothes etc.
Maybe you should do a post from the opposite perspective seeing as things are so different and most of it you don’t find out about in advance. Your poor little one must have wondered what on earth was going on when asked to undress in front of their classmates, no doubt you’d been previously telling them that this was something you would absolutely NEVER have to do! | http://louslakeviews.com/newcomers-guide-to-the-ontario-school-system-part-2/ |
The debate rages on as to the validity of measuring teacher effectiveness based on standardized test results. Meanwhile, there's another less vocal debate: how do we measure the effectiveness of those teachers of non-tested subjects? NCTQ has added a new question to its Tr3 database which explores this very issue. The data shows a clear absence of consensus.
A remarkable 70 of the 114 districts in our Tr3 database, from 30 states, are or will soon be requiring evidence of student achievement or growth on teacher evaluations. State law largely dictates what districts must do, some with more specificity than others. In forty-six districts in 13 states student growth in traditionally non-tested subjects is measured by standardized tests specially developed for the subjects--but, for purposes of teacher evaluation, that only counts as one measure of student achievement. In every one of these 46 cases, the state has directed districts to develop multiple measures of student achievement, be they locally-developed standardized subject-area tests or classroom-based measurements determined by the teacher and evaluator. These are often student learning or growth goals which measure the students' progress over the school year.
One thing is certain. As with almost all things related to teacher evaluation, no one is claiming to have found the magic bullet for evaluating teachers of non-tested subjects. The methods we're seeing today will most likely evolve in the next few years. Most notably, we are apt to see greater and greater use of subject-area tests which allow comparison of teachers across grades. Since subject-area tests are still in development in many states and districts, evaluators currently rely on more classroom-based measures such as student work, end of year exams and growth goals. Keep your eye on our Tr3 database to see how this changes over time. | https://www.nctq.org/blog/Measuring-up-in-non--tested-subjects |
LANSING — On September 23, 2022, the Michigan Historic Preservation Review Board voted unanimously to support the nomination of Anaem Omot, a Menominee Tribe cultural landscape bisected by the Menominee River that separates Wisconsin and Michigan, to the National Register of Historic Places. The vote follows several years of advocacy by historians, scientists, and leaders of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin to recognize the cultural and historic resources in the district, including burial mounds, garden beds, and dance rings.
View of the Menominee River near ancient garden beds at one of the Menominee cultural sites nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. (Keweenaw Now file photo)
“We are absolutely thrilled,” said Chairman Ron Corn Sr. of the Menominee Tribe. “Today’s vote recognizes a rare and sacred Menominee heritage site that has lasted through centuries of violent dispossession and where Menominee members continue to visit and hold ceremonies today. It’s especially meaningful on Michigan Indian Day, which honors the many contributions that people of Native American descent have made in Michigan.”
Anaem Omot, translated as “The Dog’s Belly,” is an area located 50 miles upstream from the mouth of the Menominee River where it meets the Bay of Green Bay. It includes the famed Sixty Islands site, which is steeped in Menominee history. The origin of the Menominee Tribe takes place at the mouth of the Menominee River.
This scenic view of the Menominee River, showing how it forms the border between Michigan and Wisconsin, was taken by Wayne Swett, Menominee tribal member and co-organizer with Dawn Wilber of the Menominee Canoe Trips. (Photo © and courtesy Wayne Swett)
The site contains documented burial mounds, ancient raised agricultural fields, and hammered metal artifacts dating to the Old Copper period. There are also several ancient dance rings in the area, which were used for ceremonial purposes by Menominee and other neighboring tribes. These sites may help historians and researchers better understand how ancient societies were impacted by geological and social phenomena.
Burial mound located at one of the cultural sites near the Menominee River. (Keweenaw Now file photo)
Students are also interested in learning about the Menominee ancestors, as Menominee High School teacher Dawn Wilber, co-organizer of the Menominee Canoe Trips, demonstrated in leading them on a cultural tour last summer. The Culture Tour acquainted students with some of the sacred sites and taught them the reason for the canoe trip: protecting the sacred sites and protecting the Menominee River. (See above photo).
Dawn Wilber is pictured here with her nieces and nephews, who attended the June 29 Ancient Tour along with other students. (Photo © and courtesy Dawn Wilber)
“The way our ancestors lived continues to shape who we are today,” said Dave Grignon, tribal historical preservation officer for the Menominee. “This special place tells us where we’ve come from and where we’re going, and there is a lot left to learn.”
Grignon has worked for years with archaeologist David Overstreet to achieve the historic preservation nomination in both Wisconsin and Michigan.***
The Michigan Review Board vote follows the November 2021 vote by the Wisconsin Review Board, which unanimously approved the site’s nomination. The decision to list Anaem Omot in the National Register of Historic Places — the official list of historic buildings, districts, sites, structures, and objects worthy of preservation — will now move to Michigan and Wisconsin’s State Historic Preservation Officers, the National Park Service, and finally to the keeper of the National Register.
Native, non-Native leaders praise vote for historic preservation of site despite some Michigan legislators’ opposition
Recent articles in mainstream media have quoted some Upper Peninsula Michigan legislators, proponents of mining, as being opposed to historic preservation of the Anaem Omot cultural site since it is near the site for the proposed Gold Resource Corporation Back 40 mining project — a potential open-pit and underground mine for gold, copper, zinc and other metals. Gold Resource Corporation (GORO) took over development of the Back 40 project last December from Aquila Resources, a company that failed to secure permits for the mine.
These legislators include Michigan State Rep. Beau LaFave (R-Iron Mountain), who admitted his own ignorance of the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
In a Sept. 26, 2022, article in uppermichigansource.com (WLUC, TV-6), LaFave is quoted as follows: “‘After decades of trying to bring hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars into our economy every year, the mine is done,’ said Rep. Beau LaFave (R-Iron Mountain). ‘It is so frustrating because I never heard of SHPO until two weeks ago.'”****
LaFave added the gold mine could operate without disturbing burial grounds.
In that same article, State Rep. Sara Cambensy (D-Marquette) is also quoted as a defender of the mine. She also notes property owners might be impacted: “‘Now people will have to jump through hoops to do anything to their properties,’ said Sara Cambensy (D-Marquette). ‘The mine already has to do a full archeological site investigation when they go for their permitting, but now, this ties in all the other land owners.'”****
A Sept. 27, 2022 article in the Iron Mountain Daily News says the Upper Peninsula lawmakers blame the Michigan nomination for historic preservation on “a Wisconsin-based anti-mining group.”*****
The Daily News article states, “Saying the State Historic Preservation Office has become a block to economic development in the U.P., several lawmakers are planning legislation to defund and reform it, along with a formal resolution condemning recent actions and calling for removal of its staff.”
The Daily News article also notes Representatives Cambensy’s and LaFave’s defense of the mining project and opposition to the historic preservation of the site.
In addition, that article cites state Rep. Greg Markkanen’s criticism of SHPO: “‘SHPO has also caused trouble for us on the trail reconstruction in Houghton County,’ state Rep. Greg Markkanen, R- Hancock, said in a statement. ‘It is urgent that new leadership of this office and the board be had before they hinder other important projects for our communities across the U.P. and Michigan.'”
The article also quotes State Senator Ed McBroom as follows: “‘This action is a flagrant taking of private property rights and opportunities,’ state Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, said in a statement. ‘Our state entities should not have even considered this non-Michigan group.'”*****
Dawn Wilber, teacher of Menominee culture and language, had this reaction to the nomination of Anaem Omot for historic preservation: “I am extremely happy and proud of those who fought so very hard to protect our Ancestors and our Sacred sites on our original homelands. Those who stood and testified on the importance of this land. Namely David “Nahwahquaw” Grignon and Dr. David Overstreet to name a few. I know there are others, many others, but these two have been amazing in confronting this horrible threat that has been a challenge to our people.”
Mary Hansen, longtime member and administrator of the Facebook Group SAVE the Menominee River STOP the Back Forty Mine, posted on that Facebook page her reaction to the Michigan legislators’ opposition to the nomination: “Gold Resource Corp is at it to STOP Anaem Omot (dogs belly) from being deemed a Historic Site! These people and those backing them are beyond reprehensible! Greed is at the root of their poisonous plan! They can’t grow more money and so they would try to discredit the facts that this area IS a Historic Site! This IS the History of the proud Menominee Indian Tribe! This area and water that surrounds it MUST BE PROTECTED! It must be put on the historic register and deemed a HISTORIC SITE to be protected for all generations to come!”
Al Gedicks, Executive Secretary of the Wisconsin Resources Protection Council and professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, who has worked for years with Native leaders in fighting sulfide mining projects in both Wisconsin and Michigan, and who has written and spoken extensively about the dangers of the Back 40’s projected tailings dam, had the following message for the legislators opposed to the historic preservation nomination:
“Upper Peninsula legislators have claimed that the request for the nomination of the Menominee Nation’s cultural landscape, Anaem Omot, came “from a Wisconsin-based anti-mining group.” (Iron Mountain Daily News, September 27). However, the names that appear on the September 20, 2021, application form are Ron Corn, the chairman of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin; David Grignon, the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer; along with Dr. David Overstreet, an archaeological consultant to the Menominee Tribe and John Broihahn, a retired state archaeologist with the Wisconsin Historical Society. This application passed unanimously by the Wisconsin Historical Society in November 2021 reflecting the presence of the Menominee people across territory that later became Michigan and Wisconsin.
“The Sixty Islands (Anaem Omot) location is an ancestral village site of the Menominee Indian Tribe and contains well preserved archaeological features that merit designation as a cultural landscape in the federal Register of Historic Places. The Menominee people occupied the Menominee River area for millennia, until an 1836 Treaty with the U.S. forced them to cede their original territory in Michigan. Now some U.P. legislators want to erase the history of the Menominee Nation by ignoring the voice of the tribe in their application for historic recognition.
“The complaint from U.P. legislators that the historic designation would block the permitting of the proposed Back Forty mine is at odds with the mining company’s own preliminary economic assessment of the project where they state that all sites ‘potentially eligible’ for the National Register of Historic Places ‘have been avoided in the Project footprint along with a 30 meter buffer around the site.’ (P and E Mining Consultants, Inc., Report 329, September 16, 2020 p. 425).
“If the legislators have evidence that the Back Forty project would not protect the Menominee Nation’s cultural landscape, they should provide this information to the public and to the Gold Resource Corporation (GORO).”
In contrast to the argument of these legislators that the nomination of the site for historic preservation comes from a Wisconsin group, the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC), also supports that nomination. UPEC is a grassroots group that, since the 1970s, has focused solely on environmental issues across all of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and is a charter member of the Michigan Environmental Council, a statewide network of environmental groups. The following is a statement from UPEC:
“The Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition congratulates the MENOMINEE Tribe of Wisconsin on the designation of the Sixty Islands as a valuable heritage site by, first, the Wisconsin and, now, the Michigan Historic Preservation Review Board in the MENOMINEE homeland.
“It is unfortunate that Senator McBroom and Representatives Cambensy, LaFave and Markkanen refuse to recognize the value of Michigan’s indigenous heritage. UPEC’s Mining Action Group has documented the damage that a mine adjacent to the river would produce in the form of acid mine drainage and future failure of a proposed toxic tailings dam. Both would degrade the water where the Michigan and Wisconsin DNRs have spent countless hours and funding to restore sturgeon habitat. This mine would make the river less viable for aquatic life. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding of over $200 million restored the Marinette and MENOMINEE harbors from decades of industrial pollution to which the legislators did not object. Yet they decry the Sixty Islands cultural site in the river being protected from possible destruction.
“These legislators also ignore the MENOMINEE River as a major draw for fishermen throughout the Midwest, bringing in revenue that supports local businesses that would be adversely impacted by mining activity.
“It is a shame that our legislators do not provide the leadership that encourages environmentally safe development of a fragile wetland habitat. Instead, these legislators jump on any business venture that expresses an interest in coming to the UP, no matter the environmental consequences. ‘Desperation Development’ for short-term gain leads to unwise decisions in supporting a mine that destroys our water. The MENOMINEE Tribe of Wisconsin and environmental groups in both Wisconsin and Michigan have worked for over 20 years to prevent another attempt to pollute our rivers and lakes — pollution that will prevent present and future generations from enjoying the MENOMINEE River.”
Notes:
* Earth Justice, a nonprofit environmental law organization, posted a Sept. 23, 2022, press release announcing the Michigan Historic Preservation Review Board’s vote to support the nomination of Anaem Omot to the National Register of Historic Places.
** See Keweenaw Now’s July 14, 2022, article, “Water protectors complete 4th Annual Menominee on Menominee Canoe Trip against threat of Back 40 mining project.”
*** David Grignon spoke about his efforts to obtain support from both Wisconsin and Michigan for the nomination of these cultural sites to the National Register of Historic Places during the July 23, 2022, Water Celebration to benefit the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River. See Keweenaw Now’s September 8, 2022, article, “Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River holds Water Celebration featuring Native, non-Native speakers on Back 40 mining project.”
**** See “Menominee River nomination for National Register of Historic Places could impact Back Forty Mine, private landowners.” uppermichigansource.com, Sept. 26, 2022. Rep. LaFave and Rep. Cambensy also spoke about mining during the Sept. 28, 2022, meeting of the House Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Committee. During that meeting a package of mining bills was discussed. Rep. LaFave, in one of his comments, referred to the sites nominated for historic preservation as “dirt.” (See about 34 minutes into the meeting.)
***** See “UP lawmakers target state history office.” Iron Mountain Daily News, Sept. 27, 2022. | http://www.wrpc.net/articles/michigan-board-votes-to-add-ancient-menominee-site-to-national-register-of-historic-places-pro-mining-michigan-legislators-oppose-vote/ |
Valdosta has a total population of 43,724 and a student population of 17,089. Of these students, 12,391 are enrolled in schools that offer interior design programs.
The largest interior design school in Valdosta, by student population, is Valdosta State University. Approximately 16 students graduated in 2010 from Valdosta State University with credentials in interior design.
A total of 16 students graduated with credentials in interior design from interior design schools in Valdosta in 2010. If you decide to join their ranks, you can expect to pay an average of $19,024 per year in tuition if you are eligible for instate tuition. Out of state tuition for all Valdosta interior design schools was an average of $28,606 per year in 2009.
You should also anticipate spending about $1,200 for interior design related books and supplies every year. And if you live on campus, you will face an additional expense of $6,420 per year, on average, for room and board at Valdosta-based interior design schools. Students who live at home can cut this cost down to approximately $0.
If you decide to work as an interior designer in Valdosta, your job prospects are good. The government projects that the number of interior designers in Valdosta will increase by 15% by the year 2018. This anticipated change is faster than the projected nationwide trend for interior designers.
Address:
1500 N Patterson, Valdosta, Georgia 31698
Awards Offered: | https://www.hackcollege.com/school-finder/schools/georgia/valdosta/interior-design/ |
Nancy Barkley is an entrepreneur and business owner with a passion for helping others find success.
Nancy was given complete freedom to explore her topic and subject of choice. She is excited about what she has chosen, believing it will provide insig ...
December 22, 2021
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NOV
Nancy Barkley closing Keynote Speaker at Destination Wedding Congress in Rhodes, Greece
Nancy Barkley presents one of the most popular, well-received and most talked about session to delegates from 40 countries.
Nancy Barkley's session on "Exploring Luxury Romance Travel " was a massive success. The audience were enthralled by the way she put forward her insig ...
November 19, 2021
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AUG
Introducing Monica Roma and Nancy Barkley new Italy Wedding Collaboration
Monica and Nancy will be working together to be the leaders of luxury elopements and intimate weddings in Italy.
After almost two years where the events and international tourism sector has suffered a drastic collapse, at a time when everything still seems uncert ... | https://www.1888pressrelease.com/honeymoons-and-get-a-ways-destination-weddings-302524-company-pr.html |
On Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's upcoming trip to Europe, he is set to tell Georgia and Ukraine that there is an "open door" for the two states to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a stunning development that is sure to roil already-sour relations between the U.S. and Russia. While safeguarding the sovereignty and prosperity of both countries is a laudable aspiration, inviting two states on Russia's border into an anti-Russian security alliance in an era of escalating brinksmanship between Moscow and Washington is beyond reckless.
It is easy to understand the temptation. Both Ukraine and Georgia are struggling democracies that have had pieces of their territory lopped off by Russian revanchism this century. Russian military forces occupied the South Ossetia region of Georgia in 2008 and never left, creating an autonomous region and expelling ethnic Georgians. And in 2014, Russian forces occupied and annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and sent forces to support ethnic Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine, where they remain. Both conflicts have their roots in unresolved territorial disputes stemming from the collapse of the Soviet Union.
I visited the Georgian capital of Tblisi in 2014, and found it to be fascinating. The city has a ramshackle beauty, and Georgians are among the most ardently pro-American people I have ever encountered overseas — part of the taxi ride from the airport took us along a road named after George W. Bush. A trip to a monastery in Kazbegi, improbably perched atop a snow-capped mountaintop, topped off with jugs of Georgian Rosé in a packed café, gave me a soft spot for the country that will last a lifetime.
Unfortunately, sympathy and cheap wine are not firm bases for consequential foreign policymaking. NATO is a collective security pact, and Article 5 of the organization's charter treats an attack on any member state as an attack on all. And because both Georgia and Ukraine are already involved in unsettled border disputes with Russia, inviting them into the alliance absent a broader settlement with Russia is a bad idea.
There is also a bigger-picture problem here. When NATO expanded into Eastern Europe in the aftermath of the Soviet Union's collapse, boosters promised not just a military alliance but an engine of democratization. By requiring member states to settle territorial disputes with one another, joining NATO could avert potentially destructive conflicts like those that engulfed the Balkans in the early 1990s. And the pact's security guarantees would help keep far-right forces from exploiting nationalist claims in the service of militarism, ensure civilian control over military apparatuses, and embed post-Soviet countries in an alliance of democracies that were unlikely to go to war with one another.
Reading through the arguments for NATO expansion in the 1990s and early aughts is an eye-opener. In a 1997 essay for Commentary, neoconservative Joshua Muravchik dismissed concerns that Russia might react badly to the expansion of a defensive security alliance to its borders. "A sustained dialogue with Russian political and military leaders," he mused, "might help them to see how little intrinsic conflict exists between their enlightened self-interest and ours." Vladimir Putin was first elected president three years later. He did not, in the end, see much of any overlap in our mutual self-interest.
Bringing in Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic did not, of course, lead to disaster. Writing in 2005 for the venerable journal Security Studies, international relations scholar Rachel Epstein claimed vindication for the pro-expansion forces. Not only had the initial 1999 round of expansion into Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic "precluded the rise of destructive military cultures by insisting on democratic standards," expansion hadn't destabilized relations with Russia as critics warned.
Epstein concluded that "Russian politics had not undergone undue radicalization as a result of NATO enlargement, there was no new cold war, and key arms control agreements endured." I'm picking on Muravchik and Epstein only because a full rundown of this kind of thinking, rampant and almost unquestioned at the time, would consume tens of thousands of words.
Today these hopeful assessments are almost laughable. Under Putin, Russia fell into deep-freeze authoritarianism and became a malign influence on beleaguered democracies not just in Europe but around the world. Multiple arms control agreements are now in tatters (mostly, it must be said, at the behest of Republican U.S. presidents), including the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty, and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Worse, Russia has aggressively moved to reclaim territory on its periphery, believing that an unjust settlement was imposed by the U.S. and its allies at Moscow's moment of maximum weakness immediately after the Cold War.
It's not just Russia. Clearly, neither NATO nor accession into the European Union has been sufficient to stave off a drift into authoritarianism for countries like Hungary, which has seen an alarming decline in the quality of its democracy over the course of the 21st century. Freedom House, which produces an index of democracy every year in its Freedom in the World report, downgraded Hungary to its "Partly Free" category in 2019. Other early-expansion NATO states like Poland and the Czech Republic, while still considered democracies, have seen their scores decline in recent years as right-wing populism has swept across the continent.
NATO has added 11 more countries since 1999, including the Baltic countries of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, which directly border Russia. I would invite you to look at a map and consider how this development might be perceived in Moscow. The not-unreasonable perception that post-Soviet Russia was snookered by the West into coughing up too much of the USSR's holdings played a major role in the rise of Putin, whose philosophy includes a strong element of irredentism, the desire to recover national territory.
That rapid expansion of what had been a tight-knit alliance has also given the organization an identity crisis. Is NATO meant to keep the peace in Europe, or to respond to other threats to peace and security far from the continent, or both? And if the goal is continental peace, what exactly is the upside of intentionally rattling the cage of a hostile Russia?
Remember, had Georgia been a NATO member in 2008, or Ukraine in 2014, the alliance would have been obligated to engage in a shooting war with Russia. Indeed, the prospect of NATO membership seemed to have made the Georgian leadership careless in 2008, and convinced Russia that it needed to make its territorial grabs before the strategic situation changed. And the Biden administration really should think very carefully about whether it wants to reproduce those dynamics, especially at a time when the American public is in an especially anti-interventionist mood.
Enthusiasts of enlargement might respond that NATO membership would have scared Moscow away from aggression in the first place. Maybe so. But it is just as likely that NATO's promises to these friendly — but strategically unimportant — countries would have proved empty when faced with the prospect of war between nuclear-armed powers. Another decade of foreign policy failure can only have strengthened the perception in Moscow that U.S. resolve to come to the aid of Kiev and Tbilisi is thinner than ever. And the wider the United States stretches its forces and commitments at a time when both its relative and absolute global power are on the wane, the less likely anyone is to take them seriously.
All this means that expanding NATO into these countries is folly, a provocation that could cause a new crisis with Russia, and is therefore unlikely to meaningfully improve the security situation of either new member.
That sounds like a door the Biden administration might rather keep closed. | https://theweek.com/world/1006143/the-madness-of-expanding-nato |
The present research inquires into the contemporary shapes and strategies of situated and participatory perspectives on design. It proposes a re-conception of the notion of design space to capture the wider interplay of possibilities, practices, and partly assembled technologies, as well as developing competencies and social arrangements that are the basis for ongoing design choices.
In so doing, this work looks at the arrangements that evolved at the intersection of two design research engagements. The first engagement deals with the life project of an association of seniors developing an alternative housing arrangement with its related growing-old-together practices. In particular, the first case study draws on a mutual journey to design and develop what the community refers to as their everyday life management system or Miina, which helps them coordinate their daily joint practices. The second engagement looks at forms of active citizenship in the interactions of citizens both with each other and with officials in the city administration as these interactions are enacted through locative technologies. In this case, the research takes advantage of the collaborative design process for an online platform service, namely Urban Mediator, for sharing locative media content about the urban environment.
The research highlights aspects that are relevant to the development of design approaches which do not only deal with designers and their design processes, but which can also deal with how both the things undergoing design and the design process itself are simultaneously embedded in existing everyday life arrangements. Drawing on work from different fields, especially Design Research and Science and Technology Studies, the design space framework introduced herein elaborates nuanced navigational aids for long term design engagement. The main purpose of this framework is to help recognize the inescapability of confronting collective design spaces and the relevance and potential that their explicit construction as collaborative endeavours can have in particular settings. | https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/11261 |
Tracing impacts of partner abundance in facultative pollination mutualisms: from individuals to populations.
Partner abundance affects costs and benefits in obligate mutualisms, but its role in facultative partnerships is less clear. We address this gap in a pollination web consisting of two clovers (Trifolium) that differ in specialization on a bumble bee pollinator Bombus balteatus. We examine how pollination niche breadth affects plant responses to pollinator abundance, comparing early-flowering (specialized) and late-flowering (generalized) cohorts of T. parryi and early T. parryi to T. dasyphyllum, a pollination generalist. Co-pollinators disrupt the link between B. halteatus visitation and pollination rate for both clovers. Only for early-flowering T. parryi do visitation, pollination, and seed set increase with density of B. balteatus. Bumble bee density also alters timing of seed germination in T. parryi, with seeds from plants receiving augmented B. balteatus germinating sooner than seeds of open-pollinated counterparts. Benefits saturate at intermediate bumble bee densities. Despite strong effects of B. balteatus density on individual plant fitness components, population models suggest little impact of B. balteatus density on lamda in T. parryi or T. dasyphyllum. Findings show that functional redundancy in a pollinator guild mediates host-plant responses to partner density. Unexpected effects of pollinator density on life history schedule have implications for recruitment under pollinator decline.
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Frequently Asked Questions¶
Q: Can I code my own smart contract in Go language and compile it to a library file (example .a file), and use that to compile with komodo source code?
A: As long as it compiles to a linkable library, the language for the new contract (faucet.cpp equivalent) won’t matter. It would just need to be compatible with the C/C++ stack calling convention. It is
komodod that is doing all this. So, it just seems logical to extend
komodod. It is a native contract, directly accessing the DB and datastructures.
Q: What exactly is the purpose of these addresses that are in the source code, with privkeys? I just imported RFYE2yL3KknWdHK6uNhvWacYsCUtwzjY3u on a test chain ATEST and spent the .0001 that was in it.
A: You can only spend the normal funds in those addresses, CC outputs are protected. CC addresses map the CC scriptPubKey to an address, not the pubkey. The purpose of the addresses are to have special addresses that all nodes have the privkey for and are able to sign the CC transaction to release otherwise locked funds. i.e., there are only a limited number of ways the funds in a CC output can be spent (all these are what makes up the code of the contract) and all of them are valid so anyone on the network can sign an output when its unlock condition is satisfied.
