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Diversity is the barometer of our freedom, says UZH legal scholar Andrea Büchler. She was granted an honorary doctorate in September by the University of Vienna for her outstanding and courageous academic contributions. We meet in Andrea Büchler’s office on Rämistrasse and sit at the table with a safe distance between us. The travel restrictions have been the hardest thing for her personally about the coronavirus pandemic, she confides. Traveling for Büchler means discovering new worlds, coming into contact with completely different opinions and viewpoints: “These sorts of encounters inspire me.” In terms of her research, she says it is interesting to see how various legal systems deal with certain developments. “In family law, for example, legal questions are often rooted in very similar dynamics in society. The questions may be the same everywhere, but the answers can be very different.” For example in Palo Alto in Silicon Valley, where Andrea Büchler lived for a while, surrogacy is talked about matter-of-factly as an option for starting a family. But in Büchler’s conversations with women in India who have borne a child for other people, they voiced their worries, needs and hopes. The law professor has traveled extensively – even as a schoolgirl she spent time in the USA and in Chile. After finishing school she visited Nicaragua, Nepal, Thailand and Hong Kong. Her professional life also often took her abroad, including trips to Cairo, Berlin, Bangalore, Berkeley, New York, San Francisco and last but not least Vienna, where she was a visiting professor. Genuinely liberal approach In September, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Vienna. In the laudation speech, dean of the University of Vienna Paul Oberhammer said: “Andrea Büchler looks into those places where others look away in discomfort: Islamic law in Europe is one such topic, or legal questions connected with the body, with the intimate sphere, private lives, families, reproduction, the start and end of life.” Such interest was not mere sensationalism, he continued, but reached into places where fundamental certainties were broken down, such as what the law actually meant when it divided people into categories of men and women, and what it might be overlooking in the process. Or the question of the boundary between person and object if physical organs became the subject of decrees. Genuinely liberal values informed all of Andrea Büchler’s work, stressed Oberhammer. “She takes a liberal approach that does not presume to know what others should think and feel and that always respects the pluralistic society with all its different roles and ways of being human, and in terms of the law and its provisions, always thinks of making things possible rather than forbidding things.” Büchler, for her part, says she has always regarded her work as a privilege. “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to reflect on questions that are underrepresented in the elevated spheres in which legal doctrine is negotiated. I’m thinking of the ordinary dimensions of intimate relationships between partners or between parents and children. In close social quarters, our wishes and desires can be expressed, but our vulnerabilities are also exposed in all their facets – physical, mental and financial.” Restraint in principle But what role should the law play in all these thorny social questions? “Over the years I’ve become convinced that restraint is needed,” says Büchler. “People’s lives play out in myriad different ways for a multitude of reasons; to force them to fit into narrow legal frameworks is hardly possible nowadays.” Does that mean that the law is lagging behind social and technical progress? It’s not as simple as that, says Andrea Büchler. Reproductive decisions, for example, are highly personal. Images and concepts of parenthood and family are shaped by our cultural, religious and social background as well as our individual history. Legal interventions in such personal contexts ought to be limited and only implemented when major interests of society or other people are at risk. Foremost task of the law “Given the wide range of personal values and attitudes, it’s not possible to declare that a certain position is the norm.” Questions of conscience should not be delegated to lawyers either. Diversity is a barometer of our freedom. Freedom, in turn, requires autonomy, which can only develop when personal rights are protected. Autonomy can only flourish in the right environment, otherwise it will remain flawed. Ensuring that this environment is in place is one of the most important tasks of the law. It is also the task of the law to guarantee protection where vulnerabilities exist: the protection of human dignity, of physical integrity, of the well-being of children, says Büchler. For Büchler’s next project, she wants to take an in-depth look at the factors that underpin decisions about parenthood – the legal, medical and social prerequisites and their consequences for the individual, the family, the society and the economy. She is also leading a new University Research Priority Program at UZH, Human Reproduction Reloaded, which will launch in January 2021: “I’m looking forward to working on the major questions around reproduction with colleagues from very different disciplines.” Write Comment Die Redaktion behält sich vor, Kommentare nicht zu publizieren. Unberücksichtigt bleiben insbesondere anonyme, ehrverletzende, rassistische, sexistische, unsachliche oder themenfremde Kommentare sowie Beiträge mit Werbeinhalten.	https://www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/2020/Honorary_Doctorate_for_Andrea_Buechler.html
Lowering sample size in comparative analyses can indicate a correlation where there is none: example from Rensch's rule in primates. - Authors - Type - Published Article - Journal - Journal of evolutionary biology - Publication Date - - Volume - 19 - Issue - 4 - Pages - 1346–1351 - Identifiers - PMID: 16780536 - Source - Medline - License - Unknown Abstract The fact that characters may co-vary in organism groups because of shared ancestry and not always because of functional correlations was the initial rationale for developing phylogenetic comparative methods. Here we point out a case where similarity due to shared ancestry can produce an undesired effect when conducting an independent contrasts analysis. Under special circumstances, using a low sample size will produce results indicating an evolutionary correlation between characters where an analysis of the same pattern utilizing a larger sample size will show that this correlation does not exist. This is the opposite effect of increased sample size to that expected; normally an increased sample size increases the chance of finding a correlation. The situation where the problem occurs is when co-variation between the two continuous characters analysed is clumped in clades; e.g. when some phylogenetically conservative factors affect both characters simultaneously. In such a case, the correlation between the two characters becomes contingent on the number of clades sharing this conservative factor that are included in the analysis, in relation to the number of species contained within these clades. Removing species scattered evenly over the phylogeny will in this case remove the exact variation that diffuses the evolutionary correlation between the two characters - the variation contained within the clades sharing the conservative factor. We exemplify this problem by discussing a parallel in nature where the described problem may be of importance. This concerns the question of the presence or absence of Rensch's rule in primates.	https://www.mysciencework.com/publication/show/lowering-sample-size-comparative-analyses-can-indicate-correlation-where-none-example-from-rensch-s-rule-primates-1970402a
This gorgeous puzzle is cut from a whole piece of wood., The puzzle “Bremen Town Musicians on a Tree” consists of 8 parts. Animals in the composition are whole (not divided into parts, as in a cardboard puzzle), artistically finished figures and are a complete play material. Each element of the puzzle is painted by our artists manually from all sides.	https://thehoppihippo.com/product/gifts/keepsakes/skazki-dereva-bremen-town-musicians
Guidance and Counselling is at the heart of our pastoral care in St. Mary’s Diocesan School. We have two full time guidance counsellors, Ms Deering and Ms Delany who have a caring and supportive role in the school where students can obtain advice and support about a range of issues. Issues such as relationships to study skills or family difficulties to college advice and information. They are both on hand to meet with students in a confidential environment where each student is cared for and supported throughout their time in the school. The Guidance Counsellor’s liaise with the school Principal, Deputy Principals, Year Heads, Tutors, Class Teachers and Learning Support Teachers. They also have contact with parents, psychologists, employers, colleges, counsellors and the Department of Education to ensure a comprehensive network is in place to support all students. 1. Educational Guidance & Counselling – providing support at key moments during your time in school. The Guidance Counsellor is involved in helping with the transition from primary to secondary school and with helping with subject choices in first year and fifth year. The Guidance Counsellor also works with students on developing their study skills and future prospects. 2. Vocational Guidance & Counselling – working closely with students in 5th and 6th year regarding career and college choices. 3. Social and Personal Guidance & Counselling – the Guidance Counsellor is available to meet with students to talk about any issue that may arise in their school life. The students also have talks and workshops on stress management, making friends and mental health. Central Applications Office website for those intending to apply to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) the information on the CAO website should be carefully considered. Access College website outlines how specific applicants to the CAO may avail of the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) or the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE). Both of these schemes are aimed at increasing participation rate in Higher Education. UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for those who intend to apply to colleges in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. These websites outline what financial assistance is available regarding grants. Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Student Finance CareersPortal National Learners Database Assists in making informed choices for education, training and career pathways. SOLAS Employment trends, employment outlook for various occupations and employee profiles in each occupation.	https://www.stmarysds.ie/wellbeing/guidance/
This is something I wrote on our group page, just before Dieselpunk SA had our first picnic. "With the picnic only days away, I thought I might say a few words about Dieselpunk costuming. I know that a lot of us came to know Dieselpunk through Steampunk, so I ask a favour. Forget it all.While both being "punkified", if you will, versions of history, this is where the similarities end. So, when thinking about a costume just remember; Dieselpunk is 1920's-1940's (some say early 50's too). This includes the aftermath of WWI, the entirety of WWII, the great depression, prohibition (in the US) and "the six o'clock swill" or alcohol curfew in Aust and NZ. It includes the age of the flapper, film noir, gangsters, working women, vaudeville, burlesque. Also, girls, think of jobs women were doing; Rosie the riveter, housewives, secretaries or glamorous actresses like Katharine Hepburn. I guess the reason I am writing this is because when I was thinking about what costume to make, the first thing that came to mind was a nazi out of Indiana Jones. While that is a viable option, it isn't the only one. I hope this was food for thought." I'd really just love any notes or thoughts Thanks Views: 956 Thanks Tome. Yes, I agree that the conversation is focussing way too heavily on uniforms. That was the ENTIRE point of my post :P Because there is so much more than just WWII era for us to draw on. Personally I am a huge fan of late 40's housewife fashions. On the steampunk point, to be honest, I always had the problem that my outfits were closer to Victoriana and not steampunk enough :P Your point about adding diesel flair to everyday wardrobes is a pertinent one. For us girls it's also easy to throw our hair in a hairstyle that fits any of the 3 eras. The 20's was the era of the flapper, so think pincurls which are great for short hair, but can work for long too. The 30's was the era of the finger wave, which can be great for short or long hair, it just looks a little different, depending. The 40's were a time of victory rolls, which scaled down are something so easy, i can do on the bus, or at my desk at work without a mirror :P Thanks again Tome, your post was great. Hear hear, Tome! Couldn't say it any better, so I won't try. Tome Wilson said: My take on dieselpunk fashion isn't one of costuming, but of finding a way to blend that historical style in with something contemporary. Otherwise, you're just running with a fad and it will burn out as soon as it's overplayed, just like every other fringe fashion movement (anyone remember their Grunge flannel days?). I think a lot of steampunks go over the top, because they don't have the accurate physical records of what Victorians actually wore, nor do they have easy access to clothing from that era. So, the historical gaps are filled in with "whatever works" and the outfits are over-accessorized to the point of being cosplay. Since I don't work on a movie set or at science-fiction convention, it's up to me to be responsible with where my money goes. This means I favor more "street legal" fashions that lean toward our beloved Jazz age. A simple fedora, a stylish overcoat, a pin-stripe waistcoat, or a pair of two-tone dress shoes can do a lot to put contemporary style on the edge. To me, dieselpunk isn't about living in the past, nor is it about living in a fantasy world. Instead, it's about facing the bleak landscape of our now and future world and saying, "I know what I like and I'm tired of consuming the bland, disposable half-hearted bullshit I've been fed all my life. I live in the god-damned land of tomorrow, and if people could build awesome works of art with their primitive tools 90 years ago, I should be able to do the same thing ten times better thanks to today's technology." Atterton said: My question would probably more be about what you might term accessories. How to show the technological and scientific advancements of dieselpunk. When you see steampunks they have fancy monocles, big mechanical arms and such. What could you wear while dressed in 1940s wear, to give that same impression of being not just historical reenactment? I agree with Cap'n. Well said, Tome. Yes I agree to an extent. The philosophy is sound, putting it across in a style of clothing is tricky however. I would agree that a lot of Steampunk style seems like ott cosplay, but to more than a small degree it's been developed by cosplayers and often showcased at Sci Fi conventions so that would make some sense. It's a little bit different here in the UK, because the Sci Fi con scene is nowhere near as huge, and Steampunk is largely becoming known through other channels. Some people will dress to the max for the rare big events such as the Asylum or Whitby Gothic weekend. But many of us do wear more toned down sensible outfits all the time. I tend to have a more practical work a day Steam and Diesel clothing style, which blend quite easily together. Though often not associated with these periods, my top hat and one of my frockcoats were both made in the thirties. The other one made even later but still to the traditional not modern pattern. These things were still worn back then, but as occasional wear as indeed they are by me. I have 8 panel flat caps, Fedoras and Trilbies, single and double breasted suits, waistcoats, overcoats, pea coats and pretty sturdy dress boots etc for everyday. Plenty of linens for summer. My most flashy accessory is a pocketwatch and trench lighter on a double Albert chain. I'll confess to owning goggles too, but again only for occasional wear. I think the idea of adapting these styles for every day is very sound. My work would be pretty hard to do wearing a fake prosthetic brass arm and a mechanical monocle lol. But of course, we're neither the first nor the only ones to have that idea. http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/trends/2011-12-autumn-winter/forties...	http://www.dieselpunks.org/forum/topics/food-for-thought-pun-intended?page=3&commentId=3366493%3AComment%3A167720&x=1
This course will teach you the basics of how to get the most out of shooting video with your mobile device. It will help you get to grips with the basics of shooting video, such as how to orientate your camera, and how to avoid shaky footage; understand the ‘rule of thirds’, and how to use it; the importance of lighting, including scenarios for filming outdoors and indoors; and how to get the best audio, and why sound is often more important than video. Film Aesthetics (CC BY) This open set of course materials for Film Aesthetics is a downloadable version of a course created for a learning management system. Included are learning modules and a quiz bank based on introductory film concepts including the following topics: Narrative structure and motifs, mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound design, music, and visual effects. Software Shotcut (GNU GPL) This is a free, open source, cross-platform video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. Major features include support for a wide range of formats; no import required meaning native timeline editing. Textbooks Interpreting Love Narratives in East Asian Literature and Film (CC BY-NC) This book explores the role of traditional East Asian worldviews, ethical values, and common practices in the shaping of East Asian narratives in literature and film. It offers a specific method for this analysis. The interpretive goal is to arrive at interpretations that more accurately engage cultural information so that narratives are understood more closely in terms of their native cultural rather than that of the reader/interpreter. Moving Pictures: An Introduction to Cinema (CC BY-NC-SA) A free and open-source introduction to the art and science of moving pictures, offering in-depth exploration of how cinema communicates, and what, exactly, it is trying to say.	https://opentextbc.ca/oerdiscipline/chapter/film-and-video/
Munich Re has ruled out insuring the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). The German firm joined Hannover Re, SCOR, Swiss Re, Axa and Zurich in publicly committing not to underwrite the pipeline. An alliance of environmental and human rights organisations launched the campaign #StopEACOP against the project. They are calling on other members of the Net Zero Insurance Alliance to “choose climate leadership” and rule out EACOP before their annual general meetings, a spokesperson told RI. UNEP FI and the Finance for Biodiversity Foundation have announced a collaboration to develop biodiversity targets and metrics for financial institutions at portfolio level by 2023. On whether a double materiality or enterprise value approach will be taken, a spokesperson for the pair told RI: “To be decided, but likely to align with the direction of TNFD, which has a more nuanced way of handling this topic, recognising how impacts and dependencies can evolve into financial risks and the lines are more blurry than a dichotomy between single and double materiality.” The Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) have launched a coordinated industry campaign to boost people’s understanding and engagement with their pensions. Research by PLSA suggests that only 20 percent of pension plan holders in the UK are confident they are saving enough for retirement, meaning millions risk not having enough money to meet their needs, the association warns. The campaign, which will run in autumn/winter 2022, aims to improve understanding of pension basics by sharing tips on how to identify pension providers, make sure contact details are up to date and check how much to save towards retirement. Fifteen providers and schemes representing around 41.5 million savers have committed to support the campaign, with a collective investment of at least £1 million ($1.3 million; €1.2 million) for its organisation over the next three years, and a multiple of this amount in scheme- and provider-specific resources to further amplify the campaign. The EU financial regulator ESMA has proposed introducing position limits on derivatives trading of EU carbon allowances and new transparency requirements in its assessment of the EU ETS carbon market, according to its final report published last week. The analysis was commissioned by EU authorities following a period of volatility where carbon prices reached record highs within the ETS, which some feared were a result of market manipulation and speculative trades. However, ESMA concluded that the market was broadly functioning as expected and found no evidence of “any major abnormality or fundamental issue… from a financial supervisory perspective”. Also in Europe, market participants have until the end of the week to provide feedback on the development of a new EU label for ESG benchmarks. The initiative “builds on the success” of the EU Paris-aligned benchmarks and EU climate transition benchmarks, which created a new class of climate-focused investment benchmarks based on an EU-developed methodology. It aims to channel investment flows towards more sustainable activities, in addition to stamping out greenwash. The commission is seeking feedback from research bodies, ESG service providers, regulators, NGOs, investors, benchmark providers and others. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the business-to-business arm of The Economist Group, has launched a new ESG rating service. The model consists of 90 indicators across nine different categories, from environmental stewardship to civil rights and corporate governance across 150 countries, which will be updated quarterly. It will also show historic ratings and indicators dating back to 2015. The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) has published a new paper on sustainable development in emerging markets. Although some progress has been made since 2015, a lack of financing remains a major barrier for emerging markets, according to the report. It argues that, while a robust policy landscape is vital, investors can also take steps to adjust their own asset allocation towards emerging markets by articulating the value that active ownership brings to growth companies as well as acting in concert with other active owners as part of stewardship programmes. Key to affecting long-term systemic change is increasing the number of investable opportunities in emerging markets, the authors add. The investment products already exist to support this effort, such as green/sustainable development bonds and blended finance, but the report calls for the supply and use of these and other products to be expanded. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) financed a record $4.5 billion in activities related to climate change, according to its 2021 sustainability report. These resources are contributing to the IDB’s region, Latin America, and Caribbean region through loans, grants, technical cooperation, guarantees and equity investments. At COP26, the bank committed to align all operations with the Paris Agreement starting in 2023 and to provide $24 billion in climate and green financing during the 2022–2025 timeframe. IDB is also leading the development of a regional platform on climate change for finance ministries, which promotes a shared understanding of their role in the climate agenda. The bank’s board of directors also approved the Amazon Initiative, which aims to mobilise public and private resources to implement sustainable development models based on human capital, natural wealth and the cultural heritage of the Amazon region. New York City comptroller Brad Lander and trustees of the New York City Retirement Systems disclosed that investments in climate solutions reached more than $7 billion across all systems and asset classes at the end of 2021. These investments in companies that are helping to facilitate a just transition to a low-carbon economy build on the $4 billion divestment by three of the five New York City funds from companies that own fossil fuel reserves, which is expected to be completed later this year.	https://www.responsible-investor.com/esg-round-up-munich-re-joins-insurers-in-rejecting-controversial-pipeline/
The Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Underwater Archaeology Branch recently began an assessment of an M1 Garand rifle used by U.S. Raiders during the Makin Island raid in World War II. The Makin M1 was originally discovered in 1999, when the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command’s Central Identification Laboratory Hawaii (CILHI) returned to Makin Island to relocate, recover and repatriate the remains of theMarines who died there. The raid, which took place Aug. 17-18, 1942, destroyed enemy radio communication points, fuel, military stores and helped divert attention from the 1st Marine Division landing on Guadalcanal. During the raid, which was remarkably launched from the submarines USS Nautilus (SS 168) and USS Argonaut (SM 1), 19 Marines from the 2nd Raider Battalion lost their lives and were buried together on Makin Island. The rifle was discovered in the grave and returned to CILHI before its eventual transfer to the Raiders Museum located at Base Quantico (MCBQ). After more than 50 years buried in a wet marine environment, the Makin M1 displays significant surface concretions, corrosion, and physical damage. Curators at the National Museum of the (NMMC) reached out to archaeological conservators at the NHHC Underwater Archaeology Branch to perform an assessment of the artifact and help ascertain its stability. Prior to transportation of the Makin M1 to the NHHC Archaeology & Conservation Laboratory at the Washington Navy Yard, the USMC Explosive Ordnance Disposal team at MCBQ inspected the rifle interior to ensure it contained no live ammunition. Conservators then performed a detailed examination of the Makin M1, documented its current condition, and are now developing treatment plans to address its immediate and long-term preservation. The M1 Garand is a .30 caliber semi-automatic rifle, which lent a significant advantage to U.S. troops during World War II and marked the first time semi-automatic rifles were generally issued to the U.S. military for use in combat. The M1 Garand is equipped with a gas cylinder located beneath the barrel. Gas pressure produced when firing a round traveled back through the gas cylinder to drive the piston and operating rod back, eject the empty cartridge case and push the next round from the clip into the chamber. This auto-reload system allowed for reliable, quick fire capability and reduced recoil which helped maintain accuracy. In addition to being an important piece of U.S.military history, the Makin M1 is also particularly significant for the as it was used in one of the earliest engagements of raiders in the Pacific. NHHC, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy’s unique and enduring contributions through our nation’s history, and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC is composed of many activities including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, nine museums, USS Constitution repair facility and the historic ship Nautilus. For more news from Naval History and Heritage Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/navhist/.	https://usmclife.com/world-war-ii-rifle-used-marine-raiders-discovered-underwater-storied-history/
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a public health issue. However, it remains largely undervalued, scarcely diagnosed, and poorly supported. Variations in the definition of EDS and limitations in clinical assessment lead to difficulties in its epidemiological study, but the relevance of this symptom from a socioeconomic perspective is inarguable. EDS might be a consequence of several behavioural issues leading to insufficient or disrupted sleep, as well as a consequence of sleep disorders including sleep apnoea syndrome, circadian disorders, central hypersomnolence disorders (narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia), other medical or psychiatric conditions, or medications. Furthermore, EDS can have implications for health as it is thought to act as a risk factor for other conditions, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. Because of the heterogeneous causes of EDS and the complexity of its pathophysiology, management will largely depend on the cause, with the final aim of making treatment specific to the individual using precision medicine and personalised medicine. To read this article in full you will need to make a payment Purchase one-time access:Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access One-time access price info - For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal' - For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals' Access any 5 articles from the Lancet Family of journals Subscribe:Subscribe to The Lancet Already a print subscriber? Claim online access Already an online subscriber? Sign in Register: Create an account Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect References - 1.The International Classification of Sleep Disorders.3rd edn. 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A randomized controlled trial.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2019; 199: 1421-1431 - 135.Pitolisant for daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea who refuse continuous positive airway pressure treatment: a randomized trial.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2020; 201: 1135-1145 Article Info Publication History Published: September 14, 2022 Identification Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ScienceDirectAccess this article on ScienceDirect Linked Articles - Waking up to the importance of sleep - For decades, sleep and its associated disorders have been considered a Cinderella branch of medicine. The subject receives little attention in undergraduate education, training is an adjunct to other more established specialties, and funding for sleep research is woefully deficient. The reasons for such neglect are embedded in the disparate nature of the conditions grouped together under the heading of sleep disorders—ranging from sleep apnoea, dealt with by an ear, nose, and throat specialist or cardiologist, to restless legs syndrome, handled by a neurologist or primary care physician—as well as a lack of understanding of their causes and the sparsity of treatment options.	https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(22)01018-2.pdf
A good workplace used to be an office with an efficient layout where workers do their jobs. Today, workspace design has shifted gradually from prioritizing efficiency to creating a holistic experience that offers an environment where occupants perform in the office and are supported in their well-being throughout the day. The experience starts from arriving in the lobby, to traveling and moving within the workspace. It is important, now more than ever, to support employee wellness and experience. Looking at the Hai Tian Center project as an example of designing with emphasis on providing a healthier working environment and improving performance, the presentation will look at key design elements. This includes: Technology and the relationship that a smart building has with its users to promote a streamlined experience over the course of a day; The flexibility of a workspace that supports a company’s unique culture and mission and is a collection of connected physical and digital spaces; And well-being with elements such as light, transparency, biophilia, air quality, and communal spaces that take into account employee wellness to reduce stress and improve performance.	https://ctbuhconference.com/presentations/?paper_id=1727
This was announced by Convey today. Full article here. Remember my “almost fingerless” redneck computer geek friend John? Well, this is one of his projects. Convey Computer™ Corporation announced today that its implementation of the Smith-Waterman algorithm, widely used in life sciences applications for aligning DNA and protein sequences, is 172x faster than conventional methods and represents the fastest Smith-Waterman implementation1 to date. Smith-Waterman is used in a lot of bioinformatics work, little things like genome mapping, protein comparisons, etc. The future of drug design, cures, predictions, etc will be done with algorithms like Smith-Waterman and the faster you can run it the better. Man, I married a genius! Just don’t tell John that Stephanie. His head will swell and I’ll have to buy all the beers at Supercomputing! The horror! The Humanity!	https://mytravelingfamily.com/2010/05/25/go-john/
A driving force in the evolution of a microorganism is the ability to colonize a niche. A vertebrate organism represents a unique niche, but to an infecting microbe it is simply an environment to be exploited. Many pathogens explore yet another opportunity—the intracellular environment. The chlamydiae are obligate intracellular pathogens that have established a unique niche within the host cell. As a group their approach has been successful; chlamydiae cause a variety of diseases in animal species at virtually every phylogenetic level. Chlamydia trachomatis and C. pneumoniae are the most significant human pathogens. C. trachomatis is the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide and the most common sexually transmitted bacterial species (43a, 45). C. pneumoniae causes 10% to 20% of community-acquired pneumonia worldwide and has recently been associated with coronary atherosclerosis (29) and possibly other conditions (18). The major determinants of chlamydial pathogenesis are complicated and unclear at present. Apparently, the chlamydiae are not acutely toxigenic, and in many cases infection is asymptomatic and persistent. Serious chlamydial disease is a function of several processes including the ability to attach and grow within target cells, mechanisms of dissemination and persistence, directed remodeling of the intracellular environment, and the nature of the immune response to infection (6). The chlamydiae undergo a developmental cycle unique among prokaryotes. Following uptake, chlamydiae develop and grow within an intracellular vacuole, called an inclusion, that is distinct from all identified parasitophorous vacuoles. The inclusion membrane is devoid of host cell markers, but lipid markers traffic to the inclusion and suggest a functional interaction with the Golgi apparatus (16). Within the inclusion, chlamydiae undergo a complex developmental cycle composed of functional and structurally distinct forms. The elementary body (EB) is infectious but is metabolically inactive and cannot replicate. This form differentiates upon infection into the noninfectious reticulate body (RB), a larger pleomorphic bacterium that is metabolically active and multiplies. Chlamydiae produce a group-specific lipopolysaccharide (LPS) determinant that is conserved within the genus (7). All chlamydiae encode an abundant protein termed the major outer membrane protein (MOMP, or OmpA) that is surface exposed in C. psittaci and C. trachomatis(9, 20) and is the major determinant for serologic classification of chlamydial isolates (47). Disulfide-mediated cross-linking of two major developmentally regulated cysteine-rich proteins results in a rigid lattice, which is apparently necessary for structural integrity (19), as the EB lacks detectable peptidoglycan (PG). Many of the genes involved in these processes were cloned and identified using conventional means: by homology, via expression libraries, and through functional complementation analysis. But in this system still lacking a generally available transformation technique, there are many aspects of the chlamydial infectious process and developmental cycle that remain unclear. Completion of the sequences of six chlamydial genomes (Table1), with others soon to follow, has complemented and expanded much of the information acquired in the pregenomic era (46). The primary descriptions of these genome sequences (25, 46) provide thorough and valuable analyses of the different genomes, including much information not covered here. The purpose of this review is to examine the role of the solved genome sequences in our understanding of four model groups of chlamydial proteins. Two of the protein groups, inclusion membrane (Inc) proteins and the polymorphic membrane proteins (Pmp proteins), are, at present, unique to the chlamydiae. Two other groups, the proteins involved in PG synthesis and the chlamydial type III secretion apparatus, represent processes that are present in other organisms. While the four groups of proteins are distinct and unrelated, each represents one aspect of the unique nature of chlamydiae. We address how decoding the genome has expanded our early perspective of these organisms and also point out in each case what questions the genome sequences cannot directly answer. INC PROTEINS Proteins localized to the chlamydial inclusion membrane were initially identified in C. psittaci, during studies designed to examine differences in serologic responses between infected animals and those immunized with formalin-fixed EB (43). Three gene products were identified in this fashion, IncA, IncB, and IncC (2,42). Antisera against each Inc protein specifically labels the chlamydial inclusion membrane. Scidmore-Carlson et al. (44) have recently used antisera directed at a membrane fraction fromC. trachomatis-infected cells to identify a chromosomal fragment that encodes four novel C. trachomatis Inc proteins (IncD to IncG). As a group these distinct proteins do not share significant identity with one another or with any genes within the sequence databases. However, each possesses a unique bilobed hydrophobic domain of 50 to 80 amino acids (Fig.1). This profile is striking, particularly in light of the absence of any significant conservation of primary amino acid sequence. The function of these proteins within the inclusion membrane remains unclear. The completion of the C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae genome sequences allowed a unique approach to the identification of additional Inc proteins. First, the sequences were quickly used to locate, by similarity, open reading frames (ORFs) encoding IncA, IncB, and IncC. After their identification, antisera were produced against the predicted C. trachomatis andC. pneumoniae IncA proteins, and these antisera were used to demonstrate that IncA from each species is localized to the inclusion membrane (1, 3). These data also demonstrated that Inc proteins are not unique to C. psittaci. Further searching for novel Inc proteins was complicated by their general lack of primary sequence identity but facilitated by the unique bilobed hydrophobic domain. Bannantine et al. (1) used this motif as a marker for the identification of candidate Inc (C-Inc) proteins in C. trachomatis. The entire C. trachomatis genome was searched for ORFs encoding proteins with this secondary structural pattern. Surprisingly, over 40 candidate Inc sequences that contained a similar profile were identified. This finding was in contrast to a parallel screen of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome, in which none of 587 unidentified ORFs encoded a protein with the characteristic pattern. While each candidate Inc protein shares the hydrophobic domain, as a group they do not share sequence identity nor do they have apparent orthologs in the sequence databases, outside of the chlamydiae. Within C. trachomatisthere exists some evidence of gene duplication (ORFs CT228 and CT229), but in general the rule is lack of identity between different Incs, even those clustered tightly in the genome. In some cases these clusters involve several inc genes. An example of this is found on contig 3.5 of the C. trachomatis genome, where 10 different inc genes are located (Fig. 1B). Eight of these (CT222 to CT229) are sequential. Two of these candidate Inc proteins (CT223p and CT229p) have been localized to the chlamydial inclusion membrane (1). These inc clusters are suggestive of an operon structure, and there is evidence with two different clusters that tandem inc genes are cotranscribed (2,44). Although the data from known Inc proteins suggested the hydrophobicity motif was a flag for localization to the inclusion membrane, this remained to be formally tested. This problem was approached by producing specific antibody to six purified recombinant candidate Incs selected from the C. trachomatis genome database. One of these genes (CT233) shared identity with C. psittaci IncC, but the remainder (CT223, CT229, CT288, CT442, and CT484) were chosen solely based on the presence of the hydrophobicity motif. These antisera were subsequently tested in immunofluorescence microscopy to determine if the antisera labeled the inclusion membrane within infected cells. Five of the six proteins tested were shown to localize to the inclusion membrane (1). Therefore, the presence of this characteristic hydrophobicity domain appears to be a marker for inclusion membrane localization, although this seems to not be universal. The localization of a protein to the inclusion membrane therefore needs to be confirmed experimentally for each candidate protein. The role of the hydrophobic domains in the biology of the Inc proteins remains elusive. The motif may facilitate transport of these proteins to the inclusion membrane or possibly stabilize the proteins once they are delivered there. Perhaps this domain serves as a internal chaperone for targeting through the type III secretion system, as discussed below. The completion of the C. pneumoniae CWL029 genome allowed a search of this database and, surprisingly, an even larger collection of C-Incs are encoded by this species. In several cases there are clear orthologs between C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae (25), but over half of the C-Inc sequences from each species do not share significant similarity with sequences in the other. The C. pneumoniae genome also provides evidence of expanded use of candidate inc duplication relative to that seen in C. trachomatis. An example of this apparent duplication is C. trachomatis candidate inc CT358 which is homologous to several closely linked ORFs in C. pneumoniae (CPn367, CPn369, and CPn370; contig 5.1) (1). These three ORFs encode predicted proteins that contain the characteristic hydrophobicity motif. However, one additional ORF,C. pneumoniae CPn107, encodes a protein that shares identity with each of these C-Incs but lacks the hydrophobic domain. Experiments are in progress to determine the location of each of these proteins within infected cells. Functional data that complement the genomic analyses of Inc proteins are only beginning to accumulate. Currently, IncA, IncF, and IncG fromC. trachomatis (17) and IncA from C. psittaci (41) are known to be exposed at the cytoplasmic surface of the inclusion. Very recent data demonstrate that IncA from C. trachomatis participates in homotypic vesicle fusion events between different C. trachomatis inclusions (17). There are a myriad of possible functions for the diverse collection of Inc proteins, such as participation in inclusion development, avoidance of lysosomal targeting, nutrient acquisition, and possibly signaling associated with EB-to-RB-to-EB transitions, to name a few. This is an emerging and challenging area of research that may provide answers to important questions regarding chlamydia-host cell vesicular interactions. Perhaps the most significant concept that has been introduced by these genomic analyses is that the inclusion membrane, an environment in which no host cell protein marker has been identified, is apparently decorated with a large array of distinct, largely unrelated, chlamydial proteins. Eleven distinct proteins have been localized to the inclusion membrane and it is likely there are more. The lack of sequence identity among the known Incs, as well as their lack of identity with known proteins in the databases, slows progress in the analysis of Inc protein function. However, it is intriguing to envision a collection of Inc proteins that are all in contact with the cytoplasm of the infected cell, each serving a unique role in the interaction between the inclusion and the host cytosol. The diverse Inc proteins encoded by each genome also introduce questions relating to evolutionary biology. How were these unique gene products selected for localization to the inclusion membrane? What is the basis for their sequence diversity? There may be a gene duplication/mutagenesis mechanism that adds new inc genes within a genome or possibly a mechanism for random insertion of a (presently cryptic) signature nucleotide sequence encoding the characteristic hydrophobicity profile. Proteins that acquire this tag may subsequently be transported to the inclusion membrane. In either case, if the localization of this protein to the inclusion membrane environment offers a selective advantage, the mutant would survive and the mutation would be propagated. Unfortunately, the very low level of primary sequence identity among most C-Incs does not provide support for any model and this remains an open question. PMP PROTEINS The completed chlamydial genomes were also important for providing insight to the large family of Pmp proteins. Like the Inc proteins, these large, antigenic molecules were initially identified in C. psittaci using an antibody-based screening process. Two sets of two tandem genes each were identified by Longbottom et al. (33) from an expression library of an ovine abortion strain of C. psittaci. These genes encode proteins with sizes of 90 or 91 kDa, and the overall similarity of the predicted proteins is above 82%. Two of the predicted proteins are identical. As the C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae genomes were completed it became clear that the pmp genes comprised a complex family. C. trachomatis encodes nine different Pmp proteins and the family is expanded in C. pneumoniae to 21 candidate pmp genes or gene fragments (15, 46). Like the Inc proteins, the Pmp family as a whole is grouped not on the basis of primary sequence identity. In this family the common thread is a pair of signature tetrapeptide motifs repeated multiple times in each protein in the family. These tetrapeptide sequences tend to alternate and are clustered toward the amino half of the Pmp proteins. The two sequences GGA(L, V, I) and FXXN are repeated more frequently in the Pmp sequences than in the rest of the genome and, with few notable exceptions, far higher than that seen in the protein sequence databases. For example, PmpA of C. trachomatis is a 106-kDa protein with 6 copies of GGAI and 14 copies of FXXN. Overall, the Pmp proteins average 7 GGA(L, V, I) motifs and approximately 12 FXXN motifs. In contrast, only three other proteins have been identified in which the GGAI sequence is repeated more than three times, and in these proteins the FXXN motif is also repeated. Each of the nonchlamydial proteins that possess multiple copies of these tetrapeptide repeats are thought to be involved in adherence to mammalian tissues. As some Pmps have been localized to the chlamydial cell surface (26, 32), roles in adhesion, molecular transport, signaling, or some other cell wall associated function are likely. But, proposed functions for Pmps are clearly speculative and the completed genomes have opened more questions about these proteins than they have answered. As with the Inc proteins, any models of Pmp function require validation in the laboratory. There are several general parallels between Inc and Pmp proteins. Earlier, we discussed the possibility that the inclusion membrane is laden with a collection of proteins in contact with the host cell cytoplasm. The discovery of the variety of Pmp sequences allows a similarly modified view of the chlamydial cell surface. It is likely that collections of different Pmps, and possibly other membrane proteins, are present at the cell surface, interspersed among large amounts of MOMP and embedded in LPS. In both cases a unique group of proteins has been expanded and represents a significant fraction of chlamydia-specific sequence. On a nucleotide basis, candidateinc genes occupy 12.3% of chlamydia-specific coding capacity in C. trachomatis and 18.9% percent in C. pneumoniae. The pmp genes represent 13.6% and 17.5% of the chlamydia-specific coding capacity in C. trachomatisand C. pneumoniae, respectively. These percentages are especially compelling in a genus showing a clear pattern of reductive genomic evolution, i.e., the elimination of genes that are apparently unnecessary for obligate intracellular existence (52). In both groups of genes, heterogeneity is the rule. This suggests a requirement for diversity of Inc and Pmp proteins in their respective environments. There are also examples of both inc andpmp genes that have duplicated to a much higher level inC. pneumoniae relative to C. trachomatis (Fig.2). The significance of this is not clear. Finally, there exists the possibility, within both theinc and pmp genes, that some level of gene modification may allow different subgroups of Pmp or Inc proteins to be differentially produced by variants within a strain or species. While this concept is speculative, some supporting data have been presented. Suchland et al. (49) identified a collection of clinical isolates that lack detectable IncA, and this deficiency is associated with a phenotypic alteration in inclusion development. Within C. pneumoniae, pmp genes represented by ORFs CPn14 to CPn19, CPn449/450, CPn452, and CPn468 to CPn470 represent possible examples of frameshift mutations or deletions within pmp sequences (15). Additionally, the completed sequence of C. pneumoniae strain AR39 has shown that a large, in-frame deletion is present in pmp6 relative to the CWL029 strain (40). This likely changes the structure of this protein, which may, in turn, alter function. PG SYNTHESIS It has been known for decades that chlamydial development is highly sensitive to beta-lactams and d-cycloserine, inhibitors that block different steps of the PG synthesis pathway in other bacteria (51, 38). It is also well established that PG or PG synthetic precursors cannot be detected in purified chlamydial EB (4, 12), although chlamydial PG may be present in RB and may have a primary role in RB biology (48). These facts constitute the chlamydial peptidoglycan paradox, and detailed, genome-based analyses of the data have been presented (10,14). One clear result of the chlamydial genome project is that both C. pneumoniae and C. trachomatis encode proteins forming a nearly complete PG synthesis pathway (Fig.3). A comparison of known PG synthesis genes with those apparently produced by the chlamydiae shows that the chlamydiae lack homologs to three major components (21). First, the chlamydiae do not encode penicillin-binding protein (PBP1), an enzyme that possesses both transglycosidase and transpeptidase activity. While the chlamydiae encode PBP2 and PBP3, both of which are reported to be similarly bifunctional enzymes (35), there are no in vitro data demonstrating the transglycosidase activity of any PBP2 or PBP3. As proposed by Ghuysen and Goffin (14), the lack of PBP1 is a key distinction between chlamydial PG and other PG. Their model suggests that the cross-linking of short glycan chains is the critical missing aspect of chlamydial PG synthesis, resulting in an unusual truncated PG. Chlamydia also does not encode the diverse collection of small penicillin-binding proteins found inEscherichia coli and other bacteria, but the implication of this is not clear (4). Finally, the genomes do not encoded-amino acid racemases, but the host cell can serve as a source of low levels of d-amino acids (27). The chlamydiae have retained three amidases that function in the breakdown of PG in other systems. The retention of multiple amidases suggests that degradation of this cryptic PG may be a critical aspect of growth. The image provided by the genome sequences is a PG synthesis pathway that is apparently operative but may produce a novel or truncated PG structure. In most bacterial systems, PG serves functions other than providing a structural sacculus in bacteria, such as development of a scaffold for division within bacterial cells (21) or as an anchor for cell surface structures within the membrane. The role of PG in chlamydiae may be associated with these processes or possibly other unique aspects of chlamydial development. Septation of RB, for example, is complicated by the lack of FtsZ in chlamydiae, and therefore standard paradigms of bacterial division likely do not apply. Su et al. (48) present data suggesting that chlamydial RB contains PG but this has not been supported by others (4, 12). Perhaps the production of trace quantities of PG, localized at the septum, is required for binary fission in this system. Brown and Rockey (8) recently identified an antigenic structure (termed SEP) that appears to localize to the chlamydial division septum and whose distribution is altered by exposure of infected cells to beta-lactam antibiotics. This structure appears analogous to the FtsZ ring in many microorganisms, and we are currently examining the possibility that PG is localized to the plane of chlamydial cell division. A final issue regarding chlamydial PG involves the functional implications of the EB cell wall which lacks PG. The structural support lost through the absence of a PG sacculus has been complemented by a unique mechanism for EB stability, as discussed above. Why does this organism require such a unique cell wall structure, even in the light of carrying an apparently functional PG synthetic pathway? Such questions point out the strengths and limitations of genome sequence analysis. Data from the genome strongly suggest that PG is produced by chlamydiae, but it is left to laboratory investigation to examine expression and function of the genes and proteins involved in the process. The structure, localization, and function of chlamydial PG also remains to elucidated. TYPE III PROTEIN SECRETION The first genetic clues that chlamydiae encode proteins associated with a chlamydial type III secretion pathway were uncovered by Hsia et al. (22) and provide another example where pregenomic analysis sets the stage for expanded understanding provided by the genome sequence. These investigators identified C. psittacigenes that share identity with yscU, lcrD,lcrE, and the sycE chaperone, genes encoding proteins known to participate in type III secretion systems. These chlamydial genes are arranged in an apparent operon that includes other ORFs. In hindsight, it should also be noted that chlamydial “surface projections,” morphologically similar to the type III apparatus identified in Salmonella typhimurium by Kubori et al. (28), were characterized by Matsumoto and others over 20 years ago (36, 37, 39). Elegant ultrastructural descriptions of these projections showed that they are found on both EB and RB, appear to localize to one side of the developmental form, and apparently pierce the inclusion membrane within infected cells. It has been speculated that these are the type III secretory apparatus produced by chlamydiae (5). As the genome sequences became available, a more complete collection of genes encoding proteins associated with type III secretion were identified. The C. psittaci gene cluster discussed above was arranged similarly in both sequenced genomes. However, the genome sequence data demonstrate that many aspects of the type III secretory machinery appear different between chlamydiae and other bacteria. First, the genes are not tightly clustered in the genome, such as is seen in the Yersinia virulence plasmids or pathogenicity islands found in other species (11, 13). For example, theyscU cluster is found on C. trachomatis contig 2.0, and yscC, yscJ, and yscL, genes that are closely linked on the yersiniae virulence plasmids, are well separated in the C. trachomatis genome (contigs 7.3 and 8.7). Chlamydiae encode an apparently minimal collection of proteins involved with the secretory machinery, as shown in the hypothetical structure shown in Fig. 4. For example, chlamydiae encode a single LcrE (YopN) protein involved in the control of effector protein release while yersiniae encode three candidate “plug” proteins: LcrE, TyeA, and LcrG. The genome sequence did not identify apparent homologs to YopB, YopD, or YopK or other known type III proteins that are translocated by yersiniae or other bacteria to the eukaryotic plasma membrane or to any proteins that share identity with known type III effectors delivered to the eukaryotic cytosol. This may not be surprising given the general lack of similarity between effectors from different species. It is logical that Inc proteins are secreted via type III processes as they are localized to the inclusion membrane and as a group they lack classical amino-terminal secretion signals. Therefore, the genome sequence encodes proteins that form the basic structure of a type III secretory apparatus, although several structural proteins found in other species are apparently absent. It is possible that many proteins involved in chlamydial type III secretion are unique to this system or that single proteins serve multiple functions in the type III secretory process. This will be a fascinating and important area of exploration in the future because type III effector proteins are probably critical to chlamydial interactions with the host cell. CONCLUSIONS The completed chlamydial genomes have added depth to our understanding of many aspects of chlamydiae of which pregenomic analysis has given us a glimpse. Many good examples of this are not discussed in this review. Chlamydiae are auxotrophic for three of four nucleotide triphosphates, but they do encode functional glucose-catabolizing enzymes, which can be used for generation of ATP (24, 50). The general reduction in biosynthetic machinery confirms that chlamydiae are auxotrophic for many catabolic precursors (52). Insight into chlamydial lipid and glycogen biosynthesis is provided by the genome. While chlamydiae do not encode a large variety of sigma factors as do other bacteria that undergo developmental cycles, there are distinct sigma factors that may be important in developmental genes (34). In some cases completely new avenues of investigation were opened with the genome completion. C. trachomatis mouse pneumonitis encodes a putative high-molecular-weight toxin that may participate in the infectious process. The sequenced genomes will allow analysis of global transcription patterns through the use of real-time PCR and DNA chip or microarray technologies, experimental approaches that will provide a fertile field for detailed examination of chlamydial biological processes. This review addressed two sets of proteins with orthologs in nonchlamydial systems and two sets that appear to be unique to chlamydiae. The genome provides different types of information for each. With regards to PG synthesis and the type III secretion apparatus, the genome provides evidence that these processes are active within chlamydiae and significantly expands our understanding of the mechanisms involved. But, in each case, the data open as many questions as are solved. For example, there remains the need to identify type III effector proteins and to determine the role of PG synthesis in chlamydial biology. An important aspect in the analysis of bacterial genomes involves assigning function to proteins encoded by ORFs with no known functional homologs in other species. As discussed by others, proteins unique to a species may provide the most unique traits of that species. The candidate inc and pmp genes occupy 12% to 19% of the chlamydia-specific genomic sequences, and in fact, the functions of Inc and Pmp proteins are still a completely open issue. Beyond these families of proteins, a large number of additional ORFs are completely uncharacterized. The many questions raised by the genomic data will support diverse avenues of investigation into mechanisms used by chlamydiae to occupy their unique intracellular niche and can hopefully lead to progress regarding prevention and treatment of chlamydial disease. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was supported by Public Health Service award R29AI42869. We thank Wendy J. Brown and Wasna Viratyosin for technical and editorial assistance. John Bannantine (NADC, Ames, Iowa) and Robert Heinzen (University of Wyoming) provided critical reviews of the manuscript. We acknowledge Catherine A. Lee (Harvard University School of Medicine) and Kevin D. Young (University of North Dakota School of Medicine) for helpful comments. Notes Editor: D. A. Portnoy ADDENDUM IN PROOF At the recent American Society for Microbiology meeting, Ken Fields and Ted Hackstadt presented data indicating that Chlamydia trachomatis ORF CT578 and CT579 may be homologs of yopBand yopD, respectively (K. A. Fields and T. Hackstadt, Abstr. 100th Gen. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol., 2000, abstr. D-193, p. 270, 2000). A comprehensive review of chlamydial diseases, phylogeny, biology, and immunology has recently been published (R. S. Stephens (ed.), Chlamydia: Intracellular Biology, Pathogenesis, and Immunity, 1999).	https://iai.asm.org/content/68/10/5473?ijkey=4f3756c1a15b8c4fa72a32bcf5fc96e4a9bb9fd1&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
In a shocking incident 54 crude bombs were recovered by Kolkata police from Khidderpore and Hastings crossing in the southern fringes of the city on Saturday night. The bombs were found hardly 20 metres away from the BJP office that was used during the election. Though the police are yet to reveal the details of the bombs but local people said that at at least 54 crude bombs were kept in four sacks that is mainly used for the packing of fruits. Interestingly enough the place is a market area and the sacks were covered with packing boxes and it apparently seemed like fruits. Police from Hastings police station, bomb squad and officers from anti-rowdy section rushed to the spot and recovered the bombs and diffused it. Though officially police are yet to say anything but senior officials told on condition of anonymity that apparently the bombs were crude but an explosion of so many bombs could have caused serious damage. “We have started investigation to find out how the bombs came there. The CCTV footage is also being examined,” the officer said.	https://www.kshvid.com/kolkata-54-crude-bombs-found-near-bjp-office-from-khidderpore-and-hastings-crossing/
How Brand Personality affects Brand loyalty using the theory of self concept Paper instructions: Background of the study The market place for every product or service today is undergoing a series of continuous changes. Consumers are more mobile and better informed than even before. The ability to buy what they want when they want it, at the price willing to pay has significantly gone up. To meet these exacting desires, new and different products and services appear unceasingly. Due to these reasons marketing environment has become more competitive. Therefore the manufacturers implement many strategies to create and retain customers for their products and services in the competitive marketing environment. Branding is the one of the most important strategies that the manufacturers use to create and retain customers. A brand is a differentiating set of promises that links a product or service to its customers (Aaker, 1997). That is brands are a means of differentiating a company’s products and services from those of its competitors. Therefore it is important to understand what brands are and why they are important. Use the following coupon code :	https://www.ultimatescholars.com/how-brand-personality-affects-brand-loyalty-using-the-theory-of-self-concept-2/
PWP worked with the Singapore government, Moshe Safdie, and a team of local landscape architects and horticulturalists as well as engineering, architectural, and business professionals to create the landscape for this project at the entrance to Singapore Bay. It includes a public waterfront promenade, a public rooftop promenade, and a 1,000-meter-long landscaped bridge. The 2.5-acre Skypark spans the roofs of three hotel towers on the 57th floor and offers views of downtown Singapore. Landscape occupies nearly 30 acres at Marina Bay Sands, 75 percent of which is public space and almost all of which is on structure. The half-mile-long Waterfront Promenade features a triple allée of Roystonia palms interspersed with informal groupings of large canopy trees—Khaya, Peitophorum, and Alstonia—a design that provides both scale and much-needed shade. Permeable pavement systems collect surface drainage and reduce runoff. The Skypark, a surprising garden in the sky, features a swimming pool with an infinity edge, garden rooms of lush plantings and mature trees, a public viewing deck, and three restaurants. PWP conceived of an early tree-procurement strategy as well as a temporary-nursery plan that permitted plants to be sourced overseas from many locales and facilitated the installation of large quantities of mature trees with a high success rate.	http://www.pwpla.com/projects/marina-bay/&details
In February 2018 I spent five nights on the small but beautiful Lady Elliot Island, in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia for a snorkeling trip. It's located at the very south of the reef, only accessible by light plane from Hervey Bay. Accommodations are very basic but you are on an island, only steps from a beautiful lagoon full of marine life. I spent hours snorkeling, and saw marine turtles, all kinds of fish and other sea creatures. I was there during turtle breeding season, and saw mother turtles making their way up the sand to lay eggs. And babies emerging from their nests to dash to the sea! Five days was not enough and I hope to return. I would highly recommend a visit here if you love nature, and especially, snorkeling. Hi Barb, thank you for sharing your great pictures and some information about your snorkeling trip to Lady Elliot Island. Is there more than one beach to snorkel from on the island? How far from shore is the reef? It looks like the depths are very good for snorkeling. Are there currents to contend with at all? There is a shallow lagoon on one side of the island, only accessible at high tide - generally once a day. The other side of the island (5 minutes walk away) has a deeper access and may be snorkeled anytime. However when I was there it was windy and currents were up so I mainly stayed on the lagoon side where it was shallower (but lots of marine life). There were a couple of still days with little current but the other days I found myself in a fair current, but nothing unmanageable. It might just have been the time of year (end of summer) so I can't vouch for other times. I forgot to mention - the lagoon is only meters from your accommodation. You can step out of your room, and walk straight onto the beach. Also the mother turtles were nesting only meters from my room - awesome sight though pictures were impossible as you cannot shine a light on them and they only come up in the dark. Thanks for posting. What did you think of the condition of the soft and hard coral? Bleaching? Thanks for the pictures Barb. Lady Elliot Island has to be one of the best snorkeling and freediving locations on the Great Barrier Reef. I live in Brisbane and I'm always trying to get there as often as possible. My last visit was in August 2017 for the Humpback Whale migration. To answer a few of the questions posed by Nicole and Galen the lagoon (E/SE side of the island) is readily and easily snorkelable (not sure there is such a word) about 1-1.5 m deep at high tide. The western side is deeper with fantastic reefs directly off the beach, about 10-20 m from shore and from 0-20 m deep with a huge diversity of life. Manta rays are common on this side and there are a few cleaning stations to keep them hanging around. You definitely need to be aware of the currents on this western side but saying that the dive shop has a current indicator board which gives timely and up to date information. You do have to walk a bit to get to the western side from the accommodation area. I take it as a great time to spot the many migratory birds that use Lady Elliot Island as either a roost or a spelling spot. No, no bleaching. Vibrant, healthy corals here. The island is located at the very "bottom" of the reef and has not been affected. I agree Barb, very little coral bleaching at Lady Elliot Island unlike the Great Barrier Reef up north. The triggerfish in your photo I know as a Picasso Triggerfish for fairly obvious reasons. They are very territorial and even try to see off potentially threatening homo sapiens, going for the eyes (mask), or the feet if you are standing on the sand (not on the coral). There are many green turtles at LEI all year round including within the lagoon and they seem to be very tolerant of inquiring snorkelers. The manta rays (Manta alfredi) are also extremely tolerant of close encounters by breath-holding snorkelers, not so much of noisy bubbling SCUBA people though. Thank you both Barb and Steve for your detailed answers to my questions including the distances from shore and the depths for snorkeling. That makes this a very useful post for folks wanting to snorkel at Lady Elliot Island. There is quite a bit more information about snorkeling at LEI on this other visitor page. This is so helpful Barb and Steve. Thank you for adding your current information. We are wanting to visit in early January. I'm told that is still in the "season" when there is a particular jellyfish that can be a rather nasty sting. Did you wear "stinger suits"? What do the locals say about this? Do they swim with stinger suits? Hi Kimberly, thanks for your comments. As Lady Elliott is located at the very southern part of the reef, the Bluebottles and Irukanji jellyfish are not common there. I did not wear a stinger suit, but I did wear leggings and a long sleeved top, mainly for sun protection. You should be fine. I've been going to LEI for many years now at various times of the year and so far have not encountered any stingers at all. Last question, where did you stay on the island? Or is there only one place (the Eco Resort)? There is only one resort, it's a very small island. They also control the flights in and out of the island. You need to book an all in one package directly with the resort. They do have accommodation options, from eco tents to beach side rooms. Hi Kimberly, there is only one place on the island. ladyelliotisland.com.au has all the information. I hope you get to go, it's a great place.	https://www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/lady-elliot-island-australia-snorkeling-trip-february-2018.html
