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BROOKINGS – Plant and animal species become endangered and then go extinct. Languages also become endangered and go extinct, but that phenomenon doesn’t receive as much attention as the demise of plant and animal species, according to Brookings native Susan Hugghins.
For her part, she has spent more than 30 years in Oaxaca, Mexico, working to keep alive three dialects of Mixtec, an endangered language and one of the original languages of southern Mexico.
Born in Brookings the daughter of the late Dr. Ernest Hugghins and Mildred Hugghins, she graduated from Brookings High School in 1973. She then attended South Dakota State University, where her father served on the faculty. She graduated in 1977 with a double major in sociology and foreign languages, German and Spanish.
As a student she was also an Air Force ROTC cadet. Commissioned when she graduated, she served on active duty from 1977 to 1981 in communications and electronics.
“It’s more than just Bible translations; it’s also documentation and linguistics and literacy, helping (people) learn to read and write their language,” Hugghins explained.
As fruits of her labors Hugghins showed off several colorful pamphlets written in Mixtec, “one of the original languages of southern Mexico.” The language breaks down further into three dialects and more than 80 variations within the dialects.
“These languages were there long before the Europeans ever figured out there was something across the Atlantic Ocean. They were there, of course for millennia, developing,” Hugghins said.
“Mexico is very linguistically diverse, and Oaxaca is the mother lode. That’s why we’re there and we need more linguists,” she added.
Oaxaca is both a Mexican state and a state capital, with a population of about 4 million in the state; 300,050 in the city; and 650,000 in the metropolitan area. Hugghins has gotten out into the rural areas around the city. Most of the population living there are subsistence farmers raising corn and beans.
She called the overall translating “a monumental task.” She shares it with a co-worker, a Scottish woman with a doctorate in linguistics.
One message Hugghins wants to convey is that her work is “part of the bigger picture” of work being done universally on endangered languages. Hugghins’ concern with endangered languages is much the same as the concern people have with endangered species of animals and plants.
“People get real excited about that,” she said.
That is less than 2 percent of the total Lakota population. Today the average Lakota speaker is 65 years old. As they die, they are not being replaced by a new Lakota-speaking generations.
The transmission of the Lakota language started dropping in the 1950s. The challenge in reversing that trend is to create a new generation of Lakota speakers while there are still speakers to teach them.
The same endangered-language situation prevails for the Mixtec dialects.
“They’re minority languages. People prefer Spanish; they’re not teaching their kids (Mixtec),” Hugghins said.
As to North America, she added, “Most Native American languages have been wiped out. On the East Coast they’re gone.” But the outlook for remaining endangered languages in the Western Hemisphere may be improving.
“It used to be nobody cared about the languages; let them go extinct,” Hugghins said. “But there’s been kind of a movement through all of the Americas, including the U.S. and Canada, to try to revive some of these languages before they go completely extinct. | https://brookingsregister.com/article/saving-languages-from-extinction |
Introduction
============
Among the ∼4 million babies who are yearly born in the USA,[@b1-eb-8-091] \>450,000 are born prematurely, defined as birth before 37 weeks of gestation.[@b2-eb-8-091],[@b3-eb-8-091] Preterm birth has been associated with many complications, occurring during delivery, within the first few weeks after delivery and even many years later.[@b4-eb-8-091] Preterm birth is the most frequent reason for neonatal death[@b5-eb-8-091],[@b6-eb-8-091] and among the most common causes for death in children younger than 5 years.[@b7-eb-8-091] A significant improvement of the standards in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and perinatal care over the last decades has increased the survival rate of even the youngest preterm babies. Delivery after gestational week 26 has survival rates of \>80% today.[@b8-eb-8-091]--[@b10-eb-8-091]
Despite improving the health outcomes and survival rates in even the youngest infants, preterm birth still carries a high risk of negatively affecting most organ systems, such as the heart,[@b11-eb-8-091],[@b12-eb-8-091] lungs,[@b13-eb-8-091],[@b14-eb-8-091] brain,[@b15-eb-8-091]--[@b17-eb-8-091] and the eye.[@b18-eb-8-091],[@b19-eb-8-091] The improved survival of very small and particularly vulnerable preterm infants has led to the resurgence in preterm complications including one of the major causes for blindness in children, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).[@b20-eb-8-091]
Laser photocoagulation and the intravitreal injection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibodies have proven to be useful treatment options for severe late ROP. However, laser photocoagulation destroys major parts of the retina, and the injection of VEGF antibodies, though simple to apply, may cause a systemic suppression of vascular growth affecting the other organs, a process which has not been studied in sufficient depth. However, the simple mode of application of VEGF antibodies, and the so far promising clinical data should, not obscure the fact that the prevention of ROP should be the first priority.
There is a great interest in preventing ROP by more closely mimicking the intrauterine environment after preterm birth. Such preventative measures are also likely to reduce other complications besides ROP. These measures include preventing the toxic postbirth influences (eg, oxygen excess) as well as providing missing intrauterine factors (eg, insulin growth factor 1 \[IGF-1\]). This review is, therefore, meant to summarize the current knowledge on the prevention of ROP with a particular emphasize on the use of IGF-1 supplementation.
History of ROP
==============
In 1984, the first part of the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity was published by an international expert group, which was expanded in 1987.[@b21-eb-8-091],[@b22-eb-8-091] This classification permits the examiner to specify the location of the late-stage neovascular disease and the extent of the developing vasculature involved. In order to assess the location, the retina is divided into three zones, with the optic disk being the center for each zone, and the extent is specified as clock hours ([Figure 1](#f1-eb-8-091){ref-type="fig"}). In addition to these two parameters, four stages are used to describe the severity of vascular abnormality ranging from stage 1, which refers to a demarcation line, separating the avascular anterior retina from the vascularized posterior part of the retina, to stage 4, which describes retinal detachment. The term plus disease was introduced to account for dilated veins and/or tortuous arterioles and was added to any stage that had these vessel characteristics associated with the poorer outcomes. The expansion of this initial classification in 1987 added a fifth stage that applied when a total retinal detachment was present. Stage 4 was, therefore, defined as a retinal detachment that would not affect the whole retina. In order to be able to distinguish between a retinal detachment with and without foveal involvement, stages 4a (extrafoveal) and 4b (including fovea) were introduced.
The latest revision of this classification was published in 2005 and it introduced the terms aggressive posterior ROP and preplus disease and clarified the definition of zone I.[@b23-eb-8-091]
ROP was initially understood and described in terms of oxygen toxicity, without understanding, at that time, the contribution of other risk factors. In the 1940s, Terry described a disease in preterm infants that was characterized by an opaque tissue behind the lens that he referred to as retrolental fibroplasia.[@b24-eb-8-091],[@b25-eb-8-091]
The term ROP was later coined secondary to the observation that premature birth is a key aspect in the development of this disease. At that time, the survival of preterm infants with respiratory problems was improved through the use of (unmonitored) oxygen supplementation.[@b26-eb-8-091] In the 1940s, ROP was the single most common reason for childhood blindness in the developed world.[@b27-eb-8-091] The animal studies by Ashton et al and a clinical study in 1952 and 1953 by Patz et al identified unmonitored use of high oxygen supplementation as a main driver of ROP.[@b28-eb-8-091]--[@b31-eb-8-091] These first observations were affirmed by other groups[@b30-eb-8-091],[@b32-eb-8-091] and supported in animal models.[@b28-eb-8-091],[@b33-eb-8-091] A restriction of the oxygen supply in neonates resulted in a decrease in the incidence of ROP but an increase in perinatal death.[@b34-eb-8-091] The use of oxygen supplementation in the following years was more liberal in the nurseries, resulting in another epidemic of ROP that was, however, more treatable owing to improvements in neonatal intensive care[@b35-eb-8-091],[@b36-eb-8-091] and the introduction of retinal ablative therapies for ROP.[@b37-eb-8-091],[@b38-eb-8-091] The difficulty in balancing the oxygen delivery to minimize ROP (relatively low oxygen tension) versus minimizing the risk of developing brain hypoxia or death (relatively high oxygen tension) has not been fully resolved. With a better, if not perfect, control of supplemental oxygen, the other risk factors of ROP are more prominent. Over the last years, gestational age has remained as a prominent risk factor. With the lower gestational age, the degree of retinal vascular maturity will decrease, making the retina more susceptible to damage due to a lack of (postnatal) growth factors (GFs) and eventually decelerated vascularization.
Pathogenesis of ROP
===================
The retinal vasculature in human is fully developed by the end of a full-term pregnancy.[@b39-eb-8-091] After preterm birth, compared to the third trimester in utero, there are several insults that prevent the immature partially vascularized retina from vascularizing normally. The partial pressure of oxygen (PaO~2~) in utero is ∼50 mmHg by the end of pregnancy when compared to ∼160 mmHg PaO~2~ found in ambient room air.[@b40-eb-8-091] Some infants are given as high as 100% oxygen as supplementation. When a preterm infant is born, he or she is immediately exposed to this dramatic increase in oxygen pressure. The high oxygen levels of even ambient room air and certainly with oxygen supplementation pose a risk for developing ROP. The reason behind this phenomenon is found in the development of the retinal vasculature: by the beginning of the fourth month of gestational age, vessels start to sprout radially from the optic nerve toward the ora serrata.[@b41-eb-8-091] This process is usually completed shortly before full-term birth.[@b42-eb-8-091] However, in preterm infants, this process is incomplete at birth. Studies suggest that a PaO~2~ of ≥80 mmHg besides preventing the normal vascularization will also damage the existing newly developed retinal capillaries. Increased oxygen pressure as found in ambient room air, which is around double that found to be harmful to the retinal vasculature, causes attenuation in vessel growth and a constriction of already developed vessels.[@b43-eb-8-091],[@b44-eb-8-091] As a result, avascular areas form in the retina.[@b45-eb-8-091] This phenomenon is further amplified when preterm babies are ventilated with high oxygen concentrations. The size of the initial avascular zone is dependent on the gestational age at birth of the preterm infant. If Phase I of ROP with an impaired vessel growth could be prevented with the control of oxygen but also with a restoration of factors missing in the preterm infant, such as IGF-1, then the second neovascular phase that depends on the extent of avascular retina would not occur. Restoring the normal vascularization that would occur in utero would prevent end-stage ROP.
Following this first phase of impaired vascular growth and vasoattenuation, the increasing metabolism of the growing infant's retina leads to a rising demand for oxygen and nutrients and a subsequent upregulation of angiogenic GFs, such as VEGF and erythropoietin.[@b46-eb-8-091],[@b47-eb-8-091] This second phase of the disease, driven prominently by VEGF, is clinically characterized by the outgrowth of new but pathological vessels into the vitreous. These neovascular tufts are highly perfused, yet they do not contribute to the physiological needs of the infant's retina and may be leaky due to an impaired blood--retina barrier. As the retina develops further, these pathological vessels may regress. However, fibrous scar tissue often remains, which tends to cause traction on the retina, and can, in the worst case, lead to retinal detachment and possibly blindness ([Figure 2](#f2-eb-8-091){ref-type="fig"}).[@b48-eb-8-091]
The transition of Phase I to Phase II usually occurs around the 32nd postmenstrual week, but the onset as well as the severity of the neovascular phase can be variable.[@b49-eb-8-091],[@b50-eb-8-091] Interestingly, a multicenter trial found that the onset of retinal vascular changes in preterm infants seems to correlate more with gestational age at birth (time elapsed between the first day of last menstrual period and the day of delivery) rather than the chronological age (time elapsed from birth).[@b51-eb-8-091],[@b52-eb-8-091] For infants born before gestational week 27, the onset of ROP may correlate a little more with the chronological age than the gestational age. However, even in these severely preterm babies, stage 3 ROP was never seen before a postmenstrual age (PMA; gestational age + chronological age) of 31 weeks.[@b49-eb-8-091],[@b53-eb-8-091]
Even mild ROP in more mature infants can disturb proper central retinal development.[@b54-eb-8-091] ROP-related visual impairment both in the central part of the retina[@b55-eb-8-091],[@b56-eb-8-091] and in the periphery[@b55-eb-8-091],[@b57-eb-8-091] can often be detected many years after the initial onset of the disease. Thus, the area of undeveloped retina at birth and the lack of postnatal growth are strong determinants of proliferative ROP.
Risk factors for ROP
====================
Oxygen
------
Prevention of ROP must start with optimizing the oxygen delivery to minimizing the vessel loss and vessel growth cessation that set the stage for proliferative ROP. However, oxygen must also be optimized to prevent the brain damage and death. As discussed earlier, ROP is associated with an excessive oxygen use in the perinatal period in preterm infants. Today, the controlled supplemental oxygen delivery to these infants is intended to balance the need for adequate blood levels of oxygen and the risk of developing ROP.[@b31-eb-8-091] It is surprisingly difficult to address this issue as history shows. In the 1940s, excessive oxygen supplementation (100%) significantly reduced the number of infant deaths but precipitated the first epidemic of ROP. Against this background, oxygen supply was limited, even in respiratory distressed preterm infants, resulting in lower incidents of ROP and other oxygen-toxicity-associated diseases, such as hyaline membrane disease (HMD) now termed as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).[@b58-eb-8-091] The downside of this success was an increase in the mortality rate of these babies.[@b34-eb-8-091] Even 60 years later, no definitive answer can be given on the right amount of oxygen at the different developmental time points that gives sufficient attention to ROP pathogenesis and consideration of the overall survival of these infants. In the 1990s, several studies showed that a PaO~2~ of \>80 mmHg is associated with a higher incidence of ROP[@b59-eb-8-091] and that NICUs that had lower SpO~2~ alarms (70%--90%) had a significantly reduced occurrence of severe ROP outcome (6% vs 27%) compared to higher SpO~2~ alarms (88%--98%).[@b60-eb-8-091]
Larger studies addressed this issue more recently, including the SUPPORT trial,[@b61-eb-8-091]--[@b63-eb-8-091] three BOOST II trials from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand,[@b64-eb-8-091],[@b65-eb-8-091] and the Canadian Oxygen Trial.[@b66-eb-8-091] All of these five trials included premature infants \<28 weeks of gestational age and were randomized to either a low (85%--89%) or a high (90%--95%) SpO~2~ oxygen supplementation group. All these studies were later combined and analyzed by the neonatal oxygenation prospective meta-analysis study.[@b67-eb-8-091] Unfortunately, the results taken together are still unsatisfactory. The lower oxygen group showed a significantly smaller degree of development of severe ROP but a significantly higher incidence of infant death in the study population (preterm infants \<28 weeks with oxygen supply until postmenstrual age 36 weeks). Conversely, higher oxygen supplementation lowered the infant death but was associated with more ROP.[@b68-eb-8-091] Conclusions from these studies, which have also been integrated into the European guidelines on functional SpO~2~, now recommend targeting the higher SpO~2~ levels (90%--95%) in these babies, despite the higher chance of provoking ROP.[@b68-eb-8-091],[@b69-eb-8-091] Furthermore, none of these studies can answer the question of whether SpO~2~ levels should be constant throughout the supplementation phase or adjusted with postnatal age.[@b70-eb-8-091] Overall, the new recommendations for higher oxygen levels to prevent death will result in more cases of ROP.
Gestational age, birth weight, and growth
-----------------------------------------
Postnatal growth is a major risk factor that can be addressed to prevent ROP. Major risk factors for developing ROP include low gestational age and low birth weight in relation to age.[@b71-eb-8-091] However, gestational age and birth weight might not be independent risk factors.[@b72-eb-8-091] A lower gestational age goes along with a shorter duration of maternal protective factors that the infant might not be able to produce by himself and also a longer duration of exposure to extrauterine factors that might be harmful.
A strong independent risk factor that has been recognized over the past few years has been poor prenatal growth. Unlike poor postnatal growth where the data are very strong, the data for poor prenatal growth as a risk factor are somewhat inconsistent but imply that prenatal growth restriction may increase the risk for ROP infants born at older gestational ages, but not younger gestational ages.[@b73-eb-8-091]
Poor postnatal growth on the other hand has been clearly linked with an increased risk for ROP, both in clinical and in animal studies.[@b74-eb-8-091]--[@b76-eb-8-091] There seems to be a pivotal role for IGF-1, as lower serum levels after preterm birth are associated with an impaired postnatal growth and later development of proliferative ROP. This finding raises the important issue of potentially replacing IGF-1 to in-utero levels to prevent ROP.
Hyperglycemia and insulin
-------------------------
Arising from the observation that poor weight gain is associated with the development of late severe ROP, several approaches to optimize nutrition in preterm infants have been proposed. It was generally shown that very low birth weight infants can tolerate increased rates of infusion of intravenous fat emulsion solutions from the first week without severe side effects.[@b77-eb-8-091] The goal of reducing ROP through this measure has only been partially reached perhaps because of the difficulty in maintaining this regimen.[@b78-eb-8-091],[@b79-eb-8-091] Another study recommended a more aggressive nutrition practice in the NICUs, which was adopted by some neonatologists.[@b80-eb-8-091] Interestingly, this practice was associated with hyperglycemia and an increased demand for insulin, which is also seen in diabetes mellitus.[@b81-eb-8-091] In this study, the number of infants with stages 3--4 ROP born at \<30 weeks PMA increased from 4% in 2001--2002 to 9% in 2006--2007. Hyperglycemia in the context of ROP has been mainly linked to both relative insulin resistance and defective proinsulin processing.[@b82-eb-8-091] In addition, a recent study proposed that hyperglycemia may not be linked to a higher risk of developing severe ROP in very small preterm babies, but the use of insulin significantly increases the risk.[@b83-eb-8-091] It may be that treating preterm infants who may have both an increased insulin sensitivity and hyperglycemia is counter productive, even though the body of evidence is not very strong yet. The use of insulin in preterm babies in general seems to offer little clinical benefit but increases the risk of hypoglycemia.[@b84-eb-8-091]
Genetic factors in ROP
----------------------
ROP is a complex disease that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Several very small studies have found genetic variants in EPAS1, VEGF, SOD, and members of the WNT family in association with ROP. However, a larger study (817 infants and 543 infants in a replication cohort) to determine genetic variants associated with the severe ROP in a candidate gene cohort study of US preterm infants using the whole genome amplified DNA from the stored blood spot samples and the analyses such as, controlled for multiple comparisons, ancestral eigenvalues, family relatedness, and significant epidemiologic variables in both cohorts, showed that only two intronic single-nucleotide polymorphism in the gene BDNF were associated with the severe ROP.[@b85-eb-8-091],[@b86-eb-8-091]
Treatment of ROP
================
Current treatment is not preventative but deals with the second proliferative phase and not the first phase of ROP, which sets the stage for neovascularization. The first treatment option in Phase II ROP was cryocoagulation of the avascular retina. The results and recommendations following this treatment approach were published in 1990 as the CRYO-ROP study.[@b38-eb-8-091],[@b87-eb-8-091] However, today, laser photocoagulation has replaced cryotherapy in most countries.[@b88-eb-8-091] Yet, the therapeutic principle stays the same: by destroying the avascular retina, the driver of an increased production of vascular GFs is reduced. When applied properly, this procedure is fairly safe and prevents most infants from developing retinal detachment (ROP stages 4 and 5). This intervention at early Phase II is important, as repairing late stage (4 and 5) ROP is unfortunately often associated with poor clinical outcomes.[@b89-eb-8-091]
Anti-VEGF therapy has been a clinical treatment option in most proliferative eye disease in adults and is today the most important therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Not surprisingly, anti-VEGF therapy has also found its way into (off-label) Phase II ROP treatment with neovascularization. However, treating preterm infants is challenging, and the right dose or right drug has yet to be determined. The CARE-ROP trial (clinical trial identifier: NCT02134457) investigates, among other questions, if two different lower doses (compared to the BEAT-ROP study) of an even smaller molecule, the anti-VEGF fragment ranibizumab, are similarly effective in the treatment of neo-vascular Phase II ROP. Phase I trial of de-escalating doses of bevacizumab for Phase II ROP is also underway (clinical trial identifier: NCT02390531). The dose issue is critical as anti-VEGF treatment leaks into the systemic circulation to suppress systemic VEGF levels for many weeks with the potential of suppressing normal brain and other organs' growth in fragile preterm neonates.
IGF-1 and its deficiency in the preterm infant
==============================================
IGF-1 has a dominant role in somatic growth,[@b90-eb-8-091] especially in the third trimester of pregnancy, therefore, in the growth of preterm infants. IGF-1 levels drop to very low levels after preterm birth and remain low for many weeks postnatally. To understand the effects of lack of IGF-1 after preterm birth, genetic deletion of IGF-1 in mice is illustrative. Mice that do not produce IGF-1 are 40% smaller in body weight at birth compared to the wild-type controls.[@b91-eb-8-091] Additionally, body weight and bone length in human fetuses with a gestational age of 15--37 weeks correlate positively with serum IGF-1 concentrations.[@b92-eb-8-091],[@b93-eb-8-091] While some data suggest a role for IGF-1 in the development of many tissues even from the start of the first trimester,[@b94-eb-8-091],[@b95-eb-8-091] the increase in circulating fetal IGF-1 during the third trimester suggests that IGF-1 is particularly important at the later stages of pregnancy.
IGF-1 in the fetus during pregnancy is supplied by different sources, including fetal tissue. It is also received through swallowed amniotic fluid that contains IGF-1.[@b96-eb-8-091],[@b97-eb-8-091] Nutritional intake by the mother also affects IGF-1 production, especially in response to increasing the levels of (placental) growth hormone, which in turn may regulate fetal growth.[@b98-eb-8-091] The IGF-1 supply through the mother is particularly important in preterm infants, as the fetus at this early stage does not have an adult pattern of growth hormone (GH) regulation and, thus, is lacking this source of IGF-1 production at birth. Hence, it does not come as a surprise that preterm born infants have a very low serum level of IGF-1 compared to full-term babies. Without external supplementation of IGF-1, these preterm infants do not reach in-utero IGF-1 levels of infants of correspondent gestational age.[@b93-eb-8-091],[@b99-eb-8-091]--[@b101-eb-8-091] In these preterm infants, the IGF-1 levels correlate with postnatal weight. The loss of this important GF after preterm birth and the association of low IGF-1 levels with the later development of ROP suggest that the replacement of IGF-1 may prevent ROP by stimulating normal postnatal growth in the retina.