Q: what’s the purpose of sending coins to these addresses that are in the source code?
A: Depends on the CC contract
- for the faucet contract, the purpose is to have funds for the faucet
- for the assets contract, the purpose is to create colored coins
- for the rewards contract, the purpose is to have funds for the rewards etc.,
Contracts usually needs to have funds to operate.
Q: What is the importance of the EVAL codes like in `jl777/komodo:src/cc/eval.h@jl777#L43 <https://github.com/jl777/komodo/blob/jl777/src/cc/eval.h#L43>`__ ?
A: EVAL codes in eval.h are the CC contract-type ID. e.g. “rewards contract” ID is 0xe5, faucet contract is 0xe4. The goal is to have building blocks of smart contracts. The smart contract “library” or “catalogue” is available to all of komodo. You pick what you need to use for your use of blockchain. If you need something different, you pick the “smart contract of closest fit” and make your changes. If you want, you PR it upstream back to komodo and it is included in the komodo “catalogue of smart contracts”.
Q: Can you chain together contracts like IF statements?
A: As of July 2018, the contracts currently use the absolute simplest possible CryptoConditions. With these, the developer is able to do assets, rewards, faucet and more. There is no reason we can’t make a contract that knows about other contracts. If there is a description of what the contract does in terms of utxo, more than likely, it can be done.
Q: What can a Komodo Smart Contract access on the blockchain?
A: WIP I dont think any other bitcoin protocol blockchain has contracts code with full access to prior blockchain data.
Q: Does each additional contract require a hard fork?
A: Adding support for a new contract would require a hardfork. It also depends on what you mean, how it was deployed and if any specific CC contracts were done (i.e., some types of changes to existing contracts cause hard forks and others don’t). There are plans to make an enable/disable mask for specific contracts. The best ways to deal with varied activations on the different chains are being discussed. We are also working on limited life contracts, so maybe things can be setup so they expire. That would avoid the need for hardforking to change an existing one. but if a chain wants to hardfork, it can and since it is independent, it wont affect other chains in the eco-system. Isolation of code is a time tested method of limiting damage from bugs
Q: How do CyptoConditions help in decision making contracts based on real world events?
A: You could write a custom eval function that queries oracles and controls behavior based on that. The custom functions are part of the consensus rules as all nodes need to validate the outcomes. Writing consensus code is not for weekend coders, that only leads to trouble. We are making working templates and then allow people to tweak the parameters and not have to do the actual coding. even that is pretty dangerous. Remember that each custom eval function is embedded in a specific independent chain, being an independent chain it is independent of all the other chains. So it can destroy itself and no other chain would even know, except if you were doing atomic swaps with that chain, that is the only impact. Code isolation is key. Having a system that allows anybody to deploy code that affects everybody is pretty brave (or insane). All the chains in a cluster might be running the same contracts, so a bug in any one of them is a bug in all of them anyway or It is possible to run a different set of contracts on different chains in the cluster. So at scale there might be interaction issues if care is not taken to standardise some of the core contracts.
Q: If CryptoConditions is language agnostic, what stops someone from making an infinite loop? or some other code that might damage the node/network/blockchain?
A: It is a native contract running at native speeds. Just like nothing prevents someone from writing an infinite loop in the coin daemon’s source code, there is nothing preventing someone from writing malicious/buggy contracts. But the people running the code are responsible for either checking the code themselves if they have the capacity or have it checked by someone they trust. (i.e., just the usual OpenSource style). There will be some core contracts that are part of the KMD source code that are useful for any asset that is created. Ex: faucets, On-chain exchanges, Rewards based on locking funds for some time to name a few. For any more specific/custom contracts anyone is welcome to fork the codebase and write their own contracts that will run on their own blockchain. If a contract that is written downstream is deemed more-efficient/useful then it can be merged into the main codebase.
Q: Are there any resources to help me understand more about this?
A: If you have familiarity with programming and have the patience, you can go through the comments in following files: jl777/komodo:src/cc/assets.cpp@dev and in the directory jl777/komodo:src/cc/@dev , start with faucet, then rewards then assets.
CC are a new type of vout using the bitcoin protocol utxo system. The CC contract code adds constraints on the existing vins and vouts and allows us to add rules and describe circumstances where specific utxos can be spent/claimed or remain locked. This can be thought of as an extension of the CLTV and multisig functionality already available in Bitcoin but much more comprehensive and robust allowing for very complex contracts.
CC allows us to create colored utxo and a specific set of new rules that govern these colored utxos. | https://docs.komodoplatform.com/cc/faq.html |
Yonhap News Summary
The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
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(3rd LD) New virus infections fall below 30 for 5th straight day
SEOUL -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 30 for the fifth straight day Friday, but health authorities warned against complacency and urged people to keep up social distancing.
The 22 new cases, detected Thursday and unchanged from a day ago, brought the nation's total infections to 10,635, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
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Coronavirus relapse cases continue to rise in S. Korea
SEOUL -- South Korea's health authorities vowed Friday to better monitor people who retested positive for the novel coronavirus, as relapse cases of the disease are rising steadily in the country.
The number of people who tested positive again for COVID-19 after making full recoveries has reached 163 since the first such case was identified on April 8, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
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(LEAD) Coronavirus batters S. Korea's demand, employment, exports: finance ministry
SEOUL -- The coronavirus pandemic has battered South Korea's domestic demand, job market and exports, with uncertainties from the highly contagious virus still expanding, the finance ministry said Friday.
In a monthly report, called Green Book, the Ministry of Economy and Finance painted a bleaker picture of the economic impact from the virus pandemic compared with its March report.
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(LEAD) Marine Corps to help guard naval bases in wake of security breaches
SEOUL -- The defense ministry announced a series of measures to beef up the security of military bases in the wake of embarrassing civilian intrusions, including improving CCTVs and other surveillance systems and mobilizing Marine Corps troops to help guard naval bases.
The ministry unveiled these measures after Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo held a videoconference with around 30 top military commanders to discuss how to prevent any recurrence of such security breaches.
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(LEAD) Former DB Group chief gets suspended sentence over sex offenses
SEOUL -- A former South Korean conglomerate chairman was given a suspended prison sentence Friday for sexually assaulting two women.
The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim Jun-ki, former chairman of DB Group, to an imprisonment of 2 1/2 years, suspended for four years, after finding him guilty of raping his housemaid and sexually assaulting his secretary.
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(LEAD) S. Korean stocks jump more than 3 pct on hopes of virus outbreak peaking
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks climbed more than 3 percent Friday as foreign investors scooped up major large-cap shares amid hopes that the global coronavirus outbreak is peaking, analysts said. The Korean won gained ground against the greenback.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shot up 57.46 points, or 3.09 percent, to close at 1,914.53. Trading volume was heavy at 1.6 billion shares worth 13.9 trillion won (US$11.4 billion), with gainers far outpacing losers 719 to 144.
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S. Korea to hold briefing session for exporters on humanitarian trade with Iran
SEOUL -- South Korea was set to hold a briefing session Friday for local firms about resuming exports to Iran, a foreign ministry official said, after receiving U.S. approval for humanitarian trade with the Middle East country.
The briefing, to be co-hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), comes after Seoul obtained a U.S. special license designed to authorize aid-related transactions with Tehran through Iran's central bank.
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S. Korean star directors, actors head to Netflix
SEOUL -- South Korea's renowned movie and television directors and actors have been heading to Netflix, which has been strengthening original Korean content.
Director Lee Jae-kyoo will return with the Netflix original "All of Us Are Dead" about high school students trapped in their school during a zombie apocalypse, after his last film "Intimate Stranger" (2018). | https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200417008800315 |
Molina-Praena, J. [et al.]. Levels of Burnout and Risk Factors in Medical Area Nurses: A Meta-Analytic Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018.
SponsorshipThis research was funded by Junta de Andalusia-Spain, Excellence Research Project (P11HUM-7771).
Abstract
Research findings concerning burnout prevalence rate among nurses from the medical area are contradictory. The aim of this study was to analyse associated factors, to determine nurse burnout levels and to meta-analyse the prevalence rate of each burnout dimension. A systematic review, with meta-analysis, was conducted in February 2018, consulting the next scientific databases: PubMed, CUIDEN, CINAHL, Scopus, LILACS, PsycINFO and ProQuest Health & Medical Complete. In total, 38 articles were extracted, using a double-blinded procedure. The studies were classified by the level of evidence and degrees of recommendation. The 63.15% (n = 24) of the studies used the MBI. High emotional exhaustion was found in the 31% of the nurses, 24% of high depersonalisation and low personal accomplishment was found in the 38%. Factors related to burnout included professional experience, psychological factors and marital status. High emotional exhaustion prevalence rates, high depersonalisation and inadequate personal accomplishment are present among medical area nurses. The risk profile could be a single nurse, with multiple employments, who suffers work overload and with relatively little experience in this field. The problem addressed in this study influence the quality of care provided, on patients’ well-being and on the occupational health of nurses. | https://digibug.ugr.es/handle/10481/55328 |
Unit 6 DB: The symbols of your lifeInitial response: Henry and Walker provide stories that include symbols that are life-changing for the protagonist(s). In two or more well-developed paragraphs, answer the following prompts:
- Choose a symbol from either “The Gift of the Magi” or “Everyday Use” and discuss what significance this symbol had to you as the reader (an example of this would be the combs Jim gave to Della and a discussion about a precious gift that you received or gave). Use text examples in this section.
- If someone were to write your life story, what symbol would be present and why? How does this symbol represent you? You can attach a picture of your symbol (an example of this might be a baby blanket from your childhood, or a baseball from your first game). | https://bigthoughtwritingservices.com/unit-6-db-the-symbols-of-your-life/ |
The Joy of Interrupting
By Martha Lasley
What if we’re working with people who like to tell long stories? They seem to go on and on… As long as we’ve already built rapport and have heart connection, there are plenty of ways to interrupt the storytelling. Telling the details is a strategy that people sometimes take when they want to be understood deeply or when they like their comfort zone and are avoiding taking action. Our job is to listen between the lines and discover what they really need. They might need clarity, information, self-trust, support, or any number of things that you can ask about.
Let me backpedal for a moment. Before we look at when and how we might interrupt, let’s take a look at why a facilitator might encourage storytelling:
Stretch the imagination to envision a desirable future. “Tell me a story about an ideal day in the future.”
Someone tells a series of stories that are connected to inner state of overwhelm. “You sound completely overwhelmed. What else is happening that is contributing to the pile up? As you think about all the ways you’re overwhelmed, can you slow down and notice what you are wanting?”
Use story telling to uncover the life force, innate power, values, and vision. “Can you share an experience of a time when your values were fully honored? How can you honor those values more fully this week?”
Encourage enjoyment of the inner-critic to uncover the beautiful need. “You sound angry – can you voice that anger fully to see what sweet desire of yours is fueling this fire?”
Those are a few ways to encourage storytelling, but what about when we want to interrupt long, boring stories? When people tell stories, they are usually connected to the past or are projecting into the future, and often they do both at once, by connecting what has happened with fantasies about what is about to happen. Some stories are life affirming, but many cut us off from the flow of life, which is when facilitators intervene. I’m giving a lot of examples here because interrupting seems to be one of the most difficult facilitation skills for people who grow up in cultures where interrupting is considered rude. Out of a desire to be polite, when we don’t interrupt, the session goes nowhere. Each of the examples below could be delivered judgmentally or with deep caring. I encourage yo>u to connect energetically with the heart of each person portrayed and then read the interruption aloud.
Paul tells the same story slightly differently several times. “I’ve heard you tell this story before. Will you relive the event one more time in silence and connect with what you need?”
Shocked by someone’s actions, Gregg explains all the contributing factors. After empathizing, you suggest, “It sounds like you’re bewildered and want to make sense of this. Would you like to role play so you can understand where he might be coming from?”
Nothing stops Kaylie from telling you all the details of the story and you’re starting to feel flat. “I feel a little flat, but it sounds like you really want to be heard fully. When you connect with what you’re wanting, can you give me the core essence of your experience in one sentence?”
After identifying the needs and fully experiencing the energy of the need, Suzanne seems fully self-connected. But when asked about what actions or requests are likely to sustain the self-connection, she starts telling the story again. “Hold on. Are you sharing more details of the story because you really need more time to grieve before you can take action?”
Giuseppe tells a story about someone’s actions that left him feeling helpless. Sensing his desire to move out of helplessness, you empathize silently and ask, “So what do you want to do about that?”
Your energy drops as Jacques tells a story. “I notice my energy is dropping like a rock and I’m guessing your energy is also dropping. Can you connect to what’s missing?”
By telling many details, you suspect that Carlos is avoiding the work of self-connection because of possible pain. “What are you not saying?”
You want to express transparently. “It breaks my heart when I hear how much you value friendship, yet you explain repeatedly how impossible it is for you to have friends. When I hear how stuck you are, I want some relief – I’d like to connect to the energizing forces within you… You don’t want to be alone, so what would you like to change?”
Circling back to the story becomes a habit. “I hear how discouraged you are. Here’s a challenge for you: What are five little things you can do to tap your courage and move you forward?”
The inner critic is running wild. “Yes, you are so stupid… Or is it that your inner critic wants easy connection, and you also want to give yourself much more freedom to make mistakes and learn from them?” Or you can ask, “Would you like to reframe that story you’re telling yourself?”
You’re overwhelmed by the details. “Can I stop you? That’s a little more than I can take in right now. I’d like to reflect back to you what I’m hearing to make sure I’m getting you. Okay?”
You’re worried that the venting could go on forever. “Let me check something. It sounds like you’ve had a horrendous week and really need to vent. How about you take another two minutes to pour out all that’s bothering you, and then we’ll look at what you need and want to do about it.
Ziggy complains about being wronged. “Hold on—let me see if I understand. You’re frustrated and you care deeply about integrity. Are you trying to gain insight that you can use in the future?”
Rico analyzes multiple options tirelessly. “It sounds like you really value analysis and want to make a great decision; what do you need to do to get the information you need to move forward?”
Sunita takes great pleasure in entertaining you with her story. “Telling stories seems to be something you really enjoy. To help you stay focused on what you want, would you like to tell a story about how you want things to be different?”
Joanne shifts from one issue to another aimlessly. “Wait… Can you check in with yourself and get clarity about your purpose in telling me this?”
Dave is speaking very rapidly, trying to fit a lot of information in. “Slow down… Would you like to take this a little deeper? What’s going on for you?”
You start to wonder if all the details have any relevance. “What really matters here?”
When we create an alliance with a group, we can ask for permission to interrupt story telling so that our client expects us to intrude whenever our intuition moves us. When stories become a smokescreen, we can accelerate connection by helping people connect with two things: insight or movement. Continuously empathizing with the same story over and over serves no one. Likewise, being polite, holding back, or letting the story go on beyond your comfort level does not contribute to life. As Marshall Rosenberg suggests, “Interrupt as soon as you’ve heard one more word than you enjoy hearing.” As long as you’re self-connected and connected to the needs of the speaker, open your mouth before you know what you’re going to say and trust that whatever transparent expression comes out will enhance your connection.
What are some other ways to interrupt that empower people? Take a look at the list of interruptions and create a few of your own. There are many ways to interrupt, but connection must be in place first. If we feel any discomfort about interrupting, it’s probably because we have not built the connection. As long as we hold the essence of their agenda when we interrupt, and we tie our interruption to their need, value, agenda or goal, most people appreciate the interruption. If the person responds, “But wait a minute, I want you to know what she said and what I said so you can understand the context,” then take the listening even deeper, tuning into their presenting agenda (what’s on top), the deeper agenda (underlying needs), and the transformational agenda (emerging changes).
Even if they don’t respond immediately to the interruption, it can still have a big impact, although we may not know how until much later. We all get calls like the one I got last week, “Remember you asked me about my vision two years ago?” I didn’t. “Well I had no idea, which bothered me. But I figured it out and now my book is published.” In the same ways that I’ve had profound but delayed reactions to their comments, we’re all impacted by each other, even if we aren’t aware of it in the moment. Now we’ll look at a few other ways of interrupting the process that can have a profound impact – sharing our observations, making statements and giving directives.
About the author:
Martha Lasley is a founder of Coaching for Transformation, an accredited coach training program. She creates results-oriented programs that inspire, motivate, and transform. “I surround myself with people who take risks and look for new ways of doing things; we explore both the solid ground and the edges of transformation."
Coaching is life-changing, world-changing work. The coaching programs at Leadership that Works go beyond theories and models and work with clients on a deeper level. You learn how to coach the whole person: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Whole person Transformation.
Here is a link to a free 20-minute track from iAwake Technologies - a sample of the type of tools that will deepen your meditation immediately and help you quickly become a successful meditator. It's the opening track of iAwake's flagship product, the Profound Meditation Program, called the iAwake Experience...
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I am a psychologist and behavioral scientist who studies the systematic difference between what we think “rational” people ought to do, and what people actually do (decision biases).
I use my research on decision bias to design interventions and policies that harness these biases and nudge people toward more socially optimal behavior in domains such as preventive health behavior, compliance with safety guidelines at work, and environmental conservation.
Examples of my work include applying the default effect to promote vaccination, using social norms to promote healthy eating among children, and harnessing price transparency and savings framing to increase the appeal of preventive medical procedures.
Ph.D, 2012, Rutgers University (Social Psychology)
M.S., 2008, Rutgers University (Social Psychology)
M.S., 2005, University of Alabama at Birmingham (Basic Medical Research)
B.S., 2002, Beijing Unviversity (Medicine)
Li, M., Colby, H. A., & Fernbach, P. (2019). Efficiency for Lives, Equality for Everything Else: How Allocation Preference Shifts Across Domains. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 10(5), 697-707.
Melnick, E. & Li, M. (2018). Association of plate design with consumption of fruits and vegetables among preschool children. JAMA Pediatrics. 172(10), 982–983.
Li, M & Tracer, D. (Eds.) (2017). Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Fairness, Equity, and Justice. Switzerland: Springer.
Chapman, G. B., Li, M., Leventhal, H., & Leventhal, E. A. (2016). Default clinic appointments promote influenza vaccination uptake without a displacement effect. Behavioral Science & Policy, 2(2), 40-50. | https://clas.ucdenver.edu/hbsc/meng-li |
The FBI maintains a huge database of more than 411m photos culled from sources including driver's licenses, passport applications and visa applications, which it cross-references with photos of criminal suspects using largely untested and questionably accurate facial recognition software. A study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released on Wednesday for the first time revealed the extent of the program, which had been queried several years before through a Freedom of Information Act request from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). The GAO, a watchdog office internal to the US federal government, found that the FBI did not appropriately disclose the database's impact on public privacy until it audited the bureau in May. The office recommended that the attorney general determine why the FBI did not obey the disclosure requirements, and that it conduct accuracy tests to determine whether the software is correctly cross-referencing driver's licenses and passport photos with images of criminal suspects. The Department of Justice "disagreed" with three of the GAO's six recommendations, according to the office, which affirmed their validity.
Facial recognition software has become increasingly common in recent years. Facebook uses it to tag your photos; the FBI has a massive facial recognition database spanning hundreds of millions of images; and in New York, there are even plans to add smart, facial recognition surveillance cameras to every bridge and tunnel. But while these systems seem inescapable, the technology that underpins them is far from infallible. In fact, it can be beat with a pair of psychedelic-looking glasses that cost just $0.22. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have shown that specially designed spectacle frames can fool even state-of-the-art facial recognition software.
Our brains are wired in a way that they can differentiate between objects, both living and non-living by simply looking at them. In fact, the recognition of objects and a situation through visualization is the fastest way to gather, as well as to relate information. This becomes a pretty big deal for computers where a vast amount of data has to be stuffed into it, before the computer can perform an operation on its own. Ironically, with each passing day, it is becoming essential for machines to identify objects through facial recognition, so that humans can take the next big step towards a more scientifically advanced social mechanism. So, what progress have we really made in that respect?
These are just some of the questions being raised by lawmakers, civil libertarians, and privacy advocates in the wake of an ACLU report released last summer that claimed Amazon's facial recognition software, Rekognition, misidentified 28 members of congress as criminals. Rekognition is a general-purpose, application programming interface (API) developers can use to build applications that can detect and analyze scenes, objects, faces, and other items within images. The source of the controversy was a pilot program in which Amazon teamed up with the police departments of two cities, Orlando, Florida and Washington County, Oregon, to explore the use of facial recognition in law enforcement. In January 2019, the Daily Mail reported that the FBI has been testing Rekognition since early 2018. The Project on Government Oversight also revealed via a Freedom of Information Act request that Amazon had also pitched Rekognition to ICE in June 2018.
Data brokers already buy and sell detailed profiles that describe who you are. They track your public records and your online behavior to figure out your age, your gender, your relationship status, your exact location, how much money you make, which supermarket you shop at, and on and on and on. It's entirely reasonable to wonder how companies are collecting and using images of you, too. Facebook already uses facial recognition software to tag individual people in photos. Apple's new app, Clips, recognizes individuals in the videos you take. | https://aitopics.org/mlt?cdid=news%3A18ECFD02&dimension=concept-tags |
Geological Observations on South America is a book written by the English naturalist Charles Darwin. The book was published in 1846, and is based on his travels during the second voyage of HMS Beagle, commanded by captain Robert FitzRoy. HMS Beagle arrived in South America to map out the coastlines and islands of the region for the British Navy. On the journey, Darwin collected fossils and plants, and recorded the continent's geological features.It is the third book in a series of geology books written by Darwin, which also includes The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs, published in 1842, and Geological Observations on the Volcanic Islands visited during the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, published in 1844. It took Darwin four years to write and complete the entire series, from 1842 to 1846. According to his diaries, Geological Observations of South America was written between July 1844 to April 1845.The text contains eight chapters along with appendices on Darwin's Mesozoic and Tertiary fossils. It describes his travels through the regions of modern Chile, Brazil, and Argentina, including the Pampas, Patagonia, and the Andes. With this book Darwin became the first to describe and name Navidad Formation, the reference unit for the marine Neogene in Chile. Darwin established relatives ages for rock units in the high Andes near Potillo. Metamorphic rocks were older than intruding red granites found in the area. By establishing, with aid of fossils, a Cretaceous age for some strata in the high Andes Darwin set time constrains for uplift of the Andes. He did further posited that the western part of the Andes (hinterland) rose before the eastern part, an idea later verified to be correct not only for the part of the Andes he visited but for orogenic mountains in general.Darwin, in a letter to the geologist Charles Lyell, wrote that the book was "dreadfully dull, yet much condensed." He put a great deal of effort into writing the book, but sardonically commented that "geologists never read each other's works, and that the only object in writing a book is a proof of earnestness, and that you do not form your opinions without undergoing labour of some kind."In the book, Darwin voiced sceptical support for the "crater of elevation" theory. The theory proposed that volcanoes were not the product of lavas, but are pushed up from within. Darwin later rejected the theory when sufficient evidence was demonstrated by the geologist Charles Lyell to disprove it.
Francis Darwin, a botanist and the son of Charles Darwin, wrote that the book was significant for the "evidence which it brought forward to prove the slow interrupted elevation of the South American continent during a recent geological period." Darwin's geological work is not considered as notable as his work is biology, but nevertheless was important in advancing "the general reception of Lyell's teaching."
Read more or edit on Wikipedia
original title: | https://inventaire.io/entity/wd:Q5535306 |
Library of Michigan
A recurring regular interval, such as the beginning of each new year or the start of a fiscal year, is a good time for library organizations, as well as individuals, to take stock of their current situation and to develop plans for any appropriate changes. This issue of Access will focus on some of the areas that trustees and librarians may want to think about on some regular basis, if not every year.
The annual budget process for the library is driven by the fiscal year, and has its own recurring timetable. Board action on the budget will occur at a predictable time each year. The library policies and procedures, however, may continue from year to year without much attention, unless the director and board have set up a schedule to discuss them.
This may be done through a formally adopted board policy, or less formally as part of the library director's planning process or as a scheduled agenda item for the board.
The least desirable way to review library policy is after a particular policy has been made the focus of public discussion or criticism. The library staff and the trustees are then in a reactive position, and there is little time for study and review before you will be called on for some decision.
Areas where operating policies may lead to friction include non-resident borrower policies and fees; library programs and story hours; meeting room policies; and the selection of materials for the library collection. Each of these areas may already be covered in your library policies, but there are two reasons why it is still a good idea for the board and the library staff to review the policies regularly.
Our libraries are subject to the constant process of change that affects all aspects of the community around us. The population may be growing rapidly, with shifts in age groups and interests. The community economic situation may be changing, leading individuals and groups to turn to the public library in search of services. New services and new technology may be arriving in your area, and new policies may be needed to address those topics. Does the circulation policy now need to include video cassettes and computer disks as well as books? Policy decisions made by local government or by neighboring libraries may ultimately affect your library, leading to a review of policies and perhaps policy changes as well.
Any policy by its very nature will set limits on the use of the library and its resources, and anyone affected by such a limit may decide to look into the policy and see if they can obtain changes more favorable to their particular interests. The obvious example is the demand by a local resident to have certain books either removed from the library collection, or added to the collection. A book selection policy should provide for both situations.