546 F.3d 138 (2008) Jian Hui SHAO, Petitioner, v. Michael B. MUKASEY, Attorney General of the United States, Respondent. Ji Wen Shi, Petitioner, v. Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General of the United States, Respondent. Show Yung Guo,[1] Petitioner, v. Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General of the United States, Respondent.[2] Docket Nos. 07-2689-ag, 07-2666-ag, 07-3415-ag,(L), 08-1091-ag(CON). United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Argued: August 6, 2008. Decided: October 10, 2008. 141 Gary J. Yerman, New York, NY, for Petitioner Jian Hui Shao. Gary J. Yerman, New York, N.Y. (Richard Tarzia, Belle Mead, NJ, on the brief), for Petitioner Ji Wen Shi. Gang Zhou, New York, NY, for Petitioner Show Yung Guo. Thomas H. Dupree, Jr., Deputy Assistant Attorney General (Aimee J. Frederickson and Michele Y.F. Sarko, Attorneys; 142 Susan Houser, Senior Litigation Counsel; and Mary Jane Candaux, Michelle G. Latour, and Carl H. McIntyre, Assistant Directors, on behalf of Jeffrey S. Buchholtz and Gregory G. Katsas, Acting Assistant Attorneys General, on the brief), Office of Immigration Litigation, United States Department of Justice, Civil Division, Washington, D.C., for Respondent. Before: RAGGI, WESLEY, and LIVINGSTON, Circuit Judges. REENA RAGGI, Circuit Judge: In response to reports that China was enforcing its "one family, one child" population control policy through forced abortions and forced sterilizations, in 1996, Congress expressly extended the Immigration and Nationality Act's definition of a political "refugee" to include persons who had "been forced to abort a pregnancy or to undergo involuntary sterilization, or who [had] been persecuted for failure or refusal to undergo such a procedure or for other resistance to a coercive population control program," as well as persons who have "a well founded fear" that they "will be forced to undergo such a procedure or subject to persecution for such failure, refusal, or resistance." 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42); see Ke Zhen Zhao v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 265 F.3d 83, 91-92 (2d Cir.2001) (discussing background to change in law). These three petitions involve Chinese nationals who have not claimed or credibly demonstrated that they had personally experienced or been threatened with any such persecution. Nevertheless, they assert that their fear of such future persecution is well founded because they have fathered or given birth to more children than are authorized under Chinese population control policies. We address these petitions in a single opinion because similar well-founded fear claims are now pending in hundreds of petitions for review to this court, and these three cases present us with the precedential responses from the Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA") to the common question raised in the different contexts of these cases: under what circumstances can a Chinese national rely on the birth of more than one child to demonstrate the well-founded fear of persecution necessary to qualify for asylum as a "refugee"? See In re J-H-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 196 (B.I.A. 2007) (addressing issue on direct review with respect to children born in China); In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 185 (B.I.A. 2007) (addressing issue on direct review with respect to children born in United States); In re S-Y-G-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 247 (B.I.A.2007) (addressing issue on motion to reopen with respect to one child born in China and second child born in United States). The BIA has determined that the question admits no categorical answer, largely because of local variations in Chinese officials' understanding and enforcement of their nation's birth control policies. Thus, the Board has declined to construe the statutory term "refugee" to exclude or to include all Chinese nationals who have fathered or given birth to more than one child. Rather, it has determined that a case-by-case review is necessary to identify which Chinese nationals with two or more children demonstrate a fear of future persecution that is both subjectively genuine and objectively reasonable. See Jian Xing Huang v. INS, 421 F.3d 125, 128 (2d Cir.2005) (noting subjective and objective components of well-founded fear claim); Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, 357 F.3d 169, 178 (2d Cir.2004) (same). No party before the court on these petitions challenges this flexible construction of the statute. Instead, each petitioner faults the BIA's analysis of the evidence in his or her particular case, an analysis generally informed 143 by a three-part inquiry: has petitioner (1) identified the government policy implicated by the births at issue, (2) established that government officials would view the births as a violation of the policy, and (3) demonstrated a reasonable possibility that government officials would enforce the policy against petitioner through means constituting persecution? Because we identify no legal error in this evidentiary framework and because substantial evidence supports the BIA's findings that each of the petitioners failed to demonstrate that his or her stated fears of persecution on return to China were objectively reasonable, we deny these petitions for review.[3] I. Background Although the three petitions before us present a common issue, they do so in different factual and procedural contexts that we outline briefly at the outset: (1) in Jian Hui Shao's case, the BIA reviewed (a) on direct appeal (b) an order of removal (c) against a male petitioner generally found not credible except for the fact that (d) he had fathered two children in China before fleeing to the United States; (2) in Ji Wen Shi's case, the agency reviewed (a) on direct appeal (b) a grant of relief from removal (c) to a credible male applicant (d) who had married and fathered two children in the United States after fleeing China; and (3) in Show Yung Guo's case, the agency considered (a) a motion to reopen (b) by a woman previously found not credible except for the fact that (c) she had given birth to two children, one in China and one in the United States, but who (d) now offered various documents from family planning authorities in her native province and town to support a claim of changed country conditions giving rise to a fear of future persecution based simply on the number of her children. The BIA's initial rulings denying relief in each case prompted petitions for review in this court, each of which resulted in remands, in two cases by court order, see Jian Hui Shao v. BIA, 465 F.3d 497 (2d Cir.2006); Shou Yung Guo v. Gonzales, 463 F.3d 109 (2d Cir.2006), and in the case of Ji Wen Shi by stipulation of the parties. Preliminary to discussing the challenged precedential decisions prompted by these remands, we briefly recount the events leading to those decisions. A. Proceedings Leading to Precedential Decisions 1. Jian Hui Shao a. Initial Agency Proceedings In February 2002, Jian Hui Shao, a native of Fuzhou City in China's Fujian Province, attempted to enter the United States unlawfully. In subsequent removal proceedings, Jian Hui Shao conceded removability but applied for asylum and withholding of removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA"), 8 U.S.C. § 1101 et seq., and for relief under the Convention Against Torture ("CAT"). Jian Hui Shao asserted that he feared forcible sterilization in China because he had fathered two daughters in that country and Chinese law prohibited him, a non-agricultural worker, from having more than one child. To demonstrate the reasonableness of his fearand to explain his abandonment of his wife in China only weeks after discovering her second pregnancyJian Hui Shao testified that he had 144 been beaten and jailed by Chinese officials after his wife missed a gynecological examination intended to ensure her compliance with family planning policies and he refused to disclose her whereabouts. Identifying various inconsistencies and implausibilities in Jian Hui Shao's account, the immigration judge ("IJ") found him not credible in all respects but one: the fact that he now had two children in China. See In re Jian Hui Shao, No. A 79 759 247, at 14-15 (Immig. Ct. N.Y. City Feb. 27, 2003). The IJ denied petitioner relief from removal, a determination summarily upheld by the BIA on initial direct review. See In re Jian Hui Shao, No. A 79 759 247 (B.I.A. June 28, 2004). b. Proceedings in this Court On Jian Hui Shao's initial petition for review by this court, we concluded that the agency's adverse credibility determination was supported by substantial evidence. See Jian Hui Shao v. BIA, 465 F.3d at 500-01. Nevertheless, we remanded the case for further agency consideration of the question "under what circumstances, if any, having two children in China is sufficient grounds for a well-founded fear of future persecution." Id. at 501. In so ruling, we noted that, in Jian Xing Huang v. INS, this court had "expressed skepticism" as to whether an alien with two children born in the United States could demonstrate a well-founded fear of forced sterilization on removal to China "absent specific factsbeyond the general conditions in Chinagiving rise to his subjective fear." Jian Hui Shao v. BIA, 465 F.3d at 501 (citing Jian Xing Huang v. INS, 421 F.3d at 129). Nevertheless, because Jian Hui Shao's children "were born in and live in China," we considered the possibility that such circumstances might warrant a different assessment of the objective reasonableness of petitioner's professed fear. Id. (emphasis added). Noting that the INA's definition of a "refugee" did not clearly resolve the issue and that the BIAthe agency charged with the INA's enforcement and thus entitled to deference with regard to the statute's interpretationhad not previously considered the point, we decided to remand. See id. at 501-03 (citing Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 81 L.Ed.2d 694 (1984); Shi Liang Lin v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 416 F.3d 184, 189-91 (2d Cir.2005)). In making that determination, we noted the far-reaching implications of any decision: Jian Hui Shao's circumstances were shared by "innumerable potential asylum applicants" and the grant of asylum to all persons with more children than allowed by China's family planning policies would raise "complicated" foreign and public policy questions. Id. at 502. Thus, we observed that "a precedential decision by the BIA or the Supreme Court of the United States" was desirable to assure uniformity in such cases. Id. We anticipated that the remand question might not admit a single answer applicable throughout China. We observed that the BIA was "better prepared" than federal circuit courts "to evaluate whether different regions of China enforce divergent family planning policies and whether applicants from diverse locales should accordingly receive different treatment in asylum proceedings." Id. 2. Ji Wen Shi a. Order of Removal In July 1992, Ji Wen Shi, a native of Changle City in Fujian Province, attempted to enter the United States unlawfully. Failing to appear for his removal proceedings in January 1993, Ji Wen Shi was initially ordered removed in absentia. 145 b. Grant of Reopening and Relief from Removal In fact, Ji Wen Shi remained in this country illegally for several years, marrying another Chinese national in 1999 and fathering his first child, a son, in 2000. In May 2001, while his wife was pregnant with the couple's second son, Ji Wen Shi moved to reopen his removal proceedings, attributing his 1993 absence to getting lost on the way to the immigration court as the result of taking the wrong bus. Because the agency granted the motion, we have no reason to consider Ji Wen Shi's eight-year delay in proffering this explanation. We note only that, upon reopening, Ji Wen Shi applied for asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT relief based on a purported fear that, if he and his wife were to return to China, one or the other would be forcibly sterilized for having violated the country's one-child policy. In addition, Ji Wen Shi claimed that he feared that he would be jailed, beaten, and tortured upon return to China because he had left the country without authorization. Finding Ji Wen Shi to have testified credibly, the IJ concluded that petitioner had established that he had a well-founded fear of being forcibly sterilized on return to China and granted him asylum. See In re Ji Wen Shi, No. A 72 459 654 (Immig. Ct. N.Y. City May 16, 2003). c. Reversal of the Grant of Relief On appeal to the BIA, the government argued that, as a matter of law, Ji Wen Shi did not fit within the statutory definition of a "refugee" because he had not been subjected to any coercive measures and his fear of future mistreatment was merely speculative. In reversing the IJ's grant of relief from removal, the BIA did not attempt to resolve the government's legal challenge categorically. Instead, focusing on the record evidence developed in the particular case, the BIA ruled that, even if Ji Wen Shi had demonstrated a credible subjective fear of future sterilization, he had failed to adduce evidence demonstrating that his fear was objectively reasonable. See In re Ji Wen Shi, No. A 72 459 654 (B.I.A. Sept. 14, 2004). The BIA particularly noted the lack of evidence of any national Chinese policy regarding the treatment of parents of foreign-born children. To the extent Ji Wen Shi attempted to fill this gap with an affidavit from demographer John Shields Aird indicating that persons returning to China from abroad with unauthorized children can "hardly expect" to be afforded leniency under the nation's one-child policy, the BIA concluded that this evidence showed only that Ji Wen Shi may face "sanctions and penalties" upon return to China, not that those penalties would rise to the level of persecution. Id. at 2. The BIA further determined that the possibility of Ji Wen Shi and his wife having another child was too speculative to warrant relief from removal. See id. As to Ji Wen Shi's assertion that he feared incarceration in light of his illegal departure from China, the BIA concluded that petitioner had failed to demonstrate that any punishments imposed would, in fact, amount to torture under the CAT, or be based on any of the enumerated protected grounds under the INA. See id. at 1-2. d. Stipulated Remand from the Petition for Review Ji Wen Shi petitioned this court for review but, in January 2006, before the case was heard, the parties stipulated to a remand to allow the BIA (1) to address evidence accompanying the Aird affidavit, (2) to explain further its conclusion that Ji Wen Shi had not demonstrated an objectively reasonable fear of forced sterilization if returned to China, and (3) to consider 146 Ji Wen Shi's claim in light of this court's recent decision in Jian Xing Huang v. INS, 421 F.3d 125. 3. Show Yung Guo a. The Agency Proceedings Resulting in an Order of Removal Show Yung Guo, another native of Changle City in Fujian Province, attempted to enter the United States illegally in October 1992. In her initial airport interview, she stated that she had two children and feared forced sterilization were she to return to China. In March 1993, however, she applied for asylum and relief from removal on the ground that she feared forced sterilization in China based on her violation of that country's one-child policy because she had given birth to one child in China and wished to have more children with her husband. By the time Show Yung Guo testified at a merits hearing in January 1996, she could point to the birth of another child in the United States as further support for her claim, and testified she had a total of three children, one of whom she had adopted in China. Further, Show Yung Guo testified to past persecution in China in the form of mandatory IUD implants, despite adverse health effects, and a forced abortion and threatened sterilization. Identifying numerous inconsistencies among Show Yung Guo's airport interview, her asylum application, and her hearing testimony, and taking note of her unconvincing demeanor, the IJ found petitioner not credible except to the extent she had demonstrated that she had given birth to one child in China and one in the United States. See In re Show Yung Guo, No. A 72 461 714, at 7-9 (Immig. Ct. N.Y. City Jan. 25, 1996). Finding no credible evidence of past persecution in China, the IJ concluded that Show Yung Guo had not demonstrated a well-founded fear of future forced sterilization on removal to that country because she offered no evidence that the birth of a second child in the United States would be deemed a violation of Chinese policy. See id. at 10-11. Accordingly, the IJ ordered removal. The BIA upheld this ruling on direct appeal, see In re Show Yung Guo, No. A 72 461 714 (B.I.A. Aug. 21, 1997), and Show Yung Guo did not petition this court for review. b. First Motion to Reopen In June 1999, Show Yung Guo moved the BIA to reopen her removal proceedings, indicating that she wished to apply for CAT relief. Reiterating her claim that she had a total of three children, Show Yung Guo asserted that her past experiences with Chinese family planning authorities convinced her that she would be forcibly sterilized if returned to her native country. The BIA denied the motion in June 2002, noting that Show Yung Guo had not challenged the agency's prior adverse credibility determination, much less explained the record inconsistencies informing that determination. See In re Show Yung Guo, No. A 72 461 714 (B.I.A. June 11, 2002). Her failure credibly to demonstrate past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution thus not only defeated her INA claims for asylum and withholding of removal, but also precluded her from showing the likelihood of future torture necessary to secure CAT relief. See id. at 2. c. Second Motion to Reopen In September 2003, Show Yung Guo again moved to reopen, this time claiming changed country conditions with respect to the enforcement of China's population control policies against nationals returning from abroad. In support, petitioner presented two documents issued by Changle 147 City and Fujian Province family planning authorities that responded to an inquiry about the application of population policy limits to an individual named Zheng Yu He, whose wife had given birth to a second child while traveling in the United States. Both authorities indicated that population limits were enforceable against Chinese nationals who violated family planning regulations while abroad unless the national had acquired legal permanent residence or three years' legal temporary residence in the foreign country. See May 22, 2003 Administrative Opinion On Sanctions Against Family-Planning Violations, issued by the Changle City Family-Planning Administration ("2003 Changle City Administrative Opinion") ¶ 2; 2003 Administrative Decision on Request for Directive from Fuzhou City Administration on Family-Planning in Connection with Birth of a Second Child by Zheng Yu He of Changle City Municipal Bureau of Construction and His Spouse in USA, issued by the Fujian Province Department of Family-Planning Administration ("2003 Fujian Province Administrative Decision") ¶ 2. While these two documents did not reference any particular enforcement method that might apply in the circumstances at issue, Show Yung Guo offered a third document indicating that sterilization was "mandatory" in Changle City upon the birth of a second child. See Q & A for Changle City Family-Planning Information Handbook (July 1999) ("1999 Q & A Handbook") ¶ 16.[4] The BIA summarily denied Show Yung Guo's second motion to reopen, finding that the documents at issue were "new" but insufficient to show the "changed circumstances" required by the applicable regulation. In re Show Yung Guo, No. A 72 461 714 (B.I.A. Jan. 22, 2004); see 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(c)(3)(ii). d. Proceedings in this Court On Show Yung Guo's petition for review of the denials of her motions to reopen, this court ruled that the BIA had acted within its discretion in denying the first motion because petitioner had failed to support her proposed CAT claim with any "additional evidence beyond the story deemed false in the asylum hearing." Shou Yung Guo v. Gonzales, 463 F.3d at 114. At the same time, however, we identified error in the BIA's assessment of the evidence Show Yung Guo marshaled in support of her second motion. Id. at 115. We noted first that the proffered official documents were obviously "not available" at the time of petitioner's removal hearing because they all post-dated those proceedings. Id. We further characterized the documents as "unquestionably" material to the issue of whether conditions in China had changed to expose returning Chinese nationals with two children to forced sterilization. Id. Concluding that "[i]t is not apparent to us that the BIA ever really paid any attention to the documents," we remanded the case to the BIA with directions "to consider Guo's evidence of changed circumstances" and to determine "whether, in light of any such circumstances, 148 she can establish a well-founded fear of persecution." Id. B. The Challenged Precedential Decisions With this background to how the BIA came to afford each of these three cases further review, we summarize the challenged precedential decisions. 1. Jian Hui Shao a. The Need for Case-by-Case Analysis to Identify Aliens Who Demonstrate a Well-Founded Fear of Future Persecution Based on the Birth of More than One Child On June 7, 2007, a three-member panel of the BIA addressed the question posed by this court in its remand order: is "having two children in China ... sufficient grounds for a well-founded fear of persecution"? Jian Hui Shao v. BIA, 465 F.3d at 501. The BIA determined that the question admitted no categorical answer; it could be resolved only on a case-by-case basis. [A]n alien who has established that he or she has had two children in China may qualify as a refugee if the evidence presented establishes, on a case-by-case basis, that the births violated family planning policies in that alien's local province, municipality, or other locally-defined area, and that current local family planning enforcement efforts would give rise to a well-founded fear of persecution because of the violation. In re J-H-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 197-98 (emphasis added). The response, which presumes an alien's demonstration of a genuine subjective fear of future persecution, focuses on the showing necessary to demonstrate that such a fear is sufficiently objectively reasonable to allow the alien to claim refugee status. The BIA concluded that the objective reasonableness of such a fear could be best determined by reviewing the record evidence in three steps. The first step, or "starting point for determining whether there is objective evidence supporting this fear [of future persecution,] is proof of the details of the family planning policy relevant to each individual case." Id. at 198. The BIA explained that this step is necessary because, "[a]lthough in general China's family planning policy has been termed a `one child' policy," id., "in practice it is apparent that deviations from the general rule of `one child' persist," id. For example, "certain geographic and ethnic factors" may prompt "exceptions to the `one child' policy." Id. at 199. Thus, the petitioner first had to "establish[ ] the details of the specific `policy' applicable in his or her case." Id. At the second step of analysis, the agency would consider "whether the facts in the record establish that the alien violated the policy" applicable to his circumstances. Id. By way of illustration, the BIA noted that if, at the first step, an alien established that no exceptions to the "one child" policy applied in the particular case, the second step inquiry reduced to whether the alien had demonstrated that he or she had, in fact, fathered or given birth to "more than one child, in violation of that policy." Id. This latter burden could be carried by introducing birth certificates or other documents evidencing the children's births. See id. The BIA specifically noted that, although it identified these first two steps of analysis in a case involving children born in China, the inquiries were especially relevant in cases where the alien seeking relief from removal relied on the birth of children in the United States. See id. Assuming that an alien could satisfy the "policy" and "violation" steps of analysis, a 149 third step required him to "establish that the violation of the family planning policy would be punished in the local area in a way that would give rise to an objective fear of future persecution."[5]Id. The BIA explained that this was necessary because "enforcement of the [one-child] policy varies greatly" in China, "depending on locality." Id. at 200. The BIA further noted that while "incentives and pressure" were used to achieve compliance with birth control limitations, id. at 200, national policy proscribed the use of physical force, id. at 203. Thus, it was an alien's burden to adduce some evidence showing "that he or she personally faces a well-founded fear of persecutiongenerally, forced abortion or sterilization," id. at 200 (emphasis added), or economic sanctions so "severe" as to "rise to the level of persecution," id. at 200-01 (noting that determination of when economic sanctions are so severe as to constitute persecution is issue best "addressed on a case-by-case basis" (citing Guan Shan Liao v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 293 F.3d 61, 67, 70 (2d Cir.2002))). Having explained its reasoning, the BIA summarized its response to the remand's legal query as follows: In sum, the question whether the birth of two children in China gives rise to a well-founded fear of persecution depends on the facts of each case, including, in particular, the details of local family planning policies, proof that an alien violated such policies, and evidence that local enforcement efforts against the violation will rise to the level of persecution. Evidence bearing on all of these factors must, taken together, establish that a reasonable person in the respondent's circumstances would fear persecution if he returned to his home country. Id. at 201 (citing, inter alia, INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 107 S.Ct. 1207, 94 L.Ed.2d 434 (1987)). b. Jian Hui Shao's Failure to Demonstrate an Objective Fear of Future Persecution Based on the Birth of Two Children in China Applying these principles to Jian Hui Shao's claim, the BIA determined that the record did not permit reliable resolution of the first two steps of analysis. Evidence indicated that where, as in petitioner's case, a couple's first child is a girl, Chinese family planning policies sometimes permitted the couple to have a second child. Because Jian Hui Shao had failed to testify credibly as to the circumstances surrounding the birth of his second child, the agency could not determine whether he had ever sought such permission or whether local authorities would, in fact, have viewed his wife's second pregnancy as a violation of family-planning policies. See 150 id. at 202.[6] Even if the "policy" and "violation" steps of analysis were resolved in Jian Hui Shao's favor, however, the BIA concluded that his claim for relief failed at the final "enforcement" step of analysis because the record did not contain "persuasive evidence that this birth [of a second child] would trigger enforcement activity in Fujian Province" amounting to persecution. Id. In reaching this conclusion, the BIA pointed to State Department Country Profiles reporting on the unevenness and laxity of enforcement of the one-child policy both in Fujian Province and in China.[7]Id. at 200, 202-03 (citing 1998 Profile at 21, 28; 2007 Profile ¶ 87). While acknowledging that, in the State Department's 2006 Country Report for China, reference was made to unattributed "reports" of forced sterilization in Fujian Province, see id. at 200, 202 (citing 2006 Country Report § 1(f)), the BIA decided that such reports were insufficient to establish the objective reasonableness of Jian Hui Shao's professed fear of sterilization in light of evidence that the use of force was prohibited by Chinese law and State Department interviews with visa applicants from Fujian Province in 2006 "yielded `no evidence' of forced abortions." Id. at 203 (quoting 2007 Profile ¶ 99).[8] 151 Although the documents prompting remand in Shou Yung Guo v. Gonzales, 463 F.3d at 113, see supra at [146-47], had not been part of the record at Jian Hui Shao's removal proceedings, the BIA nevertheless considered the possibility that this evidence might support an "enforcement" finding favorable to petitioner at the third step of analysis. The BIA concluded that it did not because, although one document referenced mandatory sterilization in Changle City after the birth of a second child, nothing in the record indicated that the mandate was carried out through proscribed forced sterilization as opposed to China's "well-documented system of offering incentives to obtain compliance with birth control limits." In re J-H-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 203 (noting that "[o]n balance, the evidence suggests that physical coercion to achieve compliance with family planning goals is uncommon and unsanctioned by China's national laws, and that the overall policy is much more heavily reliant on incentives and economically-based penalties"). The BIA thus concluded that, "[a]s a whole, the record lacks persuasive evidence to prove that the mere birth of two children in China would trigger family planning enforcement efforts that would rise to the level of persecution under the circumstances of this case." Id. Accordingly, it dismissed Jian Hui Shao's petition for relief from removal, ruling that he had failed to carry his burden to demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution in China based simply on the birth of his two children in that country. 2. Ji Wen Shi On the same day that the BIA concluded that Jian Hui Shao was not entitled to relief from removal based on his having fathered two children in China, another BIA panel determined that Ji Wen Shi was not entitled to such relief based on the birth of his two children in the United States. Assuming the genuineness of Ji Wen Shi's subjective fear of forced sterilization if returned to China, the BIA indicated that the determinative question was whether petitioner had "met his burden of demonstrating an objectively reasonable fear of persecution." In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 188. Although the J-W-S panel did not specifically reference the three-part analysis identified in J-H-S-, it appears to have concluded that Ji Wen Shi had carried his burden at the "policy" and "violation" steps and, thus, focused its attention almost exclusively on the question of whether petitioner had demonstrated a reasonable possibility of enforcement amounting to persecution on return to China. In deciding this question, the BIA noted that both parties had submitted numerous documents on remand pertaining to China's national "one-child" policy and the delegation of the policy's enforcement from the national government to provincial and local authorities.[9] To the extent these documents 152 included State Department Country Reports and Profiles, the BIA took administrative notice of the more recent versions of these documents issued since the parties' submissions. As in J-H-S-, the BIA determined that this record, viewed in its entirety, revealed a "wide variation in the manner and strictness with which the `one-child' policy is enforced in the various provinces." Id. at 189. Whether Ji Wen Shi's claimed fear of persecution was considered as to China generally or Fujian Province in particular, the panel concluded that the record did not indicate that such a fear was objectively reasonable. Focusing first on whether the evidence demonstrated "that the Chinese Government has a national policy of requiring forced sterilization of parents who return with a second child born outside of China," the BIA concluded that it did not. Id. at 192. In so ruling, the BIA decided to accord greater weight to State Department reports than to the Aird affidavits referenced in the remand stipulation. While the Aird affidavits stated that Chinese nationals returning with more than one child could expect to face the same punishment as their countrymen who violated the one-child policy in China, the BIA observed that the affidavits and the attached documents on which they relied pointed to "no incidents of forced sterilization of parents who return to China with children born abroad." Id. at 190.[10] It deemed the omission significant because the State Department's China Profile for 2005 stated that American diplomats in China were unaware of any such sterilizations. See id. at 191 (citing 2005 Profile at 24).[11] 153 Even assuming identical penalties for population control violations occurring outside and within China, the BIA concluded that Ji Wen Shi had not convincingly demonstrated an objectively reasonable fear of forced sterilization. While noting that the 2006 Country Report stated that the "incentives and pressure" used to achieve compliance with China's family-planning policies "`sometimes left women with little practical choice but to undergo abortion or sterilization,'" id. at 190, the BIA declined to infer that the referenced pressure included "physical or mental coercion" because the "context" for the quoted observation was a discussion of various "economic" rewards and penalties, id. (emphasis in original). The BIA acknowledged "isolated reports of forced sterilization in the documents of record." Id. at 190; see also id. at 193 n. 8, 194 (citing 2002 Country Report § 1(f); 2006 Country Report § 1(f)). Nevertheless, it determined that isolated reports were insufficient to "indicate that the applicant would be singled out for this treatment upon his return to China," nor did they demonstrate a "pattern or practice of persecution that would provide the applicant a basis for a well-founded fear of persecution in China on account of the birth of two children in the United States while he was outside of China for nearly 15 years." Id. at 190. Rather, the BIA concluded that the enforcement action that a returning Chinese national might reasonably fear in such circumstances consisted of economic fines and penalties. See id. at 191 (and evidence cited therein). Noting that Ji Wen Shi had not argued that he faced stricter enforcement action in his native Fujian Province, the BIA nevertheless considered that possibility in light of evidence pertaining to that province and particularly to Changle City. The BIA focused first on two documents that were also included in the record in Shou Yung Guo: the 2003 Changle City Administrative Opinion and the 2003 Fujian Province Administrative Decision.[12] These documents indicated that Chinese citizens who violated their country's population limits abroad were subject to the same punishments as citizens whose violations occurred in China. Nevertheless, the BIA observed that "[n]either document refer[red] to sterilization, much less forced sterilization," as a possible punishment. Id. at 192. To the extent petitioner urged such an inference from an additional Changle City document, referencing mandated sterilization after the birth of a second child, see Changle City Family Planning Policy Leading Team, Opinions in Administering the Family Planning Subjects with Early Marriage and Out of Plan Pregnancy (June 27, 1995) ("1995 Changle City Opinion"), the BIA was not persuaded because "central government policy prohibits physical coercion to compel persons to submit to family planning enforcement," id. at 193, and no evidence had been adduced indicating that Changle City officials nevertheless "implemented" the sterilization mandate "through physical force or other means that would amount to persecution," id. at 192. As in J-H-S-, the BIA cited to State Department reports indicating that family-planning enforcement in Fujian Province was generally "lax" and "uneven," id. at 193, at the same time that it acknowledged 154 the Country Reports' references to "reports" of forced sterilization of women in Fujian Province, id. at 193 n. 8, 194 (citing 2002 Country Report § 1(f); 2006 Country Report § 1(f)). Again, the BIA accorded the unspecified reports little weight in light of other evidence indicating that visa applicants from Fujian Province in 2006 had made no mention of forcible abortions and that economic penalties were the general means of enforcement. See id. at 194. Finding that the evidence "[a]t most ... suggests that the applicant and his wife may face `sanctions and penalties' upon returning to China because of the births of their United States citizen children" not "ris[ing] to the level of persecution," the BIA determined that Ji Wen Shi had not persuasively demonstrated that his fear of forced sterilization was objectively reasonable. Id. Accordingly, the BIA ruled that Ji Wen Shi had failed to carry his burden of proof in seeking relief from removal. 3. Show Yung Guo On August 2, 2007, approximately two months after its decisions in J-H-S- and J-W-S-, the BIA issued its precedential opinion declining to reopen Show Yung Guo's removal proceedings. See In re S-Y-G-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 247.[13] In so ruling, the BIA considered not only the three documents referenced in this court's remand order, but additional materials submitted by the parties. See id. at 248-49 n. 1 (identifying documents). The BIA further considered Show Yung Guo's argument urging reopening pending resolution of an asylee relative petition filed on her behalf by her husband. Adapting the evidentiary framework articulated in In re J-H-S- to a motion to reopen based on changed country conditions, the BIA stated that an alien "may successfully reopen his or her asylum case if, on a case-by-case analysis, the genuine, authentic, and objectively reasonable evidence proves that (1) a relevant change in country conditions occurred, (2) the applicant has violated family planning policy as established in that alien's local province, municipality, or other relevant area, and (3) the violation would be punished in a way that would give rise to a well-founded fear of persecution." Id. at 251 (footnote omitted) (citing In re J-H-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 196). Mindful that Show Yung Guo's failure to appeal the 1997 BIA dismissal of her asylum claim meant that "the Immigration Judge's credibility determination remain[ed] the law of the case," id. at 250, the BIA construed the remand issue as limited to the following question: had Show Yung Guo "produced enough evidence to show changed country conditions in China evidencing both that her two children (a son born in 1988 in China and a daughter born in 1995 in the United States) would be viewed as exceeding birth control limits in her local province, and that the sanctions applicable for such a violation would rise to the level of persecution." Id. at 251. Preliminary to reviewing the record evidence relevant to this question, the BIA noted (1) the law's general inclination to view motions to reopen with disfavor, see id. at 252 (citing INS v. Doherty, 502 U.S. 314, 323, 112 S.Ct. 719, 116 L.Ed.2d 823 (1992)); (2) the Board's "broad discretion over motions to reopen," id.; (3) its disinclination to exercise that discretion favorably in the case of an alien, such as petitioner, "who was previously found to have offered incredible testimony to gain immigration benefits," id. at 251; and (4) the movant's burden, in any event, to "`establish 155 prima facie eligibility for asylum, i.e., a realistic chance that [s]he will be able to establish eligibility,'" id. (alteration in original) (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Poradisova v. Gonzales, 420 F.3d 70, 78 (2d Cir.2005)). Focusing on the last point, the BIA concluded that the Changle City and Fujian Province documents relating to Zheng Yu He did not convincingly demonstrate that Fujian authorities would view the birth of Show Yung Guo's second child in the United States as a violation of Chinese law. First, there was a longer interval between the births of Show Yung Guo's children ("more than 7 years") than between the births of Zheng Yu He's children (5 ½ years), a potentially relevant factor because "provincial law indicates that married couples may apply to have a second child within certain time frames that are being increasingly relaxed." Id. at 256 (citing 2005 Profile at 21). Further, the sanctions referenced in the Changle City and Fujian Province documents were to be levied pursuant to a directive governing penalties for those who, like Zheng Yu He, were government employees and Communist Party members. Show Yung Guo did not claim to be either. See id. Even if these documents had allowed Show Yung Guo to carry her burden at the violation step of analysis, the BIA concluded that they did not provide "any basis" for petitioner "fearing sanctions that would rise to the level of persecution." Id. To the extent these documents referenced "sanctions" generally, the BIA determined that the word was reasonably understood to refer to prescribed "economic ones, as descriptions of those types of sanctions abound in published reports," rather than to proscribed forcible ones. Id. (noting that in J-H-S- and J-W-S-, the BIA had referenced State Department reports describing sanctions "as involving job loss and demotion, loss of promotions, expulsion from the Communist Party and attendant loss of employment, and destruction of property"). The BIA reached the same conclusion with respect to the Fujian Province Q & A Handbook.[14] The BIA was not convinced that the document's reference to mandatory sterilizations on the birth of a second child reflected any change in policy. See id. at 257. In addition, the BIA observed that the Q & A Handbook gave no indication "that forcible sterilizations are mandated in Fujian Province after the birth of a second child." Id. (emphasis in original). The BIA viewed the "distinction" as "key" because, "under the relevant portions of the Act, refugee protection extends only to instances of `forced' abortions or sterilizations," id. (citing 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42)), and "documentation on family planning enforcement indicates that efforts are aimed primarily at encouraging compliance with birth limits through incentives, education, and other [non-forcible] methods," id. (citing Population and Family Planning Law (P.R.C.) (promulgated by the Standing Comm. Nat'l People's Cong., Dec. 29, 2001, effective Sept. 1, 2002), reprinted in 2005 Profile app. A at 38-46). As in J-H-S- and J-W-S-, the BIA acknowledged unattributed reports of occasional forced sterilizations. It concluded that "the mere mention of such incidents, without details as to when, where, and how often this occurred, does not, on this record, indicate that it is widespread enough to find that the applicant has met her burden of submitting sufficient evidence to 156 warrant reopening of the proceedings." Id. at 256. II. Discussion A. Resolving Petitioners' Arguments by Reference to Their Asylum Claims Before discussing the various challenges petitioners raise to the BIA's precedential decisions in their cases, we note that petitioners frame those arguments, in the first instance, by reference to their claims for asylum. This makes sense because, to secure asylum, petitioners need demonstrate only that their professed fear of future persecution in China in the form of forced sterilization is "well founded," see 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42), a lighter burden of proof than showing that such persecution is "more likely than not," the standard necessary to secure withholding of removal or CAT relief. See INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. at 440, 107 S.Ct. 1207;[15]accord Yi Long Yang v. Gonzales, 478 F.3d 133, 141 (2d Cir.2007); see also 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(b)(2) (providing that alien seeking withholding of removal must establish that it is more likely than not that his life or freedom would be threatened in his country of origin on one of specified protected grounds); id. § 208.16(c)(2) (requiring alien seeking CAT relief to show it is more likely than not that he would be tortured on removal). Thus, if the BIA properly concluded that petitioners each failed to demonstrate a well-founded fear of future persecution, it follows that they cannot carry the heavier burden necessary to secure withholding of removal or CAT relief. Because we identify no error in the BIA's asylum ruling, we need not discuss these other forms of relief from removal. B. The Unchallenged Issue of Statutory Interpretation To secure asylum, an alien must demonstrate that he qualifies as a "refugee" within the meaning of the INA because he has suffered past persecution on account of "race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion," or that he has a well-founded fear of future persecution on such grounds. 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42). Government-ordered forced abortions or sterilizations are statutorily recognized as political persecution. See id. On these petitions for review, no party challenges the BIA's decision to construe 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42) to recognize the possibility that, on a case-by-case analysis, some Chinese nationals with two or more children might be able to demonstrate a well-founded fear of future forced sterilization based on general population control policies without any evidence of past persecution or threats of persecution to themselves as individuals. Having ourselves identified ambiguity in the statutory language as it might apply in such circumstances, see Jian Hui Shao v. BIA, 465 F.3d at 501-02, we now accord Chevron deference to the BIA's statutory construction, which rejects a categorical application of the "well-founded fear" provision to such claims in favor of case-by-case review. 157 See Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 81 L.Ed.2d 694. The BIA's construction finds support in INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 107 S.Ct. 1207, 94 L.Ed.2d 434. In that case, the Supreme Court indicated that a "reasonable possibility" of persecution could be sufficient to support a well-founded fear, see id. at 440, 107 S.Ct. 1207, and cited approvingly to a one-in-ten example of persecution to illustrate the sort of "reasonable possibility" that would demonstrate a "well-founded fear," see id. ("`Let us ... presume that it is known that in the applicant's country of origin every tenth adult male person is either put to death or sent to some remote labor camp.... In such a case it would be only too apparent that anyone who has managed to escape from the country in question will have a "well-founded fear of being persecuted" upon his eventual return.'" (quoting 1 A. Grahl-Madsen, The Status of Refugees in International Law 180 (1966))).[16] At the same time, however, the Court declined to attempt any further interpretation of the well-founded fear standard, observing that "[t]here is obviously some ambiguity in a term like `well-founded fear' which can only be given concrete meaning through a process of case-by-case adjudication." Id. at 448, 107 S.Ct. 1207 (citing Chevron in noting that, as to "any gap left, implicitly or explicitly, by Congress, the courts must respect the interpretation of the agency to which Congress has delegated the responsibility for administering the statutory program" (internal quotation marks omitted)). Accordingly, we accept the BIA's decision to apply case-by-case review to Chinese nationals' claimed fears of future persecution based on the births of two or more children, and we review in turn its conclusion that none of the three petitioners in these cases convincingly demonstrated that their professed fears were well founded. C. The Challenged Conclusions that No Petitioner Demonstrated an Objectively Reasonable Fear of Future Persecution Each petitioner argues that the BIA erred in concluding that he or she had failed to demonstrate an objectively reasonable fear of future forced sterilization if removed to China. To the extent petitioners challenge the Board's assessment of competing evidence and its ultimate findings of fact, our review is necessarily deferential. "[W]e will not disturb a factual finding if it is supported by `reasonable, substantial, and probative' evidence in the record when considered as a whole." Wu Biao Chen v. INS, 344 F.3d 272, 275 (2d Cir.2003) (quoting Diallo v. INS, 232 F.3d 279, 287 (2d Cir.2000)); accord Manzur v. U.S. Dep't of Homeland Sec., 494 F.3d 281, 289 (2d Cir.2007). Indeed, Congress has specified that "administrative findings of fact are conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary." 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(4)(B). Thus, when a petitioner bears the burden of proof, his failure to 158 adduce evidence can itself constitute the "substantial evidence" necessary to support the agency's challenged decision. See generally Zhou Yun Zhang v. INS, 386 F.3d 66, 78-79 (2d Cir.2004) (holding that adverse credibility determination by itself can "constitute substantial evidence to support the conclusion that [the petitioner] failed to carry his burden of proof on his persecution claim," in absence of other corroborative evidence), overruled in part on other grounds by Shi Liang Lin v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 494 F.3d 296 (2d Cir.2007) (en banc). Moreover, when a petitioner challenges "the factual findings underlying the immigration court's determination that [the petitioner] has failed to satisfy his burden of proof" on the issue of past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution, we will not disturb the BIA's ruling unless we conclude that "no reasonable fact-finder could have failed to find" in favor of petitioner. Wu Biao Chen v. INS, 344 F.3d at 275 (internal quotation marks omitted). That conclusion is not warranted in any of the three cases at issue. 1. Jian Hui Shao In petitioning this court for review of the BIA's precedential decision in his case, Jian Hui Shao challenges neither the agency's response to the statutory interpretation question posed on remand by this court, nor the three-step evidentiary framework identified by the BIA as useful to determining when a claimed fear of future sterilization on removal to China is well founded.[17] Further, petitioner raises no objection to the BIA (as opposed to an IJ) weighing the record evidence or making factual determinations in his case.[18] Instead, the singular focus of Jian Hui Shao's petition is factual. Petitioner argues that the BIA erred in finding that he failed to demonstrate persuasively that (1) his second child's birth would be viewed as a violation of family planning regulations in Fujian Province, see Jian Hui Shao Br. at 1, and (2) he "would face a reasonable possibility of persecution if removed," id. at 8. Because we conclude that substantial evidence supports the BIA's findings and that the record does not compel contrary determinations, we reject Jian Hui Shao's challenge as without merit. a. Petitioner's Failure to Adduce Credible Evidence as to the Circumstances of His Wife's Second Pregnancy Supports the BIA's Finding that He Failed to Carry His Burden at the Violation Step of Analysis Petitioner submits that, at the violation step of analysis, the BIA erred in noting record evidence of various exceptions to China's one-child policy without making further inquiry to determine if Jian Hui Shao qualified for any of these exceptions. We are not persuaded. The argument ignores the very point made by the BIA: the burden was on Jian Hui Shao to demonstrate that Chinese officials would view his wife's second pregnancy after the birth of their first daughter as a violation of family planning policy. Record evidence showed that second pregnancies might be authorized in Fujian Province when a couple's first child was a girl. See In re J-H-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 198-99, 202 (citing 2005 Country Report § 1(f); 2005 Profile at 49; 1998 Profile at 25). Because Jian Hui Shao had failed to testify credibly as to the circumstances surrounding 159 his wife's second pregnancy, the BIA could not reliably determine whether petitioner had sought or been granted such authorization, a fact relevant to determining whether government officials would view the birth of his second daughter as a violation of Chinese family planning policies. Where a petitioner thus fails to adduce "reliable, specific, objective" evidence establishing the "context and believability" of his claimed fear of persecution, we can hardly conclude that the BIA was compelled to resolve the point in his favor. Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, 357 F.3d at 178; accord Yi Long Yang v. Gonzales, 478 F.3d at 140-41; see also Jian Xing Huang v. INS, 421 F.3d at 128-29 (holding that BIA did not err in finding that petitioner failed to carry burden of demonstrating well-founded fear of forced sterilization on removal to China based on births of two children in United States, the first being a girl, because in Fujian Province, "a second child is often permitted if the first child is a girl" and "there is no indication that [petitioner] would be subject to forced sterilization for having a second child"). b. At the Enforcement Step of Analysis, Substantial Evidence Supports the BIA's Finding that Petitioner Failed to Demonstrate a Reasonable Possibility' of Forced Sterilization on Removal to China At the enforcement step of analysis, Jian Hui Shao faults the BIA's finding that he failed to demonstrate a reasonable possibility of forced sterilization on removal to China. We disagree. The BIA acknowledged the evidence most favorable to petitioner on the issue of enforcement, specifically, statements in the 2006 Country Report (a) indicating that methods for enforcing China's birth limits "sometimes left women with little practical choice but to undergo abortion or sterilization," In re J-H-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 200, and (b) acknowledging "reports" of some women's "forced sterilization," id. at 202; see 2006 Country Report § 1(f). It proceeded to explain by reference to substantial record evidence why it was not persuaded that Jian Hui Shao faced a reasonable possibility of such persecution if removed to China. The record does not compel a contrary conclusion. The BIA explained that it declined to infer a reasonable possibility of petitioner's forced sterilization from the above-quoted first statement because its "context" was a discussion of the various economic rewards and penalties used by Chinese authorities to secure compliance with population limits. Id. at 200. The BIA observed that its construction of the statement found further support in the State Department's 2007 Profile for China,[19] which, while acknowledging that "`public and other pressure' is used in Fujian Province to encourage compliance with birth planning laws," specifically noted that American officials in the province "`did not find any cases of physical force employed in connection with abortion or sterilization.'" Id. (quoting 2007 Profile ¶ 99). In declining to infer a reasonable possibility of petitioner's forced sterilization from unspecified "reports" of such occasional abuse, the BIA relied on evidence in State Department reports indicating that (1) the use of physical coercion to enforce family planning policies was, in fact, officially proscribed in China, id. at 202; see 2007 Profile ¶ 9 1; (2) the enforcement of family planning policies in Fujian Province was generally "`lax'" and "`uneven,'" In 160 re J-H-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 202 (quoting 1998 Profile at 21, 26); and (3) 2006 visa applications from Fujian Province "yielded `no evidence' of forced abortions," see id. at 203 (quoting 2007 Profile ¶ 99). In Jian Xing Huang v. INS, we ruled that the BIA was "entitled to rely" on State Department reports of country conditions provided it "did not overlook any contradictory evidence directly presented by the petitioner." 421 F.3d at 129. While Jian Hui Shao does not charge the BIA with overlooking any relevant evidence, he nevertheless raises various challenges to the weight the Board assigned the competing evidence. First, he asserts that the BIA could not rely on omissions in the visa applications without explaining why these documents constituted probative evidence on the issue of forced sterilization. The point is without merit, particularly in light of the government's unchallenged assertion that, because visa applicants are asked to state all grounds on which they seek entry into the United States, it would be reasonable to expect that, if forcible meansabortions or sterilizationwere being used by local authorities to enforce family planning policies, applicants for legal entry into the United States would have as much of an incentive to report such acts of persecution, or their fear thereof, as Chinese nationals who entered this country illegally. Presented with unattributed "reports" of forced sterilization that lacked any specificity as to number or circumstance, the BIA acted well within its fact-finding discretion in considering whether any other evidence, including visa applications, shed light on the reasonable possibility of petitioner facing such persecution on removal to China. To the extent other evidence failed to support that possibility, the BIA reasonably determined that the unattributed "reports" did not, by themselves, persuasively demonstrate a reasonable possibility that Jian Hui Shao would face such future persecution. See Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, 357 F.3d at 178 (noting need for "reliable, specific, objective" evidence to demonstrate objectively reasonable fear of future persecution) (internal quotation marks omitted); accord Yi Long Yang v. Gonzales, 478 F.3d at 140-41; see also Jian Xing Huang v. INS, 421 F.3d at 129 (emphasizing need for "solid" evidence to demonstrate that professed fear of persecution was objectively reasonable and not merely "speculative"). We cannot conclude that the reports compelled a contrary finding.[20] Jian Hui Shao's second argument faults the BIA for relying on an outdated statement in the 1998 Profile to support a conclusion that Fujian Province's enforcement procedures are generally "lax" and "uneven." The point merits little discussion because the BIA also cited the 2007 Profile, which reiterates the "uneven" enforcement characterization. See 2007 Profile ¶ 87. In any event, Jian Hui Shao 161 points to no contrary evidence, much less evidence of forced sterilizations to persons similarly situated to himself. Finally, Jian Hui Shao submits that the BIA erred in assessing his fear of forced sterilization by reference only to possible physical coercion without considering the possibility that "[s]evere economic pressures" might be applied to the same effect. Jian Hui Shao Br. at 9-10. The argument mischaracterizes the BIA's decision, which explicitly acknowledges that severe economic penalties might serve as a basis for a well-founded fear of future persecution, but finds no evidence of penalties rising to that level. See In re J-H-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 200 (noting that "[e]nforcement efforts resulting in moderate economic impact would not, in general, prove a well-founded fear of future persecution").[21] To the extent Jian Hui Shao points us to the 2006 Country Report as evidence that China has used economic penalties to put "pressures on couples with two or more children" that have "often `left [them] with little practical choice but to undergo abortion or sterilization,'" Jian Hui Shao Br. at 10 (alteration in original) (quoting 2006 Country Report § 1(f)), we are not persuaded that this statement constituted "reliable, specific, objective" evidence compelling the well-founded fear finding urged by petitioner, Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, 357 F.3d at 178. First, the statement, as it appears in the Country Report, identifies "women," not "couples," as the persons who face the noted practical dilemma. 2006 Country Report § 1(f).[22] Second, the Country Report states that the problem arises "sometimes." Id. Jian Hui Shao offered no evidence indicating that "sometimes" arose with sufficient frequency to establish a reasonable possibility of economic pressures being used to compel his sterilization on return to China. See INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. at 431, 107 S.Ct. 1207.[23] Finally, to the extent it is "forced" sterilizations that are recognized as a form of political persecution, 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42), it is hardly apparent that the "pressures" giving rise to the reported dilemma would force persons generally, or Jian Hui Shao in particular, to submit to sterilization. See 2006 Country Report § 1(f) (detailing penalties "such as job loss or demotion, loss of promotion opportunity, expulsion from the party (membership in which was an unofficial requirement for certain jobs), and other administrative punishments, including in some cases the destruction of property"). Thus, assuming that, in some cases, severe economic penalties could be as effective as physical pressure in forcing an involuntary sterilization, we cannot conclude that the record evidence in this case compelled the BIA to find a reasonable possibility that Jian Hui 162 Shao would face such severe economic compulsion upon his removal to China. Because we identify no merit in Jian Hui Shao's claims of fact-finding error by the BIA, we deny his petition for review. 2. Ji Wen Shi a. Petitioner's Challenge to the BIA's De Novo Review of the Factual Record Is Either Without Merit or Unpreserved for Review Before challenging the BIA's factual determination that he failed to demonstrate a well-founded fear of forced sterilization in China, Ji Wen Shi asserts that the BIA committed legal error by examining the record evidence de novo after the IJ had made findings in his favor. See Fen Yong Chen v. BCIS, 470 F.3d 509, 513-14 (2d Cir.2006) (observing that BIA is not permitted to engage in de novo review of an IJ's factual findings); 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(d)(3)(iv) (stating that BIA will not engage in fact-finding, "[e]xcept for taking administrative notice of commonly known facts such as current events or the contents of official documents"); id. § 1003.1(d)(3)(i) (stating that BIA will review IJ findings of fact only to determine clear error). We disagree. First, we observe that the BIA did not conduct de novo review of the IJ's critical finding of fact, i.e., that Ji Wen Shi had testified credibly to a fear of forced sterilization on removal to China. Rather, on initial appeal from the grant of relief in favor of Ji Wen Shi, the BIA made a legal determination that, while such credible testimony was sufficient to demonstrate a genuine subjective fear of future persecution, more was needed to demonstrate the objective reasonableness of that fear. This comports with our decision in Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, which states that the subjective element of a well-founded fear claim "is established via the applicant's credible testimony that his fear is genuine; while the [objective element] is largely dependent upon the context and believability he can establish for his claims through presentation of reliable, specific, objective supporting evidence." 357 F.3d at 178 (internal quotation marks omitted). Second, to the extent the BIA itself reviewed evidence and made factual findings on the element of objective reasonableness, it did so with the apparent consent of the parties. On the initial appeal, Ji Wen Shi submitted no fewer than nineteen additional documents for BIA consideration, see In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 187 n. 2 (listing documents submitted on initial appeal), never questioning the BIA's authority to review this evidence or asking for a remand to allow the IJ to conduct any review in the first instance. Further, in the stipulation for remand from this court, Ji Wen Shi agreed to the BIA's consideration of still further evidence to be submitted by the government. See id. at 188 n. 4 (identifying documents submitted on remand). Once again, petitioner raised no objection to the BIA's review of these documents or any of the other record evidence; nor did he urge remand to the IJ for further fact-finding. Under these circumstances, we conclude that Ji Wen Shi failed to preserve for our review any objection he might have had to the BIA's de novo review of the evidence and determination of the objective reasonableness element of his well-founded fear claim. See Shunfu Li v. Mukasey, 529 F.3d 141, 146-47 (2d Cir.2008). b. Substantial Evidence Supports the BIA's Determination that Petitioner Failed to Demonstrate a Reasonable Possibility that He Would Face Forced Sterilization in China (1) Charged Legal Error in the Consideration of National Policies In assessing the objective reasonableness of Ji Wen Shi's professed fear of 163 forced sterilization, the BIA appears to have assumed that, at the "policy" and "violation" prongs of analysis, petitioner established that Chinese authorities would view the birth of his two sons in the United States as a violation of population control policies. Thus, its review of the evidence was limited to the issue of enforcement, considering whether Ji Wen Shi had adduced a reasonable possibility of forced sterilization on removal to China under either national or local enforcement policies. On his petition for review to this court, Ji Wen Shi devotes considerable energy to challenging the BIA's consideration of national enforcement policies, arguing that the BIA thus heightened his burden of proof and discounted the relevancy of evidence pertaining to local enforcement. See Ji Wen Shi Br. at 23. The argument misconstrues the BIA's actions. As the BIA observed, Ji Wen Shi presented a "generalized argument" that he faced a reasonable possibility of persecution on return to China. In re J-W-S-, 24 I & N. Dec. at 189. He did not argue that enforcement policies in his native province of Fujian were more likely to expose him to this possibility than policies generally applicable throughout China. See id. Thus, although the BIA had that same day determined that the enforcement prong of a well-founded fear analysis would generally focus on local policies, see In re J-H-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 199-200, in Ji Wen Shi's case, the BIA afforded petitioner the opportunity to demonstrate a reasonable possibility of forced sterilization through evidence of either national or local enforcement policies. We identify no legal error in such analysis and no prejudice to Ji Wen Shi's ability to demonstrate a reasonable possibility of enforcement amounting to persecution at the local level. (2) Findings as to National Enforcement Policies Although Ji Wen Shi faults the BIA for assessing the objective reasonableness of his claimed fear of sterilization by reference to national enforcement policies, his general challenge to the BIA's factual findings might well be understood to extend to this part of the agency's analysis no less than to that pertaining to local enforcement policies. We conclude that substantial evidence supports the BIA's finding that Ji Wen Shi had not convincingly demonstrated a reasonable possibility of forced sterilization based on national enforcement policies. First, to the extent the Aird affidavits indicated that Chinese nationals who had violated their country's family planning regulations abroad could expect to face the same punishments on removal as their countrymen whose violations had occurred in China, the BIA acted within its discretion in declining to infer therefrom a reasonable possibility that Ji Wen Shi faced forced sterilization. As the BIA noted, nothing in the affidavits or their supporting attachments referenced any occurrences of forced sterilization. See In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 189-90.