Being a single chain polypeptide, IGF-1 is similar in structure to (pro)insulin. However, both IGF-1 and insulin have their own distinctive receptors that share a homology of ∼60%.[@b102-eb-8-091] The IGF-1 receptor has a 1,000× higher affinity for IGF-1 than for insulin, while the insulin receptor has a 100× higher affinity for insulin than for IGF-1.[@b103-eb-8-091] Aside from IGF-1 and growth hormone, the IGF system also includes IGF-2, two receptors, types 1 and 2, IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs), and IGFBP proteases.[@b103-eb-8-091] There are six IGFBPs, and ∼98% of all IGF-1 is bound to IGFBP-3,[@b104-eb-8-091] which is also the most abundant form of all IGFBPs.[@b105-eb-8-091],[@b106-eb-8-091] IGFBP-3 is important in regulating the action of IGF-1 as it can prolong the half-life of IGF-1[@b107-eb-8-091] due to a stronger affinity of IGFBP-3 to IGF-1 than IGF-1 has to its receptor. The effect of IGF-1 will be augmented when released in proximity to the IGF-1 receptor and attenuated when IGF-1 stays bound to IGFBP-3. IGF-1's mechanism of action is believed to be at least partly through MAPK and AKT signaling pathways, which stimulate cell growth and proliferation. IGF-1 receptor signals through multiple pathways. One key pathway is regulated by phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase and its downstream partner, the mammalian target of rapamycin, responsible for upregulating the AKT and thereby driving the growth. In addition, IGF-1 is a potent inhibitor of programmed cell death.[@b108-eb-8-091],[@b109-eb-8-091]
IGF-1 also influences glucose metabolism. Insulin is the major regulator of metabolic processes under normal physiologic conditions and exerts its effect, especially in fat, muscle, and liver cells. However, even though IGFs are better known to induce growth and anabolism, they can also influence glucose homeostasis.[@b110-eb-8-091] Laboratory studies confirm that IGF-1 promotes glucose uptake in peripheral tissues.[@b111-eb-8-091],[@b112-eb-8-091] The metabolic consequences of IGF-1 deficiency have been studied in a liver-specific IGF-1-deficient mouse model, which show a 75% reduction in circulating IGF-1 and insulin insensitivity in muscle. Treatment with IGF-1 reduces insulin concentrations and improves insulin sensitivity, providing evidence for IGF-1 as an important component of overall insulin action in peripheral tissues.[@b113-eb-8-091] These data suggest that IGF-1 has an important role in metabolism; therefore, it is not surprising that a clear association between preterm babies with ROP and low early postnatal IGF-1 levels is found.[@b114-eb-8-091] While full-term babies physiologically show a rapid increase in IGF-1 levels postnatally, preterm infants born before gestational week 33 have a very slow increase in IGF-1.[@b115-eb-8-091] After preterm birth, energy requirements will strongly increase, while the maternal supply of nutrition and GFs, such as IGF-1, abruptly stop and often are not replaced, resulting in disturbed glucose metabolism. A recent study shows that plasma insulin levels are inversely correlated with gestational age,[@b116-eb-8-091] and increased glucose levels during the first week of life are strongly associated with ROP. Others have shown that premature babies versus full-term infants have some clinical signs of metabolic syndrome, including decreased insulin sensitivity[@b117-eb-8-091]--[@b119-eb-8-091] and altered adiposity[@b120-eb-8-091],[@b121-eb-8-091] that share similarities with type 2 diabetes mellitus. ROP on the other hand shares some similarities with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, such as ischemic and vasoattenuated retinal areas, that may possibly lead to neovascularization. Interestingly, even though early data on insulin treatment within the first week of life show that it seems to increase IGF-I concentrations and improve longitudinal growth, respectively[@b122-eb-8-091] as mentioned earlier, it may also pose an increased risk to develop ROP.[@b83-eb-8-091]
A direct association between low IGF-1 and poor retinal vascular growth in IGF-1-deficient mice suggests that the size of the avascular zone (Phase I) may also be dependent on the level of IGF-1, as low IGF-1 levels may add to a decrease in vascular growth in ROP.[@b123-eb-8-091]
The retina of an infant is incompletely vascularized after preterm birth and has low IGF-I concentrations and low VEGF concentrations compared to those in utero. Thus, vascularization is delayed, and the retina becomes hypoxic. Neovascularization and blindness can occur.[@b48-eb-8-091],[@b114-eb-8-091],[@b123-eb-8-091],[@b124-eb-8-091] The concentrations of serum IGF-I and the duration of low IGF-I strongly correlate with the severity of ROP.[@b48-eb-8-091],[@b123-eb-8-091],[@b125-eb-8-091],[@b126-eb-8-091] Clinical studies mentioned earlier, correlate low postnatal IGF-I with the later development of ROP. Hence, IGF-1 supplementation in infants who are at risk for ROP may have the potential to prevent or at least attenuate ROP severity.
IGF-1 in Phases I and II of ROP
===============================
The severity of the second or neovascular phase of ROP is predominantly dictated by the inadequate vascularization in Phase I and eventually by the extent of the avascular zone of the retina. IGF-1 knockout mice have a slower growth of normal retinal blood vessels than their wild-type controls.[@b123-eb-8-091] This paucity in IGF-1 is also found in human subjects, where low IGF-1 serum levels directly correlate with the severity of ROP, and interestingly may also account for abnormal brain development and possibly aberrant neural retinal function.[@b127-eb-8-091] Other data derived from studies carried out in humans, link genetic defects of the GH/IGF-1 axis to very low levels of IGF-1, accounting for a decreased retinal vascular density in these patients.[@b128-eb-8-091] Additionally, IGF-1 controls the maximal VEGF-induced activation of MAPK and AKT in endo thelial cells and, therefore, modulates vessel proliferation and survival,[@b123-eb-8-091] essential events in preventing Phase I of ROP.
The second phase of ROP is characterized by vessel proliferation driven by vascular GFs that are produced as a result of retinal hypoxia due to insufficient vascularization. Many evidence exists correlating low IGF-1 with the occurrence of Phase I ROP. Interestingly, the first data that indirectly linked IGF-1 with ROP obtained from work showing that transgenic mice expressing a GH receptor antagonist display significantly less retinal neovascularization at the second phase of ROP-like disease.[@b129-eb-8-091] These findings were supported by later studies showing that an IGF-1 receptor antagonist reduces retinal neovascularization in vivo. This study also proved that IGF-1 is required for maximum VEGF-induced activation of p44/42 MAPK -- an essential pathway for endothelial cell proliferation -- and, thus, the neovascularization observed in Phase II of ROP. VEGF alone would be insufficient to induce maximal angiogenesis associated with ROP, and IGF-1 acts as a permissive factor in ROP and possibly in other proliferative retinopathies.[@b130-eb-8-091]
IGF-1 supplementation: a preventative treatment for ROP in preterm infants
==========================================================================
Current options in ROP treatment aim at limiting the disastrous effects arising from severe development of Phase II ROP. Laser ablative therapy destroys avascular retina in order to reduce the production of hypoxia driven GFs. Later, these (although peripheral) parts of the retina will never be able to contribute to normal visual perception.
Low systemic IGF-1 levels are associated with the later development of ROP.[@b114-eb-8-091] Hence, the importance of sufficient systemic concentrations of IGF-1 reaching the retina through circulation raises the possibility of pharmacological restoration of IGF-1 to in-utero levels as a strategy for countering the vascular degeneration associated with the first phase of ROP. An interventional preclinical study of oxygen-induced retinopathy found that mice that received recombinant human insulin-like growth factor (rhIGF)-1 treatment developed less retinopathy, which supports the possible role of supplemental IGF-1 in preventing ROP.[@b131-eb-8-091]
These observations led to the initiation of clinical trials to evaluate the effect of a complex of IGF-1 with its most important binding protein, IGFBP-3, on ROP development. While the half-life of IGF-1 in adults was calculated to be ∼17 hours,[@b132-eb-8-091] the half-life of IGF-1 in preterm infants is significantly shorter, suggesting that a continuous intravenous infusion would be beneficial. For a better understanding of the pharmacokinetics of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in preterm infants, a first clinical study was performed using fresh-frozen adult plasma (FFP).[@b133-eb-8-091] FFP from healthy adults has a considerably higher concentration of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 than those reported for very preterm infants.[@b134-eb-8-091] In this study, a total of 20 extremely preterm infants were included with a mean gestational age of 20 weeks. FFP was then administered between days 1 and 7 (median day 2) at a mean volume of 11 mL/kg over a time period of ∼120 minutes (range: 90--240 minutes). This one time continuous infusion led to an increase of 133% in IGF-1 levels and 61% in IGFBP-3 levels. The first pharmacokinetic and dosing study of an intravenous IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 complex to preterm infants was carried out in Sweden. This study included preterm infants with a gestational age of 26--29 weeks and a mean birth weight of 1,022 g. This study concluded that an intravenous infusion of an equimolar preparation of rhIGF-1/rhIGFBP-3 to these very preterm infants normalized systemic IGF-1 levels to that found in utero at the corresponding gestational age. The administration of rhIGF-1/rhIGFBP-3 in this study was safe without any incidents of hypoglycemia and was well tolera ted by all infants.[@b135-eb-8-091]
A Phase II trial in preterm infants with a median age of 27 weeks confirmed these results and also showed that a continuous infusion of an IGF-1/IGFBP-3 complex can bring IGF-1 levels back to the lower end of normal values. However, per the protocol, continuous infusion was discontinued after 7 days, and it was observed that thereafter serum IGF-1 concentrations fell below intrauterine levels for the corresponding gestational age. Therefore, a continuous infusion for \>7 days was proposed.[@b136-eb-8-091] The clinical trial (clinical trial identifier: NCT01096784) is recruiting patients, and further results are expected.
Outlook and conclusion
======================
Destroying the avascular retina with laser photocoagulation and injecting a drug in the vitreous that may leak into systemic circulation are problematic in the context of very premature infants, yet both approaches are the only therapeutic means currently available to treat severe ROP.
The results of preclinical and early clinical studies support conducting the trials to examine ROP prevention by supplementing IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 to normal in-utero levels. Clinical studies are currently ongoing to evaluate the effect of this replacement treatment on preventing ROP. If prevention is effective, anti-VEGF injections and particularly laser photocoagulation could be used only in cases where preventative interventions were missed or an insufficient response to initial treatment was observed.
**Disclosure**
Ann Hellström and Lois EH Smith are consultants for Shire Pharmaceuticals. Raffael Liegl reports no conflicts of interest in this work.
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{#f2-eb-8-091}
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‘Orientalium Ecclesiarum’ at 50
The Second Vatican Council’s decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern tite has brought greater unity between Eastern and Latin Churches, say Church observers.
In the 50 years since the promulgation of Orientalium Ecclesiarum, the Second Vatican Council’s decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern rite, this document has made noteworthy progress toward its goals — yet much waits to be done, according to Church observers and specialists on the Council.
Maronite Bishop Gregory Mansour, who heads the Eparchy of St. Maron in Brooklyn, N.Y., said these 50 years have been “graced years, and Eastern Catholic Churches are closer than ever before in a good union with the Latin Church.”
He said the Eastern Churches in general — Catholic and Orthodox — are closer to a deeper and abiding unity than in the past.
“I think Orientalium Ecclesiarum was a wonderful success,” Bishop Mansour said, noting that it was the beginning of “a great new hope for all the Church and for us to live well our Eastern traditions in union with the See of Peter in the person of the pope.”
Stephen Hildebrand, professor of theology and director of the master of theology program at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, pointed out that one main purpose of Orientalium Ecclesiarum was to inform the Church of the importance of Eastern-rite Catholic Churches.
Another foremost objective was “to articulate and appreciate legitimate diversity in ritual in the Church,” he said, adding that “it goes beyond ritual to theology and canonical matter. They have their own code of canon law.”
Hildebrand called this step one of the major accomplishments of the Council, and acknowledging and emphasizing this Code of Canons of Oriental Churches was “a great milestone” in the implementation of the document.
“The Eastern Church doesn’t have to have a Latin way of doing things, a Latin set of laws, in order to be fully Christian and Catholic,” he explained. “I see it as a wonderful statement of legitimate diversity — this is diversity ordered toward unity.”
Distinctive Yet Unified
Jesuit Father Mitch Pacwa, author and host of EWTN Live, sees a major impact from the document in the renewal of scholarship in the Eastern-rite liturgy and theology, as well as an updating of Eastern canon law.
He is in a favorable position to see all aspects of Orientalium Ecclesiarum from both sides because he is trained to celebrate both the Latin rite and the Maronite rite of the Mass.
According to Father Pacwa, “The document makes clear it is very strongly emphasizing two elements. One is union with the whole Church, but, secondly, remaining distinctive as individual Eastern rites. That’s the main thrust of the document.”
As a result, he said, a number of the rites have been “rediscovering their own distinctive liturgical vestments and actions.”
His own sense is that “this has helped the relationships with the Eastern Orthodox Church, because it makes it clear that the goal of ecumenism is not the ‘Latinization’ of the rites of the Eastern Churches. That’s not at all the Church’s goal. It’s, rather, unity that cherishes the distinctiveness of each Church.”
Equal in Dignity
For Bishop Kurt Burnette of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic, N.J., the document brought out as one of its main points that “the Eastern Churches were equal in dignity to the Western Church.”
“I think the whole document was done to honor the East,” he said.
While some might ask if that has changed the status of the Eastern Churches, he observed, “In my experience, we’ve always been treated with respect by the West.”
At the same time, he also pointed out that the Second Vatican Council ordered Eastern Churches “to remove any kind of Latinizing, where we had imitated the Latin Church, and to restore our liturgy to its original state. That’s a slow process, and that’s still going on.”
One noteworthy place where the transition has taken place is in the sacraments of initiation. The Eastern rites had stopped giving Communion and chrismation (confirmation) at baptism.
“We returned to giving Communion at baptism,” Bishop Burnette said. “There now is baptism, chrismation and Communion all at the same service.”
Return to Traditions
Father David Petras noted that, from the perspective of his Church, in these 50 years, there has been a substantial return to Eastern traditions.
For quite a while, changes were slow in coming, then, “in the mid-’90s, we began making a lot of corrections,” he said. “I think the most prominent is the reform of the liturgy and the return to many traditions,” such as the restoration of Communion to infants at baptism.
For two decades, Father Petras was professor of liturgy and director of spiritual formation at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. Since 1983, he has served with the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation.
“Rome has been faithful to the document in allowing the Eastern Churches to return to their traditions,” he said. “It’s also true sometimes the Eastern Catholic Churches are not active in doing that.”
Still, he observed, “There has been a remarkable change in the last 50 years, and there is much more pride in being Catholic and having a different tradition.”
At the same time, Father Petras felt that the Vatican decree on the Eastern Churches is one that has been most neglected, noting that it has not been the subject of several following decrees, as have been other documents from the Vatican Council.
However, he pointed out the news of Nov. 14: The Congregation for the Oriental Churches announced that the Holy See had accepted new norms for married priests in the Eastern rite. Earlier in June, Pope Francis approved the document Pontificia Praecepta de clero Uxorato Orientali, which allows ordination of married priests of the Eastern Catholic Churches outside of their traditional territories.
Traditionally, in Latin-rite countries, Eastern-rite priests were required to be celibate ostensibly, so as not to sow confusion among the large number of Latin-rite Catholics in the United States. Father Petras believes this was formerly one of the biggest obstacles in the continuing implementation of the decree.
Catholic-Orthodox Divide
“One of the implications of dealing with Eastern Churches inevitably raises the question of the Church’s relations with Christian Eastern Churches who didn’t come in,” Hildebrand said, referring to the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches and their permutations that are not in communion with Rome.
While much remains to be done, “Orientalium Ecclesiarum is a giant step along a very long road,” he affirmed.
Father Petras also noted that work has to be done in this area. “The ultimate fulfillment [of Orientalium Ecclesiarum] will come about only with a reunion with the Orthodox,” he said.
“One of the big problems that remains is still the problem of the Eastern Catholic Church in the face of Orthodoxy,” Father Petras explained.
He contended that while the majority of Orthodox are willing to accept the Eastern Catholics if they are faithful to their traditions, there are other Orthodox simply opposed to the Eastern Catholic Church under any conditions.
For example, after the Soviet Empire fell, as Catholic Churches were restored, there was a crisis among the Russian Orthodox, as many people returned to the faith of their birth — Catholicism — now that they were free. The Russian Orthodox Church had been installed as the state religion in Soviet-bloc countries, and the Ukrainian, Byzantine and Ruthenian Churches were suppressed.
Hildebrand concurred. He said that an Orthodox group can be upset with all kinds of sensitivities about missionary efforts. “If we go into a largely Orthodox population and try to set up an Eastern counterpart, it’s not received well.”
Yet, he said, on the whole, our appreciation of Eastern-Catholic rites is a movement toward full communion with the separated Churches.
Models of Firm Faith
Orientalium Ecclesiarum came at a critical moment in history. Father Pacwa described the scene in the 1960s during the Vatican Council. The Byzantine Catholics, especially in the former Soviet Union, were being greatly persecuted for their faith. This persecution under the communists had begun just a little under 50 years earlier, in 1917.
He said the various Eastern-Catholic rites, and also Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholics in the old Soviet Union, also suffering horrendously, received the brunt of atheistic attacks on the Church.
He noted that, in the last 100 years, 40 million people died, mostly under communist and nationalist governments like the Nazis.
Father Pacwa said we need “to take a close look and realize this is the backdrop going on 50 years ago, when the document was written. Now, the focus of persecution has shifted south to the Christians of the Middle East.”
“Today, the Eastern Churches of the Middle East are the victims of the brunt of the persecution by the Muslim radicals,” he said, noting we have to be very alert that the waves of atheism and the waves of radical Islam are slamming on those shores.
They Eastern-rite Catholics there “have tremendous numbers of martyrs and ongoing suffering and loss, yet maintain their Catholic faith,” he said, emphasizing their courage and the firmness of their faith.
“Looking at this document should highlight to Western people how important the Eastern Churches are,” Father Pacwa said. “We can’t afford to neglect the importance of these Eastern Churches. We Westerners too easily think of them as quaint oddities from far away, whereas, in fact, they are on the front lines in the violent attacks on the Church.”
“If anything,” he concluded, “the Western Church needs to look at them closely for models of how we might have to deal with persecution and steadfastness of faith for where we live. They are truly the models.”
Joseph Pronechen is the Register's staff writer.
- Keywords: | https://www.ncregister.com/news/orientalium-ecclesiarum-at-50-89vfiuk3 |
As Far as A-CNN is Concerned the Greatest Catholic Website in the World is The Remnant, Click Here to Check It Out!
A-CNN, 4-24-2015 – Allium-Cepa has just learned that the director of the Vatican Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., held an emergency press conference this morning. The purpose of the meeting was to announce to the media some particulars about the Missionaries of Mercy that Pope Francis will be dispatching across the globe during the “Year of Mercy”.
Fr. Lombardi opened the press conference with the announcement, “I would like to begin by stating that while this new development from Pope Francis is surprising, nonetheless I am certain that this is truly the ‘aggiornamento autentico’ that the Church needs at this time.”
“This morning while I was having breakfast with Bergoglio… I mean, the Holy Father, His Holiness informed me as he buttered his scone that he felt the best choice of priests to act as his Missionaries of Mercy are those of the Society of Saint Pius X.”
Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, has announced, on the heels of the recent beatification of Pope Paul VI, an exciting new candidate for beatification on the increasingly crowded Expressway to the Ever-Widening Gate of Heaven. It seems that Cardinal Walter Kasper, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has now introduced the cause of Annibale Bugnini, the architect of the highly-touted liturgical reform of Vatican II, to the Congregation. Kasper reportedly gave his permission to open an investigation into Abp. Bugnini’s virtues in response to repeated and urgent requests from Pope Francis and his inner circle.
Cardinal Kasper’s correspondence to the Congregation is rumored to elaborate on a little-known connection between Kasper and Bugnini that apparently developed during the recent Synod on the Family. Apparently Kasper had been praying repeatedly to the spirit of Abp. Bugnini – whom he, Kasper, considers to be the apotheosis of the “Spirit of Vatican II” - to ensure that the revolutionary draft language on homosexuals remain in the final Synod document, despite stiff resistance from “conservative” bishops. When this language was in fact retained in the final document, by the anti-collegial order of Pope Francis, Kasper was ecstatic at this miracle, and redoubled his zealous efforts on Bugnini’s behalf.
The Remnant's Rome correspondents have just translated an article written by noted Vaticanist Sandy Maestro, who writes for the Italian paper Viva Il Papa. The paper has heard from certain anonymous Vatican officials that the Holy See is targeting a Traditionalist Catholic writer from the United States for a possible lawsuit. The writer in question has suggested by email to The Remnant that he write an article exposing the Pope's secret project for granting a retroactive annulment to British King Henry VIII and his wife Catherine of Aragon, as part of Rome's Ecumenical outreach.
But thanks to the recent expansion of the Vatican's Dicastery of Mail Interception under Cardinal Giuseppe Lampedusa, emails as well as books are now subject to appropriate action. Lampedusa's mandate, according to the anonymous sources, uses NSA techniques to monitor emails to and from groups and publications sympathetic to pre-Vatican II thought and beliefs. The Dicastery of course exempts Michael Voris' organization, since he has promised never to criticize the Pope.
A new kids' book written by Peter Rockintail
This is a charming tale in which the Holy Father Bishop of Rome Francis visits the poverty stricken, yet faithful, Catholic Rabbit family and brings them a message of hope and mercy, as well as the information Mr and Mrs Rabbit need to help them licitly find their way out of the fecundity of their fertility situation.
In this delightful and socially up-to-the-minute tale, youngsters will also be introduced to the Rabbit family’s new neighbors, Mrs. and Mrs. Fox (though soon to be Mr and Mrs Fox thanks to the wonders of modern medical science!) who have just given birth to their first and only Fox kit, thanks again to the wonders of modern science and IVF.
Pope Francis encourages the Rabbit family to accept and value the new neighbors' sexual orientation and to recognize the positive elements even in the imperfect forms that may be found outside the nuptial situation.
He also encourages the Rabbit family to look to the greater needs of the earth. Ecology and reducing rabbits' carbon footprints are presented to children in a way that every good Catholic should come to know and understand.
A-CNN Breaking Story: The Catholic Church in its ecumenical wisdom and neo-exegesis tradition with and by the authority expressly granted by the Second Vatican Council document proclamation of SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM, DECREES:
50. The rite of the Mass is to be revised in such a way that the intrinsic nature and purpose of its several parts, as well as the connection between them, may be more clearly manifested, and that devout and active participation by the faithful may be more easily achieved.
For this purpose the rites are to be simplified, due care being taken to preserve their substance. Parts which with the passage of time came to be duplicated, or were added with little advantage, are to be omitted. Other parts which suffered loss through accidents of history are to be restored to the vigor they had in the days of the holy Fathers, as may seem useful or necessary.
Revised Praxis: To be granted to achieve the more active participation in the Novus Ordo Mass. The table of the Eucharist is to be extended and or supplemented with auxiliary tables in such a way as to provide for the new useful and necessary self-service ministry and for the restoration of the People’s Liturgical Buffet Eucharist Distribution Table.
A-CNN Special Report: In the continuing efforts to erase every vestige of the Pre-Vatican II Church, Ima Cardinal Hairatik addressed an assembly of the newly-formed World Homogenous Association To Elevate Various Erroneous Religions (W.H.A.T.E.V.E.R) to update what was once known as the Seven Deadly Sins in the Rigid Commands (R.C.) Church: pride, covetousness, impurity, envy, gluttony, anger and sloth. After very careful study, it was determined that these so-called vices, believed to be the root of many sins, are merely human weaknesses and frailties of which we are not to be judgmental. However, Cardinal Hairatik presented a list of Crimes Against Humanity and Nature, which will supersede the antiquated list of Deadly Sins.
The following are excerpts from Cardinal Hairatik’s address to WHATEVER outlining the catholic church of New Option’s Crimes Against Humanity and Nature:
“The Pope has opened the windows and doors of the post-Second Vatican Council Catholic Church to the wonderful world that it once mistakenly viewed as a place of darkness needing the light of Christendom.”
Breaking News: The Vatican Press Office just released a statement concerning the Vatican Plan for a New One World Order Morality based on the threat of Climate Change and the mandatory conservation of the Earth. This papal document will be revealing the indisputable science which shows the detrimental impact human beings have made on the eco system. Not only irreparable damage to the environment but, also the cruelty of capitalistic unfair disparity in the distribution of goods, education and the land practices humans exploit and invest in. A new economy is being designed to better meet the needs of the marginalized poor who want jobs and a better opportunity for social development but, never seem to get it. It has been noted that the Holy Father has been saying, “The poor you will not always have among us”. Plans to incorporate an additional hermeneutic for a new more ecumenical morality code for sharing the earth are being drawn up. Since this new morality’s central focus is the planet Earth there will be an emphasis placed on the ecumenical management of social justice through science, technology and democracy. These new ideas are a reflection and refinement of the old Marxian axiom: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need”.