Other areas of pressure may include the content of programs for children or adults, the use of library bulletin boards or newsletters, and the use of library meeting rooms for non-library meetings or events. The simple solution is to provide only programs, meetings, or newsletter articles by and about the library's own activities and services. However, the public library is usually the community forum and serves as the facilitator for community activities beyond direct library service. It is in these areas of community service and involvement that clear policies will be needed. | http://origin-sl.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan/0,9327,7-381-88855_89735_89762-54478--,00.html |
Calestous Juma: Some of the best engineers in the world coming together thought that solving environmental problems is the greatest challenge that faces the engineering community.
Calestous Juma is a professor of the practice of international development at Harvard University. In a meeting headed by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, Juma and other scientists identified what they call the ‘Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century.’
Calestous Juma: I think one of the most exciting developments is the area of drought-tolerant crops as we look into the future, and what we think about ecological change and large parts of the world that are not able to grow food at the moment.
Juma said that plants, such as corn, are being developed with genetic modification to resist drought, not only in Africa, but elsewhere around the world. And it’s not just for food…
Calestous Juma: … but also being able to do revegetation in areas that previously didn’t hold vegetation. We are looking into a future where water may be a serious problem.
Another engineering challenge for the world is in infrastructure, which Juma said could benefit from stronger, lighter and more durable materials being made with nanotechnology.
Calestous Juma: Infrastructure as a whole is basically the ability to move goods, ideas, and services. This is one of the most critical problems facing the developing world.
Our thanks to:
Calestous Juma
Professor of the Practice of International Development
Director, Science Technology & Innovation,
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
In his years with EarthSky, Jorge Salazar conducted thousands of in-depth interviews with scientists. He knows a lot about as diverse as nanotechnology, ecosystem-based management, climate change, global health, international environmental treaties, astrophysics and cosmology, and environmental security. Jorge currently works as a Technical Writer/Editor for the Texas Advanced Computing Center, which designs and deploys powerful advanced computing technologies and innovative software solutions for scientific researchers. | https://earthsky.org/human-world/engineers-turn-to-nature-for-grand-challenges |
In supply chain management, tracking the location of the goods is essential to optimize the performance and to improve the efficiency of the process. The supply chain operation can be divided in two sections, indoor operation and outdoor operation. For outdoor tracking, for example tracking the trucks, one can use GPS. However, when it comes to indoor operations, GPS is not an option. The state-of-the-art Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS) enables the users to track and trace the objects and people in indoor environment and in real-time. One indoor operation area in a supply chain is the warehouse. Optimizing the speed, cost, and accuracy of the warehouse operation is a complex task. Here is a short list of the advantages of the real-time IPS – also known as real-time Location System (RTLS) – that can drastically help improving the efficiency of warehouse operations: | https://www.pinxact.com/2018/02/05/logistics-warehousing/ |
Bank of America investment bank boss, Tom Montag, to step down
Tom Montag, the head of Bank of America’s investment bank and potential successor to chief executive Brian Moynihan, is retiring.
Montag, who joined the Merrill Lynch at the height of the 2008 financial crisis ahead of its merger with Bank of America, will step down at the end of 2021, the bank said in a statement. Anne Finucane, the bank’s vice chairman, will also retire. Bank of America will announce their successors in the coming weeks, it said.
Montag joined Bank of America in 2008 as executive vice president and global head of sales and trading after more than 22 years at Goldman Sachs. He led the investment bank during a tumultuous post-crisis period, when the hard-charging culture of Merrill Lynch was integrated with Bank of America’s comparatively staid retail and commercial bank.
READ Bank of America names Sheehan sole head of investment banking
“Tom joined the company during one of the most challenging periods in financial services history and skillfully steered the business to be one of the few financial institutions that can help clients raise cash, move money, expand into new markets, and manage risk in every major market around the world,” said Moynihan in a statement announcing Montag’s retirement.
Montag, who was also chief operating officer at Bank of America, was widely seen as a potential successor to Moynihan. However, a blistering New York Times article in May alleged that he favoured certain employees, fostered a culture where employees feared for their jobs and objectified women, citing people familiar with the matter. Moynihan defended Montag in a CNN interview the same month: “It is a not a cultural problem, and Tom has done a great job driving that business,” he said.
Jim DeMare was promoted to president of global markets at Bank of America in July last year, as part of a broader shake-up of the unit. Meanwhile, its head of global banking, Matthew Koder is another potential internal candidate to succeed Montag.
READ Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s bankers brace for ‘numbers guy’ Koder
“We will remember Tom’s work ethic, innovative thinking and dedication to clients and teammates. Very few people have achieved as much business success as Tom and become equally well known globally by his clients. We wish him well as he enters a new chapter in his life,” said Moynihan.
Finucane is also chair of Bank of America Europe, its post-Brexit hub in Dublin, and the first ever female vice chair at the lender. She also chairs the banks ESG committee and will stay on as a non-executive director for Bank of America Europe after her retirement.
Montag will remain as a member of Bank of America’s advisory council.
To contact the author of this story with feedback or news, email Paul Clarke
Most Related Links : | https://todayuknews.com/finance/bank-of-america-investment-bank-boss-tom-montag-to-step-down/ |
Reclaiming Futures: Storying Change is a FORMAS research project that explores new forms of scientific communication and telling stories about the environment through the joint work of high school students, artists, curators and researchers.
Reclaiming Futures is a modus operandi, a way to take back the futures from the past settings still shaping the world to come. In particular, Reclaiming Futures is a way to empower young people’s position in the public debate on environmentalism and climate governance. The climate is an issue for more than technocrats, experts, politicians and academics – it is for everybody.
In Reclaiming Futures youngsters and researchers, teachers, film makers, artists, curators and science journalists participate with their special insights into climate- and research communication. During 2021 and 2022 the teenagers and researchers convened for workshops and conversations on today´s climate and environmental situation. The youngsters were trained in efficient cultural communication and taught how to formulate their own stories by images and film making, later to take form in a number of short films and stories of their own making.
Reclaiming Futures is a joint effort of partners: Konsthallen Färgfabriken, The Posthumanities Hub, Kajman Media and KW Produktion. It has been generously supported by FORMAS.
On 2nd April 2022 the project hosted its big event: Reclaiming Futures – Storying Change Science/Environmental Humanities/Anthropocene Festival, which took place at the art centre Färgfabriken (Stockholm), where teenagers and researchers engaged in conversations on climate change, environmental issues and our relationship to ecology. There, young people-turned-filmmakers and artists showed their work dealing with these key issues.
The festival programme was curated and produced by the teenagers themselves! Below we show off a couple of snapshots from this amazing event! | https://posthumanitieshub.net/2022/04/03/reclaiming-futures-storying-change-festival-a-brief-visual-report/ |
Join us for the….
Fall International Fellows Academy
on Critical Thinking
…a Socratic tutorial learning process
using first principles of critical thinking
October 10-14, 2016, in Northern CA
This academy has concluded.
See our Event Calendar for upcoming conferences and academies!
The Center and Foundation for Critical Thinking together have hosted critical thinking academies and conferences for 35 years. During this time we have worked with more than 100,000 educators in designing instruction that places critical thinking at the core of teaching and learning.
We invite you to join us for a unique learning experience led by Fellows and Visiting Scholars of the Foundation for Critical Thinking. Our Fourth International Fellows Academy on Critical Thinking will be held in Marin County, California, just north of San Francisco, on October 10-14, 2016. We will focus on placing first principles in critical thinking at the core of the curriculum, so that students come to see content as a mode of thinking to be reasoned through. Space is limited due to the intimate nature of the academy
For those seeking certification in our approach, there will be unique activities in place. Please see the section below for more information.
Students learn content within any subject only as far as they learn to think through it themselves. But they can’t just use their own thinking. They have to use skilled, disciplined, reasonable, rational thinking - in other words, critical thinking. To do this, they need consistent practice over time in taking important ideas and following out those ideas' implications, in integrating the ideas, and in questioning them when it makes sense to. They need consistent practice in applying intellectual standards to thought as they reason through problems and issues within academic disciplines. They need to start with essential intellectual standards and systemically apply them to problems and issues as they think through content. In short, they can’t just learn critical thinking in an abstract way. They need to learn the importance of applying critical thinking, both in the learning process and in real-life contexts. This academy focuses on taking the first principles of critical thinking and helping students internalize them through practice at thinking through content.
If, as educators, we are to foster deep understandings in student thought, we must first foster them in our own thinking. As an academy delegate, you will have the opportunity to work in the Paul-Elder Approach to Critical Thinking as you develop your ability to think things through using the tools of critical thinking.
Our fellows and scholars will think along with delegates, exemplifying the disciplined thinking of master teachers that students must themselves come to internalize over time. Fellows, Visiting Scholars, and delegates will work together as students in an intellectual community, ever attempting to reason at higher and higher levels of quality as we come to deepen our understanding of the concepts and principles embedded in a rich concept of critical thinking. We will deepen our understanding of first principles in critical thinking as we apply them to content; in the process, we will develop methods for helping students learn to do the same
In this intensive academy, delegates will discuss essential ideas in critical thinking, learn close reading and substantive writing strategies (for their own development and for use in instruction), reason through complexities in questions within their subject fields (to help student learn to do the same), and write and receive feedback on their writing using intellectual standards (to develop their understandings while engaging as “students” thinking through content). Fellows and Scholars will participate as both “master students” and “tutors,” sometimes thinking aloud with students while exploring ideas and sometimes giving clear direction on how to better discipline one’s reasoning.
These teaching strategies reflect insights implicit in successful Oxford tutorials and Cambridge supervisions, adapted to much larger student numbers (than, for example, that of the Oxford don teaching one or two students). As part of the process, our Fellows and Scholars will model the art of critical reading, writing, and speaking in order to foster disciplined reading, writing, and speaking in student thought.
This five-day academy offers a unique opportunity to work closely with our Fellows and scholars in a small, intensive learning situation, much like the Socratic schools one might envision. This experience is for new or returning delegates to our approach. Sessions will be held during the days and evenings, as we create a seminar-style Socratic learning experience together in a disciplined intellectual community - the type of community we would hope to create on our campuses, and which would be prevalent in fairminded critical societies. This academy is designed for educators and administrators at all levels of instruction, and is concerned to foster deep and lasting internalization of critical thinking.
For Those Interested in Becoming Certified in Our Approach
This academy counts toward the requirements for certification in our approach. Those seeking certification will be trained in how to best present the foundations of critical thinking within their educational settings, and will work during the last two days of the academy to prepare for, and then practice using, our pre-designed instructional activities in fostering critical thinking among their colleagues at the academy. Most of the assessments for the certification process will be conducted during this academy, and will include written work, brief presentations (which will be videotaped and accessed), and successful performance on the International Critical Thinking Test as well as the Critical Thinking Basic Skills and Understandings Test. For information on our certification process see: Becoming Certified in Our Approach.
Academy Details and Logistics
The fee for this Fellows Academy is $2,985. This includes the registration fee, as well as room and board at the historic Marconi Conference Center in scenic Marin County - north of San Francisco CA. Rooms are typically shared. To secure a single room, add $300 to your fee during registration. This option will expire after enough rooms have been reserved, so register early to secure a single room.
All meals are provided and will be taken together as we continue intellectual dialogue. (Meals will be provided beginning Sunday, October 9 at dinner, and ending Friday, October 14 after breakfast. If you have any dietary restrictions, such as food allergies, please let us know when you register.) Reasonable amounts of homework will be expected, in order to cultivate our understanding of critical thinking as much as possible during our time together. Academy delegates will need to rent a car or carpool; our academy location is 30 miles from the nearest grocery and shopping area. After you register, let us know if you would like to share a car rental with other delegates, and we will announce to delegates your request and share your emails. Linens and housecleaning provided.
For information about the venue, please visit The Marconi Center Homepage. More specific details will be provided upon registration. A small number of Fellows International Scholarships are available. For questions, or to inquire about our Fellows scholarships, email [removed].
Our Approach to Critical Thinking
Our instructional design strategies and approaches emerge from first principles in critical thinking. These include.
The Oxford Tutorial
One important set of questions the Academy poses is: What can we learn from studying the manner in which “tutorial” and “supervisory” roles are exercised in classic forms of Oxbridge tutor-student teaching and learning?
We hypothesize that there is a significant convergence between the best practices of the classic Oxford Tutorial and the "model" of teaching for critical thinking constructed, over the last 36 years, by the Foundation for Critical Thinking Fellows. This suggests a further hypothesis that the "essence" of what makes the Tutorial powerful can be usefully "exported" into larger group settings. Below are some suggested common denominators.
We posit that both traditional Oxford Tutorial and emergent Critical Thinking approaches emphasize:
Teaching with a Socratic Spirit (teaching that emphasizes the student taking ownership of content by actively thinking it through). In this mode of teaching, the inquiry process is more important than the answer, while rote memorization is accorded little importance.
Under well-designed instruction for critical thinking and well-designed Oxford Tutorials, students learn how to analyze thinking, assess thinking, and re-construct thinking - improving it thereby. The thinking studied is that which is embedded in the content of established academic disciplines. As a result, students so taught become actively engaged in thinking historically, anthropologically, sociologically, politically, chemically, biologically, mathematically, and so on.
Through these processes, students learn how to read, write, speak, and listen in a new way: critically. Most importantly they learn how to learn, using disciplined reading, writing, speaking, and listening as modalities essential to learning. | http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/international-fellows-academy-fall-2016/1239 |
Discussion Stopping mass wasting of a slope, or at least reducing the effects of mass wasting, is important for people living on or near a slope. Gravity is the primary force causing mass wasting to occur, but since we cannot reduce the pull of gravity on a slope, humans attempt to deal with the other causes of mass wasting as best we can. Listed below are some of the causes of mass wasting, described in detail on the causes of mass wasting page, and methods employed to stop or prevent each cause.
Mass Wasting Causes and Preventions
earthquake - Violent shaking due to an earthquake can cause unstable slopes to collapse. To reduce earthquake damage to roads, buildings or other human-made structures on a slope or at the base of a slope, it is important to try to stabilize the slope as much as possible. This can be done by planting trees on the slope, constructing a retaining wall along the bottom of the slope, or perhaps draping a heavy metal net over the slope to trap loosened rocks.
Screen mesh draped over a steep slope keeps rocks loosened by an earthquake from bouncing onto the road at the base of the slope. This is a relatively cheap and effective method to protect the roadway. The screen mesh is also referred to as "slope revetment" (covers the face of the slope) or as "rock-fall barrier". This revetment/barrier is along Laguna Canyon Road, California.
Close view of the base of the screen mesh slope revetment from the photograph above. Note the collection of rocks trapped by the barrier.
A slope in the San Gabriel Mountains that would benefit from a slope revetment/rock-fall barrier, trees with their binding roots, or a retaining wall to protect the road.
over-steepening of a slope - With time, even moderately steep slopes can become somewhat stable as sediment becomes more compacted or cemented together, or as plants grow and their roots bind slope material tightly together. Or, if a slope is composed of solid rock, it may be extremely stable. Human activities such as road or home construction, or natural processes such as stream or wave erosion can remove some of the base of a slope, making the remaining upper part of the slope less stable and so more prone to mass wasting. Construction of a retaining wall, illustrated below, can support the upper part of a slope, stopping or at least slowing mass wasting.
road, La Conchita, CA trail, San Gabriel Mountains
Some communities, such as Laguna Beach, California, are using more flexible approaches to reducing the impact of mass wasting. Rocks routinely fall or bounce down the slope shown in the photos below. To prevent them from moving onto the road and into traffic, steel mesh fencing and screen catch and trap rocks before they can do any harm. This is a very effective and relatively inexpensive method of reducing the effect of mass wasting from an over-steepened slope.
Laguna Canyon Road fence and screen from side view
removal of slope vegetation - The natural removal of slope vegetation by fire can be difficult to prevent, but human activities which lead to the removal of slope vegetation, such as clear-cutting of a forest, should not be allowed. Selective cutting can thin the forest, but still leave enough mature trees to anchor the slope and protect sediment from rainfall and runoff. The pictures below show a portion of the Angeles National Forest in California that was selectively harvested many years ago. Enough large trees remained to anchor and protect the slope from severe mass wasting.
introduction of water into slope material - Excessive water in a slope adds weight and reduces shear strength within the slope itself. To counter these effects you can either prevent rain or snowmelt from percolating into slope sediment with plastic sheets or tarps, or improve surface drainage so that water flows rapidly off the slope, reducing the potential for water to percolate underground into slope sediment and rock.
The pictures below were taken at Palos Verdes Peninsula, California. This coastal area, which includes the Portuguese Bend Landslide, is prone to mass wasting, with one of the contributing factors being excess groundwater which can lubricate a subsurface clay-rich layer. The large pipes visible in the photographs are part of a system which readily drains away surface runoff from rainfall before it can percolate underground.
Plastic sheets, shown in the photographs below, can be deployed on top of a slope to prevent water from flowing on the slope and from percolating into the slope material. The sheets are staked, strapped or weighted down to keep them in position.
Plastic protects steep slope in Rust Canyon, Santa Monica Mountains, California.
Plastic along slope of Upper Newport Estuary, California.
ice wedging - As liquid water freezes to its solid form, ice, it increases in volume by 9%, wedging rocks apart. This is a common way that rock falls and rock avalanches form in mountains and canyons. With this cause of mass wasting you can either prevent water from flowing into slope rocks and sediment, or keep the slope warm enough so that ice will not form. Neither approach is practical except over a very small area. Ice wedging is prominent in high-elevation, mountainous regions as well as in canyons during the wintertime.
Winter ice in a canyon near Ouray, Colorado, high in the San Juan Mountains.
Result of ice wedging in Arches National Park, Utah.
In Colorado National Monument, Colorado, the bases of the cliffs are surrounded by rock debris (talus) produced, in part, by ice wedging.
biological activity - On a farm or ranch one could erect a fence to keep animals away from unstable slopes and ridges, but in the wild there is not much that can be done to stop animals from dislodging rocks from steep slopes. But, signs can be posted to keep humans from straying too close to the edges of cliffs where they might trigger a rock fall, or become part of the fall as shown in the picture below.
freeze/thaw and wet/dry cycles - Both of these gradual, long-term processes require water, so reducing their effects would require keeping water from entering the slope material via percolation of rain or snowmelt into slope material. Improved water drainage and/or covering an area with plastic would help slow both processes.
Return to the top of this page. | https://web.csulb.edu/depts/geology/facultypages/bperry/Mass%20Wasting/Prevention_of_Mass_Wasting.htm |
Construction crews continue work on a nearly $200 million project to build a modern 227,000 square-foot patient complex and replace the administration building at Rusk State Hospital, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced Thursday, Nov. 12.
Workers recently placed the final beam atop the administration building and are on track to complete 50 percent of the building by Feb. 2021. The construction team has also completed demolition work at the site of the new patient complex and have begun laying plumbing and installing electrical infrastructure.
“The new hospital isn’t just about having a state-of-the-art building. It’s about creating a therapeutic setting that will foster healing and recovery for the patients entrusted in our care,” said Tim Bray, HHSC associate commissioner for state hospitals. “Rebuilding these units is part of our continued mission to be a leader in modern day mental health care for Texans.”
The patient complex will include a 100-bed maximum-security unit and a 100-bed non-maximum-security unit. This project will also include the construction of a new administration building.
The construction is not occurring in patient care areas, so there is minimal disruption to patients, according to information provided by Ty Bishop, HHS office of communications. The biggest impact on staff is traffic and parking. Once staff are inside their work area, the impact is minimal.
"I’m proud to support Rusk State Hospital and thank them for all the important work that they do,” State Sen. Robert Nichols said. “Their enduring commitment to caring for those in need is vital to the health and well-being of East Texas residents. The state’s investment in state hospitals shows our dedication to ensuring Texas is a leader in mental health care."
The Texas Legislature and Gov. Greg Abbott have invested $745 million in the project to construct and renovate state psychiatric hospitals in Austin, Kerrville, Rusk and San Antonio as well as a new hospital in Houston. A combined total of at least 350 new inpatient psychiatric beds will be added in Texas within the next four years through these projects.
"The construction project reaffirms our state's commitment to provide quality care for those who need it most,” said State Rep. Travis Clardy. “While the Rusk State Hospital has served our community for over a century, this much-needed investment will not only serve to enhance the facilities with state-of-the-art-innovation, but more importantly provides the Rusk State Hospital with the resources necessary to increase access to high-quality health care for generations to come."
The three-story, 227,368 square-foot patient complex features single-person rooms, the use of natural light throughout patient rooms and common areas and outdoor spaces to promote recovery and healing. The first floor will consist of social interaction spaces such as a movie theater, salon, café, library, gym and a music therapy room. The second and third floors will hold the patient units, an exercise room, group therapy rooms and classrooms. There will be secure courtyards and walking trails outside, as well as basketball and volleyball courts.
The new two-story administration building is 18,900 square feet and will accommodate the administration department and IT staff.
The last building project at Rusk State Hospital occurred in 1977 with the construction of building 643. This building is being used as a 40-bed maximum security unit. The second newest patient building was constructed in 1953, with all other patient buildings dating back to the 1920s or 1930s. The administration building was constructed in the 1880s.
“For Rusk State Hospital to continue to meet modern healthcare standards and operate, these building projects are absolutely necessary,” said Michelle Foster, Rusk State Hospital Superintendent. “Our knowledge of mental health has evolved greatly since then and our patients deserve state of the art spaces to match the state of the art care they receive inside.”
The patient new building is expected to open in February 2023, and the administration building is scheduled to open in November 2021.
For more information about state hospital construction projects throughout the state, visit the Changes to the State Hospital System page on the HHS website. | https://www.jacksonvilleprogress.com/news/work-ramps-up-hhsc-showcases-construction-progress-at-rusk-state-hospital/article_bf3a2d0e-2bf8-11eb-aa76-476114986e36.html |
This year has been unprecedented from a political perspective in many ways. President Joe Biden stepped into office facing huge obstacles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, an economy battered by the pandemic, a crumbling national infrastructure in dire need of repair, an ongoing immigration crisis at our southern border, and deep political and social divisions in this country, among other challenges.
Sunday, May 9, 2021
Friday, May 7, 2021
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
A critical question to ask yourself when creating an estate plan is who will get your stuff when you pass on? While most people think about who they would like to receive the major items—homes, retirement accounts, savings—personal property such as jewelry, clothing, sports equipment, vehicles, and other possessions are often overlooked. The truth is that while some mementos and sentimental items may be very valuable to you, the people that you want to give them to at your death may not need or want them. Who, then, will get your remaining property and possessions if no one wants them?
How Gifts Pass Through Your Will
Your will contains instructions to be carried out by your personal representative for who should receive the money and property that has become part of your estate when you die. Your estate consists of real property (i.e.Read more . . .
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Owning real estate continues to be a very popular investment vehicle for individuals and couples alike. One attractive feature of investing in real estate is that investment property can also double as a personal residence. In other cases, real estate investments may be rental, recreational, commercial, or farm properties. Whatever the case, it is important to understand that real estate can be owned in several ways, each of which has important legal consequences when it comes to leaving that real estate to your loved ones upon your death. Failing to understand how you legally own your real estate and how it will be passed on to your loved ones can lead to unintended, and often negative, consequences.Read more . . .
Monday, February 1, 2021
Timeshares have come a long way since they first arrived in the real estate market back in the ’70s. In the early days of timeshare ownership, high-pressure sales tactics, exceedingly vague contracts, and inflexible scheduling policies caused many people to quickly regret such purchases. Over time, however, timeshares have become more consumer-friendly with greater transparency in the terms of the contract, more flexibility in scheduling timeshare weeks, more diversity in the location of the vacation properties, and less pressure during the sales experience. That is not to say that all timeshare companies are ethical and transparent. There are plenty of modern-day examples of abuses within the timeshare industry.
Thursday, January 7, 2021
One of the most common forms of property ownership in the United States is joint tenancy with rights of survivorship (JTWROS or joint tenancy). But what is joint tenancy? Joint tenancy is a legal right to property that provides the owner an undivided right to the enjoyment of the property. In other words, one joint tenant cannot legally stop the other joint tenant from enjoying use of the entire property. The “WROS” part of JTWROS means that when one joint tenant dies, the deceased joint tenant’s share of the property automatically passes to the other joint tenant without the need for probate or other formal proceedings.
This survivorship feature of joint tenancy makes it very attractive to married couples and individuals who want to jointly own property with another person (like an adult child) without additional estate planning documents or sending their joint owner through the time-consuming and costly probate process.Read more . . .
Monday, December 28, 2020
Can Dual Citizenship Ruin Your Estate Plan?
In early 2020, married actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson became honorary citizens of Greece. The president of Greece bestowed this honor upon them due in large part to their humanitarian work in the country after a deadly wildfire swept through Athens in 2018. Hanks and Wilson spend considerable time in Greece as it is one of their favorite spots for extended vacations, so when this honor was offered to them, they graciously accepted. Although neither of them gave up their US citizenship, there will nevertheless be important estate planning considerations that Hanks and Wilson must address.
Any US citizen with dual citizenship must be prepared to carefully consider a variety of complex legal issues when planning for death.Read more . . .