[24] We 164 cannot conclude that a contrary finding was compelled in light of our own determination that the Aird Affidavits are "inadequate to establish the existence of an official policy of forced sterilization ... and thus insufficient to show that the applicants were likely to face forced sterilization if returned to China." Jin Xiu Chen v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 468 F.3d 109, 110 (2d Cir.2006); see Wei Guang Wang v. BIA, 437 F.3d 270, 274-76 (2d Cir.2006). Second, as in J-H-S-, the BIA acknowledged that the 2006 Country Report indicated that enforcement policies "sometimes left women with little practical choice but to undergo abortion or sterilization." In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 190. Here again, however, the BIA reasonably relied on the context of the statements to find that the dilemma was being ascribed to a system of economic rewards and moderate economic penalties that did not necessarily amount to "physical or mental coercion."[25]Id. (emphasis in original). While Ji Wen Shi disputes this assessment of the evidence, he does so only through conclusory arguments, pointing to no reliable, specific, and objective evidence that would have compelled the BIA to infer from the quoted language in the 2006 Country Report that there was a reasonable possibility that petitioner would be "forced"physically or otherwiseto submit to sterilization on removal to China. See Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, 357 F.3d at 178; accord Yi Long Yang v. Gonzales, 478 F.3d at 140-41. In fact, for reasons already detailed in discussing a related argument by Jian Hui Shao, we conclude that substantial evidence supports the BIA's contrary finding. See supra at 158-62. Third, the BIA further supported its factual findings by reference to a State Department report indicating that American diplomats in China were unaware of "`any cases in which returnees from the United States were forced to undergo sterilization procedures on their return.'" In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 191 (quoting 2005 Profile at 28).[26] The significance of the report is highlighted by the fact that, despite the voluminous documentary records developed in these three cases, none of the petitioners points us to evidence of any person being forcibly sterilized on removal to China based on having two children. In sum, because substantial evidence supports the BIA's finding that no national enforcement policy gives rise to a reasonable possibility that Ji Wen Shi would be forcibly sterilized on removal to China, we cannot conclude that the BIA was compelled to find a well-founded fear of such persecution. 165 (3) Findings as to Local Enforcement Policies The same conclusion applies with respect to evidence of local enforcement policies. While official documents from Fujian Province and Changle City indicate that Chinese nationals who violate birth limits while abroad will be subject to the same punishment as citizens whose violations occur in China, the BIA reasonably observed that these documents made no "refer[ence] to sterilization, much less forced sterilization," as a possible punishment. Id. at 192. As in J-H-S-, the BIA declined to infer a reasonable possibility of such persecution from the reference in the 1995 Changle City Opinion to mandatory sterilization for unauthorized births, explaining that no record evidence indicated that the mandate "is implemented through physical force or other means that would amount to persecution." Id. The BIA was entitled to view the omission as significant in light of State Department evidence indicating that (a) "central government policy prohibits physical coercion to compel persons to submit to family planning enforcement," id. at 193 (citing 2002 Country Report § 1(f); 2006 Country Report § 1(f)); (b) even in Fujian Province, children born abroad might not be counted against the number of their parents' authorized births "`if not registered as permanent residents of China,'" id. (quoting 2007 Profile ¶ 112); and (c) enforcement efforts in Fujian Province were "lax" or "uneven," id. (citing 1998 Profile at 21, 26); see also id. at 193-94 (describing "`wide variation'" in how Fujian Province imposes penalty fees for unauthorized births (quoting 2005 Profile at 25)); id. at 194 (noting that British authorities similarly characterized enforcement policies in Fujian Province as lax (citing Country Info. & Policy Unit, UK Immigration & Nationality Directorate, China Country Assessment (Apr.2002))).[27] From this evidence, the BIA was further entitled to conclude that a reference in the 2006 Country Report to unattributed reports of forced sterilizations in Fujian Province of an unspecified number of women in undescribed circumstances did not persuasively demonstrate a reasonable possibility that Ji Wen Shi would face such persecution on removal to China. See generally Jian Xing Huang v. INS, 421 F.3d at 129 (observing that any evidence of forced sterilization of others must demonstrate circumstances sufficiently similar to petitioner's to provide "solid support" for claim of a well-founded fear of the same persecution on removal). Indeed, as in J-H-S-, the BIA noted that its decision to accord little weight to the unattributed reports was reinforced by State Department interviews in 2006 with visa applicants from Fujian Province, which "yielded `no evidence' of forced abortions." In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 194 (quoting 2007 Profile ¶ 99 (also reporting that consular officials traveling in Fujian Province reported no evidence of forced sterilizations or abortions)). Accordingly, we conclude that substantial evidence supported the BIA's finding that Ji Wen Shi had not demonstrated a reasonable possibility that local enforcement 166 policies would subject him to forced sterilization on removal to China. c. The BIA Did Not Deprive Ji Wen Shi of Due Process by Taking Administrative Notice of the 2007 Profile Ji Wen Shi submits that the BIA's fact-finding is infected by a due process violation, specifically, the Board's reliance on a document not submitted into evidence by the parties, i.e., the State Department's 2007 Profile, without providing notice of its intent to do so or an opportunity to respond.[28] (1) Taking Administrative Notice of the Most Recent Reports The BIA's authority to take notice of State Department reports on conditions in foreign countries is provided for in 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(d)(3)(iv) (authorizing "administrative notice of commonly known facts such as current events or the contents of official documents"). Indeed, this court has characterized as "well-settled" the BIA's "authority to take administrative notice of current events bearing on an [asylum] applicant's well-founded fear of persecution." Qun Yang v. McElroy, 277 F.3d 158, 163 n. 4 (2d Cir.2002). Further, while we have emphasized that State Department reports are not "binding" on the BIA, we have recognized that such reports are "`usually the best available source of information' on country conditions." Xiao Ji Chen v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 471 F.3d 315, 341-42 (2d Cir.2006) (quoting Zamora v. INS, 534 F.2d 1055, 1062 (2d Cir.1976) (Friendly, J.)); see Yan Chen v. Gonzales, 417 F.3d 268, 274 (2d Cir.2005). Mindful of this precedent, we note that an earlier version of the State Department's Profile on China, specifically, its 1998 Profile, was part of the administrative record, having been put into evidence before the IJ at Ji Wen Shi's removal proceedings. See In re J-W-S-, I. & N. Dec. at 186 n. 1 (identifying 1998 Profile among documents before IJ). Precisely because we have warned against reliance on outdated versions of State Department reports, see Tambadou v. Gonzales, 446 F.3d 298, 304 (2d Cir.2006) (faulting BIA for relying on "outdated report that may not have accurately reflected the current conditions in Mauritania"); Tian-Yong Chen v. INS, 359 F.3d 121, 131 (2d Cir. 2004) (noting that 1995 Country Report may be of little value on remand to extent it "no longer necessarily reflects the current attitudes and responses of the Chinese authorities toward the practice of Roman Catholicism"), we think it reasonable that the BIA sought to expand the record to include the most recent Profile. Thus, our singular concern is its decision to do so without affording the parties notice of this action or an opportunity to challenge any new information contained in the 2007 Profile. (2) The Lack of Notice Did Not Deprive Ji Wen Shi of Due Process Procedural due process is a "flexible standard," the parameters of which "can vary ... depending on `"the private interest that will be affected by the official action"' as compared to `the Government's asserted interest, "including the function involved" and the burdens the government would face in providing greater process.'" United States v. Abuhamra, 389 F.3d 309, 318 (2d Cir.2004) (quoting Hamdi v. 167 Rumsfeld, 542 U.S. 507, 529, 124 S.Ct. 2633, 159 L.Ed.2d 578 (2004) (quoting Mathews v. Eldridge, 424 U.S. 319, 335, 96 S.Ct. 893, 47 L.Ed.2d 18 (1976))). "A court must carefully balance these competing concerns, analyzing `"the risk of an erroneous deprivation" of the private interest if the process were reduced and the "probable value, if any, of additional or substitute safeguards."'" Id. (quoting Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, 542 U.S. at 529, 124 S.Ct. 2633 (quoting Mathews v. Eldridge, 424 U.S. at 335, 96 S.Ct. 893)). Recently, this court considered the process due an asylum applicant in a case where the BIA denied a motion to reopen "based solely on facts of which it took administrative notice." Chhetry v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 490 F.3d 196, 198 (2d Cir.2007). Chhetry had sought reopening based on a regime change in his native Nepal that he claimed put his life at risk on removal due to his support for the now-disfavored political party. In denying the motion, the BIA took notice of various website reports indicating that the political party supported by Chhetry had recently regained power. See id. at 198-99. While we identified no error in the BIA "taking administrative notice of potentially dispositive facts," we concluded that "it did exceed its discretion in failing to provide Chhetry with an opportunity to rebut the significance of those facts before issuing its decision." Id. at 201 (remanding for further proceedings to afford petitioner opportunity to respond to noticed evidence). In Burger v. Gonzales, we ruled that the due process concerns identified in Chhetry were not cured by the prospect of a motion to reopen: "due process requires th[e] same result before the BIA enters a final order of removal on the basis of administratively noticed facts." 498 F.3d 131, 132-33 (2d Cir.2007). In that case, an IJ had granted Burger asylum, finding that her strong political views against the Milosevic regime, combined with her fame as an actress, gave rise to a well-founded fear of persecution on removal to Serbia-Montenegro. The BIA reversed, taking administrative notice of Milosevic's removal from power and his pending criminal trial before an international tribunal. Observing that the "administratively noticed facts constituted the sole basis" for the BIA's determination that Burger no longer harbored a well-founded fear of persecution, we concluded that the BIA had erred by failing to give petitioner "advance notice of its intention to consider [the] extra-record fact" of Milosevic's downfall and "the opportunity to rebut this fact's significance before issuing its decision." Id. at 135 (emphasis in original). With these opinions in mind, we readily conclude that it would have been preferable for the BIA to have advised Ji Wen Shi of its intent to consider the 2007 Profile and to have afforded him an opportunity to respond thereto.[29] We are not persuaded, however, that the failure to do so resulted in a violation of due process requiring remand. A critical fact informed our identification of a due process denial in both Chhetry and Burger: the judicially noticed facts were the sole basis for denying petitioners relief. See Chhetry v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 168 490 F.3d at 198 (referencing BIA's denial of motion to reopen based "solely on facts of which it took administrative notice"); see also Burger v. Gonzales, 498 F.3d at 135 (observing that "administratively noticed facts constituted the sole basis" for the reversal of asylum (emphasis in original)). But for the noticed facts, petitioners had carried their burden to adduce evidence supporting their claims for relief (either reopening in Chhetry or asylum in Burger). This case is quite different. The 2007 Profile was not the sole ground for denying Ji Wen Shi (or any of the petitioners) relief from removal. To the contrary, the BIA pointed to substantial evidence apart from the 2007 Profile to support its factual determination that Ji Wen Shi had failed to carry his burden to demonstrate a reasonable possibility of forced sterilization on removal to China. Thus, the 2007 Profile was not "dispositive" of Ji Wen Shi's application for asylum. Chhetry v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 490 F.3d at 201. Rather, the 2007 Profile simply corroborated the disposition already supported by the voluminous record evidence adduced by the parties. We emphasize that, even in these circumstances, we strongly urge the BIA to adopt procedures that will provide notice of and an opportunity to be heard on any administratively noticed facts. We do not, however, find that the failure to do so in this case rose to the level of a due process violation requiring remand. 3. Show Yung Guo a. The BIA Acted Within Its Discretion in Denying Reopening (1) Standard of Review Because Show Yung Guo's petition for review is from the BIA's denial of a motion to reopen, her burden is heavier than that of the other two petitioners who seek review from the BIA's adverse asylum rulings on direct appeal. This is because motions to reopen are generally "disfavored," INS v. Doherty, 502 U.S. at 323, 112 S.Ct. 719, in light of the "strong public interest" in the finality of removal orders, INS v. Abudu, 485 U.S. 94, 107-08, 108 S.Ct. 904, 99 L.Ed.2d 90 (1988) (recognizing that "[g]ranting such motions too freely will permit endless delay of deportation by aliens creative and fertile enough to continuously produce new and material facts" (internal quotation marks omitted)). Consistent with this interest, time and number bars apply to motions to reopen. See 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(7)(A), (C); 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(c). An alien such as Show Yung Guo can invoke an exception to these bars "based on changed circumstances arising in the country of nationality or in the country to which deportation has been ordered, if such evidence is material and was not available and could not have been discovered or presented at the previous hearing." 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(c)(3)(ii). Even when an alien satisfies the unavailability condition noted in this rule, however, her ability to secure reopening depends on a demonstration of prima facie eligibility for asylum, which means she must show a "realistic chance" that she will be able to obtain such relief. Poradisova v. Gonzales, 420 F.3d at 78. This requires the alien to carry the "heavy burden" of demonstrating that the proffered new evidence would likely alter the result in her case. INS v. Abudu, 485 U.S. at 110, 108 S.Ct. 904 (analogizing burden faced by alien seeking to reopen removal proceedings to that of criminal defendant moving for new trial); see Li Yong Cao v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 421 F.3d 149, 156-57 (2d Cir.2005) (citing In re Coelho, 20 I. & N. Dec. 464, 473 (B.I.A.1992)). We review a BIA decision to deny reopening deferentially for abuse of 169 discretion. See Qin Wen Zheng v. Gonzales, 500 F.3d 143, 146 (2d Cir.2007). We will identify such abuse only if the BIA's decision-making was "arbitrary or capricious," Poradisova v. Gonzales, 420 F.3d at 77, as evidenced by a decision that "provides no rational explanation" for the agency's conclusion, "inexplicably departs from established policies, is devoid of any reasoning, or contains only summary or conclusory statements," Qin Wen Zheng v. Gonzales, 500 F.3d at 146 (internal quotation marks omitted). In the absence of such concerns, however, we do not demand that the BIA "expressly parse or refute on the record each individual argument or piece of evidence offered by the petitioner." Zhi Yun Gao v. Mukasey, 508 F.3d 86, 87 (2d Cir.2007) (internal quotation marks omitted). Still, as we noted in our remand order in this case, agency fact-finders have a particular duty explicitly to consider relevant evidence of country conditions when a petitioner bases a motion to reopen on a purported change in those conditions. Where such consideration has been given, we review the BIA's fact-finding only for "substantial evidence." Ping Chen v. U.S. Att'y Gen., 502 F.3d 73, 75 (2d Cir.2007); see Maghradze v. Gonzales, 462 F.3d 150, 152-53 (2d Cir.2006). (2) Show Yung Guo's Claim of "Changed Country Conditions" Show Yung Guo submits that the BIA erred in finding that she failed to demonstrate a change in country conditions. In explaining why we identify no merit in this argument, we begin by drawing a distinction between changes in the substance and in the enforcement of China's population control policy. Substantial record evidence clearly supports the BIA's finding that Show Yung Guo failed to demonstrate a material change in the substance of China's population control policy, which, at all relevant times, has disfavored a family having more than one child. To the extent Show Yung Guo relied on documentary evidence from Fujian Province and Changle City family planning administrations to demonstrate a change in the enforcement of the policy specifically, by clarifying that returning Chinese nationals who had violated population control policies abroad would be subject to the same enforcement as their countrymen whose violations had occurred in Chinathe BIA did not specifically rule that such evidence demonstrated a material change in country conditions. Instead, it appears to have concluded that, even if Show Yung Guo were given the benefit of the doubt on this point, she was not entitled to reopening because she had not demonstrated prima facie eligibility for asylum. Specifically, she had not adduced evidence that convincingly established a reasonable possibility that she would face enforcement amounting to persecution. Because substantial evidence supports this determination, we identify no abuse of discretion in the denial of Show Yung Guo's motion to reopen. (3) Show Yung Guo's Failure to Demonstrate Prima Facie Eligibility for Relief from Removal (a) The BIA's Evidentiary Framework Manifests No Error of Law In finding that Show Yung Guo had not demonstrated prima facie eligibility for asylum based on a fear of future persecution derived from her having two children, the BIA reviewed the evidence by reference to the same three-part evidentiary framework employed in J-H-S- and J-W-S-. Alone among the petitioners now before this court, Show Yung Guo asserts that this framework manifests legal error because it imposes a heavier burden on asylum applicants than permitted by the 170 Supreme Court's decision in INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. at 440-41, 107 S.Ct. 1207. We disagree. We do not understand the three-step analysis identified by the BIA in J-H-S-, and employed by it in all three cases, to impose any burden of proof on asylum applicants, much less one at odds with the "reasonable possibility" standard referenced in INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. at 440, 107 S.Ct. 1207. See 8 C.F.R. § 1208.13(b)(2)(i)(B). Rather, we understand the analysis simply to provide a framework for the agency's review of evidence to facilitate its determination of when the reasonable possibility standard is satisfied by an applicant who claims a fear of future persecution based simply on the fact that he or she has more than one child. Such a framework is useful because, as the BIA noted, the understanding of China's population control policies and the means used to enforce them can vary widely from one area of the country to another. Thus, in assessing claims of feared future persecution on a case-by-case basis, it is appropriate to review the evidence to determine, first, what policy applies to the circumstances at issue and, second, whether local officials would be inclined to view the petitioner's actions as a violation of that policy. In the absence of evidence of such a policy and perceived violation, an alien could hardly demonstrate an objectively reasonable fear of any enforcement action, let alone enforcement amounting to persecution. On the other hand, where the record shows that local officials are likely to view petitioner's actions as a violation of a population control policy, the critical inquiry is the final one: whether officials will take enforcement action against petitioner that amounts to persecution. Because we do not understand the BIA's evidentiary framework to demand proof of more than a reasonable possibility of such abusive enforcement, we reject as without merit Show Yung Guo's legal challenge to that framework. (b) Substantial Evidence Supports the BIA's Finding that Show Yung Guo Failed to Demonstrate a Reasonable Possibility of Forced Sterilization on Removal to China In applying the three-part evidentiary analysis identified in J-H-S-, the BIA first expressed reservations as to whether the Fujian Province and Changle City documents demonstrated that officials in those areas would view the birth of Show Yung Guo's second child as a violation of population control policies. It proceeded to find that, in any event, petitioner had failed to adduce convincing evidence of a reasonable possibility that she faced forced sterilization on removal to China. i. Uncertainty as to a "Perceived Violation" The strongest evidence indicating that Chinese officials would perceive the birth of Show Yung Guo's second child in the United States as a violation of population control policies is derived from the pronouncements of Fujian Province and Changle City family planning authorities. In response to an inquiry about Zheng Yu He, whose wife had given birth to an unauthorized second child while visiting the United States, both authorities indicated that Zheng Yu He was subject to penalties for violating population control limits. The authorities explained that Chinese nationals who violated population control policies while abroad were subject to the same enforcement actions as countrymen whose violations occurred in China. In explaining why it hesitated to infer from these documents that officials would view the birth of Show Yung Guo's second child in the United States as a violation of 171 Chinese population control policies, the BIA pointed to record evidence suggesting that factual differences between petitioner and Zheng Yu He might incline authorities to view her circumstances more favorably. First, the 7-year interval between the births of Show Yung Guo's two children was somewhat longer than the 5 p1/2-year interval between the births of Zheng Yu He's children. Further, Show Yung Guo had resided in the United States for many years, whereas Zheng Yu He's wife had been in this country only for a few months when she gave birth. Under these circumstances, the BIA questioned whether the conclusion reached by the Fujian authorities with respect to Zheng Yu Hethat the birth of his second child in the United States was not subject to any exception from the one-child policynecessarily applied to Show Yung Guo. See In re S-Y-G-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 255-56 (noting that 2005 Profile at 21 suggested that longer intervals sometimes resulted in "increasingly relaxed" standards for authorizing birth of second child). Moreover, Zheng Yu He was a government employee and Communist Party member, a status calling for particularly strict application of population control limits, whereas Show Yung Guo was neither. See id. at 255 (noting that Changle City opinion referenced sanctions directly applicable to such employees and members); see also 2006 Country Report § 1(f) (indicating that persons who violate population control limits sometimes lose jobs or positions, and sometimes experience expulsion from the Communist Party, membership in which is required for certain jobs); 2005 Profile at 20 (noting that "government workers" and "employees of government-owned entities ... are subject to especially strict controls with regard to maintaining the birth-limitation policy"). The BIA also noted, as it had in In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 190, that certain State Department reports and correspondence indicated that children born abroad are not always counted against a family, for example, if the children are not registered as permanent residents of China or are living permanently abroad. See In re S-Y-G-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 255 (citing Letter from Julieta Valls Noyes, Director, Office of Multilateral & Global Affairs, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor, U.S. Dep't of State, to Randa Zagzoug, Deputy Chief Counsel, DHS-ICE (Jan. 9, 2007)). At oral argument, counsel for Show Yung Guo submitted that it would be impossible to avoid registering a child with the Chinese government. Although counsel claimed record support for this argument, the documents he cites (a) are from provinces other than Fujian, (b) describe the procedures for registration, and (c) do not indicate what penalties, if any, apply for failing to register a foreign-born child. Moreover, other record evidence runs counter to counsel's contention. See 2007 Profile ¶¶ 112-13 (suggesting that parents of American-born children may choose not to register their children to avoid family-planning sanctions); 2005 Profile at 28 (noting that unregistered American-born children, specifically children who are American citizens traveling on American passports, are not eligible for free education in China, but that many parents pay tuition for them to attend private schools). We do not ourselves attempt to resolve conflicts in record evidence, a task largely within the discretion of the agency. We conclude only that, because the BIA pointed to substantial evidence raising doubts as to how authorities in Fujian Province and Changle City would view the birth of Show Yung Guo's second child, and because the BIA did not overlook any record evidence favorable to petitioner, it was not compelled to resolve the violation step of analysis in her favor. We need not pursue 172 the matter further, however, because the BIA concluded that, even if it were to assume that Show Yung Guo had established a perceived violation, she failed to adduce evidence demonstrating a reasonable possibility of enforcement amounting to persecution. ii. Show Yung Guo's Failure to Demonstrate a Reasonable Possibility of Forced Sterilization In finding that the Fujian Province and Changle City documents did not demonstrate a reasonable possibility that Show Yung Guo would face forced sterilization on removal to China, the BIA essentially reiterated the reasoning expressed in J-H-S- and J-W-S-, discussed supra at 158-62, 163-65. First, the BIA determined that the documents pertaining to Zheng Yu He did not demonstrate such a possibility because they made no mention of any particular sanction or penalty. Second, the BIA explained that it was not persuaded that the reference to "mandatory" sterilizations in the Changle City Q & A Handbook signaled that officials would employ "forcible sterilization" because (a) no mention of such means was made in the Handbook, In re S-Y-G-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 257 (emphasis in original); and (b) documentary evidence on family planning enforcement detailed a variety of non-forcible means incentives, education, sanctionsused to achieve mandated objectives, id. at 256 (citing 2005 Profile at 20-21; see also id. at 24-26).[30] Indeed, the BIA concluded that the "sanctions" applied to effect enforcement were "likely to be economic ones, as descriptions of those types of sanctions abound in published reports." Id. at 256 (citing 2005 Profile at 21 and referencing discussion in J-H-S- and J-W-S of State Department reports of "job loss and demotion, loss of promotions, expulsion from the Communist Party and attendant loss of employment, and destruction of property" as typical sanctions). As for "occasional[]" reports of forced sterilization, the BIA observed that, because these lacked "details as to when, where, and how often," it could not reliably infer therefrom a reasonable possibility that Show Yung Guo would face such persecution on removal to China. Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). This comports with our holdings in Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, 357 F.3d at 178, and Jian Xing Huang v. INS, 421 F.3d at 129, requiring a petitioner's well-founded fear to be supported by reliable, specific, objective, and solid evidence. In light of the BIA having conducted the record review required by our remand order and having pointed to substantial evidence to support its finding that Show Yung Guo has not demonstrated a reasonable possibility that she would face forced sterilization on removal to China, we cannot 173 conclude that the BIA was compelled to find that she demonstrated prima facie eligibility for asylum or that the denial of her motion to reopen was an abuse of discretion. (c) Show Yung Guo's Failure to Demonstrate Eligibility for Relief from Removal as an Asylee Refugee Show Yung Guo submits that, even if she failed to demonstrate eligibility for asylum based on her own fear of future sterilization, the BIA should have reopened her removal proceedings to consider her eligibility for relief as an asylee refugee. See 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(3)(A); 8 C.F.R. § 1208.21(b), (c). In support, she asserts that a visa petition was filed on her behalf by her husband, who was granted asylum on May 20, 2005. The argument is unpersuasive because, as the BIA found, Show Yung Guo has not offered any evidence that her visa petition has been approved so as to demonstrate prima facie eligibility for relief from removal. See 8 C.F.R. § 1208.21(c) (providing for visas to be granted in appropriate circumstances to relatives of persons granted asylum). The omission is particularly significant in this case because, as the government notes, Show Yung Guo's visa petition was, in fact, denied in July 2006 based on her failure to prove her identity. See id. § 1208.21(b). At oral argument, counsel asserted that Show Yung Guo was still endeavoring to secure a visa as an asylee relative, but he conceded that no favorable ruling had been obtained since the July 2006 denial. Under these circumstances, we identify no abuse of discretion in the BIA's denial of Show Yung Guo's motion to reopen. Cf. Pedreros v. Keisler, 503 F.3d 162, 166 (2d Cir.2007) (concluding, in context of pending appeal of denial of I-130 visa application filed by petitioner's spouse, that there is "no basis for obligating the agency to grant continuances pending adjudication of an immigrant visa petition when there is a reliable basis to conclude that the visa petition or the adjustment of status will ultimately be denied"). b. The BIA Acted Within Its Discretion in Denying Reconsideration Show Yung Guo asks this court to review the BIA's denial of her motion to reconsider its August 2, 2007 denial of her motion to reopen. A motion to reconsider must specify errors of fact or law in the challenged BIA decision and must be supported by pertinent authority. See 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(b); Khan v. Gonzales, 495 F.3d 31, 36 (2d Cir.2007). We review the denial of a motion to reconsider for abuse of discretion. Id. We identify none in this case because Show Yung Guo's motion did not point to errors of fact or law; it simply repeated arguments about changed country conditions, perceived violations of population control policies, and the reasonable possibility of forced sterilization on removal that the BIA had already rejected. See Jin Ming Liu v. Gonzales, 439 F.3d 109, 111 (2d Cir.2006) (holding that petitioner cannot secure reconsideration simply by repeating "arguments that the BIA has previously rejected"). To the extent petitioner pointed to additional evidence obtained on the Internet to support her arguments, we cannot conclude that the BIA committed an error of fact based on evidence that was not part of the record at the time of the ruling. As the BIA observed, petitioner failed to explain why this additional evidence was not submitted at the time of the 2006 remand. See In re Show Yung Guo, A 72 461 714 (B.I.A. Feb. 27, 2008). In any event, the BIA reviewed the additional evidence and determined that it was no more persuasive than that previously considered at the violation or enforcement steps of analysis. Because we identify no abuse of discretion in the 174 BIA's denial of Show Yung Guo's motion for reconsideration, we deny this much of her petition for review for lack of merit. III. Conclusion To summarize, we conclude: (1) Because the BIA found wide variances in how population control policies are understood and enforced throughout China, it reasonably concluded that the "well-founded fear" requirement of 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42) is not susceptible to a construction that categorically affords or denies refugee status to all Chinese nationals with more than one child. (2) To the extent the BIA has employed a three-step evidentiary analysis to facilitate its case-by-case identification of those aliens with more than one child who possess a well-founded fear of persecution on removal to China, we discern no legal error in that framework. Specifically, we do not understand the analysis to impose a heavier burden of proof for the demonstration of a well-founded fear than the "reasonable possibility" standard identified by the Supreme Court in INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. at 440, 107 S.Ct. 1207. (3) Because The Bia Did Not Overlook Relevant Evidence Or Commit Any Other Legal Error In Determining That None Of The Petitioners Now Before The Court Convincingly Demonstrated A Well-Founded Fear Of Forced Sterilization On Removal To China, We Review That Factual Finding Only For Substantial Evidence. As The Bia's Finding Is Supported By Substantial Evidence In Each Case, Particularly On The Critical Point That No Petitioner Has Demonstrated A Reasonable Possibility That He Or She Will Face Forced Sterilization On Removal To China, We Identify No Error In Its Denials Of Asylum To Petitioners Jian Hui Shao And Ji Wen Shi Or In Its Denial Of Reopening Or Reconsideration To Petitioner Show Yung Guo. (4) With respect to petitioner Show Yung Guo, the BIA acted within its discretion in determining that she failed to adduce sufficient evidence to support reopening on the alternative ground that she qualified for relief from removal as an asylee refugee. Accordingly, the petitions for review are DENIED. NOTES [1] When last before this court, petitioner's name was spelled "Shou Yung Guo." See Shou Yung Guo v. Gonzales, 463 F.3d 109 (2d Cir.2006). Having consulted with counsel and confirmed that the preferred spelling is that used in the petition now before the court, we employ "Show Yung Guo" in this opinion. [2] Pursuant to Fed. R.App. P. 43(c)(2), "Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General of the United States," is automatically substituted for former Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales as necessary in all the cases decided in this opinion. The Clerk of Court is directed to amend the captions in these cases to conform to the above listing of petitioners and respondent. [3] Although we review the denial of Show Yung Guo's motion to reopen only for abuse of discretion, see infra at 168, our identification of substantial record evidence supporting the BIA's factual findings permits us readily to conclude that the agency's decision-making in this case was not arbitrary or capricious. [4] The 1999 Q & A Handbook states in relevant part: What birth-control measures are to be imposed upon birth of a first child/ a second child pursuant to the provincial family planning regulations? A: An IUD insertion is mandatory upon birth of a first child; sterilization upon birth of a second child. 1999 Q & A Handbook ¶ 16. The identical question and answer appears in the 2005 version of the handbook. See Changle City Family-Planning Information Promotion Q & A for General Public (Mar.2005) ("2005 Q & A Handbook"). [5] We note that in none of the three cases here at issue did the government argue that petitioners could avoid future persecution by relocating to another region in China. See 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b)(2)(ii) ("An applicant does not have a well-founded fear of persecution if the applicant could avoid persecution by relocating to another part of the applicant's country..., if under all the circumstances it would be reasonable to expect the applicant to do so"); id. § 208.13(b)(3)(ii) (placing the burden of proving reasonableness of relocation on government where "the persecutor is a government or is government-sponsored"); see also Jin Xiu Chen v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 468 F.3d 109, 111 (2d Cir.2006) (noting, in remanding in light of Shou Yung Guo, 463 F.3d 109, that "[r]eturning a person to a part of China where he or she will face an officially sanctioned policy of forced sterilization would appear to violate United States law ... except where the government has met its burden of proving that the applicant could avoid persecution by relocating to another region [in] his or her country of nationality"). [6] In J-H-S-, the BIA noted that an alien's ability to satisfy the "violation" prong of analysis was "a prerequisite to a finding that there is a `pattern or practice of persecution' of persons similarly situated to" the applicant. In re J-H-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 202 n. 4. Similarly, in J-W-S-, the BIA indicated that satisfaction of the "enforcement" prong of analysis was necessary to demonstrate a "pattern or practice of persecution." In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 190. Pattern-and-practice analysis affords a petitioner who cannot credibly demonstrate a reasonable possibility that he will be targeted as an individual for future persecution an alternative means to demonstrate that his fear of persecution is objectively reasonable. See 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b)(2)(iii) (recognizing that applicant can meet burden for well-founded fear of persecution by demonstrating a reasonable possibility of persecution against himself as an individual or a pattern or practice of persecution against persons in a group to which he belongs). To the extent the BIA has indicated that a "pattern or practice" of persecution is one that is "systemic, pervasive, or organized," we have deemed that standard "a reasonable one" while at the same time seeking clarification from the BIA as to how the standard might be applied reliably to "particular instances." Mufied v. Mukasey, 508 F.3d 88, 92-93 (2d Cir.2007) (internal quotation marks omitted) (remanding for clarification of how "systemic, pervasive, or organized" standard might apply to claims by Christians in Indonesia who feared future persecution). We understand the three-part analysis identified in the precedential decisions here at issue to provide satisfactory clarification of how a pattern or practice of persecution might reliably be identified in the cases of Chinese nationals claiming a fear of future persecution based on their having two or more children, whether born in China or in the United States. [7] In the challenged precedential opinions, the BIA specifically relied on various versions of two reports from the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor: one entitled China: Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions (referred to herein as "Profile"), and the other entitled China Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (referred to herein as "Country Report"). To the extent that, at times, this opinion provides pinpoint citations to versions of these documents that differ from those found in the BIA opinions, this appears to be a result of printing pagination differences in versions of the same report before the court and the BIA. [8] The 2007 Profile excerpt cited by the BIA acknowledges evidence presented to a congressional subcommittee in 1998 of "involuntary abortions and sterilizations" in Fujian Province. 2007 Profile ¶ 99. Nevertheless, the Profile notes that United States consular officials visiting Fujian more recently "did not find any cases of physical force employed in connection with abortion or sterilization." Id. In this context, the Profile observes that "[i]n interviews with visa applicants from Fujian, representing a wide cross-section of society, Consulate General Officers have found that many violators of the one-child policy paid fines but found no evidence of forced abortion or property confiscation." Id. [9] The BIA decision indicates that the record before the Board contained some forty documents deriving from a variety of sources: some personal to the petitioner; others produced by government authorities in the United States, China, and other countries; and still others reflecting academic and journalistic inquiry into China's family planning policies. See In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 186-88 nn. 1-3. Among these were the documents from Fujian Province and Changle City prompting our remand in Shou Yung Guo v. Gonzales, 463 F.3d 109. Also noteworthy among the documents before the Board is a 248-page study, produced by Dr. Susan Greenhalgh, Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine, and Dr. Edwin A. Winckler, Research Associate of the East Asian Institute at Columbia University. Distributed by the INS Resource Information Center, this study offers a detailed discussion of the background to and evolution of China's family planning policies. See Susan Greenhalgh & Edwin A. Winckler, INS Res. Info. Ctr., Perspective Series: Chinese State Birth Planning in the 1990s and Beyond (Sept.2001) ("2001 Greenhalgh & Winckler Study"). It outlines circumstances that have prompted particularly strict or flexible enforcement at different times, whether nationally or in various provinces of China. Significant to the petitions here at issue, the study includes a chapter devoted to Fujian Province. Id. at 127-61. Included therein is a subsection entitled "Rebellious Changle," which identifies various circumstances contributing to both that county's "culture of emigration" and its comparatively "lax enforcement" of family planning policies. Id. at 158-60 (internal quotation marks omitted). Although the study notes a lack of sufficient data to resolve "a main question implicit in INS concerns: is there any relationship between strong and weak birth program implementation and higher or lower levels of illegal international migration?" the authors offer observations that caution against categorical conclusions: First, if there is any connection, it is probably not between severity of enforcement and likelihood of illegal emigration. Birth planning is well enough (i.e., strictly enough) enforced in all counties to provide ample reason for emigration on the part of anyone determined to violate birth regulations. Second, if there is any relationship it may be not with enforcement that is strict but with enforcement that is routinely lax but periodically intensified through campaigns. Violating birth regulations and violating migration laws are both illegal behaviors that evidently flourish in certain independent-entrepreneurial places (like Changle county near Fuzhou City ...). Id. at 145 (emphasis in original). [10] Indeed, no such evidence was adduced in any of the three cases that are the subject of this opinion. [11] The BIA took administrative notice of the fact that no forced sterilizations were mentioned in a Canadian report discussing Chinese nationals removed from Canada. See id. at 191 & n. 6 (citing Research Directorate, Immigration & Refugee Bd. of Can., China: Penalties Faced by Couples Returning from Overseas who are in Violation of Family Planning Regulations (2001-2005) (Aug. 25, 2005)). Ji Wen Shi does not object to the BIA's consideration of this document in his due process challenge to the BIA's having taken notice of the State Department's 2007 Profile, see infra at 165-68. [12] As the BIA noted, these documents were submitted in Ji Wen Shi's case as attachments to one of the Aird affidavits. See In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 192. [13] The same three board members who decided J-H-S also decided S-Y-G-, with both decisions authored by Board Member David B. Holmes. [14] On remand, the BIA considered both the 1999 and 2005 versions of the Handbook, noting that the later document did "not reflect any change in substance" on the point at issue. See In re S-Y-G-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 257 n. 8. [15] In Cardoza-Fonseca, the Supreme Court indicated that the "well-founded fear" standard might be construed to "indicate `that so long as an objective situation is established by the evidence, it need not be shown that the situation will probably result in persecution, but it is enough that persecution is a reasonable possibility.'" 480 U.S. at 440, 107 S.Ct. 1207 (quoting INS v. Stevic, 467 U.S. 407, 424-25, 104 S.Ct. 2489, 81 L.Ed.2d 321 (1984)). This "reasonable possibility" criteria is now incorporated in 8 C.F.R. § 1208.13(b)(2)(i) (stating that "applicant has a well-founded fear of persecution if ... (B) There is a reasonable possibility of suffering... persecution" on account of a protected ground on removal to native country). [16] This court cited to this part of Cardoza-Fonseca to support the observation that a "slight" chance of persecution may support a well-founded fear. Diallo v. INS, 232 F.3d 279, 284 (2d Cir.2000). Since then, we have made clear that even a slight chance must be "discernible," id., by reference to "solid" evidence, Jian Xing Huang v. INS, 421 F.3d at 129. Thus, to demonstrate the reasonable possibility of persecution necessary to show a well-founded fear, a claimant must present "reliable, specific, objective supporting evidence." Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, 357 F.3d at 178 (internal quotation marks omitted); accord Yi Long Yang v. Gonzales, 478 F.3d at 140-41. [17] To the extent Show Yung Guo raises such a challenge in the context of her motion to reopen, we explain infra at 169-70 why we reject the argument on its merits. [18] Although Ji Wen Shi presses such a challenge, for reasons stated infra at 161-63, we conclude that the argument has not been preserved. [19] We discuss infra at 165-68 Ji Wen Shi's objection to the BIA taking judicial notice of the 2007 Profile in his case. Because Jian Hui Shao and Show Yung Guo raised no such objection in their petitions, we deem the argument waived as to these petitioners. [20] To the extent the victims of the reported forced sterilizations were women, see 2006 Country Report § 1(f), we note that Jian Hui Shao offered no evidence of reported forced sterilizations of men. See generally 2001 Greenhalgh & Winckler Study at 99-100, tbl.6.2 (noting irony that "so many of the asylum applicants claiming persecution under the one-child policy are male," while physical burdens associated with policy compliance abortions and the vast majority of sterilizations are borne by women). Indeed, at oral argument, petitioner's counsel admitted that Jian Hui Shao's wife, presumably as likely a target for forced sterilization as petitioner, was not sterilized after the birth of the couple's second child. Recognizing that the fact undermined the objective reasonableness of Jian Hui Shao's claim that his fear of sterilization was well founded, counsel asserted that petitioner's wife (with two children) had managed to live in hiding from government authorities since her husband's 2002 departure from China. [21] In a recent precedential decision, the BIA ruled that economic penalties qualified as persecution if the harm exacted "severe economic disadvantage," In re T-Z-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 163, 173 (B.I.A.2007) (internal quotation marks omitted), but noted that "[g]overnment sanctions that reduce an [alien] to an impoverished existence," such as a "particularly onerous fine, a large-scale confiscation of property, or a sweeping limitation of opportunities to continue to work in an established profession or business," may "amount to persecution even if the victim retains the ability to afford the bare essentials of life," id. at 174. [22] As noted supra note 20, petitioner has not alleged that physical or economic means were used to compel his wife to submit to sterilization as a result of the birth of a second child. [23] Certainly, none of the petitioners in these three cases attempted to demonstrate that their fears were well founded by pointing to any evidence of the statistical frequency with which forced abortions occurred in relevant areas. Cf. INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. at 431, 107 S.Ct. 1207 (citing approvingly to one-in-ten frequency as sufficient support for well-founded fear). [24] For example, the Aird affidavits refer to a 1988 incident in which a Chinese couple living abroad was reportedly told by family planning officials that they were not authorized to have a second child. The threatened punishment for a violation, however, was not forced sterilization but a ban on plans to expand the couple's factory in China and unspecified punishment to their workforce. See In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 189. To the extent the Aird affidavits also rely on the 2003 Changle City Administrative Opinion and 2003 Fujian Province Administrative Decision referenced in Shou Yung Guo v. Gonzales, 463 F.3d at 112-13, we discuss that evidence infra at 170-72 in addressing the BIA's findings with respect to local enforcement. [25] Although Ji Wen Shi asserts that the BIA erred in failing to consider whether "a significant economic hardship would result" due to his failure to comply with family planning policies, see Ji Wen Shi Br. at 25, it is evident that the BIA did explicitly consider that possibility but concluded, consistent with its decision in In re T-Z-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 163, and its conclusion in In re J-H-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 200, that at most Ji Wen Shi would face "moderate economic impact" not amounting to persecution, In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 191. [26] Although the BIA also noted that the 2007 Profile indicated that national policy did not provide for children born overseas to be counted for birth planning purposes when the parents return to China, see In re J-W-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 190 (citing 2007 Profile ¶¶ 111-12), it subsequently discussed the possibility that the Fujian Province and Changle City documents indicated a different local practice. We discuss the BIA's findings in that regard infra at 164-66. [27] The British assessment suggested that enforcement of birth control policy "is less strict in Fujian than in any other province except Guangdong." Country Info. & Policy Unit, UK Immigration and Nationality Directorate, China Country Assessment (Apr.2002) ¶ 6.26; see also 2001 Greenhalgh & Winckler Study at 158-60 (describing Changle county as a "good example of a coastal county with poor birth planning" and "an area of particularly lax enforcement," mainly due to families' strong preference for sons and leaders' failure to "take the lead"). [28] It appears from our review of the record that the BIA relied upon three State Department documents that were not submitted by the parties in reaching its conclusions: the 2006 Country Report, and the 2005 and 2007 Profiles. At oral argument, however, Ji Wen Shi clarified that his challenge was limited to the BIA's use of the 2007 Profile. [29] We note that the BIA did not have the benefit of our decisions in Chhetry and Burger at the time it issued its precedential decision in J-H-S-. But see In re S-Y-G-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 251 n. 2 (citing Chhetry in noting that petitioner had not challenged documents submitted by Department of Homeland Security on remand). In light of those decisions, we strongly encourage the BIA to adopt procedures to alert the parties of any agency intent to take judicial notice of extra-record facts and to afford them an opportunity to be heard. [30] To the extent that, in Shou Yung Guo v. Gonzales, we may have appeared to have equated mandated sterilization with forced sterilization, see 463 F.3d at 115 (observing that Q & A Handbook "len[t] powerful potential support to a finding of changed circumstances because it states that a parent of two children such as Guo would, on her return, be subject[ed] to forced sterilization"), we did not hold that the BIA was compelled to reach that same conclusion on a full review of the record. Indeed, we remanded this case because it was the BIA's responsibility to review the full documentary record and to make appropriate factual findings therefrom. It was only because it was "not apparent" that the BIA had given consideration to the contents of the Fujian Province and Changle City documents in its initial denial of reopening that we ordered remand. Id. It is now clear that the BIA has done precisely what it previously failed to do, i.e., fulfilled its "`duty to explicitly consider any country conditions evidence submitted by an applicant that materially bears on [her] claim.'" Id. (quoting Poradisova v. Gonzales, 420 F.3d at 81).
988 F.2d 117 NOTICE: Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3 provides that dispositions other than opinions or orders designated for publication are not precedential and should not be cited except when relevant under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel.Teresita B. ALCANTARA, Petitioner,v.UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE, Respondent. No. 92-70286. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Submitted Feb. 11, 1993.Decided Feb. 22, 1993. Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals, INS No. Avn-kmg-zxt. BIA PETITION DENIED. Before GOODWIN, SCHROEDER and CANBY, Circuit Judges. 1 MEMORANDUM* 2 Teresita B. Alcantara, a native and citizen of the Philippines, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals' ("BIA") dismissal of her appeal from the immigration judge's ("IJ") decision denying her application for asylum and withholding of deportation pursuant to 8 U.S.C. §§ 1158(a) and 1253(h). We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(a), and we deny the petition. 3 * Background 4 Alcantara entered the United States as a nonimmigrant visitor on May 5, 1988 and was authorized to remain until November 4, 1988. Alcantara failed to depart. On September 6, 1989, the Immigration and Naturalization Service ("INS") issued Alcantara an order to show cause ("OSC") why she should not be deported for overstaying the period of her visa, in violation of section 241(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("Act"), 8 U.S.C. § 1251(a)(1)(C). At her deportation hearing, held January 29, 1990, Alcantara, represented by counsel, admitted the allegations of deportability, but refused to designate a country of deportation because she planned to seek asylum and voluntary departure. The IJ designated the Philippines as the country of deportation, ordered Alcantara's asylum application due within 30 days, and continued Alcantara's case until June 22, 1990. 5 Alcantara submitted her application for asylum1, which was accompanied by a personal declaration. On November 14, 1990, following a hearing at which Alcantara testified, the IJ rendered an oral decision denying Alcantara's request for asylum and withholding of deportation but granting Alcantara's request for voluntary departure. 6 Alcantara filed a timely notice of appeal to the BIA, which affirmed the IJ's decision and dismissed Alcantara's appeal. Alcantara filed a timely petition to this court. II Standard of Review 7 Our review is limited to the BIA's decision. Rodriquez-Rivera v. U.S. Dep't of Immigration and Naturalization, 848 F.2d 998, 1001 (9th Cir.1988). In evaluating the petitioner's claims, we must uphold the BIA's factual determinations if "supported by reasonable, substantial, and probative evidence on the record considered as a whole." 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(a)(4). Under the substantial evidence test, "the BIA's conclusion, based on the evidence presented, [must] be substantially reasonable." De Valle v. INS, 901 F.2d 787, 790 (9th Cir.1990) (quotations omitted).2 "To reverse the BIA finding we must find that the evidence not only supports that conclusion, but compels it." INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 112 S.Ct. 812, 815 n. 1 (1992). See also Berroteran-Melendez v. INS, 955 F.2d 1251, 1253 (9th Cir.1992) ("Court [may not] reverse the BIA solely because the Court disagrees with the BIA's evaluation of the facts"). III Merits 8 Alcantara contends the BIA abused its discretion by affirming the IJ's decision because: (1) she proved that she had a well-founded fear of persecution, and (2) the IJ had abused his discretion by misapplying the facts of her case. These contentions lack merit. 9 Section 208(a) of the Act authorizes the Attorney General, in his discretion, to grant asylum to an alien who is a "refugee." As defined in the Act, a refugee is an alien who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her home country "because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion." 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42)(A). See INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 423 (1987).3 Persecution involves "the infliction of suffering or harm upon those who differ (in race, religion or political opinion) in a way regarded as offensive." Desir v. Ilchert, 840 F.2d 723, 727 (9th Cir.1988) (quotations omitted). If the persecution is not motivated by one of the five statutory grounds, then the alien is ineligible for asylum or withholding even if the threat of persecution is credited. See Diaz-Escobar v. INS, 782 F.2d 1488, 1494 (9th Cir.1985). 10 An alien may, alternatively, be entitled to withholding of deportation pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1253(h) if the alien can establish a "clear probability of persecution" based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Blanco-Lopez v. INS, 858 F.2d 531, 533 (9th Cir.1988). To meet this burden, the alien must show that it is more likely than not that he or she will be persecuted if deported back to his or her native country. Id. The "well-founded fear" standard applicable to asylum claims is more generous than the "clear probability" standard applicable to withholding of deportation. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. at 421. Accordingly, a petitioner who fails to demonstrate a "well-founded fear of persecution" required for asylum under section 1158(a) also fails to meet the more stringent standard of a "clear probability of persecution" required for withholding of deportation. De Valle, 901 F.2d at 790. 11 We agree that Alcantara has failed to establish statutory eligibility for asylum. Alcantara's request for asylum is based on her claim that she has a well-founded fear of being persecuted by her husband. During the asylum hearing, Alcantara testified that her husband arranged to have members of the National People's Army ("NPA") kidnap her in 1969 and that he thereafter raped her and forced her to marry him in a ceremony in which she was surrounded by NPA members. Alcantara testified that her husband kept her isolated from 1969 until her arrival in the United States in May 1988.4 Alcantara testified that her husband has connections with elected political figures in the Philippines and with NPA members and has threatened to kill her if she returns to the Philippines.5 12 There is substantial evidence in the record to support the BIA's conclusion that Alcantara's problems with her husband, which include threats of physical harm, are personal and do not amount to persecution on account of one of the five grounds enumerated in 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a). See Zayas-Marini v. INS, 785 F.2d 801, 806 (9th Cir.1986). As the BIA noted, while Alcantara has alleged that her husband is connected with the NPA, she failed to provide testimony or evidence indicating that any action by NPA members on behalf of her husband was motivated by anything other than personal reasons. 13 We conclude, in light of the entire record, that substantial evidence supports the BIA's determination that Alcantara has not shown a well-founded fear of persecution in the Philippines on account of her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. See id.; Diaz-Escobar, 782 F.2d at 1494. 14 Moreover, the BIA and the IJ questioned the credibility of Alcantara's testimony because of the inconsistency between her application for asylum and the testimony she offered at the asylum hearing. The BIA noted that Alcantara's application for asylum (Form I-589) filed on February 26, 1990 did not mention her fear of or threats by her husband. Rather, the application focused solely on the NPA's "increasing infiltration in Bataar" and her fear of being persecuted because of her belief that people should adhere to democratic principles. By contrast, at the asylum hearing on November 14, 1990, Alcantara relied heavily on her fear of her husband as the basis for her well-founded fear of persecution. See Rodriquez-Rivera, 848 F.2d at 1006 (alien's failure to include information in the asylum application is more probative where the IJ or BIA makes a statement regarding the alien's credibility). 15 In his oral decision, the IJ stated that he was "willing to accept minor discrepancies and omissions" but found "critical incidents [were] omitted from the application, events which, if true, any reasonable person would consider important in terms of the subjective fear of persecution. Then, of course, the aura of fabrication is overwhelming." The "IJ's credibility findings are given substantial deference by the reviewing court, [but] must be supported by a 'specific, cogent reason' for the disbelief." Berroteran-Melendez, 955 F.2d at 1256 (citing Turcios v. INS, 821 F.2d 1396, 1399 (9th Cir.1987)). See also Diaz-Escobar, 782 F.2d at 1492 (deference is given to the IJ's "express and implied determination concerning credibility where the record supports [the] finding."). 16 Alcantara has offered no reason for the omission. See Berroteran-Melendez, 955 F.2d at 1256-57. Alcantara contends that the adverse credibility findings of the IJ and BIA were based on factual errors resulting from the IJ's failure to understand Alcantara's testimony.6 Even if Alcantara's testimony is deemed credible, however, her claims do not establish a well-founded fear of persecution on account of one of the five enumerated categories. See Diaz-Escobar, 782 F.2d at 1494. 17 Because Alcantara failed to establish the asylum requirement of a "well-founded fear of persecution," she also has failed to meet the higher standard of "clear probability of persecution" required for withholding deportation. See Berroteran-Melendez, 955 F.2d at 1258. 18 PETITION DENIED. * The panel unanimously finds this case suitable for decision without oral argument. Fed.R.App.P. 34(a); 9th Cir.R. 34-4 ** This disposition is not appropriate for publication and may not be cited to or by the courts of this circuit except as provided by 9th Cir.R. 36-3 1 The application served as an application for asylum under section 208 of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1158, and for withholding of deportation under section 243 of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1253(h) 2 The substantial evidence test applies to the BIA's factual determination that an alien has failed to prove a well-founded fear of persecution, Sanchez-Trujillo v. INS, 801 F.2d 1571, 1578 (9th Cir.1986), as well as to the BIA's decision to grant or deny the request for withholding of deportation. Diaz-Escobar v. INS, 782 F.2d 1488, 1491-92 (9th Cir.1986) 3 To establish eligibility for asylum based on a well-founded fear of persecution, an alien must demonstrate both a subjective and an objective fear. Estrada-Posadas v. INS, 924 F.2d 916, 918 (9th Cir.1991). An applicant's "candid, credible, and sincere testimony demonstrating a genuine fear of persecution" satisfies the subjective component of the standard. See Blanco-Comarribas v. INS, 830 F.2d 1039, 1042 (9th Cir.1987) (quotations omitted). The objective component requires "credible, direct, and specific evidence in the record, of facts that would support a reasonable fear that the petitioner faces persecution." Rodriquez-Rivera, 848 F.2d at 1002 (quotation and emphasis omitted). Past persecution alone, independent of a well-founded fear of future persecution, is enough to establish an asylum claim. Desir v. Ichert, 840 F.2d 723, 729 (9th Cir.1988). The burden is on the alien to establish eligibility for asylum. Estrada-Posadas, 924 F.2d at 918 4 Alcantara testified that she has three daughters from the marriage. Although her daughters accompanied her to the United States in May 1988, Alcantara testified that she sent them back to the Philippines in June 1988 because her husband had threatened to kill her family members if she did not 5 Alcantara contends that the treatment and threats by her husband "may appear to be only his criminal behavior, but he uses the NPA, which is a terrorist organization that the Government has been unable to control, to carry out his threats." 6 Alcantara contends that she "obviously falls into a particular social group where she has been and is intimidated, persecuted, and controlled by the NPA through her husband." The IJ acknowledged Alcantara's "serious domestic problems" but was "convinced that [Alcantara's] problems in the Philippines are strictly personal and do not involve any of the five factors for consideration."