A-CNN Report—In the continuing Spirit of Vatican II, Ima Cardinal Hairatik, a reliable Vatican spokesperson, has issued a statement declaring the “New Options” of the “catholic” church, formerly known in more rigid times as The Precepts of the Church. These former Commands of the Church were given for the spiritual good of the faithful and were obliging under the pain of sin. Henceforth, the R.C. (Rigid Commands) of the now-defunct pre-conciliar Catholic Church are to be replaced with the N.O. (New Options) of the post-conciliar “catholic” church which are more in conformity with the “live and let live” attitude of the “Civilization of Love”.
#1- ( R.C.) – To assist at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation
A GALAXY NOT THAT FAR FAR AWAY. (January 1, 2015) The Congregation for Human Worship and the Un-discipline of the Sacraments -- until the resignation of Pope Emeritus Benedict, formerly known as (f/k/a) Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments -- today announced that in an audience with Auxiliary Bishop of Rome, Francis ½ (f/k/a Bishop of Rome Francis) the Prefect obtained the signature of Francis to a cow (f/k/a a "bull" in an age dominated by masculine terminology which excluded the female gender) promulgating a new order of the Lord’s Supper (f/f/k/a the Mass). | http://a-cnn.com/index.php/articles?start=42 |
Professor Ian Owens, one of the paper’s authors from Imperial College London’s Division of Biology, and the Natural Environment Research Council’s Center for Population Biology, said: "For the first time ever this global mapping has divided the planet up into small grid squares to obtain a really detailed picture of biodiversity. By looking at the numbers of endangered mammals, birds and amphibians in these squares, we have been able to see how this real picture varies from assumptions that have previously been made about global biodiversity of endangered species."
Professor Owens adds that this geographical discrepancy in hotspots of endangered species from different groups can be explained by the different factors that threaten mammals, birds and amphibians: "Endangered bird species are often at risk because their habitats are being destroyed. However, different factors entirely may affect mammals such as tigers which are under threat from poachers, and amphibians which are being diminished by diseases brought into their habitat by non-native fish.
These are two different links.
Explanatory notes*
* CPI Score relates to perceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by business people and country analysts, and ranges between 10 (highly clean) and 0 (highly corrupt).
** Confidence range provides a range of possible values of the CPI score. This reflects how a country’s score may vary, depending on measurement precision. Nominally, with 5 percent probability the score is above this range and with another 5 percent it is below. However, particularly when only few sources are available, an unbiased estimate of the mean coverage probability is lower than the nominal value of 90%.
*** Surveys used refers to the number of surveys that assessed a country’s performance. 12 surveys and expert assessments were used and at least 3 were required for a country to be included in the CPI. | http://www.myninjaplease.com/?p=1121 |
IT strategy and consulting
Information and Technology strategy is defined as a plan created by an IT company to ensure maximum information and technology capacity. An Information and Technology strategy ensures that there is a sustainable and well established value for the organization.
Information and Technology strategy is not confined to the application of new technologies only but in creating value and increasing the competitive advantage of the company. It is a process which enables integration of the company’s information and technology processes with the objectives of the business. Therefore, Information and Technology strategy creates an alignment between the business interests and the methods used to achieve these business interests.
In the modern marketplace, it is important that a company establishes a clear strategy. As Alliance Global Tech, we offer our clients with proactive IT strategies. In essence, we motivate our clients to assume a more comprehensive and interconnected IT strategy which integrates different company channels. The developed long term goals of the business ensure that the business creates long time business goals which build up the company’s business capabilities and mobility. | https://www.agtbi.com/service/it-strategy-and-consulting/ |
Mayors of Europe and beyond, take part to the Mayors’ Action Platform!
29 September 2021
Publish your own success stories, read case studies by other municipalities, and get directly in touch with other city representatives via the integrated chat of the online Mayors’ Action Platform (MAP).
The Geneva Cities Hub has set up the MAP, under the auspices of UNECE and UN-Habitat, in order to share cities’ innovative practices and track progress on the implementation of the Declaration of Mayors, adopted last year at the first-ever Forum of Mayors.
The objectives of this platform are twofold:
- showcase concrete actions and solutions devised by cities to address the issues covered by the Declaration of Mayors
- create a safe space for Mayors and their administration to exchange among peers
Mayors can also let the Geneva Cities Hub know about the success stories in their city by answering to this survey. | https://platforma-dev.eu/mayors-take-part-to-the-mayors-action-platform/ |
A Human-Centred Recovery and the Future of Work in LDCs
The social and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are being felt deeply, especially in Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
This is in large part due to their structural vulnerabilities, inadequate social protection systems, and limited fiscal capacity to foster a human-centred recovery. The uneven recovery from COVID-19 risks to further entrench these global inequalities.
At the same time, digitalisation is rapidly changing the nature of work around the world, including in LDCs. The adoption and adaptation of digital technologies can be a powerful component of productive transformation that can benefit almost all sectors of the economy and generate widespread productivity and employment growth.
The LDC population is young and access to education and skills development is on the rise, which means the potential for harnessing digital technologies remains high. Digital technologies can potentially deliver large benefits to LDCs provided that significant investments are made in capital and in people to ensure technologies help drive productive and inclusive growth and support decent work outcomes.
The Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2022-2031 addresses many of these challenges and emphasizes the importance of promoting productive transformation and decent work opportunities in LDCs to achieve sustainable development.
This meeting, co-organised by OHRLLS, will launch a new ILO Report entitled, “Present and Future of Work in the LDCs” and discuss the ambition and implementation of the Doha Programme of Action for LDCs in order to promote a human-centred recovery.
The aim is to highlight good practices and opportunities to help countries prioritize policies in national development plans.
Specific topics will include:
- the use of comprehensive employment and enterprise development policies
- the role of just transition for a sustainable and inclusive economic transformation, fostering productivity growth and productive capacities
- the expansion of social protection systems
- the application of labour standards.
The discussion will also look at opportunities for international and regional cooperation including the engagement of the private sector to support job-rich growth and inclusive development in LDCs.
Read the report HERE. | https://www.un.org/ohrlls/events/human-centred-recovery-and-future-work-ldcs?field_featured_categories_tid%5B20%5D=20&title=&page=3 |
With ‘father of African liberation’ George Padmore commemorated with a plaque in London this week, Cameron Duodu reflects on Padmore’s enormous influence on the anti-colonial movement and his experiences in Trinidad, the US, the USSR, the UK and across Africa.
On Tuesday 28 June 2011, the late George Padmore – who was been described by the famous West Indian writer C.L.R. James as ‘The father of African emancipation’ – will be honoured with a ‘heritage plaque’, better known as a ‘blue plaque’, which will be unveiled at No. 22 Cranleigh Street in Camden, north London. Padmore lived there from 1941 to 1957, with his partner and collaborator, Dorothy Pizer.
The address was familiar to almost every African nationalist involved in the 20th century struggle against British colonialism. Two Africans who became the first presidents of their countries – Dr Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya – were habitués of 22 Cranleigh Street, as was Joe Appiah, a Ghanaian politician and lawyer, who became the son-in-law of Sir Stafford Cripps, a former British chancellor of the exchequer.
Many of the statements and pamphlets, as well as the correspondence with which leaders of the British colonies in Africa combated the policies of the Colonial Office in London, were drafted at the dining table of 22 Cranleigh Street. It was also the venue at which George Padmore organised the 5th Pan-African Conference in Manchester in 1945. Padmore and Nkrumah were joint-secretaries to the conference, one of the largest gatherings of black anti-colonial politicians ever seen.
In those days, West Indians and African-Americans often found common cause with their African brothers, and the Manchester Conference elected Dr W.E.B. DuBois, the most famous African-American intellectual of the era, as its honorary chair.
The part played by Padmore’s home in the anti-colonial struggle was sketched for me vividly by a Ghanaian trade unionist, J.P. Addei, then a journalist on the Ashanti Times, who was invited to visit Britain by the Colonial Office. During the visit, a Nigerian companion of Addei’s encountered an act of racial discrimination in London, which they reported to Padmore.
Padmore immediately fired a letter of protest to the Colonial Office on behalf of the Nigerian. The result was a full-scale reception held for the two visitors, at which a minister from the Colonial Office expressed his regrets for the ‘unfortunate incident’.
The late John K. Tettegah, former secretary-general of the Ghana Trades Union Congress and member of the central committee of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP), told me that it was George Padmore who drafted, at 22 Cranleigh Street, the ‘Motion of Destiny’ which Dr Kwame Nkrumah moved in the Ghana National Assembly on 10 July 1953, requesting independence for Ghana within the British Commonwealth ‘as soon as the necessary constitutional arrangements are made’. Independence was granted to Ghana less than four years later on 6 March 1957, with Dr Kwame Nkrumah as the country’s first prime minister.
Nkrumah invited George Padmore to move down to Accra from London to become his ‘advisor on African affairs’. In Accra, Padmore and Dorothy Pizer were housed in a beautiful colonial bungalow, which has now been turned into the ‘Padmore Library’ in Accra. It was there that I met Padmore for the first time. I had been invited to the Soviet Union as a member of a delegation to the Afro-Asian Writers’ Conference held in Tashkent in September 1958, and because in those days Ghana still maintained the old colonial practice of vetting anyone who travelled ‘behind the Iron Curtain’, Padmore, as an expert on communism, was asked to vet me.
He was a very urbane figure and never directly asked me anything about what I thought of Marxism or even Ghana’s politics. We just had tea and chatted about African and world affairs. He apparently approved of me, for when he asked me whether I needed anything for my journey and I said I had no suitcase, he asked Dorothy to bring me what I heard as ‘that revolution suitcase’.
Now, I’d heard that Padmore had travelled incognito throughout colonial Africa, stoking the fires of revolution on behalf of the Comintern, and always managing to stay one step ahead of the British ‘007s’ of the time and their French and Portuguese counterparts. So the idea that he was going to lend me his ‘revolution suitcase’ (probably equipped with a false bottom) excited my imagination a great deal. It was years later that I discovered that what he had actually told Dorothy must have been to bring me his ‘Revelation suitcase’ (‘Revelation’ being the brand name of a popular suitcase)!
The mild American nasal twang that characterised his speech had misled me to mishear ‘revelation’ as ‘revolution’. So my fantasy of lobbing George Padmore’s ‘bag of tricks’ around the world was quite misplaced, and even if I had never subsequently lost it, the suitcase would not now be fetching me a million quid or so at Christie’s auction house.
George Padmore was christened Malcolm Ivan Meredith Nurse on his birth in Arouca, Trinidad, on 28 June 1903. He was educated at St Mary's, and later became a journalist at the Trinidad Guardian. Even at an early age, Padmore held strong views, and after a disagreement with his editor, he left the paper and travelled to study medicine in the USA in 1924. But he soon shifted to law.
However, he didn’t devote himself to his studies, but involved himself in organising black workers. He gained a reputation as a powerful political speaker, and joined the Communist Party of the United States. In 1929, Padmore travelled to the Soviet Union as a member of the party. In the USSR, he was, in 1930, appointed head of the International Trade Union Committee of Negro Workers (ITUC-NW), an organisation that represented the concerns of black trade unionists to the international communist labour organisation (Profintern).
In this job, Padmore secured the finances and organisational structure to become a full-time anti-colonial activist. It enabled Padmore to develop contacts that would prove useful for his later Pan-African initiatives. As mentioned earlier, he was also able to travel secretly to African colonial countries.
However, around 1934 the Soviet line on African colonialism softened, as the Soviet Union embraced an anti-Hitler line that put it in the same boat as the British and French governments.
Padmore was expected to ‘toe the line’ and tone down his attacks on colonialism in the publications of which he was in charge, so as not to offend the Soviet Union’s new bedfellows. This infuriated Padmore and he resigned and left the USSR. He moved to the United Kingdom and in 1941, made his abode at 22 Cranleigh Street. It became the base for his assault on colonialism and imperialism. Organising the 5th Pan-African Conference was his greatest achievement after he settled in England.
In 1957, Padmore accepted Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s invitation to become his advisor on African affairs in Accra, and as soon as he established himself there he set about following up the proposals that had been formulated at the Pan-African Conference in Manchester in 1945.
First he and Nkrumah organised a Conference of Independent African States in Accra in April 1958. This conference declared that ‘the existence of colonialism in any shape or form’ was a threat to the security and independence of the African States, and to ‘world peace’.
This was a significant declaration, for the desire not to upset the Western powers had created an ambiguity in the attitude of some of the independent African states regarding the liberation of the rest of the continent.
The conference went on to state: ‘Condemning categorically all colonial systems still enforced in our Continent … [this Conference"> calls upon the Administering Powers to respect the Charter of the United Nations in this regard, and to take rapid steps to implement the provisions of the Charter and the political aspirations of the people, namely self-determination and independence.’
Significantly, the conference also recommended that ‘all Participating Governments should give all possible assistance to the dependent peoples in their struggle to achieve self-determination and independence’, and ‘offer facilities for training and educating peoples of the dependent territories’.
Padmore and Nkrumah followed the Conference of Independent African States with an ‘All-African People’s Conference’ attended by freedom fighters from African countries still under colonial rule. Within two years of this conference over a dozen African countries, including the biggest countries – the Congo and Nigeria – gained their freedom. Padmore did not live to see this African triumph however. He died in London of a long-term liver ailment on 23 September 1959.
The unveiling of the plaque at 22 Cranleigh Street, London, will be performed by His Excellency Garvin Nicholas, High Commissioner of Trinidad & Tobago, His Excellency Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, High Commissioner of Ghana, and His Worship Councillor Abdul Quadir, Mayor of Camden.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS
* Cameron Duodu is a writer and commentator.
* Please send comments to editor[at]pambazuka[dot]org or comment online at Pambazuka News. | https://www.pambazuka.org/governance/george-padmore-commemorated-plaque-london |
RIVERSIDE (CNS) - UC Riverside will receive roughly $850,000 in federal grant funds for research geared to finding alternatives to using animals for testing chemicals, it was announced today.
UCR was among four universities selected to receive a total $4.25 million under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new Directive to Prioritize Efforts to Reduce Animal Testing.
``We are excited to support UC Riverside's work in helping reduce the use of animal testing and improve our understanding of chemical safety,'' said EPA Pacific Southwest Administrator Mike Stoker.
Under the directive, which EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced via a memorandum, the EPA has set a goal of reducing mammal-based research by 30% in 2025, and eliminating it altogether by 2035, though some exceptions may apply.
Current studies allow for the use of mice and other animals in gauging the safety of chemicals, EPA officials said.
UCR is conducting research that examines the effectiveness of using human cells to measure the effects of some chemicals and pollutants on people, according to the EPA.
The other universities awarded funds are Johns Hopkins, Oregon State and Vanderbilt. | https://kfiam640.iheart.com/content/2019-09-10-uc-riverside-receives-federal-funds-to-find-alternates-to-animal-testing/ |
Cody Rhodes Once Again Denied In Attempt To Trademark “The American Dream” Moniker
According to Heel By Nature, AEW superstar Cody Rhodes was once again denied in his attempt to trademark “The American Dream” moniker, which was the name used by his late father and wrestling legend, Dusty Rhodes.
The former TNT champion originally filed back in March of 2019, then a second time in July of 2020. The report notes that Rhodes’ legal team put in a Request for Reconsideration After Final Action last month, but since the request did not raise a new issue, resolve an outstanding issue, or provide any new evidence with regard to the standing issue, it was denied.
Details of the denial can be read below.
Applicant’s request for reconsideration is denied. See 37 C.F.R. §2.63(b)(3). The trademark examining attorney has carefully reviewed applicant’s request and determined the request did not: (1) raise a new issue, (2) resolve all the outstanding issue(s), (3) provide any new or compelling evidence with regard to the outstanding issue(s), or (4) present analysis and arguments that were persuasive or shed new light on the outstanding issue(s). TMEP §§715.03(a)(ii)(B), 715.04(a).
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This project will analyze the life-cycle development of the burden of chronic diseases in six 5-year birth-cohorts that reached age 65 between 1885 and 1915. It will seek to identify patterns in the timing of the onset of specific chronic diseases, in the development of co-morbidities, in the changing severity of disease burdens over the life cycle, and in the relationship of patterns of disease burdens to causes of death. The project will also seek to identify risk factors during developmental, young adult, and middle age that affected both the development of the burden of diseases after age 50 and longevity. Special attention will be paid to the life-cycle burden of chronic disease among Union Army (UA) veterans who survived to extreme ages, defined for this population as the longest-lived 10% (age 87 or over), 5% (age 90 or over), and 1% (age 95 or over). The age of onset, the duration, the severity, and the prevalence of chronic disease burdens among Union Army cohorts will be compared with those of the WWI, WWII, Korean War and other cohorts that turned 65 from the mid-1950s on.
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A grayscale image is a collection of pixels, which in the case of grayscale images each have an associated gray level or ‘intensity’ value. Histogram equalization can be used to ‘spread out’ these pixel intensities and greatly enhance the contrast in the image, making tasks such as segmentation a lot easier! Here is an example of histogram equalization on some microtubules from Herberich et al (2010).
Denoising
There are many different tools to approach the problem of denoising images, and the ones that you use really depend on the artifacts in your image. For images with periodic noise or scanning artifacts, try Fourier transforms and filtering. For images with ‘salt and pepper noise’, median filtering may work better.
Bilateral filtering/smoothing
Smoothing your image uniformly (e.g by using a Gaussian filter) can result in sharp edges being lost, which isn’t ideal for analyzing delicate structures. Alternatively - bilateral filtering smooths the image by using a weighted average of every pixels neighborhood. This smooths areas without much detail, and preserves sharp lines in the image. This can be seen in these example widefield images from Venkatesh, Mohan and Seelamantula (2015), where the original, gaussian smoothed and bilateral filtered images are shown left to right.
Difference of Gaussians filtering
The Difference of Gaussians (DOG) method is a simple and effective technique to enhance edges in your fluorescence images. This method is commonly referred to as ‘mexican hat filtering’ given the kernel’s characteristic shape!
Top hat transform
A top-hat transformation is a processing step than is excellent for images with many small, bright details. Top tip - Use a structuring element larger than the size of the objects in the image you want to enhance for a deeper effect. Here is the result of a top-hat transformation on blood vessels by Keith Goatman.
Many different techniques exist for image pre-processing, and finding the right ones for your sample can be challenging. However, by trying different methods and with some experimentation, pre-processing will soon become an indispensable part of your analytical toolkit. Have fun!
Share this article: | https://insights.oni.bio/blog/5-pre-processing-steps-to-improve-the-quality-of-your-fluorescence-microscopy-images |
Mirpur Khas, Sindh (PR): Divisional Commissioner Mirpur Khas Syed Ejaz Ali Shah has said that all possible cooperation will be provided in the development of the city. He lauded the steps taken by the P&D department regarding the master plan. master planning could prove to be an excellent tool for sustainable development. He expressed this while presiding over dissemination seminar with the publics presentative on development master plans of mirpurkhas and umerkot organized by the Directorate for Urban Regional Policy and Strategic Planning, Planning and Development Department, Government of Sindh under the directives of the Chief Minister Sindh held at Darbar Hall here today. MPA Syed Amir Ali Shah, MPA Hari Ram Kishori Lal, Mir Tariq Ali Talpur, Rana Hamir Singh, Nawab Younis Talpur, Additional Commissioner 1 Dr. Ali Nawaz Bhoot, Deputy Commissioners Mirpur Khas Salamat Ali Memon, Deputy Commissioner Umerkot Nadeem Memon and others stake holders were present on the occasion. The Divisional Commissioner Mirpurkhas Syed Aijaz Ali Shah has expressed his views on the future needs of the both cities.
While briefing on the occasion, Director General of Urban Directorate Muhammad Ali Koso said that master plans of Mirpur Khas and Umerkot cities of cover a wide range of civic issues including all basic necessities like clean and sustainable development and pollution free environment. It is emerging as a planned city with peace, security and prosperity in housing, water supply, sanitation, education and health as well as employment, income and human resource development with growth in local and regional economy.
He further said that in addition to the above mentioned reports, analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) and future vision, economic development plan, disaster management plan and implementation framework have also been prepared in consultation with stake holders. He told the participants that according to the global survey, by 2050, 60% of the world’s population will be living in cities. Cities account for 80% of global economic growth, and for most economies, cities are recognized as the engine of growth, so sustaining cities is essential to promoting economic growth. The Sindh government has completed the preparation of development master plans for 17 major secondary cities through consultants. These include Sukkur, Larkana, Islamkot, Nawabshah, Nowshero Feroze, Sanghar, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot, Mithi, Thatta, Badin, Sujawal, TM Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Dadu and Jamshoro.These master plans of Sukkur and Larkana towns have been communicated to the local government and HTP.
The DG further said that the directorate has also planned to prepare development master plan for other important cities of Sindh. In this regard, master plans of 12 other major secondary cities are to be prepared through ADP scheme. These include Khairpur, Ghotki, Mirpur Mathelo, Rohri, Shikarpur, Qambar, Kandh Khot, Jacobabad, Kotri, Tando Adam, Moro and Halla he concluded. | http://enewspaper.com.pk/all-possible-cooperation-will-be-provided-in-the-development-of-the-city-mirpur-khas-ejaz-ali-shah/ |
Jean-Claude Juncker’s outrageous WW2 claim exposed: ‘Brexiteers should visit graves’
Mr Juncker briefly returned to the limelight last month, as he spoke to Deutsche Welle (DW) about Europe’s coronavirus response. The former President of the European Commission gave his backing to the joint French and German plan to rescue the bloc’s economies with the creation of an EU bond. In an interview from his Luxembourg home, the 65-year-old claimed the €500billion (£447billion) idea was “the right response”, and warned that a failure to agree on a deal would mean “a very serious existential crisis for the EU”.
Mr Juncker, whose five-year term as the Commission’s head came to an end in November last year, was a controversial figure during his time in office.
His position as a leading advocate of deeper EU integration inevitably drew the ire of many eurosceptics, particularly in Britain.
According to unearthed reports, the Luxembourgish politician particularly sparked fury in the UK ahead of the 2016 EU referendum, when he claimed eurosceptics should have visited military cemeteries.
According to a throwback report by The Telegraph, in an address in The Hague four years ago, Mr Juncker said: “Peace is never a sure thing. Anyone who thinks that peace is set in eternity is fundamentally wrong.”
Referring to the conflict in Ukraine, he noted: “And there is war again in Europe.”
He continued: “Europe gains whenever we point out that Europe is a major project for peace.
“Whoever does not believe in Europe, who doubts Europe, whoever despairs of Europe, should visit the military cemeteries in Europe.”
Mr Juncker was undoubtedly referring to the military cemeteries scattered across Europe remembering the fallen soldiers of World War 1 and World War 2.
His comments were seen as being particularly insensitive, given the horrors inflicted on the continent during Nazi Germany’s reign of terror before the Allied liberation in 1945.
Mr Juncker angered Brexit campaigners, too, as former International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox pointed out that Britain – led by Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War 2 – had been integral to the fight against Adolf Hitler’s fascism, resisting calls to surrender and providing a launchpad for the D-Day landings of June 1944.
He said: “The military cemeteries of Europe are testament to the failure of the continent to control extremism in the twentieth century.
“Had Britain not been a free and independent nation, we would have been unable to intervene to protect Europe from the result of its own folly.
“Before we are lectured by the European Commission, we should take a look at the rise of extremism across the continent and ask whether they are helping or hurting.”
In his address, Mr Juncker also pointedly contrasted former Prime Minister David Cameron‘’s hostility to his appointment to his pleas for help with the renegotiation two years later.
Mr Cameron fought a lonely and unsuccessful battle to halt Mr Juncker’s nomination in 2014, arguing the Luxembourg federalist was ill-suited to the task of reforming the bloc.