Monday, August 17, 2020
Friday, August 14, 2020
Real estate is more than just your primary residence. It can include other real estate such as a vacation home or a rental property. Depending upon the type of real estate you own, the ideal form of ownership can vary. Below, we take a look at the different types of real estate and make suggestions about the best form of ownership for each.
Previous Posts
How to Responsibly Leave an Inheritance to Your Grandchildren
How the Employee Onboarding Process Can Affect Your Estate Plan
Four Things to Make Your New Job a Success
Living, Testamentary, and Constructive Trusts: Are They All the Same?
Why Is My Trust So Long?
Can a Disabled Individual Be an Executor or a Trustee?
Types of Life Insurance and How They Can Be Used in Estate Planning
To Have, but Not to Hold? Common Law Marriage and Estate Planning
YOUR VACATION CHECKLIST
President Biden’s First One Hundred Days: Looking Back and Planning Ahead
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Nennig Law Offices, LLC assists clients in Madison, WI and throughout Southern Wisconsin including Verona, Middleton, Sun Prairie, Cross Plains,Sauk City, Belleville, Waunakee, Mount Horeb, Oregon, Black Earth, DeForest,Monona, McFarland, Stoughton, Cambridge, Deerfield and Fitchburg. | https://protectingfamilies.net/lawyer/blog_category/Property |
In case you missed it, a great interview on NPR’s Morning Edition this week. Seniors across the US are struggling with the same question — if I sell my house, where will I go? Click here to read the interview transcript.
How to help your parents downsize.
Helping your parents downsize is an emotional process for you and for them. With some compassion, tact, preparation, and possibly some outside help, it can be a smooth experience for everyone involved.
Caring Transitions of Northeast Atlanta offers some wonderful tips to help you begin and go through the downsizing process with older loved ones.
Before helping your parents, prepare yourself mentally and emotionally. Sometimes the emotional aspect of downsizing goes overlooked as you focus on the more practical aspects. Checking in with yourself and setting your perspective goes a long way in creating a more positive experience.
Recognize that this won’t be easy. Even with a plan, downsizing can bring up some tough emotions. Expect the process to be a little messy and stressful and be compassionate towards your parents and yourself.
Be patient. Downsizing can be especially difficult if your parents are leaving the family home, or if an upsetting circumstance triggered the downsize. On top of that, it often takes longer than expected, depending on how many possessions must be decluttered. Put yourself in your parents’ shoes as best you can. A little patience goes a long way.
Don’t try to take over. Unless there is an issue of impaired cognitive function, know that your parents are ultimately the decision makers. Trying to force them into anything will only be counterproductive. If your parents are losing cognitive functioning, still be respectful and involve them as much as you reasonably can, so they feel they still have some control.
>>Click here to read the remainder of this important article on how to help your parents and loved ones downsize with many more tips to help you.
What you need to know before remodeling your bathroom.
Remodeling a bathroom for someone who is aging in place is very different than one based on aesthetics or home value. If you or a loved one are remodeling with an eye toward future needs, there are some very important issues to consider before you start and as you’re going through the process.
From design, to safety, to ease of use, remodeling a bathroom will take time and effort, and there will be costs involved. But for anyone who wants to age in place it can be very worthwhile to have a bathroom that is comfortable and safe to use easily as needs change.
From something as simple as sensor lights to adding another bathroom, there are options and considerations for anyone who intends to stay in place. But without a clear picture of what you really want to do with your project, you may find that the costs continue to rise and the needed changes either don’t get completed or aren’t what you really expected. Changes have to be effective – and sometimes this means completely revamping an existing space to accommodate what’s needed in the future.
>>Read the full article: What To Do When You Redo Your Bathroom 2022 – AgingInPlace.org
Gardening can offer older adults surprising benefits
It’s not just your imagination. Gardening is good for your health. Science tells us “interacting with plants can increase self-esteem and reduce feelings of anger, sadness and stress.”
This article, published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution March 2022, explains the science behind the good feelings you get while gardening.
As the weather continues to warm up, many of us will find ourselves back outside pruning, planting and playing in green spaces. This is good news for our bodies and minds, as gardening offers some big benefits for both physical and mental health.
Gardening can help combat depression, anxiety and loneliness
We likely know from our own experiences that bright blooms and warm sun can be a powerful antidote to a less-than-stellar mood. Getting outside and playing with the dirt, mindfully tending to a plant and watching it grow from seed, gives us both a sense of peace and accomplishment that can keep anxiety and depression at bay.
But science backs this up too.
A study from Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension Service found that interacting with plants can increase self-esteem and reduce feelings of anger, sadness and stress. It also helps keep people in touch with their communities and creates socializing opportunities. All of these factors are critical for maintaining positive emotional health.
Working in a garden keeps the brain sharp
One study found that daily gardening may reduce the risk of dementia by up to 36%. A 2019 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Health also found that planting a vegetable garden can improve brain nerve growth factors related to memory, and can improve functioning in the hippocampus, which is critical for memory, and cortical regions of the brain.
Gardening also helps combat stress and low mood and increases feelings of joy and happiness, all of which contribute to a healthier, happier, more resilient brain.
>>Click here to read the rest of this article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Helping Older Adults Through the Moving Process
(Posted with permission from Mike DeLeon at Caring Transitions)
Here are a few tips from the experts to help you create a plan that can help you manage a move for an older adult.
- Don’t make seniors feel guilty. Avoid saying things like “Why did you hold on to this for so many years?” while sorting through belongings. Statements like this can cause stress and make seniors feel like a burden.
- Save photo albums for LAST. They can surface too many memories at once, which slows the process and triggers waves of emotions.
- Set a timer. Grab a kitchen timer or your phone and set it for one hour. Take a break once that hour is up.
- Color-code with Post-It Notes. Seniors have a tough time reading small writing. Color-code with post-it notes so PINK is pack, GREEN is sell, and BLUE is give away.
- Bring a door stopper. Doors get in the way, especially for older folks. Bring door stoppers to prop doors open to allow for easy room access for Grandma, and for large boxes and furniture.
- Consider online platforms for estate sales. Most seniors are not internet savvy, but their children/grandchildren usually are. There are many online estate platforms like CTBIDS.com, that sell everything online as buyers bid. No in-person estate sales with strangers walking through the home and haggling over prices. The online estate sale platform handles it all, allowing the family to make money from hidden treasures around the home.
Best Sellers: Electronics, jewelry, collectibles, and durable medical equipment.
Items That May Not Sell Well: Large off-trend furniture, off-trend or well-worn clothes and kitchen utensils.
- Keep a schedule. Many seniors like a routine and stress if it’s altered. If the senior goes to bed at 10pm every night, don’t try to keep packing late at night.
Caring Transitions® takes steps to train and screen every employee and has developed estate sale standards that uphold the values of integrity and honesty for over 10 years. Since many of our clients are older adults, each of our offices are independently certified to support a “senior move” and help mitigate the effects of stress, health and common cognitive issues which are frequently challenges for late life relocations. In Atlanta, contact Caring Transitions’ Mike DeLeon – [email protected].
Tough Transitions
(Published with permission from Caring Transitions of Northeast Atlanta)
The holiday season is over and many people area are now left with a sobering realization that loved ones they hadn’t seen in more than a year need help. The warning signs that can be masked by distance like hygiene, trouble standing, and stacks of unpaid bills became obvious as families reunited with aging parents over the last few weeks.
Now adult children are left with difficult questions about what to do next. Should we move mom to a senior community? Does dad need a caregiver? Is it time to downsize to a smaller home?
#1 Is it time? The first step is to figure out if this is the right time to begin the transition to a smaller and more manageable home or assisted living. Here are a few questions you can ask:
- Did you notice a change in hygiene? Did she appear to have clean hair? Did he suddenly start growing an unkempt beard? Was there a noticeable and uncharacteristic body odor?
- Were there expired items in the refrigerator? This could mean your loved one isn’t eating enough and isn’t paying attention to basic health and safety.
- Are there stacks of unpaid bills? Stacks of unpaid bills can cause financial problems for an aging parent and are a major sign he or she can no longer keep up.
- Did your loved one struggle to get around the home? If you noticed trouble getting in or out of chairs, a slow shuffling pace or frequent stumbling, it’s time to consider a home that is more suited to a senior’s needs.
- Did you witness a lack of interest in hobbies? Maybe your mother is an avid piano player and you noticed the piano covered in dust. Perhaps your father loves to read, but you didn’t see a book by his bedside. These are signs your loved one’s zest for life is slipping.
#2 Consider your options. The second step is to research different strategies with other family members to find a good fit.
- It’s time to downsize. Your parent may not need help with daily living, but you have noticed they struggle to keep their large home clean and the grass mowed. This is a great opportunity to discuss moving to a smaller house or even a condo.
- It’s time for in-home help. Your loved one could benefit from an in-home caregiver who can assist with light housework, bathing and daily living
- A fulltime care facility is the best option. Your loved one is struggling with all aspects of life from home upkeep to bathing. It’s time to move him to a fulltime care facility.
#3 Plan a move. Moving is listed as one of the most stressful events in a person’s life and it becomes even more stressful if that person has lived in the home for decades.
- Sort first. Pack later. The hardest part of the move is taking that first step. Help your loved one sort through what to keep, donate and throw away. Each can be labeled with a simple color-coded post-It note.
- Set a manageable schedule. Don’t expect your aging parent to work on this move late into the evening hours. Try to keep as close to their normal routine as possible.
- Limit the emotion. Save photo albums for late in the process. Trips down memory lane can cause increased angst and regret about the pending move.
- Hire someone to help. Downsizing companies like Caring Transitions are specially trained to assist with these kinds of moves. Experts can help ease the stress, streamline the process and speed up the move.
If you’re looking for helping with a cleanout, downsizing, packing/unpacking or liquidating an estate, you can contact Caring Transitions’ Mike DeLeon at [email protected].
Choosing the right senior living option.
Choosing the right long-term care option is an important decision many older adults face daily. If a late-life move is part of your healthy aging plan, the next step is choosing a new place and preparing for what’s next. The hardest part for many people is getting started on choosing the right residence and planning for the move.Understand Your Situation
If you are still undecided about your move that’s okay. Moving somewhere new can be a difficult decision at any age. If you are an older adult moving may have improve your quality of life, here are a few ways to tell it’s time:
- You have health complications that are not suited for the current layout of your residence
- The thought of caring for or paying for landscaping, cleaning multiple bedrooms, or other general upkeep tasks and costs seems stressful
- Moving could save you money in retirement
- Your home has lots of space that is never used
Understand Your Health
Before embarking on this journey, there are three important areas you will want to factor into any senior living decision with the support of your doctor or care team:
- Medical Concerns
- Cognitive Concerns
- Assessment of functional abilities or “Activities of Daily Living”
Understand Your Options
After gathering all the information you need about you or a loved one’s medical condition, start the selection process by making sure everyone helping you make a decision understands the difference between each senior living option. Here are simple definitions to share for some of the senior living options you and your loved ones may be considering:
- Retirement Communities: A housing option where community residence is specifically for people in a retirement age range and may include single-family homes, condos, townhomes or apartments modified for older adults needs.
- Continuing-Care Retirement Communities: A campus-like community that offers different levels of care like independent living housing, assisted living, and skilled nursing care in one location.
- Skilled Nursing: A facility that provides a wide range of health and personal care services that typically includes medical and nursing care, social and mental health care, and rehabilitation services.
- Respite Care: An assisted living or skilled nursing facility that caters to short-term medical care for older adults and others recovering from surgery or a serious illness.
- Assisted Living: A housing option that provides support for Activities of Daily Living that typically includes transportation, meals or meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, recreational and exercise activities. In some cases, these communities will help with care tasks like bathing, washing hair, or dressing if they become harder for a resident to do on their own.
- Memory Care Facilities: A skilled nursing or assisted living community with larger staff that offers more supervision and security features designed specifically for people living with memory impairment.
Compare Your Options
Once you have a firm understanding of your options, asking the right questions can help you make an informed thoughtful decision. Use the questions below to help pinpoint what senior living option will be a good fit.
Do I have health conditions that require extensive care or minimal care?
If you or your family member has health complications that require a specific care plan or accessibility accommodations, it is important to factor this into your senior living selection process. This could be something as simple as moving to a space with a simpler layout or a wheelchair friendly entrance. Remember it’s better to understand what you need to make a decision you will enjoy.
Do I still have the ability to drive or would I prefer transportation is provided?
Driving is often associated with independence for some seniors. If you have physical limitations or take medications that make it unsafe or uncomfortable to drive, you will want to consider how that makes an impact on where you decide to live. Depending on the option you choose you will want to know the proximity to the grocery store, family members and friends, a community’s walkability, and transportation options.
Which option is the best choice for my social life?
Social interaction has been associated with health benefits like a sharper memory, increased physical and emotional health, and longevity for older adults. An integral part of quality of life is maintaining connections to those you love as well as maintaining friendships. As we age, it is easy to feel disconnected or out of touch. Strong social connections and interactions with family, neighbors, or other people you see regularly can help you or a loved one maintain quality of life while aging.
Which option best fits into my financial plan and will accommodate future changes to my health?
Being realistic about your finances and creating a budget is a great step towards planning long-term care for your future. In many cases, budgets and savings have a limit for what is covered. It is important to include the possibility of being a resident in more than one senior living facility in your healthy aging plan. Making solid financial plans or creating a new financial plan could help you decide which move is the right decision for you now and how to prepare financially for health changes that may occur in the future. The National Institute on aging has detailed information on covering the costs of long-term care, you can read about here.
Consider Hiring a Move Manager
Moving can be both a physical and psychological process. From furniture pieces and photos that hold memories, to deciding what to purge, to the labor it takes to move each item, a plan can help simplify the moving process for anyone. Once you’ve decided on the right senior living option, it may be helpful to get expertise from an expert that specializes in late-life moves. Caring Transitions has Certified Relocation & Transition Specialist with specialty training in move management, senior relocation and senior transition services ready to help you.
This article is shared with permission of Caring Transitions.
Daily Money Managers Help Seniors Remain Independent
If you are an older retiree and have been overwhelmed lately with managing your financial accounts, it might be time to consider hiring a Daily Money Manager (DMM). A DMM is a cost-effective way to help keep your financial life in order by hiring a professional to help you keep track of paying your bills on time, balancing your check book, handling insurance matters and providing tax documents to your accountant. Depending on where you live, costs can range between $75 to $150 an hour and some even charge a monthly retainer instead of an hourly fee.
Atlanta Seniors Real Estate caught up with Barbara Scurry, founder of Senior Partners. Barbara has been a DMM for 6 years and 10 years in geriatric health care/ marketing.
“I’ll share with you the story of Dorothy, a client of mine for almost four years. Dorothy was 79 years old when I started working with her. She never married, had no children, siblings, or other relatives with which she associated and she lived in an assisted-living facility (ALF).She was highly educated and detail-oriented but had stopped paying her bills and was showing early signs of cognitive decline. When I started working with Dorothy, I had great concern that she would run out of money within 12 to 18 months.”
Saving and finding money
Scurry said, “I began basic daily money management services, including opening and sorting her mail, making calls to outside vendors on her behalf, and organizing her files. But I got involved with her life issues as well and quickly realized she was not getting the care she needed (and was paying for) at the ALF where she was living. I helped her find a new ALF that saved her $2,500 per month in living expenses.”
Dorothy was also missing stock certificates that were about to be turned over to the state of Georgia, “one evening, as I was going through some old papers I finally found them! When we deposited those certificates, they ended up being worth more than $125,000! That money helped take care of her needs for the next three and a half years!”
Help with moving
Scurry even advised Dorothy on moving, a service perfectly aligned with the real estate transition services provided by Atlanta Seniors Real Estate Team.
“I referred her to a professional move management company and coordinated their services to get her packed, moved, and unpacked at her new location.”
If you need the services of a Daily Money Manager, a great place to learn more about this unique service and find a professional is with the American Association of Daily Money Managers.
If you or your senior parent(s) are ready to buy or sell real estate in Georgia, be sure to contact Atlanta Seniors Real Estate team of certified and personable Seniors Real Estate Specialists to help make the transition as smooth as possible.
Resources
Senior Partners. Main page AARP. Daily Money Manager Helps Control Finances
American Association of Daily Money Managers. Main page
Will You Downsize or Rightsize?
Is it time to move to a larger or smaller space? Whether choosing to move now or later, you should start asking the right questions today.
Here’s how to tell if you should move to a larger space:
- You need to make room for aging parents or relatives who cannot afford to age in place or an elder care facility
- You must make room for returning children
- Your home is overflowing with furniture and miscellaneous items that have no place to go
- You are running out of storage space
How to tell if you should move to a smaller space:
- You or your partner has health complications that are not suited for the current layout of your residence
- The thought of caring for your yard, multiple bedrooms, or general upkeep seems stressful
- Moving could save you money in retirement
- Your home has lots of space that is never used
A few other factors to consider before deciding to rightsize:
- You’ve decided to move closer to children or grandchildren to make new memories with family
- As your wants and wishes change, your neighborhood may no longer provide what you need
- Your home no longer appeals to you and you are not in the position to nor desire to remodel
- Selling your home could yield exponential financial benefits
Rightsizing can be new, exciting, and in some cases frightening. Considering the tips on this list can give you a great head start. Your next best option is to contact a Seniors Real Estate Specialist who will help you work out a plan of action and time frame best suited to your needs.
For Full Article of questions and video to help you when it comes to relocating Click Here
Source: Lisa Haskell, Owner of Caring Transitions of Central Gwinnett Click here to contact them.
How Seniors (and Their Families) Benefit from a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES®)
This specially-designated REALTOR can save the children of seniors a lot of time when their parents need to downsize
Not just limited to Conyers but all around Atlanta, many older adults who own homes eventually get to a point where their home no longer accommodates them as it was originally intended. They may no longer need the size of the home, be physically able to take care of the home or can afford the cost of maintaining the home. In too many cases, health challenges compress the time needed to plan for a housing transition, find a new home or other living arrangements and/or sell their current home.
The Challenge
The adult children will find there’s a plethora of resources, housing options and price points to consider, so finding a residence that is the perfect mix of warmth and proximity to health care providers and facilities while being functionally adequate for the challenges of aging means much time and effort is involved in considering all the options. Senior-specific financial and real estate considerations often must be handled by the children of seniors, while juggling their own careers and family life.
The Solution
If your aging parent or other loved-one needs to downsize or find a residence better suited for them, a SRES®-designated REALTOR is best trained to handle your loved-one’s real estate needs. They can sift through the options and present them to your parents, saving you a lot of legwork and time.
Hilary Walker, a SRES®-designated REALTOR®, Broker and Director of American Realty Seniors Division, says it best:
“The challenge is that ‘many adult children of baby boomers’ rarely have the time that is needed to gather all the necessary information about the services that would be helpful to their parent. This means the parent often remains in their ‘ineffective’ situation for longer. But also, connected to this, is that often the adult child is trying to show the parent that it may be best if they no longer live in the family home that has functional issues relating to the parents’ current health conditions or lifestyle needs. The other challenge is for the adult child to find and provide solid information to parents without making the parents feel as though their child is ‘babying’ them or trying to take over. Seniors Real Estate Specialists like me can help with all of this.”
To be experienced in serving this demographic, the REALTOR® must pass the National Association of REALTORS-designed course. Earning the SRES® designation means the REALTOR® specializes in the needs of clients aged 50 and over who are buying and selling real estate.
SRES®-designated REALTORS® are knowledgeable about these things and will save you time by finding reputable services or handling them for you:
- Senior housing options and locations
- Move Management Coordinators
- Counseling strategies to help in life transition planning
- Remodel/Renovation contractors in case they wish to age in place
- Factors and trends in housing, retirement income and finance specific to those 50 and over
- Identifying and protecting seniors from finance, mortgage and loan scams that target this demographic
- Aware of Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA), senior communities and housing restrictions
- Advisers for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages, Reverse mortgages, 401k accounts, IRAs and pensions as part of wealth management and to assist in real estate transactions
- Protecting a parent or senior loved-one from losing access to Medicaid, Medicare, VA or Social Security benefits when selling their real estate
Atlanta Seniors Real Estate Team provides holistic real estate services for the unique needs of older adults and their families. Contact a Seniors Real Estate Specialist today!
SRES® REALTORS® also have partners in the Senior Care Market who help make the transition to a new home as easy as possible for all concerned. Kaye Ginsberg, founder of Peace of Mind Transitions, a full service seniors relocation partner, explains:
“Senior Move Managers take the stress out of moving. We work together with the senior and their family to decide which belongings will go to the new home, then work with them to manage what to do with the rest (sell, donate or dispose). We coordinate packing and moving and then completely unpack the new home; including hanging pictures and making the beds.”
Ginsberg said, “The first step is for the senior to identify what they will take with them and what they would like family members to have – and that’s the hard part. This is the first time in history that we have two generations downsizing at once – and none of the “children” want any of their parents’ belongings. Which means that many items like china, crystal and silver are not holding up in value for re-sale. Perhaps it would be better to focus on what I like to call ‘Doing Good While Downsizing’. Why not donate items to a local charity who will make sure your items go to people in need who will appreciate them?”
Ginsberg says it’s good to strategize early: “It’s never too early to start thinking about the future. Even if you’re not ready to move now, it is wise to know what your home is worth and what other housing options are available for you. And it is certainly never too early to start thinking about what you want to do with your lifetime accumulation of possessions.”
Download “Your Guide to Stress-Free Rightsizing and Relocation”
Sources: | https://atlantaseniorsrealestate.com/tag/active-adults/ |
In my last post I promised some pictures of me celebrating my birthday week and my new sense of vitality. On Sunday after church my friend Elizabeth and I traveled to Pennsylvania to visit my sister and brother-in-law in the Pocono Mountains. Yesterday morning I went to my sister’s boxing class. What fun! And a great workout. In the afternoon we went to Camelback Mountain Adventures where Elizabeth and I went zip lining and rode the mountain coaster. The coaster was fun, but the zip line was absolutely amazing and breathtaking! Here are several pictures of the experiences yesterday.
Until next time, peace …
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Today I am celebrating another trip around the sun! I feel especially alive this year as I am 138 pounds lighter than I was on my last birthday! Has the journey been easy? Heck no! But has the journey been worth it? Absolutely! I am grateful for the love and support of my family and friends during this time and I am especially grateful to God that I am able to experience all that life holds in a way that I could not do 138 pounds ago. Look for some posts later this week with pictures of me celebrating my new vitality!
I know it has been quite some time since my last post. I haven’t done so well with the weekly Psalm memorization I had intended, but each week I have at least reflected on the Psalm that corresponds with the number of pounds shed. That should count for something, right? 😊 And the good news is that once I lose another 12 pounds, the guilt of the Psalm memorization will go away! (There are only 150 Psalms).
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During my weight loss journey, I have often searched for comparisons to the amount of weight I’ve shed. For example, 20 pounds equals an automobile tire; 90 pounds equals a newborn calf; 118 pounds equals an entire set of Encyclopedia Britannica. Wow! Does that bring back memories? Who has a set of encyclopedias anymore?!?
One thing struck me, however, as I reviewed the chart: 117 pounds equals the average supermodel (and she’s 5’ 11”!). I’ve lost a whole person – albeit a very thin person – but I have lost a whole person and then some! The last two weeks I have shed just one pound each week and this week I’ve shed two, bringing my total to 125. Yes, I have shed 125 pounds! It seems rather hard to fathom.
This week also marked the 6-month anniversary of my surgery. I didn’t take measurements before starting the process, but on my 2-month anniversary (April 1) I began measuring my waist, hips, bust, thigh, calf and upper arms. In the last four months, I have lost 40 inches! I can’t even begin to imagine the total number of inches I’ve lost since I entered the bariatric program last July.
Last week I finally started going through my closets to get rid of my “fat” (or “fatter”) clothes. Starting with blazers, jackets and outerwear, I purposely tried on each item and stood in front of the mirror so I could get a visual. It was quite emotional as I literally wrapped some of the jackets around me. I’m still processing and unpacking some of that emotion – perhaps that will be the subject of a future blog post – but those visuals certainly keep me motivated.
On this journey toward health and wholeness, I am recognizing that the transformation is both inward and outward and that I am in a process of living into all that God has created and called me to be. I want to lose another 45 pounds by January 2019 when I travel to Liberia on a mission trip. The program is called Farmer to Farmer and it is a mission of the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church. Farmer to Farmer partners with the United Methodist Church in Harrisburg, Liberia to teach sustainable farming, as well as support a sewing school and preschool. They are also working to build an Ag Tech school. Traveling to Africa has always been a dream of mine and this trip will allow me to share the gospel and use my teaching skills to make a difference in the lives of others. It will also aid in broadening my understanding of humanity and global situations through a theological lens.
I appreciate your prayers for me over the last several months and I ask for your continued prayers as our mission team is gathered and begins preparation for the trip.
Should you wish to support my trip beyond prayers, here is a link to One Mission, a marketplace website that allows one to purchase with a purpose or make a donation.
I am grateful for all the support I’ve received from so many people over the last six months. I cannot wait to see what the next six months hold.
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John Maxwell once said, “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” I firmly believe there is success in routine. After a month of (good!) craziness that disrupted my daily exercise and eating, I’ve been back in my regular routine for almost two weeks and it’s been wonderful! I spent 7 hours and 45 minutes exercising in the pool this week which was glorious! And it has paid off. For the last four weeks I have shed two pounds each week – certainly nothing to balk at! – but this week I shed six pounds, bringing my total to 121. Yippee!