On November 9, 2018 the Trump administration issued a new bar on asylum, through a presidential proclamation. It applies to people who enter the U.S. unlawfully (outside an official port of entry) at the southern border, after the date of the presidential proclamation. The new rule, which is in force for the 90 days following its issuance, is published in the Federal Register. People subject to the asylum bar will still be eligible for two similar forms of humanitarian protection—withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). Any non-citizen who enters the U.S. outside a port of entry after the date of the proclamation will (as before) be screened for fear of returning to their home countries. Previously, first-time unlawful entrants were normally given what's known as a "credible fear" interview, to determine whether there was a "significant possibility" that they could establish eligibility for asylum. To be eligible for asylum one must demonstrate a "well-founded fear" of persecution. People ineligible for asylum (for example, those with previous removal orders on record) were given what are known as "reasonable fear" interviews, which require the person to show that there's a significant possibility they could meet a higher standard required for withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). Withholding of removal is a form of protection similar to asylum. However, the applicant must show it is more likely than not he or she will face persecution in his or her home country if returned, based on a protected ground. Protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT) is granted to people who can demonstrate that it's more likely than not they would face torture in their home countries if returned. Under the new proclamation, non-citizens who enter the U.S. between ports of entry will be deemed ineligible for asylum and thus only screened for withholding of removal and CAT protection in a reasonable-fear type interview. Under this heightened standard, fewer people will pass the initial screening interview. Those who enter unlawfully and are apprehended at the border are subject to expedited removal and will therefore ordinarily be removed to their home countries if they do not pass the reasonable fear interview, with no further proceedings available to them. Entrants who pass the reasonable fear interview will be put into removal proceedings. There, they can apply for withholding of removal and/or CAT protection in front of an immigration judge. They will also be eligible to be released on bond, if they can demonstrate they are not a flight risk and do not pose a national security risk. They can also challenge the asylum bar in front of the immigration judge if they believe they were incorrectly subject to the proclamation. People who do not pass the initial reasonable fear screening can ask to have the determination, including the determination they are subject to the asylum ban, reviewed by an immigration judge. If that determination is upheld by the immigration judge, however, they will be returned to their home country without a full hearing on the merits of their claim for humanitarian protection. The bar is in effect for 90 days, starting on November 9. However, it might be renewed thereafter. Expect court challenges, however. President Trump is unilaterally changing U.S. immigration law with this order. To do do, he invoked his authority under national security provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (I.N.A.), as he did in his travel ban. The legal community is likely to ask federal judges to review whether that use of executive action was an overreach.	https://www.nolo.com/legal-updates/trump-and-a-g-whitaker-announce-new-bar-to-asylum-for-unlawful-entrants.html
by various combinations of the eight elements (O, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K, and Mg) that make up 98.5% of the Earth’s crust. Industry depends on about 80 of the known minerals. A mineral deposit is a concentration of naturally occurring solid, liquid, or gaseous material, in or on the Earth’s crust in such form and amount that its extraction and its conversion into useful materials or items are profitable now or may be so in the future. Mineral resources are non-renewable and include metals (e.g. iron, copper, and aluminum), and non-metals (e.g. salt, gypsum, clay, sand, phosphates). Below is a selected list of commonly used metallic and nonmetallic minerals, ore minerals, mineral byproducts, aggregates, and rock types that are used to make products we use in our daily life. Aggregates Natural aggregates include sand, gravel, and crushed stone. Aggregates are composed of rock fragments that may be used in their natural state or after mechanical processing, such as crushing, washing, or sizing. Recycled aggregates consist mainly of crushed concrete and crushed asphalt pavement. Aluminium The most abundant metal element in Earth’s crust. Aluminum originates as an oxide called alumina. Bauxite ore is the main source of aluminum and must be imported from Jamaica, Guinea, Brazil, Guyana, etc. Used in transportation (automobiles), packaging, building/construction, electrical, machinery and other uses. Antimony A native element; antimony metal is extracted from stibnite ore and other minerals. Used as a hardening alloy for lead, especially storage batteries and cable sheaths; also used in bearing metal, type metal, solder, collapsible tubes and foil, sheet and pipes and semiconductor technology. Antimony is used as a ﬂame retardant, in freworks, and in antimony salts are used in the rubber, chemical and textile industries, as well as medicine and glass making. Barium A heavy metal contained in barite. Used as a heavy additive in oil well drilling; in the paper and rubber industries; as a fller or extender in cloth, ink and plastics products; in radiography (“barium milkshake”); as a deoxidizer for copper; a sparkplug in alloys; and in making expensive white pigments. Beryllium Beryllium, an element commonly associated with igneous rocks, has industrial and nuclear defense applications and is used in light, very strong alloys for the aircraft industry. Beryllium salts are used in x-ray tubes and as a deoxidizer in bronze metallurgy. The gemstones of beryl, a beryllium mineral, are emerald and aquamarine. Bromine Bromine, recovered commercially through the treatment of seawater brines, is used in leaded gasoline, fire extinguishers and retardants, well-completion fluids, and sanitary preparations. Bromine is the only liquid nonmetallic element. Cadmium Cadmium is used in plating and alloying, pigments, plastics, and batteries. Cadmium is obtained from the ore minerals Sphalerite (Zn,Cd)S and Greenockite (CdS). Chromium Chromium is used in the production of stainless and heat-resistant steel, full-alloy steel, super alloys and other alloys. Chromium is obtained from the ore mineral Chromite (Mg,Fe)(Cr,Al,Fe)2O4. Clays There are many different clay minerals that are used for industrial applications. Clays are used in the manufacturing of paper, refractories, rubber, ball clay, dinnerware and pottery, floor and wall tile, sanitary wear, fire clay, firebricks, foundry sands, drilling mud, iron-ore pelletizing, absorbent and filtering materials, construction materials, and cosmetics. Copper Used in building construction, electric and electronic products (cables and wires, switches, plumbing, heating); transportation equipment; roofng; chemical and pharmaceutical machinery; and alloys (brass, bronze and beryllium alloyed with copper are particularly vibration resistant); alloy castings; electroplated protective coatings and undercoats for nickel, chromium, zinc, etc. More recently copper is being used in medical equipment due to its anti-microbial properties. The United States has mines in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada and Montana. Leading producers are Chile, Peru, China, United States and Australia. Feldspar Feldspar is a rock-forming mineral. It is used in glass and ceramic industries; pottery, porcelain and enamelware; soaps; bond for abrasive wheels; cement; glues; fertilizer; and tarred roofing materials and as a sizing, or filler, in textiles and paper applications. Fluorite (ﬂuorspar) Used in production of hydroﬂuoric acid, which is used in the pottery, ceramics, optical, electroplating and plastics industries; in the metallurgical treatment of bauxite; as a ﬂux in open hearth steel furnaces and in metal smelting; in carbon electrodes; emery wheels; electric arc welders; toothpaste; and paint pigment. It is a key ingredient in the processing of aluminum and uranium. Garnet Garnet is used in water filtration, electronic components, ceramics, glass, jewelry, and abrasives used in wood furniture and transport manufacturing. "Garnet is a common metamorphic mineral that becomes abundant enough to mine in a few rocks" (Kesler, 1994). Gold Used in jewelry and arts; dentistry and medicine; in medallions and coins; in ingots as a store of value; for scientific and electronic instruments; as an electrolyte in the electroplating industry. Leading producers are China, Australia, United States, Russia and Canada. Iron The Earth's crust contains about 5% iron, the fourth most abundant element in the crust. Used to manufacture steels of various types. Powdered iron: used in metallurgy products; magnets; high-frequency cores; auto parts; catalyst. Radioactive iron (iron 59): in medicine; tracer element in biochemical and metallurgical research. Iron blue: in paints, printing inks, plastics, cosmetics, paper dyeing. Black iron oxide: as pigment; in polishing compounds; metallurgy; medicine; magnetic inks. Most U.S. production is from Minnesota and Michigan. China, Australia, Brazil and Russia are the major producers. Lead Lead is used in batteries, construction, ammunition, television tubes, nuclear shielding, ceramics, weights, and tubes or containers. The United States is largest producer (mainly from Missouri), consumer, and recycler of lead metal. Manganese Ore is essential to iron and steel production. Also used in the making of manganese ferro-alloys. Construction, machinery and transportation end uses account for most U.S. consumption of manganese. Manganese ore has not been produced in the U.S. since 1970. Major producers are South Africa, Australia, China, Gabon and Brazil. Mica Micas commonly occur as sheets, ﬂakes, scales or shreds. Ground mica is used in paints, as joint cement, as a dusting agent, in oil welldrilling muds; and in plastics, roofng, rubber and welding rods. Sheet mica is fabricated into parts for electronic and electronic equipment. China and Russia are leading producers. Molybdenum Used in alloy steels to make automotive parts, construction equipment, gas transmission pipes; stainless steels; tool steels; cast irons; super alloys; and chemicals and lubricants. Major producers are China, the United States, Chile and Peru. Nickel Nickel is vital as an alloy to stainless steel, and it plays a key roll in the chemical and aerospace industries. Leading producers are Canada, Norway, and Russia. Pyrite Used in the manufacture of sulfur, sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide; pellets of pressed pyrite dust are used to recover iron, gold, copper, cobalt, nickel; used to make inexpensive jewelry. Quartz Quartz crystals are popular as a semiprecious gemstone; crystalline varieties include amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, and smoky quartz. Because of its piezoelectric properties (the ability to generate electricity under mechanical stress), quartz is used for pressure gauges, oscillators, resonators, and wave stabilizers. Quartz is also used in the manufacture of glass, paints, abrasives, refractories, and precision instruments. Silver Silver is used in photography, chemistry, electrical and electronic products (because of its very high conductivity), fine silverware, electroplated wire, jewelry, coins, and brazing alloys and solders. The leading global producers include Mexico, China, Peru, Chile, Australia, Bolivia and the U.S. Tungsten Tungsten is used in steel production, metalworking, cutting applications, construction electrical machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, light bulbs, carbide drilling equipment, heat and radiation shielding, textile dyes, enamels, paints, and for coloring glass. Uranium Uranium is a radioactive material used in nuclear defense systems and for nuclear generation of electricity. It also used in nuclear-medicine x-ray machines, atomic dating, and electronic instruments. Zinc Zinc is used as protective coating on steel, as die casting, as an alloying metal with copper to make brass, and as chemical compounds in rubber and paint. Additional uses include galvanizing iron, electroplating, metal spraying, automotive parts, electrical fuses, anodes, dry-cell batteries, nutrition, chemicals, roof gutters, cable wrapping, and pennies. Zinc oxide is used in medicine, paints, vulcanizing rubber, and sun-block lotions. U.S. production is in three states and 13 mines. Leading producers are China, Australia, Peru and the U.S.	https://destinationgolddetectors.com/en-ca/blogs/news/mineral-mondays-3-common-minerals-their-uses
A vision field test is a method of measuring an individual’s entire scope of vision, that is their central and peripheral (side) vision. Visual field testing is most frequently used to detect signs of glaucoma damage to the optic nerve but is also used for detection of central or peripheral retinal diseases, ptosis, optic nerve damage and disease, and conditions affecting the visual pathways from the optic nerve to the area of the brain (occipital cortex) where this information is processed into vision. There are 2 popular types of testing: confrontation visual field test (CVFT) and automated perimetry test (APT). With the CVFT, you will be asked to look directly at an object in front of you, (such as the doctor’s nose) while one of your eyes is covered. Your doctor may hold up different numbers of fingers in areas of your peripheral (side) vision field and ask how many you see as you look at the target in front of you. APT is a computerized test where you will be asked to look at a dot in the center and small, dim lights will begin to appear in different places throughout the bowl, and you will press a button whenever you see a light. The machine tracks which lights you did not see. Because you are looking straight ahead during the test, your doctor can tell which lights you see outside of your central area of vision. Since glaucoma affects peripheral vision, this test helps show if there is vision loss outside of your central visual field. This test creates a more detailed map for your doctor to monitor your vision.	https://wisefamilyeye.com/what-is-vision-field-test/
Why digital collaboration We define digital collaboration as the digital systems people use to collaborate internally (within the enterprise network) or externally (with enterprise communities or partners) to get things done. Modern companies are increasingly structured in silos. Specializations within different enterprise functions, geographic distribution and the proliferation of digital tools isolate people within their immediate business units. Digital collaboration tools increase collaboration in the enterprise by creating collaboration synergies through a modern digital setting. Digital collaboration tools connect people, information, business applications and company communications, transforming your company into a unified, successful business force. In practice, digital collaboration platforms provide a number of recent innovative technologies, such as social collaboration, project management, and real-time communication, within an integrated digital setting.	https://www.exoplatform.com/social-collaboration-benefits-and-use-cases-white-paper/?utm_source=BlogEn&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Content&utm_content=link
Timeless Memories and Shared Rites: the Importance of Celebrations Every year, on the same date, at the same time, I stop my normal routine to focus on one single event: a celebration. It could be a birthday, the accomplishment of a milestone, a Remembrance Day, or a special situation that I want to remember. Due to my cultural background -- born in South America under a heavy Christian and Catholic influence -- I am used to celebrating Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, and any other religious holiday we might have. With my family, we also celebrate western festivities such as New Year on the 1st of January, or our National Day. I have never questioned any of those events. On the contrary, I have always enjoyed them, even though the religious meaning of some celebrations has faded for me. But, why do we celebrate? Why do we give some events a special place in our lives? The Roaring 20s - New Years Eve Extravaganza [Photograph] https://365thingsinhouston.com/calendar/the-roaring-20s-new-years-eve-extravaganza-at-como-social-club/the-roaring-20s-new-years-eve-extravaganza/ The Origins According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word "celebration" comes from the Latin celebratio(n-), from the verb celebrare, from celeber, ‘frequented or honored’, or ‘assemble to honor’. This takes us to approach the celebrations as something we honor, and the way we do so will depend on our cultural pocket, background, and personal taste; even when we share the dates as a social agreement, usually each individual participates in their particular way. Just as an example, I like to bite my birthday cake right after I blow out the candles. My sisters like to push my face into the cake right after I do my biting. And yes, we do that every single year. The ‘assemble’ element in the meaning of celebration also leads us to an activity that might involve more than one person. The celebration, then, is collective and, in some cases, it will be also public. And the element ‘frequented’ marks the intended repetition of the honoring action. Then, we can understand a celebration as the activity -- private or public, singular or collective -- of honoring something that we consider important. Experts are uncertain about when was the first time the word celebration was used, but there are records from the mid-15th century, which indicates it gained popularity during this period. This does not mean there were a lack of festivities to commemorate special occasions before that period. Many ancient cultures had traditions and specific rituals to celebrate, and they were usually related to natural phenomenon. One example of this is the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it generally takes place between December 20th and 23rd and marks the beginning of the winter season. With only a few hours of light, the darkest day of the year used to be welcomed with fire and light, making those elements an important symbol of its celebration. Archaeologists have theorized about the origin of this tradition, placing it around the year 10,200 BC during the last part of the Stone Age, where men started to observe nature and its cycles. As a testimony of those beginnings there are some Neolithic monuments, like Stonehenge, which was built toward the Winter Solstice sunset. Here, people would gather to hold rituals to capture the sun on the shortest day of the year. The Winter Solstice and Stonehenge [Photograph] www.stonehengetours.com Another example of ancient celebration is Babylonia’s Akitu, a New Year multi-day festival to honor the rebirth of the natural world. This would have taken place around 2000 B.C. and it was a mixture of religious and mythological traditions. During these days, several rites were enacted, symbolizing the victory of their gods against the forces of chaos. The world would be cleansed and then recreated by them in preparation for the return of spring. Some historians have also speculated that the festivities were used by the monarchy to perpetuate the divine origin of their kings -- and their divine right to have control over the people -- by an act of humiliation: the king had to be stripped of his royal regalia and would swear in front of the god Marduk that he had led the city with honor. Then, a high priest would slap him and drag the king by his ears. If the monarch cried, it was taken as a sign that Marduk was satisfied and, therefore, will extend the king’s rule. Nature, religion, and politics were the central elements for celebration and the gravitational point to maintain tribes' or even civilizations' unity. The continuous celebration of the rituals on specific days or seasons originated customs and traditions. Some of them have disappeared, but we can still enjoy others that have been modified with the time to satisfy new beliefs -- like Halloween -- or to be accommodated to new social schemes. Vintage Halloween costumes, early 20th century. [Photograph] https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2016/oct/31/scary-vintage-halloween-costumes-in-pictures Sharing Moments to Create Memories Collective and public celebrations are common and well-received activities. Even if we do not share the same religious beliefs or if we are coming from a different country, we would probably enjoy the time off during Christmas or Boxing Day. Also, it would be normal to give a present or share a cake to celebrate someone else’s birthday. In one way or another, we have accustomed traditions to blend with our environment. But celebrations do not always have to be shared. We can have our private celebrations or commemorations. Because the word celebration, even though it brings to our mind a joyful experience, does not always require balloons or fireworks. Sometimes, we also dedicate time to honor our past love ones, our fallen soldiers or our heroes, with solemn ceremonies or quiet days of reflection. Celebration then becomes a more personal and intimate moment. Either way, the idea of celebration has an important effect on our lives. It makes us feel we belong to each other and also is a reminder that everything in our life is part of a cycle. We repeat certain rites to revive a myth, to bring a memory to life. It is also a powerful reminder of what we have accomplished: we celebrate the end of a milestone to encourage ourselves to go even further. According to the research Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life (Emmons and McCullough, 2003), “people who cultivate a daily attitude of celebration and gratitude have more energy, less stress, and anxiety, are more likely to help others." We are also able to create our own celebrations. And for sure, we do. Each individual has unique experiences, and each of those situations can be transformed into a celebration motive. We have the power to preserve our memories by creating personal rituals and transforming them into our very own traditions. Every year, on the same date, I stop my normal routine to focus on one single event: the day I left my country and moved to the other side of the world looking for new opportunities and a better life. I usually celebrate it with my closest friend: we review how many years have passed and the highlights of this adventure. All the experiences we have collected during those years now are transformed into memories that we do not want to forget. They are our reminders of where we came from, who we were, and who we have become. To me, living in another country and continuing to celebrate certain traditions from my homeland makes me feel as though I am still part of them. Same with my family. Every time we gather, our ties get stronger and it allows me to bring a piece of that family to my present. Space and time disappear for that moment -- a moment when a new memory is created, encapsulating loving feelings and joy that we can evoke in the future, on the same date, repeating the same rites. Celebration goes far beyond drinking, having parties, or balloons; its meaning goes deeper than a recurrent gathering. Celebrations are what have kept cultures and traditions alive for centuries, they are what help us to create our identity, to reinforce our sense of community, and serve as a reminder of where we belong. References: Online Etymology Dictionary. At https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=celebrate History Channel: Winter Solstice, 2017. At https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/winter-solstice History Chanel: 5 Ancient New Years Celebrations. At https://www.history.com/news/5-ancient-new-years-celebrations Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Copyright 2003 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 2003, Vol. 84, No. 2, 377–389 Image Sources:	https://www.byarcadia.org/post/timeless-memories-and-shared-rites-the-importance-of-celebrations
National Volunteer Week 2021 Is Here! Celebrate with us as we highlight #ArtAsActivism! Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. (APHCV) is a nonprofit community health center whose mission is to be the medical home for our patients by providing personalized, quality health care services in a culturally accessible manner. Our vision is a medical home where our patients and their families, from diverse backgrounds, attain optimal health and wellness. APHCV delivers full lifecycle health care services including pediatric, prenatal, adolescent, adult and geriatric care, family planning, integrated mental health, and HIV testing. In addition to medical services, APHCV provides various enabling services including health insurance enrollment, food stamp application assistance, health education, parenting classes, and referrals to social and legal services. APHCV also provides on-site activities such as diabetes support groups, Tai Chi, yoga, dance classes, and senior social opportunities. APHCV provides services to more than 14,180 patients annually, 32% of whom are uninsured and 89% who have annual incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. accepts donations. Donate Now.	https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/org23706.jsp
What is Elbow Replacement? The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a crucial ligament for knee stability. It primarily prevents abnormal front & back movement of the tibia (leg bone) in relation to the femur (thigh bone). How does the ACL tear? The ACL does not tear without some form of an injury. These injuries may occur during sports, road traffic accidents or activities of daily living (slipping on a wet floor, jumping from a low height or even dancing) that result in a sudden change of direction (pivoting), jumping or landing awkwardly. In rare situations, minor twisting while walking on uneven surfaces may lead to ACL tears. What happens when the ACL is torn? A torn ACL may lead to an unstable knee that results in "buckling" on sudden change of direction. Buckling causes abnormal movement between the thigh bone (femur) & the leg bone (tibia). This leads to tears of the menisci (shock absorbing cushions between these bones) and the articular cartilage (protective lining of the joint) causing early arthritis. The aim of treatment is to prevent this abnormal movement either by surgery or in some cases physiotherapy and / or activity modification. When to go for surgery ACL surgery is performed once the knee is pain free, not swollen, the muscles around the knee stronger through targeted exercises (prehab) and knee bending is satisfactory. In some cases this may be sufficient to manage the instability and no surgery is needed. However, if there is persistent instability, surgery (ACL reconstruction) is recommended. The Procedure ACL reconstruction is done arthroscopically (key hole surgery). Grafts from the patient (autograft) or rarely allografts(from cadavers) are used. Subtle injuries to the capsule or other ligamentous structures may be detected during arthroscopic evaluation done at the time of ACL reconstruction. These deficits need to be addressed to prevent failure of the reconstructed ACL. Some of these reconstructions include the ALL (anterolateral ligament) or the PLC (poster-lateral corner).	https://www.polarishealthcare.in/orthopaedics/elbow-replacement
In early 2006, an Alaska Interagency Avian Influenza Working Group was formed to develop a ranking matrix for selecting priority species to be sampled within Alaska. Most wild bird species with populations that utilize areas of both Alaska and Asia were identified and considered in the ranking exercise. Based on scoring criteria, 28 target species were chosen for sampling. Alaska is a geographically important focus of the surveillance program because it lies within the migratory routes of birds that move between North America and Asia. Because of these migratory routes, Alaska is a likely location for initial introductions of foreign-origin avian diseases. Return to Ecosystems >> Wildlife Disease and Environmental Health >> Avian Influenza Concerns for human health and the impacts of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strains on domestic and wild birds prompted an inter-agency surveillance program to monitor and provide scientific data on the virus. The USGS has been part of this effort since 2006 and has contributed significant scientific information and analytical advances for decision-making by domestic poultry and natural resource agencies. Based on scoring criteria, 28 target species were chosen for sampling based on five factors: 1) proportion of the population occurring in Asia, 2) contact with a known ‘hot spot’ or source of highly pathogenic avian influenza, 3) habitats used in Asia in context with exposure potential, 4) population size in Alaska, and 5) ability to obtain a representative sample of sufficient size. The USGS continues to conduct surveillance and research each year on wild, migratory birds throughout North America. Information about these species can be found below. However, as USGS and other agency partners began to look at the virus data from wild bird sampling, it became clear that some birds and regions were not useful for obtaining viral genetic information that informed future surveillance plans (see Ramey et al. 2010). Thus, currently, the USGS now samples annually at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in the fall and only samples a handful of species, such as northern pintail, emperor geese, and glaucous-winged gulls. By reducing the scale of our sampling, we obtain valuable information on avian influenza for a much smaller cost.	https://www.usgs.gov/centers/asc/science/high-priority-species-avian-influenza-alaska
With globalisation, we have seen the traditional barriers to trade and finance progressively lowered, and in this process, many have gained. Indeed, globalisation has been responsible for large increases in world trade, fluid flows of capital seeking higher returns, imports of final products at lower cost to consumers, jobs and escapes out of poverty for hundreds of millions, and profits for the business community in both advanced and emerging market economies. In this clamour for greater connectivity, issues of the distribution of the gains from globalisation were largely ignored, except in the work of some, like Joseph Stiglitz, largely because gains were large and benefitted many on both sides of the transaction. Yet, the benefits incurred costs as well. Although it is difficult to do a thorough net cost-benefit analysis of globalisation, it clearly enabled many in the developing world to increase their incomes, and many in the advanced economies to consume more at lower prices. Accompanying the process of globalisation was a process of technological advancement. New technology has enabled many to increase access to seemingly free information and to connect to the new and expanding global digital economy, while for others it has meant job losses and retrenchment. While the net gains still prevail from both phenomena, the process for compensating losers has been inadequate, and in some contexts largely foregone (see Estache and Leipziger 2009 for an early warning). This discontent has turned progressively into frustration and anger, and we now hear loud complaints about the course of globalisation. Some, like Dani Rodrik (2011), have argued that there is an inconsistency among hyper-globalisation, national economic interests, and democracy, and recent political developments on both sides of the Atlantic support this view. My aim in this policy brief is to examine what went wrong, what was swept under the rug, and where governments have failed in dealing with globalisation. I believe that inclusive economic growth is currently at risk in many countries. Why is this a problem? First, it encourages a backlash against globalisation that can actually make most worse off (viz. a poor Pareto outcome). Second, it can inhibit the positive contributions of what is being dubbed the Fourth Industrial Revolution – that is, gains in technology which have the potential for enhancing global welfare. And third, a failure to deal with worsening inequality threatens to undermine the socio-political fabric of countries, affecting the governability of nations. What went wrong? In hindsight, it is easy to say that warning signals were missed, that we suffered from collective amnesia, that we were seduced by the efficiency gains of better-integrated markets, or that powerful interests prevailed while those of the median worker were largely ignored. It is a valid observation, however, that some countries (advanced economies) did better than others in protecting their citizens from declines in real or relative living standards. It is also true that among those countries gaining the most (emerging economies), there were differences with respect to the value placed on distributional aspects of income gains. The process of disentangling the dynamics of relative incomes is complicated by a number of factors. Among them are the rapidity with which capital can move compared to labour, the degree to which skill requirements can change over the course of a citizen’s working life, the nature of winner-take-all markets and the size of rents earned in certain markets, and the powerlessness of workers when confronted with cross-border competition. All of these factors have been magnified by the weaknesses of the global economy post Great Recession. Or, put differently, many of the problems that were decades in the making were easily obscured by the abnormal period of expansion in the period preceding the global collapse. The nature of this massive underlying political and social failure can be seen through different lenses. One lens highlights impediments to the amelioration of losses. These impediments include inadequate and/or ineffective active labour market policies; weak regulation of the world’s financial sectors, which allowed the socialisation of losses and the concentration of gains; corruption in some countries, and the use of political influence in others; and the inability of parts of society to effectively voice their discontents. In some countries, like the US, physical mobility has fallen, skills have not kept pace, and wage earners have lost purchasing power. This has led to calls for protectionism and a withdrawal of support for an open world economic order. Another lens through which to see globalisation is abuse of the system. Abuse can take the form of global arbitrage when it comes to the parking of profits, locating headquarters so as to gain tax advantages, or transfer pricing, all aimed at gaining at the expense of national economic authorities. These abusive practices, which some may call hyper-globalisation, limit the ability of national governments, even if they were so inclined, to manage the downsides of globalisation and invest more in safety nets, re-skilling, relocation, and the like. Firms that engage in these practices, either to gain supposed shareholder value or to feather their corporate nests, have done globalisation a large disservice. Governments that ignored warning signals or were lobbied to allow abusive practices are also at fault; and, of course, those firms that curried favour and attracted illicit profits are even more at fault. A third lens through which to examine where globalisation has failed is state capitalism – that is, the combination of participation in global markets without any of the possible checks and balances of the market. Weak regulation of markets can yield similar outcomes; however, when unfair practices are employed by state actors, there are neither domestic remedies to force adherence to market principles nor global accountability. Forced joint ventures with state-owned enterprises, for example, have led to technology thefts, and state financing has allowed for non-market-based strategic acquisitions. To be fair, variants of state capitalism have produced tremendous national gains in terms of poverty reduction and global convergence of incomes to the global citizen. Following the work of Branko Milanovic (2016), we see that the large gains registered by those in emerging market economies have come at the expense of those in the middle class of advanced economies (viz. the so-called Elephant Curve). There has been insufficient recognition of globalisation’s losers, who suffer either directly through job losses or indirectly through financial misdealings that rob national coffers. Moreover, no global compensation system exists to manage the distortions emanating from state capitalism. Possible solutions and implications for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Solutions can be found at the individual, local, national, and international levels. At the individual level, the globalisation narrative needs to include the household benefits of globalisation and access to objective and accurate information from reliable sources. Education and skills acquisition need to be both encouraged and subsidised, since without them opportunities are limited. This is all the more important given the disruptive nature of technology going forward and the speed with which it may occur. At the local level, depressed areas and lagging regions require effective transfers and investment. National policies can learn from successful experiences in seeking effective solutions. Government spending on innovation (e.g. R&D/GDP) compared with spending on economic adjustment (e.g. active labour market spending/GDP) may be a useful indicative indicator of relative effort placed on creating new industries versus managing the impact of declining ones. Adequate income redistribution ex post depends on public policy, including effective taxation and collection on firms and individuals and its efficient use. This is where globalisation has largely failed, as many highly successful corporations have avoided paying their fair share. Beyond redistribution, however, it is fair to say that because there are both monetary and non-pecuniary rewards to work, governments, at various levels, need to be in a position to create new jobs. This does not necessarily imply the need for an industrial policy. But like the WPA after the Great Depression in the US, jobs programmes would have been useful following the Great Recession, perhaps linked to deficiencies in national infrastructure. It can be argued that effective labour market programs need to be found going forward to deal with future dislocations due to disruptive technology. This can be seen as part of preparedness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Effective cross-border regulation has come too little too late. Many countries turn a blind eye to existing tax havens. Stashing of illicit funds is commonplace and efforts to curb them lag. Many aspects of hyper-globalisation can be seen as antithetical to effective national policy, while national economic policies themselves can be justly criticised for not dealing with the excluded, the marginalised, and the under-skilled. Inequality beyond a certain point becomes poisonous because economic opportunity becomes skewed and limited. In the same way that economic prospects should not be determined at birth by gender or race, there must be the prospect of economic advancement. Concluding remarks The goals of more equitable economic growth and of social inclusion can either be facilitated or hindered by the shape of globalisation. If globalisation moves, as it has, with few effective limits on bad behaviour, and if national economic policies are either captured by vested interests or are simply powerless to stop the excesses of globalisation, then a wholesale retrenchment is inevitable. This would be a global loss in economic efficiency and would also condemn the poor regions of the globe to persistent poverty. Making globalisation work for a greater number of people in the advanced countries is indispensable to help fight poverty in developing countries. Furthermore, the way in which inequality is dealt with in the advanced economies is a useful guide to middle-income countries facing diminishing growth prospects and rising inequality. Put positively, we find ourselves in a low growth situation at present and also in a poor place with respect to economic and social inclusion. The set of available policy choices can be improved by recognition that globalisation has reached a stage where its benefits have been captured but its costs have been ignored. This is bad for economic growth – both directly from the demand side, but also from the supply side, since human endeavours are thwarted and productivity is low. Most critically, rising inequality is socially uncomfortable and the persistence of exclusion creates political forces that are detrimental to growing the pie and benefitting from technology’s potential. While rising incomes is not the only goal, stagnant or declining incomes limit the abilities of governments to effectively redistribute. Finally, there is evidence that globalisation is slowing down when viewed from the vantage point of international trade and global value chains. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook (2016) examines the factors behind this slowdown; Constantinescu et al. (2016) look even more deeply into shifting import propensities and changes to global supply chains. These trends, probably in train for a while, have been exacerbated by poor global economic conditions and a lack of confidence. If we add to this outlook the new pressures to de-globalise that emanate from the distributional impact on some productive sectors in advanced economies, the political constellation becomes worrying. Breaking this cycle requires that governments address inequality and social inclusion, boost global investment and restore confidence. Moreover, governments must deal with the abuses of the system by checking those who have extracted too much and contributed too little. References Constantinescu, C, A Mattoo and M Ruta (2016) “The global trade slowdown: Cyclical or structural”, IMF Working Paper 15/6, Washington, DC. Estache, A and D Leipziger (2009) “Fiscal policy, distribution, and the middle class”, in Estache and Leipziger (eds), Stuck in the Middle, Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. IMF (2016) “Chapter 2: What’s behind the trade slowdown”, in World Economic Outlook, Washington, DC: IMF. Milanovic, B (2016) Global inequality: A new approach for the age of globalization, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Rodrik, D (2011) The Globalization Paradox, New York, NY: W.W. Norton. Stiglitz, J (2012) Globalization and Its Discontents, New York, NY: W.W. Norton.	https://voxeu.org/article/make-globalisation-more-inclusive-or-suffer-consequences
The far-reaching transformation of the financial industry in past years – both in regulation and in the market – has led to rising costs and falling revenues for many players and directly impact business models. Regulatory costs alone have reached USD 70 billion for the banking sector according to a study Regnology conducted with Chartis Research in 2018. And despite this significant spending on regulatory reporting by financial institutions and attempts by European supervisors to harmonize the regulatory framework, the system of banking regulation continues to suffer from a lack of data quality – due to historically grown IT systems, difficulties in organizing the cooperation of financial institutions for data-model standardization, and a lack of functioning outsourcing solutions. Historically, institutions were required to report data in templates, providing data sorted and aggregated according to given criteria and delivered according to a set frequency. At present, we see a clear trend away from collecting aggregated data towards requiring granular data sets, which must be reported promptly and validated at a detailed level, e.g., transaction-based reporting for derivatives and AnaCredit. This trend provides supervisory authorities with comprehensive data that can be examined based on many different characteristics. That granular information from two counterparties must be directly complementary to each other, known as triple-entry accounting, will increasingly become the focus of supervisory bodies in the future. Clearly defined standards for data models and the associated data processing logic are necessary to provide regulators with flexible, prompt and granular data. Despite many projects, such as BIRD and IReF at the European level, and a clear mandate from the legislator under Article 430(c) of the CRR II, progress here has so far been modest. Currently, data is queried several times for different reporting frameworks (e.g., liquidity, solvency, statistics). Instead, at least one output data format should be specified that defines the necessary information for a business data set with which the regulator can perform all its tasks within the existing regulatory frameworks. In many cases, it would even be useful to define an input data format based on which data can be uniformly processed. Banks compete in both core and non-core businesses. While competition in the core business should be the main revenue driver, competition in non-core business is often meaningless. In banking regulation, it contributes neither to individual business success nor to social welfare. For this reason, a state of "coopetition" is called for, i.e., competition in core business and cooperation in non-core business, in which resources in non-core business are shared to reduce costs. Coopetition models are becoming more interesting in the financial sector as a result of increased digitization, the expansion of cloud infrastructures, the increase in computing and storage capacities and the ongoing development of platform business models. In the case of regulatory reporting, for example, banks could share significant portions of the costs for IT infrastructure, IT deployment, IT maintenance, IT licenses, regulatory analyses, and their design. In our opinion, a joint utility model in conjunction with the standardization and granularization of data delivery and processing initiatives is the only way to counter the regulatory wave and sustainably reduce regulatory costs. Our RegTech Factory is a comprehensive, modular, and individually configurable form of Managed Services which rewards cooperation. RegTech Factory builds on our existing Managed Services offering, with its support of the reporting process and/or the application management of the reporting software, and it extends it by an infrastructure service shared by several banks. By sharing infrastructure services and Regulatory Reporting as a Service offers, banks can reduce cost and effort for the operation of the reporting system - both on the IT side and on the functional side. This generates "economies of share". Synergies from the joint use of computer capacity and regulatory reporting expertise lead to cost savings for participating customers. With the RegTech Factory, we are effectively setting a new market standard. Financial institutions can particularly benefit from our extensive regulatory experience and our good cooperation with regulators and supervisors. Our goal is to ensure that the RegTech Factory not only meets the expectations of the reporting institutions, but also those of supervisory authorities. With our solutions, we want to contribute to global financial stability. Dr. Maciej Piechocki, Member of the Management Board and responsible for regulatory topics By sharing a common infrastructure, computer capacities are only used when they are needed. This also brings the application of "public" or "private" clouds into focus, to create further elasticity for users. The introduction of distributed computing procedures on the software side - also known as horizontal scaling - will enable increased scalability with reduced hardware requirements in the future. Applying distributed computing, the factory can take advantage of the fact that often not all participants need the full computing power at the same time. Furthermore, the use of the RegTech Factory allows the establishment of a regulatory reporting network consisting of a consortium of banks. Through knowledge exchange and the continuous expansion of the network, the consortium can set de facto industry standards in reporting and thus actively shape the industry.	https://www.regnology.net/en/knowledge-hub/insights/regtech-factory-using-economies-of-share-to-improve-the-quality-and-reduce-the-cost-of-regulatory-reporting/
Burma’s largest area of mangrove forests has declined by 64.2 percent since 1978, according to new research, which forecasts a gloomy future for the vital forests. RANGOON — The mangrove forests of Burma’s Irrawaddy Delta have been devastated by deforestation, and could be completely wiped out in the next few decades if nothing is done to save them, according to a new study. The report from researchers at the National University of Singapore, published in the journal Global Environmental Change and posted online Nov. 21, employed satellite imaging to record the steady decline of the Irrawaddy Delta’s mangrove forests from 1978 to 2011, and gave a pessimistic forecast for the forests’ future. It is estimated that half the world’s mangrove forestshave been wiped out in the past six decades. Those remaining—largely in Southeast Asia, South America and Central America—are under increasing threat from deforestation. Mangrove forests are an important habitat, a bulwark against coastal erosion and also help to minimize the effects of extreme weather events, such as the 2008 Cyclone Nargis that killed more than 130,000 people after making landfall in the Irrawaddy Delta. The Irrawaddy Delta, also known as the Ayeyarwady Delta, hosts the country’s largest area of mangrove forests and providesfertile farmland and fisheries to the local population, estimated to be 7.7 million people. “The Delta is also one of Myanmar’s key biodiversity areas, hosting some of the most floristically diverse mangroves in the world and more than 30 species of ‘endangered’ fauna,including the Ayeyarwady dolphin, estuarine crocodile, which numbers only [approximately] 100 individuals in the lower Ayeyarwady Delta, mangrove terrapin, sarus crane and numerous migratory bird species, including the critically endangered spoonbilled sandpiper,” the report said. The researchers conducted field trips and analyzed satellite imagery, concluding that the size of the Delta’s mangrove forests shrank by 64.2 percent over the 33-year period, with much of the area now used by small-scale farmers to grow rice. The report, titled “Deforestation in the Ayeyarwady Delta and the conservation implications of an internationally engaged Myanmar,” estimated that the area of the Irrawaddy Delta covered by mangrove forests totaled some 2,623 square kilometers in 1978, but that figure had declined to just 938 square km by 2011. An average of 51 square km, or more than 3 percent of the forest was lost every year over the period. Only the small protected area of the Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary and a few islands have survived untouched, the study found. Following Cyclone Nargis, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization stated that if there were more mangroves in the Irrawaddy Delta intact, they would likely have reduced the impact of the 3.5-meter-high storm surge that tore through the Delta. The new research paper claimed that just before the cyclone, the forest cover in the Delta was down to 933 square km, and that it had been reduced to 918 square km by the following year. “Extensive flooding occurred during Cyclone Nargis, and on-the-ground observations and permanent plots noted extensive damage to some mangrove species, particularly in low-lying sites or areas that had already been severely degraded owing to fuelwood harvest and conversion to rice paddies,” the report said. However, “some mangrove species were able to recover rapidly after the disturbance event,” it added. Deforestation in the area has slowed since a rapid period of forest loss in the 1990s, but the report’s projections suggested that the remaining forest may not last long. Its most pessimistic forecast predicted the mangrove forest will be gone by 2019. At best, the report said, the forest will last until 2044. “Business-as-usual deforestationscenarios suggest that most, if not all, of the unprotected Ayeyarwady mangroves will be lost in the next few decades at a ratefaster than other mangrove deforestation hotspots in the region, suchas the Mekong Delta from 1965–1995,” it said. The authors of the report warned that economic reforms in Burma since 2011, and the concurrent increase in interest from overseas investors, presented a new set of problems for the mangrove forests in the Delta. They pointed to agro-industrial companies taking an interest in the land for large-scale plantations—replacing forests with sugar for export, for instance. “Thus, as seen in other developing countries, Myanmar’s policy objectives to promote private enterprise and increase [foreign direct investment] may also facilitate the transfer of control and use of land, leading to a ‘foreignisation of space’ to investors from China,Thailand, and Malaysia,” it said. A report published last week by US-based research center Forest Trends warned that this process has already begun, with government-awarded economic concessions to local and foreign companies driving deforestation. Forest Trends’ research found that concessions were on the rise, and that by mid-2013 the government had given firms a total of 2.1 million hectares (5.2 million acres) of land, much of it in heavily forested regions, for development into plantations. Noting the success of the small Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary, the report from the National University of Singapore called for more protected areas in the Irrawaddy Delta and elsewhere. Only 6.3 percent of Burma’s heavily forested land mass is currently protected, according to the World Bank, and current regulations to protect forests are poorly enforced. “In the Delta, there is equally scope for community-based reforestation and forest management programs, which could rehabilitate mangroves and help to fulfill demand for fuelwood in the Delta, and substantial investment is expected for direct conservation funding to conserve coastal species and habitats,” the report said. Edward Webb, associate professor at the National University of Singapore’s department of biological science and the report’s lead author, told the Irrawaddy this week that more work was needed to uncover the underlying causes of deforestation in the Delta. Webb said the report’s findings were likely being played out in other forested areas of Burma. “There are various threats to forests across the country, including agriculture, mining, and logging, along with hunting of wildlife which has severe long-term implications for forest health,” he said.	https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/mangroves-irrawaddy-delta-gone-decades.html
The cover page of the book “The Soviet Village: Between Colonialism and Modernism” by Sergey Abashin (ISBN 978-5-4448-0219-9 ISSN 1815-7912). The latest research into Central Asia by Sergey Abashin, a professor at the European University in Sankt-Peterburg, has recently been published as a book. The study in question researches into the history of transformation of Central Asia between late 19th century and the collapse of the Soviet Union in early 1990s. The century-long episode of history is related via a description of life in a village that has undergone conquest, repressions, rapid economic growth and cultural modernization. The book (in Russian) includes many documents and oral narrations that shed light on the conquest of the region, the establishment of first colonial and later Soviet rule, the fight against basmachis, collectivization and cotton-based economy, medicine and Islam, mahalla-centric communities and marriage strategies. The author of the book uses theories of post-colonialism, cultural hybridity, the Soviet subjectivity to analyze the collected material. The tools employed help him explain the contradicting nature of public relations in the Russian Empire and the former USSR. Fergana interviewed Professor Abashin and asked several questions about his latest book. Mr. Abashin, congratulations on your new book! How many years have you spent researching into it? Thank you! As I write in the Introduction, this book had a challenging past. I started my research using a grant from The Wenner-Gren Foundation, a well-known anthropology fund, back in 1995. At the time, I lived in a village for several months and collected facts about its history and ethnography. I have then spent several more years analyzing and processing the collected material and worked in the archives in Dushanbe, Khojand and Kanibadam [Tajikistan] and Tashkent and Fergana [Uzbekistan]. However, I had to put the text aside for some time, because I believed the general knowledge I had on the region was insufficient for fully comprehending the collected facts, so I resumed work on the research only a decade later, i.e. in 2009, when I was working as a visiting researcher at the then Center for Slavic Researches at the University of Hokkaido [Japan]. I needed another six years to draft the text and prepare it for publication. (I would like to express my gratitude to the Novoye Literaturnoye Obozerniye publishing house for financing the book publication.) Over the last few years, I decided to shift my focus from the actual anthropological analysis to a historical/anthropological analysis, because the period commencing in early 1990s [original text] is long gone and lost its actuality. However, it seems that debates about the past, the USSR and attitudes towards it are gaining momentum and actuality. I hope my book contributes to that debate. What particular village served as grounds for your research into history? It is the village of Oshoba in Northern Tajikistan. It is populated mostly by ethnic Uzbeks, although the Oshoba village district includes other villages with ethnic Tajik populations. However, the issue of ethnicity was not the main and principal topic for me in this case. (See my “Nationalisms in Central Asia” book published in 2007 for more discussion on ethnicity in Central Asia.) I was interested in events that affected this community in the 20th century, i.e. the time between the conquest of this village in 1875 through early 1990s, including a few years immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union. I would like to emphasize once again that the book is not a purely historical narration but a historical/anthropological [analysis], since I was interested in the sequence of events as well as the transformations in various fields of life, the impact of these transformations on people’s minds, their memories, everyday lives and practices, etc. One more detail to be shared. Because the book is dedicated to a specific village, there are many names of real people and description of unequivocal episodes in their lives. I applied efforts to be as accurate as possible in doing so, in order not to offend anyone and paint a balanced and truthful picture to the maximal extent of my sources. Readers will judge whether I was able to maintain the neutral and academic tone [I pursued], including the residents of Oshoba, whose feedback and critique I eagerly await. In turn, I would like to express my gratitude to the residents of this village for warmly welcoming me despite the conditions of complete dysfunction [characteristic for] 1990s, for their warm relationships and sincere desire to share their thoughts and memories with me. To what extent could this particular village’s history be illustrative of the entire region and applicable to it? I was interested in researching not into universal trends, which I believe may exist, but into how peculiarities of a specific locale and its residents were manifested in the 20th century. Of course, I show a general trend, i.e. a peculiar modernization trend, which included tragedies and losses as well as undisputable gains and achievements. But I also see showing specific aspects of this manifestation of modernization in a specific community as one of my tasks. That is why the readers will find many direct quotes extracted from interviews, publications and archives, photographs and tables. I think that once we descend into specific details and spirit of this or that era, into disputes and relations between specific personalities, we would then be able to see the “universal trends” under a different light, i.e. they are no longer mundane “laws of nature,” but are complex, contradictory, unequivocal and multifaceted vectors of life, which fit into the general trends in different ways. That was a goal I conscientiously followed—not to seek in this village confirmations of common theoretical (let alone ideological) schemes; instead, [I sought] elements of these common schemes that would be either applicable or not in a specific case. Professor Abashin’s latest book can be purchased here. What major specific trait of the Soviet village would you particularly emphasize? Talking about the specific traits of the Soviet village, then, perhaps, I would say that it would be the contradictory compound of modernization and colonialism. That is, in fact, the main issue the book looks into; hence the subtitle “Between Colonialism and Modernism.” The word “colonialism” is a loaded word, which bears “denigration” of the past for some. But by using this word, I want to show that life in the Soviet society, let alone the pre-Soviet one, was a rocky one. Indeed, there were significant transformations, the quality of life did improve, and people became more educated and mobile. So, the list of achievements is a long one, and that cannot be denied as I describe such processes in detail. Yet, at the same time, one cannot reject the repressions (especially in the Stalin era), conflicts, injustices, disproportions among various groups and regions, more privileged or unprivileged approach to each other. This is the complexity, the hybrid compound of modernism and colonialism that, to my mind, make up the framework, through which I propose assessing the history of this Central Asian village in the last century.	http://enews.fergananews.com/articles/2901
Public education systems institutionalize the socialization process which directly disseminates cultural and national values and assimilates the population through mass education. But how does colonial-era anti-Black racism persist in the higher education institutions of contemporary postcolonial societies? Using the Federative Republic of Brazil as a case study, I examine the effects of incomplete decolonization, anti-Blackness, and the role of history, economics, and pedagogy on social outcomes that exclude and marginalize Black and other minority groups. The Brazilian higher education system follows a pattern centered around anti-Black racism which serves to disempower Black, Brown, and Indigenous populations during the colonial and postcolonial eras. This qualitative study examines three key components that form the higher education system in Brazil: the legacy of historical institutions like slavery, exclusive economic practices, and pedagogical barriers that affect the accessibility and experiences of University students. A survey of undergraduate Brazilian students at the Universidade de Brasília (UnB) examines the effectiveness of affirmative action and racial quota policies in a contemporary postcolonial context, as well as knowledge of and experience with these policies. This study observes how historical, economic, and pedagogical factors contribute to the pattern of persistent colonial structures that enable and perpetuate anti-Black racism in Brazil’s institutions of higher education. Thesis Summary This study examines how persistent colonial structures enable and perpetuate anti-Black racism in postcolonial Brazil’s institutions of higher education. Recommended Citation Daniel, Zakiya T., "Un-Affirmative Action: The Persistence of Anti-Black Racism in the Higher Education System of Postcolonial Brazil" (2020). Honors College Theses. 543.	https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/honors-theses/543/
Lisa Jones took this short video of an albino American Robin in her backyard in Clinton. This bird is a pure albino with no feather coloration at all and with pink eyes. Lisa Jones took this short video of an albino American Robin in her backyard in Clinton. This bird is a pure albino with no feather coloration at all and with pink eyes. Spring migration is winding down. The arrival of Blackpoll Warblers, Black-billed Cuckoos, Saltmarsh Sparrow and Nelson’s Sparrow signifies the end of the spring spectacle. Having returned to Maine from the south, male birds are setting up territories and trying to attract a mate with songs and displays. We have a tendency to project an idyllic image of a happy bird couple raising a family. That image is often inaccurate. For starters, not every bird will be able to find a mate. Some of the best evidence for this statement comes from an experiment that was done in Maine over 50 years ago. The methodology of the study will be reprehensible to some. Nevertheless, we learned much from this experiment. The researchers mapped out a 40-acre forest plot. In early June, they determined that 154 territorial birds (males) were present. Then the removals began. The researchers shot as many of the singing males as they could. Within two weeks, the density of male birds was reduced to 21% and kept at that level until July 11. By July 11, 528 adult birds had been killed. That’s 3.5 times the original density of birds! This removal experiment tells us there are lots of unmated males that are lurking around, hoping for a chance to acquire a territory and a mate. These non-territorial birds are called satellite males in the ornithological literature. The experiment shows that there must be many satellite males waiting for an opportunity. As in mammals, birds show a 50:50 proportion of females:males. With so many satellite males, there must be unmated females present as well who never come into the vicinity of an unmated male. The failure of some birds to find a mate challenges our fanciful notion of wedded bliss in birds. An even greater challenge to that notion lies in the fact that avian social life has soap opera aspects. Cheating on a mate occurs frequently. Thanks to the development of DNA fingerprinting techniques, we can determine the paternity of nestlings. Although 90% of bird species are classified as monogamous, 30% of nestlings are sired by a male other than the female’s mate. It’s a two-way street. Females seek multiple partners to fertilize their eggs and males seek as many female partners outside of the pair-bond as they can find. These dalliances are referred to as extra-pair copulations and their importance in the field is indicated by the fact that every ornithologist knows the initialized version, EPC, of this behavior. The male incentive for EPCs is clear: to father as many baby birds as possible. What’s the advantage for a female who can produce only a few eggs? The best argument is that the female is seeking to increase the variability of her nestlings. The environment is always changing and having greater variation in her offspring increases the chances that one or two of those offspring will better fit the demands of the environment in the future. The reproductive life of a territorial male is pretty good. He fathers at least some of the eggs laid by his mate and perhaps has some EPCs with females on neighboring territories. But what about those unmated satellite males? Do they get to reproduce at all? Satellite males do not have a territory because they are outcompeted by the stronger males who can defend a territory. Weaker males are usually younger as well. Some males engage in a type of trickery called delayed plumage maturation. In the second year of their life, their plumage resembles that of a female. This disguise allows them to slip into the territory of a male (he’s got cheating on his mind) and sneak a quick mating with the resident female. Check your field guide to see the second-year plumage of American Redstarts, Baltimore Orioles and Red-winged Blackbirds. [Originally published on May 25, 2014] The last three columns were devoted to a consideration of the various human-related sources of bird deaths. Perhaps because some readers read only one or two of the columns, I have gotten many emails that indicate I failed to get across the point I wished to make. The columns were timed to lead up to Earth Week. But we should not try to tread lightly on our planet for only a week a year so I will provide this overview column. Let’s consider loggerhead turtles as an apt analogy for the importance of understanding the impact of different sources of death for a species. Loggerhead turtles are an endangered species. Some are killed illegally for food, others are trapped in trawl nets by commercial fishing boats, and predators get some hatchlings are they stumble down the beach after hatching for their first swim in the ocean. Nests on sandy beaches are often lost to predators including dogs. For decades, conservationists have monitored the arrival of loggerhead females on nesting beaches. These people may cordon off the nest site to keep egg predators away. Hatching turtles may be accompanied by humans as the turtles head to the water for the first time. These efforts have saved many turtle lives. However, modeling the population dynamics of loggerhead turtles revealed some intriguing truths. First, even if every egg were to hatch and every hatchling could make it to the water, the loggerhead turtle would still go extinct under present conditions. The model further showed that the critical stage of the life cycle is the 5-7 year-old turtles. Many of these turtles died from becoming entangled in trawl nets; the turtles drown when trapped in a net. To reduce these deaths, the federal government is mandating that trawlers, fishing in areas where loggerhead turtles occur, must have turtle excluder devices (TEDs) installed on their nets. When a turtle is captured in a net, the TED opens up to allow the sea turtle to escape. The power of the model lies in showing environmental managers which stage of the life cycle should be targeted for conservation efforts. Protecting the 5-7 year old juveniles is more effective than protecting eggs. Reducing human impacts on bird deaths requires a similar approach. We need to understand the magnitude of the different types of human-related mortality. The last column described by far the two most potent sources of bird deaths related to humans: building collisions and cats. My argument is that we should be trying to reduce these hazards first because of the sheer magnitude of the effects. As an unabashed cat lover, I know that keeping cats as indoor pets is the way to go for the safety of many birds and the safety of the cats. Proper placement of bird feeders and improving the visibility of glass in our houses can reduce collision-related bird deaths. Do I therefore disregard deaths from wind turbine collisions? Of course not. As indicated earlier, I am a long-time opponent of mountain-based wind farms. Any bird death from human causes should be of concern. Collectively, wind farms result in far fewer deaths than cats or building collisions. However, we need to realize that wind turbines pose threats to some species like cranes and eagles that are not likely to die from a cat attack (!) or a window collision. We all need to take energy conservation more seriously. Better yet, we should be practicing energy avoidance. We can thereby reduce the need for more coal-burning power plants pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as well as wind farms and hydroelectric dams that cause the loss of habitat. Birding locally reduces bird deaths from car collisions and cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions. Buy a carbon dioxide offset to mitigate the carbon dioxide released from your car or plane travel.	https://web.colby.edu/mainebirds/2014/06/
The English High Court declined jurisdiction in a case where the underlying dispute related more to Italian law than English law. Although an ISDA agreement between the parties provided for English jurisdiction, this was overridden by an earlier advisory agreement which granted jurisdiction to the Italian Courts. Background This is the latest in a series of cases in the High Court involving interest rate swap claims by Italian municipalities against banks. Although the swaps were connected with local authority funding in Italy, the cases have been heard in London because the ISDA swap documentation is governed by English law and grants jurisdiction to the English Courts. Tactical considerations by the parties as to which would be the best forum for deciding the disputes has meant these cases have been characterised by jurisdictional contests between the English and Italian Courts. The relevant law in this case was Article 25 of the Recast Brussels Regulation , which provides that where the parties have agreed that the court of an EU member state shall have jurisdiction to settle disputes, that court shall have jurisdiction. The court designated by the parties takes precedence even if proceedings are commenced first in the courts of another EU member state. The Facts The Italian municipality, Comune di Savona ("Savona"), applied to strike out declarations sought by Deutsche Bank AG ("Deutsche") relating to an English law ISDA agreement (the “ISDA”). The ISDA contained an exclusive jurisdiction clause in favour of the English Court (the "English Clause"). Savona had entered into two interest rate swaps with Deutsche pursuant to the ISDA in 2007. Prior to the ISDA, the parties had entered into an agreement under which Deutsche had agreed to advise Savona on its debts and derivative commitments (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Advisory Agreement was governed by Italian law and contained an exclusive jurisdiction clause in favour of the Italian Courts (the "Italian Clause"). The issue for the English Court was therefore whether the dispute between the parties fell within the English or the Italian Clauses and the answer to that question would dictate whether the English Court had jurisdiction for the purpose of Article 25 of the Recast Brussels Regulation. Following indications of a possible claim by Savona against Deutsche for recommending the swaps, Deutsche issued a claim form in the English Court against Savona on 3 June 2016 (the “English Claim”). Savona subsequently issued proceedings against Deutsche in February 207 (the “Italian Claim”). In the English Claim, Deutsche sought 12 negative declarations arising from terms contained within the ISDA. Some of these, such as those which contended that the ISDA was valid, binding and enforceable and that Savona had capacity to enter into the ISDA were not contested by Savona. However, Savona challenged other declarations which, for example, stated that Savona was not relying on any advice provided by Deutsche. Held Since the English Claim preceded the Italian Claim, the Court needed to understand first what the actual dispute was between the parties. The nature of the Italian Claim was important because it provided the context in which the declarations sought by Deutsche might be used. Deutsche conceded that any claims for breaches of the Advisory Agreement made against it by Savona fell within the Italian and not the English Clause. However, Deutsche argued that the Advisory Agreement did not oblige Deutsche to advise Savona to enter into the swaps, and if that were correct, this would have a significant impact on the true scope of the dispute. Both sides employed Italian law experts and they agreed that there was no material difference between the English and Italian principles of contractual construction. Having heard the evidence, Mr Justice Waksman concluded that the Advisory Agreement did impose clear advisory obligations on Deutsche in respect of the swaps. The Advisory Agreement was therefore subject to a number of Italian law provisions, including the Consolidated Finance Act and regulations of CONSOB, the Italian financial services regulator. Deutsche was not able to show a good arguable case that these claims could not be made. The Judge then focused on the nature of the Italian Claim, because this is what would give substance to any dispute which would arise from Savona's response to the negative declarations, if it had to respond to Deutsche's claim in England. He concluded that the essence of the Italian Claim related to Deutsche’s role as an adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement. He rejected Deutsche's submission that the Italian Claim was not in substance about the Advisory Agreement at all. The Recast Brussels Regulation Article 25(1) of the Recast Brussels Regulation provides as follows: "If the parties, regardless of their domicile, have agreed that a court or the courts of a member state are to have jurisdiction to settle any disputes which have arisen or may arise in connection with a particular legal relationship, that court or those courts shall have jurisdiction…" It was for Deutsche to show that it had a good arguable case that Article 25 applied here and that meant that Deutsche had to have the better argument. Where there are two or more jurisdiction clauses, there is authority that the Court should strive to construe them as mutually exclusive in scope rather than overlapping. This is so even if it may cause jurisdictional fragmentation of a particular claim. There is also no presumption that a later clause is intended to cut down an earlier one, again, even if this may also lead to some fragmentation. Interpretation of the Italian Clause and the English Clause The Judge considered the Italian Clause first because it was first in time. He accepted the Italian law evidence that the Italian Claim fell within the meaning of a "dispute relating to" the Advisory Agreement as set out in the Italian clause. The English Clause had to be seen in the context which included the Advisory Agreement and the Italian Clause. The English Clause related to "any suit, action or proceeding relating to this agreement". This included any dispute as to the performance or otherwise of the parties of their obligations under the swap but also any dispute as to whether it was binding or valid as a matter of English law. Since the Advisory Agreement was concerned with Deutsche as adviser and the swaps themselves were only concerned with Deutsche as counterparty, a dispute which was essentially concerned with Deutsche's role as adviser fell more naturally within the Italian Clause than the English Clause. The Judge distinguished the decision of Ali Malik QC sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge in Dexia v Brescia EWHC 326. In that case, which was very similar, the Judge had held that the disputed declarations fell within the English Clause. The Judge did not accept that, simply because a declaration was drawn from the terms of the ISDA, it must fall within the English Clause. He also did not accept that deciding that some declarations fell within the English Clause and some within the Italian Clause was something that had to be avoided at all costs. The Judge concluded that the Italian Claim was governed by the Italian Clause and not the English Clause. That was the context in which the negative declarations were sought. Despite the fact that the declarations were all founded upon various contractual estoppels within the ISDA, that did not mean that the dispute as to whether the declarations were correct was caught by the English Clause. In practice, a declaration that these terms were valid and binding contractual estoppels as a matter of English law would be of little use to Deutsche because the only function of the estoppels would be to act as defences to the Italian Claim and that would have to be a question of Italian law. It was not possible to confine the debate over the declarations to a purely legal question under English law. The debate might stray into what the underlying reality was and, critically, whether Deutsche had in fact given advice and if so how. For the purpose of Article 25, the dispute to which the declarations related was the Italian Claim. Deutsche could not show a good arguable case that the English Clause governed the dispute. It followed that the contested declarations should be struck out. Comment In this decision, Mr Justice Waksman appears to have taken a common sense approach to the question of where the real dispute between the parties lay and allowed that dispute to be resolved in Italy rather than England. In doing so, he rejected the tactical approach of the bank which sought to rely on the narrow contractual estoppel provisions of the swaps to prevent the dispute being heard in Italy. However, the judgment does demonstrates the tension in such cases involving competing jurisdiction agreements between the desire to decide on the best forum for consideration of different parts of a claim and the potential fragmentation of claims between different jurisdictions.	https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=2c6ec782-9453-4944-9913-61baba64c564
All business should provide decent work for young workers, parents and caregivers. A study made by the Center for Child Rights and CSR shows that young workers in China are a transient workforce and often change jobs in the hunt for better work conditions and better salaries. 700 young workers were involved in the survey and most had worked for less than three years. 20 % already had changed jobs once, 33 % had changed jobs twice, and 20 % had changed jobs three times. Respect the rights of children above the minimum age for work, and promotesocial dialogue and rights at work, provision of safe working conditions,protection from abuse and exploitation, and access to gender-appropriate water,sanitation and hygiene facilities. i. All business should adopt and endorse, at the highest level, their policycommitment regarding the rights of children and of young workers, includingtheir right to be protected from violence and abuse. The policy should protect children above the minimum age for regular work from hazardous work: it should consider, among other things, limits to hours of work; restrictions on work at dangerous heights, as well as work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools; the transport of heavy loads; exposure to hazardous substances or processes, and difficult conditions such as work at night or work where the young worker is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer. Responsibility for implementing this policy must be mainstreamed and shared by management, although the business may choose to allocate specific managerial responsibility for supervising its implementation. ii. Business policies on harassment should pay attention to the vulnerability of young workers. These policies should be enforced consistently and employees and others on company premises should receive training on them. Grievance mechanisms should be effective and also accessible to young workers. iii. Business may require management and encourage trade unions and their elected representatives to pay special attention to protecting the rights ofyoung workers. Trade unions may decide to elect young worker representatives/ stewards to monitor working conditions of youth; this is a matter for the autonomous decision of the trade union concerned. Promote decent work opportunities for young workers, including age-appropriatesocial protection and health information and services. Quality education and relevant vocational training and livelihood development programmes are of particular importance, as is the opportunity to earn a living. Beyond legal compliance, pay particular attention to working conditions such asthe payment of a living wage, length and flexibility of working hours, provisions for pregnant and breastfeeding women, need for parental leave, supporting migrant and seasonal workers with distance parenting, and facilitating access to good quality childcare, health care and education for dependents. China has an estimated 242 million migrant workers, more than 100 million of these were born in the 1980s and early 1990s, which creates new challenges for business. Advance your understanding of Principle 3. Save the Children's Center for Child Rights and CSR in China provides businesses with expertise and advisory services, such as addressing supply chain challenges, code of conducts, child labor remediation and provide trainings for working parents, young workers, factory managers and auditors.	https://crb.savethechildren.se/principles/3-young-workers-parents-caregivers
# 2D computer graphics 2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models (such as 2D geometric models, text, and digital images) and by techniques specific to them. It may refer to the branch of computer science that comprises such techniques or to the models themselves. 2D computer graphics are mainly used in applications that were originally developed upon traditional printing and drawing technologies, such as typography, cartography, technical drawing, advertising, etc. In those applications, the two-dimensional image is not just a representation of a real-world object, but an independent artifact with added semantic value; two-dimensional models are therefore preferred, because they give more direct control of the image than 3D computer graphics (whose approach is more akin to photography than to typography). In many domains, such as desktop publishing, engineering, and business, a description of a document based on 2D computer graphics techniques can be much smaller than the corresponding digital image—often by a factor of 1/1000 or more. This representation is also more flexible since it can be rendered at different resolutions to suit different output devices. For these reasons, documents and illustrations are often stored or transmitted as 2D graphic files. 2D computer graphics started in the 1950s, based on vector graphics devices. These were largely supplanted by raster-based devices in the following decades. The PostScript language and the X Window System protocol were landmark developments in the field. ## Techniques 2D graphics models may combine geometric models (also called vector graphics), digital images (also called raster graphics), text to be typeset (defined by content, font style and size, color, position, and orientation), mathematical functions and equations, and more. These components can be modified and manipulated by two-dimensional geometric transformations such as translation, rotation, and scaling. In object-oriented graphics, the image is described indirectly by an object endowed with a self-rendering method—a procedure that assigns colors to the image pixels by an arbitrary algorithm. Complex models can be built by combining simpler objects, in the paradigms of object-oriented programming. ### Geometry In Euclidean geometry, a translation (geometry) moves every point a constant distance in a specified direction. A translation can be described as a rigid motion: other rigid motions include rotations and reflections. A translation can also be interpreted as the addition of a constant vector to every point, or as shifting the origin of the coordinate system. A translation operator is an operator T δ {\displaystyle T_{\mathbf {\delta } }} such that T δ f ( v ) = f ( v + δ ) . {\displaystyle T_{\mathbf {\delta } }f(\mathbf {v} )=f(\mathbf {v} +\mathbf {\delta } ).} If v is a fixed vector, then the translation Tv will work as Tv(p) = p + v. If T is a translation, then the image of a subset A under the function T is the translation of A by T. The translation of A by Tv is often written A + v. In a Euclidean space, any translation is an isometry. The set of all translations forms the translation group T, which is isomorphic to the space itself, and a normal subgroup of Euclidean group E(n ). The quotient group of E(n ) by T is isomorphic to the orthogonal group O(n ): #### Translation Since a translation is an affine transformation but not a linear transformation, homogeneous coordinates are normally used to represent the translation operator by a matrix and thus to make it linear. Thus we write the 3-dimensional vector w = (wx, wy, wz) using 4 homogeneous coordinates as w = (wx, wy, wz, 1). To translate an object by a vector v, each homogeneous vector p (written in homogeneous coordinates) would need to be multiplied by this translation matrix: As shown below, the multiplication will give the expected result: The inverse of a translation matrix can be obtained by reversing the direction of the vector: Similarly, the product of translation matrices is given by adding the vectors: Because addition of vectors is commutative, multiplication of translation matrices is therefore also commutative (unlike multiplication of arbitrary matrices). #### Rotation In linear algebra, a rotation matrix is a matrix that is used to perform a rotation in Euclidean space. rotates points in the xy-Cartesian plane counterclockwise through an angle θ about the origin of the Cartesian coordinate system. To perform the rotation using a rotation matrix R, the position of each point must be represented by a column vector v, containing the coordinates of the point. A rotated vector is obtained by using the matrix multiplication Rv. Since matrix multiplication has no effect on the zero vector (i.e., on the coordinates of the origin), rotation matrices can only be used to describe rotations about the origin of the coordinate system. Rotation matrices provide a simple algebraic description of such rotations, and are used extensively for computations in geometry, physics, and computer graphics. In 2-dimensional space, a rotation can be simply described by an angle θ of rotation, but it can be also represented by the 4 entries of a rotation matrix with 2 rows and 2 columns. In 3-dimensional space, every rotation can be interpreted as a rotation by a given angle about a single fixed axis of rotation (see Euler's rotation theorem), and hence it can be simply described by an angle and a vector with 3 entries. However, it can also be represented by the 9 entries of a rotation matrix with 3 rows and 3 columns. The notion of rotation is not commonly used in dimensions higher than 3; there is a notion of a rotational displacement, which can be represented by a matrix, but no associated single axis or angle. Rotation matrices are square matrices, with real entries. More specifically they can be characterized as orthogonal matrices with determinant 1: The set of all such matrices of size n forms a group, known as the special orthogonal group SO(n). ##### In two dimensions In two dimensions every rotation matrix has the following form: This rotates column vectors by means of the following matrix multiplication: So the coordinates (x',y') of the point (x,y) after rotation are: The direction of vector rotation is counterclockwise if θ is positive (e.g. 90°), and clockwise if θ is negative (e.g. -90°). ##### Non-standard orientation of the coordinate system If a standard right-handed Cartesian coordinate system is used, with the x axis to the right and the y axis up, the rotation R(θ) is counterclockwise. If a left-handed Cartesian coordinate system is used, with x directed to the right but y directed down, R(θ) is clockwise. Such non-standard orientations are rarely used in mathematics but are common in 2D computer graphics, which often have the origin in the top left corner and the y-axis down the screen or page. See below for other alternative conventions which may change the sense of the rotation produced by a rotation matrix. ##### Common rotations Particularly useful are the matrices for 90° and 180° rotations: In Euclidean geometry, uniform scaling (isotropic scaling, homogeneous dilation, homothety) is a linear transformation that enlarges (increases) or shrinks (diminishes) objects by a scale factor that is the same in all directions. The result of uniform scaling is similar (in the geometric sense) to the original. A scale factor of 1 is normally allowed, so that congruent shapes are also classed as similar. (Some school text books specifically exclude this possibility, just as some exclude squares from being rectangles or circles from being ellipses.) More general is scaling with a separate scale factor for each axis direction. Non-uniform scaling (anisotropic scaling, inhomogeneous dilation) is obtained when at least one of the scaling factors is different from the others; a special case is directional scaling or stretching (in one direction). Non-uniform scaling changes the shape of the object; e.g. a square may change into a rectangle, or into a parallelogram if the sides of the square are not parallel to the scaling axes (the angles between lines parallel to the axes are preserved, but not all angles). #### Scaling A scaling can be represented by a scaling matrix. To scale an object by a vector v = (vx, vy, vz), each point p = (px, py, pz) would need to be multiplied with this scaling matrix: As shown below, the multiplication will give the expected result: Such a scaling changes the diameter of an object by a factor between the scale factors, the area by a factor between the smallest and the largest product of two scale factors, and the volume by the product of all three. The scaling is uniform if and only if the scaling factors are equal (vx = vy = vz). If all except one of the scale factors are equal to 1, we have directional scaling. In the case where vx = vy = vz = k, the scaling is also called an enlargement or dilation by a factor k, increasing the area by a factor of k2 and the volume by a factor of k3. Scaling in the most general sense is any affine transformation with a diagonalizable matrix. It includes the case that the three directions of scaling are not perpendicular. It includes also the case that one or more scale factors are equal to zero (projection), and the case of one or more negative scale factors. The latter corresponds to a combination of scaling proper and a kind of reflection: along lines in a particular direction we take the reflection in the point of intersection with a plane that need not be perpendicular; therefore it is more general than ordinary reflection in the plane. #### Using homogeneous coordinates In projective geometry, often used in computer graphics, points are represented using homogeneous coordinates. To scale an object by a vector v = (vx, vy, vz), each homogeneous coordinate vector p = (px, py, pz, 1) would need to be multiplied with this projective transformation matrix: As shown below, the multiplication will give the expected result: Since the last component of a homogeneous coordinate can be viewed as the denominator of the other three components, a uniform scaling by a common factor s (uniform scaling) can be accomplished by using this scaling matrix: For each vector p = (px, py, pz, 1) we would have which would be homogenized to ### Direct painting A convenient way to create a complex image is to start with a blank "canvas" raster map (an array of pixels, also known as a bitmap) filled with some uniform background color and then "draw", "paint" or "paste" simple patches of color onto it, in an appropriate order. In particular the canvas may be the frame buffer for a computer display. Some programs will set the pixel colors directly, but most will rely on some 2D graphics library or the machine's graphics card, which usually implement the following operations: paste a given image at a specified offset onto the canvas; write a string of characters with a specified font, at a given position and angle; paint a simple geometric shape, such as a triangle defined by three corners, or a circle with given center and radius; draw a line segment, arc, or simple curve with a virtual pen of given width. #### Extended color models Text, shapes and lines are rendered with a client-specified color. Many libraries and cards provide color gradients, which are handy for the generation of smoothly-varying backgrounds, shadow effects, etc. (See also Gouraud shading). The pixel colors can also be taken from a texture, e.g. a digital image (thus emulating rub-on screentones and the fabled checker paint which used to be available only in cartoons). Painting a pixel with a given color usually replaces its previous color. However, many systems support painting with transparent and translucent colors, which only modify the previous pixel values. The two colors may also be combined in more complex ways, e.g. by computing their bitwise exclusive or. This technique is known as inverting color or color inversion, and is often used in graphical user interfaces for highlighting, rubber-band drawing, and other volatile painting—since re-painting the same shapes with the same color will restore the original pixel values. #### Layers The models used in 2D computer graphics usually do not provide for three-dimensional shapes, or three-dimensional optical phenomena such as lighting, shadows, reflection, refraction, etc. However, they usually can model multiple layers (conceptually of ink, paper, or film; opaque, translucent, or transparent—stacked in a specific order. The ordering is usually defined by a single number (the layer's depth, or distance from the viewer). Layered models are sometimes called "21⁄2-D computer graphics". They make it possible to mimic traditional drafting and printing techniques based on film and paper, such as cutting and pasting; and allow the user to edit any layer without affecting the others. For these reasons, they are used in most graphics editors. Layered models also allow better spatial anti-aliasing of complex drawings and provide a sound model for certain techniques such as mitered joints and the even–odd rule. Layered models are also used to allow the user to suppress unwanted information when viewing or printing a document, e.g. roads or railways from a map, certain process layers from an integrated circuit diagram, or hand annotations from a business letter. In a layer-based model, the target image is produced by "painting" or "pasting" each layer, in order of decreasing depth, on the virtual canvas. Conceptually, each layer is first rendered on its own, yielding a digital image with the desired resolution which is then painted over the canvas, pixel by pixel. Fully transparent parts of a layer need not be rendered, of course. The rendering and painting may be done in parallel, i.e., each layer pixel may be painted on the canvas as soon as it is produced by the rendering procedure. Layers that consist of complex geometric objects (such as text or polylines) may be broken down into simpler elements (characters or line segments, respectively), which are then painted as separate layers, in some order. However, this solution may create undesirable aliasing artifacts wherever two elements overlap the same pixel. See also Portable Document Format#Layers. ## Hardware Modern computer graphics card displays almost overwhelmingly use raster techniques, dividing the screen into a rectangular grid of pixels, due to the relatively low cost of raster-based video hardware as compared with vector graphic hardware. Most graphic hardware has internal support for blitting operations or sprite drawing. A co-processor dedicated to blitting is known as a Blitter chip. Classic 2D graphics chips and graphics processing units of the late 1970s to 1980s, used in 8-bit to early 16-bit, arcade games, video game consoles, and home computers, include: Atari's TIA, ANTIC, CTIA and GTIA Capcom's CPS-A and CPS-B Commodore's OCS MOS Technology's VIC and VIC-II Hudson Soft's Cynthia and HuC6270 NEC's μPD7220 and μPD72120 Ricoh's PPU and S-PPU Sega's VDP, Super Scaler, 315-5011/315-5012 and 315-5196/315-5197 Texas Instruments' TMS9918 Yamaha's V9938, V9958 and YM7101 VDP ## Software Many graphical user interfaces (GUIs), including macOS, Microsoft Windows, or the X Window System, are primarily based on 2D graphical concepts. Such software provides a visual environment for interacting with the computer, and commonly includes some form of window manager to aid the user in conceptually distinguishing between different applications. The user interface within individual software applications is typically 2D in nature as well, due in part to the fact that most common input devices, such as the mouse, are constrained to two dimensions of movement. 2D graphics are very important in the control peripherals such as printers, plotters, sheet cutting machines, etc. They were also used in most early video games; and are still used for card and board games such as solitaire, chess, mahjongg, etc. 2D graphics editors or drawing programs are application-level software for the creation of images, diagrams and illustrations by direct manipulation (through the mouse, graphics tablet, or similar device) of 2D computer graphics primitives. These editors generally provide geometric primitives as well as digital images; and some even support procedural models. The illustration is usually represented internally as a layered model, often with a hierarchical structure to make editing more convenient. These editors generally output graphics files where the layers and primitives are separately preserved in their original form. MacDraw, introduced in 1984 with the Macintosh line of computers, was an early example of this class; recent examples are the commercial products Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW, and the free editors such as xfig or Inkscape. There are also many 2D graphics editors specialized for certain types of drawings such as electrical, electronic and VLSI diagrams, topographic maps, computer fonts, etc. Image editors are specialized for the manipulation of digital images, mainly by means of free-hand drawing/painting and signal processing operations. They typically use a direct-painting paradigm, where the user controls virtual pens, brushes, and other free-hand artistic instruments to apply paint to a virtual canvas. Some image editors support a multiple-layer model; however, in order to support signal-processing operations like blurring each layer is normally represented as a digital image. Therefore, any geometric primitives that are provided by the editor are immediately converted to pixels and painted onto the canvas. The name raster graphics editor is sometimes used to contrast this approach to that of general editors which also handle vector graphics. One of the first popular image editors was Apple's MacPaint, companion to MacDraw. Modern examples are the free GIMP editor, and the commercial products Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. This class too includes many specialized editors—for medicine, remote sensing, digital photography, etc. ## Developmental animation With the resurgence: 8 of 2D animation, free and proprietary software packages have become widely available for amateurs and professional animators. The principal issue with 2D animation is labor requirements. With software like RETAS UbiArt Framework and Adobe After Effects, coloring and compositing can be done in less time. Various approaches have been developed: 38 to aid and speed up the process of digital 2D animation. For example, by generating vector artwork in a tool like Adobe Flash an artist may employ software-driven automatic coloring and in-betweening. Programs like Blender allow the user to do either 3D animation, 2D animation or combine both in its software allowing experimentation with multiple forms of animation.	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2d_computer_graphics
The invention provides a "street-safe" version of a controlled substance that permits the therapeutically beneficial effects of the substance while reducing or eliminating the euphoric effects that lead to substance abuse. The invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising a controlled substance and a carbohydrate covalently bound to said controlled substance in a manner that renders said controlled substance pharmacologically inactive or substantially diminishes its activity and methods of using the same.