Mr Juncker is also said to have been particularly upset by reports that surfaced during the contest in British newspapers about the war record of his father, an unwilling conscript in the Wehrmacht during World War 2, whom he referred to in his speech.
Mr Juncker said that there could be no further negotiations with Britain in the event of a Brexit vote.
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He added: “It would be very nice if we could put this topic into the attic of world history as soon as possible because if we had to deal with this issue for years to come then everything would go wrong in Europe.
“Therefore, there must not be any renegotiations with the British, who I like otherwise, in case of a ‘No’.
“Not only because the British Prime Minister voted against me when I wanted to become president of the Commission but also because he was so glad that we helped him to get a grip on his problem, his self-induced problem.”
Mr Juncker also noted he wanted to stay out of the EU referendum campaign because he believed his unpopularity would have rendered interventions counterproductive.
He concluded: “I’ve made up my mind to talk about it repeatedly but without saying anything because it is not useful if the president of the Commission is meddling in the British campaign.
“The European Commission is even less popular in the UK than in other countries, and it is a remarkable achievement that we manage to be unpopular in the UK at all. | https://mycitybeat.com/jean-claude-junckers-outrageous-ww2-claim-exposed-brexiteers-should-visit-graves/ |
Lily Zheng empowers employers to create inclusive workplace environments through policy recommendations, trainings and best practices. She is also a diverse and inclusion consultant, executive coach, and design researcher who helps people and organizations transform their positive intentions into positive impact. She is being guided by her unwavering commitment to creating more inclusive and equitable systems that can empower all people to not only survive, but thrive. Lily is also the author of the new book: Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace: Transgender and Gender-Diverse Discrimination. The book discusses the struggles that transgender and gender-diverse individuals face in the workplace.
In this Episode:
- Learn Lily’s advice for founders and startup owners build a better ecosystem
- Learn more about diversity and inclusion
- Benefit of having a more diverse gender and palette of people in the organization
- How to make better decisions and bring the company to success
- Tips, tricks and stories from Lily about diverse workforce and practical counsel! | https://foundersplace.co/episode-24-workforce-diversity-and-inclusion-with-lily-zheng/ |
A major meeting of global business leaders is expected to discuss a low-carbon, green global economy.
Leaders from influential global corporations and key environmental organisations are expected to call on countries to make a success of this year’s UN climate negotiations in Mexico.
A business for environment (B4E) conference, which will take place in Mexico City on 4-5 October, will make the call on countries to succeed.
The event today was announced by the Mexican Minister of Environment, Juan Rafael Elvira, UN Under-Secretary General and executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Achim Steiner, the director general of WWF-Mexico Omar Vidal and the chief executive of Global Initiatives, Tony Gourlay.
Transition
Steiner said: “Cancun offers the next opportunity to accelerate a transition to a low-carbon, green economy.”
He says there is potential to address non-CO2 pollutants, such as methane and black carbon, which represent potentially immediate benefits for climate at the conference.
B4E will raise the global business voice ahead of the 16th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP16), which is held in Cancun, Mexico, between 29 November and 10 December. | https://www.siliconrepublic.com/earth-science/business-leaders-meet-to-discuss-green-economy |
Notre Dame of Maryland University seeks Substitute Teachers for our preschool, A Child's Place. The substitute teacher position requires that an instructor carry out the tasks of the absent teacher or instructional assistant for whom he/she is substituting. It is a temporary or long-term replacement of the full-time teacher or assistant who is absent. The substitute teacher is responsible for supporting the teacher or assistant in delivering lessons based on current instruction in the classroom. The substitute teacher will be called upon when needed and will be asked to work in the classrooms for three, four, or five year olds. In cases of extended absences, the substitute teacher may need to help in planning activities that meet the learning objectives of the class for which he or she is substituting. The substitute teacher is expected to be actively involved in all aspects of the classroom. He or she must actively engage and interact with the preschool children in a positive, energetic, and encouraging manner. The substitute teacher is expected to fully support the policies and procedures established by the program.
Responsibilities:
- Assist in maintaining a safe, clean learning environment and in ensuring the well-being and safety of the children in his/her care
- Help to facilitate activities for all children both indoors and outdoors
- Follow plans for daily instruction
- Working with large and/or small groups of children, participate in planned activities
- Assist in preparing materials and supplies in advance for activities
- Help supervise children in classroom activities, during naptime, and outdoor play
- Provide direct instruction in gross motor activities and games in the gym or on the playground
- Assist with set-up and clean-up of classroom each day
- Help prepare snacks and monitor clean-up
- Observe, see, hear, and respond promptly to children's needs, emergencies, and conflicts
- Safely escort and supervise children outside as they cross a parking lot (within pedestrian crosswalk) to reach the playground
- Provide constant attention to preschoolers engaged in appropriate planned physical activities to meet developmental needs.
Resumes of candidates will be immediately considered as openings are available.
Qualifications
Requirements:
- Experience in a child care or preschool setting
- Must be 21 years of age or older
- Successfully undergo a criminal background check, and pre-employment fingerprinting
- Signed and notarized permission to examine records of child and adult abuse and neglect for information about the applicant
- Able to take direction from teacher or assistant in the classroom or other staff member
- Ability to participate in team-teaching approach
- Ability to communicate effectively with parents, children, and peers
- Able to get up and down from the floor or small chairs multiple times a day
- Able to lift up a small child (up to 40 pounds)
- Able to reach a child 20 to 30 feet away within 30 seconds without endangering the substitute teacher's health either indoors or outside
- Must successfully complete in-house orientation
Additional Information:
Notre Dame of Maryland University does not discriminate in offering equal access to its educational programs and activities or with respect to employment terms and conditions on the basis of age, ancestry, color, creed, disability, gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or protected veteran's status. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policy: Greg FitzGerald, Chief of Staff, Notre Dame of Maryland University, 4701 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21210, 410-532-5109.
For all other employment inquiries, please contact Human Resources at 410-532-5898 or [email protected]. Notre Dame of Maryland University is an EEO/AA employer.
All applicants must include:
- Resume
- Cover letter - can be addressed to Mary Ellen Ashton, Director of A Child's Place
- Contact information for three professional references.
Resumes of candidates will be immediately considered as openings are available. | https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/335271/substitute-teacher-/ |
A shortage of instructors to teach courses in Latino history and culture for NIU’s Latino and Latin American Studies minor is leaving some NIU students upset.
The lack of courses has drawn complaints from a newly-formed group which is concerned primarily with social and political issues.
In two letters to the editor in Monday’s Northern Star, NIU students Elizabeth Monge and Pablo Palominos criticized the NIU Center for Latino and Latin American Studies for neglecting course offerings dealing with Latino culture.
To address the issue of the lack of courses on Latino culture, Monge and Palominos have joined with other Latino students to form a new student group.
The title of the group is El Pueblo Unido, which translates into English as “The People United.”
Monge said the purpose of the group is “to educate ourselves about our culture and to make sure that NIU addresses the concerns of the Latino student body.”
Monge and other members of El Pueblo Unido said the main reason they came to NIU was because NIU offered courses in Latino and Latin American studies.
But once they arrived here, Monge and others said they found the courses as being sparsely available.
“That was one of my main interests in coming here to NIU,” Palominos said.
Palominos said he only was able to get scheduled into three courses offered during his freshman year, but has not been able to register for other courses he wants.
Palominos and other members of the group said they are not trying to eliminate courses on Latin American Studies, which deals with Central and South America. They are trying, however, to make sure the center offers an equal number of courses on Latino culture and history, which deals with Latin Americans in the United States.
But Michael Gonzales, director of the Center for Latino Studies, said the blame for the lack of Latino-related courses lies with academic departments within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
“The center only controls one course in the curriculum—ILAS 100,” Gonzales said. “We don’t have the staffing and budget to offer courses.”
He said the availability of courses depends on whether there are instructors available to teach courses.
He said the instructors have to teach courses for the center without being paid at the same time they teach their regular load of courses. | https://northernstar.info/9425/news/city/teacher-shortage-upsets-students/ |
With Cello Girls Emily Kocken aims to create a work that unfolds its discursive qualities over time, like the movements of a symphony or the chapters of a novel. Cello Girls is a project, vinyl record, spatial installation, and a series of events.
In essence, the installation functions as a hub to embrace sound, image, thought, memories, grief, emotions, ceremonial playfulness.
Staged in a circle Cello Girls strives to evoke an intimate threefold relationship between the female body, the audience, and the cello that the artist welcomed back in her life after an absence of many years. By unraveling musical structures (for instance, playing the Solo Suites for Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach backwards) she decodes compositions considered to be pillars of our collective memory.
In this work Kocken reconnects with the cello in homage to the spirit of avant-garde cellist Charlotte Moorman. Through her performances, Kocken aims to share her emotion through the medium of the cello with a live audience, revering break-through avant-garde compositions by Nam June Paik and John Cage, constructing personal performances and new works on paper—based on codes she detected from documentation about Moorman through analysing political references of being an American in the sixties and beyond.
Born in the early sixties Kocken was an infant when Charlotte Moorman was active as an artist, a provocative force of nature in the highly conventional art world, making way for sexuality as a meaningful tool in the field of modern art. She was famous for her happenings, involving a multitude of artists. A pioneer in taking the female body seriously by not taking it too seriously, she stopped wearing clothes during her live performances.
Cello Girls is also the title of the vinyl record that Kocken created in collaboration with Dutch philosopher and sound engineer Jacco Prantl. The album will be released during the exhibition. | https://emilykocken.nl/project/cello-girls/ |
As the holidays approach, children often dream of that perfect gift. What did a child dream of in the early 20th Century? Is it very different from today? Perhaps there are some similarities. We may find a few possibilities in this trade catalog.
The brilliant sparkle of a diamond, the saturated blood-red of a ruby, and the rich deep blue of a sapphire become the building blocks of one of Salvador Dalí’s lesser known artistic enterprises: jewelry design. The renowned Catalonian artist, most famous for his mind-bending Surrealist paintings of dream worlds and for his eccentricity as a self-proclaimed “genius,” began to design his jewelry collection in 1941 and continued the artistic project until 1970.
The Libraries would like to highlight some new titles that have been added recently to the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum Library. | https://blog.library.si.edu/blog/tag/jewelry/ |
During his youth, Olajuwon was a soccer goalkeeper, which helped give him the footwork and agility to balance his size and strength in basketball, and also contributed to his shot-blocking ability. Olajuwon did not play basketball until the age of 17, when he entered a local tournament. It has been said that a coach in Nigeria once asked him to dunk and demonstrated while standing on a chair. Olajuwon then tried to stand on the chair himself. When redirected by staff not to use the chair, Hakeem could initially not dunk the basketball.
Despite early struggles, Olajuwon said: "Basketball is something that is so unique. That immediately I pick up the game and, you know, realize that this is the life for me. All the other sports just become obsolete.
Olajuwon emigrated from Nigeria to play basketball at the University of Houston under Cougars coach Guy Lewis. Olajuwon was not highly recruited and was merely offered a visit to the university to work out for the coaching staff, based on a recommendation from a friend of Lewis who had seen Olajuwon play. He later recalled that when he originally arrived at the airport in 1980 for the visit, no representative of the school was there to greet him. When he called the staff, they told him to take a taxi out to the university.
After redshirting his freshman year in 1980–81 because he could not yet get clearance from the NCAA to play, Olajuwon played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 1981–82, and the Cougars were eliminated in the Final Four by the eventual NCAA champion, the North Carolina Tar Heels. Olajuwon averaged 8.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, shooting 60% from the field in 18 minutes per game. Olajuwon sought advice from the coaching staff about how to increase his playing time, and they advised him to work out with local Houston resident and multiple NBA MVP winner, Moses Malone. Malone, who was then a center on the NBA's Houston Rockets, played games every off season with several NBA players at the Fonde Recreation Center. Olajuwon joined the workouts and went head to head with Malone in several games throughout the summer. Olajuwon credited this experience with rapidly improving his game: "The way Moses helped me is by being out there playing and allowing me to go against that level of competition. He was the best center in the NBA at the time, so I was trying to improve my game against the best."
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A note from Castillo Theatre:
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation evolves, the All Stars Project and Castillo Theatre have been closely monitoring developments locally and globally. As we continue to prioritize the health and safety of our employees, volunteers, artists and audiences, we have decided that we will not be opening Shackleton on Ice, and will be cancelling the remaining performances of New Federal Theatre’s Two Can Play beginning March 12th.
While there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the All Stars Project, our decision to cancel our spring shows is being done out of an abundance of caution.
Thank you for your cooperation as we pull through this time together.
***
Emma Caird is in rehearsal for her new play about the Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. A political playwright and director of some renown, Emma firmly believes that the story of the crushing of Shackleton’s ship in the ice pack in 1915, and his heroism in saving the entire crew, can help the world navigate out of its current crisis.
But as rehearsals get underway, Emma is running into problems. Her longtime producer, Jerry, doubts the play has any commercial potential and stubbornly resists Emma’s desire to stage a play with a message. Two of her leading actors, who are Emma’s live-in lovers, are in turmoil about their three-way relationship. And Ernest Shackleton himself — the hero of her drama — doesn’t like his role. He wants Emma’s production to set him free from the burden of heroism that he has carried for a hundred years.
The Castillo Theatre presents the world premiere of Jacqueline Salit’s Shackleton on Ice, directed by Gabrielle L. Kurlander. By turns philosophical and comical, the play is an exploration of exploration, and of one woman’s vision of theatre as an instrument for change. | https://www.castillo.org/productions/shackleton-on-ice/ |
This associative research project, called Millennium Nucleus for Applied Control and Inverse Problems, ACIP, is funded by Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, ANID, through the Millennium Iniciative. The Millennium Nucleus ACIP is formed by a group of researchers and students from four chilean universities. Our main goal is to find innovative solutions to Real-World problems by creating and applying methods coming from mathematical modeling, inverse problems, control theory, and machine learning. To achieve this, we are convinced that we require new theoretical, computational, and experimental developments, based on the Physics of each problem and also on the use of data. This is a key feature to move the border of knowledge. Our research is focus on high-impact fields as:
- Atronomical Instrumentation
- Neurosciences
- Medical Imaging
In each of these areas we have found relevant and complex problems on which we plan to work in this period from novembre 2020 until november 2023. | https://www.acip.cl/home/ |
Beach Sunset with Granny by Andisiwe Boya
I captured this image on my last trip to Tanzania, where I visited Stone Town’s beautiful exotic beaches. This grandmother was enjoying a beautiful sunset with her grandson on the shoreline, dipping him in and out of the water, of which swimming in the evenings has become a big tradition for the local young boys on the whole island.
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Black & White Photography
Photograph Location
Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Andisiwe is a 26 year old Johannesburg-based photographer with a special interest in story telling documentary-style photography, portraiture, and event photography. | https://www.lightandcomposition.com/award/photo-of-the-day/2020/march-2020/beach-sunset-with-granny-by-andisiwe-boya/ |
A very expensive macroeconomics textbook, having 700-1000 pages, would contain a lot of interesting history, a lot of fuzzy psychology, unscientific analysis, and uncertain conclusions. A reader would not gain a clear theory and complete explanation of the dynamics of the real economic process. However, is there not a superior 228-page, far less expensive textbook right in our hands? How about this? Reword the subtitle of CWL 15 from An Essay in Circulation Analysis to A Textbook of Circulation Analysis, and let the professor instruct the serious student to read the book three times, then report back to discuss the following:
- the canons of empirical method
- a scientific, dynamic heuristic
- the technique of implicit definition; explanatory terms defined by the functional relations in which they stand with one another
- velocitous functional unities of scientific and explanatory significance replacing the BEA’s descriptive, commonsense, accountants’ unities
- the structure of the lagged, rectilinear productive process
- money as a dummy invented by man
- the perspective of a hierarchical series of monetary circuits
- how a monetary circulation meets the rectilinear production-and-vending process
- the primary relativities and concomitance in the Diagram of Rates of Flow
- dynamic equilibrium replacing static Walrasian general equilibrium
- the velocity of money in terms of magnitudes and frequencies
- prices are not a given and not requiring explanation; rather prices are in need of explanation
- interpretation of prices, quantities, interest rates in the light of significant explanatory variables
- the pure cycle and its constituent phases in the expansion of the objective economic process
- the abstract primary relativities and concrete secondary determinations in the expansion of the economic process
- the statistical residue and why prediction is impossible in the general case; predicting weather vs. predicting planetary motion
- the significance of investment’s monetary correlate
- the ineptitude of manipulating interest rates
- the explanation of government and foreign-trade imbalances by the dynamics of superposed circuits
- the distinction between efficient cause and formal cause
- distinguishing between self-healing and the effect of interventions
- the intelligibility and explanatory power of the basic price-spread ratio
- Figures 14-1, 24-7, and 27-1 in CWL 15
The student would learn much that is radically different, explanatory, and very useful; and he/she would gain a perspective or framework by which to evaluate and criticize the flawed premises and tenets of conventional textbooks and traditional theories.
Why Economists Don’t Flock to Functional Macroeconomic Dynamics
Economists don’t have the methodological and conceptual toolkit needed for appreciation of FMD’s scientific and historical significance.
- They don’t know what they don’t know.
- They’re not methodologists and don’t know what constitutes good theory.
- They never read CWL 3, pages 3-172 and 490-97 and, thus, they never studied the canons of empirical method, especially the Canon of Parsimony and the Canon of Complete Explanation; they have no idea of the deficiencies of their method.
- Thus, they lack a purely scientific and explanatory heuristic.
- They do not adequately distinguish description vs. explanation.
- They do not know the type of answer they’re seeking, i.e. their known unknown.
- They do not put questions in the right order to discover basic terms of scientific significance.
- They are mired in muddy premises and disorienting assumptions.
- They are unable to employ a scientific, dynamic heuristic adequate for analysis of a current, purely dynamic process.
- They don’t understand what constitutes the normative system’s requirement for concomitance, continuity, and equilibrium of flows.
- They lack a background in theoretical physics. They don’t understand the principles and abstract laws of hydrodynamics, electric circuits, or field theory. Nor do they understand adequately the idea of continuity and the conditions of equilibrium in macroeconomic dynamics. They are unaware of analogies from physics applicable on the basis of isomorphism to the phenomena of Functional Macroeconomic Dynamics. (Continue reading.)
A Note on Disagreeing with Einstein and the Determinists, on Avoiding a Vicious Circle, and on the Need for Precise Analytical Distinctions
Economic process – like other world processes – has an immanent intelligibility consisting of primary relativities which can be applied to the coincidental secondary determinations which occur throughout time in a non-systematic manifold. Economic process is constituted by schemes of recurrence under the dominance of abstract principles and laws; nevertheless, the actual concrete workings of the economic schemes of recurrence are shot through and throughout time with indeterminancy. So, it is a fact that prediction is impossible in the general case, since the concrete patterns of events occurring throughout time are a non-systematic aggregate. Thus, the point-to-line and higher correspondences are based upon the indeterminacy of the relation between current surplus products and the ultimate later basic products that eventually exit the dynamic process and enter into the standard of living.
An event in an economic scheme of recurrence has a diverging series of conditions. Continue reading
Fundamental Disorientations at the Federal Reserve Bank and the National Bureau of Economic Research
We have arranged this Topic into four parts:
- Part I: The Disorientations of Macroeconomists
- Part II: Principles and Precepts of Analysis
- Part III: A New Textbook, Lonergan’s Macroeconomic Dynamics: A Textbook in Circulation Analysis
- Part IV Comments on The Federal Reserve’s Current Framework For Monetary Policy: A Review and Assessment, by Janice C. Eberly, James H. Stock, and Jonathan H Wright.
Part I: The Disorientations of Macroeconomists
One cannot help but admire and be grateful to the Federal Reserve Bank for its Flow of Funds matrices and the National Bureau of Economic Research for its GDP tables. Great information, well done! However, the Fed, the NBER, and the proponents of the DSGE methodology suffer from fundamental disorientations. The NBER’s descriptive, commonsense, national-income accounting must integrate the Fed’s data on credit and to be recast to provide an explanatory systematization of interdependent flows of products and money. Devotees must reorient themselves. (Continue reading)
DSGE vs. FMD; Sbordone, Tambalotti, Rao, and Walsh
DSGE is – to many economists – the standard model and method of macroeconomic analysis. See our treatment of the textbooks’ IS-LM, AD-AS models and the Phillips Curve correlation.
The acronym stands for Dynamic (in Newtonian mechanics an external force causes a change to constant velocity, i.e. an acceleration, which may be negative or positive), Stochastic (random, not according to system, probabilistic, unexplained) General (pertaining to the entire economic process), Equilibrium (essentially Walrasian static equilibrium). | https://functionalmacroeconomics.com/category/methodology/ |
Ontogenetic development of gut function, growth, and metabolism in a wild bird, the Red Jungle Fowl.
We measured the ontogeny of growth rate, food intake, metabolic rates, organ masses, and intestinal nutrient transporter and hydrolase activities in a wild bird for comparison with previous measurements of the same quantities in four domesticated or laboratory animals. Analysis of covariance with body mass as a covariate showed that body mass accounted for most of the age-related variation in all variables, but that age itself still had a significant effect on most variables. Among organs studied, the ceca exhibited the greatest mass increase with age. Energy intake and resting and basal metabolic rates increased with age, but digestive efficiency, cost of growth, and sustained metabolic scope were independent of age. Although intestinal brush-border glucose and proline uptakes and sucrase activity declined with age, the corresponding capacities increased with age because of compensating increases in intestinal mass. Intestinal passive permeability to glucose was undetectably low. Unlike the four domesticated animals studied to date, jungle fowl possess no intestinal reserve capacities (excesses of capacity over dietary nutrient intake). Cecal absorption may contribute significantly to glucose uptake capacity with increasing age.
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Warp and weft
At Pelham after school art club this half term children have been learning about weaving with artist Veena Scialo.
Tapestry is an art form used throughout the ages to tell stories, and decorate the homes of the rich and powerful.
Many contemporary artists like Grayson Perry and William Kentridge use this traditional craft technique to convey equally powerful messages for a modern audience.
Children began by experimenting with paper and weaving a simple message onto the warp and weft strips. I think these images are quite powerful. The children share with us different ideas, beliefs and languages.
They learned how to make a simple cardboard looms and started weaving using a range of yarns, fabric and decorative strips we found in our materials boxes.
Great work for little fingers, fine motor skills and hand – eye coordination.
It took a little while and several demonstrations to get the measuring and the required lines on the cardboard right but children learned valuable skills to make their own looms from recycling materials like cardboard boxes and gift ribbons.
This was used to talk about waste and recycling which we hope to develop in a bigger piece with the whole group.
Hope you like the finished mini carpets. They were mounted on a piece of felt and some managed to stitch the fabrics together to make a little bag.
Some began to do some circle weaving to create a different effect. | http://childrensartschool.org/?p=9343 |
Embezzlement | Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI).
15:32 01/02/2019 A criminal case against two Probusinessbank managers charged with embezzling 600 million rubles (over $9 million) from the financial organization has been sent to Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky District Court for hearing.
14:50 01/02/2019 The Investigative Committee of Russia on Friday filed a motion with Moscow’s Basmanny District Court seeking to detain one more defendant in a 30-billion-ruble ($455 million) gas embezzlement case.
13:07 01/02/2019 Moscow’ s Khoroshevsky District Court will hear a case against NTpharma top managers Rustam Ataullakhanov and Yevgeny Sultanov, defendants in the Rusnano state corporation embezzlement case which involved ex-mayor of Pereslavl-Zalessky Denis Koshurnikov.
10:53 01/02/2019 Moscow’s Basmanny District Court has detained the father of senator Rauf Arashukov and CEO of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Raul Arashukov until March 30 as part of a case on embezzling natural gas worth 30 billion rubles ($455 million).