For those who have been following my Psalm memorization, yes, this means I bypassed Psalm 119. Another reason to rejoice! Not that it’s a bad psalm, but 176 verses are a tad much to memorize, don’t you think?!
This week’s weight loss also brings me to another milestone. I am at my lowest weight in 25 years – my college graduation weight. I went searching through pictures today and was only able to find one from my college graduation. It’s not the best picture of me (quite honestly, I look constipated!), but I created a side-by-side for comparison. I have about 20 pounds to go to get to my high school graduation weight.
As I continue the journey I recognize that “my help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121: 2).
Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.4 He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
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They (whoever “they” are) say that no news is good news and, for me and this journey, that is basically true. It’s been four weeks since I have posted updates about my weight loss. The month of June was CRAZY! There was Licensing School and its follow up at the beginning of the month. Then there was a week at Annual Conference. And last week I was on a mission trip in Indianapolis with 52 youth and adults from the Firelands District. To say that June was busy is an understatement! All of that “busy”ness and time away can cause challenges with eating and exercise. I missed my time in the pool, but all things considered, I fared pretty well. I continued to shed weight throughout the month bringing my new favorite number to 115 as of this morning’s weigh-in!
The biggest challenge in June, though, was trying to fulfill my commitment to memorize a Psalm each week. It started out well, but I didn’t make it the last three weeks. I take consolation in the fact that even though I didn’t memorize Psalms 107, 109, 111 and 113, I did spend time reading and reflecting on them, knowing that “the Lord is gracious and merciful” (Psalm 111:4a).
So this week I will “get back on the wagon” with this discipline and memorize Psalm 115: 1 – 9 (not all 18 verses).
1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; they make no sound in their throats.8 Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.
9 O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
The pictures below, taken a few days ago, show my five-month post-op progress.
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After last week’s brief stall, I am pleased to report that I shed 4 pounds this week, bringing my total to 107 (27 before surgery, 80 since surgery February 1).
Following my resolve to memorize Psalms based on my current “favorite number,” this week my focus will be Psalm 107. As I read through this and surrounding psalms, I began to wonder if this was the best decision. Quite honestly, I wish I had lost 5 pounds this week because Psalm 108 has only 13 verses. Psalm 107, however, has 43! Eek! I know that I cannot realistically memorize all those verses in the next several days, especially since I have Annual Conference this week. (For my non-United Methodist friends, Annual Conference is a time when clergy and lay leadership from local congregations in our region gather for several days of worship, celebrations of ministry, and to tend to the business of the church). So I am going to memorize the first stanza of Psalm 107 – nine verses. That’s certainly manageable.
I continue to give thanks to God for renewed health and energy, and for God’s grace, mercy and steadfast love in all things.
Until next time, peace …
Psalm 107: 1 – 9
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;for his steadfast love endures forever.2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,those he redeemed from trouble3 and gathered in from the lands,from the east and from the west,from the north and from the south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastes,finding no way to an inhabited town;5 hungry and thirsty,their soul fainted within them.6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,and he delivered them from their distress;7 he led them by a straight way,until they reached an inhabited town.8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,for his wonderful works to humankind.9 For he satisfies the thirsty,and the hungry he fills with good things.
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So this is the first week since my surgery on February 1 that I did not lose any weight. The good news is that I didn’t gain any weight either! So, as of Friday, June 1, my weight loss remains at 103 pounds. Still not too shabby for four months post op!
Last week was no ordinary week for me. I have the privilege of serving as the Dean of the East Ohio Conference UMC Clergy Licensing School and our school was in session at the University of Mount Union last week. Our schedule during Licensing School is pretty intense with our days starting at 7:00 a.m. and not ending until after 9:00 p.m. It was a great week with a wonderful new class of gifted clergy! Of course, being away, though, my routine was altered. I didn’t get to the pool and the menu for the week was not completely within my control. The food at Mount Union is always very good, but I needed to supplement with protein bars and shakes. And admittedly, I snacked a bit more on protein bars (particularly late at night to stay awake!) than I probably should have. All in all, though, I think I did pretty well.
Another positive aspect of staying at 103 pounds is that it gave me more time to memorize Psalm 103. During the busy week I didn’t have as much time to devote to that discipline as I had planned.
I am back at the pool this week and anticipate a new “favorite number” on Friday.
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What You Should Know About the Ebola Virus
Ebola virus disease, also called Ebola hemorrhagic fever or just Ebola, is a serious disease that often causes death.
According to the World Health Organization, the average Ebola case fatality rate is greater than 50 percent. In the past, during other outbreaks, the rate has ranged from 25 percent to as high as 90 percent.
Scientists have identified five Ebola virus strains, four of which cause disease in humans.
Ebola outbreaks started in Africa. Scientists think the virus is transmitted from wild animals to humans. These animals include fruit bats, monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees and antelope. Humans can become infected by coming into contact with fluids or organs from infected animals.
Here, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization, are facts you need to know about the Ebola virus.
A person infected with Ebola can’t spread the disease until symptoms appear.
Symptoms appear after the incubation period, which can last from two to 21 days. The incubation period is the time between when a person is exposed to the infection and when the person begins to experience symptoms. The average incubation time is eight to 10 days.
The first symptoms of Ebola include a fever (higher than 101.5 degrees F) that comes on quickly.
Other early symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
Later symptoms include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Rash
- Kidney problems
- Liver problems
- Bruising
- Bleeding, both internal and external, including bloody gums and stool
- Lab tests showing low numbers of white blood cells and platelets and high levels of liver enzymes
Ebola is spread through direct contact with the blood, organs and body fluids of a person who is showing symptoms of the virus. Ebola is not spread through the air, water or food.
A person with Ebola who is showing symptoms spreads Ebola through their blood and body fluids, such asurine, feces, saliva, vomit, sweat and semen.
To spread, the body fluids of the sick person must come in direct contact with a second person. This means the virus enters the second person through the second person’s broken skin or mucus membranes. Objects such as needles, that have been contaminated with the blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola can spread the virus too.
Transmission also can occur through direct contact with surfaces, items, and materials such as bedding or clothing that have been contaminated with the body fluids of a sick person.
Infected people are still infectious for as long as the virus remains in the body’s fluids. For instance, the semen of men who have had Ebola and recovered can still transmit the virus for up to seven weeks after recovery. Women can transmit the virus through breast milk.
There is no Ebola vaccine, but you can take steps to protect yourself against the virus.
There is no FDA-approved vaccine available for Ebola. While experimental vaccines and treatments for Ebola are under development, they have not yet been fully tested for safety or effectiveness.
Everyone should practice good hygiene by washing their hands frequently. This is especially true for healthcare providers and laboratory employees who come into contact with fluids or specimens from confirmed or suspected cases of Ebola virus disease.
Here’s how you can protect yourself:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Don’t touch the blood or body fluids, such as urine, feces, saliva, vomit, sweat and semen, of people who are sick.
- Don’t handle items that may have come in contact with a sick person’s blood or body fluids, such as clothes, bedding, needles or medical equipment.
- Don’t touch the body of someone who has died of Ebola.
Immediate family and friends who have had close contact with an Ebola virus patient are at the highest risk of getting sick.
Healthcare workers who have taken care of a patient with the Ebola virus also are at risk.
Anyone who has been in contact with the blood or body fluids of an Ebola patient is at risk of getting sick. This includes people who may have been involved in burying someone with Ebola.
Contact with infected wildlife also can put you at risk of getting sick.
Ebola virus disease can only be confirmed through laboratory testing.
Early symptoms, such as fatigue or fever, look like many other illnesses. So knowing whether the ill person has been exposed to infected blood or fluids is important.
There is no specific and proven treatment to cure Ebola.
Right now, treatment means treating symptoms by giving fluids and oxygen and treating any other infections that occur. These support methods help the patients cope with the illness and helps to improve survival.
If a person has symptoms and has been in an area known to have Ebola virus disease or in contact with a person known or suspected to have Ebola, he or she should seek medical care immediately.
Prompt medical care is essential to improving the rate of survival. It is also important to control spread of the disease.
Sources:
World Health Organization. Ebola virus disease.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
Accessed 10/02/2014.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease).
http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html
Accessed 10/02/2014.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What You Need to Know About Ebola. | https://theminorityeye.com/what-you-should-know-about-the-ebola-virus/ |
An appellate court may issue its opinion, or decision, in as little as a month or as long as a year or more. The average time period is 6 months, but there is no time limit.
How long does a court of appeal decision take?
In appeals to the Court of Appeal Criminal division, the Criminal Appeal Office currently aims to process a conviction case, from receipt of the application to the final hearing, within 10 months. On average, a simple appeal against sentence case will take about 5 months.
What happens after an appeal is granted?
After an appeal is granted, most often the appellate court will remand the case back to the trial court with instructions on how to fix the errors that the lower court made. If the errors tainted the verdict, the appellate court can order a new trial. ... This is often the state's Supreme Court or the U.S. Supreme Court.
How long does an appeal take UK?
You can expect your appeal, on average, to take 19-20 weeks.
What is the success rate of an appeal?
The chances of winning a criminal appeal in California are low. Only about 20 percent of criminal appeals are successful. But the odds of success are much greater if there were errors of law and procedure at trial significant enough to have affected the outcome of the case.
How long will an appeal take before I receive a decision?
Is it hard to win an appeal?
Winning an appeal is very hard. You must prove that the trial court made a legal mistake that caused you harm. The trial court does not have to prove it was right, but you have to prove there was a mistake. So it is very hard to win an appeal.
What are the five basic outcomes of an appeal?
...
What are the possible outcomes of an appeal?
- Affirm the decision of the trial court, in which case the verdict at trial stands.
- Reverse the decision to the trial court, in which case a new trial may be ordered.
- Remand the case to the trial court.
Why does the appeal process take so long?
If the appeals process takes a long time, it's because your case must go through several stages. ... If you were convicted in a California state court, you have as little as 30 days to file a Notice of Appeal, 60 days in felony cases.
What is the appeal process?
Appeal: The process of asking a higher court to review a trial court decision for possible mistakes. ... Second, the appellee files a brief responding to the appellant's arguments and explaining why the trial court's decision was correct and should be kept (“affirmed”) by the appeals court; and.
What happens at an appeal hearing?
The appeal hearing is the chance for you to state your case and ask your employer to look at a different outcome. It could help for you to: explain why you think the outcome is wrong or unfair. say where you felt the procedure was unfair.
Is appeal a right of a person?
Conclusion. Appeals are recognized as statutory rights of persons aggrieved by any decision of an inferior court in the interest of justice.
Is appeal a right?
Right to appeal is statutory and substantive right. It is not merely appeal procedural right. Statutory right means must be conferred by statute unless it provides there won't be any right to appeal. While right to institute a suit is not conferred by law.
Is the appellate court thinks a decision was wrong it will?
Simply, the appellate court only determines if the trial court made an error; it does not fix the error. ... Instead, the appellate court will “remand”, or send, the case back to the trial court for the trial court to actually fix or re-decide the issue.
Can a sentence be increased on appeal?
"the court does have the power to increase sentence in appropriate cases." ... If the appeal is dismissed the court will usually simply decide not to change the sentence. However, the court does have the power to increase sentence in appropriate cases.
What are the grounds of appeal?
In particular, the grounds of appeal must explain why the appealed decision should be set aside and the facts and evidence on which the appeal is based. It is not enough to simply repeat previous arguments, but rather the decision must be addressed and arguments made why it is incorrect.
Can a victim appeal a sentence?
Appeals by victims
A victim, or a family member of a person who has died, does not have a right of appeal against a sentence imposed. If you think a sentence imposed is too lenient, you can contact the Director of Public Prosecutions about your concerns.
What are the 4 steps in the appeals process?
- Step 1: File the Notice of Appeal. ...
- Step 2: Pay the filing fee. ...
- Step 3: Determine if/when additional information must be provided to the appeals court as part of opening your case. ...
- Step 4: Order the trial transcripts. ...
- Step 5: Confirm that the record has been transferred to the appellate court.
What is a good sentence for appeal?
The mayor made an appeal to the people of the city to stay calm. We made a donation during the school's annual appeal. She helped to organize an appeal on behalf of the homeless. My lawyer said the court's decision wasn't correct and that we should file for an appeal.
What are the 3 main options an appellate court has when making a decision on an appeal?
- Affirm (uphold) the lower court's judgment,
- Reverse the lower court's judgment entirely and remand (return) the case to the lower court for a new trial, or.
Why do criminals get so many appeals?
Death penalty cases go through a longer appellate process because they involve more steps and trips to the courthouse than the average felony conviction. In theory, all cases can avail themselves of every step, but in practice, most non-death cases stop somewhere along the way.
How long can I wait for my appeal in Helsinki?
The time required for making decisions on appeals depends on many factors. The approximate processing time for appeals is one to two months.
How many innocent people have been executed in the US?
More than 185 people who were sentenced to death in the United States have been exonerated and released since 1973, with official misconduct and perjury/false accusation the leading causes of their wrongful convictions.
How do justices decide whether or not to accept a case on appeal?
The Justices use the "Rule of Four” to decide if they will take the case. If four of the nine Justices feel the case has value, they will issue a writ of certiorari. This is a legal order from the high court for the lower court to send the records of the case to them for review.
When there is more than one judge the group of judges is called?
When more than one judge listens to a case, the group of judges is called a panel.
How is an appeal hearing different from a trial?
During a trial, parties to the matter present their cases in court. The information is heard either by a judge, a panel of judges or a jury, depending on the nature of the case. ... An appeal is not another trial. Instead, it is a review of the original decision entered by the lower level court. | https://legalknowledgebase.com/how-long-does-an-appeal-decision-take |
---
abstract: 'Automatic building extraction from aerial and satellite imagery is highly challenging due to extremely large variations of building appearances. To attack this problem, we design a convolutional network with a final stage that integrates activations from multiple preceding stages for pixel-wise prediction, and introduce the signed distance function of building boundaries as the output representation, which has an enhanced representation power. We leverage abundant building footprint data available from geographic information systems (GIS) to compile training data. The trained network achieves superior performance on datasets that are significantly larger and more complex than those used in prior work, demonstrating that the proposed method provides a promising and scalable solution for automating this labor-intensive task.'
author:
-
bibliography:
- 'bldgdtc.bib'
title: Automatic Building Extraction in Aerial Scenes Using Convolutional Networks
---
Introduction
============
Up-to-date maps of buildings are crucial for navigation, urban planning, disaster management, population estimation, and many other geospatial related applications. As advances are made in remote sensing technologies, high resolution overhead imagery including spaceborne and airborne images is widely available and thus provides an ideal data source for creating such maps. However, manually delineating buildings on images is notoriously time and effort consuming.
Due to the potential productivity gain, automatic building extraction has been extensively studied for decades. Much of the past work defines criteria of building appearance such as uniform colors, regular shapes, and nearby shadows, and designs a system that identifies objects satisfying the criteria [@kim1999; @inglada2007; @cote2013; @li2015]. Such approaches have limited generalization abilities because the criteria account for only certain types of buildings whether hand-coded or learned from samples, and results are sensitive to parameter choice. Therefore, despite promising performance on small images containing relative homogeneous buildings, at the time of writing there has not been any automatic system that works reliably on real-world datasets (e.g., images containing a large urban scene). Some methods utilize LiDAR data that give detailed height information and are able to obtain more reliable results [@sohn2007; @zhou2008; @awrangjeb2010]. However, compared with imagery, LiDAR data are considerably more expensive to acquire and thus much less accessible. In this paper, we focus on image data.
Recognizing the difficulty in developing automatic methods, crowdsourcing emerges as an alternative strategy. One of the most successful examples is OpenStreetMap[^1], which has millions of contributors providing manual labeling. However, a major problem of crowdsourcing maps is inconsistent quality. Position accuracy and completeness vary greatly across different places due to participation inequality [@nielsen2006]. The issue is more severe for buildings than other objects like roads and water bodies, because buildings are smaller objects and require more effort to identify and delineate.
We take a unique approach that utilizes the convolutional network (ConvNet) framework coupled with labeled data procured from GIS resources. Deep ConvNets trained with very large labeled data have shown to be very powerful to capture the hierarchical nature of features in images and generalize beyond training samples [@lecun2015]. The capabilities lead to great success in many challenging pattern recognition tasks [@krizhevsky2012; @tompson2014; @sainath2013]. Meanwhile, there exist a massive amount of building footprints from various GIS databases, including crowdsourcing resources. Since both building footprints and images are georeferenced, they can easily be converted to training samples where individual buildings are labeled. Unlike many machine learning problems that requires tremendous effort to collect enough labeled data, abundant human-labeled data are readily available for building extraction.
The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. In Section \[sec:netarch\], we present a network architecture capable of learning pixel-wise classification. Section \[sec:outrep\] introduces an output representation that is well suited for our task. In Section \[sec:expm\], we provide the details of data preparation and network training, as well as evaluation on large datasets. Finally, we conclude in Section \[sec:ccl\].
Network architecture {#sec:netarch}
====================
A typical ConvNet has a series of stages. In each stage, a set of feature maps are convolved with a bank of filters that are subject to training, and filter responses are passed through some non-linear activation function to form new feature maps, which are downsampled via a pooling unit to generate output maps with reduced spatial resolution. As traveling through stages, an input image is transferred into coarser representations that encode higher-level features. In the final stage, the output feature maps constitute highly discriminative representation for whole-image classification.
Mapping buildings from images is essentially a problem of segmenting semantic objects. While output feature maps from a ConvNet capture high-level semantic information, such representations discard spatial information at fine resolution that is crucial for dense prediction. In contrast to image classification problems where ConvNet approaches are well established, how to effectively apply ConvNets to segmentation is still being explored. Recent work suggests a number of methods. Farabet et al. [@farabet2013] assign patch-wise predictions from a ConvNet to superpixels and merge superpixels into meaningful regions through a Conditional Random Field (CRF) method. Multiple networks with shared parameters are exploited in [@pinheiro2014], where dense predictions are achieved by shifting input images and merging outputs. Silberman et al. [@silberman2014] find regions corresponding to individual objects from a segmentation hierarchy, where the feature of a region is computed by feeding its bounding box to a pre-trained ConvNet. In [@long2015], the coarse predictions from a late stage are upsampled and combined with predictions from its preceding stage to generate denser predictions, which are again upsampled and combined with predictions in an earlier stage. The procedure continues until reaching a desired resolution.
Although these methods show promise in segmenting natural images, they have components not suited for building extraction. First, certain segmentation methods are employed to provide initial partitions or refine results [@farabet2013; @silberman2014]. It has been recognized that segmentation methods that designed for natural images are not guaranteed to work for remote sensing images, which have different data characteristics as well as much larger image sizes. Second, training on small patches [@farabet2013; @pinheiro2014] is problematic because in high resolution remote sensing images such patches tend to cover fragmented buildings and thus fail to capture complete information of individual buildings. Third, prediction density is limited. For instance, the output from [@long2015] is at one-eighth of the input resolution. A low resolution output sacrifices positioning precision given by high resolution images. Last but definitely not least, most of the methods assign the same label to objects of the same class, where individual objects cannot be separated if they form connected regions, while it is important to identify individual buildings that are adjacent to others.
Feature maps from different stages capture local information in different neighborhood sizes and at different semantic levels. The first stage generates feature maps with fine spatial resolution, where each unit looks at a small portion of input image (receptive fields) and responds to low level features like edges and corners. The last stage outputs very coarse feature maps, where each unit pools information from a large subwindow and detects objects composed of multiple parts. Feature maps from the other stages correspond to certain intermediate levels in the feature hierarchy. For building extraction, these feature maps need to be used jointly to decide whether a pixel is on buildings or not. For example, a fine resolution feature map capturing edges is necessary for precise boundary localization, and a coarse resolution feature map characterizing large neighborhoods can differentiate between a flat rooftop and an empty lot on the ground.
To achieve pixel level classification, we propose to combine the outputs from multiple stages through a network architecture illustrated in Fig. \[fig:brchnet\]. Here we focus on the structure for combining multi-stage feature maps. Detailed network configurations will be discussed in the experiment section. In the network, each of the first three stages contains a convolutional layer followed by a pooling layer. The output of the last stage is upsampled to the same size of input. The output of the first two stages are branched and upsampled to the input size. Upsampling is achieved via bilinear interpolation. Upsampled features maps are stacked and fed into a convolutional layer with a filter of size $1 \times1 \times n$ ($n$ denotes the number of stacked feature maps) to generate an output map. This convolutional layer is equivalent to a single perceptron layer applied to activations across feature maps corresponding to the same pixel location. Hence, the network outputs pixel-wise labels predicted based on information from multiple stages.
![A ConvNet integrating multi-stage feature maps. Solid arrows represent convolutional operations, and dotted arrows upsampling. \[fig:brchnet\]](figs/branchNet.pdf){width="40.00000%"}
Compared to regular ConvNets, the main difference of the proposed network is that output of a stage is branched and an upsampling operation of bilinear interpolation is employed. In order to determine whether such a network can be trained by the backpropagation algorithm, we need to analyze how the two differences affect gradient computation. Branching can be addressed by the multivariable chain rule, which states that if a variable branches out to different paths, then partial derivatives from all paths should be added. In the first two stages of the network in Fig. \[fig:brchnet\], output feature maps go to a convolution operation and an unsampling operation. During backpropagation, the partial derivatives of both operations are summed and passed to the preceding operation.
It is not straightforward to find out the derivatives of bilinear interpolation. Here we show that bilinear interpolation can be reformulated as convolution, the derivative of which is well understood. Without loss of generality, let us consider one dimensional interpolation illustrated in Fig. \[fig:bli\], where $X_1$ and $X_2$ are two points with known values $f(X_1)$ and $f(X_2)$ in an one-dimensional signal, and the goal is to compute the values at $n$ equally-spaced points in between to obtain an upsampled signal. For simplicity, we omit points in the same setting spreading to both sides. According to the definition of linear interpolation, any of the $n$ points, $x_i$, takes the value of $$f(x_i) = \frac{X_2-x_i}{X_2 - X_1} f(X_1) + \frac{x_i-X_1}{X_2 - X_1} f(X_2),
\label{blidef}$$ which is the sum of two values with inversed distance weighting.
![An illustration of linear interpolation. \[fig:bli\]](figs/bli.pdf){width="43.00000%"}
Now we take the original signal and set the unknown values to zeros. We convolve the signal with a filter in the form of $$[\frac{1}{n+1}, \frac{2}{n+1}, \dots, \frac{n+1}{n+1}, \dots, \frac{2}{n+1}, \frac{1}{n+1}]. \label{blifilter}$$ At both $x_1$ and $x_2$, the values after convolution remain unchanged because the filter has one at its center and does not cover any neighboring points with known values. At $x_i$, the convolution gives $$f'(x_i) = \frac{n+1-i}{n+1} f(X_1) + \frac{i}{n+1} f(X_2).
\label{bliconv}$$ Let $L$ denotes the length between $x_i$ and $x_{i+1}$. Since $X_2-x_i$ equals to $(n+1-i)L$, $x_i-X_1$ equals to $iL$, and $X_2-X_1$ equals to $(n+1)L$, we obtain $f(x_i) = f'(x_i)$. Accordingly, bilinear interpolation can be achieved via convolution with a special filter,[^2] the derivatives of which are therefore convolution with the same filter. Worthing mentioning is that the reformulation also provides a simple and efficient implementation of bilinear interpolation using convolution, a well optimized operation in many computational libraries.
We notice that Hariharan et al. [@hariharan2014] use a similar structure in the last stage of ConvNets for natural image segmentation. However, their network needs to take input of a bounding box enclosing objects, which is generated by some object detector, and outputs a coarse label map of size $50 \times 50$ pixels, while our network works on raw pixels without any prior detection step and produces results at a high resolution. Moreover, in [@hariharan2014] there is no discussion on how the training algorithm works with new components in the network architecture.
Our network involves only local operations and hence can be used for arbitrary-sized input. This is a highly desired property for processing remote sensing images. During training we tend to use relatively small image tiles, which increase randomness and are memory friendly. When applying the network to new images, since the border effect caused by filtering makes results near image borders unreliable, special treatments are needed to combine results of small tiles into a large one. The proposed network is capable of taking large images as a whole, which greatly reduces the chance of encountering border effects.
Output representation {#sec:outrep}
=====================
For segmenting buildings, there are two commonly used output representations, boundary maps that label pixels corresponding to building outlines, and region maps that label building pixels (see Fig. \[fig:outPres\](a)-(c)). A network trained on labeled data in either form is adapted to the corresponding output representation. However, both representations have inherent deficiencies. A network producing boundary maps is a contour detector, which does not guarantee closed contours and hence may produce significantly misshaped building outlines. More importantly, presenting labeled data as boundary maps abandons valuable information of whether pixels are inside or outside buildings. Although in this aspect training on region maps makes better use of labeled data, region maps cannot represent boundaries of adjacent buildings, and thus such boundaries can be neither exploited during training nor detected in test. In experiments, we observe that networks trained on labeled data in either representation are difficult to converge and yield dissatisfying results.