Q: "What should i cook" type questions Yesterday, this question was asked: How can I create a varied (or at least tasty) menu for a 12 day hike whilst using as few ingredients as possible? It was closed by a moderator, with the comment: While this is a very interesting question, it is not a good fit for Seasoned Advice. If there were a Stack Exchange site for camping/hiking it would be better suited there. We are not equipped to address a 12 day meal plan, nor do we offer advice on what to eat. To which I've responded (slightly reformatted), and voted for re-opening: Although I'd agree that if there were a hiking/camping site, it would be more appropriate, there isn't one, and this relates to cooking just as much as: https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/2706/ How do I cook for just one person? any good cookbooks? https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/402/ Once a month cooking Where do we draw the line between this question, which involves cooking out-of-doors, and had extra constraints due to weight and limited options for re-supply, and any other type of questions asking for recommendations on what to cook, given other similar constraints (e.g., limited gear for a college student)? In some ways, I want this question to stay open because I can think of a few people who might have some good answers (e.g., the coordinator of the local Boy Scout region; a co-worker who spent 6 months hiking the Appalachian Trail last year) I could see making it a community wiki (or any of the others I've listed), as there's no single authoritative answer for any of them, but I'm of the opinion that it's still on-topic, even if it's not the type of cooking that most of us do every day. A: Please remember that the meaning of Community Wiki was changed (or rather clarified) some time ago, when it was permanently disabled for questions except as a moderator function; CW should never be used as an excuse to keep borderline questions alive - a question is either on topic or it isn't. Now, with that out of the way, I was also ambivalent about this question. I saw the question before hobodave did, and didn't close it. When I saw that it was closed, my first reaction was "It probably didn't deserve that." My second reaction, about a minute later, was "...but then again, it really is kind of hard to offer any information that's pertinent to cooking as an answer." It was probably well on its way to a bunch of one-liner snack answers ("trail mix!"). On reflection, I think what the question really needs is to be broken down into parts that are a little more specific, casting aside the parts that aren't really culinary in nature. There are several culinary aspects to the question: Raw ingredients that are calorie-dense and mostly non-perishable; Raw ingredients that pair easily with many other ingredients; Food preservation techniques suitable for outdoor storage; Outdoor cooking techniques for gas burners; Adapting recipes for the aforementioned techniques, or choosing appropriate recipes; And so on. Basically, I think the question would be better scoped, and also receive more useful answers, if it could be narrowed from a "help, what should I do!?" type question into one (or several) more focused questions, such as any of the above. So, at the moment I'm not going to leap to reopen the question; rather, I'd prefer for us (the community) to help her get the biggest bang for her buck here by asking more direct questions. The current question, as a whole, really is kind of off-topic, but there are elements that are on topic, so let's try to focus on those.
Protests at the Republican National Convention in July turned out to have been vastly over-hyped, but inauguration weekend in Washington, D.C., could be just the opposite. With almost 1 million people expected to converge on the Capital, including multiple groups of anti-Trump protesters, inauguration weekend could see large, organized demonstrations that might even signal the start of a Tea Party-style movement with grass-roots chapters. “I would say that these are going to be the largest protests of a president’s initial inauguration that we’ve seen in a long time if not all of history,” said Michael Heaney, a University of Michigan political science professor who conducted studies of the protest crowds at the RNC and plans to do the same during inauguration weekend. This isn’t the first time protest groups have organized for a president’s swearing-in. While both of President Obama’s two inaugurations saw relatively few demonstrations — only a hundred or so people protested topics such as the Iraq War — protest numbers were much larger at President George W Bush’s second inauguration in 2005. “In 2005 you had probably 10,000 plus protesters. You had sizeable protests. Anti-war protests were a big issue… there was the ‘Turn Your Back on Bush” protest that went on during the inauguration where people just turned around while he was speaking,” Heaney said. But the difference there was it was Bush’s second term. Protesters had lots of issues from the first term to target. What is uncommon this time is that so many protesters say they plan to demonstrate against Trump before he has served a day in the Oval Office. A long list of groups are organizing marches, protests and acts of civil disobedience over the course of inauguration weekend. The largest of them appears to be the nationally organized Women’s March on Washington , which will take place the day after Donald Trump is sworn in. Over 1,200 buses already have applied for city parking the day of the march, 1,000 more than have applied for parking on Inauguration Day. The march, which organizers say could attract up to 200,000 people , isn’t being billed as an anti-Trump event. Instead, its goal is promoting women’s rights and empowerment. DisruptJ20 also is projected by organizers to be a large demonstration and it will take place on Inauguration Day. Organizers say its express purpose is to disrupt Trump’s swearing-in ceremony to the point where he has to take the oath indoors . Some groups don’t plan on applying for permits at all, including one D.C.-based group that will protest federal marijuana policies on the National Mall by lighting up joints — jointly. Both representatives for the FBI and Secret Service were quick to mention their plans included strong support for attendee’s rights to protest. “We are looking at an intel standpoint at anyone who seeks to come in and commit a crime, cause harm, hurt people, commit acts of violence, do anything unlawful. We are on the look out for that to prevent anything from happening. But that’s where it stops. Peaceful protests, the right for people to express themselves, we completely support that,” Abbate said. The Washington Post reports that along with D.C. police, the city will bring in 3,000 additional law enforcement officers to work the parade route. Also 5,000 National Guardsmen will be in town unarmed and watching over the route. A spokesperson for the Secret Service would not comment on the number of officers who will be working that day. There also are plans to park heavy construction equipment in strategic locations to prevent truck attacks, such as those that occurred in Germany and France, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced Friday in a briefing . Why are there so may protest groups? The reason why protesters are getting more involved now is twofold. Heaney explained that during election years, people feel less inclined to protest because they can express themselves by going to the polls. When the election is over, people turn to protests as a way to voice their concerns, especially when there is a surprising outcome in the results. That’s why Heaney believes the protest turn-out in Cleveland for the RNC ended up being low. “Plus the other thing is other people never thought Donald Trump would be president,” he said. He added that the real protests against Trump, especially by women, didn’t occur until after the NBC tape was released that caught the then candidate on mic saying he wanted to sexually assault a woman. “There was significant news that came out after [the convention] that had to do with the treatment of women, the allegations that this man has committed multiple sexual assaults. … . And you did see protests almost immediately after that, at Trump Tower, outside the Trump hotel in D.C,” Heaney said. Now that there’s no question about Trump moving into the White House, protesters are coming out stronger and Heaney wonders if the Women’s March on Washington in particular could be the start of a movement along the lines of the Tea Party — which started in the wave of Obama’s push for the Affordable Care Act in 2009. Women’s marches are planned on the same day in cities across the country — the question is whether the message will continue to resonate during Trump’s time in office.	https://www.ktnv.com/news/national/why-trumps-inauguration-weekend-could-attract-the-most-protesters-since-bushs-2005-swearing-in
Purpose: To understand the views and perceptions regarding the Functional Fitness MOT (FFMOT), a battery of functional tests followed by a brief motivational interview, of both the older people undergoing it and the health professionals delivering it. Patients and methods: Physically inactive older adults (n=29) underwent the FFMOT and subsequently attended focus groups to share their perceptions of it and to discuss the barriers, motivators, health behavior change, and scope to improve physical activity (PA) levels. PA levels were recorded at baseline and again at 12 weeks together with a post-intervention questionnaire concerning behavior change. Participating physiotherapists and technical instructors were interviewed. Results: Most participants felt they had learned about their abilities and comparisons with their peers, had a change in perception about the importance of good balance and strength, and felt the FFMOT helped raise their awareness of local and self-directed physical activity opportunities. Most felt their awareness of the need for PA had not changed, but 25% of participants started a new organized PA opportunity. The health professionals perceived the FFMOT as being easy to administer, educating, and motivating for participants to increase their PA. Space, time, finances, and insecurity about having the necessary skills to conduct the FFMOTs were seen as barriers in implementing the FFMOT in daily practice. Conclusion: Over half of those offered the FFMOT accepted it, suggesting it is appealing. However, most participants felt they were already active enough and that their awareness of the need for PA had not changed. There were positive perceptions of the FFMOT from both professionals and older people, but both felt the FFMOT could be held in a community venue. The overall findings suggest that the FFMOT is feasible in the clinical setting, but its effectiveness has yet to be determined. Related items Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject. - Professional development in HIV prevention education for teachers using flexible learning and tutor supportJackson, Glenda Joy (2004)HIV prevention programs in schools are acknowledged as one of the best prospects for controlling the world HIV epidemic. Epidemiological evidence indicates that deaths world-wide from AIDS are yet to peak. Although HIV ... - A phenomenological study of the health-care related spiritual needs of multicultural Western AustraliansHawley, Georgina (2002)This study was designed to identify the spiritual needs of multicultural Australians with a health problem, in order to understand the educational implications for health care professionals. The rationale for the research ... - Perceptions of exercise for older people living with dementia in Bangkok, Thailand: an exploratory qualitative studyKaruncharernpanit, S.; Hendricks, J.; Toye, Christine (2015)BACKGROUND: Dementia is a significant issue globally, including in Thailand, and exercise is known to have health benefits for people living with dementia. However, little is known about exercise acceptable to, and feasible ...	https://espace.curtin.edu.au/handle/20.500.11937/73552
Nowadays the natural origin of the pavement is took for granted and the sight is a protected natural monument showing volcanic history. The fascinating patterns are formed by mainly hexagonal basalt blocks. The "church floor" covers an area of 80 m² and can be visited with a short walk from the parking place at N 63° 47.867 W 018° 02.926. We recommend a small hike combining the here described phenomenon with the beautiful waterfall "Systrafoss" and the "Systravatn". Geological background: Basalt columns are formed when thick flowing lava cools down, mainly in boggy regions where the steam retards the cooling down. Therefore the lava contracts slowly and cracks the rock into parallel formations, not infrequently shaping metres long square-cut columns. While a flow can shrink in the vertical dimension without fracturing, it cannot easily accommodate shrinking in the horizontal direction unless cracks form; the extensive fracture network that develops results in the formation of columns. Here the columnar basalt was eroded and shaped by wind and waves. Your tasks to log this cache: Send your answers per mail to kirkjugolf-(answer A)-(answer B)@gmx.de e.g. [email protected] before logging the cache! In case of correct answer you will get an automatic response mail. Please also check your spam folder if you don't receive the response mail. Additional Hints (No hints available.) What are Attributes? Advertising with Us There are no Trackables in this cache. View past Trackables What are Trackable Items? View all 5 bookmark lists... Find... 1,267 3 9 1 View Logbook \| View the Image Gallery of 856 images **Warning! Spoilers may be included in the descriptions or links. Current Time: 07/17/2019 05:32:26 Pacific Daylight Time (12:32 GMT)Last Updated: 07/17/2019 00:12:33 Pacific Daylight Time (07:12 GMT)Rendered From:UnknownCoordinates are in the WGS84 datum Use this space to describe your geocache location, container, and how it's hidden to your reviewer. If you've made changes, tell the reviewer what changes you made. The more they know, the easier it is for them to publish your geocache. This note will not be visible to the public when your geocache is published.	https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC1W8DD_kirkjugolf?guid=81aa669e-55cd-4e79-b29d-2a29e26f97e7
Our Recent Trip and Volcano Video from Big Island Pele has been showing her power lately on the south east side of the Big Island, Hawaii. We were lucky enough to make a trip out to Hilo right as things began to stir. The video below shares some of the highlights from our drive to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as well as our Circle of Fire Helicopter flight. As you can see in the video, and in the beautiful photos captured here by Natalie Brown Photography, the lava activity was just beginning to get more lively in early April of this year. We could tell it was out of the ordinary by how excited the locals were. Our intention was to hike to the lava flows, but it turns out (at the time) it required a 10-12 mile hike. SO, we visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and watched eruptions blast into the air! We then took a helicopter flight to see things even closer! It was AMAZING! Witnessing nature’s raw power up close was a highlight of our lives and a bucket list item checked off! We’re going to try and get back there for another flight before things quiet down (if they quiet down.) Leilani Estates Eruptions and Drama And then the earth opened up and began spewing lava through a neighborhood at Leilani Estates. Some of our family and friends just happened to be staying in Leilani Estates during the eruptions (a quick island hop from Maui in order to relax. Turns out it was far from relaxing!) “The cops and national guard know we are here, we checked in with them at the checkpoint. I’m keeping my phone on in case we get notified we need to move. Bags are ready to go so I think we are good. Tomorrow we may stay on Kona side,” texted Nicole Busto from Maui Nutritional Therapy. The next day they were evacuated and drove to the other side of the island. The video below shows some of the awesome power and destruction from this flow. Unfortunately locking the lava in with a gate doesn't work either. More incredible video from today. Posted by WXChasing on Monday, May 7, 2018 Ken Busto, of Acupono, summed up his experience nicely with: “I have no frame of reference for this; it is an entirely new way of knowing these Hawaiian islands. At our rental in Pohoiki, minutes away from the eruptions (literally 2 – 6 minutes) we sat vigilant in Madame Pele’s lap as her fierce ecstasy rumbled on.” “And though new for me, everything about it was instantly identifiable. Even at three in the morning on no sleep, the rosy glow reflected on the clouds just to our west, the groan of the ground opening up, the sulphur-scented breeze, the gurgling sounds of lava and steam exiting the earth — these could not be mistaken for anything but a volcanic eruption.” “With no frame of reference, my internal compass is on tilt. I can’t know what to feel beyond deep, primal…reverence. Lots of folks are saying, “Pele is angry”, but I have yet to see evidence of that. Wildness and violence are not necessarily anger. This event is sacred. That is all I know at this point.” “We have since left the Puna District and are kickin’ it in Captain Cook. Kona coffee and dolphins for the remainder of this stay. But being here on Big Island for Kilauea’s eruptions has been truly, unimaginably, phenomenal. As a rule I personally don’t use the words ‘amazing’ or ‘awesome’ because everyone uses them for everything nowadays. This event is actually worthy of both.” Interactive Lava Flow Map UPDATE: LAVA IS NOW FLOWING INTO THE OCEAN! Posted by Lava News on Sunday, May 20, 2018 Types Of Lava and Lava Rock Found On The Hawaiian Islands A Volcano is usually described as an opening in the crust of the earth where molten gases and rocks are released to the surface. The molten rock often has solid crystals, which have separated from it by crystallization. While lava is still underground, it is referred to as “Magma”, when it reaches the ground it is referred to as “Lava”. There are various factors that contribute to the type of lava that forms. The color of the lava usually varies between red, brown, black, red, tan, pink, metallic silver and green. Some lava has an olive color due to semi-precious crystals that break apart. When lava cools it forms different shapes and types of lava. There are many types of lava namely Pahoehoe, Pele’s Hair, Pele’s tears. Lava Bombs, Green Sand, A’a, Lava pillows etc. The three most common lava found on the Hawaiian Islands are Pillow Lava, Pahoehoe, and A’a. A’a forms individual rocks that vary in size. These rocks can be any size from a few inches to a few feet. Pahoehoe looks like twisted ropes that form a smooth, thick, flat coating of lava. There is also a third type of lava known as pillow lava. This lava forms while entering the water caused by pressure pushing the lava into its unique shape and consistency. This lava cools very quickly due to the temperature of the ocean water. Lava at La Perouse, south Maui La Perouse is almost entirely created by mid to late Pleistocene A’a lava flow that originates for the basis of the Pohakea and Pu’u Pimoe cinder cones. South of Pu’u Pimoe you will find the large lava flow of A’a lava that spreads out to the southern area towards the coast. The A’a lava found on Pahoehoe is still very rugged in appearance with a thin layer of ash and soil covering it. The last A’a lava flow came from the southwest of Haleakala, occurring in the 1790’s. This flow consists of large augite and olivine crystals. The three volcanoes in Hawaii that are classified as most active include Kilauea (which has been erupting since 1983), Mauna Loa (building for a new eruption), Loihi (erupted in 1996). The volcanoes classified as dormant volcanoes: Hualalai (last erupted in 1801), Haleakala (last erupted in 1790), Mauna Kea (last erupted 4000 years ago) Lava on Parts of the Big Island of Hawaii The volcanoes on the Big island mainly erupt a type of rock called Basalt. Molten Basalt produces high fluidity compared to volcanoes that erupt lava richer in magma types such dacite, andesite or rhyolite. The fluidity of the basalt favors the lava formation, which is why Hawaii’s volcanoes generally have gentle slopes. Volcanoes with a higher amount of silica content are more aggressive and produce shorter, thicker lava flows, thick beds of ash followed by a vicious eruption. These volcanoes are more common away from the island of Hawaii and have steeper slopes. The volcanoes of the Big Island Hawaii were produced by the “Hawaiian hot spot.” The Pacific Ocean has a single tectonic plate that moves over a layer in the Earth. As the plate moves over a certain area (where lava peaks out) a new volcano can push through the plate and create an island. When the plate moves away, that specific volcano stops erupting and a new one is formed in its place. Lava on Kilauea Kilauea has the world’s most active volcanoes. There have been 62 eruptions over a span of 245 years. The eruptions that occur on this island last a long time, the last eruption started in 1983 and is still busy. The type of lava that you are able to find on Kilauea is called “Tholeiite” which is a very hard rock and is the dominant material in the main stage of Hawaii’s volcanism and the most common lava type around the world. Lava on Mauna Loa Mauna Loa is known to be an active volcano that is due for an eruption. Since 1900 Mauna Loa has erupted 15 times, these eruptions can last any time period from a few hours to 145 days. The lava that occurs in this area is known as a “paired lava’, which means that there is more than one lava type involved. In 1859’s eruption was a combination of A’a and pahoehoe. The A’a lava was active for 16 days and was flowing at an average of 133 meters per hour. The Pahoehoe lava followed at an average 7m per hour. Pahoehoe lava is described as smooth, ropy, or billowy. This lava is also quite thin and elongated. Lava on Haleakala Haleakala is a great shield volcano. This volcano forms more than 75% of Maui. The type of lava rock that can be found on Haleakala is Andesite. Andesite is a mix between Rhyolite (can be found in any form from aphanitic, porphyritic to glassy) and Basalt (a very hard volcanic rock). Andesite lava is very thick in texture forming lava domes. Lava on Hualalai Hualalai is the third youngest active volcano on the islands of Hawaii. It is also the most active volcano of the five shield volcanoes on the island. The lava found on Hualalai is an A’a flow which makes is very rocky and rough. The volcano peak stands at 8271 feet above sea level and has not erupted since 1801, which will make it catastrophic if the volcano erupts as the residents around the volcano will not be prepared. Lava on Lo’ihi Lo’ihi is a submarine volcano that is situated 22 miles off the Southeast coast of Hawaii. This active volcano is the youngest volcano in Hawaii and is formed away from the nearest plate boundary. Lo’ihi began to form 400,000 years ago and will only rise above sea level in 10,000 to 100,000 years. The type of lava that can be found is called Tholeiitic Basaltic. Tholeiitic Basaltic lava is characterized by calcic plagioclase with pigeonite, augite, olivine, or hypersthene as the dominant mafic material. This lava contains approximately 45 to 63 percent silica. And a parting shot from Natalie Brown of one of the many waterfalls we ALSO saw during the Blue Hawaiian Big Island Tour. Let us know in comments below if you’ve been to the Big Island.	https://activityauthority.com/big-island-volcanic-eruptions/
This article is free to access. Background: In 2014, a qualitative multi-country research project was launched to study the reasons behind the high use of antibiotics in regions of Southeast Europe by using previously untrained national interviewers (who were engaged in other antibiotic microbial resistance-related investigations) to conduct qualitative interviews with local patients, physicians and pharmacists. Little knowledge exists about how to implement qualitative multi-country research collaborations involving previously untrained local data collectors. The aim of this paper was therefore to contribute to the knowledge regarding how to conduct these types of research projects by evaluating a pilot study of the project. Methods: Local data collectors conducted the study according to a developed protocol and evaluated the study with the responsible researcher-team from University of Copenhagen. The pilot study focused on 'local ownership', 'research quality' and 'feasibility' with regard to successful implementation and evaluation. The evaluation was achieved by interpreting 'Skype' and 'face to face' meetings and email correspondence by applying 'critical common sense'. Results: Local data collectors achieved a sense of joint ownership. Overall, the protocol worked well. Several minor challenges pertaining to research quality and feasibility were identified, in particular obtaining narratives when conducting interviews and recruiting patients for the study. Furthermore, local data collectors found it difficult to allocate sufficient time to the project. Solutions were discussed and added to the protocol. Conclusions: Despite the challenges, it was possible to achieve an acceptable scientific level of research when conducting qualitative multi-country research collaboration under the given circumstances. Specific recommendations to achieve this are provided by the authors. CITATION STYLE Kaae, S., Sporrong, S. K., Traulsen, J. M., Wallach Kildemoes, H., Nørgaard, L. S., Jakupi, A., … Cantarero, L. A. (2016). Experiences from a pilot study on how to conduct a qualitative multi-country research project regarding use of antibiotics in Southeast Europe. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-016-0069-3 Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.	https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/8a9d4633-abb9-3db7-86f6-52b02d189439/
Spotlight Date: 2016/10/28 Academic Research: Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Farming The College of Bioresources and Agriculture of National Taiwan University has been proactively making academic contribution to agriculture-related fields. The goal is to continue bolstering the technology of agricultural production for domestic development of bio-resources and the bio-industry. With Internet of Things (IoT) for smart farming as an example, this article will cover the fruitful results of the interdisciplinary, cross-departmental research by Prof. Joe-Air Jiang (江昭皚) of the Department of Bio-Industry Mechatronics Engineering and his team. Core technology and system innovation Prof. Jiang’s team has launched a platform called “Innovative IoT/WSN-based Monitoring Platform.” Given the ever-changing demands for monitoring field data in farmland, and the diversity presented by subjects being monitored, the researchers incorporated the forward-thinking information and communication technology (ICT) and wireless sensor network (WSN) into the IoT-based platform. With an innovative module as its core technology, the platform allows for long-distance, wireless monitoring of field data. The platform is composed of a sensing layer, a data aggregation layer, a network layer and a data analysis layer. This multi-layer technology renders the platform suitable for various monitoring purposes. Different sensor modules can be combined into the front-end, WSN-driven sensing layer to meet specific monitoring purposes. Complete with wireless chipsets, this layer enables the collection of a huge amount of raw data from farmland. Catering to different needs for research or monitoring, the platform’s modular design also means a wide application of the sensing layer to smart farming, ecological environments, and wide-area measurements for smart grids. Next is the data aggregation layer, which sets the each sensor up for sending back data in a quick, orderly manner. This layer also features core software designed for packet collision avoidance, effective routing and extended network lifespan. Network layer, on the other hand, acts as the medium that returns the front-end data to the data analysis layer. The research team has developed and integrated frequently-used communication protocols according to various transmission distances. The platform’s back-end data analysis layer enables the storage and mining of data of various types. By capturing useful information based on different sensing data, a data analysis model can be established. The purpose is to analyze what has been captured and predict what will be observed. The platform has been applied to smart pest monitoring networks, analysis of ecological models for pest control, treatment of colony collapse disorder (CCD), visual monitoring of rare birds, and an intelligent and automatic orchid greenhouse monitoring system. In so doing, the team’s achievements have laid a foundation for Taiwan’s smart farming . Smart monitoring and eco-models for pest control: a case in point The researchers combined mechatronics integration, mechanism design, GSM-based wireless texting, GPS technology and wireless sensing into the platform. The result is an autonomous multi-tasking pest control system that features accurate early warning. The insects being monitored are the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and Spodoptera litura (Fabricius), two of the most common pests that infest farmland in Taiwan. The researchers have built 27 networks for plant disease control at agricultural sites across the island. By collecting long-term data of pest infestation, and its corresponding environmental/meteorological factors, the research team’s monitor center used cloud computing to conduct the mining and analysis of big data so obtained. This enables immediate access to such information as hot spots of pest infestation. This surveillance function is also integrated into a geographic information system (GIS). The aim is to show how pest populations are distributed geographically as a big part of the team’s pest control efforts and data analysis. In addition, Prof. Jiang and his team also utilized a staggering amount of heterogeneous data obtained these years for statistical modeling. The resultant model —coupled with multivariate analysis— demonstrated how climate changes are impacting the populations of oriental fruit flies, and what role self-control is playing in the ecosystem where the flies live. The above system and analysis will help farmers and agricultural authorities keep their fingers on the pulse of fruit fly populations that vary with climate changes. Weather forecast data can also be incorporated to build a system that predicts pest infestation for immediate warning of an increase in fruit fly populations in seven days. The research team is looking to this system as a comprehensive preventive measure to perfectly control pest damage for domestic agriculture. Cross-departmental collaboration, interdisciplinary intelligence Prof. Jiang once worked with Prof. En-Cheng Yang (楊恩誠) and Prof. Toshinori Okuyama (奧山利規) of the Department of Entomology. The trio performed preliminary research on topics including “smart pest monitoring network and analysis of ecological models for pest control,” “colony collapse disorder (CCD)” and “non-lethal effects of imidacloprid to honey bee.” Additionally, Dr. Jiang also studied the subject of “application of automatic monitoring technology in avian behavior and habitat monitor” together with the School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, with Prof. Hsiao-Wei Yuan (袁孝維) and Prof. Chi-Rong Chiu (邱祈榮) as co-investigators. Another interdisciplinary project was conducted with the Department of Geography, where Prof. Chih-Hong Sun (孫志鴻), Prof. Tzai-Hung Wen (溫在弘) and Prof. Jehn-Yih Juang (莊振義) worked with Prof. Jiang. They published two studies, titled “Framework of a Spatially-Enabled Intelligent City” and “An Urban Environmental Sensing Infrastructure with Crowdsourcing and Spatial Big Data for Early Warning of Critical Conditions,” respectively. And there is a study titled “Research and Development of Wide-Area Monitoring and Control Technologies.” Co-authored by Prof. Chih-Wen Liu (劉志文) of the Department of Electrical Engineering, the research explored smart grid and related technologies. These cross-departmental efforts bear witness to how Jiang’s team has successfully applied IoT and ICT to agricultural technology and environmental protection. An Illustration of the smart pest monitoring networks and analysis of ecological models for pest control. The platform is composed of a sensing layer, a data aggregation layer, a network layer and a data analysis layer.
Ok so, yes I know fall is technically just as long as the other three seasons, but I’m talking about those 3-4 weeks out of the 3 month fall season that are not the sweltering end of summer or the frigid beginning of winter. That beautiful 60-70 degree weather, the changing leaves, the need for boots and light jackets, the comfortable bonfire nights, this is the fall season I’m talking about. This particular season is so short but, in my opinion, the absolute best. I think it is so important to take full advantage of these activities, if not just for the love of the scenery, then for a short stress reliever. Take a step back and enjoy all this wonderful season has to offer. - Go for multiple walks. - Walking itself has great health benefits but add some stunning fall foliage into the mix and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a totally different world. - Change up the trails/paths every time to experience the different colors and atmospheres. - Get to the pumpkin patch or apple orchard. - So yeah, this is of course a stereotypical fall activity but it really is a lot of fun. Walking through the different farms, smelling the fresh apple trees and/or delectable baked goods they might have available, this is what i think of most when I picture the fall season. - Open ALL the windows! - I love the feeling in my home during this season. The fresh air floating throughout is extremely refreshing. Maybe it’s because I love the outdoors so much or maybe it’s because I am stuck inside at work all day every day but either way it is my most favorite feeling when I am at home and can still enjoy cool, crisp, fresh air. - Drink Apple Cider - Warm apple cider, just the thought warms my soul. Enjoy all the appley goodness while cozying up in the chilly weather. - Break out the crock pot. - I LOVE CROCK POT SEASON. Beef stew, a roast, beef tips and gravy, soup, you name it and it’s in my crock pot probably twice a week throughout the entire fall and most of winter seasons. Utilize this wonderful, slow cooking, beauty as much as you can. What’s better than throwing a bunch of stuff in a pot in the morning and coming home from work to not only a hot and ready meal, but also the warm and inviting aromas of a toasty stew. Nothing I tell you, nothing is better than that. - Pumpkin Spice everything. - Yes, another fad but also, something wonderful. Autumn’s natural fruit that we mash-up, carve, color on, bake, and devour in so many wonderful ways. Indulge in the pumpkin spicy goodness but don’t over-do it to the point where it is not enjoyable anymore. - Take lots of pictures. - This season is gorgeous, and has the most picturesque scenery. Get your camera ready and capture some memories. - Carve and/or decorate a pumpkin - Whether you are a Halloween fan or not, carved and decorated pumpkins are such fun decorations and quite the interesting activity. - Decorate in warm bright colors. - The outdoors get natural decoration but inside, well, that should be warm and cozy too! Keep in the season changing spirit by decorating in fun, warm, bright colors and objects. Pumpkins and scarecrows and leaves OH MY! - Time for the start of the holiday movie binges! - From Charlie Brown to Hocus Pocus, watch every fall related movie you can find to get in the cool season spirit! Let me know what you think of these and if you have anything to add! I’ll be sharing my fall adventures soon!	https://rachaeltrichell.com/2016/10/21/10-ways-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-short-but-sweet-fall-season/
Its name means “nun” in French, and this popular pastry is found in patisseries and boulangeries all over France. Made of pâte à choux and filled with pastry cream, two buns, like little cream puffs, are stacked on top of each other and decorated to look like nuns dressed in their habits. The origins of the religieuse date back to 1856, when an Italian pastry chef by the name of Frascati, living and working in Paris, created it. Though traditionally filled with vanilla, chocolate or coffee-flavored crème pâtissière and covered in matching ganache, modern bakeries offer them in every flavor from rose or violet to salted caramel. This being a technical challenge, the recipe is Mary Berry’s. The crème pat is flavored with vanilla bean seeds, and the choux buns are coated with chocolate ganache. A whipped cream “collar” encircles the smaller bun that sits atop the larger bun to form the nun’s head. If you’ve made choux pastry before, these aren’t too difficult. If you haven’t made choux pastry before, I recommend watching the GBBS Masterclass on Netflix where Mary demonstrates how to make these (season 2, episode 4), or watch this tutorial on YouTube. The basic method involves combining water and butter in a saucepan and bringing it to a boil; you then add the flour all at once and stir until it all comes together in a ball, remove from heat and cool slightly before adding eggs, a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. When all the eggs are incorporated, the dough should be smooth, shiny and stiff enough to pipe. Once piped onto a parchment paper–lined baking sheet, the dough is baked at a high temperature for a short amount of time; then the temperature is lowered to finish baking. The idea is that the water in the dough turns to steam in the oven, which causes the dough to puff up, creating air pockets that can then be filled with pastry cream, whipped cream or decadently flavored mousse. Because we’re making choux “nuns,” I piped eight 2-inch disks and eight 1-inch disks onto parchment paper. I baked them at 425°F for 10 minutes and then turned down the temperature to 375°F and baked them for another 10-15 minutes. When they were golden brown, I pulled them out of the oven, pricked each one with a skewer to let the steam escape and put them back into the oven for a few more minutes to dry them out a bit. Mary’s crème pâtissière recipe calls for a little bit of flour and a little bit of cornstarch for stability, plus the seeds of a whole vanilla bean for deliciousness! Once the choux buns were baked and cooled, I enlarged the holes that I created to let the steam escape and used a small piping tip to fill the buns with pastry cream. I then made a chocolate ganache to dip them in and placed one small choux bun on top of each of the larger buns to create my nuns. For a crowning touch, I piped whipped cream around the “necks” of the nuns to form the collar of their habits, resulting in eight delicious, happy little religieuses! The link to Mary’s recipe is here, but I’ve adapted it for American bakers below. Mary Berry's Religieuses For the choux pastry: For the pastry cream: For the ganache: - ½ c. + 2 T. heavy whipping cream - 7 oz. chocolate (preferably 36-40% cocoa solids), chopped into small pieces For the whipped cream: - ½ c. heavy whipping cream Directions - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and use a pencil to draw eight 2-inch diameter circles and eight 1-inch diameter circles on one side of the paper. Then flip the paper over so you can see the circles through the paper. - Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with the water and heat over medium heat until the butter melts. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then immediately remove the pan from the heat. - Add all the flour to the pan at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a soft ball. Return the pan to the heat and cook on low for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. - Remove from the heat and leave the pan to cool slightly. Then gradually add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well between each addition to form a smooth, shiny paste. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip. - Pipe the dough onto the parchment paper to fill each circle. Dip your finger in water and tamp down the top of each disk of dough, creating a smooth top. Place the cookie sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and cook for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove the choux buns from the oven and pierce each bun with a skewer to allow steam to escape, then return them to the oven for 4-5 minutes to dry out. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. - For the pastry cream, pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the vanilla seeds (or extract). Bring to a boil gradually. Meanwhile, in a medium mixer bowl, use the whisk attachment to whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale in color, then whisk in the cornstarch and flour. When the milk just begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat and leave it to cool for 30 seconds. Gradually pour the milk into the egg mixture, whisking continuously, and then pour the mixture back into the pan. - Bring the mixture back to a boil, whisking continuously over medium heat, and cook for 1 minute or until thickened. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl to cool, covering the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on top. Put it in the fridge to chill. - For the ganache, put the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Put the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. When the cream just begins to boil, pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Leave to cool and thicken. If needed, transfer it to the fridge to chill until the ganache reaches a dippable consistency. - To assemble the religieuses, spoon the cold pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a long thin tip (or alternatively you can use a jam syringe). Pipe the cream into the holes used to let the steam out of the buns, enlarging the holes with a skewer if necessary. (When the cream starts to ooze out around the piping tip, you know they are filled.) - Dip the filled buns into the chocolate ganache to coat them halfway up the sides. Before the ganache has set completely, sit one of the small buns on top of each of the larger buns. - For the collars, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Spoon the cream into a piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle. Pipe the cream around the “neck” where the small bun meets the large bun to form a collar. - Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. They are best enjoyed the same day.	https://heresthedish.com/2020/07/02/religieuses/
After a spate of mass shootings in the US, right-wing figures have suggested a link to antidepressants. - Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Tucker Carlson have claimed several mass shooters took SSRIs, suggesting they are to blame. - Experts say the claims are a “political diversionary tactic.” After the mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois – the latest mass shooting to horrify the United States– several right-wing figures suggested that antidepressants could be to blame. “When are we going to have an honest conversation about drug abuse, mental illness, and SSRIs??? And deadly side effects,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on Twitterreferring to a type of antidepressant. “It’s time to stop blaming the gun and have honest conversations about the real causes of mass shootings,” she said. On his show, Fox News host Tucker Carlson made a similar connection between SSRIs and mass shootings. “A lot of young men in America are going nuts. Are you surprised? And by the way, a shockingly large number of them have been prescribed psychotropic drugs by their doctors, SSRIs or antidepressants, and that would include quite a few mass shooters, ” Hey said. Psychiatrists say that there is little evidence to suggest the medications could increase homicidal tendencies. “Blaming medications as a primary contributor to the spate of mass shootings simply isn’t supported by evidence, and to me represents more of a political diversionary tactic than a real scientific theory,” David Rettew, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and medical director of Lane County Behavioral Health in Eugene, Oregon, told Insider. What are SSRIs? Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders, according to WebMD. They help make more serotonin available by blocking the reuptake process. SSRIs are the most commonly used antidepressants as they are considered relatively safe and cause fewer side effects than similar medications, per WebMD. Like any medication, SSRIs have some potential side effects, which include insomnia, headaches, nausea, restlessness, and reduced sexual desire, WebMD says. Are antidepressants linked to violence? The question of whether antidepressants cause an increase in violent tendencies is a complex one. Antidepressants have been linked to higher rates of suicide risk among young people, according to the FDAbut experts say there is no evidence to suggest they increase violence or homicidal urges towards others. “On an individual basis, I never say never when it comes to a medication reaction because people can have some extreme sensitivities,” Rettew said. “However, people have been studying antidepressants or SSRIs in various systematic, randomized, double-blind controlled ways, and homicidal shootings just don’t show up as a side-effect in these trials.” When Insider asked Rep. Greene’s office for evidence of her claims about SSRIs and violence, her spokesperson replied by pointing to one of her tweets, which links to a page listing school shooters who supposedly took psychiatric drugs. Similarly, during his monologue on his Fox News show on Tuesday, Tucker Carlson named several mass shooters who he claimed were taking SSRIs, such as Zoloft and Prozac, including the Columbine shooter and Charleston church shooter. However, experts note that correlation does not equal causation. If indeed many of these shooters were taking antidepressants, it does not mean that they were driven to violence by them – simply that they had mental health issues. “A much more plausible explanation is not that the medications are causing this aggression, but that the underlying condition that the medications are being used for is driving the behavior and that the antidepressant medications just don’t work as much as we would like them to for a lot of people,” Rettew said. Insider reached out to a Fox News spokesperson for clarification on Carlson’s claims, and they responded by sharing several links, including articles naming mass shooters who had taken antidepressants. However, Carlson and Greene’s theories fail to note that many mass shooters had no history of taking psychiatric medication. A 2021 investigation by Voice of America found that only 23% of mass shooters from 1966 to February 2020 took psychiatric medication. The report found that two-thirds of mass shooters had a history of mental health concerns, supporting the theory that underlying mental health issues were the driving cause rather than the medication. The Fox News spokesperson also referred Insider to a study published in the PLoS Medicine Journal in 2015 that suggested that people aged 15-24 were more likely to commit violent crimes when on a low dose of antidepressants. However, this risk was reduced when taking a higher dose of the drugs. One of the study’s authors, Seena Fazel, expressed caution about linking SSRIs and violence, per MedScape. “Our own view is that some evidence suggests that it’s a bit more complicated than that because we found a link with subtherapeutic doses of SSRIs, and that would suggest to us that it may be that it’s actually a lack of treatment [and] it could be residual symptoms that are driving this link.” More guns, more gun-related deaths Carlson claimed that SSRI prescriptions have risen by more than 3,000% on his show, implying a link to the rise in US mass shootings. The US is the world’s biggest consumer of antidepressants, according to data from 2016. Iceland, Australia, and Canada are next. The United States also has the highest rates of mass shootings of any industrialized country. In the first 145 days of this year, there have been 214 mass shootings (defined by Gun Violence Archive as shootings in which at least four people were shot). But comparatively, Iceland has only had one fatal shooting since 2007, despite having a “gun-loving population.” Data has shown that there are higher rates of gun crime and gun-related deaths in industrialized countries that have more guns. Mass shootings in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom prompted the countries to tighten gun laws. A comparison by the Council of Foreign Relations showed that gun violence has remained low in those countries. As the gun control debate continues, Democrats and Republicans have drawn up distinctly different plans to prevent future mass shootings. Democrats have generally pushed for stronger gun-control laws, while Republicans have largely resisted. Critics say that figures such as Greene and Carlson, who both have histories of making spurious claims, are using antidepressants as a scapegoat to deflect calls to tighten up rules of gun access.	https://blackwatertacoma.com/2022/07/09/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-and-tucker-carlson-have-linked-mass-shootings-to-antidepressants-this-is-what-the-evidence-says/
The Twelve Traditions - Our common welfare should come first; personal progress for the greatest number depends upon unity. - For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern. - The relatives of alcoholics when gathered together for mutual aid, may call themselves an Al-Anon Family Group provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation. The only requirement for membership is that there be a problem of alcoholism in a relative or friend. - Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting another group or Al-Anon or AA as a whole. - Each Al-Anon Family Group has but one purpose – to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practising the Twelve Steps of AA ourselves, by encouraging and understanding our alcoholic relatives, and by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics. - Our Al-Anon Family Groups ought never endorse, finance, or lend our name to any outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary spiritual aim. Although a separate entity, we should always co-operate with Alcoholics Anonymous. - Every group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. - Al-Anon 12th-Step work should remain forever non-professional, but our service centres may employ special workers. - Our groups, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve. - The Al-Anon Family Groups have no opinion on outside issues; hence our name ought never be drawn into public controversy. - Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films. We need guard with special care the anonymity of all AA members. - Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.	https://www.al-anon-malta.org/en/traditions/
8 Tips for Transitioning Back to School Back to school season can be a tough one. Adjusting to new routines presents a challenge not only for parents but also for students and their brains. Getting back into the routine of school and homework is very difficult tasks for many kids, especially those with attention and learning challenges. However, there are many things parents can do with their kids that will ease the transition and increase their ability to focus and ultimately yield better homework and study time. Creating these habits at the start of the school year, when the workload is typically lighter, will benefit your child when the workload starts to pile up. Create a working space for homework. It’s hard to focus on homework in the dining room when siblings are running around, mom is cooking dinner, and the television is on. Be mindful of your child’s needs and try to create a quiet space that can be theirs for homework. Start preparing helpful snacks. Having sugar before study time is one of the worst ways to prepare our brains for good work. Sugar impairs communication between the brain cells, leads to a sugar crash, and increases anxiety. Anxiety creates discomfort and a desire to run away from the given situation. So giving your child sugar before homework will most likely only have negative effects (and watch out for those granola bars and crackers that boast “natural” or “healthy”…they often contain sugar). Protein is a power snack for the brain. Nuts, plain Greek yogurt, lunch meat, and peanut butter with celery are all great protein options to help prep your child’s brain for better focus and an energized brain. Practice deep belly breathing. Belly breathing has been proven to lower anxiety and relax the central nervous system, thus lowering any erratic energy levels and instead associating homework or focus time with relaxation. Deep breathing is something that can be done all throughout homework time and as often as needed. Create a routine for homework each day. Having your child in a routine will help them know what to expect. Routines also provide a feeling of security for children as it limits the chances of unexpected, sometimes stressful situations (as much as you don’t want to be up until all hours helping your child with homework, they don’t want to, either!). Creating a routine, with planned breaks, will help eliminate late or rushed homework and help your child understand what is expected of them each day. If you have a busy schedule with sports or the like, even having a clearly communicated routine with homework always being done in between practices in 30-minute increments will help. Communicate accurately. Be sure your child knows what you’re expecting. If the task is a large one (like a multi-step homework assignment, for example) break it down into steps and explain to them which steps to do first. If necessary and appropriate for age, sit with them to help walk them through the steps. Once they perform these steps accurately with you, they will build confidence in doing it on their own. Do some quick brain exercises. These exercises are all effective in promoting communication within the brain and enhancing underlying processing skills. Sometimes kids just need a movement break, so getting the body moving will often make the next 10 minutes of focus time easier. Do heavy work. If your child is one who fidgets often and can’t sit still in their seat, heavy work may be of more benefit than you think. Heavy work is anything that creates healthy tension in our bodies. Push-ups, pull-ups, carrying heavy boxes, crab crawls—all of these are heavy work activities that provide our brains and bodies with more input and thus create a feeling of security with where we are in space. This can have a calming effect on many fidgety kids. Do focus activities throughout the day. These can be anywhere from 1-10 or 15-minute activities, depending on what your child can handle. Simple things like staring contests and the quiet game help to build a sense of concentration in children. You can even make your own game, having your child stare at something particular (like a shiny sticker on the wall or a stuffed animal) and time them. Challenge them to try and beat their time every day. This is also a great game for encouraging deep breathing. For older children and teens, practice mindfulness activities, which have been proven to reduce attention problems. Have you tried any focus activities that have yielded good results? We’d love to hear your experience in the comments.	https://www.pathfinderslearning.com/8-tips-for-transitioning-back-to-school/
There are a variety of project management resources that discuss risk management. Here I will introduce some of those resources. In particular, I will consider risk management in international development projects drawing on my personal experience in Afghanistan and the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya and the extensive literature on the subject. Risk management does not only occur in settings where the risk includes threats to life and wellbeing, but in all projects such as business ventures or international development programming. Risks are merely events and conditions outside the scope of the project, including factors that affect financial considerations, time considerations, and general implementation of the proposed activities. What risks could prevent the project from being successful? Building a Project Risk Management Plan The first step in any project risk management plan lies in good project planning practices, including planning how to manage and identifying risks. First, what are the risks in the project? How will the team and project planners ensure minimizing those risks? By using a risk analysis table for identifying and recording risks, practitioners can structure brainstorming and mitigating (InterAction Security Unit, 2010). I previously taught at the American University of Afghanistan, and one of the risks was that students would not be able to attend given insecurity on the roads. The university, long before my tenure there, minimized this risk through offering dormitory housing close to campus and putting stringent security in place to ensure that students were safe once on campus. Despite best efforts, this risk continued to affect the delivery of education, the implementation of university courses as circumstances changed daily. This example highlights that project risk management must consider how circumstances change. The second step to effectively manage project risks is to analyze potential risks through data collection and use that data to develop responses to risks as they arise. In the example above, this includes closing the university on days of extreme threats and staffing a team of experts in security (as is customary in Kabul). Analyzing risks more generally could include collecting qualitative data about what project stakeholders need or value related to the project. This data helps to ensure that the project successfully considers local realities. Quantitative data about project implementation or similar projects conducted by the organization or others working in the same context might also provide useful information about risks in order to develop responses. How do other organizations respond to similar risks? How does the implementing agency respond to risks in past experiences? These questions help identify strategies in risk response and contingency plans. Throughout the planning, data collection, and response development phases, we store the data and track risks to better understand what is occurring and changing. How effective are we responding to risks as they come up? Are we documenting them and creating a knowledge base of what risks have occurred? What trends do we see in this data so as to forecast potential future risks? Some monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plans, particularly logframes, require the considerations of the assumptions we make and risks we face in planning, implementing and evaluating. These tools are particularly helpful in developing project risk management plans and recognizing what risks can be mitigated and responded to in the project. UNDP presents project risk management as a cycle where monitoring and planning feed into each other around a results based model. USAID puts risks with assumptions in their logframes and have developed extensive materials on how to work in the field to identify, monitor, and minimize risks (USAID, 2012; USAID, 2013). These tools, coupled with sound project planning brainstorming and data tracking support effective risk management. References: UNDP. (2011). Handbook on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluating for Development Results. Chapter 1, Section 1.2. Retrieved from http://web.undp.org/evaluation/handbook/ch1-2.html USAID. (2012). Technical Note: The Logical Framework. Planning Series. 2(1). Retrieved from http://usaidprojectstarter.org/sites/default/files/resources... USAID. (2013). Performance Management Plan (PMP) Toolkit. Retrieved from http://usaidprojectstarter.org/sites/default/files/resources/pdfs/PMP-Toolkit.pdf About the Author Ally Krupar is an Adjunct Instructor at American University’s School of Professional and Extended Studies where she teaches Qualitative Methods in Monitoring and Evaluation. She is also a Doctoral Candidate in Adult Education and Comparative International Education at Pennsylvania State University and a Visiting Researcher with RET, an international organization providing secondary and post-secondary education to displaced peoples worldwide. She holds a BA in Anthropology from Case Western Reserve University and an MA from the School of International Service at American University. Follow Ally on Twitter. To learn more about American University’s online Graduate Certificate in Project Monitoring and Evaluation, request more information or call us toll free at 855-725-7614.	https://programs.online.american.edu/online-graduate-certificates/project-monitoring/resources/effectively-manage-project-risk
You Inc, Entrepreneur, Homepreneur, Globalpreneur & Infopreneur Oftentimes, marketers focus heavily on Google when vying for traffic. For instance, I'm willing to bet your SEO meetings revolve largely around the topic of Google, with questions like, "How's our organic search?" "How can we capture page one on Google?" "How can we write the winning featured snippet?" During these discussions, I assume none of your coworkers say, "Okay, let's pivot now. How can we capture Bing traffic?"	https://millionairex3.ning.com/profiles/blogs/top-7-search-engines-ranked-by-popularity
The current issue of TCS includes nine papers. There are three Opinion Articles, one Review Article, four Research Articles and one Short Communication. These papers address conservation issues ranging from the actual existence of the Nilgiri biosphere reserve in India to the retreat of public policies for biodiversity protection in Brazil, the involvement of local communities in sustainable exploitation of crocodiles in central Amazonia, and the influence of human-induced factors in assessing control strategies of large herbivore populations in Africa. Four research articles report new information on manatee conservation in Cameroon; map the habitat and current distribution of white-tailed deer, red brocket deer and collared peccary in northeastern Mexico; and identify priority mammals for biodiversity conservation in Brazil. A fourth paper provides a technical evaluation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for estimating the surface area of sampling strips when monitoring large-sized species (e.g. ungulates). The last paper provides new surveys of large mammals using camera traps in the Sikre River in the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras. The conservation landscapes portrayed in this issue clearly indicate that tropical conservation requires multiple approaches. These include not only various techniques and technologies to map current habitat and population distributions of tropical plants and animals, but also assessments of the viability of natural protected areas under different human pressures. Also discussed are the impacts of changing public policies detrimental to biodiversity, ways to promote and monitor sustainable use of tropical resources, and how specific groups of species can be used to promote biodiversity conservation. The papers in this issue also illustrate the important contributions of local and non-local tropical scientists who employ multiple scientific, technical and social principles to track the web of human-based factors impacting the persistence of tropical organisms.	https://complete.bioone.org/journals/tropical-conservation-science/volume-6/issue-4/194008291300600410/Multiple-approaches-to-tropical-conservation/10.1177/194008291300600410.full
As organisations increasingly allow employees to choose their own mobile devices for use in the workplace, effective management is becoming an issue. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) programs are creating challenges for IT teams as they struggle to maintain security of systems and data. Rather than managing a standard fleet, they have to deal with a range of different operating systems and configurations. In many cases, the management challenge is involving growing numbers of Apple devices including MacBooks, iPhones and iPads. A survey conducted by JAMF earlier this year found that, in organisations where staff have a choice of laptop, 75 per cent of them chose a MacBook over a Windows-based device. When asked about mobile handsets, those surveyed reported that 79 per cent of employees choose iPhones over other options. Overall, the Jamf survey found 68 per cent of companies are increasing their Apple Mac adoption rates, 46 per cent are increasing their iPhone numbers, and 36 per cent are boosting the number of iPads. It’s clear that Apple is increasing its penetration into the corporate market, and the company has encouraged the trend by including a range of business features. These include native Exchange support, a volume purchase program, native disk encryption and a device enrolment service. The management challenge Traditionally, IT departments have used two methods to manage mobile devices. Client management tools have been implemented to manage laptops while enterprise mobility management (EMM) tools have been deployed to manage phones and tablets. Many organisations opt to use their EMM tool to manage any Apple devices that form part of their infrastructure. While this approach does work, it can result in extra complexity for users. For example, if they have a Windows laptop and an Apple iPhone or iPad, they will have to use the client management tool for one and the EMM tool for the other. This creates an inconsistent user experience as they have to deal with the different interfaces and functionality of both systems. It can be difficult for them to know where to get support or how to fix any issues that arise. Some organisations tackle this challenge by adopting a unified endpoint management approach. In theory this combines the abilities of both management tools, however some find it ends up being similar to having a combined toaster and fridge – it does both jobs but not quite as well as separate tools could achieve. A better approach When it comes to managing the growing fleet of Apple devices within organisations, a better approach is to focus on the user rather than the hardware. Instead of having one management system for MacBooks and another for iOS devices, IT teams should instead take advantage of tools that make the task as seamless as possible across both groups. In most cases, before Apple devices are issued to staff they have tended to be prepared by the IT department. A standard set of applications is installed and security and user settings adjusted as required. Staff are then trained in how to use them. A better approach is to allow staff to use their new device ‘out of the box’. Using a tool, such as Jamf Pro, users are able to open the box, power on their new device and get it ready for work. The tool ensures the new device boots up into the setup assistant through which the user selects their language and country and are then assisted to connect to the corporate Wi-Fi network. The device then automatically communicates with Apple’s activation services and informs the user that the iPad or iPhone will be automatically configured in line with their organisation’s requirements. The result is a properly configured and secured device that can be immediately used in the workplace. Staff no longer have to wait for their device to be manually configured and checked by the IT department, but instead can use it out of the box. The management platform can also ensure timely delivery of updates and patches to all devices as required, removing the need for the IT team to do so using manual processes. By harnessing a sophisticated device management platform, organisations will be able to provide staff with the devices they prefer without causing disruption and extra work for the IT department. By Jamie Davidson, Regional Sales Manager – ANZ, Jamf This article was prepared by a guest blogger and the opinions expressed may not necessarily reflect the opinions of Fifth Quadrant.	https://www.fifthquadrant.com.au/cx-spotlight-news/growing-apple-device-usage-poses-challenges-for-it-managers