16:47 31/01/2019 Moscow’s Basmanny District Court will consider a motion lodged by investigators seeking to place Raul Arashukov, the father of senator Rauf Arashukov and CEO of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz, as part of a case on gas embezzlement worth 30 billion rubles($455 million).
16:39 30/01/2019 Rauf Arashukov, a member of Russia’s Federation Council, has been charged with murder, participation in a gang and witness tampering.
14:59 30/01/2019 Raul Arashukov, the father of Russian senator representing Karachay-Cherkess Republic Rauf Arashukov allegedly involved in several murders, is suspected of embezzling natural gas worth over 30 billion rubles ($455 million) from Gazprom company.
12:09 29/01/2019 The Moscow City Court on Tuesday upheld extension of detention for Tretyakov & Partners law firm chairman Igor Tretyakov involved in a case on embezzling 330 million rubles (about $5 million) from Roscosmos state space corporation.
14:03 28/01/2019 The Moscow City Court on Monday upheld a lower court’s ruling ordering to extend detention of ex-Promsberbank shareholder Ivan Myazin, who stands charged with embezzling over 1.2 billion rubles (over $18 million) from the bank.
14:08 25/01/2019 Moscow’s Tverskoy District Court on Friday held to place convicted ex-president of Vneshprombank Larisa Markus in detention until March 24 as part of a new criminal case launched against her.
13:55 25/01/2019 Ex-chief accountant of Seventh Studio stage company Nina Maslyayeva, a defendant in a multimillion embezzlement case involving the Gogol Center theater director Kirill Serebrennikov, confirmed cash out transactions while giving testimony in court on Friday.
13:30 24/01/2019 The Moscow City Court on Thursday toughened sentence for ex-Deputy Culture Minister Grigory Pirumov to 3 years in prison with a 1-million-ruble fine for embezzling over 100 million rubles ($1.5 million) allocated for the restoration of cultural objects.
18:02 21/01/2019 The Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow on Monday extended detention of Tretyakov & Partners law firm chairman Igor Tretyakov until February 19 as part of a case on embezzling 330 million rubles (about $5 million) from Roscosmos state space corporation.
17:41 18/01/2019 A court in Tyumen, a city in Western Siberia, has sentenced ex-several employees of the Siberian Bank for Reconstruction and Development to 3 years in prison each for embezzling more than 560 million rubles ($8.5 million) from the financial organization.
14:53 14/01/2019 The Moscow City Court on Monday upheld a ruling extending the seizure of property belonging to ex-Deputy Culture Minister Grigory Pirumov charged with $7 million embezzlement.
12:10 14/01/2019 The Moscow City Court on Monday extended house arrest for ex-chief accountant of Seventh Studio stage company Nina Maslyayeva, a defendant in a multimillion embezzlement case involving the Gogol Center theater director Kirill Serebrennikov, until April 19.
12:11 10/01/2019 A court in Blagoveshchensk, a city in Russia’s Far East, has ordered detention for Anton Novikov, CEO of LEO TELECOM company, a contractor of Vostochny Cosmodrome, as part of a 26-million-ruble embezzlement case.
11:59 14/12/2018 Investigators have filed a motion seeking to extend detention of the chairman of the law firm Tretyakov & Partners Igor Tretyakov involved in a case on embezzling 330 million rubles (about $5 million) from Roscosmos state space corporation for 2 months.
13:01 13/12/2018 The Moscow City Court has upheld a 2.5-year prison sentence given to entrepreneur Marina Dyukova as part of a criminal case involving ex-deputy chief of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) Oleg Korshunov.
13:47 05/12/2018 Investigators have closed an embezzlement case against the spokesperson of Russia’s communications agency Roskomnadzor Vadim Ampelonsky. | http://en.infosud.ru/tags/tag_Embezzlement/index_5.html |
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The Student Undergraduate Research Council (SURC) promotes awareness about undergraduate research opportunities at NAU.
By generating awareness, SURC hopes to increase the number of students engaged in research, scholarly, or creative projects at NAU. We also want to convey to students studying in a variety of disciplines and coming from diverse backgrounds that doing research is beneficial for their academic and career development. The members of SURC believe that participating in undergraduate research is an important experience for anyone interested in gaining more knowledge and a deeper appreciation of their academic field.
SURC members responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Major: Microbiology & Biochemistry
Mentor: Dr. Tinna Traustadottir
Current research: Detecting Nrf2 Signaling using Transmission Electron Microscopy
Research activities: BIO485; Hooper Undergraduate Research Award (HURA) Grant
Why I do this: I love that by being involved with research you get to study projects that interest you outside of classes. Another thing is getting to meet so many great people that I never would have otherwise. I enjoy every part of research from the beginning to the end.
Major: Physics & Mathematics
Mentor: Dr. Timothy Titus (USGS)
Current
research: Characterization
of cold CO2 jets on Mars’ South Pole
Research
activities: MAT485; NASA
Space Grant
Why I
do this: Research
has been an excellent way for me to develop and grow as a student that is in
love with my academic field. It allows me to explore my field in a deeper and
more meaningful way that coursework alone can never match.
Major: Biomedical Sciences, with a minor in Chemistry
Current research: Determining the effects of aging on cellular signaling in response to exercise-induced oxidative stress
Research activities: BIO485, Hooper Undergraduate Research Award (HURA) grant
Why I do this: I strongly believe that undergraduates should do research, especially those in the sciences. You get to explore things that don't necessarily have answers yet. The idea of being the first one to discover something is exhilarating. It also provides an avenue for building a relationship with people who could be outstanding references for you after graduation!
Major: Psychological Sciences &
Criminology/Criminal Justice
Mentor: Dr. Meliksah Demir
Current
research: Comparing the qualities
of college student relationships including those of friends with benefits to
platonic ones
Research
activities: PSY485; Hooper
Undergraduate Research Award (HURA) grant
Why I
do this: I think
the best part about engaging in research as an undergraduate is the incredible
experience and knowledge I have gained. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity
to be able to work side by side with a faculty mentor and actually contribute
to the research community.
Major: Geographic Science/Community Development
Mentors: Dr. Marty Lee and Lina Hite
Current
research: Study of invasive weeds in the Kendrick mountain wilderness to create a treatment plan for the Kaibab Forest Service
Research
activities: Interns-to-Scholars
(I2S) program; US Geological Survey summer research
Why I
do this: Engaging
in research projects is a valuable experience; I’ve learned so many skills that
I can apply to numerous facets of my academic career and enhance my
undergraduate experience. I have made connections with wonderful mentors who
have helped me immensely to grow my skillset. | http://www.nau.edu/Undergraduate-Research/Student-Undergraduate-Research-Council/ |
What Causes a Stiff Neck on One Side?
Your neck is the body part responsible for supporting your head. It consists of bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments to give movement in several directions. We tend to take the neck for granted because it is always working in the background, protecting our spinal cord with vertebrae and discs. Unfortunately, many of us don’t dedicate enough care to our necks, leading to injuries, strains, and stiffness.
When your neck is strained, overused, or injured, it can become stiff and painful. Losing mobility in your neck is challenging, especially when combined with soreness and aching. While you should always pay attention to any pain in your body, a stiff neck doesn’t get treated with much priority. People tend to let the stiff neck pain work itself out, which may sometimes go away on its own.
If the stiffness becomes uncomfortable, you should seek professional help. A chiropractor has experience in treating neck stiffness and can help relieve the pain that you are experiencing. The chiropractor can also advise you on lifestyle changes and gentle exercises to help your neck recover.
What causes a stiff neck? There are several aggravators for neck stiffness, which may affect one side or the other. Here are some of the leading stiff neck causes and symptoms:
1. Strained muscles may cause a stiff neck on one side.
When you put your neck muscles under stress, you can develop pain. Many people spend several hours a day hunched over their computers or staring at their phones. This bad posture can put your neck in an unnatural position, impacting your neck, shoulders, and spine. Some jobs or hobbies may also restrict your head movements, which weaken the muscles and cause stiffness to occur.
Even a poor sleeping position may cause a stiff neck on one side. Too many pillows propping up your head or a soft mattress can bring your head and neck out of alignment when laying down. You can treat your neck strain by improving your sleeping position. You can also apply ice to bring swelling and inflammation down.
2. Stress may worsen stiff neck symptoms.
In today’s busy life, we all experience stress. Stress is an emotional tension that can affect our physical bodies in various ways. Along with headaches and gradual fatigue, people may develop neck stiffness as their bodies tense up.
Finding ways to relieve that emotional anxiety will ease the pain from a stiff neck. Exercise is a good remedy for stress and your muscles. Plus, you can target your neck with some light and gentle stretching. Massage therapy is another excellent practice that soothes the body. You may also be interested in meditation, which calms the mind effectively.
3. Whiplash can cause a stiff neck on one side.
Whiplash describes an injury that affects the neck, causing it to move back and forth rapidly. If you incurred a sports injury or were involved in a motor accident, you likely experienced whiplash. The ligaments and muscles in the neck are strained because of overextension and become inflamed. As a result, painful stiff neck symptoms usually follow a whiplash injury.
Based on your medical consultation, you may need pain medication to treat the consequences of whiplash. For more severe injuries, stabilization collars can help to restrict the movement of your neck as it heals. In milder cases, you can use ice and heat treatments to alleviate the stiff neck symptoms.
4. Arthritis may cause stiff neck and shoulder pain.
As we age, our bodies wear down. The discs and joints in the neck start to degenerate over time, and we can develop cervical spondylosis or arthritis in the neck. Arthritis usually causes neck stiffness and pain that can come in waves, aggravated by strenuous physical activities.
In more significant cases of arthritis, even sitting or driving for long periods will make the stiff neck worse. You can also develop headaches, balance problems, and numbness in your hands or arms. Medication may help alleviate the pain, but physiotherapy or massage therapy can correct your posture in the long term.
5. Meningitis can cause stiff neck symptoms.
Sometimes, a stiff neck can be the symptom of a serious illness. Meningitis is inflammation of the fluid and membrane around your brain and spinal cord. The most common cause of meningitis is a viral infection. The condition can range from mild to very serious. Mild cases can improve on their own, while more severe instances may require antibiotics.
The symptoms of meningitis include headaches, fever, and neck stiffness. If flu-like symptoms accompany your stiff neck, you may want to consult a doctor for further diagnosis. Getting early treatment can prevent more severe complications.
6. A pinched nerve may cause a stiff neck on one side.
Your nerves are messengers of information from your brain, down your spinal cord, and throughout your body. The vertebrae protect the nerves in your neck, which deteriorate due to ageing and injury. When our discs become herniated, they start to bulge, stiffen, and collapse, allowing the vertebrae to get closer together. The body responds by creating more bone, developing bone spurs that stiffen the spine and pinch the nerve root.
The radiating pain can affect other body parts, including the shoulders, back, arms and hands. While this pain may go away over time, it can become chronic and possibly damage the nerve in the long term. Before the condition gets any worse, contact your chiropractor for a professional pain relief treatment plan. | https://www.chiro-med.ca/blog/what-causes-a-stiff-neck-on-one-side/ |
Under Trump’s leadership, more coal power plants retire than Obama era
Even though Donald Trump is said to be anti-environment to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement, the latest figures show that coal power plants of higher capacity were retired during Trump’s rule than during Barack Obama’s last regime.
In China, new coal plants of 38.4 GW were commissioned in the year 2020. In other words, China accounted for 76 percent of the total global capacity (50.3 GW) installed last year. And with this, China became 85% share of the total proposed (87.4 GW GW) of new coal plants in 2020.
Now, as the Biden administration calls for the US power sector to decarbonize by 2035, it is surprising to learn that the retirement of a coal plant during Trump’s four-year tenure increased from 48.9 GW during Obama’s second term to 52.4. GW was done. Keep in mind that by the year 2035, one-third (233.6 GW) of the current power capacity (976.6 GW) is to be retired.
At the same time, in the European Union (EU27), led by Spain, the number of retirements of coal power plants increased from 6.1 GW in 2019 to a record of 10.1 GW in 2020. Spain retired half of its coal fleet (4.8 GW of 9.6 GW) last year.
In fact, last year the commissioning of new plants globally fell to 50.3 GW. The decline is 34 per cent over 2019 and is due to the slowdown caused by the Kovid-19 epidemic and delays in projects.
These things were revealed by the 7th Annual Boom and Bust Report released today. A look at the report shows that currently coal power capacity in India grew by only 0.7 GW in 2020. Where 2.0 GW commissioned, 1.3 GW decommissioned or retired.
After Bangladesh, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia announced plans to cut 62.0 GW of coal power, it would not be wrong to say that the development pipeline of coal plants in Asia is collapsing. The Global Energy Monitor (GEM) estimates that due to policies in these four countries, only 25.2 GW of coal power generation capacity will be left. Just five years ago, in 2015 there is a 80 per cent drop from the 125.5 GW plan.
Christine Shearer, GEM’s coal program director, said, “In 2020 we saw many countries announcing a reduction in the amount of coal power in their future energy plans. We probably have the most final coal plant plans in most parts of the world. Looking at. “
Laurie Maileverta, CREA’s lead analyst, said, “Dozens of new coal power projects were announced in China last year, equal to the total coal power capacity of Germany and Poland. These projects are a major test for the country’s peak emissions before 2030 and its pledge to reach carbon neutrality before 2060. Canceling them will take the country on track to the low-carbon development that the leadership says it wants to pursue. “
In addition to GEM, the report is co-authored by the Sierra Club, Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Climate Risk Horizons, GreenID (GreenID) and Ekosfer (Ecosphere). | https://thedailyvoice.in/under-trumps-leadership-more-coal-power-plants-retire-than-obama-era/ |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a magnetron sputter apparatus and a method for forming films by using the same, and in particular to a magnetron sputter apparatus and a method for forming films by using the same, which are suitable for depositing a homogeneous film on a region having a large area such as a magnetic thin film necessary for a thin film magnetic head, etc.
In a prior art sputter apparatus for simultaneously forming films on a plurality of substrates arranged in a region having a large area the films are formed on a substrate which is located opposite the center of a target, are a plurality of substrates are arranged in coaxial circles, and in addition the target is circular, as disclosed e. g. in JP- A-56- 130470. In the case where films are formed simultaneously on a plurality of substrates, it has been believed that it is preferable to arrange them in a film forming region, which is circular or rectangular, in order to obtain a good film thickness distribution, from the point of view of the symmetry. Further a magnetron sputter apparatus using a rectangular target is disclosed in JP-A-58-189372. However, substrate arrangement size of the film forming region further and size of the target erosion area are not indicated in this literature. In these examples of the prior art techniques, neither shape nor size of the erosion area, which have important influences on film forming characteristics such as the film thickness distribution in the film forming region, the ratio of the film thickness on an inclined portion to that on a flat portion (step coverage) , presence of an inclined portion, etc., are known and therefore they are not described.
It is believed that it is difficult to increase the productivity and to stabilize the film quality by forming simultaneously films on a plurality of substrates by means of a magnetron sputter apparatus according to the prior art techniques described above, and such techniques are not known. In particular, no knowledge was obtained concerning the size of the film forming region, the size of the target erosion area and the film forming characteristics in a magnetron type sputter apparatus, specifically from the point of view of improving the film thickness distribution in a large area; and no magnetron sputter apparatus was provided, which was capable of depositing simultaneously a film having an excellent film thickness distribution and uniform characteristics on a plurality of substrates arranged in a large area.
Furthermore, no attention has been paid to the case where the magnetic film has an inclined portion such as in a magnetic head, and there is a problem that good step coverage can not be obtained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the problems described above and the object thereof is to provide magnetron sputter apparatus and a method for forming films by using the same, which are capable of simultaneously depositing a film having an excellent film thickness distribution over a large area and uniform characteristics on a plurality of substrates, obtaining a good step coverage even if the film includes an inclined portion, or realizing both objects simultaneously.
According to the present invention the above objects can be achieved by;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which a plurality of substrates are located on a straight line along the longitudinal direction of an erosion area having shorter and longer sides formed by magnetron magnetic field on a target surface, each of the substrates being located between two adjacent permanent magnets disposed with a predetermined interval on a substrate holder;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which the size of the longer side of the erosion area formed by the magnetron magnetic field on the target surface is greater than the value obtained by subtracting the distance between the target and the substrates from the length in the longitudinal direction of a film forming region enveloping the substrates;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which the size "a" of the shorter side of the erosion area formed by the magnetron magnetic field on the target surface is given by: ##EQU1## where "as" represents the size of the shorter side of the film forming region enveloping the substrates, "bs" the size of the longer side thereof, and "Ds" the distance between the target and the substrates;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which, in the case where the film deposited on the substrate has in part an inclined portion, for which a sufficient film thickness is required, is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the erosion area formed by the magnetron magnetic field on the target surface, or when a straight line is traced, which passes through a longer side portion A of the erosion area formed by the magnetron magnetic field on the target surface and a portion P of the film forming region of the substrate, which is farthest from the longer side of the erosion area in the direction perpendicular to the longer side, the length of the segment AP being L, and a line perpendicular to the erosion area region is drawn towards the target, the angle formed by the perpendicular line and the straight line AP being &thgr;, L/&thgr; has a value determined by 4.+-.0.3, L being expressed in mm and &thgr; in degree;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which, when the length of the shorter side of the film forming region enveloping the substrates is represented by "d" (mm), the shorter side of the erosion area (such area having shorter and longer sides) formed by the magnetron magnetic field on the target surface has a width "a" (mm) given by: ##EQU2## where . alpha.=d/25.4;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which the length of the erosion area is b given by;
b≧n(d+15)+50 (mm)
where n represents a number of the substrates and the length of the film forming region enveloping the substrates is d (mm);
a film forming method, by which a deposited film is formed simultaneously on a plurality of substrates arranged approximately on a straight line, each of which is located between two adjacent permanent magnets positioned with a predetermined interval, in a state where a unidirectional magnetic field is formed on the surface of the substrates so that the magnetic field produced by the permanent magnets is approximately parellel to the direction of the substrate arrangement; or
a film forming method, by which a parallel magnetic field is applied in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the substrate arrangement by means of at least a pair of permanent magnets disposed along the arrangement direction on both sides of a plurality of the substrates arranged on a straight line, and a deposited film is formed simultaneously on the substrates in the state where a unidirectional magnetic field is formed on the surface of the substrates.
That is, the inventors of the present invention have effected various experimental and analytical studies in order to achieve the above object by using a magnetron sputter apparatus for depositing a magnetic film used in a thin film magnetic head and found as the result that it is efficient to form the film on a plurality of substrates arranged approximately in a straight line. In particular, in the case where the film forming region is rectangular or has a shape similar to a race track, it was found also that the film thickness distribution of the sputtered film deposited in a film forming region having a large area is varied by varying the width and the length of the erosion area (the distribution being determined by the maximum and the minimum film thicknesses on the substrates located in the region described above and showing that the smaller the film thickness distribution is, the more uniform the film thickness is) and also that the step coverage varies with varying width of the erosion area. The inventors of the present invention have brought the present invention to completion, based on this new knowledge. That is, in a magnetron sputter apparatus having a rectangular erosion area in a rectangular target, in which a plurality of substrates are arranged on a straight line, the width and the length of the erosion area are restricted in a certain domain determined by a relation between the width and the length of a rectangle enveloping the desired film forming region.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the magnetron sputter apparatus according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top view seen from A--A' in FIG. 1;
FIG. 2 shows characteristic curves indicating the relation between the length of the longer side of the erosion area and the film thickness distribution in the case where a rectangular domain is set for the film forming region;
FIG. 4 is a side view of a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which the shorter sides of the erosion area and the film forming region are viewed from the front;
FIG. 5 shows film thickness distribution characteristics in the direction of the longer side of the film forming region, at the shorter side of the erosion area;
FIGS. 6 and 7 show film thickness distribution characteristics along the width of the erosion area with a parameter of the interval between the target and the substrates;
FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the step coverage in the case where the magnetic film has an inclined portion;
FIGS. 9 and 10 show step coverage characteristics along the width of the erosion area with a parameter of the interval between the target and the substrates;
FIG. 11 is a scheme for explaining the relation between the step coverage and the geometry of the target and the substrates;
FIG. 12 is a top view of another example of the arrangement of the substrates and permanent magnets, corresponding to FIG. 2;
FIG. 13 is a scheme for explaining a case where a magnetic body is disposed in an embodiment of the present invention so as to form a magnetic circuit;
FIG. 14 shows film thickness distribution characteristics along the width of the erosion area in another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 15 shows step coverage characteristics along the width of the erosion area in another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 16 shows characteristics illustrating the relation between the distance between the substrates and the target (interelectrode distance) and the film thickness distribution;
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment inducing a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy according to the present invention;
FIG. 18 shows the geometrical arrangement of the permanent magnets and the substrates in detail;
FIG. 19 shows an arrangement of quadrate substrates;
FIG. 20 is a plan view of an example where the erosion area has an elongated ellipse shape; and
FIG. 21 shows an arrangement of substrates, where they are arranged in a plurality of rows.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Hereinbelow a magnetron sputter apparatus and a method for forming films using the same, according to the present invention, will be explained on the basis of an embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate and construction of a magnetic sputter apparatus according to the present invention, which is used for depositing a magnetic film for a thin film magnetic head.
As indicated in FIG. 1, within a vacuum chamber 1 there are disposed a plurality of substrates 3 fixed on a substrate holder 2 and arranged approximately on a straight line. Each of these substrates 3 is located between two adjacent permanent magnets 6A disposed with a predetermined interval on the substrate holder 2. On the other hand, a target 4 is secured to a target holder 5 opposite to the substrates 3. On the side of target 4 opposite to the substrates 3 there are disposed a pair of permanent magnets 6B so that different magnetic poles are juxtaposed and a yoke 7 forms a magnetic circuit at one end of the magnets. Further, a ground sheild 8 is disposed so as to surround the target 4. The target holder 5 is insulated from the vacuum chamber 1 by an insulator 9 and at the same time connected with a power source 11 through a matching box 10. The vacuum chamber 1 is at ground potential and consequently the substrate holder 2 is at ground potential similarly to the vacuum chamber 1. Usually the target 4 and the target holder 5 are joined hermetically, and the permanent magnets (hereinbelow called magnetron magnets) 6B and the target 4 are cooled by water flowing in piping (not shown in the figure) in the interior of the target holder 5. Further, a pipe 12, through which sputter gas such as Ar, etc. is supplied to the vacuum chamber 1, and another pipe 13 connected with an exhausting apparatus such as a cryopump, etc. for exhausting the interior are connected to the vacuum chamber 1. Now the process, by which a sputtered film is formed on the substrates 3, by means of the apparatus according to the present invention, will be explained. At first, after the vacuum chamber 1 has been exhausted to a high vacuum on the order of 1.3×10.sup.-5 Pa through the pipe 13 by means of the exhausting apparatus, sputter gas such as Ar, etc. is supplied through the pipe 12 thereto so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is kept to a value on the order of 1.3. times.10.sup.-2 Pa. At this time, the target 4 is fed with electric power from the high frequency power source 11 of 13.56 MHz. As a result, plasma discharge is produced between the target 4 and the substrate holder 2. On the surface of the target 4 magnetic field 14 of the magnetron magnets 6B forms a tunnel of magnetic field lines as indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 2. In this way, electrons in the plasma are enclosed in the magnetic field by electro- magnetic force and produce a high density plasma, in which the frequency of collisions with gas molecules is high. Although the target 4 can be made of any material, it is made of permalloy, which is a magnetic substance, in this embodiment.