![Output representation. (a) Original image. (b) Boundary map. (c) Region map. (d) Signed distance transform. Gray values are proportional to distance values. \[fig:outPres\]](figs/0000419_img.png "fig:"){width="21.00000%"} ![Output representation. (a) Original image. (b) Boundary map. (c) Region map. (d) Signed distance transform. Gray values are proportional to distance values. \[fig:outPres\]](figs/0000419_bdry.png "fig:"){width="21.00000%"}
![Output representation. (a) Original image. (b) Boundary map. (c) Region map. (d) Signed distance transform. Gray values are proportional to distance values. \[fig:outPres\]](figs/0000419_seg.png "fig:"){width="21.00000%"} ![Output representation. (a) Original image. (b) Boundary map. (c) Region map. (d) Signed distance transform. Gray values are proportional to distance values. \[fig:outPres\]](figs/000419_bmsk.png "fig:"){width="21.00000%"}
It is desirable to have a representation that encodes all boundaries as well as region masks. The signed distance function provides a well-suited option. The signed distance function value at a pixel is equal to the distance from the pixel to its closest point on boundaries with positive indicating insider objects and negative otherwise. Fig. \[fig:outPres\](d) illustrates the signed distance representation of building footprints. The advantage of this representation is twofold. First, boundaries and regions are captured in a single representation and can be easily read out. Building outlines are pixels with values equal to zero, and buildings correspond to positive valued pixels. Second, labeled data transformed via the signed distance function can be regarded as fine-grained labels, where pixels are assigned to finely divided classes based on their distance to boundaries instead of a small number of coarse classes (e.g., building and non-building). Such labeled data force a network to learn more informative cues (e.g., the difference between pixels near boundaries and those far away), which can benefit classification performance.
Experiments {#sec:expm}
===========
Data preparation
----------------
In our experiments, we use a collection of aerial images at 0.3 meter resolution covering the entire Washington D.C. area and the corresponding building footprint layer in form of vector data downloaded from a public GIS database[^3]. Although the building footprints are produced using data sources different from the images, they are mostly consistent with each other. To train the network, we create image tiles of size $500 \times 500$ pixels. In order to have image tiles with fewer partial buildings, the following procedure is performed. For each building polygon in the vector data, we move a 150 m $\times$ 150 m window (the same as an image tile covers) around the center of the building. The area with the fewest buildings across borders is selected, and all the buildings within the area are overlaid with the corresponding image tile. It is very often that GIS data are not well aligned with images. We follow the method used in [@yuan2014], which is to compute a cross-correlation between building footprints and image gradients. Building footprints are shifted to the place where the correlation coefficient reaches the maximum. The alignment between two data sources can be greatly improved, hence a better quality of labeled data. The training dataset consists of 2000 image tiles and the corresponding building masks. For testing, we use ten $3000 \times 3000$ image tiles covering areas excluded from the training data. The test data includes around 7,400 buildings, an order of magnitude larger than what were used in previous work [@benedek2012; @cote2013; @li2015].
Network configuration and training
----------------------------------
Our network contains seven regular ConvNet stages and a final stage for pixel level classification. The first stage applies 50 filters of size $5 \times 5 \times 3$ to a $500 \times 500 \times 3$ input image and performs non-overlapping max-pooling over a $2 \times 2$ unit region. Each of the following three stages has a similar structure containing both a convolutional layer and a max-pooling layer. Convolutional layers have 70 filters of size $5 \times 5 \times 50$, 100 filters of size $3 \times 3 \times 70$, and 150 filters of size $3 \times 3 \times 100$, respectively. Each of the next three stages filters the output from its preceding stage and produces feature maps without max-pooling, where convolutional layers has 100 filters of size of $3 \times 3 \times 150$, 70 filters of size of $3 \times 3 \times 100$, and 70 filters of size of $3 \times 3 \times 70$, respectively. In feature maps output from the seventh stage, each unit has an effective receptive field of $148\times148$, which is sufficiently large to cover most individual buildings in the dataset. See the Appendix for a method to calculate receptive field sizes. The final stage takes output from the first, second, third, and seventh stages for pixel-wise prediction using the structure described in Section \[sec:netarch\]. The Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) nonlinearity is used in all convolutional layers.
In the final stage, all feature maps are upsampled to $250 \times 250$, which is the highest resolution of feature maps (from the first stage), and stacked together. The resulting pixel labels have the same resolution, i.e., half the original image resolution, which is practically adequate. We apply 128 filters of size of $1 \times 1 \times 290$ to the feature map stack. As a result, each pixel has a prediction vector similar to class distribution in multi-class classification, which is then normalized by the softmax function. Each element of the normalized vector indicates the probability of the pixel within a certain distance range. In training, we minimize the cross entropy with labeled data that are truncated and quantized to the 128 integers from -64 to 63. In test, the result at each pixel is the sum of the 128 integers weighted by the normalized prediction vector, which can be regarded as the expectation of output variable. An alternative to generate pixel prediction is to apply only one filter to the feature map stack, and each pixel has a single-value prediction that can be used as the final result. However, we observe that such a network easily saturates during training.
The network is trained in an end-to-end manner. No pre- or post-processing is used. We train the networking using stochastic gradient descent with 5 images as a mini-batch. The weight update rule in [@krizhevsky2012] is used with learning rate 0.02, momentum 0.9, and weight decay $5^{-5}$. The weights of all filters are initialized with uniform random numbers, and all biases are initialized with zeros. 200 randomly selected images from the training dataset are used for validation with the metric of average misclassification rate.
The implementation is based on the Theano library [@Bastien2012]. We train the network on a single NVIDIA Tesla 6GB GPU. The training was stopped after 800 epochs, which took roughly two days. The code will be made available to the public.
Results
-------
Each of ten test images is input to the trained network without any pre-processing or tiling. Results of two images are shown in Fig. \[fig:res1\], where pixels with output values between -0.5 and 0.5 are marked in blue and pixels with output values larger than 0.5 are marked in transparent red. To demonstrate the network capability, we present raw network output without any processing except the simple thresholding. As can be seen, images contain a mixture of various types of buildings in heterogeneous environments, which are very challenging for building extraction. The network identifies most of the buildings regardless of large variations. Zoomed in views are also provided in Fig. \[fig:res1\], demonstrating boundary localization quality.
{width="48.00000%"} {width="48.00000%"}
The precision and recall measures are commonly used to quantitatively evaluate building extraction results. Precision is the percentage of the true positive pixels among building pixels detected by the algorithm, and recall the percentage of the true positive pixels among building pixels in ground truth. The average precision and recall for test images are 0.81 and 0.80, respectively.
To further assess the generalization ability of the network, we create even more challenging test cases. We select five $3000 \times 3000$ images covering different U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas, Seattle, and San Francisco. The images are of 0.3 meter resolution but captured by different organizations at different time. We apply the trained network to the images and evaluate raw output. Fig. \[fig:res2\] illustrates results of two images from Seattle and Atlanta. Compared to the D.C. images, the images exhibit different spectral and spatial characteristics due to changes in atmospheric effects, imaging sensors, illumination, geographic features, etc. Two particularly noteworthy differences are 1) shadow directions in both images are different from that in the D.C. images, and 2) in the Atlanta image a large number of buildings are severely occluded by vegetation, which are not observed in training data. The results show that the network generalizes well to those unseen conditions. We use as ground truth building footprints from OpenStreetMap with manual correction on inconsistent ones. Despite large discrepancy between training images and test images, the network reaches an average precision of 0.74 and recall of 0.70 for five images.
{width="48.00000%"} {width="48.00000%"}
Comparison
----------
We cannot find any commercial software or software from published work that produces reasonable extraction results on our test data. We choose to conduct comparison on building detection. Detection is an easier problem than extraction because it aims to locate individual buildings without providing their spatial extents. Therefore, we can expect more reliably performance from existing methods. We select an influential method proposed by Sirmacek and Unsalan [@sirmacek2009], which will be referred to as the SU method. This method constructs graphs based on detected keypoints. Based on provided templates, buildings are identified via subgraph matching. The code distributed by the authors is applied to the two images in Fig. \[fig:res1\] with templates selected from the images. We follow the evaluation strategy in [@sirmacek2009], which regards a detected location inside buildings as true detection (TD) and otherwise false alarm (FA). To compare on an equal footing, we convert extraction output to detection output by using the mass center of each extracted building. Table 1 summarizes the performance of two methods. As can be seen, our method finds significantly more buildings than the SU method with a small number of false alarms.
Since only simple local operations (convolution and maximization) are performed, our network is fast to evaluate, which takes around 1 minute to extract buildings on one test image. In contrast, the SU method takes more than 20 minutes to complete building detection.
[c C[1cm]{} C[1cm]{}]{} Method & TD & FA\
\
\
SU method & 321 & 51\
Proposed & 708 & 45\
\
\
SU method & 258 & 47\
Proposed & 574 & 31\
\[tab:comp\]
Concluding remarks {#sec:ccl}
==================
In this paper we have presented a new building extraction method that leverages the ConvNet framework and rich GIS data. We design a network with novel components including a structure integrating multi-layer information for pixel-wise classification and a unique output representation. The components are easy to implement and enable the network to learn hierarchical features for segmenting individual objects. The trained system is tested on large real-world datasets and delivers accurate results with high efficiency.
It is tempting to create a building extraction system that works at a global scale. Trained on data containing urban and suburban scenes in a particular city, the current system exhibits an outstanding generalization ability. However, we indeed observe performance degradation when applying the system to rural areas or different countries. To attain a universal building extractor, we need to address issues including how much labeled data are needed to handle worldwide geographic variations, what is the optimal network configuration, whether multiple networks for different geographic regions are better options than a single planet-scale network, etc. We are currently investigating these issues.
The method proposed in this paper segments semantic objects (buildings) in complex scenes, which is a special case of figure-ground segmentation. Experimental results show that with sufficient labeled data our ConvNet model effectively separates foreground objects from their background in unseen data. We believe that this technique potentially provides a generic solution to figure-ground segmentation and benefits many challenging tasks across different domains.
Calculation of receptive field size
===================================
The receptive field of a unit in a convolutional network consists of units in the input layer that can pass activation to that unit. Note that local receptive fields refer to the connected units in the immediately preceding layer, while we are interested in connected units in the input layer. Knowing the receptive field size is important for analyzing network capacity. However, it is not straightforward to find out the receptive field size of a unit in a ConvNet with multiple stages. Here I provide a simple approach for this calculation.
It is sufficient to analyze one-dimensional network, which can be conveniently extended to two-dimensional cases by conducting the same analysis for both dimensions. We assume that networks consist of convolutional layers and pooling layers, two main components in ConvNets. A small network is illustrated in Fig. \[fig:appdx1\]. To calculate the receptive field size of an output unit, an intuitive way is to start from the input layer and track connected units based on local receptive fields in each layer. However, since local receptive fields in a convolutional layer overlap with each other, with multiple layers it is difficult to count the connected units without drawing the entire network.
![An one-dimensional ConvNet. The input layer is followed by a convolutional layer with a filter of size 3, a pooling layer with a pooling region of 2, and a convolutional layer with a filter of size 3. Solid arrows represent convolution, and dashed arrows pooling. \[fig:appdx1\]](figs/networkIll2.pdf){width="40.00000%"}
There exist two rules regarding how unit numbers change between layers. 1) A convolutional layer decreases the unit number by $(s-1)$, where $s$ denotes the filter size. The decreased units are caused by border effects. 2) A pooling layer reduces the number of units by $p$ times, where $p$ is the size of pooling region. Two rules can be clearly observed in Fig. \[fig:appdx1\].
To find the receptive field size of a particular unit, we treat that unit and connected units in all previous layers as a sub-network and iteratively apply the two rules in a backward pass until obtaining the unit number in the input layer, i.e., the receptive field size. Formally, assuming an $m$-stage network with stage $i$ containing a convolutional layer with a filter of size $s_i$ and a pooling layer with a pooling region of $p_i$ ($p_i$ equals to 1 if there is no pooling layer), the relationship between unit numbers at stages $i$ and $i+1$ can be expressed by $R(i) = p_i R(i+1) + (s_i -1) $. Knowing that the unit number at the last stage is $R(m)$ =1, the equation is applied iteratively until we have the unit number of input layer $R(0)$.
[^1]: http://www.openstreetmap.org
[^2]: Two-dimensional interpolation can conveniently be handled by applying the same filter in both directions.
[^3]: http://opendata.dc.gov/
| |
In the first part of this post, I discussed what it means to be Lean and how continuing with the Lean path is truly fundamental to continuing true company success, though many Lean Startups may not carry this philosophy forward as they grow. In this post, I’ll discuss why and how startups can continue their Lean journey.
The Lean philosophy emphasizes an endless journey of organizational learning. My advice, as a Lean practitioner and entrepreneur, is that any entrepreneur can learn about the following ideas and tools as soon as his company starts to grow, and adapt them to its specific situation.
Here are some of the tools that can help a Lean Startup become a Lean organization once that are embraced and implemented,:
Value Stream Mapping: This is a method that creates a big picture of all processes occurring during the various steps of a company’s relationship with its customers. The goal is to map material and information flow through the process and measure both waste and value-added timing. It’s a fundamental tool for identifying bottlenecks and sources of waste.
The 5 S’s: A set of very simple workspace organizational principles that, unfortunately, many companies tend to ignore. They focus on promoting visual order, organization, cleanliness and standardization, and include:
Sort: The first step in making a workspace clean and organized
Set in Order: Organize, identify and arrange everything in a work area
Shine: Regular cleaning and maintenance
Standardize: Make it easy to maintain; simplify and standardize
Sustain: Continue what has been accomplished
Visual Displays & Controls: The use of visual displays for quick recognition of the information being communicated within the organization in order to increase efficiency and clarity. They include:
Andons: Signboards with embedded alerts, crucial to quality control systems.
Kanbans: A visual and physical signaling system that ties together the JIT (just-in-time) production.
Continuous Improvement and Planning: Fundamental processes and rituals are crucial to a Lean organization as they allow the company to create consensus among all stakeholders about optimization needs, solutions and goals. They include:
PDCA (plan-do-check-act): An iterative four-step management method used to control and optimize a process. PDCAs are a great way to formalize the “build-measure-learn” iterations of a Lean Startup.
Kaizen: Practices and rituals designed to involve stakeholders in the discussion of issues, to find solutions and to create changes in the processes to ensure the issues do not occur again.
A3 Management: A simple-to-understand mechanism for fostering deep thinking, thorough analysis, a problem-solving attitude and follow-up action. A3 eases consensus-building and paves the way for the quick and easy implementation of changes. It’s applicable to all areas of the business, including HR, finance, IT, help-desk, production and others.
Hoshin Kanri: A method that helps the organization to focus on a shared goal to communicate the goal to its leaders and involves leaders in planning to achieve the goal and to hold participants accountable for achieving their part of the plan.
Seem daunting? This is just the beginning. There are a host of other processes and tools in the Lean toolkit. But remember – the path to Lean is a journey, not a quick fix. The principles outlined above and others that comprise the Lean arsenal should be implemented methodically in a way that makes sense for each individual company. Take it from someone who’s been there. Once you start implementing Lean principles in your own company and begin reaping the rewards, you’ll want to continue down the path toward becoming a fully Lean organization.
Make Lean Your Philosophy
The Lean Startup approach is great, but it’s also relatively new as a concept and therefore lacks data to support its effectiveness. For this reason, it has yet to produce a true juggernaut of a success story. As more and more startups using the Lean Startup approach become successful companies, the question of which organizational process is best to employ will become increasingly important. Eric Reis points the way toward embracing additional principles in “The Lean Startup”.
“As a successful startup makes the transition to an established company, it will be well poised to develop the kind of culture of disciplined execution that characterizes the world’s best firms, such as Toyota.”
The word “culture” is key here. Above all, Lean is a philosophy wrapped around a big set of processes and tools. It’s not just a set of guidelines to optimize a company’s operation but a way of thinking that needs to be woven into every aspect of the organization.
By embracing Lean principles and introducing the processes and techniques I’ve listed here, startups can ensure that they continue to deliver value and eliminate waste as they scale into viable, successful companies. | https://nearshoreamericas.com/lean-startup-leg-lean-journey-part-2/ |
The Director of the Office of Science for CDC is the primary advisor to the director on scientific and medical matters and provides agency-wide scientific leadership. The ADS directs the Office of the Associate Director for Science (OADS) which provides CDC/ATSDR with scientific vision and leadership in promoting quality and integrity of CDC science, and helping to encourage the application of science to solving important public health problems.
Director of the Office of Science
Rebecca Bunnell, PhD MEd
The Associate Director for Science (ADS) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides the agency with scientific vision and leadership in science innovation, research, ethics, and science administration. The ADS ensures continuity and commitment to long-term scientific investments, upholds scientific ideals, establishes an environment thriving with scientific excellence, innovation and integrity, learning and discovery, and upholds the timely dissemination and translation into practice of scientific information, innovations, and technology. The ADS serves as principal advisor with overall leadership and general direction for all CDC/ATSDR research, especially large scale collaborative research that is problem generated, cross-institutional, and multi-disciplinary to address cross-cutting public health issues. The ADS is responsible for the oversight of scientific integrity, quality assurance, and the rapid dissemination of scientific innovations, technology, and information with the ultimate goal of enhancing CDC’s mission and improving public health domestically and internationally. The ADS coordinates with the Centers/Institute/Offices (CIOs) the scientific research, scientific training and workforce development, technical assistance and science-based regulatory activities throughout CDC and ATSDR. View biography
Deputy Associate Director for Science
The Deputy Associate Director for Science (ADS) supports, advises, and represents CDC ADS, CDC Director and senior leaders on issues of science, science policy and science administration. The Deputy ADS provides high-quality and timely advice on high profile and regulatory (e.g., FACA, IRB) scientific issues, prepares and/or reviews high-profile Congressional and HHS reports, testimonies and ADS and Director’s responses. The Deputy ADS is required to provide ongoing and ad hoc consultancies to the programs and (as needed) lead and mediate, internally and externally, in difficult, contentious situations, and also will represent CDC on the HHS WG developing an integrated approach towards establishing Universal IRBs for addressing urgent human research protection issues in an emergency. The Deputy ADS serves as the Institutional Official for Human Research Subjects ensure compliance with Basic HHS Policy for Protection of Human Research Subjects and 45 CFR Part 46 to protect the rights and welfare of human beings who participate in research, and also as the Institutional Official for Animal Research to oversee all aspects of animal care and use and assure CDC-wide compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and standards regarding the humane care and use of laboratory animals at CDC (PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Animal Welfare Act), including policy development and work of Institutional Committee for Animal Care.
Acting Associate Director for Policy
Kiana Morris MBA, CMCP
The Associate Director for Policy (ADP) serves as the policy expert and advisor for OADS and advises the Director and fellow senior leaders on policy, partnership, and issues management matters. The ADP also collaborates with leadership and stakeholders to develop strategic plans and foster partnerships to advance mutual interests. ADP roles and responsibilities include developing agency-level policies related to science quality, integrity, and innovation while also performing in-depth analysis and interpretations of policy matters. The ADP also coordinates agency-level evaluation efforts, inquiries, engagements, and audits related to policy and issues management in addition to reviewing reports, briefs and testimony from OMB, HHS, GAO, Congressional committees, and other federal and external partners. The ADP is the lead for developing memos, reports, briefs, talking points, and influential statements to advance policy, partnership, and issues management activities.
Associate Director for Communication
Rosa Herrera, BS
The Associate Director for Communication (ADC) serves as the communication expert and advisor for OADS, advising the CDC Associate Director for Science and fellow senior leadership on matters related to public health communications. The ADC also collaborates with leadership and stakeholders to develop strategic plans and provides consultation and technical expertise for communication product development. The ADC is responsible for ensuring accurate, appropriate, and timely messaging related to science communication, and participates in review and clearance of communication products. The ADC develops and disseminates communication products to the CDC scientific community to build awareness of OADS, and serves as a liaison with Center/Institute/Office communication staff on agency-wide issues. | https://www.cdc.gov/od/science/aboutus/directors.htm |
According to the OECD, bioeconomics will represent the guiding principle of the European economy by 2055. This means that focus will be centred on the production and transformation of renewable biological resources from the agricultural, forestry and marine aquaculture sectors, and biomass will represent the major source of raw materials. If the experts are to be believed, we are in many ways on the brink of a new industrial revolution.
• More than 190 nations will gather in Paris starting in late November with the goal of signing a climate agreement that will limit global warming to 2 degrees C.
• NTNU and SINTEF conduct research on many different aspects of climate change, from psychology to carbon capture and storage. Much of this research will be highlighted on Gemini.no in the weeks leading up to the conference.
The Norwegian government is currently developing a national strategy in this field, and researchers will now be carrying out fundamental analytical work aimed at promoting a higher level of sustainable innovation in Norway.
“As part of the Biosmart project we’ll be carrying out a futures analysis to identify stakeholders and others that will play a part in a bioeconomy, and to find out where the various resources will be found”, says Magnar Forbord at the Norwegian Centre for Rural Research (NCRR).
“If such ideas are to be profitable, we’ll have to start thinking in terms of coordination and industrial clusters”, adds Vibeke Stærkebye Nørstebø at SINTEF. “An incredible amount of marine and land-based resources currently remain unexploited because no-one is facilitating their development”, she says.
The idea of using resources derived from nature is nothing new to Norwegians, who have always exploited their natural resources. And this is set to continue. Exploitation will be smarter, and value will be added by means of refining processes and innovative applications.
For example, the company Borregaard manufactured paper and paper products from timber for many years. In the course of a 20-year period, the company has succeeded in developing a range of high-value products from tree components that were previously regarded as waste. These products are currently making a significant contribution to the company’s revenues.
Another example is the company Biokraft Skogn, which was established in connection with Norske Skog’s paper factory. The company manufactures liquid biogas from biological waste derived from the fish farming and forestry sectors. Among other things, the gas is used as fuel for public transport buses in Trondheim.
All the bioresources will be mapped and set in the context of the local population, transport networks, existing industries and suchlike. This will provide a basis for identifying where it may be feasible to locate the industrial clusters. Foto: SINTEF.
“These examples could be among the first of many”, says Forbord. “Biomass is made up of trees, grass and different varieties of seaweed, as well as foodstuffs such as fish, maize, meat and milk. What we currently regard as unwanted remains and waste can be transformed into new products which will subsequently contribute towards a new, biologically-based, industrial sector.
Over the three-year project period, researchers from the NCRR, SINTEF, NIBIO, NTNU and Norut, as well as a number of international research institutes, will be working with a total of eleven topics or so-called ‘work packages’. Furthermore, a series of scientific studies will be carried out looking into issues such as biotechnological transitions, legal rights, and the levels and scope at which wealth generation can be anticipated.
The researchers are now starting a survey of 1500 companies in the agricultural, forestry, fisheries, industrial and bioscience sectors to find out what they envisage for themselves in the future. What do they currently us resources for, and what are their views on opportunities for change?
When all the data have been collected, the researchers will hopefully have acquired a picture of where resources such as forests, maize and fisheries products are produced, where the people with the know-how are located, and what kind of products it might be possible to develop. With this as a springboard, it will be possible to develop projects and manufacturing processes that bring together economics, resource exploitation, levels of expertise and acceptance within the community as an integrated whole.
“All bio-resources will be mapped and set in the context of the local population, transport networks, existing industries and suchlike”, says Nørstebø. “This will provide a basis for identifying where it may be feasible to locate the industrial clusters”, she says. “We’ll need different sectors to work together, and this means breaking down the current barriers between the agricultural, forestry and aquaculture sectors. There are many questions”, she says.
“For example, where will the industries establish themselves, and what products should they focus on? What resources will supply the input and what will the products be? For example, will waste products be used at locations other than those at which they are produced? Where can we establish an integrated industrial cluster, and which companies should participate?” says Nørstebø.
The BIOSMART project (2015-2018), headed by the Norwegian Centre for Rural Research, is intended to promote a smart transition towards a bioeconomy in Norway.
Project partners include SINTEF, NTNU, NIBIO, Norut and a number of international research institutes, as well as potential users.
- to apply foresight analysis in order to evaluate each biosector's respective future scenario for the year 2030.
- to analyse the sectors' respective visions in terms of potential linkages and conflicts.
- to investigate levels of acceptance within society as a whole, intellectual property rights, localisation and resource issues, etc.
One of the work packages will address the issues of innovation, regulatory frameworks, and the policies the public authorities should adopt in terms of resource allocation and regulations.
Another project will be a comparative study involving Norway, New Zealand and Germany. “This will be carried out in order to understand how societies change at national level”, explains Forbord. “It’s vital to look into what factors may act as incentives for change towards a bioeconomy”, he says.
In the next phase, four bioeconomic development scenarios will be studied. They will encompass all relevant sectors and stakeholders, and proposals will be put forward as to how transitions can be achieved.
Things cannot happen overnight, but development is ongoing in many different countries. Germany has already drawn up a bioeconomic strategy, and Belgium, the UK, the USA and Canada are well underway.
In conclusion, Forbord and Nørstebø are agreed. “Our project consists of a comprehensive system analysis embracing politics, resources, market opportunities, sustainability and changes in mindset within society. The Research Council of Norway is funding the project as part of its BIONÆR programme, and has encouraged it to adopt daring and ambitious goals. “And that’s exactly what we feel we’re doing”.