Division of Systematic and Evolutionary Biology (DSEB): 2001 Spring Newsletter In this newsletter: Message from the Chair Message from the Secretary Message from the Program Officer DSEB Candidates for Election Message from the Chair Miriam Zelditch It is a pleasure to report that our meeting in balmy Chicago was a great success. Our society is in excellent shape, both financially and intellectually. Our division is also in good shape, although attendance at business meetings is sparse. That may be due to calling these meetings "business" meetings, connoting tedious reports, a focus on bureaucratic details, and a rigid adherence to Robert's Rules of Order. In our division at least, that is not the case at all. Now that our scientific sessions are organized topically rather than around divisions, the business meetings are particularly important for maintaining divisional identity. As systematists, we have an obvious intellectual identityour phylogenetic perspective on comparative and integrative biology. This underlies our various divisional activities, especially our sponsorship of symposia and our workshop, Phylogenetics for Dummies. Business meetings are where we can meet to discuss our plans, and also to respond to initiatives from the Executive Committee. Our last meeting raised a number of interesting topics, including the proposed approach to enhancing diversity in SICB and ideas about how to use the available money for innovative programming. Graduate students, in particular, might be put off by the notion of a "business" meeting, but think of these as divisional discussions about issues of importance to our society as a whole. I am pleased to announce that the DSEB awarded the Best Student Paper award to Jessica Garb, of the University of California at Berkeley, for her paper "Parallel patterns in the Pacific? A comparison of phylogenetic diversification in crab spiders (Araneae: Thomisidae) across three Polynesian archipelagos" (see abstract page 195). Please notice that we are holding divisional elections and vote! Message from the Secretary Valerie Cappola In Chicago the DSEB business meeting was not well attended, but we did discuss ways to encourage more people to participate in these divisional meeting. One thing I learned from those present was that few people are visiting the SICB website (www.sicb.org). This website has been modified over the last year or so. It has useful information for all, but students looking for fellowships or jobs will find it very helpful. Just click on "for SCIB members" and choose job and fellowships or any other topic. It is time for another election. In order to have some overlap between the current officers and those newly elected, we are having the election this year. The candidates are Ken Halanych and Rich Mooi for Chair elect, Marta J. deMaintenon and Donald L. Swiderski for Program Officer elect, and Ingrid M. Kaatz is running unopposed for Secretary. The candidate information is included in this newsletter, but our division needs to vote by mail. When the ballot arrives, please take the time to fill it out and mail it back. Message from the Program Officer Anne Maglia The Chicago meetings proved to be full of activity for DSEB. Along with sponsoring several contributed paper sessions, we also co-sponsored the symposium "The Lesser-Known Protostome Taxa: Evolution, Development and Ecology." Also, as part of our ongoing series of hands-on workshops designed to help non-systematists use systematic tools, we sponsored the well-attended second "Phylogenetics for Dummies" workshop. This year's topic was "Picking a Tree from the Forest," in which participants discussed and evaluated different methods of analyzing data, the use of diverse data sets, and the various methods of showing support for trees. Congratulations to Jessica Garb, winner of the DSEB Best Student Paper Competition for her excellent poster on crab-spider biogeography. DSEB Candidates for Election Divisional Chair Elect Ken Halanych Current Position: Assistant Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Adjunct Scientist, Marine Biological Laboratory. Education: Ph. D. 1994. University of Texas at Austin; B.S.. 1988. Wake Forest University Professional Experience: Postdoctoral fellow, Rutgers University, (Molecular evolution and systematics of marine invertebrates); Postdoctoral fellow, University of Pretoria, South Africa. (The molecular phylogenetics and evolution of Lagomorphs.) SICB Activities: 2001 Secretary Division of Evolutionary and Developmental Biology; 2000 Participant of "Hox gene and morphological evolution" symposium; 1998 Co-organizer "Evolutionary relationships of Metazoan Phyla" symposium; 1998 DIZ best student paper committee; 1990 Session co-chair; 1990 Local organization committee for San Antonio meeting. Other Memberships: Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution, Society of Systematic Biologists, American Association for the Advancement of Science Research Interests: Evolutionary origins and relationships of major metazoan lineages (including body plan origins and evolution); molecular systematics and phylogenetic theory, invertebrate organismal evolution (especially lophophorates), diversification of hydrothermal vent fauna (especially pogonophorans), lagomorph (rabbits and pikas) phylogenetics. Statement of Goals: The main goal of my tenure in office would be to promote an awareness of the power and utility of using an accurate phylogenetic framework in comparative biology. Through the use of symposia and workshops, DSEB should strive to educate other scientists and show them that they can obtain more information, and in some cases more accuracy, if additional attention is given to how they choose or reconstruct their tree. I also believe that DSEB should be willing to take a similar role with methods used to decipher intraspecific evolutionary history (e.g., phylogeography, coalescence approaches). This increases awareness of DSEB, combined with an aggressive campaign, should help alleviate some of the small membership problems. Additionally, I think DSEB should take a leadership role in the incorporation of underrepresented groups in the society. Richard J. Mooi Current Position: Curator and Chairman of Invertebrate Zoology & Geology, California Academy of Sciences; Scientific Co-ordinator of SFBay:2K; and Research Professor, Department of Biology, San Francisco State University. Education: B.Sc., University of Toronto, 1981; M.Sc., University of Toronto, 1983; Ph.D., University of Toronto, 1987. Professional Experience: Lecturer, 1986, University of Toronto; Postdoctoral Fellow, 1988-1990, Smithsonian Institution; Assistant Curator, California Academy of Sciences, 1990-1995; Organizer, International Echinoderm Conference, San Francisco, 1996; Associate Curator, 1995-2000; Full Curator, 2000-present; Research Professor, San Francisco State University, 1998-present. SICB Activities: Participant in and Co-chair for symposium, Phylogenetic Systematics, Biogeography, and Marine Biodiversity, 1995; Participant in symposium, Evolutionary Relationships of Metazoan Phyla: Advances, Problems and Approaches, 1998; Participant in and Co-organizer for symposium, The Evolution of Asteroid Echinoderms: Morphology, Molecules, Development and Paleobiology, 1999. Other Memberships: California Academy of Sciences (elected fellow), Willi Hennig Society (elected fellow), Society for Sedimentary Geology, Society of Systematic Biology, The Paleontological Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Microscopical Society. Research Interests: Although a functional morphologist by early training, I rapidly switched to phylogenetic systematics in a search for a robust evolutionary framework for my observations on sea urchin structure. My research strives to document and understand the origin of novel morphologies by integrating data from phylogenetics, embryology, and paleontology with overarching concepts such as heterochrony and heterotopy. The focus of these efforts is the echinoids, which offer a wealth of data that make studies in all of these areas feasible. My earlier research dealt largely with the origins and subsequent diversification of the sand dollars. However, in the past few years I have been developing a large-scale theory of the homologies of echinoderm body wall that can be applied to all members of the phylum. I have also worked on the application of phylogenetic principles to linguistics, and on other aspects of phylogenetic theory. Statement of Goals: By bringing together biologists representing diverse disciplines under the same tent, the SICB continues to play a central role in raising consciousness surrounding the importance of phylogenetics and systematics to all aspects of evolutionary biology. This is particularly true for the symposia that the Division of Systematics and Evolutionary Biology has made a central part of the SICB program. These symposia have provided, and continue to provide important venues for established colleagues and students alike. Most significantly, we have not shied away from making sure that students get invited and encouraged to attend these symposia to present the burgeoning research that complements the overview function that the symposia already perform. Support of these endeavors is paramount, and I would work to make our programmatic agenda reinforce the importance of phylogenetic systematics to understanding evolutionary phenomena, thereby bringing this message directly to current and future biologists. In my opinion, the most satisfying events at SICB have been those that integrate whole animal and molecular approaches, synthesizing disparate data through powerful analytical tools that continue to be sharpened. DSEB must continue to regard these events a priority, because there are too few other organizations that are in a position to make them happen. Divisional Program Officer Elect Donald L. Swiderski Current Position: Adjunct Research Investigator, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Education: B.S., Geology, Michigan State University, 1981; M.S., Geology (Paleontology), Michigan State University, 1986; Ph.D., Zoology, Michigan State University, 1990. Professional Experience: Research Assistant, 1991-1995, Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center; Research Associate, 1995-1996, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center; Adjunct Research Investigator, 1996-present, Mammal Division, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. SICB Activities: Organizer for DSEB Symposium "Beyond Reconstruction: Using Phylogenies to Test Hypotheses about Vertebrate Evolution", 2000, (cosponsored by DVM and Society of Vertebrate Paleontology), Co-organizer (with A. Maglia) for DSEB workshop "Systematics for Dummies", 2000 and 2001. Other Memberships: Society of Systematic Biologists, American Society of Mammalogists, Society for the Study of Evolution, Society for the Study of Mammalian Evolution, American Association for the Advancement of Science Research Interests: My main area of research is the evolution of skeletal morphology in mammals, especially the evolution of shapes of the bones. Phylogenetic studies are an important component of this research, providing information crucial to understanding the history of the morphology, which in turn gives us a more complete understanding of current function. Accordingly, my work also includes studies that explore the limitations of current approaches to phylogenetic analysis. These studies include comparisons of levels of homoplasy in different organ systems of a clade of freshwater snails, and an evaluation the congruence among those systems. Currently, I am engaged in a similar study evaluating cytochrome b sequences and morphology of ground squirrels. I have also participated in a series of studies on the appropriateness of using of various kinds of quantitative morphometric variables to generate hypotheses of character transformation. Statement of Goals: My goal as DSEB program officer would be to continue efforts to raise the profile of our division, both within SICB, and among the general biological community. Our division is small in terms of primary membership, and perhaps as a consequence, our contributed sessions generally include few papers. This has been viewed at times as an embarrassment to the division, but small sessions are not indicative of poor quality. As a chair of many past sessions, I can attest to the high quality of most presentations. We have begun to promote the quality of these presentations by starting a student award program, but we need to take other steps as well. . We also must convey to our colleagues (in other divisions and in other societies) the crucial role that systematic analyses must play if "integrative and comparative" studies are to explain evolutionary phenomena. I believe we can most effectively achieve these goals through development of symposia and workshops that address the question: "What can systematics do for you?" The "using phylogenies" symposium, and the associated workshop on character mapping, should be only the beginning. However, these programs will only be successful if the audience for whom they are developed shows up to hear the presentations. Thus, I intend to work with symposium and workshop organizers on the development and publicity of programs that draw participants, sponsorship, and audience from other divisions, and from other societies. Marta J. deMaintenon Current position: Assistant Professor, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Marine Science, 1999 - present; Research Associate, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, CA, Invertebrate Zoology; 1998 to present; Affiliate Graduate Faculty, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, 2001 - present. Education: B.S., Biology (Marine Biology), Millersville University of Pennsylvania, 1987; M.S., Biology & Living Resources, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 1990; Ph.D.: Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 1996. Professional Experience: American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY Postdoctoral Fellow, Invertebrates, 1998 - 1999; Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, CA, Visiting Postdoctoral Curator, Invertebrate Zoology, 1997 - 1998; University of California, Berkeley, CA, Museum Scientist, Museum of Paleontology, Paleobotany Section, 1997; University of California, Berkeley, CA, Graduate Student Instructor, Department of Integrative Biology, 1991 to 1996 (not continuous); University of California, Berkeley, CA, Graduate Student Researcher, Museum of Paleontology, 1990 to 1996 (not continuous); Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Marine Biology & Fisheries, 1989 to 1990. SICB Participation: Member since 1996 Other Memberships: American Malacological Society; American Microscopical Society, Sigma Xi, Society of Systematic Biologists, Willi Hennig Society Research Interests: My primary research interests include phylogenetic systematics and comparative molluscan anatomy and development. I have two main project areas. The first is focused on reconstructing the phylogenetic relationships of columbellid gastropod molluscs using characters from anatomy and morphology, and evaluating hypotheses regarding their historical ecology. My other projects are focused on documenting patterns of organogenesis in gastropod reproductive systems, with a goal of using these systems as a model to understand the significance of various heterochronic changes in the evolution of molluscan organogenetic patterns. Statement of Goals: DSEB occupies an interesting position in the SICB divisions, being one of the divisions with which the majority of members are affiliated to some degree, but one that few people list as a primary affiliation. As such, the programs sponsored by DSEB need to promote not only good systematics, but also serve to show how systematic biology is fundamental to many aspects of comparative biology, and to educate SICB members on systematic methods. My goal as program officer of DSEB will be to promote programs and symposia that will showcase the use of systematic and evolutionary biology in various biological disciplines, and to continue promoting educational functions such as the workshops associated with symposia at the annual meetings. Divisional Secretary (only one candidate) Ingrid M. Kaatz Current Position: Research Associate, Boston University Marine Program, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole MA. Education: B.S., with Honors, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 1985; M.S., Science Education, Cornell University, 1992; Ph.D., Zoology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, 1999. Professional Experience: Teaching Assistant Cornell University Ithaca, NY; Teaching Assistant SUNY-ESF Syracuse, NY; Visiting Instructor SUNY-ESF Biological Field Station Beaver Lake, NY SICB Participation: Member since 1995; Abstract/Presentation 1999, 1998, 1997, 1995. Other Memberships: SSE Society for the Study of Evolution since 1992, ABS Animal Behavior Society since 1992, ASIH American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists since 1992, SSB Society of Systematic Biologists, SIGMA XI since 1992 Research Interests: Comparative Biology, Evolution of Animal Communication Systems, Morphology, Bioacoustics Statement of Goals: As a member of SICB I have presented work related directly to the question of how comparative studies can enhance our understanding of how communication systems evolve. In particular I have addressed the relationships between morphological structure and function and more broadly how signal design diversity may be related to behavioral and ecological diversity. While my personal research focus is on how the morphology and behavior of acoustic communication of fishes evolves I would nurture a dialog across communication modalities with researchers interested in the evolution of communication in general. Signal diversity and design can be seen as an interdisciplinary area of inquiry spanning from sensory perception to morphology of signal producing mechanisms to whole organisms changes in behavior. As the secretary of the Division of Systematics and Evolutionary Biology I would like to encourage more researchers to consider the value of the comparative method. I also would also contribute actively to the development of workshops that help SICB members and guests learn more about how to potentially apply the comparative method to their own research.	https://sicb.burkclients.com/newsletters/nl04-2001/dseb.php3
Providing individual, couples and family counseling. Treatment specializations include: - Child and Adolescent Behavior Management - Parenting Support/Coaching - Family Counseling - Couples Counseling - Therapy for Depression and Anxiety - Grief Counseling - Work and Career issues - Stress Management - Conflict Resolution - Working with Military Veterans and their families I work with a wide range of emotional and behavioral issues. The services I provide span from working with parents/caregivers to address child and adolescent behavioral concerns, to therapy for depression and grief counseling, to couples counseling and beyond. In a comfortable and supportive atmosphere, I offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each of my clients individual needs to help attain the personal growth they’re striving for.	https://www.drabeltomatis.com/services-provided
Venerable Daniel the Hesychast Saint Daniel the Hesychast, the great wonderworker and instructor of monastics, was born in Moldavia at the beginning of the fifteenth century. He was baptized with the name Dumitru. When he was sixteen, he became a monk of the monastery of Saint Nicholas at Radauti and received the name David. His spiritual Father was Saint Leontius of Radauti (July 1). After many years of ascetical struggles, he became a chosen vessel of the Spirit and was ordained to the holy priesthood. He lived for some years at the monastery of Saint Laurence in the Civoul de Sus district. There he fulfilled his obediences during the day, and at night he kept vigil, prayed, and wove baskets. He received the Great Schema and the new name Daniel. He obtained the igumen’s blessing to live in the wilderness in solitude, where he devoted himself to spiritual struggles. Around 1450, he lived near the Neamts Monastery by Secu creek for fourteen years. In time, people discovered where he lived and came to visit him. Longing for solitude, he moved to northern Moldavia and chiseled out a cell for himself in the face of a cliff near Putna creek. Next to it, he carved out a small chapel for prayer. After his spiritual child Saint Stephen the Great (July 2) built the Putna Monastery, which was consecrated in 1470, Saint Daniel moved near the Voronets Monastery. Here too, he carved a small cell out of the rock under Soim (Falcon) Cliff and lived a God-pleasing life for the next twenty years. He guided many disciples in the principles of the spiritual life, and he also had the gift of healing the sick of their physical infirmities. In 1488, when he was over eighty years old, Saint Daniel went to live at the Voronets Monastery, where he was chosen to be the igumen. Saint Daniel was a great ascetic and wonderworker, wise and clairvoyant. People from near and far visited him seeking his spiritual advice, or to confess their sins. He died in 1496 and was buried at the Voronets Monastery, where people continue to venerate his tomb. Saint Daniel was glorified by the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1992.	http://oca.org/saints/lives/2019/12/18/149006-venerable-daniel-the-hesychast
When one’s confidence is in Christ, it provides many blessings. The blessings include spiritual growth, achieving the purpose God set for one’s life, peace that surpasses understanding, joy and influence. When we have a steady reliance on Him and trials come, we respond to difficulties by seeking Him for guidance and strength. God, through the working of the Holy Spirit, provides wisdom and power. The result is spiritual growth. From our text, the Apostle Paul told the Christians at Corinth that because of his trust in God through Christ, God used him to minister to others. God enabled him so he could help other believers to be in a position where they too can minister to others. When these kinds of activities take place, the Kingdom of God grows and expands in its reach. Accomplishments are far greater than imaginable when our confidence comes from the Lord. When we are growing in our relationship with Christ, we will exhibit a depth of patience and endurance while others could be in turmoil. God might place us in a position beyond our seeming abilities so we can build up others. God might bring us to do something that will lead us to leave our comfort zone but because we know He’s the one who called us, we remain committed. When our trust and confidence is always in God and we hold on to His promises found in His word, peace follows. But when our hearts are filled with selfish ambition fueled by trust in self and not in God, this will lead to disorder. “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder in every practice” (James 3:16). Our actions reveal who we are and who we follow. Let our actions be driven by our confidence in Christ. Let us be sure that God is the source of our confidence. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (2 Corinthians 13:5). “The man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed” (Jeremiah 17:7). Blessings,	https://www.my-wbc.com/single-post/2018/04/30/blessed-to-be-a-blessing
Synapse provided expert assistance to Sierra Club related to Cleco Power LLC’s application before the Louisiana Public Service Commission seeking authorization to install pollution control equipment for compliance with MATS on three coal-fired units in Louisiana (Dolet Hills, Rodemacher 2, and Madison 3). Synapse testified that the Company's modeling supporting the application contained numerous deficiencies, including an assumption of the overprocurement of replacement capacity, a failure to evaluate the opportunity for market purchases and sales, and a lack of consideration for any one of several impending environmental regulations. You are here You can browse all project descriptions (below), or narrow the search results by selecting one or more filters (topic area, client, etc.). Cross Answering Testimony of Jeremy Fisher Regarding Cleco Power Request for Authorization to Retrofit Coal Plants As a subcontractor to Eastern Research Group, Synapse provided consultation services to the U.S. EPA in which we reviewed and assessed numerous energy efficiency programs across the United States on a variety of topics including, but not limited to: (a) costs of saved energy; (b) energy savings at the sector and portfolio levels; (c) annual savings ramp-up rates; (d) energy efficiency measure life; (e) energy savings decay profiles; (f) participant costs vs. program incentive; (g) energy efficiency potential; and (h) energy efficiency portfolio standards. Together with subcontractor Nancy Brockway, Synapse assisted the Ontario Energy Board in developing options for the design and implementation of a ratepayer‐funded, long‐term rate assistance program for low‐income electricity consumers. Sierra Club retained Synapse to perform a technical and economic review of planning studies and analysis made by the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) and its subcontractors. Synapse performed an integrated resource plan analysis to assist Sierra Club in this matter. In 2012, PSE&G petitioned the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to extend its existing capital infrastructure program by expanding the program with 22 new projects. The Company proposed to spend $195 million through 2012 in the projects associated with this petition. On behalf of the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel, Synapse performed a technical and engineering assessment of the reliability of the PSE&G electric distribution system and reviewed the prudency of the proposed infrastructure projects. Synapse assisted the Howard County Council (HCC) in its investigation into the reliability of electric power supply for certain areas in Howard County, Maryland. This investigation occurred in two phases: Phase I examined the 14 feeders identified by the original petitioners of the case, and Phase II examined the 33 additional feeders identified by HCC. Based in part on Synapse's comments and testimony, the electric utility modified its designation of poorest performing feeders to include outage duration metrics. On November 27, 2013, Rockland Electric Company (RECO) petitioned the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities for approval of an increase in its operating revenues of approximately $19.3 million (BPU Docket No. ER13111135). Synapse assisted the New Jersey Division of the Rate Counsel in reviewing distribution spending and reliability matters in the rate case. Project completed July 2014. The Rockland Electric Company (RECO) petitioned the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities for approval of $1.35 million over the course of three years for implementing a Low Income Audit and Direct Install Energy Efficiency II Program. Synapse assessed the reasonableness of the proposed program designs, including incentive structures; key program assumptions, including measure costs and savings per participant; program budget; and participation in the Low Income Audit Program. Synapse assisted Sierra Club in reviewing and critiquing Southwestern Public Service Company’s application for a rate increase to cover, among other things, capital investments at two of its coal-burning power plants (Harrington Station and Tolk Station) in the Texas panhandle. The case was settled. For this project, Synapse supported RAP with regional discussions of key energy efficiency issues—including decoupling and other mechanisms for recovering the lost base revenues from energy efficiency—for the State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network (SEE Action). The project included a Regulatory Policy Exercise, where Tim Woolf and other participants prepared mock testimony and were subject to cross-examination in a mock hearing before commissioners, commission staff, and consumer advocates in the Midwest. Mr. Woolf’s mock testimony argued for the implementation of decoupling to support energy efficiency and other demand resources. Synapse assisted its non-governmental clients in providing comments on the Clean Power Plan, the EPA’s proposed guidelines for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired power plants by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Synapse analyzed state-specific considerations for compliance for the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Louisiana (CLECO), Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia. Calculating Georgia 111(d) Target Alternate Scenarios for 111(d) Implementation in North Carolina Industrial Energy Efficiency and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) represent proven, effective, and underutilized near-term energy options to help the United States enhance energy efficiency, improve environmental quality, promote economic growth, and maintain a robust energy infrastructure. A key to achieving additional use of Industrial Energy Efficiency and CHP is successful implementation of supportive state policies. For this project, Synapse worked with the Regulatory Assistance Project to help DOE facilitate regional working group meetings focused on Industrial Energy Efficiency and CHP deployment. Project completed June 2014. The New York Public Service Commission has undertaken an ambitious initiative to improve system efficiency, empower customer choice, and encourage greater penetration of clean generation and efficiency technologies. Called the Reforming the Energy Vision initiative, or REV, this case is proceeding on two tracks. The focus of Track One is one the role of utilities in promoting distributed energy resources. On behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Synapse reviewed the Commission’s initial framing document for Track One and provided comments on the role of distribution service providers (DSP) in preserving energy efficiency, distributed generation, and demand response programs. Synapse also reviewed potential DSP interactions with NY ISO and the need to provide consistent treatment of value streams between retail programs and wholesale markets. Synapse is currently assisting NRDC with Track Two issues. Reply Comments to New York Department of Service Staff Straw Proposal on NY REV Track One Issues In collaboration with the Black Mesa Water Project, a Navajo environmental justice organization, Synapse analyzed alternatives to the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station and the Kayenta coal mine that supplies it with fuel. Using the IMPLAN and NREL JEDI economic impact models, the project team assessed the economic impacts of closing one NGS unit, cutting back the Kayenta mine by one-third, and replacing these resources with renewable alternatives. The team also analyzed the hidden costs of operating NGS, such as environmental controls and health impacts. Results showed that building and operating 900 MW of renewable energy (a mix of wind and solar projects) could replace the jobs and incomes offered by existing energy projects with more secure, longer-term employment and development while reducing the harm to health in communities surrounding NGS and Kayenta. Now updated to include the Clean Power Plan and other relevant regulations, the Synapse CO2 price forecasts reflect a reasonable range of expectations regarding future efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Prudent planning requires that utilities and stakeholders take this cost into account when engaging in resource planning. Our forecast, updated annually, includes low, mid, and high case projections for CO2 prices out to 2040 based on thorough analysis of proposed federal regulatory measures, ongoing state and regional policies, the price of CO2 already being factored into federal rulemakings, recent CO2 price forecasts from utility IRPs, and policy analysis and modeling from the research community. 2015 Carbon Dioxide Price Forecast CO2 Price Report, Spring 2014: Includes 2013 CO2 Price Forecast 2013 Carbon Dioxide Price Forecast 2012 Carbon Dioxide Price Forecast Synapse provided the Southern Environmental Law Center with technical consulting services to support its intervention—on behalf of the Coastal Conservation League (CCL) and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy—in the solar net metering docket commenced by the South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC). Synapse provided the technical analyses that SELC presented within this proceeding. These included qualitative and quantitative analysis and evaluation of resource valuation methodologies and NEM-related rate designs proposed by other parties to the docket, and development of alternative resource valuation methodologies and NEM-related rate designs. On behalf of the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Synapse prepared a guidance document for utility regulators on several key principles of energy efficiency cost-effectiveness screening. The key issues addressed in the study include: the alignment of efficiency screening with energy policy goals; accounting for non-energy impacts; choosing the appropriate discount rate; and accounting for environmental compliance costs. The guidance document was adopted by the NEEP Regional Evaluation, Measurement and Verification Forum. Bruce Biewald and Sarah Jackson presented on issues related to the EPA's proposed Clean Power Plan at the Technical Summit on EPA's Carbon Pollution Standards for Southeast Advocates in Atlanta, Georgia on August 13-14, 2014. The summit was convened by the Southeast Climate & Energy Network. Mr. Biewald and Ms. Jackson presented on the fundamentals of the rule and tools for compliance, including spreadsheet tools, EPA's AVERT, utility system models, and regional and national electric system models. Tools for 111(d) Compliance Planning Overview of the Clean Power Plan for 2015 Summit of Southeast Advocates Bruce Biewald presented “The Future of Coal: Economics and Planning” at the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences course Energy 101 on January 21, 2014. Topics covered include the economics of coal versus natural gas; the role of energy efficiency; reliability concerns; the need for prudent planning; and ratemaking practices. The Office of the People's Counsel (OPC) retained Synapse and Nancy Brockway to develop and present recommendations regarding the implementation of time-varying rates, including time-of-use pricing and critical peak pricing, in the District of Columbia. The Synapse project team advised the OPC regarding rate design principles and options, the methodology for determining peak periods and prices, and appropriate customer protections. Bruce Biewald presented "Transitions to a 21st Century Generation System" at the EUCI Annual Hawaii Power Summit on December 3, 2014. Mr. Biewald presented as part of a panel discussing the impacts of Hawaii's recent efforts to re-tool its power system through multiple major study and planning efforts. Bruce Biewald presented “Understanding the 111(d) Rule” at the Midwestern Carbon Rule Advocates Technical Meeting in Chicago, Illinois on July 24, 2014. Synapse was asked by the New Hampshire office of the Conservation Law Foundation to update our July 2011 financial analysis of the two coal-fired units at PSNH's Schiller Station. Synapse performed the analysis quickly using our newly developed Coal Asset Valuation Tool (CAVT). Project completed March 2014. Synapse assisted the Sierra Club in evaluating the future economic viability of a group of Edison Mission Energy coal plants that were subsequently purchased by NRG. Synapse used its own CAVT tool to compare the forward‐going costs of the fleet against projected PJM market revenues. On June 10, 2014, the Maine Public Utilities Commission issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) into the design and implementation of a methodology to determine the value of distributed solar energy in the state of Maine. To inform the inquiry, which served as the first step in designing a study mandated by legislation to support solar energy development in Maine (P.L. 2013 CH. 562), the Commission asked interested parties to respond to questions detailed in the NOI. Synapse assisted the Maine Office of the Public Advocate (OPA) in responding to the inquiry, and later in developing comments on the subsequent draft value of solar methodology issued by the PUC on October 30, 2014. The OPA’s comments on the draft methodology include recommendations on assumptions about fuel price escalation and heat rate, and suggested modifications to the technical and economic analysis that would more closely align the methodology with best practices. Comments of the Office of the Public Advocate on the Notice of Inquiry into the Determination of the Value of Distributed Solar Energy Generation in Maine Synapse authored a white paper regarding energy efficiency policies in Virginia, with a focus on cost-effectiveness screening, rate impacts, and performance incentives. Appropriately valuing the cost of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to society is critical to good long-term decision-making in the energy industry and other key economic sectors. The social cost of carbon (SCC) developed by the US Interagency Working Group and used to evaluate the climate benefits of rulemaking by various federal agencies is calculated using flawed methodology, and likely underestimates the true cost of climate damages. In an op-ed for EPS Quarterly, Synapse staff discuss the limitations of the methodology used by the Working Group and why it is important that the figure is calibrated to our best, most up-to-date scientific understanding of our climate crisis. "What Carbon Costs Us" was published in the December 2014 issue of EPS Quarterly. Rick Hornby presented “Wholesale Capacity and Energy Price Suppression Benefits of Efficiency and Distributed Generation” at the NESEA Building Energy 14 Conference on March 6, 2014. The presentation explained how retail customers who invest in distributed generation and/or energy efficiency reduce the quantity of wholesale/conventional utility electric capacity and energy that utilities or merchant suppliers acquire to supply them, and how those reductions benefit all retail customers by suppressing the prices of the wholesale/conventional utility capacity and energy that all retail customers ultimately pay. Synapse provided technical consulting services to support the Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) in its involvement in a proceeding regarding the WE Energies (WEPCO/WGC) Electric, Natural Gas, and Steam Rate Change Request before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (Docket No. 5‐UR‐107). Synapse analyzed WE Energies' proposal to replace its nine existing customer generation service tariffs with four new customer-owned generation (or distributed generation) service tariffs. Synapse developed discovery and sponsored direct and surrebuttal testimony to support TASC in the proceeding. Surrebuttal Testimony of Rick Hornby Regarding Wisconsin Electric Power Company Rate Case Synapse, along with the Regulatory Assistance Project, managed a working group of experts from different perspectives from around the U.S. to recommend a common framework for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of demand response resources. The report finds that the framework typically used to evaluate energy efficiency—with five tests addressing different perspectives—is most commonly used for evaluating demand response resources. The report then describes how some of the costs and benefits of demand response resources are different from those of energy efficiency resources, and thus require different evaluation techniques. This is particularly true for estimating avoided capacity costs. Pages Synapse posts hundreds of publications for free public download. You can browse all publications (below), or narrow the search results by selecting one or more filters (topic area, client, etc.).	https://www.synapse-energy.com/search-view?qt-viewsearchtabs=1&amp%3Bamp%3Bpage=12&amp%3Bpage=40&page=16
The Wildwood Apprentices train to gain the knowledge and skill necessary to follow the trails of the creatures of the forest. They will prepare to protect the creatures of the magical kingdom of Wildwood by learning to use body and mind to work together and as individuals to help protect the land. While practicing padded boffer sword drills, obstacle courses and scouting challenges, apprentices build mental and physical awareness so they can move in tandem with the wilderness. Apprentices learn from the older Rangers and may bring skills to the younger Adventurers as they navigate what it means to be a hero. Skills your child will learn:	http://twocoyotes.org/programs/youth-programs/summer-camp/wildwood-apprentices-camp/
PANAMA CITY � A local historical society is calling on students to chronicle their day. The winning stories will be placed in a time capsule to be opened in 2063. The essay is part of Bay County�s 100th birthday celebration. The Bay County Centennial Committee partnered with the Historical Society of Bay County to fill a time capsule that will be buried at the Bay County Government Center and Library during a ceremony. Elementary, middle and high school students may participate by writing essays about a typical day as a student in Bay County. �The ideal one would be an honest, entertaining description of a young person�s day,� Walters said. A title page must be included with the essay. Word count for elementary school is 300 to 600 words, for middle school 600 to 1,000 words and 1,000 to 1,200 words for high-schoolers. Essays must be handwritten in black ink or typed; if typed, the font cannot be script and must be at least 12 point. A panel of judges will select three essays from each grade level category, for a total of nine winners. Those nine essays will be placed in the time capsule. The top two winners of each category also will be awarded $50 savings bonds. Third place winners possibly will be awarded, Walters said. Essays must be mailed to P.O. Box 1476 Panama City, FL 32402 by Dec. 18.	https://www.newsherald.com/1.240396
The impact of coronavirus on global trade and contracts Headlines across the world are currently dominated by news of a new strain of coronavirus originating from the city of Wuhan, China. The virus is spreading rapidly, and has already resulted in numerous deaths. The outbreak itself and the measures implemented by the Chinese government to contain it have and continue to impact world trade, and we have already seen negative effects on company share prices globally. From a legal perspective, the outbreak has also started to give rise to a number of legal issues and disputes, and we are currently assisting and advising clients in several cases. Arguably, the impact on world trade is of particular relevance to the shipping and offshore industry, although all stakeholders who may be affected, either directly or indirectly, should take note and be aware of the potential contractual and legal implications arising from the outbreak. The outbreak and measures taken to contain the virus may for example: • Impact Chinese shipbuilding and construction projects; • Increase the risk of port closures, resulting in delays and deviations; • Result in trade restrictions, safety issues, quarantines and embargoes; • Lead to other implications for charter parties, impacting counterparties The potential contractual and legal implications for shipbuilding contracts, charterparties, and bills of lading will however differ in each case, depending on the factual and legal matrix in question. As an example, the Chinese government has recently extended the Chinese New Year holidays in order to try and contain and mitigate the spread of the virus. In several cases in which we are involved, this extension has resulted in contractual issues, and in particular questions of Force Majeure affecting contractual performance (which commonly arise in these types of situations). Other examples include potential restrictions on transportation/trade, quarantine measures causing delays in performance, and shortfalls in labour supply. The knock-on effects may be significant, particularly for ongoing shipbuilding and other construction projects, and may give rise to contractual disputes. Experience of previous outbreaks, e.g. the SARS virus, also suggests that other measures such as the closure of ports may be implemented, although we have not yet observed this. For charterparties in particular, this situation may result in a variety of legal issues relating to delay, demurrage, deviation and safety of ports. In summary, the legal implications of the outbreak and measures implemented to contain and tackle the virus will inevitably depend on the specific contract in question. Therefore, affected parties should carefully assess and analyse their contractual arrangements in order to identify their rights, obligations and potential liability. In particular, parties should be aware of any notice obligations and ensure compliance therewith, particularly in relation to Force Majeure. Our teams in Shanghai, Singapore, London, Oslo and Bergen are available to assist any clients requiring more information.	https://www.wr.no/en/news/the-impact-of-coronavirus-on-global-trade-and-contracts/
So you want to work in television, huh? Sounds glamorous, right? Well I’m not here to try and deny that at all. Instead I’m here to give you a glimpse into the world of working in the industry by interviewing an accomplished T.V. professional. Katerina Johnson landed her dream job as an Audience Research Analyst for a major cable network. I chatted with her about what it’s like working in television, her advice to fellow millennials looking to break into the industry, the impact streaming services are having on T.V., and more. Tell me a bit about your job. What does being an Audience Research Analyst entail? I provide viewing analysis and trends to various departments; mainly network management, program planning, communications, finance, and marketing groups. Nielsen provides us with viewing data and my job is to digest and analyze it, and then present it in a way that anyone could understand. I also look through the data to find trends that could help to inform how viewers are behaving and what else they watch on television. For us, viewing data is like a window into someone’s living room. It helps all networks create and air content that television viewers want to see, and it also helps pave the way for innovation. How did you end up working in television? What made you want a career in T.V.? When I was young I actually wanted to be an actress. But I quickly realized that it wasn’t a realistic career option for me, so when I was reevaluating my major in college, I thought about what I loved. I love television – I always have. I always preferred television to movies, because after two hours a movie ends, but you could spend years with a television show! You start to develop relationships with characters and stories, and it provides you with a weekly escape. I knew it was the industry I wanted to be in, and then I just had to figure out what aspect of it would work for me. I tried out production, but it was not a good fit. Research actually found me; an internship opportunity arose my senior year of college, and I haven’t looked back since. What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the job? My favorite part of the job is definitely feeling like I speak the language of television. While the content of a show is obviously so important, the industry still speaks in numbers. How many people are watching, how often do they watch, what else are they watching? I love that not only do I speak the language, I provide the information that allows other people to speak it. I honestly don’t really have a least favorite part. I’m really blessed to work with some great people who make my job enjoyable. I mean, it’s more math than I ever thought I would be doing in my career, but I’ve really learned to embrace it, and it’s actually started to help me in other aspects of my life as well (I’m a whiz at splitting the check and adding tip at dinner now!). There are obviously days when I get frustrated or bored, but I think all jobs have that. You know you’re in the right career when you’re willing to push past those days because you know the good days are so worth it. What work perks are there? Are there any downsides? I think if you asked anybody in the industry their favorite perk, it would probably be getting to screen content before it goes to air! It doesn’t happen too often, but when it does happen it is hands down my favorite part of the job. It’s also just such a perk to work in television. It’s a great conversation piece when you meet someone new! It’s also so rewarding when you’re watching something you love and you remember that it’s on your network. I also love when I watch the Emmys or Golden Globes and shows or actors from my network, or a network I previously worked for, win. It almost feels like I’m winning. A downside would be that there really isn’t a slow time. The television industry is 24/7. At any time work could get super busy, and unfortunately there’s really no predicting when that will be. I’m always trying to predict what times of year will be busy and what will be slow – and I’m almost always wrong! Do you find that streaming services like Netflix are impacting this industry? Definitely – but I think it’s largely positive (although I wouldn’t say that sentiment is common among industry officials, haha). Services like Netflix and Hulu are creating quality content, and they are pushing networks to step up their game and create better content, as well. Once upon a time, the only thing that mattered in the industry were the big four networks – ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. Now it’s really anyone’s game; there are so many options out there! As a lover of television, I think it’s truly amazing that it has become so accessible. I love that if I miss an episode of something I love, I can log onto Hulu or HBOGo or FXNow and catch up. The streaming services are forcing networks to develop their own streaming model – everything is growing and improving. Also, the whole idea of “binging” is wonderful. I love that you can start a show three years after it began. You can binge the library, and then join the rest of the viewers at the show’s scheduled time. That being said, streaming services are really shaping the language of television. Now, it’s not just about the ratings but it’s also about the streams, the clicks, the twitter buzz. I think it’s very cool that shows that would normally be cancelled due to low ratings get longer lives because of streaming and social media. What advice do you have for millennials who want a job in television? Internships, internships, internships. I cannot stress enough the value of an internship in this industry. It can be very difficult to get your foot in the door, but once you get in, hard work will get you far. I applied for any and every television internship I could get my hands on in college, even if I wasn’t sure it was the department I wanted to be in. I just wanted my name out there and my resume on desks. Also – this seems like a no brainer – but watch lots of television! It’s so important to know what’s out there. You can’t work in the industry if you’re not familiar with the content. EVERYTHING that airs is important – reality, drama, comedy, talk show. It is so so important to have knowledge about a little bit of everything. I could not be good at my job if I didn’t watch a ton of television. And hey, there are much worse job requirements out there! Do you think that working in television is a solid career for millennials, especially with this shift to streaming services? Absolutely. Here’s the thing – television is here to stay. The way we watch it may change, but we will always be watching it. It is a forever evolving field, and I think it’s so fun to work in an industry that everyone has some sort of connection to. If anything, I think the shift to streaming makes this an even better industry to work in, because new opportunities are opening up all the time. You may not realize it, but you need to think of things like Netflix as another channel. I really believe this is a golden age of television, and I think it’s a great industry to grow with. What’s one thing you wish you knew during your job hunt that you think would’ve helped you? I wish I would’ve known not to be so discouraged. When I was approaching graduation, I was applying for all the jobs at every network and not hearing back. I was really down on myself and very discouraged. Just when I was about to give up, I got an interview, and subsequently got the job. It’s so important to remember that there are a lot of opportunities out there, and you just have to find them. Everyone is applying for things, and a ton of people are in the same boat as you; discouraged and not hearing back. You really have to power through and keep your head up. Want to learn more? Connect with Katerina on Twitter.	http://192.163.210.20/~ploymint/work-in-television/
Q: How to implement and understand Pre-processing and Data augmentation with tensorflow_datasets (tfds)? I'm learning segmentation and data augmentation based in this TF 2.0 tutorial that uses Oxford-IIIT Pets. For pre-processing/data augmentation they provide a set of functions into a specific pipeline: # Import dataset dataset, info = tfds.load('oxford_iiit_pet:3..', with_info=True) def normalize(input_image, input_mask): input_image = tf.cast(input_image, tf.float32) / 255.0 input_mask -= 1 return input_image, input_mask @tf.function def load_image_train(datapoint): input_image = tf.image.resize(datapoint['image'], (128, 128)) input_mask = tf.image.resize(datapoint['segmentation_mask'], (128, 128)) if tf.random.uniform(()) > 0.5: input_image = tf.image.flip_left_right(input_image) input_mask = tf.image.flip_left_right(input_mask) input_image, input_mask = normalize(input_image, input_mask) return input_image, input_mask TRAIN_LENGTH = info.splits['train'].num_examples BATCH_SIZE = 64 BUFFER_SIZE = 1000 STEPS_PER_EPOCH = TRAIN_LENGTH // BATCH_SIZE train = dataset['train'].map(load_image_train, num_parallel_calls=tf.data.experimental.AUTOTUNE) train_dataset = train.cache().shuffle(BUFFER_SIZE).batch(BATCH_SIZE).repeat() train_dataset = train_dataset.prefetch(buffer_size=tf.data.experimental.AUTOTUNE) This code brought me several doubts given the tf syntax. To prevent me from just doing a ctrl C ctrl V and actually understanding how tensorflow works, I would like to ask some questions: 1) In normalize function, the line tf.cast(input_image, tf.float32) / 255.0 can be changed by tf.image.convert_image_dtype(input_image, tf.float32)? 2) In normalize function it's possible to change my segmentation_mask values in tf.tensor format without changing to a numpy? What I desire to do is to only work with two possible masks (0 and 1) and not with (0, 1 and 2). Using numpy I made something like this: segmentation_mask_numpy = segmentation_mask.numpy() segmentation_mask_numpy[(segmentation_mask_numpy == 2) \| (segmentation_mask_numpy == 3)] = 0 It's possible to do this without a numpy transformation? 3) In load_image_train function they say that this function is doing data augmentation, but how? In my perspective they are changing the original image with a flip given a random number and not providing another image to the dataset based in the original image. So, the function goal is to change a image and not add to my dataset an aug_image keeping the original? If I'm correct how can I change this function to give an aug_image and keep my original image in the dataset? 4) In others questions such as How to apply data augmentation in TensorFlow 2.0 after tfds.load() and TensorFlow 2.0 Keras: How to write image summaries for TensorBoard they used a lot of .map() sequential calls or .map().map().cache().batch().repeat(). My question is: there is this necessity? Exist a more simple way to do this? I tried to read tf documentation, but without success. 5) You recommed to work with ImageDataGenerator from keras as presented here or this tf approach is better? A: 4 - The thing with these sequential calls is that they ease our work of manipulating the dataset to apply transformations and they also claim that is a more performatic way of loading and processing your data. Regarding the modularization/simplicity i guess that it does its job, since you can easily load, pass it over an entire preprocessing pipeline, shuffle, and iterate over batches of your data with a few lines of code. train_dataset =tf.data.TFRecordDataset(filenames=train_records_paths).map(parsing_fn) train_dataset = train_dataset.shuffle(buffer_size=12000) train_dataset = train_dataset.batch(batch_size) train_dataset = train_dataset.repeat() # Create a test dataset test_dataset = tf.data.TFRecordDataset(filenames=test_records_paths).map(parsing_fn) test_dataset = test_dataset.batch(batch_size) test_dataset = test_dataset.repeat(1) # validation_steps = test_size / batch_size history = transferred_resnet50.fit(x=train_dataset, epochs=epochs, steps_per_epoch=steps_per_epoch, validation_data=test_dataset, validation_steps=validation_steps) For instance, this is all i have to do in order to load my dataset and feed my model with preprocessed data. 3 - They defined a preprocessing function to which their dataset was mapped to, which means that every time that one requests a sample the map function will be applied, just like in my case that i've used a parsing function in order to parse my data from the TFRecord format before using: def parsing_fn(serialized): features = \ { 'image': tf.io.FixedLenFeature([], tf.string), 'label': tf.io.FixedLenFeature([], tf.int64) } # Parse the serialized data so we get a dict with our data. parsed_example = tf.io.parse_single_example(serialized=serialized, features=features) # Get the image as raw bytes. image_raw = parsed_example['image'] # Decode the raw bytes so it becomes a tensor with type. image = tf.io.decode_jpeg(image_raw) image = tf.image.resize(image,size=[224,224]) # Get the label associated with the image. label = parsed_example['label'] # The image and label are now correct TensorFlow types. return image, label (Another example) - From the parsing function above i can use the code below in order to create a dataset, iterate through my test set images and plot them. records_path = DATA_DIR+'/'+'TFRecords'+'/test/'+'test_0.tfrecord' # Create a dataset dataset = tf.data.TFRecordDataset(filenames=records_path) # Parse the dataset using a parsing function parsed_dataset = dataset.map(parsing_fn) # Gets a sample from the iterator iterator = tf.compat.v1.data.make_one_shot_iterator(parsed_dataset) for i in range(100): image,label = iterator.get_next() img_array = image.numpy() img_array = img_array.astype(np.uint8) plt.imshow(img_array) plt.show()
Based on a thorough review of the scientific evidence, the U.S. FDA finalized its determination that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in processed foods, are not "generally recognized as safe" or GRAS for use in human food. Food manufacturers will have three years to remove PHOs from products. Since 2006, manufacturers have been required to include trans fat content information on the Nutrition Facts label of foods. Between 2003 and 2012, the FDA estimates that consumer trans fat consumption decreased about 78 percent and that the labeling rule and industry reformulation of foods were key factors in informing healthier consumer choices and reducing trans fat in foods. While trans fat intake has significantly decreased, the current intake remains a public health concern. The Institute of Medicine recommends that consumption of trans fat be as low as possible while consuming a nutritionally-adequate diet. The FDA has set a compliance period of three years. This will allow companies to either reformulate products without PHOs and/or petition the FDA to permit specific uses of PHOs. Following the compliance period, no PHOs can be added to human food unless they are otherwise approved by the FDA. The FDA encourages consumers seeking to reduce trans fat intake to check a food's ingredient list for partially hydrogenated oils to determine whether or not a product contains PHOs. Currently, foods are allowed to be labeled as having "0" grams trans fat if they contain less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, including PHOs, the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in processed foods. Many companies have already been working to remove PHOs from processed foods and the FDA anticipates that many may eliminate them ahead of the three-year compliance date.	https://scind.org/Health/article/FDA-Takes-Step-To-Remove-Artificial-Trans-Fats-In-Processed-Foods
755 So.2d 710 (1999) Lorraine Abruzzo GUMBERG, Appellant/Cross-Appellee, v. Andrew Donald GUMBERG, Appellee/Cross-Appellant. No. 98-0869. District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District. August 11, 1999. 711 Arthur C. Koski and Thomas A. Stewart of Arthur C. Koski, P.A., Boca Raton, for appellant/cross-appellee. Sidney M. Pertnoy of Pertnoy, Solowsky & Allen, P.A., Miami, for appellee/cross-appellant. WARNER, C.J. In its final judgment of dissolution, the trial court determined that the husband would be the primary residential parent of the child, but then ordered him to provide a $500,000 home for the wife, based on its interpretation of the prenuptial agreement which required the award if the wife were to obtain residential custody of the child. The court also ordered the wife to live within eight miles of the husband. We find no error in the award of primary residential custody. However, we reverse the portions of the order obligating the husband to provide the wife a home and requiring the wife to relocate her residence. Prior to the parties' marriage in 1993 the parties entered into a prenuptial agreement. Soon after the marriage, a son was born. In 1997, the wife left the marital home and filed for divorce a few months later. During the divorce proceedings, both parties sought custody of their child. A child custody evaluator and a guardian ad litem were both appointed, each of whom recommended that the husband be given custody of the child. After a full trial at which several psychologists testified, as well as the custody evaluator and the guardian ad litem, the court in a lengthy ruling ordered shared parental responsibility 712 with the husband being the residential parent. On appeal, the only significant challenge the wife makes to the custody determination is a claim that the custody evaluator should have been disqualified because of bias. This issue was first raised after the court's adverse ruling on custody, even though the wife knew of the grounds for the motion long before trial. Her attorney even told the court that the wife had no objection to the custody evaluator's continued involvement in the case. While motions for disqualification of witnesses are not necessarily governed by the disqualification timeliness standard as are motions to recuse a judge, see Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.160(e), we think that the motion must still be made within a reasonable time of discovering the reason for the conflict. Cf. Foley v. Fleet, 644 So.2d 551, 552 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994). Moreover, her attorney waived any right to challenge the evaluator when, with knowledge of the alleged bias, he did not seek disqualification. The record reflects that the evaluator's report was drafted and given to counsel prior to trial and after counsel had knowledge of the incident from which the claim of bias arose. Finally, section 59.041, Florida Statutes (1997), provides that a judgment will not be reversed unless it appears the alleged error resulted in a miscarriage of justice. There was considerable additional testimony all of which supported the trial court's ruling, including the testimony of the guardian ad litem, lay witnesses, and psychologists hired by the parties. Although the court determined that the husband would be the residential parent, the trial court nevertheless required the husband to provide the wife with a residence valued at $500,000 based upon the trial court's interpretation of the prenuptial agreement between the parties. The husband challenges this ruling on cross-appeal. The agreement stated: in the event the parties are legally separated and children have been born of this marriage..., then in that event GUMBERG will provide, either by purchase or rental at his sole discretion, a residence having a value of $500,000 for ABRUZZO and said children (provided residential custody by ABRUZZO of any children is in the best interest of the children and is so determined by a court of competent jurisdiction). In its ruling, the court explained that the issue was a legal one and that "[r]esidential custody means exactly that. Jordan will be spending two nights, three days at mom's house and the provisions of [the agreement] do apply." Interpretation of a contract or covenant is a matter of law and is therefore reviewed de novo. See Royal Oak Landing Homeowner's Ass'n, Inc. v. Pelletier, 620 So.2d 786, 787 (Fla. 4th DCA), rev. denied, 630 So.2d 1101 (Fla.1993). In Critchlow v. Williamson, 450 So.2d 1153, 1156 (Fla. 4th DCA 1984), we stated: [i]n interpreting prenuptial agreements, the courts are guided by the same principles which control the construction of other contracts. Hall v. Hall, 135 So.2d 432 (Fla. 3d DCA 1961). Where a contract is clear and unambiguous, it is the best evidence of the intent of the parties and its meaning and legal effect are questions of law for determination by the court alone. Innkeepers Inter., Inc. v. McCoy Motels, Ltd., 324 So.2d 676 (Fla. 4th DCA 1976 [1975]). However, if a provision is ambiguous, the matter must be submitted to the finder of fact. See Hoffman v. Terry, 397 So.2d 1184 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981). In Laufer v. Norma Fashions, Inc., 418 So.2d 437 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982), the court explained that a phrase in a contract is "ambiguous" when it is uncertain of meaning and disputed and must be determined as an issue of fact. We find that the phrase "residential custody" is not ambiguous when considered in light of the body of law applicable to family law matters. Although our law 713 has concentrated on "shared parental responsibility," emphasizing the concept that both parents are responsible for the welfare of the child, and some of our statutes speak in terms of determining "primary residence," the statutes still differentiate between custodial and noncustodial parents. Section 61.046(1), Florida Statutes (1997), defines the "custodial parent" as "the parent with whom the child maintains his or her primary residence." A "noncustodial parent" means "the parent with whom the child does not maintain his or her primary residence." § 61.046(7). Custodial parents have residential custody, and noncustodial parents have visitation with the child. See, e.g., § 61.13(2)(a)("[t]he court shall have jurisdiction to determine custody"); § 61.13(4)(b)("[w]hen a custodial parent refuses to honor a noncustodial parent's visitation rights")(emphases added). In fact, the statutes equate custody with the primary residence of the child. See §§ 61.046(1), (7); see also § 61.13(2)(b)1. ("[t]he court shall determine all matters relating to custody of each minor child of the parties in accordance with the best interests of the child.... After considering all relevant facts, the father of the child shall be given the same consideration as the mother in determining the primary residence of a child")(emphases added); § 61.13(8)("[i]f the court orders that parental responsibility, including visitation, be shared by both parents, the court may not deny the noncustodial parent overnight contact and access to or visitation with the child solely because of the age or sex of the child"). (Emphasis added). Moreover, the case law uses the term "primary residential custody" almost exclusively, but when "residential custody" is mentioned it is clearly referring to "primary residential custody". See, e.g., Finney v. Giddens, 707 So.2d 856 (Fla. 2d DCA 1998); Blosser v. Blosser, 707 So.2d 778 (Fla. 2d DCA 1998); Pineiro v. Pineiro, 683 So.2d 148 (Fla. 3d DCA 1996). In short, we cannot find any case which refers to a parent who has visitation rights as a "custodial parent." Therefore, upon de novo review of the interpretation of this contractual provision, we hold that the term "residential custody" means "primary residential custody" which was awarded to the husband in this case. Thus, the wife was not entitled to the benefits of this paragraph of the prenuptial agreement. Even if we were to consider the phrase to be ambiguous, the evidence does not support a holding that the wife, who was not determined to be the "custodial parent," had "residential custody" of the child within the meaning of the contract. At trial, the wife's former attorney who advised her when she signed the prenuptial agreement, testified that he understood "residential custody" to mean "primary residential custody" as that term is always used in domestic litigation, although he did not recollect any specific conversation with the wife about the term. The wife testified that she did not remember any discussions about housing arrangements for her and the child should a divorce occur. There was no evidence which would support the construction accepted by the trial court. Nor did anyone even argue such. The wife's attorney never mentioned the paragraph regarding the husband's obligation to provide a house for the wife during closing argument. That is not surprising, given the fact that at an earlier hearing the wife's attorney told the judge that the prenuptial agreement provides "a home of $500,000 if she is the primary physical residency [sic] parent." We thus reverse the trial court's ruling. Our reversal renders moot the wife's second issue regarding expenses for maintenance of the home. The wife also complains of the trial court's restriction that she live within an eight mile radius of the husband. Because we have reversed the requirement that the husband provide a home for the wife, we also remand for the trial court to re-examine this issue in light of our reversal. As the wife will now be responsible for her own housing, such a restriction may not be 714 financially feasible. Moreover, under these circumstances, where the wife is not the custodial parent and the father has no duty to provide her housing, such a restriction on the wife's movement may be arbitrary and unreasonable. We affirm as to all other issues raised. We remand for reconsideration of the living restriction on the wife and for further proceedings on the issues reserved in the final judgment. STEVENSON, J., and CONNER, BURTON C., Associate Judge, concur.