Positively charged ions in the plasma collide with the target 4 acting as the cathode and particles constituting the target 4 are ejected, forming sputtered particles. They adhere to the substrates 3, which are usually in a heated state, and a film is grown thereon. At this time, the sputtering phenomenon is accelerated between the pair of the magnetron magnets 6B and erosion of the target is great there. Thus the width "a" and the length "b" of the erosion area are defined, based on the center lines between the pair of the magnetron magnets 6B. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the substrates, seen from A--A' in the direction indicated by the arrows. As indicated in this figure, in this embodiment a plurality of substrates 3 (here three substrates are indicated, but there may be more) are located approximately along a straight line connecting the middle points of the shorter sides of a rectangular erosion area.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described previously, in order to induce a uniaxial anisotropy in the magnetic film deposited on the substrates 3, permanent magnets 6A are disposed on the substrate holder 2 and each substrate 3 is located between two adjacent permanent magnets 6A. The magnetic field produced by the permanent magnets 6A is approximately parallel to the direction of the substrate arrangement and the permanent magnets 6A form a unidirectional magnetic field on the surface of the substrates. In this way an anisotropy, including the easy magnetization axis and the difficult magnetization axis with respect to an external magnetic field, is induced in the magnetic film deposited on the substrates 3 and writing-in and reading-out characteristics, which are excellent as a core material for a magnetic head, can be obtained.
In addition, when a magnetic head is fabricated, there is an inclined portion in the magnetic film. If the film thickness on this inclined portion is significantly small with respect to that on the flat portion, the magnetic density is saturated at this portion and therefore no satisfactory writing-in and reading-out characteristics can be obtained. In practice, it is experimentally confirmed that required characteristics can be obtained if the film thickness on the inclined portion is greater than 70% of that on the flat portion.
FIG. 3 indicates results obtained by calculating, in the case where a rectangular domain 80 mm wide and 320 mm long is set as the required film forming region on the substrate holder 2, how the film thickness distribution within the rectangular film forming region described above varies with respect to the length of the longer side of the erosion area (b in FIG. 2). The calculation has been effected for a domain of the width of the erosion area (a in FIG. 2) varying from 100 mm to 260 mm and a domain of the distance Ds between the target 4 and the substrates 3 varying from 60 mm to 120 mm. This calculation has been effected, with the supposition that particles sputtered from all the periphery of the erosion area reach all the parts of the film forming region and are deposited there, on the basis of measured results of emission angular distribution characteristics of sputtered particles, and it is experimentally confirmed for several examples that these calculation results are in good accordance with measured results.
As the result of calculations effected on combinations of various conditions described above, it was understood that the characteristics thereof can be represented by the regions enclosed by the full and the broken lines in FIG. 3. That is, in the case where the distance Ds between the target and the substrates, and the width a of the erosion area, are within the domains described previously, it was confirmed that either combination gives characteristics such that the film thickness distribution is at a minimum around 300 mm for the length b of the longer side of the erosion area, that it is almost constant for lengths greater than 450 mm, and that it becomes rapidly worse for lengths smaller than 250 mm.
In the case where a film forming region of about 80 mm× 320 mm is presumed, it is believed that in view of industrial utilization the calculation domains described above for the size of the magnetron sputter apparatus are sufficient. Although still greater widths a of the erosion area and the distances Ds between the target and the substrates , are possible, they are not suitable for practical applications.
The characteristic minimum with respect to the length b of the erosion area, as indicated in FIG. 3, is due to the contribution of sputtered particles from the shorter side of the erosion area. FIG. 4 is a side view of the target 4 and the film forming region 15 on the substrate holder 2, which are arranged so that the shorter sides are viewed from the front. FIG. 5 indicates film thickness distributions within the film forming region 15 along the longer side, in the cases where the shorter side of the erosion area is positioned at A and B, respectively. The curve indicated by A in FIG. 5 represents the film thickness distribution in the case where the shorter side of the erosion area is located at A in FIG. 4 which shows that the film thickness decreases monotonically from the central portion to the end portions of the longer side. On the contrary, in the the shorter side of the erosion area is located at B in FIG. 4 the distribution shows two maxima. This is due to the effect that sputtered particles coming from the shorter sides of the erosion area are deposited there, which increases the film thickness in the neighborhood of the erosion area B.
In industrial practice it is required to restrict variations in the film thickness distribution to about 10%. As explained above, for the length b of the longer side of the erosion area satisfying the above condition there are two types of distributions, one in which the erosion area is longer than the longer side of the film forming region and the other in which the former is shorter than the latter.
From FIG. 3 it can be understood that, in order to fulfill the restriction that variations in the film thickness distribution are smaller than 10%, if the length of the longer side of the erosion area is greater than about 240 mm with respect to the upper limit characteristics and about 200 mm with respect to the lower limit characteristics, there is no limit for the length of the erosion area in the longitudinal direciton. The value of the lower limit of the longer side of the erosion area depends on how much the erosion area can be positioned towards the center from the end portion of the film forming region 15, and this value is closely related to the distance Ds between the target 4 and the substrate 2. According to these calculations it was determined that it is most suitable to locate the erosion area at a position shifted towards the center by a distance approximately equal to the distance Ds between the target 4 and the substrates 2 from the end portion of the film forming region 15.
Summarizing the results described above, when a rectangular erosion area is chosen from a rectangular film forming region enveloping a required film forming region, it is preferable that the length of the longer side of the rectangular erosion area be greater than the difference obtained by subtracting the distance Ds between the target 4 and the substrates 3 from the length of the film forming region.
Now a method for selecting the width a of the erosion area will be explained.
FIGS. 6 and 7 show film thickness distribution characteristics with respect to the width a of the erosion area, using the distance Ds between the target 4 and the substrates 3 as a parameter. That is, FIG. 6 shows results obtained in the case where the dimensions of the film forming region are 80 mm×320 mm, and FIG. 7 those obtained in the case where the dimensions thereof are 80 mm×500 mm. When a substrate holder 2 having a construction as indicated in FIG. 1 is used, it is possible to locate three and five substrates 3 having a diameter of 3" thereon, respectively.
FIG. 6 shows film thickness distribution characteristics calculated for the case where the distance Ds between the target 4 and the substrates 3 is between 60 mm and 120 mm. The width a of the erosion area, whose film thickness distribution has a minimum value, as well as the width satisfying the condition that unevenness of the film thickness distribution is smaller than 10%, increase with increasing Ds. For example, in the case where Ds =80 mm, the film thickness distribution is minimum at a=140 mm and the domain, where it is smaller than 10%, is about .+-.40 mm wide around a=140 mm. In the case where Ds=100 mm, it is about .+-.50 mm wide around a=180 mm. Also in FIG. 7, for which the film forming region is wider, the characteristics are similar to those described above. That is, in the case where Ds=100 mm, the region .+-.50 mm wide around a=150 mm satisfies the condition that unevenness of the film thickness distribution is smaller than 10%.
Summarizing the results described above, concerning the width a of the erosion area, with which it is possible to obtain the required film thickness distribution relating to the dimensions of the film forming region (a film forming region "as" wide and "bs" long) and the distance Ds between the target 4 and the substrates 3, the following inductive relationship can be obtained; ##EQU3##
When as/bs decreases, i.e. the length of the film forming region increases, if the distance between the target 4 and the substrates 3 remains the same, this relationship indicates that it is possible to decrease the width a of the erosion area, although the decrease is small, and that it is advantageous for the design of the apparatus to elongate the film forming region along a straight line.
Although, in the above, the dimensions of the erosion area have been defined from the point of view of the film thickness distribution in the case where the film is deposited on flat substrates, in the case where a magnetic head is fabricated, as indicated schematically in an enlarged scale in FIG. 8, it is necessary to form a flat magnetic film (lower magnetic film) 16 on a substrate 3, to dispose a coil 18 in an insulator 17 and to deposit an upper magnetic film 19 thereon. This gives rise to inclined portions in the upper magnetic film 19 at the part over the coil 18 and it is important to secure a satisfactory film thickness at these inclined portions. Sufficient sputtered particles are deposited on the inclined surface S.sub.A facing the erosion area A. However, deposition from the erosion area A on the inclined surface S. sub.B, which is on the opposite side, is insufficient and the deposition thereon can be effected, relying only on sputtered particles coming from the other erosion area, which is farther away. The deposition speed of sputtered paticles coming from the farther erosion area is lower and thus the film thickness on this side is smaller.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show step coverage characteristics with respect to the width of the erosion area, using the distance Ds between the target 4 and the substrate 3 as a parameter. FIG. 9 shows those for a film forming region of 80 mm×320 mm and FIG. 10 those for another film forming region of 80 mm×500 mm. In both cases there are shown characteristics that the step coverage increases with increasing width of the erosion area, and further it is indicated that the step coverage increases with decreasing distance Ds between the target 4 and the substrates 3.
The step coverage is determined by the relation between a point A in the erosion area and a point P, which is farthest in the film forming region 15 therefrom, as indicated in FIG. 11. That is, the step coverage depends on the distance L between the point A in the erosion area and the point P, which is farthest in the film forming region 15 therefrom, and the angle &thgr; formed by the perpendicular line to the target 4 and the straight line AP and the step coverage remains the same, if these factors remain the same.
It is experimentally confirmed that, in practice, excellent characteristics for a magnetic head can be obtained, if a step coverage greater than 70% is secured. It was understood that, in FIGS. 9 and 10, examining combinations of lengths L of the segment AP and angles &thgr; in view of obtaining conditions for securing a step coverage greater than 70%, the value of L/&thgr; may be between 3.7 and 4.3.
That is, in order to secure a step coverage greater than 70%, it is preferable that the ratio (L/&thgr;) of the distance between a longer side of the erosion area and one of the longer sides of the film forming region, which is farther therefrom, to the emission angle of sputtered particles has a predetermined value.
On the other hand, it is known that influences of the length of the erosion area on the step coverage are negligibly small when unevenness in the film thickness distribution is smaller than 10%. Therefore, the conditions to secure good step coverage is that the width a of the erosion area and the distance Ds between the target and the substrates are selected so that L/&thgr; is equal to 4 in FIG. 11, as explained above.
In FIGS. 9 and 10 the dot-dashed line indicates the step coverage on the inclined surface (S.sub.A in FIG. 8) facing the erosion area and it can be seen that the step coverage is greater than 80% for all cases. Utilizing these characteristics, in the case where a satisfactory step coverage should be secured for one of the two inclined surfaces, the pattern may be so formed that that inclined surface faces the nearer erosion area. In particular, for the magnetic head, since the side thereof, where there is a head gap, is narrower, the magnetic film is easily saturated there. Consequently it is efficient to arrange the magnetic head at the formation of the head pattern so that the inclined surface, where there is the head gap, faces the nearer erosion area.
Now another example of an arrangement of the permanent magnets for inducing the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the magnetic film deposited on the substrate is shown in FIG. 12. In this example at least a pair of permanent magnets 6C (including the case where the permanent magnets are divided) are disposed on both the sides of the substrates 3 along the longitudinal direction of the straight line arrangement and a parallel magnetic field (perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) is applied to the substrates 3. In this way it is possible to induce a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the magnetic film formed on the substrates 3. Consequently, even if the number of substrates 3 is increased, it is possible to apply a uniform magnetic field to the substrates 3 by varying the length of the permanent magnets 6C. Furthermore, in this way it is possible to reduce the length in the longitudinal direction, with respect to that required in the case where the permanent magnets 6A indicated in FIG. 2, described previously are disposed.
Furthermore, as indicated in FIG. 13, a magnetic body 16 is disposed on the outer side of the permanent magnet 6A, i.e. on the side thereof opposite the target 4, so as to form a magnetic circuit, which can reduce influences of the leakage magnetic field from the permanent magnets 6A on the plasma generated between the substrates 3 and the target 4. In this way it is possible to realize a more uniform film thickness disbtribution.
Next, the width "a" of the erosion area satisfying both the uniform film thickness distribution and the step coverage will be explained. FIG. 14 indicates a calculated relationship between the width of the erosion area and the film thickness distribution, which shows V- shaped characteristics, i.e. the film thickness distribution has a minimum value for a certain width of the erosion area. FIG. 15 shows the relationship between the width of the erosion area and the step coverage, which indicates that the step coverage increases at first with increasing width of the erosion area and thereafter decreases. The smaller the unevenness of the film thickness distribution and the greater the step coverage is, the more preferable the characteristics of the film are. However, the upper limit of the unevenness of the film thickness distribution and the lower limit of the step coverage, which are usable, are indicated as aimed domains in FIGS. 14 and 15. The width of the erosion area satisfying both the aimed domain of the unevenness of the film thickness distribution indicated in FIG. 14 and that of the step coverage indicated in FIG. 15 is indicated also in FIG. 14. Although FIGS. 14 and 15 indicate calculated results obtained for a substrate having a diameter of 3", similar results have been obtained also for a substrate having a diameter of 5". The film thickness has been obtained by using the following equation; ##EQU4## where T: film thickness at an arbitrary point P on the substrate. F.sub.o : constant relating to the sputter rate.
dA.sub.s : infinitesimal area at an arbitrary point S of the erosion area.
R: distance between the point P and the point S.
&agr;: angle formed by the segment SP and the normal to the target.
&bgr;: angle formed by the segment SP and the normal to the substrate, and
g(&agr;): sputtered particle angular distribution function.
By integrating the above equation over the domain of the erosion area it is possible to obtain the film thickness T at the arbitrary point P on the substrate. The film thickness can be obtained by applying a measured emission distribution to g(&agr;). Measured data (film forming conditions: supplied electric power 3 kW, sputtering gas is Ar, and the gas pressure is 2.7˜4.0×10.sup.-2 Pa) are also shown in FIG. 14, and they are in good accord with the calculated results. The width a of the erosion area satisfying both the aim of the unevenness of the film thickness distribution and that of the step coverage is in a domain comprised between 112 mm and 192 mm for a substrate having a diameter of 3". On the other hand, calculations for a substrate having a diameter of 5" indicate that the width a of the erosion area satisfies both the aims for a domain comprised between 132 mm and 212 mm. It can be seen from FIGS. 14 and 15 that in order to reduce the unevenness of the film thickness distribution, a value of "a" may be chosen at the neighborhood of the center of fluctuations; and, on the other hand, in order to increase the step coverage, a rather great value of "a" may be chosen. The domain of "a" described above, which is common to a substrate having a diameter of 3" and a substrate having a diameter of 5", can be summarized by the following equation: ##EQU5## where &agr; =d/25.4 and d (mm) represents the length of the shorter side of the film forming region enveloping the substrates. It is obvious from the explanation described above that the domain of "a" represented by the above equation is applicable to substrates having diameters of 3" and 5" used currently in practice. However if the area of the film forming region has this order of magnitude, it can be applied satisfactorily to substrates having other shapes, independently of the size of the substrates.
By selecting the width of the erosion area within the domain described above a homogeneous film, whose unevenness of the film thickness distribution is small and whose step coverage is great, can be obtained on a plurality of substrates.
FIG. 16 shows the relationship between the interelectrode distance (distance between the substrates 3 and the target 4 in FIG. 1) and the film thickness distribution. Calculations have been effected for two types of substrate shapes having different sizes. The results show that, in order to form a film on a plurality of substrates with a small unevenness of the film thickness distribution, the interelectrode distance may be selected so as to be greater than 90 mm.
Consequently, if the interelectrode distance is greater than 90. degree. mm, that the film can be formed with a small unevenness of the film thickness distribution.
FIG. 17 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus indicated in this figure is rotated by 90° with respect to that indicated in FIG. 1, and the pipes 12 and 13 in FIG. 1 are not shown here. Differing from the apparatus indicated in FIG. 1, an example is illustrated here in which a Helmholtz coil 25 is disposed outside of the vacuum chamber 1 and a coil is used for inducing a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the film. Also, by using the apparatus indicated in this figure, if the width "a" of the erosion area is within the domain represented by the preceding equation, a film, in which the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy can be induced, can be obtained with a small unevenness of the film thickness distribution and a great step coverage.
FIG. 18 illustrates in detail an arrangement of permanent magnets 6A, which gives the substrates 3 a unidirectional magentic field. By using this arrangement a similar effect can be obtained, if the width a of the erosion area is defined within the domain represented by the equation described above.
FIG. 19 illustrate an arrangement of quadrate substrates 3. In this case, since d in the preceding equation corresponds to the length d of one side in FIG. 19, calculations can be effected in the same way. In the case where the substrates are rectangular, d may represent the length of the longer side.
In FIG. 20, the shape of the erosion area 14 between the permanent magnets 6B indicated in FIG. 2 is an elongated ellipse, different from the rectangle indicated in FIG. 2. In this case also it is possible to form a homogeneous sputtered film on a plurality of substrates by defining the width a of the erosion area as stated previously.
FIG. 21 illustrates an arrangement of a plurality of substrates disposed in a plurality of rows. In this case d in the preceding equation is determined by the distance between the outermost sides of the substrates and a similar effect can be obtained by applying it to the preceding equation.
Now, when the length b of the erosion area 14 indicated in FIG. 2 is too small, the film thickness is greater at the outer substrates 3 than at the central substrate 3, and the film thickness distribution is worsened by influences of the sputtering from the shorter sides of the erosion area 14. The greater the length b of the erosion area 14 is, the more preferable it is from the point of view of the film thickness distribution and the step coverage. However, from the point of view of the design of the apparatus it is preferable that it is small. When n substrates 3 having a diameter of d (mm) are arranged on a straight line, if the length b of the erosion area 14 is equal to b=n.d, which is smallest, the film thickness distribution is bad. It has been known that it is preferable to locate the erosion area 14 at a position distant at least by 25 mm from the outermost substrates 3. When the distance between two adjacent substrates 3 is about midway between of 10 mm and 20 mm, the optimum value of b can be given by;
b≧n(d+15)+50 (mm)
and satisfactory results can be obtained within this domain from the point of view of the film thickness distribution and the step coverage.
Further, if a plurality of substrates 3 are arranged on a straight line, which is approximately in the middle of the two longer sides of the erosion area, all the substrates 3 can be influenced by the sputtering from the erosion area 14 composed of the longer sides to the same degree, they are hardly influenced by the erosion area 14 composed of the shorter sides, and thus it is possible to form a homogeneous film on a plurality of substrates 3.
Furthermore, the shape of the erosion area in the above explanation is not restricted to a rectangle or an elongated ellipse, but it may be a race track shape, and it is desirable to arrange the substrates, on which the film is to be formed, with a high efficiency within that region.
As explained above, since the magnetron sputter apparatus and the method for forming film by using the same according to the present invention are constituted as follows;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which a plurality of substrates are located on a straight line along the longitudinal direction of an erosion area with shorter and longer sides formed by a magnetron magnetic field on a target surface, each of them being located between two adjacent permanent magnets disposed with a predetermined interval on a substrate holder;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which the size of the longer side of the erosion area formed by the magnetron magnetic field on the target surface is greater than the value obtained by subtracting the distance between the target and the substrates from the length in the longitudinal direction of a film forming region enveloping the substrates;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which the size "a" of the shorter side of the erosion area formed by the magnetron magnetic field on the target surface is given by; ##EQU6## where "as" represents the size of the shorter side of the film forming region enveloping the substrates, "bs" the size of the longer side thereof, and "Ds" the distance between the target and the substrates;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which, in the case where the film deposited on the substrate includes an inclined portion, for which a sufficient film thickness is required, is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the erosion area formed by the magnetron magnetic field on the target surface, or when a straight line is traced, which passes through a longer side portion A of the erosion area formed by the magnetron magnetic field on the target surface and a portion P of the film forming region of the substrate, which is farthest from the longer side of the erosion area in the direction perpendicular to the longer side, the length of the segment AP being L, and a line perpendicular to the erosion area region is drawn towards the target, the angle formed by the perpendicular line and the straight line AP being &thgr;, L/&thgr; has a value determined by 4.+-.0.3, L being expressed in mm and &thgr; in degree;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which, when the length of the shorter side of the film forming region enveloping the substrates is represented by d (mm), the shorter side of the erosion area with shorter and longer sides formed by the magnetron magnetic field on the target surface has a width a (mm) given by; ##EQU7## where &agr;=d/25.4;
a magnetron sputter apparatus, in which the length of the erosion area is b given by;
b≧n(d+15)+50 (mm) ,
where n represents a number of the substrates and the length of the film forming region enveloping the substrates is d (mm);
a film forming method, by which a deposited film is formed simultaneously on a plurality of substrates arranged approximately on a straight line, each of which is located between adjacent permanent magnets positioned at a predetermined interval, in a state where a unidirectional magnetic field is formed on the surface of the substrates so that the magnetic field produced by the permanent magnets is approximately parallel to the direction of the substrate arrangement; or
a film forming method, by which a parallel magnetic field is applied in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the substrate arrangement by means of at least a pair of permanent magnets disposed along the arrangement direction on both the sides of a plurality of the substrates arranged on a straight line, and a deposited film is formed simultaneously on the substrates in the state where a unidirectional magnetic field is formed on the surface of the substrates, it is possible to deposit a film of uniform characteristics having film forming characteristics excellent in the film forming distribution over large area simultaneously on a plurality of substrates, to assure a good step coverage, even if the film has an inclined portion, and further to achieve simultaneously both of them described above. | |
Data is central to any business function. Major business processes and decisions depend on relevant data. However, in today’s technological and competitive world, the existence of data does not solely ensure that the corresponding business functions will run smoothly. The quality of the underlying data is of paramount importance in ensuring correct decisions.
The quality of a set of data is judged by many parameters including accuracy, consistency, reliability, completeness, usefulness and timeliness. Poor quality data refers to missing, invalid, irrelevant, outdated or incorrect data. Poor data quality does not only imply that the data has been acquired incorrectly. There could be many other reasons that could result in absolutely valid data at one point of time for one function, becoming totally wrong for another business or function.
The following list categorizes the various stages in the data life cycle where deterioration of data quality may occur, in a business enterprise.
The above classifications are described below in greater detail along with the actual processes occurring within each classification.
Data is entered into the company’s systems by many ways including manual and automatic. Data migration in large volumes introduces serious errors. There are many factors that contribute to poor quality of incoming data.
When data is migrated from an existing database to another, a host of quality issues can arise. The source data may itself be incorrect owing to its own limitations; or the mapping of the old database to the new database may show inconsistencies or the conversion routines may map them incorrectly. It is often seen that the ‘legacy’ systems have metadata which is out-of-sync with the actual schema implemented. The data dictionary’s accuracy serves as the base for conversion algorithms, mapping and efforts. If the dictionary and actual data are out of sync, it can lead to major problems in data quality.
Business mergers and acquisitions lead to data consolidations. Since the focus is mostly on business process streamlining, the data conjoining is usually given lesser importance. This can be catastrophic especially if data experts of the previous company are not involved in the consolidation process, and there are challenges with out-of-sync meta data. Merging two databases which do not have compatible fields may lead to incorrect data ‘fitment’ and hit data accuracy adversely.
Data is fed manually into the system many times, and is hence prone to human error. Since user data is often entered through various user-friendly interfaces, they may not be directly compatible with the internal data representation. In addition, end-users tend to fill ‘shortcut’ information in fields that they perceive to be unimportant, but which may be crucial to internal data management. The data operator may not have the expertise to understand this data and might incorrectly fill values in the wrong fields or may mistype the information.
Often automated processes are used to fill in large volumes of similar data in batches, as this saves effort and time. The systems pushing this bulk amount of data may pump in equally huge amounts of wrong data as well. This can be quite disastrous, especially when data travels down a number of databases in series. Wrong data can trigger incorrect processes that may result in incorrect decisions which might have huge adverse impacts for the firm. Usually, the data flow across the integrating systems is not fully tested, and any upgrade of software processes in the data chain with inadequate regression testing may have a detrimental effect of great magnitude on live data.