In a similar process as roasting coffee beans, we can heat raw and unprocessed biomass. The result is a fuel with a number of advantageous properties. The process is called torrefaction. | https://www.sintef.no/en/latest-news/towards-a-bioeconomic-future/ |
SUMMARY OF PROJECTS, PUBLICATIONS, & FUNDING
My research examines criminological theory and corrections, typically through a gendered or intersectional lens. I use both quantitative and qualitative methods, with an emphasis on mixed methods. Often, the needs of correctional clients are "out of sight, out of mind." By using qualitative methods in addition to typical quantitative evaluation methods, I am able to amplify the voices of those under supervision. The emphasis on gender and intersectionality helps ensure correctional practices are inclusive and effective across diverse subgroups.
To date, I published 11 peer-reviewed journal articles and nine chapters/entries, the majority as first author. I consistently secured both internal and external funding each year towards my research. I delivered over 30 presentations at national conferences as well as campus talks and trainings/workshops for local agencies. My research has also been recognized through institutional and national awards, including the American Society of Criminology Division on Women and Crime Graduate Student Paper Award. I involve undergraduate and graduate students in research as a thesis chair/committee member or towards directed study credits with opportunities for co-authorship.
Below is a summary of my current and past projects by topic.
Gendered Pathways, Women's Imprisonment, and Gender-Responsive Correctional Practices
Much of my research is focused on women's pathways, supervision, and treatment. The gendered pathways perspective accounts for the distinct biological, psychological, and social realities of women relevant to their involvement in the criminal justice system. Since 1970, women's imprisonment rates domestically and internationally have increased by over 700% and 50% higher than men's incarceration. Nonetheless, most approaches in correctional are "generalized," but do not account for women's distinct treatment needs.
I conduct research on women's pathways, women's imprisonment, and gender-responsive correctional strategies, including assessment and treatment. I train correctional agencies on gender-responsive approaches for women. I am also a certified trainer of the Women's Risk Needs Assessment, a women-centered actuarial assessment. Trauma-informed care and treatment are especially important for women as the majority have histories of physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse. My dissertation, chaired by Dr. Emily Salisbury (University of Utah), used in-depth interviews and focus groups with women under community supervision in Oregon to examine women's pathways and their experiences under correctional supervision.
Stemming from my dissertation research, Cassandra Boyer (Doctoral Student, University of Nevada, Las Vegas) and I assessed women's responses to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) using qualitative interviews and focus groups. We found that on average women in the sample had experienced seven different types of ACEs. The most common response to ACEs was substance use to cope with trauma. Here is a sample quote by participant Scarlet (pseudonym):
“When I was about six or seven, my mom remarried. He abused us girls in every sense of the word for a couple years. He really committed the worst abuse when any of us were left alone. [I use because of] my childhood... I don't like feeling lows in my emotions. I use not to feel... I wanted to be numb... I would say that my childhood, out of everything we talked about, had the most impact on [my system-involvement].”
An Intersectional Lens
A major area of my research is centered around women's intersectional experiences and how they relate to system-involvement. Few studies disaggregated women's imprisonment rates by race. Using prison admissions data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and other state-level secondary data for control variables, Dr. Mark Harmon (Portland State University) and I found that Black women are the faster subpopulation of those incarcerated. It is the incarceration of Black women for drug and property offenses that have largely driven the increase in women's incarceration. Various Get-Tough reforms also impacted racial disparities. This research was completed as part of my master's project.
I advocate for intersectionally-responsive correctional strategies, which "recognize the interaction between gender, race, and other categories of difference that often impact persons' initial involvement in the criminal justice system, experiences on supervision and in treatment programming, as well as reentry in the community." My early work in this area was awarded the American Society of Criminology Division on Women and Crime Graduate Student Paper Award in 2016. I now train and work collaboratively with correctional agencies to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. I recently was awarded an internal grant to study the initial impacts of a DEI on client outcomes with a local substance abuse program for women under correctional supervision. My future research will further examine women's pathways across intersectional distinctions and test risk/needs assessments for predictive validity across gender and race.
Funding:
2019 - University Research/Creative Projects Award, Wichita State University: $4,500
2018 - President's Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, University of Nevada, Las Vegas: $25,000
2018 - Summer Doctoral Research Fellowship, University of Nevada, Las Vegas: $7,000
2018 - Research Funding Sponsorship, University of Nevada, Las Vegas: $600
Publications:
Boppre, B. (2019). Improving Correctional Strategies for Women at the Margins: Recommendations for an Intersectionally-Responsive Approach. Corrections: Policy, Practice, and Research, 4, 195-221.
Boppre, B., & Boyer, C. (In press). “The Traps Started during my Childhood”: The Role of Substance Abuse in Women’s Responses to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma.
Boppre, B., & Harmon, M. G. (2017). The Unintended Consequences of Sentencing Reforms: Using Social Chain Theory to Examine Racial Disparities in Female Imprisonment. The Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, 15, 394-423.
Boppre, B., Miethe, T. D., Troshynski, E. I., & Salisbury, E. J. (In press). Cross-National Differences in Women’s Imprisonment Rates: Exploring the Conditional Effects of Gender Inequality and Other Macro-Level Factors. International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice.
Harmon, M. G., & Boppre, B. (2016). Women of Color and the War on Crime: An Explanation for the Rise in Female Black Imprisonment. The Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, 16, 1-24.
Boppre, B. Intersectionality in Correctional Contexts: Implications for Women under Correctional Supervision. (In press). In C. M. Coates & M. Walker-Pickett, (Eds.), Women and Minorities in Criminal Justice: An Intersectionality Approach. Dubuque, IA: Kedall Hunt.
Salisbury, E. J., Kalantry, S., Boppre, B., Brundige, E., & Martínez, S. (2018). Expanding the Feminist Pathways Perspective Beyond the United States: A Profile of Federal Women Prisoners in Argentina. Women & Criminal Justice, 28, 125-151.
Reed, S., & Boppre, B. (In press). Considering Boys and Men in the Feminist Pathways Perspective. In L. Carter, C. Blankenship, and C. Marcum (Eds.), Punishing Gender Past and Present: Examining the Criminal Justice System Across Gendered Experiences. San Diego, CA: Cognella.
Kelly, B., & Boppre, B. (2019). Criminal Risk Assessment, Gender-Responsive. In R. Morgan (Ed.), The Sage Encyclopedia of Criminal Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Boppre, B., Salisbury, E. J., & Parker, J. (2018). Pathways to Crime. In H. Pontell and K. Holtfreter (Eds.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Salisbury, E. J., Boppre, B., & Kelly, B. (2016). Gender-Responsive Risk and Need Assessment: Implications for the Treatment of Justice-Involved Women. In F. Taxman (Ed.), Division on Corrections and Sentencing, Volume 1, Handbook on Risk and Need Assessment: Theory and Practice (p. 220-243). London: Taylor and Francis/Routledge
Boppre, B., & Salisbury, E. J. (2016). The Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA): Putting Gender at the Forefront of Actuarial Risk Assessment. Blog. Penal Reform International.
Evidence-Based Practices in Corrections: Implementation and Evaluation
I was a graduate research assistant under Drs. Jody Sundt (University of North Texas) and Emily Salisbury (University of Utah) on a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant. We used mixed methods (survey and focus groups) to assess agencies’ abilities to implement evidence-based practices in Oregon. My colleagues and I since published two articles from this project. As a whole, the project revealed the importance of using implementation science to ensure fidelity and sustainability of evidence-based practices. We used Fixsen and colleagues' (2015) National Implementation Research Network resources and implemapping guide to apply their work to the field of corrections (see figure below).
My work on the BJA grant was pivotal towards cultivating partnerships with correctional agencies in the field. Soon after moving to Wichita, I became a co-investigator with Dr. Delores Craig-Moreland for an ongoing evaluation project with Sedgwick County Division of Corrections. This project ensures Sedgwick County uses evidence-based practices with high treatment fidelity. Thus far, I've helped with evaluations of Adult Intensive Supervision, Drug Court, and juvenile supervision for girls. I was nominated for a university award Excellence in Community Research due to my involvement with the Wichita community.
Funding:
2012 - 2014 - Bureau of Justice Assistance "Smart Probation" Grant
2019 - 2020 - Sedgwick County Division of Corrections: $38,175
2018 - 2019 - Sedgwick County Division of Corrections: $36,357
Publications:
Boppre, B., Sundt, J., & Salisbury, E. J. (2018). The Limitations and Strengths of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS) as a Measure of Correctional Employees’ Attitudes: A Psychometric Evaluation. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 62, 3947-3964.
Salisbury, E. J., Sundt, J., & Boppre, B. (2019). Mapping the Implementation Landscape: Assessing the Systematic Capacity of Statewide Community Corrections Agencies to Deliver Evidence-Based Practices. Corrections: Policy, Practice, and Research, 4, 19-38.
Critical Perspectives on Criminal Labeling
Terms like "offender," "inmate," or "felon" are common among the public, scholars, journalists, and criminal justice practitioners. However, such labels may have adverse consequences. How we refer to individuals under correctional supervision sets the tone for how individuals are viewed and treated by others. My recent research stemming from my dissertation (see above) critically examines the impacts of such labels from the perspectives of those directly impacted. Using a gendered and intersectional lens, Shon Reed (Doctoral Student, University of Nevada, Las Vegas) and I assess the impacts of criminal labels. Through interview and focus group responses, four major themes emerged: stigmatization, internalization, dehumanization, and barriers to employment.
Here is a quote by participant Chloe (pseudonym):
"It feels like [the correctional system] is taking who you are away and giving you this label that's not necessarily you. It's what you're doing, maybe. It's your acts, but it doesn't mean that that's who you are as a person. And it's hard to separate those two things."
In light of the potential negative impacts, I recommend the use of person-centered language as an alternative. These suggestions for alternatives were derived from ongoing dialogue with women and men who were formerly incarcerated. I'd like to thank my mentor Dr. Emily Salisbury for starting these conversations at the FreeHer conference in in September 2018. Here is a list of alternatives from the white paper I wrote with Dr. Avon Hart-Johnson for the Prisoner's Family Conference:
Funding:
See dissertation funding above
Publications:
Boppre, B. & Reed, S. “I’m not a number, I’m a human being:” A Phenomenological Study of Women’s Responses to Criminal Labeling. (Under review, Feminist Criminology)
Boppre, B., & Hart-Johnson, A. (2019). Using Person-Centered Language to Humanize Those Impacted by the Legal System. Dallas, TX: Prisoner’s Family Conference Advocacy in Action Coalition.
The Impacts of Incarceration on Families
I am beginning a new research area to assess the impacts of incarceration on families. Incarceration impacted those beyond the 2.2 million individuals serving their sentences in prison. Families are also affected through a process called secondary prisonization. Examining such effects is important as a growing number of families in the U.S. are impacted. Recent studies estimate 45% of the U.S. population has had an immediate family member incarcerated.
Currently, I am analyzing interview data collected by Drs. Dana DeHart and Cheri Shaprio (University of South Carolina) with incarcerated persons and their loved ones about their experiences with visitation. Such experiences are largely unknown to the general public.
I am also starting a new mixed methods study to assess the impacts of having a family member incarcerated during the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr. Meghan Novisky (Cleveland State University).
Participatory Action Research with System-Impacted Youth
Photovoice is a participatory action research method that engages youth through interactive photography and focus group sessions. Spring 2019, I partnered with my colleague Dr. Dasha Shamrova in the School of Social work on a Multidiciplinary Research project funded by Wichita State University. Together, we conducted a Photovoice study to examine how an alternative education program for expelled students works and helps students with academic and behavioral outcomes. We organized a Photovoice exhibit last May at the Rhatigan Student Center for stakeholders, community members, and the students involved in the project.
The full exhibit guide can be found here. Students' chosen photos were coupled with compiled narratives from the focus groups. My colleagues and I are currently preparing the results in manuscript format for submission.
Funding:
2019 - Multidisciplinary Research Project Award, Wichita State University: $7,500
Publications:
Boppre, B., Shamrova, D., & Kalb, A. Giving At-Risk Youth a Voice: Results from a Photovoice Study with an Alternative Education Program. (Writing phase).
The Unintended Impacts of Deterrence-Based Policies
Many states across the U.S. have adopted deterrence-based policies aimed to reduce crime and recidivism through the threat of imprisonment. However, prior research indicates mixed support for the effectiveness of deterrence. My recent research using secondary data examines the impacts of deterrence-based policies (i.e., mandatory minimum sentences in Oregon, graduated sanctions in Kansas) to determine whether these approaches work as intended. Overall, the results suggest unintended and even adverse effects of these laws.
Publications:
Sundt, J., & Boppre, B. Did Oregon’s Tough Mandatory Sentencing Law “Measure 11” Improve Public Safety? New Evidence About an Old Debate from a Multiple-Design, Experimental Strategy. (Revision submitted, Justice Quarterly)
Browne, G. E., Melander, L., Boppre, B. & Edwards, M. E. The Gendered Effects of a Graduated Sanctions Model on Probation Outcomes in Kansas. (Under review, Criminal Justice Policy Review)
Victim and Execution Impact Statements
Impact statements are controversial because they represent extra-legal factors that can sway jurors' verdicts. The emotional nature of impact statements may impede jurors' abilities to impartially weigh aggravating and mitigating factors. For my undergraduate honors thesis, advised by Dr. Monica Miller (University of Nevada, Reno), I conducted survey research with student mock jurors to determine how victim and execution impact statements impact sentencing decisions. Overall, the impact statements influenced emotions, but not verdicts. My future research seeks to use more realistic experimental methods to test the emotional influence they may have on mock jurors (video vs. written testimony).
Funding:
2015 - Grants-in-Aid Funding Award, American Psychology-Law Society: $750
2010 - General Undergraduate Research Award, University of Nevada, Reno: $1,200
Publications:
West, M. P., Boppre, B., Miller, M. K., & Barchard, K. (2019). The Effects of Impact Statements on Jurors’ Decisions and Perceptions of the Victim and Defendant. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 15, 185-200.
Boppre, B., & Miller, M. K. (2014). How Victim and Execution Impact Statements Affect Mock Jurors’ Perceptions, Emotions, and Verdicts. Victims & Offenders, 9, 413-435. | https://www.breannabopprephd.com/research |
[The effect of writing about the perceived benefits of interpersonal transgressions on psychological well-being in Japanese college students].
This study examined the effect of writing about the perceived benefits (WPB) of an interpersonal transgression on subjective well-being and feelings of hostility. Participants (N = 74) who reported experiencing a highly stressful interpersonal trouble within the past year were randomly assigned to one of four conditions that consisted of 20-minute writing tasks conducted over a three-day period in which they wrote about either (a) the perceived benefits resulting from the trouble, (b) the features of the trouble, (c) the features in the first 10 minutes and the perceived benefits of the trouble in the last 10 minutes, or (d) a control topic that was unrelated to the trouble. Results of analysis of covariance revealed that group A had significantly decreased hostility. Furthermore groups A and B showed a significant increase in subjective well-being compared to the control condition. Issues related to WPB are discussed.
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With most of New York City’s public housing projects built before the 1970’s moratorium on high-rise projects, what efforts have been made to make these government buildings more environmentally friendly? President Carter did not include public housing projects in his environmental standards for government-run buildings in the late 70’s, and today their lack of green technology makes them economically and environmentally inefficient. Back in 2009, the Obama Administration promised $4 Billion to update the technology through retrofitting many of the structures. While there may be little desire by policymakers to update the projects by more invasive means, there are cost-effective and environmentally friendly means that we can “green up” older public housing.
Some say the Administration’s plan, which involved switching to lower-energy lightbulbs and improving insulation and windows, is comprised of fairly rudimentary improvements. To be certain, it is extremely difficult to retrofit any pre-1970’s-era building and make it LEED certified, much less the massive brick and concrete towers constructed throughout the five boroughs and in cities nationwide. Other newer technologies, like solar blinds and paneling might suffer from inadequate maintenance as budgets vary over time. That’s not to say we can’t move to “green up” public housing in other ways.
One of the easiest and most useful policies could be the creation of green roofs on the top of the towers. These roofs, in simplest form platforms for lightweight sedum, reduce the amount of sunlight that hits the building infrastructure, thereby cutting down on the amount of energy required to cool the buildings in the summer. While creeping plants like ivy have been known to damage building infrastructure over time, constructing a lattice on the exterior of buildings on their sunny sides could similarly reduce cooling costs by shielding the sides of buildings. The first of these two options would be extremely cost-efficient and highly practical, considering efforts to “green up” the projects is basically a retrofitting process. While the second may involve compromising the building’s structural integrity if not carefully implemented, it could similarly serve as an effective strategy.
Other measures, like the collection of rainwater in particular, might be equally effective, but the infrastructure required might prevent their feasibility in an era where few officials want to spend any money on older forms of public housing, instead diverting their attention and funding towards programs like Section 8.
While the future of public housing should clearly involve newer, greener structures — a notable example being the Via Verde development in the Bronx — we can start seeing improvement on older structures today with the simple and cost-effective solutions of green roofs and siding. | http://newyork.thecityatlas.org/lifestyle/environmentally-retrofitting-public-housing/ |
- GNN is a class of neural networks that operate directly on graph-structured data by passing node-node messages.
- Graph has arbitrary size and complex topological structure; no spatial locality like images/grids; No fixed node ordering (node permutation invariance); Often dynamic.
Graph Definition
- Mathematically, a graph is defined as a tuple of a set of nodes/vertices, and a set of edges/links.
- Each edge is a pair of two vertices, and represents a connection between them.
Summarized node feature matrix.
Adjacency matrix
Graph Definition
A simple example graph containing 4 nodes
An undirected graph without self-loop
with its representing adjacency matrix (symmetric)
A directed graph with self-loop
with its representing adjacency matrix (unsymmetric)
GNN: message-passing
GNNs rely on message passing methods, which means that vertices exchange information with the neighbors, and send "messages" to each other.
Message passing rules describe how node embeddings are learned. A generalized abstract GNN model can be defined as:
GNN
A simply visualization of the message passing process of GNNs
Variants of GNNs
Kipf et al., "Semi-supervised Classification with Graph Convolutional Networks", (ICLR-2017)
Willianm et al.,"Inductive Representation Learning on Large Graphs", (NeurIPS-2017)
Xu, Keyulu, et al. "How powerful are graph neural networks?." (ICLR-2019).
Petar et al., "Graph Attention Networks",(ICLR-2018)
Rex Ying et al., "Hierarchical Graph Representation Learning with Differentiable Pooling", (NeurIPS-2018)
Based on aggregation and update functions
- Spectral methods: GCN , ...
- Non-spectral / Spatial methods: GraphSAGE , GIN , ...
- Attention methods: GAT , ...
Based on tasks
- Graph classification: DiffPool , ...
- Node classification: GCN, GAT, GraphSAGE ..
GCNs
Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) have been introduced by Kipf et al. in 2016 at the University of Amsterdam.
GCNs
GCN implements "message-passing" functions in the graph by a combination of linear transformations over one-hop neighbourhoods and non-linearities as defined:
- Aggregation function
- Update function
GCNs vs Self-attention
Open challenges
- Scale: Computational issues in big data environment, like huge social networks (over billions links) or complex recommendation systems, in which each node has its own graph). Read more about Cluster-GCN
- Dynamic graphs: How to deal with dynamic graphs with structures changing over time. Read more about GraphSAGE
- Unstructured data: How to make GNNs possible to take unstructured inputs like Text/Images/Video. Graph generation problems from raw data.
Applications to Medical field
- Ahmedt-Aristizabal, David, et al. "Graph-Based Deep Learning for Medical Diagnosis and Analysis: Past, Present and Future." arXiv preprint arXiv:2105.13137 (2021).
Applications to CV
- Make GNNs to take unstructured inputs Text/Images/Video, for tasks like classification, or segmentation, etc.
Applications to CV
- Use GNNs for segmentation (node-classification)
Liu, Qinghui; Kampffmeyer, Michael; Jenssen, Robert; Salberg, Arnt Børre. "Self-constructing graph neural networks to model long-range pixel dependencies for semantic segmentation of remote sensing images." International Journal of Remote Sensing, vol 42.16, pp 6184-6208, doi:10.1080/01431161.2021.1936267, 2021.
Useful libraris
- PyG (PyTorch Geometric) - A library built upon PyTorch to easily write and train Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) for a wide range of applications related to structured data.
- DGL (Deep graph library) - A high performance and scalable Python package for deep learning on graphs. DGL is framework agnostic, meaning if a deep graph model is a component of an end-to-end application, the rest of the logics can be implemented in any major frameworks, such as PyTorch, MXNet or TensorFlow.
Thanks for your attention! | https://slides.com/brianliu/deck-955282 |
Although seniors have been admittedly slower at adopting the latest technology than their younger counterparts, the statistics have started to change. According to recent research from the Pew Research Center in the year 2000, only 14 percent of seniors ages 65 and older were regular Internet users. However, today, 67 percent of those older adults say they go online daily.
One of the biggest draws to the Internet for seniors in recent years is to log on to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. In fact, in 2013, 27 percent of older adults reported using social media, but as of mid-2017, that number had risen to 34 percent.
Social media usage itself has steadily risen among all age groups since 2005, with 69 percent of Americans logging on to some social platform regularly. For seniors, social media offers some great benefits for overall wellness, including:
Whatever your interests may be, you’ll find a wide range of activities to fill your calendar at Advent Christian Village. Members enjoy an enriching lifestyle with opportunities for personal and spiritual growth in a stimulating, vibrant environment. Contact us today to learn more about our living options, or to schedule a personal tour at www.acvillage.net or (386) 658-5291. | https://www.acvillage.net/resources/five-benefits-of-social-media-for-seniors/ |
Environmental Science and Environmental Studies are interdisciplinary studies that focus on how humans interact with the earth and the environment. As demand grows for renewable energy and green technologies, Environmental Science/Studies majors have the opportunity to work in a variety of growing fields, including pollution control, law and politics, marine biology, sociology, economics and business.
Minors: Geology, Environmental Geology, Environmental Studies, Marine Studies
Department Website
Job Titles
|Conservationist/Preservationist||Land Surveyor|
|Environmental Consultant||Marine Biologist*|
|Environmental Engineer||Oceanographer|
|Environmental Lawyer*||Professor*|
|Environmental Safety and Health Technician||Research Assistant|
|Geographer||Soil Conservation Planner|
|Green Marketing Representative||Urban Regional Planner|
|Waste Treatment Specialist||Field Technician|
Positions that may require additional education, training or licensing are indicated by an (*). Job qualifications are based not only on degree program, but on skills and experience. Students should seek out as many experiential opportunities in their fields of interests as possible, including co-op and internships.
Employers
This is a limited sample of employers who have posted jobs on NUcareers; please note, that they may not currently have positions posted:
|Beacon Power, LLC||Sustainability Guild, LLC|
|Manomet Center for Conservation Studies||U.S. Environmental Protection Agency|
|Mass. Dept. of Conservation & Recreation||WegoWise, Inc.|
Industries
This is a sample of the industries that often hire this major:
|Academic Research||Market Research|
|Construction||Museums|
|Consulting||Nonprofit Organizations|
|Energy||Real Estate|
|Environmental Management||Research Institutes|
|Government: local, state and federal||Sustainable/Renewable Energy|
|Higher Education|
Internships
These sample titles can be used to research internship opportunities in the field:
Communications/Marketing Intern
Life Science Intern
Sanitary Wastewater Intern
Sustainable Materials Recovery Intern
Use NUcareers, SimplyHired.com, Indeed.com, or other internship sites to search for openings.
Resources
Websites for Career Exploration
- Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Outlook Handbook
- MassCIS – Massachusetts Information System
- O*NET
- Vocational Biographies (username: NE Univ; password: RAZDE)
Career Development Videos
Using Your Science Degree in Business
Websites for Job Search
- Environmental Jobs and Careers
- Environmental Career Opportunities
- Geology.com
- New Scientist Jobs
- Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Campus Organizations & Activities
- Biology Club
- Health Science Society of Bouve College
- Husky Energy Action Team
- GlobeMed
- Northeastern University Science Club for Girls
- Political Science and Urban Policy LLC
- Sustainability and Green Science LLC
- Terra Society
*For additional student organizations click here.
*For additional student activities click here.
Professional Associations
Find valuable industry information, job sites, and professional networking opportunities:
- Air and Waste Management Association
- American Planning Association
- Ecological Society of America
- International Society for Ecological Economics
- National Association of Environmental Professionals
- The National Council for Science and the Environment
- Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
- Soil and Water Conservation Society
- Water Environment Federation
Social Media
Sample industry specific LinkedIn groups. Stay on top of industry trends, company information, job listings and networking opportunities. Visit the Social Media page for more information on how to leverage your social media network. | http://www.northeastern.edu/careers/guides/geology-and-environmental-studies/ |
This cast iron roast chicken recipe is the best way to cook a whole chicken in the oven. Tender and juicy and roasted to perfection, this easy one pan whole roasted chicken recipe is perfect for Sunday dinner!
I love cooking food in cast iron. It's great for searing or slow cooking and it is cookware that will last forever. It's probably the only type of pan that gets better the more you use it. Cast Iron absorbs all the flavor and seasoning from the dishes you cook in it, which then in turn makes your next dish that much better.