The Simpson Querrey Center for Neurogenetics Biorepository facilitates original discovery research of neurological conditions in support of the center's mission to understand the causes of these diseases and to identify candidate pathways for novel treatments. The biorepository is approved by the Northwestern University Institutional Review Board Office and recruits healthy control subjects in addition to patients with neurological disorders. We capture demographic and phenotypic data and store biological samples collected in our clinical practices. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine investigators as well as external investigators are welcome to apply for access to these data and materials for investigator-initiated projects. For more information on the biorepository, please contact us. Genomic Characterization The Center for Neurogenetics aims to identify the genetic risk factors that underpin neurological disease as a first step toward precision therapeutics and tailored treatments. To achieve this, we use modern sequencing technologies, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) genotyping, gene panels, exome and genome sequencing, as well as standard variant calling and interpretation pipelines to identify disease-associated variants. We also develop computational algorithms and frameworks to identify novel disease associations in both the coding and non-coding regions of the genome. We complement these studies with the design of high-throughput screens to discriminate between pathogenic and benign variants and identify modifiers of disease severity. Although this approach is performed at scale, our utmost focus is on the individual and the identification of the unique genetic signature in each patient that predisposes them to neurological disease. Functional & Cellular Genomics The organization of our program is predicated on the idea that a deep mechanistic understanding of disease pathogenesis for neurological disorders, applied to both basic and translational studies, can fuel the development of appropriate treatments for diverse populations of patients. Increasing ancestral diversity in both basic and translational studies is a critical first step in the process. We have envisioned a stepwise strategy for developing biomarkers and then using them to design adaptive clinical trials capable of demonstrating target engagement in patients. The first step is to create biobanks from diverse populations of patients with neurological disease. In step two, these samples are analyzed using new technologies that facilitate identification of causal and risk variants as well as genes linked to these variants. Next, it is important to understand the functional effects of these variants in relevant cell types and tissues, followed by functional studies in human models of disease, such as pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons and glia. These studies generate large amounts of data, the integration of which requires sophisticated analytical approaches, including artificial intelligence and machine learning. These analyses are designed to identify validated targets and biomarkers that can improve stratification of patients, which can then be used in adaptive clinical trials to demonstrate target engagement. We have developed platforms that combine human genetic data, functional genomic tools and data mining technology to map novel connections between known genes and their influence on susceptibility, timing of onset and rate of disease progression. Genetics Clinics The Center for Neurogenetics operates dedicated clinics for in-depth clinical and genetic characterization of cases of neurological disorders known or suspected to be genetically determined, including movement disorders, epilepsy and neuromuscular disorders. These clinics are co-managed by expert neurologists with extensive knowledge of genetics and genetic counselors. The goal of these clinics is to perform detailed clinical characterizations of these patients to ensure that the most appropriate genetic testing is ordered, whether single-gene testing for pathogenic repeat expansions, disease-focused gene panels, whole exome or genome sequencing, microarrays for detected of copy number variants or an alternative procedure. When a patient undergoes genetic testing, a genetic counselor provides support before and after the testing to confirm that the patient and their family understand the implications of the findings. Importantly, we systematically recruit patients and their family members in our biorepositories for further genetic characterization on a research basis with the goal of identifying novel genetic causes of disease for those cases that are not solved after genetic characterization with first-line testing.	https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/neurogenetics/research/index.html
What does robotics mean? Definitions for robotics roʊˈbɒt ɪksro·bot·ics Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word robotics. Princeton's WordNet roboticsnoun the area of AI concerned with the practical use of robots Wiktionary roboticsnoun The science and technology of robots, their design, manufacture, and application Etymology: Coined by Isaac Asimov from robot + -ics by comparison to "physics ... hydraulics, celestial mechanics, and so on" in his 1941 book Liar!. Freebase Robotics Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing. These technologies deal with automated machines that can take the place of humans in dangerous environments or manufacturing processes, or resemble humans in appearance, behavior, and/or cognition. Many of today's robots are inspired by nature contributing to the field of bio-inspired robotics. The concept of creating machines that can operate autonomously dates back to classical times, but research into the functionality and potential uses of robots did not grow substantially until the 20th century. Throughout history, robotics has been often seen to mimic human behavior, and often manage tasks in a similar fashion. Today, robotics is a rapidly growing field, as technological advances continue, research, design, and building new robots serve various practical purposes, whether domestically, commercially, or militarily. Many robots do jobs that are hazardous to people such as defusing bombs, exploring shipwrecks, and mines. U.S. National Library of Medicine Robotics The application of electronic, computerized control systems to mechanical devices designed to perform human functions. Formerly restricted to industry, but nowadays applied to artificial organs controlled by bionic (bioelectronic) devices, like automated insulin pumps and other prostheses. Matched Categories Anagrams for robotics » corbitos Numerology Chaldean Numerology The numerical value of robotics in Chaldean Numerology is: 2 Pythagorean Numerology The numerical value of robotics in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2 Examples of robotics in a Sentence Ultimately, robotics will go beyond the major food chains, giving even the smallest players like local artisanal bakeries and mom-and-pop restaurants the technology to deliver on-demand, the only thing left will be for something to chew our food for us. The industry is using technology and innovation to basically handle this disruption with regards to the labor shortage. A lot of use of drones, robotics, and additive manufacturing, that though, creates new career opportunities in those innovation and technology spaces. And that's very attractive to the younger generation. If you have a high labour, easy-to-ship part, it has already gone, for the most part, to a low-cost jurisdiction, a bigger issue is how fast do you have intelligent robotics replace manual labour everywhere in the world. If you have a high labor, easy-to-ship part, it has already gone, for the most part, to a low-cost jurisdiction, a bigger issue is how fast do you have intelligent robotics replace manual labor everywhere in the world. This is about competing head-on with the Chinese Communist Party’s plan of ‘Made in China 2025,’ in the CCP’s plan, they also list out 10 areasthat they are targeting in an effort to boost China’s role in the world. The technology areas that China has identified include: high-end robotics; biopharma / high-tech medical devices, next generation IT systems, advanced energy, and more. Popularity rank by frequency of use Translations for robotics From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary - robòticaCatalan, Valencian - robotikaCzech - RobotikGerman - ρομποτικήGreek - robóticaSpanish - robotikaBasque - robotiikkaFinnish - robotiqueFrench - रोबोटिक्सHindi - robotikaIndonesian - þjarkafræðiIcelandic - roboticaItalian - រូបយន្តវិទ្យាKhmer - robototechnika, robotų technikaLithuanian - robóticaPortuguese - roboticaRomanian - робототехникаRussian - robòtika, робо̀тикаSerbo-Croatian - ரோபாட்டிக்ஸ்Tamil - 機器人Chinese Get even more translations for robotics » Translation Find a translation for the robotics definition in other languages: Select another language: - - Select - - 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified) - 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional) - Español (Spanish) - Esperanto (Esperanto) - 日本語 (Japanese) - Português (Portuguese) - Deutsch (German) - العربية (Arabic) - Français (French) - Русский (Russian) - ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada) - 한국어 (Korean) - עברית (Hebrew) - Gaeilge (Irish) - Українська (Ukrainian) - اردو (Urdu) - Magyar (Hungarian) - मानक हिन्दी (Hindi) - Indonesia (Indonesian) - Italiano (Italian) - தமிழ் (Tamil) - Türkçe (Turkish) - తెలుగు (Telugu) - ภาษาไทย (Thai) - Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) - Čeština (Czech) - Polski (Polish) - Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian) - Românește (Romanian) - Nederlands (Dutch) - Ελληνικά (Greek) - Latinum (Latin) - Svenska (Swedish) - Dansk (Danish) - Suomi (Finnish) - فارسی (Persian) - ייִדיש (Yiddish) - հայերեն (Armenian) - Norsk (Norwegian) - English (English) Word of the Day Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily? Discuss these robotics definitions with the community: Citation Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography: "robotics." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2022. Web. 16 Jan. 2022. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/robotics>.	https://www.definitions.net/definition/robotics
2Base Technologies is a prominent Web and Mobile Application Development Company in UK, Australia, USA and India which provides custom website designing and web development services, specialized in PHP web applications, Iphone and Android mobile application development services. Our Offshore software development company hold the specialized ability of our talented experts empowered with the latest technological advancements to offer the comprehensive suite of full spectrum business solutions. Featured articles and news CLC publishes dispute resolution guidance Resource addresses pandemic-related NEC4 contract issues. Incorporating EDI into the provision of fair access. Government announces global innovation strategy. An architectural biography. Book review. Restoring Orleans House Octagon The house where the future king of France lived. The teacher, architectural technologist and mum offers her insights. Cable management materials shortage Careful planning needed as supply chain issues continue. The sensitive conversion of a neglected Cornwall structure. Plan stresses local involvement in city, town and village development. Carbon capture technology update Environment Agency publishes BAT guidance. C02nstruct Zero Performance Framework published CLC guidance outlines carbon reduction priorities. Bridge hopping highlights around the UK Making the most of a staycation.	https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/User:Freya
Get faster access to local insights and see your commute to anywhere on every listing. New Local Information Description Lovely 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 2-story home featuring an attached 2-car garage! Inside this home a cozy living room, a kitchen offering granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and a breakfast nook open to the living area while there is also a half bathroom. All bedrooms are upstairs, the primary bedroom includes the primary bathroom with dual sinks, a garden tub, separate shower and walk-in closet. The two secondary bedrooms, secondary bathroom and laundry room make up the rest of the home while the fenced in backyard offeres a covered patio with plenty of green space. This home is in proximity to BTWY 8 and I-45! Home Details for 6407 Innsbruck Meadows Ln Year Built 2019 Parking Garage Price/Sqft $139 HOA $42/monthly Heating Yes Cooling Yes Outdoor No Info Pool No Interior Features Heating & Cooling Heating: CentralCooling System: Central Appliances & Utilities DishwasherMicrowave Days on Market Days on Market: 1 Day on Trulia Property Information Year Built Year Built: 2019 Property Type / Style Property Type: Single Family Home Exterior Features Parking & Garage GarageParking: Garage Price & Status Price Price Per Sqft: $139 HOA HOA Fee: $500/annually Lot Information Lot Size: 7,253 sqft Price History for 6407 Innsbruck Meadows Ln \|Event Details\|\|Price\| 10/21/2021 Listed For Sale Zillow Offers #131763 $234K 09/08/2021 Sold Public Records -- Similar Homes You May Like Skip to last item - Meritage Homes - See more homes for sale inHoustonTake a look Skip to first item New Listings near 6407 Innsbruck Meadows Ln Skip to last item - $250,0003bd2baCentury 21 Realty Partners - See more homes for sale inHoustonTake a look Skip to first item Property Taxes and Assessment \|Year\|\|2020\| \|Tax\|\|$4,685\| \|Assessment\|\|$195,253\| Home facts updated by county records Price Trends For homes in 77048 $183,821 Typical home value This home: $234,300 22% above $122 Typical Home Value by sqft This home: $139 12% above Price trends provided by third party data sources. Neighborhood Overview Neighborhood stats provided by third party data sources. What Locals Say about Minnetex At least 20 Trulia users voted on each feature. - 84%Car is needed - 78%It's dog friendly - 77%There are sidewalks - 72%Kids play outside - 70%Yards are well-kept - 66%Parking is easy - 65%There's holiday spirit - 53%Streets are well-lit - 52%They plan to stay for at least 5 years - 47%It's quiet - 45%People would walk alone at night - 33%There's wildlife - 29%Neighbors are friendly - 22%There are community events - 20%It's walkable to grocery stores - 3%It's walkable to restaurants Learn more about our methodology. - Trulia User - Resident - 1y ago "Direct freeway access is tedious. Access to the beltway is much more smoother. my usual drive to work should average 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes." - Trulia User - Resident - 1y ago "Must have transportation. Near 288 & the Beltway. Neighborhood store is overpriced and major chain grocery stores are 5-7 miles away. No pedestrian sidewalks on the main access street. Overall, I like it here." - Trulia User - Resident - 2y ago "I have seen some neighbors help other elderly ones wash their vehicles. I thought that was very thoughtful. "	https://www.trulia.com/p/tx/houston/6407-innsbruck-meadows-ln-houston-tx-77048--2436689569
Biodiversity conservation tax incentives were inserted into the Income Tax Act 58 of1962 in terms of the Revenue Laws Amendment Act 60 of 2008 and are now contained in section 37C.The objectives of this study were to quantify the maximum potential revenue loss, to National Treasury, as a result of these tax incentives granted to landowners in the Western Cape; to identify and discuss alternative policy instruments to encourage conservation; and to investigate the perceptions of landowners in the Western Cape on the tax and alternative incentives available for conservation.The study found that the maximum tax revenue foregone should amount to a tiny percentage of total estimated revenue income for the 2008/2009 fiscal year, while projected future losses could also be insignificant.Landowners prefer direct financial incentives and exemption from property taxes, and contend that direct assistance with conservation activities would also be beneficial.The use of municipal value in the valuation of land would promote objectiveness and consistency.Finally, only a third of the landowners indicated that tax incentives would encourage them to commit more land for conservation. Key words Biodiversity conservation tax incentives; Tax incentives for conservation; Section 37C;conservation on private land; Section 18A deductions; Fiscal and economic incentives;Conservation policy instruments; Western Cape Stewardship Programme. Click here to view full article 2018-04-202018 Webinar: Voluntary Disclosure Programme 2018-04-232018 Employees Payroll Taxes - Pretoria 2018-05-072018 VAT Risks and Issues in Business Operations by Christo Theron - Durban 2018-05-082018 VAT Risks and Issues in Business Operations by Christo Theron - Cape Town 2018-04-13Raising jurisdictional issues 2018-04-13It’s complete: The Davis Tax Committee releases its final reports 2017-11-08TaxTalk Today Newsletter Migration Section 240A of the Tax Administration Act, 2011 (as amended) requires that all tax practitioners register with a recognized controlling body before 1 July 2013. It is a criminal offense to not register with both a recognized controlling body and SARS.	http://www.thesait.org.za/news/98622/Meditari-Tax-Incentives-For-Biodiversity-Conservation-In-The-Western-C.htm
What are your thoughts on fluorescent light on whiskey? I’ve tried to determine if fluorescent light penetrates glass but to no clear outcome. Fluorescent light certainly penetrates glass. But fluorescent lights emit a reduced spectrum compared to natural sunlight, but it’s hard to know how that would compare in terms of its effects on whisky. I’ve not seen anyone compare different artificial light sources compared to natural light. My guess is that it would be less harmful – but how much less is hard to know. This is a very useful post, as is your site, thank you very much. Talking about whisky storage with gas, have you heard of the Scotch Test Dummies little experiment? No, I hadn’t seen that video before – but their results do not surprise me at all, based on the findings reported here (i.e., the nose was clearly impaired in both cases at one year with Private Preserve spray, as was the palate on the peated version). A limitation is that they weren’t doing the testing blind to which condition the bottles had been stored under. But they were clearly surprised by the results, as they stated they had expected no change. Going forward, they are now biased as to the outcome – but it should be still be interesting to see what their subjective impressions are. Thanks for the sharing! Speaking strictly theoretically, a potential concern with vacuum seals is that you are not truly creating a gas-free space; rather, the more volatile compounds could be expected to vaporize in relatively greater amount, thus affecting the remaining liquid. Just a guess.	https://whiskyanalysis.com/index.php/2019/02/28/how-best-to-store-your-whisky/?replytocom=23795
Light-Strike occurs when riboflavin (naturally occurring in wine) is elevated to an excited state due to light exposure leading to the oxidation of amino acids which may in-turn lead to the development of particularly stinky sulphur compounds such as dimethyl disulphide (see Part 1). The taint manifests by first reducing fruit flavours after which characters of “overcooked cabbage”, “damp cardboard”, and “sewage” start to develop. Part 2 of this series will look at strategies to prevent Light-Strike from occurring. Preventing Light-Strike Other than selecting an appropriate yeast strain and avoiding certain winemaking processes and additives (see Part 1), some other strategies can help to prevent Light-Stike from setting in. Phenolic compounds Some natural constituents of wine can prevent the odours and flavours associated with Light-Strike. Studies have shown that phenolic compounds can provide protection from this taint likely by reacting with the excited riboflavin molecule before it reacts with the sulphur-containing amino acids1. Tannins are particularly effective in protecting wine against Light-Strike. Therefore, red wines are naturally less susceptible to light-struck flavours compared to white wines (even in the presence of relatively higher riboflavin concentrations). Removing riboflavin from wine Several fining agents have been tested for their efficiency in removing riboflavin from wine2. A model wine spiked with 350 μg/L riboflavin was treated with the following fining products: - 6 types of bentonite ( 2 x calcium-based; 4 x sodium-based) - 2 types of charcoal ( 1 x large pore; 1 x small pore) - Zeolite - Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) - Kaolin - A colloidal suspension of pure silica - Egg albumin Fining the model wine with the bentonite products removed 40% of the riboflavin in the solution (irrespective of the type of bentonite used). Even though the treatment reduced the riboflavin concentration, the remaining concentration of riboflavin was still quite significant. A higher removal rate was obtained by increasing the bentonite dosage. However, this removal was not directly proportional to the amount of bentonite added. Furthermore, the initial bentonite concentration was already large and would likely have adverse effects on the wine quality2,3. Fining trials are advised to determine the minimum bentonite needed to remove as much riboflavin as possible. Fining the model wine with zeolite decreased the riboflavin concentration by 50%. The egg albumin product, which reportedly contained 1% of riboflavin-binding proteins, did not remove any riboflavin. PVPP, silica and kaolin were also not effective in removing riboflavin2. Charcoal seems to be the best suited for the removal of riboflavin and a dosage of 10 mg/L removed 94% of the riboflavin present in the model wine2. There was a difference in effectivity between the two tested charcoal products with the larger pore size (chemically activated) being more effective than the smaller pore size (physically activated). The study also showed that 2 hours of contact was sufficient for the removal of the riboflavin from the model wine. When tested using a real wine (as opposed to a model wine), the fining agents were less effective in removing riboflavin from the wine. Competitive adsorption due to the presence of other wine components might explain this observation. In a real wine, a longer contact time did not lead to more effective removal. Bench trials should be performed to determine the minimum contact time resulting in the highest riboflavin removal. Limit light exposure The type of packaging used will determine the amount and type of light reaching the wine. Packaging such as aluminium cans and Bag-in-Box® will effectively prevent light exposure and reduce the risk of the taint developing. Glass bottles, on the other hand, will allow varying amounts and wavelengths of light to pass through the packaging, possibly affecting the wine. Standard clear bottles (flint) generally transmit more than 80% of visible UV radiation above 360 nm4. Green bottles block 50% light (particularly in the region below 520 nm which is where Light-Stike sets in), while amber bottles transmit very little (10%) radiation below 520 nm5. Darker coloured bottles can thus limit light exposure and protect the wine from developing aroma compounds associated with Light-Strike6. It is technically feasible to modify glass to improve its ultraviolet (UV) protection by adding certain minerals. Clear bottles can thus be specifically manufactured to transmit less UV radiation by adding UV absorbing species during manufacturing or by adding a film coat that contains UV absorbing properties5. The problem is that many of the better UV absorbing species also discolour the glass5. Other than that, its use is generally not considered to be an economically viable option due to the increased manufacturing costs. Conclusion Various factors influence the onset and severity of the Light-Strike taint. The wine’s composition, the spectrum of the light source, the intensity and duration of radiation and the optical properties of the glass bottle6 can all play a role. Sunlight is clearly the main source of damaging radiation but in retail and domestic environments artificial light sources, such as fluorescent tubes, also contribute to the damage by emitting UV radiation as well as visible light. As artificial shop-lighting is often the principal source of light exposure for many wines, it would be wise to put your wine to the test to determine if there is a predisposition to this taint. EVER Solutions offers testing technology called “Light 7 stress” which is a unique tool equipped with LED technology that recreates the entire light spectrum to assess the effects of light stress on wine. This test will verify a wine’s predisposition to Light-Strike and could help to decide on strategies to avoid Light-Strike from affecting your wine. References (1) Kolb, C. A.; Kopecký, J.; Riederer, M.; Pfündel, E. E. UV Screening by Phenolics in Berries of Grapevine (Vitis Vinifera). Functional Plant Biology 2003, 30 (12), 1177. https://doi.org/10.1071/FP03076. (2) Fracassetti, D.; Gabrielli, M.; Encinas, J.; Manara, M.; Pellegrino, I.; Tirelli, A.; Sciences, N.; Gildo, D. C. Approaches to Prevent the Light-Struck Taste in White Wine. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajgw.12295. (3) Pichler, U. Analisi Della Riboflavina Nei Vini Bianchi e Influenza Della Sua Concentrazione. L’Enotecnico 1996, 32, 57–62. (4) Clark, A. C.; Dias, D. A.; Smith, T. A.; Ghiggino, K. P.; Scollary, G. R. Iron(III) Tartrate as a Potential Precursor of Light-Induced Oxidative Degradation of White Wine: Studies in a Model Wine System. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2011, 59 (8), 3575–3581. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf104897z. (5) Hartley, A. The Effect of Ultraviolet Light on Wine Quality. WRAP.org.uk 2008. (6) María Mislata, A.; Puxeu, M.; Mestres, M.; Ferrer-Gallego, R. The Light Struck Taste of Wines. In Grapes and Wine; IntechOpen, 2021. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99279.	https://sauvignonblanc.com/light-strike-part-2/
The following interview took place by phone on April 11, 2011. Stan Douglas spoke to me from his Vancouver studio. The interview pertains to the artist’s “Midcentury Studio” exhibition, which debuted at New York City’s David Zwirner Gallery March 23, running to April 23, 2011. My Globe and Mail piece digesting this interview can be found here. Tell me about Shoes, 1947. This is kind of half-way through the guy’s career. He’s doing various genres: pickup work, piecework. When there was an opportunity for a photograph, he’d go: a news story, occasional work for advertising, etc. This would be a fashion shoot—obviously, advertising some shoes. This photograph, like many of the photographs, is based on making a situation—having various models and pairs of shoes and a location we could work out of. LIFE photoshoots [of the time] … prepared everything. Setting up, practicing the lights. A lot of them were cropped, in the end. In this case, we’re seeing the whole thing. In the [final], one would imagine we’d only see the shoes, partly up the calf. Here, the model’s pose is very uncomfortable. It’s not a natural way of standing. It’s very difficult for the model to actually hold this position, to keep balance. We’d typically just be looking at a profile of the shoes side-by-side. But we’re being shown a bit more than that. Her hands and forearms are responding to what’s going on with her feet down below. And of course she’s decapitated, much in the way that we see in other works [in “Midcentury Studio”]—body fragments, body parts, implying an external space that’s not being revealed. It gives an uncanny effect. Her hands tell the story of what’s going on here. So did you intend to have the fists? No, that just happened. We were trying various shoes, various stockings, various models, various floor surfaces. We had a tapestry that we rented but never actually used in the end. But I saw what was going on in terms of her difficulty and thought it would be appropriate to include that in the image. These images aren’t to a large degree composed. I don’t have a composition or shot to which I’m trying to make reality conform. As I said before, I’m more or less making a situation and improvising within that situation to get an image that’s workable. It’s ironic, as the show seems so much about composition and technique—the classical aesthetics of analog photography. The camera was criticized for a long time for its automatic quality: that there’s a machine involved, and that images were being produced without the complete attention of the artist or picture-maker. But that collaboration with reality is the thing that makes photography so fascinating. In spite of that automatism, there are a lot of things that a camera can do that may or may not be within the photographer’s control. It’s very different from now, where we have programmed digital photographs which, to a certain degree, determine the kind of photograph being made. Every photographic apparatus has a limited number of photographs it can make. Granted, this is a very, very big number of images, but it’s limited by the technical makeup of the apparatus. What’s happening now with cell phone photographs, which we’re seeing on Flickr and Facebook and the like, is that images are being made with a program that is very restrictive, that defines what a good photograph should be in terms of focus and exposure. There are even cameras, now, that will not take a picture until someone is smiling. We create that convenience [in the face of] the creativity of earlier, more manual modes of image making. Tell me about Cache, 1947. There’s something I was interested in doing with all of these photos: referencing one of my favourite works of art, the Scrovegni Chapel [frescoes] by Giotto—and the image of a hand appearing out of the sky. I kind of overdid it with this series: things pointing, things coming out of the corner of the frame and being part of the image. This image is kind of a combination of a Black Star image—things you’d need to run a gambling or party house—and an image I saw from when the police were investigating Lee Harvey Oswald, which looked into a window of Oswald’s house and had a hand coming in from a corner pointing, on the other side. These things all kind of combined in my mind to make this picture. And there’s the cards, the dice, the cash, the smokes, the booze… everything you need to have a good time. And the hypocrisy of the cigar in the pointing hand. Where did you take the shot? Quite a few of the shots including Shoes, 1947 were shot at an old mansion referred to as either the Cenacle or the Rosemary that’s in an area called Shaughnessy in Vancouver. A 1920s house with a lot of elegant fittings. It was really important to try to get period door handles and construction methods and have these things visible in the architecture. It’s kind of hard to find places in Vancouver that still look like that—like they might have looked in 1940-something. [The intention was to have a] 1920s building that[, from the date of the fictional photographs, looked] twenty years old—had been kept up so it still looked [as it originally did]. The rafters you’re seeing inside the cache are the structural rafters of the house. The radiator outside [is authentic]. We actually applied the wallpaper to the wall to get a different look to it. And the nature of the photograph is something that would be part of this fictional photographer’s career, following police investigations and illuminating them through his work? If you look early on [in the series] you see there’s one photo done when he’s in the army—Camouflage, 1945, which is early product work. There are random things after that, like the kids trick-or-treating [Trick or Treat, 1945]; the portrait of the athlete [Athlete, 1946]; the portrait of the horse [Horse, 1946]; the images of magicians or from sideshows or something. These might be cases in which he has talked his way into a job. Later on, he was more into doing fashion things, hairstyling things. That was another phase. Again, there’s piece work, in the few images that show crime scenes. Like, Weegee would go and try to find something that had taken place, get an image, and try to sell it on spec to a newspaper. Toward the end of his career he’s more involved with set-up images, where he’s collaborating with the subjects to make the thing happen. You see this in LIFE magazine: as they try to have more social relevance or significance in their photographs, they become less and less documentary, less about taking a picture of what was there. It’s a matter of the photographer organizing what was there to make a more interesting image. So there are aesthetic interventions on top of the improvisations. Yes. Like, the dice players [Dice, 1950]: if they were really playing dice, they’d probably be pissed off at this flash going off as they were doing it. The guy who’s got the worm-digger light on his head [Worm Digger, 1949], it’d have to be a very long exposure; it’s 4×5 film, so the guy would actually have had to stand still. In some cases he might be running in [to take the photo], like in [Suspect, 1950]. In Cricket Pitch, 1951, he’s actually in the middle of the cricket pitch to get that photograph. He’s been allowed to do that by the players. I want to go back to Athlete, 1946. The thing that struck me most about this and a lot of the images was how much you paid attention to period physiognomy—how “1946” this guy looks. What was the casting process like? Mostly looking at extras. In that situation you have lots and lots of choice. Actors often have a specific look, and always try to look good. The problem with actors is that they’re afraid to look unusual and odd. Extras are not necessarily as trained, but do have a particular look that some photographer or filmmaker is going to want to use. Getting people who reflected that 1940s diet, say—that was difficult, but it was something we were able to find by going through a thousand or so headshots. What sport does he play? Baseball. There are details indicating this in the shot. Where was this shot? The basement of the Rosemary. Again there’s the paneled walls, the hinges, the wire that’s made of asbestos. Totally period stuff. And this is based on an existing photograph? A couple of pictures. [During the period,] a number of photographs were done in the locker room, portraits of those athletes and managers and that kind of thing. I like how they were photographed in these dank, stinky dressing rooms, with no real regard for how this would frame the subject. The photographer just went in there and was like, “Here we are; here you are; I’ve got my camera; bang, let’s shoot it”—not thinking about how it was going to look with the moldy floor, the dirty walls, those kinds of things. But did a genre develop based on that haphazardness? Things would happen by mistake. What he [i.e. Douglas’ fictional photographer] was trying to do was photograph one person, but forgetting about what the background was like or what the rest of the frame was like. Occasionally, just by accident, you’d get quite astonishing compositions from that situation: not much regard for the whole composition, but it becomes part of the thing. I knew what the place was going to look like. We had to dress it; we had to get all that old sports equipment in the back room; we wet the floor down. These are things we knew would give the right look to the situation. Moving on to Smoke, 1947. What place would your fictional photographer have in photographing magic and sleight of hand things? I guess he would be doing the shot for the magicians: pickup in the glass case in front of the theatre where they’d do their thing. But often getting the wrong moment. In this case it’s something that’s just disappeared, but you’re not sure what that thing was. It’s kind of an odd strategy, to take that view of this guy’s work: giving an image of having just missed whatever was in the smoke’s place. I had a couple of magicians come in for the shoot and sat down with them and just asked, “So, what can you do? What involves a lot of motion, transformation? How do we make this into something?” They’d show me their routines and we came up with a few things. One of them was this disappearing object on this funny, Orientalist-looking platform. And the rings [Rings, 1947]: after a number of takes, you get an impossible-looking combination of rings. The how-to-steal-a-watch image [Watch, 1950] was more journalistic, and would have been used for illustrating some kind of article about something—warning you about shaking hands with the wrong person. We had someone in to see if they could pick somebody’s pocket, [but ended up doing] this watch thing. What about Incident, 1949? Obviously it was your intention to include at least some photographs that were reminiscent of Weegee. The intimate space is interesting. And is that a real body under the newspaper? Yes, and it’s actually a period newspaper. We got it from eBay. In this case I like the wonkiness of the building; we were seeing structural things intruding into the otherwise clean space of the stairwell. Certain things from the outside were intruding into the interior space. We did have to add that wire, which is hiding a more contemporary power line. Originally, I was just going to shoot the corpse by itself but kind of realized there wasn’t much going on. We had this guy dressed up like a police officer from a different shot, and it didn’t work out; he was one person too many for the shot. So we just thought we’d bring him in and see what he could do there. It’s funny, the dialogue between him, making eye contact with the head underneath the newspaper, the odd negative space—it’s almost like a coffin with that notch, which is almost [fitted to] his head. We aren’t used to photographs of this specific kind any more, though they’ve come to define the era you’re representing, along with film noir. I guess photographers can’t get that close, with crime scenes being taped off. In this case things happened slower. The person who saw the corpse wanted it covered up, hence the newspapers. This was done in the period. The other photograph [Burlap, 1948] —it’s unclear as to what that is. If you think about the scale of the planks on the floor, are they big enough for a body to be there, or not? It’s weird. Could be a dog, or just some tools under burlap. It’s just a strange, undulating form. And where is it placed? A covered bridge, an alley? We don’t know. These ambiguities are at play. This, Cache, 1947, Burlap, 1948: these would be more piecework. Some news event that’s gone on: this photographer tries to get into it and sell it to the paper. You’ve built such a narrative around each image and the photographer’s career. It’s almost like method acting. Well, you start doing research to a point where you know how things should look, how people should behave, and then when it comes time to make the picture, you are able to recognize when it looks correct or false. Or, true to the period. The whole thing is the arc of a career. It’s a narrative in which you look at the breaks between images, much like we connect the breaks between shots in a film, that negative space of the edits in which we have a fantasy that either makes a character talk to another character, look at some other thing, some other person—jumps in space, jumps in time. The gaps between these images tell the imagined story of the guy’s career, which he’s negotiating in the post-war period. Is there a reason why, at David Zwirner Gallery, the photographs weren’t all arranged chronologically? It didn’t look good. The monograph, the list of works, will tell you the order of things. I made these images one by one so I wasn’t so much composing it to look like a single thing on the wall. They’re grouped thematically; things just go together. The back of the head, the hair [Hair, 1948], goes very well with Shoes, 1947—one kind of decapitation with another. And so on. Two last images, Hockey Fight, 1951 and Suspect, 1950. With the first: are there a lot of instances in archives of Canadian photography of brawls at hockey games? One photographer that I based a lot of the work on, Raymond Munro, has one photo of a hockey fight. In fact, it’s in the same building I believe, [Vancouver’s] Kerrisdale Arena, where we shot this. [In Munro’s image,] there’s a fight, and this concentric circle of looks and pointing fingers, but you can’t actually see what’s going on. The source, the nexus, of the fight, is hidden from view, but we see everyone trying to look at or get away from what’s going on. I played with that a while, to see if it would work for me to have a dense collection of people overlapping. In the end, I thought it was more interesting to have some sense of the looks between the characters—the man falling down with that extreme look on his face; the concerned look of the woman at the right, who is looking at the man being pulled up and down at the same time. That’s the punctum of this photograph. The perspective is also interesting: the photographer in a press stand? He’s in a press booth, yes. I was photographing from a catwalk, of the press booth of the hockey area where the photographer would be. Is there a basis for Suspect, 1950? In a way. There’s an image from the Black Star collection of Latin American delegates at a conference in Savannah. [I liked] the look of suspicion that these guys have, or actually the obliviousness of these guys to the photographer, and the suspicious look they’re giving back to him. What you might imagine [in Suspect, 1950] is a lawyer, a suspect, and his henchman, going from left to right, but the thing I really liked were the glasses of the suspect, which obscure his eyes, but you can just barely see through them. There’s a delicate, threatened look in his eyes as he stares back at the lens. There is a sense of threat in so many of the images, as if the profession itself was a kind of warfare. What kind of risk did photographers like your fictional one in the show take? Well, I guess there was always the risk of getting punched in the face. But what I find genuinely interesting here is that this is not WWII, a well-documented period, or the 1950s—at least as we know them today. The kinds of images you see in this photography would never have made it into the mainstream press in the 1950s. This is a period that is not often talked about, postwar North America. People had to do desperate things in order to make a living.	https://davidkbalzer.com/stan-douglas-on-midcentury-studio/
Animal venoms are the subject of study at a research center based at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo. Venoms are used to identify molecular targets of diseases and, to develop new compounds that can be used as medicines. The focus of the work are immuno-inflammatory diseases like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, explained Ana Marisa Chudzinski-Tavassi, a researcher at the Butantan Institute and coordinator of the Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery (CENTD). "In addition to venoms, we are also studying toxins isolated from venoms and animal secretions - from the Brazilian biodiversity and from other countries - to identify and validate therapeutic targets that lead to the development of new medicines," said Chudzinski-Tavassi during FAPESP Week London, held February 11-12, 2019 at the Royal Society in London. The CENTD, an Engineering Research Center (ERC) funded by São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP and GSK, employs modern and complex molecular and cellular biology techniques, including phenotypic multi-parametric, interatomic, and proteomic assays, transcriptomic analysis and bioinformatics. "We have established a biobank - a bank of biological samples, a collection of venoms, isolated fractions, recombinant proteins and synthetic peptides - for the maintenance, control and management of samples used in every study conducted at the CENTD. Cell models related to the diseases that are being studied at the CENTD were established and used to evaluate proinflammatory, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic [toxic to cells] and cytoprotective [that protect cells] activities. In addition, translational models to study signaling pathways are being used for the purpose of finding new molecular targets for the development of innovative medicines," Chudzinski-Tavassi told. "After identification of a potential new target, subsequent validation is required. For this, the CENTD utilizes advanced molecular biology methodologies like the CRISPR/Cas9 system for gene knockout and expression activation, in knockout animals as well as in in vitro and in vivo tests. To date, 23 whole venoms have been screened for pro-inflammatory effects in the six cell models that have been established and standardized," she said. "In this screening, three whole venoms were selected for later studies. The same cell models were standardized in order to analyze the anti-inflammatory or cytoprotective properties, and in this case, in addition to two whole venoms, eight synthetic peptides obtained based on venom protein amino acid sequences, and two recombinant proteins, were selected," said Chudzinski-Tavassi. "In view of the anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects clearly shown in different cell types related to arthritic diseases, we suggest several of the peptides that the CENTD has in its library of compounds be used as tools for studying targets of degenerative diseases," she said. According to the Center's coordinator, studies that are underway will allow discovery of the pathways through which these effects occur. The CENTD researchers, in collaboration with researchers from Albert Einstein Hospital, conducted transcriptomic (the study of gene expression) and proteomic (the comprehensive study of expressed proteins) analyses on tissues from healthy donors and donors with osteoarthritis. Using bioinformatics analyses, they are deciphering differentially expressed genes and proteins in these tissues. "The next step will be to employ the peptides previously defined as cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory to seek new molecular targets related to developing osteoarthritis and contribute to its treatment," Chudzinski-Tavassi said. With regard to cancer models, in addition to studies on tumor cell cultures, the researchers used what is known as a translational model to perform transcriptomic studies on spontaneous melanoma tumors in horses at the Butantan Institute's farm. "Melanoma tumors were treated with a recombinant protein with antitumoral effects, already described in previous work by the group, that selectively acts on tumor cells and induces proteasome inhibition followed by cell death through the mechanism of apoptosis," Chudzinski-Tavassi said. "Results derived from the transcriptomic analysis of the horse tumor translational model indicate that the antitumoral molecule, Amblyomin-X, besides its direct activity on tumor cells, activated the immune system of the animals to fight the tumor, causing the death of tumor cells through a mechanism of immunogenic cell death," she said. The researcher went on to say that the findings of this translational model confirm the group's previous findings, obtained in in vitro and in vivo models, and reveal important new molecular pathways related to targets involved in immunogenic death. Inaugurated July 21, 2017, the CENTD follows the rules of FAPESP's Research Partnership for Technological Innovation (PITE) and Engineering Research Centers (ERCs), in conducting long-term research with companies, enabling the shared generation of knowledge in areas of common interest, with great potential for application of the results generated. "The CENTD has six main lines of research that overlap and involve nearly 35 researchers, as well as students and technical staff, for a total of 79 people involved in the project," Chudzinski-Tavassi said. "To facilitate research, high performance equipment was purchased to enable high impact assays, revealing important cellular phenomena to identify the structures responsible by the different phenotypes," she said. Among such equipment is High-Content Screening (HCS), which allows a rapid analysis of molecules of interest and an assessment of phenotypes. By using the equipment, it is possible to assess changes in the morphology of cells or their markers, which is extremely important information in studies of cell activity and survival due to a variety of stimuli. "The collaborative partnership established with groups from the United Kingdom at CENTD, with support from FAPESP, GSK and the Butantan Institute, has proven to be an efficient model for developing high-impact science, discovering new drugs and training people in this important area enabling health innovation," said Chudzinski-Tavassi. Dozens of researchers from Brazil and the United Kingdom take part in the CENTD. The Center's assistant coordinator is Isro Gloger, director of the GSK Trust in Science Project. "We have worked in Brazil with FAPESP in funding innovative projects on initiatives involving collaborative work with academic researchers. One of them is at the CENTD. Our relationship with FAPESP is a great example of a public-private partnership that works," said Gloger, a molecular biologist born in Argentina who has spent 29 years at GSK. Venom of insects such as wasps may now be used as an Antibiotic to fight bacterial infections.	https://www.medindia.net/news/animal-venom-could-be-the-source-for-new-medicines-185904-1.htm
The Bass-less Trio Hopkins, Timothy John URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10063/2216 Date: 2012 Rights: No known rights restrictions other than copyright. Abstract: Miles Davis asserts in his autobiography, that "a great artist needs to be able to stretch" [Davis, Troup, 1990]. While I may not a great artist, I aspire to make art with my music, and in my own musical journey I have been interested in trying out new ideas. Jazz musicians, because of their various skills (and in particular, in the art of improvisation) find themselves straddling musical boundaries and genres, just to pay the rent. In my own projects however, this musical adroitness was born just as much out of artistic curiosity as it was necessity, leading me to compose and perform in a variety of contexts and styles for a broad range of instrumentation. These contexts and styles include: duos for saxophone and piano accordion; Bach sonatas with string ensembles; improvising live dance music with DJs; organ trios; in electronica contexts; art and poetry collaborations. The need for creativity has expressed itself in all of my work, to varying degrees. On reflection, it's the need to create something new and fresh out of work and ideas that are already explored to some extent. This desire is consistent with the jazz legacy I have inherited. In much the way Louis Armstrong began transforming popular songs into jazz vehicles, Charles Mingus took ideas from older African American musical traditions and transformed them to offer a fresh perspective on those traditions, and Miles Davis borrowed ideas from rock and soul music to pioneer new directions in jazz during the 1960s and 1970s, I too am looking for new avenues of expression for jazz musicians. Show full item record Files in this item Name: form.pdf Size: 32.31Kb Format: PDF Description: Permission Form (Admin) View/ Open Name: thesis.pdf Size: 485.2Kb Format: PDF Description:	http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/handle/10063/2216
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – Since the adoption of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda in 2015, significant efforts have been undertaken to mobilise funds for effectively pursuing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Estimates suggest that low and lower-middle income countries around the world may need sizeable additional investment running into trillions of dollars yearly for moving ahead towards these ambitious goals. With a view to supporting countries in their efforts, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has been organising broad-based high-level consultations on Financing for Development (FfD) since 2014. It has reconstituted its intergovernmental Committee on Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for Development. 'Transforming Finance in Asia-Pacific: The FinTech revolution' was the latest such efforts undertaken on the sidelines of the 2018 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development from April 23-26, 2018. The high-level side event, co-organized by ESCAP and the Permanent Missions of Bangladesh, Indonesia and Kazakhstan on April 23, provided a platform for countries to review their experience in pursuing FinTech initiatives, and identify policy and regulatory challenges in harnessing their potential in the region. In her opening remarks, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Dr. Shamshad Akhtar underscored that access to financial services is an integral component of the global financing for the development agenda. "Frontier technologies are offering new solutions for providing an impetus to financial inclusion," she said. The participants recognized the need to increase access to financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the region’s poorest people, if the aim of mobilizing $2.5 trillion annually in Asia and the Pacific is to be attained. They noted however that regulators would need to strike the right balance between facilitating innovation, maintaining financial stability and ensuring consumer protection, the ESCAP press release stated. FinTech solutions include cell phone apps that allow users to execute online transactions, such as bill payments, store credit scoring of consumers and small businesses owners based on big data analytics, along with online alternative financing platforms such as peer-to-peer lending and equity crowd funding. Dr. Akhtar emphasized that “Asia-Pacific is leading globally the Fintech emergence and they are transforming the way people pay, send money, borrow, lend, and invest.” Bangladesh Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith added: “We need to create a regional platform for sharing experiences and best practices to enhance the access of MSMEs access to finance in the Asia-Pacific region.” MSMEs are Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Indonesia's National Development Planning Minister Bambang P.S. Brodjonegoro further underscored that governments need to "highlight the importance of proper regulatory framework to take advantage of FinTech to support the attainment of SDGs particularly in tackling inequality." Panel members at the special side event included: Ambassador Kairat Umarov, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN; Afghanistan's Economy Minister Mustafa Mastoor; Bhutan's Finance Secretary Nim Dorji; Iran's Vice Minister of Economic Affairs and Head of the Organization for Investments and Economic Assistance, Mohammad Khazaee; Maldives Government's envoy for FfD, Azeema Adam; and Ambassador Odo Tevi, Permanent Representative of Vanuatu to the UN. Along with Kathleen DeRose, Clinical Associate Professor of Finance and FinTech Leader, New York University’s Stern School of Business; Xiaochen Zhang, President of Fintech4Good; Alisa DiCaprio, Head of Research at R3; Alexander R. Malaket, President of OPUS Advisory Services International Inc., and Lidy Nacpil, Coordinator, Jubilee South Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development. Participants also concluded that Asia-Pacific’s intergovernmental platform for financing for development, steered by ESCAP, is already disseminating new developments in digital technology and advising on the infrastructure needed to tackle pervasive financial exclusion in the region. One of the key areas highlighted by member States and experts is boosting financial inclusion for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). While access to financial services, both by the poor and SMEs, is known to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth, Asia-Pacific developing countries, and especially the least developed counties, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, have much to do in this area. In this context, FinTech companies are emerging as an important source of successfully leveraging information technology to enhance financial access. Asia-Pacific is leading the growth of the financial technology industry (fintech) globally. Fintechs range from mobile money and payments companies such as AliPay in China, to micro lending and credit scoring companies such as Lenddo’s social media-based credit scoring algorithm in Singapore. Such companies are helping to increase the financial inclusion of individuals and SMEs through expanding their access to funds. However, the advancement of fintech as an innovative solution for SME financing requires proper regulation. A major challenge to regulators is how to strike the right balance between facilitating innovation and preserving financial stability and providing consumer protection. [IDN-InDepthNews – 28 April 2018] Photo: ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development. Credit: UN IDN is flagship agency of the International Press Syndicate.	https://www.indepthnews.info/index.php/global-issues/1838-un-drone-reports-chide-us-transparency-gap
We all sit from time to time, but what we fail to do is to sit properly. Proper sitting posture helps you control the force of gravity in your body preventing musculoskeletal injuries while you sit for prolonged periods. A proper sitting posture is important especially to people who employ desk work as well as those confined in wheelchairs. When you sit and start feeling pain in your lower back and shoulders, then it means that you have been sitting in a wrong position and your overall sitting posture should be changed. Poor sitting position usually leads to back and neck pains due to repetitive injuries in the vertebrae and in the muscles around the back. Poor sitting posture will not only cause superficial injuries, but may also affect the internal organs within the trunk and other areas in the body. Correct posture is in fact essential for overall well-being with special benefits to the cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive system. The ACA or American Chiropractic Association recommends correct posture because bad posture is one of the culprits for most musculoskeletal problems involving the back. What is the correct Sitting Posture? To start sitting properly, you need to sit erect on the chair with both feet flat on the floor. You can actually use a foot rest if your feet cannot reach the ground to make them remain as flat as possible. Your back should also be against the back rest of the chair to have adequate support along the spine. However, it should be considered that the back rest should support the three curves of the spine along the cervical, thoracic and lumbar area. Your lumbar should fit comfortably with the point where the back seat meets the back rest. The thoracic spine should be against the back rest comfortably and the cervical spine should be straight to hold the head in an erect position. Also, your elbows should be close to the sides of your body. Aside from this correct posture, you should also maintain other parts of your body in a correct position while working. If you are using the computer, your wrists should be straight and not bent up or down to prevent possible Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Your computer monitor should also be at or lower than the eye level to avoid strain to the neck in viewing your work. All materials to be used in your office should also be within reach to avoid bending and overreaching. If you have a hard time siting properly or cannot assume a correct sitting posture effectively, the following steps will ensure that your sitting position is correct: • Position for hip joint and knee joint in a 90 degree angle. • Sit on your ischial tuberosity or the two bones that are felt in your buttocks. • Breathe deeply while sitting to promote lung expansion. • Never arch you lower back. • Make your shoulders as relaxed as possible. • Never drop your head forward and keep then straight. • Keep your feet flat on the floor. A good sitting position will generally provide you with adequate balance and support in order for your body to move freely and safely while sitting.	https://northtampachiropractor.com/2012/09/proper-sitting-posture/
KiwiSaver managers must provide value for money Today the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has issued final guidance on fees for managed funds and value for money. This follows a six-month consultation which began last November. The FMA expects fund managers to regularly review and assess whether fees are reasonable and provide value for money for members. Links to the guidance and the FMA’s media release are available here and here. Who needs to read it? Managers and supervisors of KiwiSaver schemes and other managed funds. While the guidance is aimed at KiwiSaver, the FMA makes clear that it expects others to take the same approach, whether the scheme is currently open or closed to new members. What does it cover? Principle-based reviews The FMA’s guidance requires fund managers to conduct regular reviews of fees in order to comply with their statutory duty to act in the best interests of scheme members. Managers are expected to formally review their fees and value for money with their supervisors annually and also when there is a change materially affecting cost (such as a change to asset allocation or underlying fund managers). Managers must conclude that their fees are reasonable and reflect value for money, or if unable to do so, outline remedial steps so that fees will provide value for money. Managers should also consider whether the fees they charge and why they are charged is transparent to investors. While the FMA has indicated they expect fees to decrease, they also encouraged managers to add value in other ways, such as providing additional services. Managers must be able to evidence that a review has taken place and are encouraged to share the results of the review with investors. The FMA has indicated that a failure to conduct regular reviews of fees and value for money will impact the FMA’s consideration of whether a fee is unreasonable under rule 2 of the KiwiSaver Rules. Reviews should be based on the following principles: - Risk and return are critical – the two key indicators of value for money are how well the manager minimises the investment risk the member experiences, and the members’ return after fees. - The financial value of investment management must be shared – value should be appropriately shared between the manager doing the work, and the member paying the cost, providing the capital, and taking on the risk. - Advice and service is received, not just offered – a service or feature provided by a manger contributes to a member’s value for money if it demonstrably helps the member make better investment decisions or demonstrably benefits the member’s investment account. - Review yourself as you review others – when evaluating their fees and value for money to members, managers should use the same rigour they would apply to assessing the same of any underlying manager. The guidance sets out questions under each principle that the supervisor and fund manager can ask in assessing whether their fees are reasonable and whether they are providing value for money to their investors. Active management versus passive management While the guidance allows for active managers to take into account a higher level of costs in running the scheme, the FMA has warned that active management alone is not enough to justify higher fees – finding that active managers typically do not outperform their market index after fees. Managers employing active strategies must justify their fees in relation to the proportion of returns earned due to active management (as opposed to passive management strategies). Fixed membership fees The FMA expects fund managers to stop charging fixed membership fees in certain circumstances. The FMA can find “little justification for schemes to charge both a fixed membership fee and a base management fee”. In their view, membership fees were intended to cover costs when scale was low and are no longer necessary when scale and member balances increase. High risk of enforcement action for managers charging unreasonable fees The guidance states that a failure to comply with the guidance may be a breach of the duty to act in the best interests of scheme participants and the duty to set reasonable fees. The guidance reminds the market that the FMA has a range of tools it can use, including: - Stop orders; - Direction orders; - Censures or action plans; - Altering, suspending or cancelling a licence; and - Court action. Our view In general, the FMA expects fees for KiwiSaver schemes to decrease. Decreasing fees benefits investors, however, provided it does not overly restrict the choices available to them. We welcome the FMA’s acknowledgement that competent managers are entitled to make a profit. Prescriptive regulation There are significant dangers with taking an overly prescriptive approach to the unreasonable fees obligation under the KiwiSaver Scheme rules given the wide range of investment styles in the market. We have particular concerns with the requirement to compare fees for non-default KiwiSaver Schemes to those for a default KiwiSaver with comparable strategies and features. Fees for default funds are set directly by the Instrument of Appointment for the default Scheme. To our knowledge, none of the default fund managers take a fully active approach to both asset allocation and security selection. The current Default Provider RFP states that “Fees Proposals are sought that achieve the lowest fees for Default Members and other relevant members.” That is only likely to reinforce the passive approach to management of KiwiSaver default funds. Competitive markets with effective disclosure Further, members should be able to judge for themselves whether they consider the fees charged are justified by the management style and performance of the fund they have chosen. There is a highly competitive market, in which KiwiSaver members are easily able to transfer schemes or funds and information on pricing is freely available, including on the FMA and the Commission for Financial Capability’s websites. There is clear, mandated disclosure to investors on fees and investors can easily compare fee information across schemes. We consider that full and transparent disclosure of fees enhances competition, without the need for further prescription. We encourage the FMA to consider how the market already adequately regulates fees through competition. Duty to act in member’s best interests There are existing protections under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 (FMCA) and the KiwiSaver Act 2006 (KiwiSaver Act). The FMCA deals with fees and expenses by requiring detailed and prescriptive disclosure of fees. Further, a governing document for a registered scheme must provide adequately for the fees and expenses that can be paid out of scheme property to any manager, investment manager, administration manager, supervisor, or custodian, or the basis on which those fees and expenses are to be determined. A manager has a duty to act in the best interests of the scheme participants “in exercising any powers or performing any duties as manager”. The duty is circumscribed by reference to the performance of the powers and duties of the manager i.e. it relates to the manner in which the manager performs its functions. It is not a general duty to prefer the interests of the scheme participants to its own, or to set a fee that is in the best interests of investors. The KiwiSaver Act includes specific provisions regulating KiwiSaver fees. The guidance conflates those provisions with the general duty of a manager to act in the best interests of investors and includes statements that a manager of a managed investment scheme (that is not a KiwiSaver scheme) is subject to an obligation to only charge a reasonable fee. If the Parliamentary intention had been to apply an equivalent requirement to other managed investment schemes, it would have been an easy matter to include this in the FMCA. What next? If you have any questions in relation to the KiwiSaver fees or are considering how the FMA guidance may affect your business, please contact one of our experts.	https://www.minterellison.co.nz/our-view/kiwisaver-managers-must-provide-value-for-money
There was a good letter in the Record that asked some questions about curbside recycling. So I thought I would try my best to answer them. They make reference to the current recycling yard is closing, if you are here wondering about that, I talked about that here. Short version: the road accessing the current recycling yard will most certainly NOT be accessible during most of the construction period for the Canada Games Pool replacement as it will be a hole in the ground for much of that time, so the City is working on some alternatives, and there will be more to report on this soon. The most holistic answer to most of the questions in the letter is that the City of New Westminster does not operate in a vacuum, but is a relatively small community in a large, dynamic region. There are multiple jurisdictions involved in our solid waste systems, including Metro Vancouver (who manage all landfill waste and organic waste recycling) and the province (who manage paper and packaging recycling through Recycle BC). These operate alongside Extended Product Responsibility (EPR) programs (like oil waste management and tire recycling), and within a larger regional and global commodities market for the recycled materials, without which there would be no recycling at all. So the answer to the question why is one type of thing collected at the curbside (newspapers and soup cans) and another is not (glass jars and Styrofoam) is because the organization that takes our recycling from us (be that a government agency, a commercial operation, or a hybrid of both) has the ability to dictate what they will and will not take as part of that commercial arrangement. If no-one will take a type of waste, has to go to landfill, so recycling relies on these agencies and businesses. When we made the big shift to “comingled” recyclables a number of years ago, it necessarily sent us down a path where we were reliant on a certain type of Materials Recovery Facility to separate those wastes into material we can sell or have someone take off of our hands for a lower cost than sending the material to a landfill or the Burnaby incinerator. For example, the simplest reason why glass jars cannot go in comingled curbside recycling is because the newsprint and mixed paper has some value in the recycling market, and that value goes away if a little bit of broken glass is mixed in with it. We can sell recycled mixed paper for up to $85/Tonne (if we can find a customer, which is becoming harder as there is a significant oversupply of paper fibre right now), but if that paper is contaminated with a broken peanut butter jar, that paper is more likely going to landfill at a cost of $140/Tonne or more for disposal. When it comes to “depot items”, there are a lot of things that cannot be recycled curbside, from waste paint to toasters to batteries, because handling them in a MRF is hazardous and results in contamination of potentially-recyclable materials. There may be a market for them if the initial separation of materials can happen, so they can;t go in the curbside bin, but can go in their own special bin in a collection point, be that London Drugs or a Return-It depot, or the tire store. This is why so much of our solid waste system regionally relies on education programs about recycling – what can got in curbside, and what can’t. Things that are “technically” recyclable become non-recyclable when they enter the wrong stream, and potentially make a bunch of other stuff not recyclable at the same time. As you allude to, putting technically recyclable stuff in the wrong stream may assuage guilt, it doesn’t help the environment. Most of these technically-recyclable but not-at-the-curbside materials have multiple places they can be taken in New Westminster, including very likely, the place you bought the actual item. In my earlier post, I linked to this tool from Metro Vancouver that allows you to search for places where you recycle your wastes. There are a half dozen places in New Westminster where you can take Styrofoam or plastic shopping begs to recycle them. Glass jars can also go to a few places in town, but the commodity value of that waste glass is so low, that it is challenging to find anyone to take it. Of course, glass is environmentally inert and non-polluting, so aside from the cost ($140/Tonne +) there is little reason to divert it from the landfill, unless it can be brought into an industrial process like cement making at a lower environmental cost than other raw materials like crushed aggregate, but we are getting deep down the rabbit hole here… The hardest part about this conversation for an environmentalist like me is the reaction you get when you tell people that recycling is not a particularly effective environmental intervention. For many materials, it simply makes no environmental or economic sense. “Reduce Reuse Recycle” is too often offered as a circular, as if they are all equal in weight when it comes to environmental sustainability. They should always instead be offered as a hierarchy. Reducing your use of single-use plastics and items that are difficult or impossible to recycle (and I am going to throw in here – economically unsustainable to recycle) should be your first priority. If we are playing with “R” words, we can add “Refuse” – as in refuse to buy items that are packaged in unsustainable ways, and “Rechoose” – as in seek out products and formats that don’t create hard to recycle waste. We have been well trained as a society to think about recycling at the time when we are finished with a product, but we are terrible at thinking about it at the time we purchase something. I suspect our reliance on (even blind faith in) EPR programs was part of this problem.	https://www.patrickjohnstone.ca/2019/10/more-recycling.html