This is in complete opposition to batch feeds. With real-time interfaces and applications becoming the flavor of interactive and enhanced user experience, data enters the database in real-time and often propagates quickly to the chain of interconnected databases. This triggers actions and responses that might be visible to the user almost immediately, leaving little room for validation and verification. This causes a huge hole in the data quality assurance where a wrong entry may cause havoc at the back end.
The company may be running processes that modify data residing within the system. This may lead to the involuntary introduction of errors in the data. The following processes are responsible for internal changes in enterprise data.
Data in an enterprise needs to be processed regularly for summarizations, calculations and clearing up. There may have been a well-tested and proven cycle of such data processing conducted in the past. The code of the collation programs, the processes themselves, as well as the actual data evolve with time; hence a repeated cycle of collation may not yield similar results. The processed data may be completely off-the-mark and if it forms the basis of further successive processing, the error may travel down in a multifold manner.
Every company needs to rectify its incorrect data periodically. Manual cleansing has been taken over by time and effort saving automations. Although this is very helpful, it has the potential risk of wrongly affecting thousands of records. The software used to automate may have bugs, or the data specifications which form the basis of cleansing algorithms may be incorrect. This can result in making absolutely valid data, invalid, and virtually reverse the very advantage of the cleaning exercise.
Old data constantly needs to be removed from the system, to save valuable storage space and reduce the maintenance efforts needed for retaining mammoth and obsolete volumes of information. Any purging results in destruction of data. Hence, a wrong or accidental deletion can affect data quality hazardously. Just as in the case of cleansing, bugs and incorrect data specifications in the purging software may unleash unwarranted destruction of valuable data. At times, valid data may incorrectly fit the purging criteria, and get erased.
Data inside the company’s databases is subjected to manipulations due to system upgrades, database redesign and other such exercises. This results in data quality issues, since the personnel involved may not be data experts and the data specifications may be unreliable. Such deterioration of data is termed as data decay. Some reasons this problem occurs.
Data represents real-world objects which may change on their own with time, and the data representation might not be catching up with this change. Thus, this data gets automatically aged and transformed into a meaningless form. Also in the case of interconnected systems, changes made to one branch are not migrated to the interfacing systems. This can lead to huge inconsistencies in data which may show up adversely at a later stage, often after the damage has occurred.
System upgrades are inevitable, and such exercises rely heavily on the data specifications for the expected data representation. In reality, the data is far from the documented behavior and the result is often chaotic. A system upgrade that is poorly tested can hence lead to irreversible data quality damages.
Businesses need to find more revenue generating uses of existing data and this may open up a new set of issues. Data meant for one purpose may practically not suit another objective and using it for new purposes may lead to incorrect interpretations and assumptions in the new area.
Data and data experts seal an impenetrable pact; the expert usually has an ‘eye’ for wrong data, is well-versed with the exceptions, knows how to extract relevant data usefully and discard the rest. This is due to long years of association with the ‘legacy’. When such experts retire, move on, or are dropped due to a new merger, the new data handling member may be unaware of these data anomalies which were earlier rectified by the experts. Hence, wrong data may travel unchecked into a process.
As more applications with higher automation levels share huge volumes of data, users get more exposure to erroneous internal data that was previously ignored. Companies stand to lose credibility in case of such exposure. Automation cannot replace the need to validate information; intentional and unintentional tweaking of data by the users may also lead to data decay, which may be out of the company’s control. IN conclusion, data quality can be lost due to processes that bring data into the system, those that tend to cleanup and modify the data and through a process of data ageing and decay where the data may itself not change in time.
New business models in today’s modern and rapidly changing scenarios are throwing up innovative and newer functions and processes every day. Each cycle of automation or a revamp of an existing process throws up its own set of unforeseen challenges that affect data quality. The key to ensuring data quality is a dedicated study of the data flow within each process and implementing a regular audit and monitoring mechanism to detect data decay.
A blend of automation and manual validation and cleansing by trained data processing operators is the need of the hour. Data quality challenges should be the key focus for any enterprise if it wants to ensure its smooth running and subsequent growth. | https://www.invensis.net/blog/major-causes-of-enterprise-data-quality-problems |
Scientists said this week a volcano in southern Italy might be getting ready to erupt. A group of researchers found the first direct evidence of a “hot zone” feeding a supervolcano in Italy, which they believe is about to erupt, Phys.com reports.
The volcanic caldera is called Campi Flegrei, which last erupted centuries ago. Researchers said in a study in the journal Scientific Reports that their research on Campi Flegrei could help experts better predict when a volcano is going to erupt.
The volcano, located west of Naples, is classified as a supervolcano because it once experienced an eruption of a magnitude eight on the Volcano Explosivity Index. Magnitude 8 is the highest on the scale.
Campo Flegrei might be on the verge of an eruption
Campo Flegrei has been relatively quiet since the 1980s when the injection of magma –or other fluids—in the shallower structure of the supervolcano caused a series of small earthquakes. The researchers used seismological techniques and were able to locate the “hot zone” where molten materials rose to feed the caldera during this period.
“One question that has puzzled scientists is where magma is located beneath the caldera, and our study provides the first evidence of a hot zone under the city of Pozzuoli that extends into a sea at a depth of 4 km,” said Dr. Luca De Siena at the University of Aberdeen, the study’s lead author, according to Phys.com.
Dr. Siena added that while the site is the most probable location of a small batch of magma, “it could also be the heated fluid-filled top of a wider magma chamber, located even deeper.”
The new study is providing a new benchmark that could help scientists determine when and where volcanoes are going to explode.
Supervolcano is becoming more dangerous
Dr. De Siena’s research suggests that magma was prevented from rising to the surface in the 1980s due to the presence of a 1-2 km-deep rock formation that blocked its path, which forced it to release stress along a lateral route. That re-route incident was likely the cause of the series of earthquakes that took place that decade.
The implications of the study aren’t entirely understood yet, but the researchers believe the relatively small amount of seismic activity in the area since the 1980s suggests that pressure has been building up within Campi Flegrei, making it more dangerous.
“During the last 30 years the behavior of the volcano has changed, with everything becoming hotter due to fluids permeating the entire caldera,” said Dr. De Siena. “Whatever produced the activity under Pozzuoli in the 1980s has migrated somewhere else, so the danger doesn’t just lie in the same spot, it could now be much nearer to Naples, which is more densely populated.”
The doctor noted that you could now characterize the supervolcano as “being like a boiling pot of soup beneath the surface.” De Siena acknowledged they don’t know what that means regarding the scale of any future eruption, but stressed that the volcano is becoming more dangerous.
“The big question we have to answer now is if it is a big layer of magma that is rising to the surface or something less worrying which could find its way to the surface out at sea,” he said. | https://www.pulseheadlines.com/supervolcano-southern-italy-erupt-scientists-warn/67224/ |
The invention provides an intelligent holographic pulse condition acquisition and diagnosis device. The intelligent holographic pulse condition acquisition and diagnosis device comprises a main shell and a fastener connected with the main shell, a display screen is arranged on the main shell, an MCU control unit, a photoelectric sensor unit and a photosensitive receiving unit are arranged in the main shell, the MCU control unit is connected with the photoelectric sensor unit and the photosensitive receiving unit, the MCU control unit is further connected with a signal processing circuit and a wireless communication module, and the MCU control unit is connected with an APP mobile terminal through the wireless communication module. By collecting and transmitting pulse condition data information, holographic pulse condition information are generated on the APP mobile terminal, traditional Chinese medicine remote diagnosis and treatment are achieved, the pulse condition data has high accuracy, dynamic real-time pulse feeling is achieved, and the intelligent holographic pulse condition acquisition and diagnosis device has advantages of high accuracy, convenient use, timely in medical treatment and the like. The intelligent holographic pulse condition acquisition and diagnosis device can provide patients with real-time traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment services, guarantees diagnosis and treatment precision and effects and improves traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment efficiency. | |
Parintins is a city in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, near the border of Pará.
UnderstandEdit
The city is famous for the Boi Bumbá festival that celebrates Amazonian culture.
Get inEdit
Parintins is located on a fluvial island surrounded by several rivers in the Amazon rainforest. The only way to get to Parintins is by boat or plane.
By planeEdit
1 Parintins-Júlio Belém Regional Airport (PIN IATA). The Parintins-Júlio Belém Regional Airport receives daily flights from Manaus via Voepass and flights via Azul 4 times a week (on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays). In June, due to the Parintins Festival, the number of flights to the city is increased by seasonal and extra flights.
By boatEdit
Get aroundEdit
SeeEdit
- Square of Sagrado Caracao of Jesus
DoEdit
- The Parintins Festival is one of Brazil's most famous and exciting festivals. Visitors arrive at the island of Parintins to witness the dispute played by the two "bumbás", groups of people, representing the two "bulls": "Caprichoso" and "Garantido", from the Parintins Cult.
BuyEdit
EatEdit
DrinkEdit
SleepEdit
Dozens of pousadas, starting at 20 reais a night. | https://en.m.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Parintins |
Individuals who have suffered from child maltreatment tend to have difficulties learning to interpret and understand social and emotional cues from others (Pollak, 2004; Stuewig, 2005). As a result of these difficulties, such individuals are likely to have problems forming and maintaining positive relationships throughout their lives (Pollak, 2011). These disruptions in social processes are one of the main features emphasized in the new NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework for understanding mental disorders. Further, both child maltreatment and poor social communication abilities are related to the development of a host of negative health and behavior problems (Cervilla et al., 2007; Cicchetti & Toth, 1998; Lansford, Dodge, & Pettit, 2002; Shechner et al., 2011). Attention re-training paradigms that target biases toward emotional stimuli have shown promise as tools for intervention (Beard, Sawyer, & Hofmann, 2012). Such paradigms have been shown to alter emotion biases and attenuate negative symptoms associated with them, including anxiety (Amir, Beard, Burns, & Bomyea, 2009), depression (Hallion & Ruscio, 2011), and aggression (Penton-Voak et al., 2013). However, whether this type of intervention would aid in altering biases that result from child maltreatment has received little attention. The current proposal is a novel set of studies designed to provide training to allow the PI to further develop the skills necessary to secure a research faculty position and to further the development of this program of research. In addition, this proposal seeks to provide initial evidence that specific atypical emotion processes can be targeted for effective behavioral interventions among maltreated children. To achieve these goals, the two Specific Aims of this research are: 1) To determine whether allocation of attention to emotion cues is associated with social functioning among maltreated children and 2) To test a potential mechanism through which attentional processes can be altered in ways that improve children's regulation of social processes.
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For The Jamie Lloyd Company: Doctor Faustus (Duke of York’s); The Maids, Macbeth, Richard III, East Is East, The Ruling Class, The Hothouse, The Pride (Trafalgar Studios).
Theatre credits include: Othello, As You Like It, Our Country’s Good, Rules For Living, Hotel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National and West End); The Comedy of Errors, One Man Two Guvnors (National, West End, Broadway & World Tour); Frankenstein, Season’s Greetings, Hamlet, Women Beware Women and War Horse (National and West End); Tina, The Lieutenant of Innishmore, Hand To God (West End); Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet (RSC), Young Marx, Julius Caesar (Bridge Theatre); King Lear (Chichester and West End); The Last Goodbye (The Old Globe, San Diego); Merchant of Venice, Anthony & Cleopatra, Dr Faustus, Henry V (Globe), Liberian Girl (Royal Court), Black Comedy (Chichester); Urinetown (St James Theatre and West End); Don Giovanni (Royal Operal House); From Here To Eternity (West End); Henry IV, Julius Caesar (Donmar & St Ann’s Warehouse, NYC); Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Two Noble Kinsmen, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus, King Lear, Loves Sacrifice, Dr Faustus (RSC); Noises Off (Old Vic and West End); The Duchess of Malfi, Sweet Bird of Youth (Old Vic); Jesus Christ Superstar, Peter Pan, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Porgy & Bess and Lord of the Flies (Regent’s Park Open Air); Disgraced (Bush); Bugsy Malone, Saved, Blasted, Herons (Lyric Hammersmith).
Television includes: Coronation Street, Coronation Street Live 2015, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks.
Other: Kate has been interviewed for Woman’s Hour and Radio 4. | https://www.pinteratthepinter.com/creative-team/kate-waters |
Morgan Yu awakens from a precipitous slumber within the posh confines of his apartment. Uneasiness settles in, as you begin to navigate this deceptively sterile residence, incompatible with preconceived notions of what your reality should be. Grasping a modular device from a nightstand, you receive a call from your brother Alex; a fellow scientist, notifying you that a helicopter will be arriving shortly to bring you to a testing facility. Upon arrival, you are greeted by your brother who informs you that you will be transported to Talos-1, a research space station on the cutting edge of scientific discovery. The contextual setup of Prey’s opening testing facility sequence is reminiscent of Half-Life’s enduring introduction to the Black Mesa Research Facility and science gone awry. Generating a sense of compulsion to uncover what lurks beneath the facade, eager to unravel the mysteries of this alluring new world.
Prey slowly begins to unravel its framework within the first hour of the game, implanting the player into a world where they are the experiment – controlled by fictitious personalities harboring cataclysmic secrets. Conscious reality becomes increasingly elusive as ephemeral machinations pierce the veil of sanity. Fractal distortions perpetually change the channels within the darkest recesses of Morgan’s mind. Navigating this perceived reality intensifies, as amnesic strands of narrative coalesce into complex overarching themes of resolute scientific exploration into the realm of the unknown.
Talos-1 is expansive, and filled with intricacies in which the player can seamlessly interact with. Emails, books and other contextual objects serve to unpack the horrific events occurring on the space station, and shed light on the manipulation you’ve been subjected to. Inhabitants within the space station, both living and dead, are well realized, serving as believable occupants within the habitat they share. How the player chooses to balance risk, self-preservation, good will and objectives, feels consequential, as your choices hold weight with identifiable characters and emotions.
Alongside the human inhabitants of Talos-1 lurks an enigmatic life form known as Typhon. Typhon has been preying upon human occupants and indiscriminately slaughtering anyone in its path. Harrowing shadows twitch and morph, as they flux with static disruption to mask their advances. Enemies known as mimics are able to shape-shift into random objects within the environment. Pitch-black phantoms resemble humans, wrapped in shadowy tendrils with the ability to ignite their surroundings, emit noxious clouds of toxins or lash at you with electrified extensions. Unique enemy design intensifies combat and forces the player to scrutinize otherwise mundane objects, utilize their environment, and decipher misdirection. While the enemy’s combat mechanics keep the player on their toes, there aren’t enough enemies in the game to satisfy vague feelings of redundancy.
Early portions of Prey’s combat are relatively lackluster, until the latter acts, in which the player begins to acquire a sufficient amount of neuromods to unlock Typhon power abilities. Typhon powers further expand the player’s skill set, by allowing them to wield the telekinetic command of their foes. Fortunately, these eclectic abilities provide enough creative license to counter the limited arsenal of weapons at the player’s disposal. Weapons, such as the Gloo Cannon, are capable of shaping the environment and freezing your enemy, providing a brief opportunity to strike without repercussion. Dousing enemies in viscous ooze is gratifying, as they clamor and writhe before being solidified. Black blood spatters across the HUD, as vigorous impacts from your wrench collide with warping apparitions. Encounters with hulking monstrosities serve to ratchet up the tension and keep players in suspense.
Garbled radio transmissions, static screams and warbling sounds, interlace Mick Gordon’s tremendous synth compositions, which harmoniously ebb and flow with the pace of the game. The unique conjunction of sounds vacillate from chaotic to sheer silence at a moment’s notice, setting the tone as the player transitions from one scenario to the next, uncovering revelatory narrative elements and exploring ominous surroundings. Themes of retro-futurism are evident throughout each environment, as opulent, sweeping expanses, are contrasted by detached technological installations. Art-deco styles accentuate lavish architecture, concealing a treacherous reality within the illusion of comfort. Prey’s textures while standard, offer the aesthetic appeal of an oil painting, in a similar vein to Arkane Studio’s previous work with the Dishonored series. Built on the CryEngine, Prey predominately runs smooth with occasional input lag, especially in some of the game’s more expansive and intricate areas.
Exploring every nook and cranny of the narrative often forces the player to backtrack throughout vast segments of Talos-1. While I enjoyed wandering through layered settings with multiple avenues of exploration the first time, this would’ve felt less monotonous with more variety in terms of level design. Environments began to blur, as I fervently sought to complete side objectives so that I could get back to unfamiliar territory.
Dynamic freedom penetrates every layer of the overarching experience. Survival depends on your ability to mitigate risk and maximize reward by conscientiously navigating choice. Choice and consequence allow the player the opportunity to balance their experience or polarize it. Imperative decisions you make will come back to haunt you in both metaphysical and tangible ways. Perceptively embracing the sci-fi horror world of Prey, rewards with one of the most satisfying experiences to be had with the genre. There is a mesmerizing level of detail, which lures the player closer to the maelstrom with each consequential experience.
In spite of its flaws, Prey delivers an awe-inspiring foray into science fiction. Enthralling atmosphere, multiple ways to play, and a fascinating story make for one of the most memorable contributions to the sci-fi survival horror genre in recent years.
REVIEW CODE: A complimentary PC code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to [email protected].
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Something went wrong. | https://www.bonusstage.co.uk/2017/05/19/prey-review/ |
We’ve explored plenty of subjects revolving around gravity -- in some cases, literally -- but today, it’s a two-for-one special on morbid curiosity.
Part One: Could a penny falling from the Empire State Building kill a passerby on the ground?
The building was the tallest in the world for over 40 years, so it always seems to pop up in this hypothetical. There are two observation decks, but the higher one stands some 1250 feet above the streets of New York. Here’s the formula for calculating the speed as an object reaches a certain point (like the ground): V = Vo + gt. You find your starting velocity, Vo -- in our case, zero, since we’re just dropping it off a building, easy math there -- and take the time it takes for the object to fall (t), and multiply it by the acceleration due to gravity (g). In a complete vacuum, it would take that penny about 9 seconds to hit the ground -- but it could be a feather or a bowling ball, they’d all hit the ground at the same time and speed. The ballpark figure for that “g” is about 9.8 metres per second squared, and switching up some units gets you a final speed for that penny of just under 200 miles an hour. That would be downright dangerous walking under it... if it weren’t for a little thing called “air resistance”! That leads to an object reaching equilibrium, falling at a constant speed and no longer accelerating. The “terminal velocity” of a penny is somewhere between 50 to 65 mph -- barely reaching severe storm wind speeds, and certainly not penetrating your skull at that weight and size.
Let’s say you’re done flinging pennies off the building and being a general public nuisance, when suddenly... the elevator cable snaps and all the fail-safes fail to save you. Welcome to Part Two: Can jumping at the last second save you from dying in an elevator plunge? This same shaft has some precedent: In July 1945, an Army plane struck the Empire State Building while flying in fog, severing the main and safety cables and sending the cart into a 1000-foot freefall. The cables coiled up like springs on the bottom, and that -- combined with the air pressure of the shaft -- helped cushion the fall. Betty Lou Oliver holds the world record for longest survived elevator fall. Let’s say NONE of those are working, and a sudden stop awaits you. The highest human standing jump is 67 inches... and doing some math, they would’ve left the floor at... 13 mph. Good luck mitigating that freefall. Your best bet would be to lie flat, spread out the impact, and hope for the best.
It’s important to note that modern elevators have so many backups and fail-safes and brakes and springs, that at this point... you’re probably more likely to get hit by that penny.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please include the title when you click here to report it.
Copyright 2022 WTVG. All rights reserved. | https://www.aelevatormanufacturer.com/blog/share-on-linkedin/ |
ArtisAnn is a contemporary art gallery selling unique artworks, including oils, watercolours, ceramics and bronzes, by both established and emerging artists. Opened in 2016 by Ann and Ken Bartley, who have over 20 years’ experience in the art world as artists, collectors and curators, it has a friendly atmosphere and offers knowledgeable service to suit every art lover. A themed exhibition is programmed on a monthly basis in the first floor gallery, while the ground floor gallery is arranged salon-style to display as many amazing artworks as possible. | https://www.homofaberguide.com/en/visit/galleries-artisann |
These minimalist hammered wire earrings have a small open oval shape with a straight line detail that runs diagonally up the oval. This little detail adds some great geometric appeal and a unique contemporary feel. They are small yet striking, making them a great piece for work that can easily transition from day to night. Oval is approximately 3/4 of an inch long.
Available in sterling silver, 14k gold fill, or mixed metal. (mixed metal will be as pictured).
All Rebecca Haas Jewelry pieces are made by hand in her Southern Vermont studio from recycled or conflict free metals. | https://www.rebeccahaas.com/products/shield-earrings-geometric-oval-dangles-with-asymmetrical-straight-line-detail |
Thursday 26 April 2012 by Gustaf Duhs and Olivia Perrott
Home Office plans to widen the powers of intelligence agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) to access communications data without judicial scrutiny have provoked strong reactions. But what is the content of the new law and how does it compare to the current situation in respect of the exercise of regulatory powers by public authorities?
Criticism of the proposal
The plan to increase the power of GCHQ to monitor electronic communications has been described by Tory backbencher David Davis as 'an unnecessary extension of the ability of the state to snoop on ordinary people'. Civil liberties pressure group Big Brother Watch has claimed that the move 'will see Britain adopt the same kind of surveillance seen in China and Iran'.
The effectiveness of the proposed powers to prevent and detect crime has also been questioned. Some commentators have suggested that users may find it relatively easy to avoid communicating in a way which would be subject to the scrutiny of GCHQ under the new proposal.
Government response
The government claims that the plans involve a mere modernisation of current measures under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). The Home Office has stated that the new law will serve only to 'maintain the continued availability of communications data as technology changes'. While details of the proposals have not yet been revealed, it appears that the plans are to grant GCHQ powers beyond those already found in RIPA. These changes would allow GCHQ, without judicial involvement, to gain access to and monitor a wider range of data about individuals' online activities, such as details of websites visited and electronic communications sent. GCHQ will, if the plans are implemented, be permitted to access specified communications data without a warrant, and it seems that such communications could be 'monitored' by GCHQ, in the sense that the agency would be allowed live access to data as it is collected.
The Home Office has been at pains to point out that the data concerned would not include the contents of communications such as the text of an email or the exchange on a telephone call (the obtaining of which would still require a warrant). Instead, it would include the time and duration of a communication, the telephone number or email address which has been contacted and, in some cases, the location of the originator of the communication.
Current position
Since RIPA came into force, public authorities (including GCHQ) have had wide-ranging powers to monitor businesses and individuals. RIPA allows various public authorities to:
Under the Data Retention Regulations 2009, internet service providers (ISPs) which have received notice from the secretary of state are required to retain certain data generated or processed in connection with the provision of their communications services for a period of 12 months. Public authorities may acquire such data using powers in chapter II of part I of RIPA by serving a notice on an ISP requiring it to disclose identified communications data.
At least 80 public bodies are permitted to obtain data in this way. A major criticism of the current RIPA regime is that powers to obtain communications data have been used by certain bodies, particularly local councils and trading standards agencies, for a broader range of purposes than was parliament's intention when RIPA was passed (examples given include a
local council obtaining data to verify whether a family lives within a particular school catchment area).
The government has attempted to address these issues in the Protection of Freedoms bill, currently passing through parliament. This bill proposes to limit the powers of local authorities to obtain communications data by requiring judicial approval for certain notices and authorisations issued under chapter II of part I of RIPA.
Impact of the proposal
It is arguable that the proposed powers for GCHQ are not as groundbreaking as some reports have suggested, given the already substantial powers to obtain information about individuals' internet and email activity. Indeed, it may be that the limited proposal in relation to GCHQ viewed together with the suggested limitation of powers in the Protection of Freedoms bill might mean that government powers to 'snoop' may not be significantly increased during this parliament.