Jump to:
🍗 Ingredient notes
- Whole Chicken - A broiler, roaster, or fryer chicken will work best for this recipe. They will vary in size but aim for a chicken between 4-6 pounds.
- Sliced Onions - These will provide a bed for the chicken to rest on and will not only flavor the chicken but caramelize during cooking for some super tasty drippings.
- Whole Lemon, Fresh Thyme, and Sage - These are the "aromatics" that will go inside the cavity of the bird that will also help flavor it.
- Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper - These will be rubbed on the outside of the chicken to help brown the skin, provide flavor and also help retain moisture.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Whole meal - add potatoes and vegetables to the pan around the chicken to make it a complete dinner!
- Italian style - rub 1 Tablespoon of Italian season on the bird after you add the olive oil and salt and pepper for an Italian style roasted chicken
🔪 Step by step instructions
Slice your onion and place it in your cast iron skillet. Make sure you pick a skillet that is bigger than your chicken. Anywhere from a 12" - 15" skillet should work.
Remove the gizzards from the chicken and pat it dry. Place the chicken in your skillet on the sliced onions. Stuff the inside of the chicken with a lemon that has been cut in half and a few sprigs of fresh thyme and sage.
Using cooking twine, tie the two legs together and then tuck the wings inside or under the breast so they don't burn.
Rub the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
Roast the chicken in a 375° oven for 1 ½ - 2 hours until the chicken registers 165° with a kitchen thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and thigh. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving with the pan drippings.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that I mention, be sure to look it up in the Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⏲️ Cooking time
As a rule of thumb, you should roast a chicken for about 20 minutes per pound.
Example: 6-pound chicken = 2 hours cooking time
This time can vary depending on your oven and the exact size of the bird. I recommend checking the temperature with a kitchen thermometer about 20 minutes before it should be "done" to see where it's at. This will give you an idea of how much longer it needs.
⭐ Top tip
Always cook any chicken dish to 165° before removing it from the oven. Using a kitchen thermometer, check the temperature of the bird in the thickest part of the thigh and breast.
💭 Frequently asked questions
If the skin is getting too brown, place a large piece of foil lightly over the chicken to prevent burning.
Let your roast chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. This will help it to retain the juices so it doesn't become dry.
For a quick overview of this recipe, check out my web story for roast chicken in cast iron.
🍳 More Cast Iron Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe for my cast iron roast chicken, check out these other recipes that you can cook in cast iron too!
📖 Recipe
Cast Iron Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ large white onion
- 6 pound whole chicken
- 1 medium lemon
- 3-5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2-3 sprigs fresh sage
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚.
- Slice onion and place evenly over the bottom of a cast iron skillet. Make sure the skillet is bigger than the chicken. (12" - 15" skillet will work)
- Remove gizzards from the inside of the chicken and discard. Place chicken breast side up on top of the sliced onions in the skillet. Pat the chicken skin dry with a paper towel.
- Cut the lemon in half and place into the cavity of the chicken along with the fresh thyme and sage.
- Use cooking twine to tie the legs of the chicken together and then tuck the tips of the wings underneath the chicken breast to prevent burning.
- Rub olive oil over the entire skin of the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place the entire skillet in the pre-heated oven and roast for 1 ½ - 2 hours or until the temperature of the chicken reaches 165˚ in the thickest part of the breast and thigh with a kitchen thermometer. If the skin starts to brown too quickly, a piece of foil can be placed over the top of the chicken towards the end of the cooking time to prevent burning.
- Once the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve in the skillet with drippings. | https://saporitokitchen.com/cast-iron-roast-chicken/ |
I am studying gene inheritance, and I understand complete dominance/co-dominance and incomplete dominant penetrance in flowers. I know how to recognize each case.
However, how does co-dominance work? If I understand correctly: when a gene is transcribed, both alleles are transcribed. Hence, for flower petals, if I have a "red" allele and "white" allele, and there is incomplete dominant penetrance, I get rose petals. However, if both alleles are co-dominant, why are petals either red or white? Aren't both alleles transcribed? Or perhaps, in the case of co-dominance, heterochromatin is responsible for shutting down one allele in lineage cells?
I hope that I am expressing myself correctly. Thank you very much for your time! | https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/54958/how-can-co-dominant-alleles-work-in-flower-petals |
Root Study: Why Is It behind Other Plant Studies?
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Jacob Blaustein Instutes for Desert Research-French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Sede-Boqer Campus, Midreshet-Ben-Gurion, Israel.
Email: [email protected]
Received October 21st, 2012; revised November 25th, 2012; accepted December 3rd, 2012
Keywords: Root Architecture; Nutrient Uptake Modeling; Rhizosphere; Soil and Root Relationships
ABSTRACT
Until the 1980s, root studies were typically conducted in nutrient solution, because of the technical difficulties of studying roots in their natural environment, soil. Recent innovations and the realization that there are gaps between the expected and actual performance of plant root systems have emphasized the need for more realistic solutions. This review analyzes the study of plant roots in view of developments in soil science, microbiology, botany and plant physiology, and recently the introduction of molecular biology and computerized imaging.
1. Introduction
1.1. General
Waisel et al. added to the main title of their book, “Plant Roots”, a sub-title: “The Hidden Half”. This addition expressed their view that plant roots are poorly understood: while the aboveground parts of plants were studied thoroughly for several centuries , studies of roots grown in soil are still well behind. This review summarizes and provides perspectives on the present state of root studies.
1.2. Evolution and Development of Plant Roots
Life on Earth was apparently initiated in water where heterotrophic, and than autotrophic life forms were evolved . Following the logic of Dawkins , the struggle for self-reproduction of genes, and further of genotypes and populations, forced them to explore new habitats to expand their presence in space and survival in time. Such expansion had to be associated with adaptations to new external conditions, and was involved with both physiological and morphological adaptations. As a result, the evolution of different organs occurred, involving competition with one another for resources while using the products of one another in order to function better as a whole. Organs and tissues evolved, specialized in different functions, like absorbing light by broad and thin leaves to produce sugars and other photosynthetic products, translocation by phloem and xylem vessels, storage capacities in tissues and organs for times of need, reproduction organs etc., all in the same organism, with control and coordination between the different sources and sinks, to achieve the best mutual performance.
As long as life occurred in water, the exchange of gases and solutes via all surfaces was fast and sufficient. The need to develop tissues and organs that are specialized in absorbance and release of those substances was not crucial for the very existence of organisms. At those early evolutionary stages, roots basically served as means to physically anchor the plant structure. The primary functions of roots of terrestrial plants, water and nutrient acquisition, were not essential under such conditions. Although some aquatic plants do have roots, these may relics of previous adaptations to life outside water [4,5]: Members of the floating angiosperm Lemna spp. have roots with xylem, but without vessels. Some aquatic plants have roots with suberized Casparian strips, indicating a different genetic background of terrestrial plants that re-adapted to live in water.
The ability of plants to live on land required major revolutionary changes: to start with, plants had to develop means to avoid water losses out of their tissues. Means like cuticle covers on the broad leaves, with stomata to enable gas exchange while controlling water losses are evident in all terrestrial plants, with advanced sophistication in those plants adapted to live and survive in extremely dry and arid habitats. Looking at the global distribution of plant families and species, the mosses, with non-sophisticated stomata, are abundant in cold and humid climates, while those of arid and hot climates possess thick cuticles, hairy leaves with stomata protected in depressions covered by hairs, succulent leaves and other water storage means. Many species and families of this group use the more water efficient C-4 rather than C-3 photosynthesis, or CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism) photosynthesis to minimize exposure to drought [6,7]. Phenology adapted to the change in seasons, to match the active phases to periods when liquid water is available while avoiding freezing or dry periods. As a rule, plants that live in water are more universally dispersed than dry-land species: Common Reed, Phragmites australis, and Water Lily, Nymphaea sp., continuously invade highly diverse wetlands throughout the world [8,9].
Provision of water and nutrients to plants under terrestrial conditions depends on resources supplied by the soil (except epiphytes, that live detached from the soil, but restricted to humid conditions). The organ that evolved to provide this essential link with the soil is the root. Unlike life in water, roots of terrestrial plants had to adapt to a wide range of soil hydration levels. Less is known about the drought adaptations of roots than of shoots, simply because shoots are more accessible. That is, although early studies already pointed out inherent gaps in our knowledge on the root-soil system: As soil dries, its volume must be reduced. Also, there might occur shrinkage of roots when exposed to a drying soil . Based on these facts, Taylor and Klepper concluded that, under drying soil conditions, soil water flow to the root surface should drop with soil moisture decrease, since a gap between the soil and the root surface should develop due to both root and soil shrinkage . In fact, the change in water flow to roots grown in drying soils does not indicate the occurrence of such a gap (often referred to as the Klepper-Taylor paradox). Furthermore, measurements made by P.S. Nobel on water uptake by desert plants, resulted in a relatively small drop in water flux to roots under drying soil conditions, although the roots shrank under water deficit [13,14]. Also, relatively little water was lost from the root as a flow-back to the drying soil, as water potential gradient apparently should cause. They also showed that certain desert plants can fill the gap formed due to the root shrinkage by root gel-like exudates, so a continuation of the soil-root system was maintained, as was supported by McCully . Recently, Carminati et al., used neutron radiography to measure water content in the soil at the very proximity of the root surface. This study indicated that changes in the soil properties around roots, apparently due to exuded mucilage, that affected the hydraulic properties of the soil on drying or wetting processes by changing the soil water retention characteristics differently on drying or wetting (and accordingly its hydraulic conductivity), a phenomenon known as hysteresis (i.e., affected by the change direction). These changes moderated the drop of moisture around the root in a drying soil. It took about 40 years to cover the gap in our understanding of how plant roots are adapted to live in a drying soil.
2. Studies of Root Function
Studies of root function followed studies of root anatomy and morphology, primarily employing plants grown in nutrient solutions . Studies of roots grown in soil were generally crude and indirect by comparison . The concern arises that roots grown out of the soil behave and function abnormally.
2.1. The Single-Root Models
An example to the above dilemma is presented in the widely used single-root Barber-Cushman model1. The model treats the system as two concentric cylinders, where the inner is the root (with constant radius, and no extensions like branching, lateral roots, root hairs or mycorrhizal hypha), whose center is the spatial reference to the soil-root system, with radial orientation . The soil, (assumed homogeneous and isomorphic, with constant moisture content) forms an external cylinder around the root, also with a constant radius. Movement of water and solutes in the soil system is radial to the root only, by mass-flow and diffusion, following Nye and Marriott . Water flow, controlled by the transpiration demand (assumed constant with time), obeys the radial geometry of the system and mass conservation. Nutrient uptake rate is a function of concentration of the ion in question in the soil solution at the root surface, assuming that uptake occurs from a solution only, without interaction with other solutes. Updates to this basic feature by other authors include moving boundaries, either the inner (root radius) or external (the rhizosphere extent) to account for root growth with time and consequent increase in root density, and changes of hierarchy in a root system2.
2.2. Water and Ion Radial Flow to Roots
The combined flow of water and ions in the soil by mass-flow (convection) and diffusion was studied by soil scientists since the 1940s. A major contribution to these studies was provided by P. H. Nye and co-workers , with a special treatment of the radial flow to roots . Uptake kinetics by plant roots was studied in solutions . To put all these components together, Barber and Cushman assume that the flow rate from the soil (that obeys the rules of flow in porous media) and the flux into the root surfaces (a function of the nutrient concentration) should match to maintain mass conservation. To do this, the model assumes the occurrence of a dummy compartment between the soil and the root surface (the interface compartment), where the two flows serve as input (from the soil) and output (into the root surface). Since Uptake rate initiates the flow from the soil into that compartment, it should be merely a mathematical problem; it appeared that this was a critical point, not simple at all:
As the two mechanisms are of different nature, this solution works in relatively low concentrations, where the uptake mechanism is governed by the concentration while the major flow in the soil is due to diffusion. This assumption was needed, as the flow in the soil changes linearly with time and distance (from one point to the other, by Fick’s law and continuity), but influx to the root as a function of concentration has the nature of a saturation function (although with more advanced mathematical techniques, modern models overcame this limitation). Cushman’s original model was, therefore, limited to low concentrations, where linearization of the flow was an essential assumption, as specified by the title of his paper . Without this condition, the solution would be unstable. The justification to this condition was that the concentration in the soil solution at the root should drop with time anyway, due to uptake by the root, as no nutrient would be added to the soil system (depletion only).
2.3. The External Boundary
Soil conditions at the external boundary, which stands for the rhizosphere radial extension, also need a solution. In the Barber-Cushman model, the extent of the soil compartment is constant, and no solute flow is allowed through that boundary (water flow is not limited). This means that, in a root system that grows with time, the explored soil volume should extend too with time, which is not always the case. Also, the addition of nutrients by fertilization is a common agricultural practice. As a result, the model works reasonably well in plants grown in pots, where the root system was rather uniformly distributed, but not so well when applied to field conditions . Models that accounted for changes in root density did not entirely solve the low predictability of those of constant borders .
2.4. One Nutrient at a Time?
No interactions between the nutrients/ions were allowed: each nutrient was treated as the only substance absorbed by the root. This condition never occurs in reality, since plants take up a mixture of nutrients, and the soil solution is basically a variety of solutes in water. It is abnormal therefore (even impossible) for a root to grow in a single ionic environment. Ions are always accompanied by their contra-species, to maintain electro-neutrality. Plants fed with -N cause the pH of growth medium to rise, as plants require nitrogen in larger molar quantities than the other mineral nutrients; the opposite would happen when the dominant N form is . Roots must be supplied with calcium to grow and function normally (the Viets’ effect’, after Viets . It appeared that one of the fundamental functions of Ca2+, in addition to others, is to bind the plant cell-wall PGA (PolyGalacturonic Acid) units, which enables cell-wall extension and consequent root growth [27,28]. Balance between Ca and Al, Na and K concentrations affects root growth and development. These are examples of common behavior of the soil-root system that is not accounted by the Barber-Cushman model, since it cannot handle uptake of more than one nutrient at a time.
3. Root and Soil Relations
3.1. The Soil-Root Interface
The way the Barber-Cushman model handles the flow from the bulk soil to the root surface is also a question: Roots are surrounded by their exudates, originated either by the disintegration of the root cap during their penetration into the soil, and by exudates that are actively released by the vital root surfaces . These exudates change the chemical and microbiological nature of the soil at the root surface, but also the physical properties of water movement and retention characteristics of the rhizosphere . At least some of the discrepancies between nutrient uptake simulated by the single-root models and those actually observed in plants are believed to be due to this fault, as in the case of P and Mn .
3.2. Roots as Systems
Most the above studies were carried out assuming that the local soil-root interaction may be integrated in the whole soil-root system, and this will provide the ‘‘true’’ behavior and functioning of the entire system. The rationale behind the single-root models was that roots within the system do not affect each other, so the soilroot system may be lumped into a concentric set of cylinders. This view appears to be inaccurate and even misleading: roots of different parts of the system do affect each other. Even without accounting for biological or chemical interaction between the root and the soil, but with a series of simple assumptions of branching, Roose and Fowler showed that the calculated P uptake was substantially higher than what was predicted by the single-root Barber-Cushman model. They also showed that the change was due to a more intensive foraging of the soil exposed to the roots. The solution lies therefore in using the realistic structure of the root system, with its systematic branching and different root hierarchies. It appeared that only the inability to cope with the complex structure and the low power of computers at the time apparently caused this inappropriate handling of the system. As a result, the soil-root system is not regarded anymore in the recent models as a “homogeneous-isotropic growth medium, where roots are randomly dispersed”, but as a root system controlled by its genes, with a wide capability to react to environmental (i.e., physical, chemical or biological) changes . The result is the introduction of studies on root architecture as a tool to quantify uptake by plants. The link between the genotype and the structure and function of the root system is of major topics in modern plant studies. Advances in the molecular studies also contributed to this line of studies [33,34]. Yet, the expression of the genotype in response to environmental conditions is still behind. Also, shifting from one growth phase to another (like vegetative and reproductive) is still not satisfactorily accounted for, also changes between seasons, which are inherent characteristics of perennial plant growth.
3.3. Root Interactions with Their Biological Environment
Interactions of roots with their biological environment, both microand macro-organisms, was a subject to many studies. It was demonstrated by several studies that the root and its bacterial associates act as a functional unit: The roots exude substances on which the bacteria are fed . They, on their part, release and decompose materials that otherwise are unavailable to the root. Yet, the study of such a system is inherently problematic: Microbiologists have to isolate the target bacteria and grow them under lab conditions, since growing such a culture under natural conditions is impossible using their methodologies [36,37]: Isolation would cause interferences, since the system by nature is located at the soil-root interface. A similar obstacle lies in studying root-mycorrhizal relationships, although many studies were obtained from intact tree roots exposed and treated in situ . The role of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil-plant interrelationships is far from being clear, and still needs further studies .
4. Conclusion
Root study, which was way behind the other plant sciences, was changed during the second half of the 20th century, but has accelerated since that time [40,41]. It was not only the technological innovations that enabled this trend; it is mainly the notion that there is a missing gap in plant studies, and in life sciences in general, that is incomplete without this link. The evolution of plant adaptation to live on earth is incomplete without our understanding of how plants adapted to live on earth, out of water. Traditionally, scientists ignored this lack of knowledge by using bypasses: growing plants in solutions, in aeropoics, and assuming that the equation [soil sciences without plant roots + plants grown without soil] will provide a genuine [sum of the complete system of plants grown in soil]. Eventually, reality showed that this is not the case, but merely an illusion. It is time to get into our mind that our methodologies were incomplete and to develop methods of studying plants grown in their natural growth medium. How to do it—that will be the challenge of our generation, and of the generations to come.
5. Acknowledgements
Dedicated to the memory of Yoav Waisel, a great teacher with outstanding scientific and human views.
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NOTES
1Although there are several other similar models, they all share the same concepts.
2In fact, Cushman provided solutions to two cases: one is the constant outer boundary as discussed. The other is a boundary that extends with the depletion of ion’s concentration in the soil due to uptake by the root, as a function of the diffusion coefficient and time. | https://file.scirp.org/Html/2-2600557_27751.htm |
Living with RA is an ongoing challenge, but having a support system can ease the burden. Learn how caretakers help make tasks easier. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease that targets the joints and other parts of the body, posing physical and emotional challenges that often interfere with daily life. Many people with RA find it helpful to rely
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease that targets the joints and other parts of the body, posing physical and emotional challenges that often interfere with daily life. Many people with RA find it helpful to rely on a trusted source for support with lifestyle modifications.
While research shows that providing care for someone with RA can take a toll on the caregiver's mental health and well-being, proactively arming both parties with knowledge and tools, along with keeping an open mind, can make a big difference in successfully coping with RA.
This article provides an overview of the benefits of a built-in support system for RA patients, and offers tips on caretaker involvement, daily management, and encouragement.
Living with RA can be frustrating and unpredictable—not to mention painful. Taking an active role in managing the condition can also mean asking for help when needed, which can contribute to positive health outcomes.
Research shows that RA healthcare providers often rely on input and observations from caretakers to help inform patient care. For example, a caretaker can let a provider know about the patient's:
Other studies suggest that supportive care is such an important determining factor of RA management that the caretaker's reported stress levels are closely linked with the severity of the patient's RA.
RA caregivers can provide a broad range of support, from handling manual tasks and nutritional needs to simply lending an ear when needed.
Joint pain, swelling, and damage can make it difficult to complete daily physical tasks that once may have been simple, like opening a jar, buttoning a shirt, or lifting a basket of laundry.
A caretaker can assist with functional tasks such as:
This type of physical support can be particularly helpful during an RA flare (episodes in which symptoms are particularly intense).
Living with a chronic condition like RA can take a heavy mental and emotional toll. That psychological stress can negatively interfere with the immune system. In fact, research suggests that people with RA who report high levels of stress experience more severe flares and symptoms, like pain and fatigue.
A caretaker can help alleviate some of that burden. Healthy two-way communication makes it possible for the patient to share their feelings candidly, while allowing the caretaker to listen and provide constructive support.
When accessible, medical care and treatment is a big part of keeping RA under control. This can be particularly true when there are comorbidities (the presence of other conditions) like diabetes or heart disease. Caretakers can help:
Being involved in RA medical care also allows the caretaker to ask questions and hear directly from healthcare providers or pharmacists. This is particularly useful in situations in which the patient is unable to or uncomfortable with raising their concerns.
While there’s no specific diet for RA, proper nutrition can help manage the painful inflammation that comes with the condition.
Experts believe eating foods high in antioxidants, like plant-based foods, may reduce inflammation. So avoiding or limiting sugar, refined carbohydrates, fried foods, grilled or broiled meat, gluten, preservatives, and alcohol may help keep RA symptoms under control.
If there is access to a nutritionist, the caregiver has an opportunity to learn which foods are best and which to avoid. This supportive input—along with physical assistance—when it comes to nutrition, cooking, and meal planning for RA can give the patient one less thing to think about.
Implementing a regular exercise routine is challenging, especially when living with a painful, inflammatory disease.
A caretaker can encourage and even help with exercise, which has been proven to be beneficial for people with different types of arthritis. Ensuring that an RA patient gets their movement in can help keep the joints lubricated, strengthen the surrounding muscles, and maintain functional mobility.
Managing a chronic condition like RA can be expensive, even for people who have access to health insurance. Some insurance plans may not cover certain RA medications, such as newer biologic drugs or JAK (Janus kinase) inhibitors.
The last thing on a person with RA's mind is how to offset major treatment expenses while dealing with a painful condition. Caretakers may be able to help sort through some of the financial assistance programs available, and provide budgeting input when appropriate.
Helpful financial resources for eligible RA patients and caretakers include:
Living with RA is challenging, and whether or not you currently have the support of a caretaker, no one should have to do it alone. Fortunately, there are many platforms available for encouragement, information, and solidarity.
Research has shown that participating in an RA support group can increase a person's quality of life and their understanding of the condition. RA patients looking for extra support might consider checking out the following:
In addition, the Live Yes! Connect Groups platform created by the Arthritis Foundation offers virtual supportive connections for both caregivers and people with RA.
Support is essential for people diagnosed with a chronic health condition, but it's also important that caregivers take care of themselves too. Some caretakers may find it helpful to seek out care-specific support groups, such as:
Whether you’re living with a chronic disease or caring for someone with a chronic disease, taking care of yourself is not selfish. Research shows that caregiver burden can significantly contribute to negative health outcomes. This is why it’s important to remember that self-care should be as much of a priority as caretaking duties. There are several ways to make this happen.
Just as with any relationship, it’s helpful to set clear expectations at the beginning. These boundaries will be important for both parties to honor and respect. They make the caretaking process easier when you take the guesswork out of it.
As a caregiver, when setting boundaries with the person with RA, consider the duties you are willing (and able) to take on, and which you aren’t. Feel free to write these agreements down on paper, and adjust them as necessary.
RA is not simply a “joint condition.” It’s a chronic (lifelong) disease that often comes with potentially severe symptoms. To understand the unique challenges that a person with RA faces on a daily basis, it’s essential to learn about the disease and understand that RA can look different for every person.
Protecting the joints is a proven way to manage painful RA symptoms, and help make daily activities easier. Joint protection techniques are recommended to complete functional tasks, while keeping undue stress off the joints and conserving energy.
Some techniques include:
People with RA may benefit from a few adjustments at home that a caretaker can help with, such as:
Many RA medications affect the entire body, so they have the potential to cause powerful side effects. It's important for RA patients to visit a healthcare provider regularly to monitor these potential effects, and make changes to treatments as needed.
If a certain medication is causing intolerable side effects for the patient, remember that there are several different options out there, and a healthcare provider can help recommend one that works best and is tolerable.
Each case of RA is different, and there are several therapies that can help relieve symptoms in people with RA. If accessible, you might consider checking out:
In addition, there are other therapeutic treatment options to explore, such as:
There are many different assumptions and misconceptions about RA, which is why it's important to take time to educate yourself on the condition. For example:
Receiving regular care from a trusted friend or family member can help overcome some of the physical and emotional challenges of living with RA. Caretakers can provide encouragement and be involved in the daily management of RA symptoms, like helping with medical appointments or lending a hand around the house.
While research shows that caretaking can impact a person's mental health and well-being, the benefits of having a supportive relationship between caregiver and patient can help lead to a more positive outlook for everyone involved.
Caring for a friend or loved one with RA can be a challenging yet fulfilling experience. While making a positive impact on someone's life and health is always rewarding, be aware that caretaking can also lead to burnout. Patients and caretakers alike may want to educate themselves on the signs of caregiving burnout and how to cope with it.
For additional live support, information, or referrals specific to RA, you can call the Arthritis Foundation’s 24-hour hotline at 1-800-283-7800.
RA can make daily life difficult and painful. Consider thoughtful gifts to help alleviate these issues, such as:
The physical symptoms of RA (such as joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue) are often invisible. It’s important not to make assumptions about how a person with RA is feeling. The best advice is to be a good listener, and show that you're open to learning about the condition.
RA on its own isn’t fatal, but some complications of the disease can potentially shorten a person’s life span. While data show that RA can shorten a person’s life span by an average of 10 years, each individual RA case is unique. People with RA can live into their 80s or 90s, and still lead productive, normal lives. | https://www.healthiknow.com/article/caregiving-for-someone-with-ra |
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