Sometimes-actually quite often, I find myself utterly obsessed with a new spice. For a few fleeting weeks, I had a love affair with Baharat, dousing everything from eggs to broccoli florets with the smoky but sweet spice. Many moons ago, I couldn’t get enough of turmeric. Staining my hands-and the apartment kitchen counters a golden yellow in the process. Let’s not even discuss my torrid month in the arms of berbere seasoning. How it typically works is that I “discover” the spice in one of my monthly spice gatherings. Meaning I go to my favorite international market and grab at the spice aisle like a mad woman. Filling my cart with dozens of small packets, excitedly running through a list of flavor combinations in my head. Familiar with most, but intrigued by the unfamiliar. Like Aleppo pepper. Now, I am not entirely sure if I am late to the game on this spice, but I have quickly become its number one fan. It has been in my daily rotation for about three months now, and I haven’t been able to move on from it. A tangy, sweet, but inherently smoky pepper, it adds that bit of “wow” to a wide array of dishes. Calling it spicy would be generous, as it is quite mild. But it is what we would call a gradual heat, because if you continue to build upon it, you may need an extra glass of water or two (or is it milk?). With the appearance of its larger friend, the red pepper flake (like the kind you find at your local pizzeria), it has that beautiful deep red hue, without the speckle of white. Softer than that of the dried red pepper flakes, there is almost a jammy texture to the salty Aleppo pepper flake. The taste is reminiscent of a plum-like sun dried tomato with mild chili heat as an undertone. I have been sprinkling the little merlot-colored jewels over (almost) everything. Eggs are my favorite, with a toasted, buttered slice of bread a close second. I found them tucked in an aisle of my favorite Mediterranean market. Their spice aisle is honestly one of my favorite places in the world. An aisle I spend entirely too much time in, according to my boyfriend. A fact that he likes to remind me of as he casually leans against the industrial cans of tomato sauce that lumber across from my nirvana. Rows of spices in their shiny little packages, begging to be taken home. I was specifically searching for Aleppo pepper, as I had been reading about middle eastern cuisine (the esteemed Paula Wolfert) and was intrigued. One of those “had to have it” spices. It did not disappoint. Clearly. The story of Aleppo pepper begins in Syria. It was named after one of the oldest inhabited cities, which just so happens to be off of THE silk road. Primarily grown in Syria, the process of this ingredient is incredibly detailed. While quite a popular spice in the culinary world, the actual gathering and processing of this robust pepper is arduous. The pepper is dried, rubbed with cloth, crushed into flakes, and fermented with salt and sometimes olive oil. Because of the long conflict in Syria, true Syrian Aleppo pepper is extremely difficult to find. There was such a panic in the US culinary world, that chefs began to step up, desperately searching for the seeds. From there, growing them domestically has increased dramatically. Sadly, while delicious, they are not the same as true Syrian Aleppo pepper flakes. All we can do is wait and continue the legacy the best we can of this prized ingredient. I implore you, if you are looking for something to sprinkle over everything, run as quickly as you can to the store and grab Aleppo pepper flakes. Appease even the shyest of eaters with this mild pepper. Let it rain upon even your greasiest of pizza slices. Reach for it the next time you make an egg. Pair it with cheese to create complete hysteria. Join me, future Aleppo pepper obsessive. You won’t regret it. For further reading on the legendary Aleppo pepper, check out this piece in the NY Times about the challenges in Syria and all of the incredible work Chefs and Aleppo pepper lovers have done to attempt to continue its legacy here in the United States.	https://www.shutupeatthis.com/articles/why-you-need-aleppo-pepper-in-your-life
MA Standards: Speaking and Listening/SL.PK.MA.5: Create representations of experiences or stories (e.g., drawings, constructions with blocks or other materials, clay models) and explain them to others. Head Start Outcomes: Approaches to Learning/Initiative and Curiosity: Demonstrates flexibility, imagination, and inventiveness in approaching tasks and activities. Logic and Reasoning/Reasoning and Problem Solving: Classifies, compares, and contrasts objects, events, and experiences. Logic and Reasoning/Symbolic Representation: Represents people, places, or things through drawings, movement, and three-dimensional objects. PreK Learning Guidelines: English Language Arts/Language 2: Participate actively in discussions, listen to the ideas of others, and ask and answer relevant questions. Aisles of Fruits and Vegetables Skill Focus: Compare and Contrast, Gross Motor Skills, Vocabulary Talk about all the different items in the aisles at a grocery store. Challenge children to design the fruit and vegetable section of a grocery store and to build it with blocks. Encourage them to build shelves for the fruits and vegetables in different sections so it will be easier for shoppers to find what they are looking for. Explain that children will walk through the aisles and go shopping, so there will have to be enough room for them to walk through while carrying a shopping basket. Help children plan and execute their design. Then have them take turns going shopping.	http://resourcesforearlylearning.org/educators/activity/1533/
Int. J. Simul. Multidisci. Des. Optim. Volume 1, Number 1, October 2007 \|Page(s)\|\|49 - 54\| \|DOI\|\|https://doi.org/10.1051/ijsmdo:2007006\| \|Published online\|\|12 December 2007\| An adjacency representation for structural topology optimization using genetic algorithm M3M Laboratory, University of Technology of Belfort-Montbeliard, 90010 Belfort Cedex, France Corresponding author: [email protected] Received: 9 July 2007 Accepted: 1 November 2007 A new approach for continuum structural topology optimization using genetic algorithms is presented in this paper. The proposed approach is based on a representation by adjacency where the principle is founded on the concept of connectivity of finite elements, considered as cells. This principle is expressed by an adjacency matrix similar to that used in the graph theory. The encoding of the structure solutions uses this matrix by transforming it into a binary string. The research of optimal solution, i.e. the optimal material distribution, is interpreted in this approach by the determination of the connectivity of elements (cells). Using density variable, the approach has some common points with the homogenization techniques. The proposed approach is tested with simple benchmark applications. Key words: Topology optimization / genetic algorithm / adjacency representation © ASMDO, EDP Sciences, 2007 Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform. Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days. Initial download of the metrics may take a while.	https://www.ijsmdo.org/articles/smdo/abs/2007/01/smdo0705/smdo0705.html
A lot (read: most) of Rubyists are focused on one aspect of software engineering: web development. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The web is growing at an incredible rate and is definitely a rewarding (monetarily and otherwise) field in which to have expertise. However, this does not mean that Ruby is good just for web development. The standard repertoire of algorithms is pretty fundamental to computer science and having a bit of experience with them can be incredibly beneficial. In this article, we’ll go through some of the most basic graph algorithms: depth first search and breadth first search. We’ll look at the ideas behind them, where they fit in with respect to applications, and their implementations in Ruby. Alright, so there: we have a graph. But, what if we want a structure that can represent the idea that “A is related to B but B isn’t related to A”? We can have directed edges in the graph. Now, there is a direction to go with each relationship. Of course, we can create a directed graph out of an undirected graph by replacing each undirected edge with two directed edges going opposite ways. Say we’re given a given a directed graph (G) and two nodes: (S) and (T) (usually referred to as the source and terminal). We want to figure out whether there is a path between (S) (T). Can we can get to (T) by the following the edges (in the right direction) from (S) to (T)? We’re also interested in what nodes would be traversed in order to complete this path. There are two different solutions to this problem: depth first search and breadth first search. Given the names and a little bit of imagination, it’s easy to guess the difference between these two algorithms. Before we get into the details of each algorithm, let’s take a look how we can represent a graph. The simplest way to store a graph is probably the adjacency matrix. Let’s say we have a graph with (V) nodes. We represent that graph with a (V x V) matrix full of 1’s and 0’s. If there exists an edge going from node [i] to node [j], then we place a (1) in row (i) and row (j). If there’s no such edge, then we place a (0) in row (i) and row (j). An adjacency list is another way to represent a graph. For each node (i), we setup lists that contain references to the nodes that (i) has an edge to. What’s the difference between these two approaches? Say we have a graph with 1000 nodes but only one edge. With the adjacency matrix representation, we’d have to allocate a (1000*1000) element array in order to represent the graph. On the other hand, a good adjacency list representation would not need to represent outputs for all for the nodes. However, adjacency lists have their own downsides. With the traditional implementation of linked lists, it takes linear time in order to check if a given edge exists. For example, if we want to check if edge (4, 6) exists, then we have to look at the list of outputs of 4 and then loop over it (and it might contain all the nodes in the graph) to check if 6 is part of that list. On the other hand, checking if row 4 and column 6 is 1 in a adjacency matrix takes a constant amount of time regardless of the structure of the graph. So, if you have a sparse graph (i.e. lots of nodes, few edges), use an adjacency list. If you have a dense graph and are doing lots of existence checking of edges, use an adjacency matrix. For the rest of the article, we’ll be using the adjacency matrix representation mostly because it is slightly simpler to reason about. Let’s take a look at the fundamental problem again. Basically, we’re trying to figure out whether or not we can reach a certain node (T) from another node (S). Imagine a mouse starting at node (S) and a piece of cheese at node (T). The mouse can set off in search of (T) by following the first edge it sees. It keeps doing that at every node it reaches until it hits a node where it can’t go any further (and still hasn’t found (T)). Then, it will backtrack to the last node where it had another edge it could have gone down and repeats the process. In a sense, the mouse goes as “deep” as it can within the graph before it backtracks. We refer to this algorithm as depth first search. In order to build the algorithm, we need some way to keep track of what node to backtrack to when the time comes. To facilitate this, we use a data structure called a “stack”. The first item placed on a stack is the first one that will leave the stack. That’s why we call the stack a LIFO (last in, first out) structure – the “last in” element is the “first out” element. The mouse has to keep a stack of nodes as it travels through the network. Every time it arrives at a node, the mouse adds all possible outputs (i.e. children) to the stack. Then, it takes the first element off the stack (refered to as a “pop” operation) and moves to that node. In the case that we’ve hit a dead end (i.e. the set of possible outputs is empty), then the “pop” operation will return the node to which we can backtrack. You might be wondering what would happen if node F wasn’t reachable from node A. Simple: at some point, we’d have a completely empty stack. Once we reach that point, we know that we’ve exhausted all possible paths from node A. We have to pass in adj_matrix, which is the adjacency matrix representation of the graph implemented as an array of arrays in Ruby. We also provide the indices of the source and terminal nodes (source_index and end_index) within the adjacency matrix. The stack starts off with the source node. This can be thought of as the mouse’s starting point. Although here we’re using a standard Ruby array for our stack, as long as the implementation gives a way to “push” and “pop” elements (and those operations behave the way we expect them to), the stack implementation doesn’t matter. The code uses a forever loop and then breaks when we encounter certain conditions. Here, we pop the current node off the stack and reak out of the loop if the the stack is empty or it’s the node we’re looking for. This part is a bit wordy, but the goal is pretty simple. Out of the adjacency matrix, pick the “children” of curr_node by checking the 1’s in the adjacency matrix. That’s a quick implementation of depth first search. In practice, you’ll want a more complex definition of what a “node” is, since they are rarely just indices and often have data attached to them. But, the general concept of depth first search stays the same. Note that our implementation only works for acyclic graphs, i.e. graphs in which there is no loop. If we want to also operate on cyclic graphs, we’d need to keep track of whether or not we’ve already visited a node. That is a pretty easy exercise; try implementing it! What if we have a graph where we have a 10,000 node long path that contains a bunch of nodes we don’t care about? Then, usin depth first search might end up traversing that enormous path for absolutely no reason. That’s where breadth first search comes in. Instead of going down a path, we “spread out” our search across every level of the graph. Imagine taking a jug of water and pouring it into the source node. If the edges are pipes, the water should flow through each “level” of the graph (as determined by the distance from the source node) and possibly reach the terminal node. There are really only two important bits to this code. Since we are adding elements to the beginning of the list, taking an element from the end of the list would give us the element inserted first not the element inserted last. Thus, slightly altering our management of the node list changes the behavior of a queue. Typically, you’d want to wrap this sort of thing in a class or module and give it enqueue and dequeue methods to clarify the fact that we are using node_queue as a queue. Here, once again, breadth first search will only work if we don’t have a cycle in our graph. To include graphs with cycles, we need to keep track of nodes we have already “discovered”. Modifying the implementation to do this is quite straightforward and a recommended exercise. I'm a developer, math enthusiast and student.	https://www.sitepoint.com/graph-algorithms-ruby/
Being able to draw a perspective drawing is one of most important skill for people who engage in drawing as part of everyday life. Particularly for observational sketching, a perspective drawing plays a significant role when one wants to convey the scene to represent depth in drawing. There are several types of perspective: one-point, two-point and three-point perspective, and each type of perspective is also divided into normal eye view, worm’s eye view, and aerial view. Constructing a freehand sketching perspective can be tricky particularly with a limited time window when you are doing outdoor sketching. A normal eye view perspective is commonly used when doing observational sketch since it represents the actual human eye level that we normally perceive our surrounding environment. The examples below show a process of constructive a one-point perspective for rapid outdoor sketching. Next time, I will talk about two-point perspective.	http://minimaldrawing.com/one-point-perspective/
Leading by example – Oxford University curbs its water consumption Oxford University’s Annual Review 2011/12 reveals that total University mains water consumption fell 8.2% during the year, saving nearly 29 million litres. This reduction was achieved by implementing the first year of the University’s Water Management Strategy. Actions included upgrading equipment in departments and ongoing washroom refurbishment. Indirect carbon emissions due to the energy used for abstraction, processing and transportation of mains water also fell by 8.2%. Environmental sustainability is an important concern for the University. A wide range of activities are implemented to reduce the environmental impact of its departments and colleges. The Water Management Strategy sits alongside other strategies, including carbon management, zero waste, sustainable travel and biodiversity.	https://www.water.ox.ac.uk/oxford-university-water-consumption/
Asteroids are minor planets, especially those of the inner Solar System. The larger ones have also been called planetoids. These terms have historically been applied to any astronomical object orbiting the Sun that did not show the disc of a planet and was not observed to have the characteristics of an active comet. As minor planets in the outer Solar System were discovered and found to have volatile-based surfaces that resemble those of comets, they were often distinguished from asteroids of the asteroid belt. In this article, the term "asteroid" refers to the minor planets of the inner Solar System including those co-orbital with Jupiter. There are millions of asteroids, many thought to be the shattered remnants of planetesimals, bodies within the young Sun's solar nebula that never grew large enough to become planets. The large majority of known asteroids orbit in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, or are co-orbital with Jupiter (the Jupiter trojans). However, other orbital families exist with significant populations, including the near-Earth objects. Individual asteroids are classified by their characteristic spectra, with the majority falling into three main groups: C-type, M-type, and S-type. These were named after and are generally identified with carbon-rich, metallic, and silicate (stony) compositions, respectively. The size of asteroids varies greatly, some reaching as much as 7006100000000000000♠1000 km across. Asteroids are differentiated from comets and meteoroids. In the case of comets, the difference is one of composition: while asteroids are mainly composed of mineral and rock, comets are composed of dust and ice. In addition, asteroids formed closer to the sun, preventing the development of the aforementioned cometary ice. The difference between asteroids and meteoroids is mainly one of size: meteoroids have a diameter of less than one meter, whereas asteroids have a diameter of greater than one meter. Finally, meteoroids can be composed of either cometary or asteroidal materials. Only one asteroid, 4 Vesta, which has a relatively reflective surface, is normally visible to the naked eye, and this only in very dark skies when it is favorably positioned. Rarely, small asteroids passing close to Earth may be visible to the naked eye for a short time. As of March 2016, the Minor Planet Center had data on more than 1.3 million objects in the inner and outer Solar System, of which 750,000 had enough information to be given numbered designations. The United Nations declared June 30 as International Asteroid Day to educate the public about asteroids. The date of International Asteroid Day commemorates the anniversary of the Tunguska asteroid impact over Siberia, Russian Federation, on 30 June 1908....LESS BERLIN (AP) — The European Space Agency says it will contribute key components for a future NASA mission to take humans around the moon within the next few years. Astronauts haven't gone beyond a low orbit around Earth since 1972, when NASA ended its Apollo program.	http://www.mediander.com/connects/791/asteroid/
Then you arouse their desire by explaining how you can do this — for instance, by showing how successful you’ve been in other positions, or by explaining the specialized training you have relevant to the job. Avoid jargon here — explain clearly and concisely the benefits of the solution you offer. When I worked in marketing, I learned an important lesson: nobody buys anything based on features (and “buy” is used in its loosest possible sense, like you “buy” an idea). You have to explain exactly how those features will benefit the potential buyer. Strive to be exact and specific, avoiding vagueness, ambiguity, and platitudes. If there are industry_ or field_specific concepts or terminology that are relevant to the task at hand, use them in a manner that will convey your competence and experience. Avoid any language that your audience may not understand. Your finished piece of writing should indicate how you meet the requirements you’ve listed and answer any questions raised in the description or prompt.	https://letsbetourists.com/business-letter/017-business-letter-sample-format-company-name-new-memo-examples-example-for-students-holiday/
Like millions of displaced persons around the world, refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs), I am currently unemployed. So I took advantage of the opportunity it afforded to attend the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC over a month ago. Unfortunately, during many of the sessions I was dismayed to observe the same level of denial by officials in the IMF, and to a lesser extent the World Bank, as was omnipresent, before, and after, the financial meltdown of 2008. I am in déjà vu mode in relation to my observations in 2007, and the dangers the world faced in front of real estate bubbles ripe for explosion throughout the Americas and Europe. (As usual financial instruments used by con artist, financiers have changed, but the jargon and sales pitches for their "hanky-panky" --as Managing Director of the IMF Christine Lagarde calls it--has not changed). As well as déjà vu mode as to the rampant denial of those in political and financial power at the time--noting that many of the same people in power at that time, are many of the same people in power today. While the rhetoric of Christine Lagarde and Jim Yong Kim at present is certainly progressive and calling for measures desperately needed in addressing the many issues facing economies and societies around the world. However, as is the case with the governments and the public authorities with whom the IMF and World Bank deal in their daily "business;" the knowledge, and therefore, the vision of these people is "patchwork"-- as they are openly admitting in meeting after meeting. And, it is filled with "gaps" all over the place. Unfortunately, those "gaps" of knowledge, is what is preventing everyone from understanding the "bigger picture," which includes examining rampant unethical behavior of those within their ranks. The absolute refusal of authorities to recognize, investigate and prosecute allegations of misconduct, and omission of actions by the "protected" members of society (bankers, lawyers, corporate executives, the list goes on...), is undermining the democratic process in countries around the world. One of the fundamental reasons that progressive laws are not being implemented at international, national, and local levels are that the social conservative forces within these large bureaucratic agencies are the "guiding" force. The extent to which the HR function in large bureaucratic organizations are not implementing progressive management styles, which in turn encourage team work and participation, cannot be stressed enough. As I state in my Huffington Post blog, "Bullying in the Workplace and Its Consequences": The Internet is full of advice on how to be successful in the workplace. How to develop one's social skills; what to say, what to do, what to wear, what not to say, what not to do, what not to wear. All of this advice focuses on what the employee needs to do to adapt to his or her workplace. What all of this rhetoric fails to recognize or acknowledge, is to what extent the environment of the workplace affects one's efforts, productivity, and career, as well as the productivity of the organization as a whole. The 1970s and '80s were characterized by combatting sexual harassment in the workplace, with the popular TV show Mad Men bringing home to us the elevated sexism (and alcoholism) that permeated the business world of the '50s and '60s. But, now after a few decades of high-profile, million dollar lawsuits by high-priced lawyers, employers have been forced to take a hard-line against sexual harassment. However, as with all battles involving abuses of power, this issue has involved over the decades into a broader fight -- bullying being the problem du jour. Unfortunately, identifying and dealing with bullying is much more difficult for employers (and lawyers looking for lawsuits) than the more overt forms of sexual and physical harassment of the past -- even though the objectives, power and control over the victim, are the same. In order to effectively combat bullying, it is important to understand the dynamics of the situation rather than look for punctual, isolated incidents that may or may not constitute bullying. Bullies (and those with abusive personality disorders wherever they be found) are motivated by their desire to deflect attention away from their inability to handle situations, particularly stressful and crisis situations. They project their frustrations and inability to handle their jobs onto subordinates, while trying to convince superiors (as much as themselves) that the problems lay with the inadequacies or incompetence of others. Large, bureaucratic organizations are particularly plagued with these problems, and exposed to their consequences. As Daniel Goleman states in Social Intelligence: "In rigid hierarchies' bosses tend to be authoritarian: they more freely express contempt for their subordinates, who in turn naturally feel a messy mix of hostility, fear, and insecurity. Insults, which can be routine with such authoritarian managers, serve to reaffirm the boss's power while leaving their subordinates feeling helpless and vulnerable... In a relationship among peers, an affront can be challenged, an apology asked for. But when the insult comes from someone who holds all the power, subordinates (perhaps wisely) suppress their anger, responding with a resigned tolerance. But that very passivity with the insult going unchallenged-tacitly confers permission to a superior in that vein... As the demeaning messages continue over time, the person holding back feels increasingly powerless, anxious, and ultimately depressed -- all of which, if prolonged over long periods, markedly increases the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases." In light of Goleman's observations, it is important for employers to realize that it is not only the victim who suffers. Bullying in the workplace has far-reaching consequences for the productivity and morale of employees throughout the entire organization. When bullying is supported and encouraged by upper-management by their failure to act, valuable employees are often lost or demoralized into just "punching the clock", with ineffective managers at liberty to continue performing at substandard levels, and creating havoc and inertia amongst co-workers and subordinates. In the business environment of the 21st century, which is increasingly competitive and filled with employees seeking fulfilling and meaningful work, it behooves employers to properly confront the bullies and bullying amongst their ranks. A bully, without the support and encouragement of those around him or her, quickly loses their nerve and bravado, and the coward within is thereby exposed and vanquished.	https://www.huffpost.com/entry/imf-in-denial-as-to-the-r_b_10723250
MONDAY, July 2, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Socioeconomic factors may hinder individuals' ability to obtain and use hearing aids, according to a study published online May 21 in The Gerontologist. Michael M. McKee, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues conducted an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study involving a secondary analysis of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which involved 35,572 individuals. They also conducted one-on-one qualitative interviews with 21 community participants. The individuals in both samples were ≥55 years and had self-reported hearing loss. The researchers found, based on analysis of HRS data, that younger, nonwhite, non-Hispanic, lower-income, and less-educated individuals were significantly less likely to use hearing aids. Hearing aid use was not significantly associated with area of residence (e.g., urban). Based on the interviews, barriers to hearing aid use included cost, stigma, vanity, and a general low priority placed on addressing hearing loss by health care providers, whereas family/friend support, knowledge, and adequate insurance coverage for hearing aids were facilitators to obtaining and using them. "Many socioeconomic factors hinder individuals' ability to obtain and use hearing aids, but these obstacles appeared to be mitigated in part when insurance plans provided adequate hearing aid coverage, or when their family/friends provided encouragement to use hearing aids," conclude the authors.	https://www.physiciansbriefing.com/geriatrics-30/hearing-aid-news-350/socioeconomic-factors-linked-to-hearing-aid-access-use-735281.html
Beautiful wall hanging mirror accent. This piece is constructed by handwrapping strips of fabric onto clothesline, then machine sewing with a zig zag stitch. Clotheslines has been wrapped around an oval 5x7 mirror. Colors of dark blue framed in three rows of light blue. Splashes of yellow and pink throughout. Measures 15.5 x 13 3/4. Mirror is 5x7. Wall hanging hardware attached to back with option to hang either by length or width. Great piece for a blue powder room, baby's room, entry way.	https://www.custommade.com/mirror-fabric-art-wall-decor-wall-hanging-home-dec/by/irresistiblecreations/
During 2016 and 2018 four giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) mortalities occurred in the Karoo potentially caused by acute hydrogen cyanide poisoning. Plants have various defence mechanisms to protect themselves against herbivory, including the production of secondary metabolites such as condensed tannins and hydrogen cyanide. This study quantified condensed tannin and hydrogen cyanide production in selected Karoo plant species that giraffe may browse, to assess the possibility of acute hydrogen cyanide poisoning and condensed tannin intoxification. Condensed tannins and hydrogen cyanide concentrations were explored in both spatial and temporal scales. The spatial assessment was performed at macro-scales (different locations within the Karoo), whereas temporal assessment was performed at seasonal scale. The effect of water availability and herbivory on condensed tannin production in Vachellia karroo trees was also investigated. Condensed tannin concentrations were high throughout seasons and did not differ significantly among the study sites in plant species giraffe primarily browse. In winter, V. karroo leaves were unavailable and secondary plant species increased in dietary importance. The most preferred plant species in the giraffes’ diet, V. karroo, contained high levels of condensed tannins in mature leaves as well as in new-growth plant tissue. Condensed tannin concentrations increased significantly in several evergreen tree species during winter, including Schotia afra var. afra and species of the Rhus genus, which may indicate an increase in dietary importance during winter season. Schotia afra var. afra contained lower condensed tannin concentrations than V. karroo throughout the study. Condensed tannin production increased significantly in three of the four treatment groups of V. karroo trees that received simulated herbivory regardless of the browsing intensity. Both treatment groups which received water, increased in nitrogen contentment, whereas trees from the browsed and not watered treatment decreased in nitrogen content value and palatability. The high condensed tannin concentrations seem to be a fixed defence response by Karoo plants to browsing, or a response when sufficient water is available. The high condensed tannin concentrations may reduce the available browse as giraffe and other herbivores may reject leaves high in condensed tannins. However, giraffe have the ability to partially degrade condensed tannins and will therefore not be as susceptible to tannin intoxification than other herbivores. The higher browsing pressure caused by giraffe may therefore be detrimental to other herbivores utilising the same plant species in the Karoo, that do not have the ability to degrade condensed tannins. Therefore, careful considerations should be taken when introducing large game species into the Karoo. Only focusing on vegetation composition and abundance may be insufficient in predicting carrying capacities in semi-arid environments such as the Karoo without taking chemical composition into account. None of the plant species, except for one Eucalyptus cladocalyx tree, contained any measurable hydrogen cyanide, therefore making the probability of acute hydrogen cyanide poisoning highly unlikely. However, various other poisonous plants occur in the Karoo, these plants need to be investigated to determine whether they form part of the giraffe diet during times of limited browse, and how these plants may respond to browsing.	https://www.girafferesourcecentre.org/wpdm-package/interspecific-and-temporal-variation-of-condensed-tannins-and-cyanide-concentrations-in-potential-dietary-sources-of-extralimital-giraffes-giraffa-camelopardalis-in-the-karoo/
An article that we read recently from Psychology Today takes an indepth look at how humour can effect how well a date goes and how humour can also signal how compatible a couple will be. The article focuses on the best types of humour to use and how different types of humour elicit different responses. · Affiliative humor reflects the ability to enjoy humor with others, tell jokes, share anecdotes and so on. · Self-enhancing humor involves using humor as a coping mechanism—finding the funny in everything, and keeping a humorous outlook on life. · Aggressive humor involves disparaging others with humor by teasing, ridiculing and laughing at others’ expense. · Self-defeating humor is when you make fun of yourself and generally use self-deprecating humor. Read more about how this effects how well a date goes in the article here.	https://twoscompany.ie/important-sense-humour-date/
The GEF-Satoyama Project has been proposed to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) as a medium-sized project. The Project Identification Form (PIF) was approved by GEF CEO on May 8, 2014, and the Executive Team (below) developed a full Project Document, which has been submitted to the GEF Secretariat for consideration. If endorsed by the GEF CEO, the project and this position will start in July 2015. • Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES): has been involved in the Satoyama Initiative on contract with UNU-IAS; administering a small-grant mechanism called Satoyama Development Mechanism (SDM) with UNU-IAS and the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. The Satoyama Initiative is an endeavor to realize society in harmony with nature with existing fundamental principle such as ecosystem approach by promoting the maintenance and restoration of SEPLS. It focuses on landscape or seascapes with sustainable activities of people. The majority of biodiversity exists outside of protected areas, so harmonizing human activities and nature outside protected areas, where people also live, is critical for global biodiversity. GEF-Satoyama Project is aligned with the Satoyama Initiative. The objective of the Project is to mainstream conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services, while improving human well-being in priority Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes. Under the guidance of the supervisor, this position will perform the following tasks. More authority may be delegated as the person becomes familiarized with the institution. ※This position will involve frequent international travels (approximately 30-50 days a year). 2. Minimum of 3 years professional working experience in government or private sector. 3. Excellent written and spoken communication skills. 4. Excellent organizational skills, ability to prioritize and multi-task. 6. Legal residence status in Japan for the duration of the Project (for a non-Japanese citizen, necessary immigration documents that CI Japan request shall be provided during the selection process). 1. Work experience in an international organization. 2. Master’s degree in natural science, environmental studies, international cooperation and/or public policy. 4. Spanish and French language proficiency. From July 1 2015 to June 30, 2016. Contract will be renewed each year to cover up to four years. First three months are trial period. 2. Days off: Every Saturday and Sunday, national holidays of Japan, others that the organization designates as holidays in the calendar year. 4. Insurance: employee’s pension insurance, health insurance, application of employment insurance, retirement allowance (applicable to employment for three years and more). 2) a self-recommendation letter of 300-500 words in English, providing convincing argument why you are fit for this position and how you would like to contribute. Please note that the hiring of this position is contingent on the endorsement of the project by the CEO of the GEF, which is expected in the month of June. For questions regarding this announcement, please send an email to [email protected].	https://www.conservation.org/global/japan/Pages/recruit2015May.aspx
Metamorphic and deformed rocks in thrust zones show particularly high seismic anisotropy causing challenges for seismic imaging and interpretation. A good example is the Seve Nappe Complex in Jämtland, Sweden, an exhumed orogenic thrust zone characterized by a strong but incoherent seismic reflectivity and considerable seismic anisotropy. However, only little is known about the origin of the anisotropy in relation to composition, structural influences, and implications for measurements at different seismic scales. We present an integrative study of the seismic anisotropy at different scales combining mineralogical composition, microstructural analyses and seismic laboratory experiments from samples of the 2.5 km-deep COSC-1 borehole. While there is a pronounced crystallographic preferred orientation in most of the core samples, variations in anisotropy correlate strongly with bulk mineral composition and dominant core lithology. Based on three major lithologic different facies (felsic gneiss, amphibole-rich rocks, and mica schists), we propose an anisotropy model for the full length of the borehole, which indicates two prevailing anisotropic units. Comparison of laboratory seismic measurements and electron-backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data reveals a strong scale-dependence, which is more pronounced in the highly deformed, heterogeneous samples. This highlights the need for comprehensive cross-validation of microscale anisotropy analyses with additional lithological data when integrating seismic anisotropy through seismic scales. How to cite: Kästner, F., Pierdominici, S., Zappone, A., Morales, L. F. G., Schleicher, A. M., Wilke, F. D. H., and Berndt, C.: Seismic anisotropy in metamorphic rocks from the COSC-1 borehole, Sweden: A cross-scale investigation from thin section analysis to seismic scales, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-12483, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-12483, 2021.	https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU21/EGU21-12483.html
We organise and participate in a range of events throughout the year that are aimed at the stroke research community. Here's a list of upcoming events: 14th UK Stroke Forum Conference Tuesday 3 - Thursday 5 December, 2019 International Centre, Telford This year is the 14th UK Stroke Forum Conference. The UK Stroke Forum is a ‘must-attend’ conference for any stroke care professional, giving you the opportunity to hear the latest developments in service delivery, engage with key players to influence the future of stroke care, and learn from experts in the field. Joint European Stroke Organisation (ESO) and World Stroke Organisation (WSO) Conference Tuesday 12 - Friday 15 May, 2020 Vienna, Austria The ESO-WSO conference promises to attract acclaimed experts in stroke from around the world. The conference will showcase a cutting-edge educational and scientific experience, focusing on the latest developments in stroke prevention, acute management and restorative care after stroke. Join the ESO-WSO conference for four days of debates, discussions and collaborations in the exciting city of Vienna, Austria. Previous events Our annual research events Our annual research events are prestigious events which showcase some of the latest advancements being made in stroke research. - Amazing Brains - Research to Recovery 2019 - Keynote Lecture 2018: Living life well: Rehabilitation matters (Professor Marion Walker MBE) - Keynote Lecture 2017: From discovery to drugs: Developing new treatments for stroke (Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell) - Keynote Lecture 2016: One small vessel stroke? One giant problem for humankind (Professor Joanna Wardlaw, CBE) - Keynote Lecture 2015: Wither the brain after stroke - acute treatment and prevention (Professor Philip Bath) Our knowledge brokerage events Our round-table meetings bring key stakeholders to a shared view on topical research themes. Our priority-setting workshops helped shape our three priority areas of stroke research for 2014-19.	https://www.stroke.org.uk/research/research-events
From UK photographer Kate Peters' impressive portfolio of work comes Ask The Dust, a collection of images shot during her ramblings through the arid landscapes of California, Utah and Arizona. The series, which takes its name from the masterful novel by John Fante, nicely captures the stark spirituality of the desert. Kate's photographic chops were honed as an assistant to Nadav Kander, whose photos of environmental change along China's Yangtze River landed him the Prix Pictet in 2009.	https://www.shft.com/reading/kate-peters-ask-the-dust/
I like to joke that I’ve never actually redpointed a hard route at Smith Rock. It’s notoriously technical, engaging, and diabolical; but compared to bouldering and some other sport crags, generally not that physical. (Don’t @ me, Oregon.) So much mental effort goes into a successful redpoint on Smith terrain that the eventual send is often just a lucky intersection of confidence, courage, conditions and not forgetting the dance moves. If those things line up, you tend to find yourself at the chains, wondering what all the fuss was about. In this sense, the routes are only hard until you do them. The send is a tiny punctuation mark at the end of a long, rambling sentence. On the other hand, by far the most taxing and hardest experiences I’ve had were the routes that weren’t that hard, but I sent quickly: fighting the entire way, making mistakes but recovering, devastatingly pumped, terrified of falls I hadn’t road-tested, and perhaps most notably, 100% paying attention to all the suffering and fear bouncing around my head. The goal of the climber is to achieve an ideal state of performance where few conscious decisions need to be made. While redpoint climbing and onsight climbing are fundamentally different, in a funny way the goal of the climber is the same: to achieve an ideal state of performance where few conscious decisions need to be made. To be more specific, we’re looking to minimize the amount of conscious mental effort to a level which can be performed under extreme stress, or in between sections of hard climbing. This state is casually referred to as the flow state. Often, “in-between” sends – the 2nd try, or 2nd-day-first-try type sends – encapsulate sending when mostly or partly out of the flow state. These efforts are much more conscious, combining the feedback from the first attempt with conscious processing both on the ground and on the wall. In this way, a limit redpoint after many attempts and a hard onsight are perhaps more similar modes of climbing than many other ascents that fall in between them in effort level. This can be visualized as a bell curve: There’s no real data here, of course. Reality is complicated. Onsights are often a conscious mess, especially if they involve cruxes and rests more than flowy climbing. Sometimes the redpoint go isn’t as perfect as we’d like. And occasionally everything does line up and find ourselves in a flow state we feel like we didn’t earn, half-onsighting our way up a route. But generally I think this curve fits a scatter plot of all various experiences. Redpoint skills & mental maps Climbers use various skills to break down goal routes and problems. These skills are numerous, including constructing sequences, selecting and achieving links, highpointing and lowpointing, re-evaluating sequences after redpoint attempts, and many others. The purpose of these redpoint skills is to work our way from an initial, purely conscious performance state to an intuitive, almost entirely physical performance state. Redpoint practice is basically working towards the ability to climb the route without thinking, as illustrated by the bell curve. Frequently climbers will report that their send of a route that took months of effort as feeling completely easy. Our perception of difficulty is probably directly tied to our evolutionary preference to keep our brain in an intuitive mode. Running a brain is metabolically expensive, and we aren’t inclined to do it unless we have to. Anyone who’s read the book Thinking Fast and Slow will recognize the paradigm here; the book makes a distinction between Type I thinking (intuitive, fast, loves carbs) and Type II thinking (conscious, effortful, annoying pedantic nerd in all of us.) An ideal onsight or limit redpoint would be almost entirely Type I thinking, turning the ol’ thinky motor on only to make absolutely essential decisions. The use of redpoint skills is mostly using that expensive Type II processing power to make decisions now so you don’t have to make them later during your redpoint attempt. Frontloading mental effort to the rehearsal, to save precious processing power for the physical execution. Climbing difficulty vs mental bandwidth Where it gets interesting is the intersection of this psychological phenomenon and an increasing difficulty of movement. The concept scales to the climber. For example, few climbers look more fluid and intuitive on the wall than Ondra. Of course, even Ondra can’t onsight 5.15c or d. But when he redpoints one, his movements look eerily similar to when he’s onsighting something easier. (Just that for him, “something easier” is still 5.14.) The same is essentially true for all of us. The general population might be more stressed while climbing a ladder than the average 5.8 climber. A 5.12 climber can generally intuit their way through a 5.10 while carrying on a conversation. Obviously your average 5.10 isn’t literally like a ladder; the difference at play can be measured by the amount of conscious engagement required on the part of the climber. This can be thought of as climbing bandwidth. Deeper intuitive knowledge of climbing movement = more bandwidth, as well as higher fidelity and economy on submaximal terrain. As the climbing gets more difficult, we need to gather more information about a climb in order to achieve an ideal performance state. This information is our mental map, and its complexity is proportional to the challenge. For a limit redpoint, the map needs to be concrete and thorough. For an easier onsight it might just be a glance at the terrain. For a limit flash attempt, it needs to be as solid as we can make it without receiving any physical feedback from the climb. This information-gathering process is a huge part of the reason limit redpoints take so long, and why we feel so cheated when we send a supposedly ambitious long-term project faster than expected. Similarly it’s why we feel frustrated when the process of redpointing goes on past the point of consistent learning. We correlate the length of the information-gathering process with difficulty. This causes two common patterns of bad thinking in climbers: - If we sense that we’ve stopped learning on a project, we might feel like we then deserve to send it. This is self-evidently backwards. We should only assume the learning stops when we send – and not necessarily even then. The masterpoint technique of re-redpointing climbs is all about squeezing more learning out of a climb you’ve already sent. - We forget that some types of climbing inherently require more information, or that we as climbers may have better information banks for certain types of climbing. This is why so many climbers become “allergic” to technical slab and face climbing, or to parkour-style movement: it’s information-dense and so it seems harder than we want it to. We should recognize that information density is a separate factor of difficulty from a route’s grade. Removing unknowns as a redpoint strategy Armed with the knowledge that the point of the redpoint process is to reduce conscious effort and decision-making, we can make some adjustments to it. Every trip up the wall is a learning attempt. All the data is useful; it’s up to you to make good use of it. First, tactically we can recognize that with limit redpoints, every trip up the wall is a learning attempt. You might hangdog your way up everything multiple times, or prefer to go for it as soon as possible – regardless of your rehearsal style, what you’re doing is building a familiarity with the challenge that will reduce conscious effort later. This is important, because often it’s easier to make progress if we accept that it might only be incremental. Just think: I am building my mental map. Any new information gleaned is part of that map, or something I can rule out as being not part of it. All the data is useful; it’s up to you to make good use of it. Second, we should take a more deliberate approach to the use of our conscious and intuitive modes. Recognize what questions the route is asking you. Pay attention to the decisions you’re making during each attempt on the project. Try to predict sections of the route that are going to cause conscious effort, and be ready to commit to switching on that Type II engine when you get there. And conversely, work towards being able to flip back into that Type I intuitive mode using breathing or other strategies. As far as “flipping modes,” I doubt many climbers think about it this way literally; the point is not to become a robot, it’s to play with new ways of thinking to help grow as a climber. We should recognize the importance of mental maps, and practice our skills for building those maps. We should also work on our ability to climb with everything from no map at all (true onsighting) to having the entire route memorized down to each subtle movement, breath and grain of rock. Third, we should recognize that the process of learning is indefinite. Even if redpoint attempts might be less learning-oriented than initial beta forays, we should always be trying to glean new information from our projects. As soon as you stop learning, you’re setting yourself up for a failure of expectations. And as I quote constantly, perhaps to the annoyance of my friends & clients, “expectations are the death of joy.” Spectacular climbers can often mingle these strategies so effectively, it’s hard to tell when they’re onsighting and when they’re on ground they’ve tread a hundred times. This is the level of mastery to which we should all aspire, and it begins with recognition that our mental map of a climb is the linchpin to effectively performing on it. A few post hoc notes: - This distinction between a self-perceived “easy” and self-perceived “hard” send is part of the reason grades are so damnably frustrating. Our inability to extricate our personal experience on a route from the subjective challenge it offers is clearly problematic to assigning arbitrary difficulty. Perhaps even more problematic than the morphological factors we like to hammer away at culturally. Or, put another way: never trust someone’s opinion of a grade unless you know what they went through to get the send. - It’s no coincidence that much of this discussion of mental maps is focused on sport climbing, and not bouldering. Bouldering obviously involves many of the same mechanics, and boulderers can benefit enormously from the redpoint skills and conscious/intuitive distinction work that comes from sport climbing. But in truth, with most boulders, there’s just often less mystery to contend with. Boulder attempts aren’t usually limited by social and fatigue factors in the same way as routes. In fact, a strong argument could be made that boulderers are too good at putting together the entire picture of something before climbing it; perhaps that’s why so many avid boulderers are notoriously bad at onsighting routes.	https://jfireclimbing.com/2021/10/12/mental-maps-for-climbing-1-the-intuitive-conscious-processing-bell-curve/
Search our website TARAWEEH SALAAH… [A Sahaabi is a Muslim who was blessed with seeing Rasulullah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) – A Tâbi’ee is a Muslim who saw a Sahâbi - A Tâbi’ Tâbi’ee is a Muslim who saw a Tâbi’ee] LENGTHENING OF THE TARAWEEH SALAAH Saa’ib bin Yazeed (rahmatullaahi ‘alayh) says: ◙ In the days of Sayyiduna Umar (radhiyallaahu ‘anhu), the Taraweeh Salaah used to be so lengthy, that some of us had to take support from our walking sticks to remain standing! (The infirm and the sick) He adds: The Taraweeh used to terminate in the early hours of the morning, just a little before Subh Saadiq! (Muwatta Imam Maalik - awjazul masaalik 2/300) ◙ In the noble era of Sayyiduna Uthmaan (radhiyallaahu anhu) too, they used to take support from their walking sticks, due to the long Taraweeh Salaat. (Rigorously Authenticated-Baihaqee–sanaduhu saheeh-aathaarus sunan pg.251) ◙ Upon completing Taraweeh, we used to return home and rush the servants to bring the food for sehri, since very little time was left before Subh Saadiq! (Muwatta Imaam Maalik - awjazul masaalik 2/308) 120 YEAR OLD IMAAM PERFORMING ALL 20 RAKA’AAT OF TARAWEEH SALAAH! ► Suwayd bin Ghafalah (rahmatullaahi ‘alayh) was a Taabi’ee. He arrived in Madeenah Munawwarah the day Rasulullah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was buried. Waleed bin Ali says: Suwayd bin Ghafalah (rahmatullaahi ‘alayh) reached the age of 120 and he still used to be our Imaam in the Taraweeh Salaah! He used to perform all 20 raka’aat himself! ● Abu Mijlaz (rahmatullaahi ‘alayh), a Taabi’ee (passed away around 106 A.H.) used to lead the congregation in all 20 Raka’aat of Taraweeh by himself. He used to make a khatam of the Qur’aan in Taraweeh Salaah once every 7 nights! ● Another Taabi’ee, Basheer bin Naheek (rahmatullaahi ‘alayh), (passed away 105 A.H.) had the same practice of completing a Khatam once every 7 nights in Taraweeh Salaah! (Mukhtasar qiyaamil layl-qiyaam ramadhaan pg.12) ±5 PARAS (JUZ) ● During the days of the famous Sahaabi Sayyidunaa Abdullah bin Zubair (radhiyallaahu anhu), Umar bin Munzhir (rahmatullaahi ‘alayh) used to be the Imaam. He used to recite about 50 aayaat in every Rak’at of the Taraweeh Salaah! When multiplied by 20, it equals to approximately 5 paras (juz) daily! (Mukhtasar qiyaamil layl-qiyaam ramadhaan pg.12) ● During the khilaafat of Sayyiduna Umar (radhiyallaahu anhu), some of the Imaams used to recite between 50 and 60ayaat in every rak’at in the Taraweeh Salaah! When multiplied by 20, it roughly amounts to between 5 and 6 paras (juz) daily! The Imaam used to recite the entire Surah Baqarah over 8 raka’aat, (which amounts to approximately 5¾ paras over 20 raka’aat). He adds: This was the normal practice. The day the Imaam spread Surah Baqarah over 12 Raka’aat, (which amounts to approximately 4 paras over the 20 raka’aat) the people would say that the Imaam read a short Taraweeh today! (Muwatta Imaam Maalik-awjazul masaalik 2/307) This roughly amounts to completing 6 Khatams during the month of Ramadhaan. ±7¾ PARAS (JUZ) ● Imaam Masrooq (rahmatullaahi ‘alayh), a Taabi’ee, (passed away in 62 A.H.) recited the entire Surah ‘Ankaboot in one rak’at. When multiplied by 20 raka’aat, it amounts to ±7¾ paras! This roughly amounts to completing almost 8 Khatams during the month of Ramadhaan. (Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah 2/284) So the day you are feeling tired or a little lazy, just think of the lengthy Taraweeh Salaah of your pious predecessors!
In the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process, Least Developed Country (LDC) Parties have obligations to deliver (albeit with some flexibility) alongside all other Parties. These include fulfilling reporting requirements and having to communicate forward-looking plans to address climate change in their countries, among other tasks. Taking into account their specific needs and special situations, provisions for support have been (and continue to be) adopted for LDCs to help them undertake these commitments. This toolkit is a collection of short briefs on the ways LDC Parties engage in the UNFCCC process and which provisions adopted to date help them undertake their work. Increasing evidence of the differential impacts of climate change on women and girls in recent decades has led to significant progress in addressing the interlinkages between gender and climate change under the UNFCCC. The two-year Lima Work Programme on Gender launched at COP20 aimed to advance gender equality mandates across all areas of the climate negotiations. It is due to be reviewed at COP22 in Marrakech in November 2016, presenting an opportunity for parties and observers to further strengthen and advance gender equality under the UNFCCC. Women and girls in the countries represented by the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group are disproportionately dependent on climate-sensitive resources for their livelihoods and have unequal access to land, water and other resources and productive assets. The Least Developed Counties (LDCs) have worked with the two branches of the UNFCCC’s Technology Mechanism — the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) — for several years. This paper presents information the LDC Group representatives on the TEC and CTCN Advisory Board have gathered on how LDCs are currently using technology initiativesm and programmes. It aims to better understand the barriers and challenges LDCs face in implementing technology development and transfer and explores what changes to existing technology and financial institutions could lessen these barriers and challenges. This guide provides practical information to help prepare various reports and communications under the UNFCCC as well as take part in the relevant review processes. It also provides a glimpse into the on going negotiations to develop the enhanced transparency framework under the Paris Agreement and some of the implications for those preparing reports and communications for their countries. The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) represent 48 of the 197 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Not only are they the world’s poorest economies, they are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Since 2001, they have acted together as the LDC Group in UNFCCC negotiations. But as well as providing assistance, this has aggregated individual country experiences, opinions and interests, creating challenges, particularly when trying to remedy individual countries’ struggles to participate, monitor and implement decisions back home. This paper aims to address this disconnect by analysing LDC feedback on how they prepare, analyse, report and disseminate information on the UNFCCC negotiations. At the end of 2015, the 196 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) gathered in Paris for the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21). On 12 December, they adopted the Paris Agreement, contained in Decision 1/CP.21. Marking the successful end to negotiations that started at COP17 in Durban four years earlier, the agreement is an important milestone for the poorest members of the international community. This paper provides an analysis of the Paris Agreement and the relevant sections of Decision 1/CP.21 that give effect to the agreement, based on the positions of the 48 Least Developed Countries. The impacts of climate change increasingly threaten communities around the world, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). National adaptation plans (NAPs) allow developing countries to identify their adaptation needs; develop and implement strategies and programmes to address those needs; and enable actions to protect vulnerable communities. But developing a NAP is not always straightforward. This paper considers the benefits and challenges of implementing a national mandate to provide the impetus to develop a NAP, assign responsibilities and encourage cross-sectoral participation, exploring the legal forms such a mandate could take and sharing experiences from LDCs undergoing the NAP p Evaluation report of the first training in July 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand, held to strengthen the ‘emerging’ negotiators’ understanding of the mechanics of the negotiating process within the UNFCCC, and to help them effectively support their delegation on the main issues. The training focused on specific negotiation skills and ways in which these skills can best be used to further the national objectives as well as those of the wider LDC negotiating group in the context of climate change negotiations. This is the first of several training programmes to be delivered over the course of 2015 and 2016 to build the capacity of LDCs to effectively participate in intergovernmental climate change processes.	https://www.globalsupportprogramme.org/ldc-negotiators/resources?field_resource_type_tid=All
Pace Online’s Instructional Design team supports faculty in the practice of designing, developing and delivering content to be used in the online environment. Our team provides workshops, one-on-one training sessions, and support for faculty and staff with varying levels of online teaching knowledge. From developing a new online course for the first time to wanting to implement new tools into your course our team is here to assist. - View a collection of resources and tutorials to support faculty in their effectiveness with online teaching. Learn: Tutorials and More - Faculty and Staff are invited to attend the many training sessions offered though the Instructional Design department and ITS.	https://www.pace.edu/online-instructional-design
There has been much debate about whether Brexit will have a positive or negative impact on the UK’s international trade. For many, leaving the EU presents many questions to which the answers are unclear. But, in the continuous mist of uncertainty there could be a potential bright side to Brexit, where international trade zones are concerned, in the form of Free Trade Zones. A Free Trade Zone is an area that is physically within a country but legally outside of it for tax purposes. Put simply, a Free Trade Zone allows goods to be imported, manufactured, processed and re-exported without the payment of import taxes, which only fall due when the goods are removed from the zone and entered into the domestic economy. The government White Paper on Brexit suggests that the UK will be outside of the Single Market and Customs Union. This will mean that all goods that come to the UK will be imported and, in principle, subject to import taxes. This could lead to increased VAT and Customs Duty costs for UK businesses. Free Trade Zones could be a way of removing or reducing this cost and are generally regarded as being both supportive of domestic manufacturers, as well as a means of promoting international trade and investment. There are currently no operational Free Trade Zones in the UK; while there are a number of ports which have been authorised in the past, none have active authorisations. The UK’s membership of the Single Market and Customs Union effectively prevents this in practice. However, post Brexit the UK could have the freedom to set its own trade policy and to re-introduce Free Trade Zones in the UK. Free Trade Zones are widely used across the world, particularly in the US, South America, Canada and Asia. Official figures are hard to come by but it is thought that several thousand Free Trade Zones exist across the world. The precise format varies, but it is very common for governments to use Free Trade Zones to encourage local manufacturing. They can also be used to simplify, or remove, import and local tax obligations for goods that are imported into the zones for manufacturing or processing. Firstly by providing an exemption from import duty and VAT. As a Free Trade Zone is physically within a country’s geographic border but outside of it for tax purposes, goods can be imported into the zone without the payment of import taxes. Manufacturing, which is beneficial for local employment, can then take place on those goods within the Free Trade Zone prior to the goods being exported. Secondly, if goods are not exported but are instead released into the local economy there is a deferral of the import taxes that are due (generally when goods are removed from a Free Trade Zone this triggers the payment of the import taxes). This brings working capital benefits to businesses as they only need pay import taxes at a date after the goods physically enter the UK, and perhaps much closer to the time when they will sell the products. Where the goods are ultimately released into the UK, the tax rules can help to encourage businesses to carry out activities in the UK rather than to complete the processes elsewhere and to simply import finished goods into the UK. Thirdly, via the use of other tax incentives. Post Brexit the UK could have the ability to provide additional tax benefits to businesses located within a Free Trade Zone. This could include lower corporation tax or VAT rates and enhanced tax allowances. There are clear overlaps here with government aims in relation to both international trade and local economic policies. It’s worth noting that at the moment, Excise Duties can be suspended both in the UK and in other countries through the use of Bonded Fiscal warehouses. This is so that the duty is not paid on excisable goods entering a warehouse or being transferred from one warehouse to another in a different country. This regime operates effectively at the moment but is only applicable to a limited number of goods. The use of Customs Duty warehouses is also possible to store goods VAT and Customs Duty free, but the EU rules do not permit any processing or manufacturing to be carried out on the goods. At the moment, importers are required to make payment or use a deferment account and to later reclaim (where possible) this import VAT via their periodic VAT return; this can result in delays of several months between the payment of import VAT and its recovery. Some EU Member States allow import VAT to be deferred to the VAT return so that there is no obligation to pay and later reclaim, with the obvious cash flow benefits for businesses this brings. It is hoped that post Brexit the UK government will review its import VAT processes and consider whether there is a more efficient way to deal with the payment and recovery of import VAT. Clearly, the establishment of Free Trade Zones themselves will only help the UK economy if the port infrastructure is in place to support and assist UK manufacturers. A quick internet search shows that the UK is one of Europe’s biggest importers and exporters and my clients tell me that the UK has excellent port facilities; which suggests that the infrastructure is in place and could therefore be a platform for the creation of UK Free Trade Zones. While details remain scant as to the UK’s negotiation strategy for Brexit, as I have set-out in earlier articles, international trade will feature significantly and in particular the details of UK’s new trading model with the European Union. The questions is, could the UK re-introduce Free Trade Zones across the UK as one part of a number of measures aimed at promoting the UK manufacturing and ports industries? This article first appeared in SmallBusiness.co.uk in February 2017.	https://www.crowe.com/uk/croweuk/insights/free-trade-zones---a-boost-for-post-brexit-uk-trade

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