Notwithstanding this and irrespective of the details of the proposed law, it seems inevitable that any bill will face a difficult journey through parliament. The previous Labour government's attempt to introduce similar plans in relation to electronic communications was dropped after encountering strong opposition.
Balancing the rights to privacy with the perceived need to increase national security is the difficult task of government. It also seems certain that the envisaged changes in this area will continue to involve lawyers advising the government, public authorities, businesses and individuals. As lawyers advising in this area we are forced to grapple with ever-increasing regulation in a world that is being run to an ever greater extent through 'online' activity. This leads to increased risks and unprecedented challenges. | https://www.lccsa.org.uk/all-power-to-gchq/ |
Exams are finished and marked, Step Up is over, courses are finalised so what are BSSC’s teachers doing until December 18 when term four finishes? Wonder no more – here is a snapshot of some of the activities that are happening at your college.
The BSSC strategic plan and its implementation strategies is being developed for the college community and approval by the education department. All staff are working on developing its priorities and implementation plans.
From Monday 7th until December 17th staff members are also busy with their own lifelong learning. They attend conferences and workshops to ensure teaching practices and programs offered at BSSC use state of the art technology, innovative practices and provide for all students to do their very best no matter which program they have chosen. Sometimes they also present about the great things that happen at BSSC to other teachers at conferences in Australia and overseas.
Teachers and support staff are also obliged to be up to date on Education Department legislative requirements designed to keep students safe. All staff must complete courses on mandatory reporting and occupational health and safety, and many complete or update their first aid qualifications.
2016/17 sees the introduction of new study designs in many VCE subjects. Hence your teachers are active gaining familiarity with the content, teaching materials and assessment methods for these new courses.
VET teachers must keep their qualifications current by engaging with business in their industry to ensure the most current practices and information are taught in our college VET certificates.
Last but not least, there are also many staff members involved in the planning and preparation for Awards Night next week. This is the culmination of our college year where the outstanding achievements of our students and staff are celebrated. Our Dux will be announced along with the Student of the Year, and many other significant academic, sporting, memorial and historical awards. | http://www.bssc.edu.au/news/whats-happening-at-bssc-now/ |
This invention relates to ordnance arming systems in general, and more particularly to a partially universal type of arming system which can readily be incorporated in a wide variety of missile fuzing systems.
Typical recent safety requirements for guided missile fuzing systems range from less than one failure of safety in ten thousand to one in one million. Since the safety and reliability of the arming system are important factors in any fuzing system, their determination is of paramount importance. However, the safety and reliability rates are not readily determinable because of the complexity of the arming system. In order to get some idea of its actual safety and reliability, the arming system must first be developed to an advanced state, and then at least hundreds or thousands of tests must be performed. Because of these numerous tests, the cost of developing a missile arming system takes an undue amount of time, and because a different arming system is required for different types of missiles, this problem is multiplied many times. As a result, designers have sought to produce a universal arming system which could be satisfactorily used in most types of missiles, even though they may operate over widely varying conditions.
As one way of providing at least a partially universal arming system, it was thought desirable to have the system arranged in two parts. One part would comprise the rotor and rotor actuating means which would be essentially the same for all missiles, and the other part would comprise the environmental sensing means, with communication between the two being provided by electrical means. When the environmental sensing means indicated the missile has experienced the conditions required for arming, it would then transfer the proper electrical signals to the first part to cause the rotor actuating means to rotate the rotor, aligning the explosive train, and thereby providing arming. Such a two- part system has never been adapted because it was thought that it would not be able to provide a high degree of safety. The reason for this is that electrical signals are not unique and might be applied to the rotor actuating means as a result of many not impropable circumstances. Shorted or crossed circuits in the missile, improper wiring in the missile, undetected electrical initiation during storage, and freak occurrences of static or induced electrical potentials are examples of circumstances which might cause premature arming.
In accordance with the present invention, however, it has been discovered that a two-part system as described above, with its advantage of greater universality, could be provided which would have the necessary high degree of safety heretofore thought impossible. This is accomplished in the present invention in the following two ways: (1 ) means are incorporated in the environmental sensing part of the system to transform the indications from the environmental sensing means into a predetermined sequence of signals; and (2 ) means are incorporated in the rotor part of the system to prevent rotation of the rotor until each of the predetermined sequence of signals are received in their proper order at their proper time intervals, and continue for at least a predetermined minimum period of time.
In a typical embodiment of the invention, the first part comprises a spring-biased arming rotor which is locked by three half- shafts located in matching hemispherical grooves symmetrically placed around the periphery of the rotor. Each of these three shafts is connected to a slow speed motor by means of a gearing arrangement such that each shaft rotates at a different speed. Also, each shaft is adapted to be out of locking engagement with the rotor only for a very limited portion of one revolution. Thus, only when all three half-shafts are in this very limited position of rotation will the rotor be able to rotate and cause arming. It can be seen, therefore, that a very particular application of energizing signals to the motors will be necessary to cause the condition where all three shafts are simultaneously out of locking engagement. Consequently, the possibility of spurious signals or improper wiring causing arming is infinitesimal.
The second part of the present invention typically comprises a sequential timing mechanism in combination with the environmental sensing means such that indications of environment and proper missile operation are formed into a predetermined sequence of motor energizing signals. These signals are applied to the first part of the arming system described above to energize the motors in such a way that the half-shafts preventing rotation of the rotor will simultaneously be out of locking engagement with the motor, thereby permitting the rotor to rotate and arm the missile.
It is a broad object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an arming system having greater universality than heretofore was possible, coupled with the provision of a high degree of safety.
Another object is to provide a reliable two-part arming system, at least one part of which can be made universal for a wide variety of different types of missiles.
It is another object of this invention to provide a reliable two- part arming system having a very high degree of safety.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an arming system in accordance with the foregoing objects, which is additionally simple and compact so as to be readily incorporated into present day missile fuzing systems.
The specific nature of the invention, as well as other objects, uses, and advantages thereof, will clearly appear from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of one part of the two-part arming system of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the second part of the arming system of the invention.
FIGS. 3-9 show schematically the sequential positions which the half- shafts of the first part assume during proper operation of the arming system.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown in the first and second parts of the arming system 10 and 11, which may be housed in packages 15 and 150, respectively. It is to be understood that the components of the system may be located wherever desired within the missile, the use of the packages 15 and 150 being merely exemplary. The first part will hereafter be referred to as the rotor actuating unit and the second part as the environmental sensing unit.
FIG. 1 shows in detail a cylindrical rotor 12 and a shaft 12a which is affixed concentrically at one end to rotor 12. The other end of shaft 12a is rotatably mounted to package 15 by means of bracket 13 which contains a roller bearing 14. Spring 45 has one end 16 embedded into shaft 12a and the other end 17 fixed to block 18, the latter being fixed to bracket 13. Spring 45 is designed to resiliently urge shaft 12a and rotor 12 in the direction shown by arrow A.
Passing through shaft 12a is a powder-filled cavity 21 which is initially 90° out of line with the interrupted portions of the missile explosive train indicated by the elements 19 and 20. The missile explosive train elements are shown schematically in FIG. 1, and those in the art can readily provide the necessary constructional details. In regard to the present invention, it is only necessary to realize that the missile remains safe and unarmed as long as the powder-filled cavity 21 is out of alignment with the explosive from elements 19 and 20.
Rotation of rotor 12 in the direction of arrow A is prevented by half- shafts 25, 26 and 27, which are equally spaced at approximately 120. degree. around the periphery of rotor 12. Half-shafts 25, 26 and 27 are received by matching hemispherical grooves 22, 23 and 24, respectively, so that each half-shaft is out of locking engagement with the rotor for only a very limited portion of one revolution. Prior to missile launching, the hemispherical portions of half-shafts 25, 26 and 27 are in full locking engagement with the hemispherical grooves 22, 23 and 24, as shown in FIG. 3. Coil springs 31, 32 and 33 are respectively connected at one end to half-shafts 25, 26 and 27, and at the other end to rotor 12, as shown in FIG. 1. Coil springs 31, 32 and 33 are wound when half-shafts 25, 26 and 27 rotate in the direction shown by arrow B, and when so wound thus urge half-shafts 25, 26 and 27 in an opposite direction to that of arrow B.
Gears 28, 29 and 30 are respectively fixed to the ends of half- shafts 25, 26 and 27, are driven in the direction of arrow B by gears 34, 35 and 36, respectively. Gears 34, 35 and 36 are affixed to shafts 37, 38 and 39, respectively, which are designed to be driven in the direction of arrow C by motors 40, 41 and 42, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1, gears 28, 29 and 30 are respectively proportionately larger in size, while gears 34, 35 and 36 are the same size and contain the same number of teeth. Motors 40, 41 and 42 have a constant speed output and, when energized, drive gears 34, 35 and 36 at the same constant speed. Motors 40, 41 and 42 are of a conventional slow-speed design and contain gears in the motors for reducing motor speed to some relatively low and constant speed output.
The rotor actuating unit 10 is designed to arm only in response to the receipt by motors 40, 41 and 42 of a predetermined sequence of energization signals at proper intervals and for a predetermined minimum time. It will thus be understood that the requirement that the rotor actuating unit arm only in response to such a predetermined sequence of energization signals virtually eliminates the possibility that arming will occur prematurely by a signal produced by an enemy source, by improper connections of wiring, or by short-circuiting in the wiring interconnecting the two parts of the arming system. The possibility that the motors 40, 41 and 42 will accidentally receive a series of sequential signals at exactly the proper sequence and for the necessary minimum duration to cause rotation of half-shafts 25, 26 and 27 to the position shown in FIG. 8 is extremely remote. Hence, by providing this requirement in the rotor actuating unit, the resulting arming system is safe against premature arming to a very high degree.
Since it is desired that the rotor actuating unit provide arming only in response to a predetermined sequence of signals, gears 28, 29 and 30 are proportional so that in response to the receipt by motors 40, 41 and 42 of this predetermined sequential energization, half-shafts 25, 26 and 27 will sequentially rotate at some predetermined speed and for some predetermined time until all half-shafts simultaneously assume the same unlocked position relative to rotor 12, as shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIGS. 3-8, half-shaft 27 may begin to rotate at some predetermined time and at a predetermined speed dependent upon the rotational speed of gear 30. Rotation of half-shaft 27 may thereafter be followed by rotation of half-shaft 26 (FIG. 5) which, in turn, may be followed by rotation of half-shaft 25 (FIG. 6). Since gears 34, 35 and 36 rotate at a constant speed by properly proportioning gears 28, 29 and 30, each half-shaft may be caused to sequentially rotate at an increasing speed until all half- shafts finally assume the same unlocked position relative to rotor 12 (FIG. 8).
In light of the foregoing, it will be evident that before rotor 12 is released for rotation by the sequential unlocking of half-shafts 25, 26 and 27, motors 40, 41 and 42 must sequentially receive a predetermined series of energization signals at proper intervals, and the signals must continue for predetermined periods of time. Should the energization signal reaching any motor fail to continue for a period of time sufficient to drive any half-shaft from a hemispherical groove in rotor 12, the respective one of springs 31, 32 or 33 will return that half- shaft to the locking position shown in FIG. 3.
Motors 40, 41 and 42 receive electrical signals by means of lead wires 46, 47 and 48 which extend from package 15. Lead wires 46, 47 and 48 may be suitably sealed to package 15 so that the package may then be completely sealed against moisture and air, if so desired. The above described rotor actuating unit 10 in package 15 can be used in a wide variety of missiles, since it is independent of the environmental sensing means and depends for its operation only upon the receipt of the proper energization signals.
FIG. 2 shows the environmental sensing means, part 11, of the arming system of this invention. Part 11 may be incorporated in package 150 as shown, or its components may be placed at suitable locations in the missile. Package 150 has lead wires 46, 47 and 48 extending therefrom and may be sealed against moisture and air, if so desired.
One end of each lead wire 46, 47 and 48 feeds to a terminal in switches 50, 51 and 52, respectively. Switches 50, 51 and 52 are adapted to be permanently closed when the environmental sensing means with which each switch is associated reacts with its environment in a way commensurate with proper missile operation during flight. One of the environmental sensing means which closes a switch may take the form of a setback mechanism shown schematically by numeral 66 in switch 52. Setback mechanism 66 may be adapted to permanently close the switch 52 when the missile and the mechanism 66 are subjected to setback in the direction of arrow E as a result of proper missile launching.
Numeral 67 in switch 51 refers to a schematic representation of an expansible bellows which may be used as another environmental sensing element. Bellows 67 expands in response to an increase in barometric pressure resulting from increases in elevation of the missile during flight. As such, the bellows may be designed to close switch 51 when the missile attains some predetermined height.
Switch 50 houses a directional compass 68, a third form of environmental sensing element which may be used. This compass may be of the type which senses the altitude and azimuth of the missile, and when the missile is properly on course, may be caused to effect closure of switch 50.
While the setback mechanism 66, barometric pressure responsive mechanism 67 and the directional compass 68 are well known in the prior art, it will be evident that switches 50, 51 and 52 can be closed by any suitable environmental sensing or other means desired in a particular missile. For example, the thermal fuze disclosed in patent application Ser. No. 765,011 filed Oct. 2, 1958 by James M. Meek and Raymond W. Warren, can be used to close one of the switches in response to aerodynamic heat.
Distributor 53 comprises a disc 55 and a rotor disc 54 which is rotatable on and concentric with disc 55. Rotor disc 54 has affixed to its surface three V-shaped elements 56, 57 and 58 and is driven in the direction of arrow D by means of a toothed portion 62 thereon which is engaged by a gear 63, the latter being driven by clock 64 which is designated to initiate rotation of gear 63 in response to a condition such as missile launching. Such a clock is well known in the art and may readily be provided. Spaced around disc 55 are a first pair of contacts 70a and 70b, a second pair of contacts 71a and 71b, and a third pair of contacts 72a and 72b, each of which are respectively connected by means of wires to switches 50, 51 and 52 through battery source 49.
Each of the V-shaped elements 56, 57 and 58 has a pair of contact ends 56a and 56b, 57a and 57b, and 58a and 58b, respectively, which are designed to contact the first, second and third pairs of contacts 70a and 70b, 71a and 71b, and 72a and 72b, respectively, upon rotation of rotor disc 54 through its cycle in the direction of arrow D. Clock 64 and gear 63 are flush with rotor disc 54 so that contact end 56b can pass over clock 64 during rotation thereof.
First contact pair 70a and 70b has shorter arcs than second contact pair 71a and 71b, which in turn has shorter arcs than third contact pairs 72a and 72b. Contact ends 56a and 56b of V-shaped element 56 are initially spaced farther from first contact pair 70a and 70b than are ends 57a and 57b of V-shaped element 57 from second contact pair 71a and 71b. Also, ends 58a and 58b of V-shaped element 58 are nearer to third contact pair 72a and 72b than ends 57a and 57b of V-shaped element 57 are to second contact pair 71a and 71b. The V-shaped elements are designed in cooperation with the contact ends of the V-shaped elements of rotor disc 54 so that upon rotation thereof in the direction of arrow D, ends 58a and 58b first engage third contact pair 72a and 72b; a predetermined time thereafter, ends 57a and 57b engage second contact pair 71a and 71b; and subsequently, ends 56a and 56b engage first contact pair 70a and 70b. Also, the lengths of the third pair of contacts 72a and 72b, which are first engaged by contact ends 58a and 58b, and the lengths of the second pair of contacts 71a and 71b, which are next engaged by contact ends 57a and 57b, are designed so that they remain in engagement therewith until the first pair of contacts 70a and 70b becomes engaged with contact ends 56a and 56b, and all pairs of contacts continue in contact with their respective contact ends for some predetermined time. Thus, contact between the ends of V-shaped elements 56, 57 and 58 and their respective contact pairs will occur at a predetermined time sequence, depending upon the spaced relation between the pairs of contacts in conjunction with the spacing of the contact ends of the V- shaped elements. The lengths of the pairs of contacts 70a and 70b, 71a and 71b, and 72a and 72b, are chosen to permit these contacts to remain engaged with their respective contact ends 56a and 56b, 57a and 57b, and 58a and 58b, of the V-shaped elements 56, 57 and 58, until all are simultaneously engaged for some predetermined time. The system is arranged so that at this predetermined time the motors will have driven each of the half-shafts to a position where they are no longer in locking engagement with the rotor as shown in FIG. 8, thereby permitting the rotor 12 to rotate to a position where the powder-filled cavity 21 on shaft 12a is aligned with the explosive train elements 19 and 20.
The environmental conditions which are utilized to close switches 50, 51 and 52 must each occur at least before some predetermined time during the flight of the missile, in order to cause arming. This is because switches 50, 51 and 52 have one terminal connected to contacts 70a, 71a and 72a, respectively, and unless each switch is closed before the respective contact end 56a, 57a and 58a to which it is connected engages its respective contact 70a, 71a and 72a, the circuit to the corresponding pair of wires 46, 47 and 48 will remain open. As a result, battery source 49 will not provide an energization signal to the associated motors 40, 41 and 42 for the predetermined period of time sufficient to cause unlocking of half-shafts 25, 26 or 27. It will be understood, therefore, that the speed of rotation of the rotor disc 54, which is driven by clock 64, must be properly chosen in conjunction with the expected closing times of the environmental sensing elements.
The operation of the arming system can be best described by assigning theoretical time values to the operating elements of the system. Initiation of distributor 53 occurs upon missile launching. Clock 64 thereupon proceeds to slowly drive rotor disc 54 in the direction of arrow D at some predetermined speed from the position shown in FIG. 2.
Switch 52 is positioned so that when the missile is fired or launched in a direction opposite to that shown by arrow E (FIG. 2), the forces of set-back act in the direction of arrow E, causing setback mechanism 66 to close switch 52. Rotation of rotor disc 54 is relatively slow and about 30 seconds after initiation of clock 64, contact ends 58a and 58b simultaneously engage contact pair 72a and 72b, respectively. After switch 52 has been closed, battery 49 produces an energization signal through wires 48 to energize motor 42, which then rotates half- shaft 27, as shown in FIGS. 4-8.
Before contact ends 57a and 57b make contact with contact pair 71a and 71b, switch 51 must have closed in response to an increase in atmospheric pressure in bellows 67 which is caused by missile flight. Contact pairs 71a and 71b, and 72a and 72b, are spaced so that about 10 seconds after contact ends 58a and 58b have engaged contact pair 72a and 72b, at which time the proper altitude to cause bellows 67 to close switch 51 should have been reached, contact ends 57a and 57b engage contact pair 71a and 71b, respectively. When contact ends 57a and 57b engage contact pair 71a and 71b, battery 49 produces an energization signal through wires 47 to energize motor 41. Motor 41 thereupon rotates half-shaft 26, as shown in FIGS. 5-8.
10 seconds after contact ends 57a and 57b engage contact pair 71a and 71b, contact ends 56a and 56b engage contact pair 70a and 70b, respectively. Any time prior to contact between contact ends 56a and 56b and contact pair 70a and 70 b, switch 50 must have closed, indicating that the missile is on course. Battery source 49 then produces an energization signal through wires 46 to energize motor 40 which rotates half-shaft 25, as shown in FIGS. 6-8.
The arcs of contact pairs 70a and 70b, 71a and 71b, and 72a and 72b are of predetermined lengths so that rotating contact ends 58a and 58b will engage contact pair 72a and 72b for 30 seconds; contact ends 57a and 57b will engage contact pair 71a and 71b for 20 seconds; and contact ends 56a and 56b will engage contact pair 70a and 70b for 10 seconds. The spacing and lengths of the arcs of the contact pairs can easily be determined by those skilled in the art, since the speed of rotation of rotor disc 54 is known, while the contact pairs are spaced concentrically with respect to disc 55 and rotor disc 54. It will be understood that the length of the arcs determine the duration of the energizing signals, while the spacing determines the time sequence of the signals. Thus, motor 42 receives an electrical signal from battery 49 for 30 seconds, while motors 41 and 40 receive electrical signals for periods of 20 and 10 seconds, respectively. Gears 28, 29 and 30 are proportioned to drive half-shafts 25, 26 and 27 at respectively greater speeds at the unlocked position relative to rotor 12 (FIG. 8). Thus, gear 30 is three times as large as gear 28, while gear 29 is twice as large as gear 28, so that all of the half-shafts arrive at the unlocked position 30 seconds after the first shaft is started.
It will be apparent that the embodiments shown are only exemplary and that various modifications can be made in construction and arrangement within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon. | |
Background & Objectives: Due to the increasing tendency to measure the quality of life in recent years and the extensive quality of life questionnaires, it is important to determine the appropriate method of analyzing data derived from these studies. The aim of the present study was to introduce ordinal logistic regression models as an appropriate method for analyzing the data of quality of life.
Methods: The data was derived from a cross-sectional study on quality of life survey of 938 students. For data analysis, two binary logistic regression models and ordinal logistic regression models were used and the results of these models were compared.
Results: The results of goodness of fit showed that all three models were fitted well. Based on the ordinal logistic regression models, the three variables out of the explanatory variables were statistically associated with the response while based on the binary logistic regression model, after combining two categories of response variable, only two variables were significant. Therefore, combining the categories of the response variable should be avoided as much as possible because it may lead to data loss due to ignoring some of the response categories. | https://irje.tums.ac.ir/article-1-5203-en.html |
Just a few miles inland from the Aegean coast lies the quaint town of Selcuk, Turkey. Known as the gateway to Ephesus, it is also a destination worth spending some extra time to explore.
Located in the province of Izmir, Selcuk truly delights its visitors with its laid back atmosphere and plenty of must-see attractions. That said, very few people tend to stick around and explore the city.
Besides the massive and impressive Ephesus complex, there are actually quite a few charms to the town that shouldn’t be missed on a visit.
9 Cool Things to do in Selcuk Turkey
1. Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus
Hands down, the most noteworthy site to see is the Ancient City of Ephesus. Second, only to Rome in its importance during 1st and 2nd century AD, it had a booming population of 33 000 – 56 000.
Built by the Greeks in 10th century BC, it was once the trade and commercial center of the ancient world. Its Greco-Roman ruins are among the biggest and most well-preserved in the world.
Walking around this historical city you will be amazed by how massive it truly is. What is even more incredible, however, is that most of the city still remains uncovered.
Throughout the centuries both invasions and earthquakes have damaged the city which leaves approximately 85% still underground. When you walk around Ephesus you truly will be walking in the footsteps of those who played an important role in world history.
Ephesus served as the capital city of Asia Minor and was visited by Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony, Cleopatra and then became the home to St. Paul, St. John and the Virgin Mary.
Ephesus is about 1 and a half miles from the center of Selcuk so getting there is very easy. The dolmus (shuttle) drops you off at the lower entrance gate and costs 2 TL. It is also possible to walk, however walking around Ephesus was tiring enough for me, especially during the summer months when it gets really hot.
As of 2019, entrance into Ephesus is 60 TL for adults (approximately $10 US) and children under 12 are free. From April to October the hours are 8 am to 7 pm and during the winter months of November to March the hours are from 8 am to 5 pm.
There are so many extraordinary sites to discover when exploring this ancient city. For me, the most spectacular was the massive Library of Celsus. Built in honor of Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, this two-story masterpiece was built between 114 and 117 AD.
It was built to house over 12 000 scrolls as well as serve as a mausoleum for Celsus. Today Celsus’ remains still lay in a crypt below the library. The architecture is absolutely stunning with towering Corinthian columns guarding the entrance.
It is also built upon a platform where nine steps span the full width of the entire front entrance. There are four statues carved into the nooks at the entrance; each symbolizes the four virtues – wisdom, knowledge, intelligence and valor.
At its time the Library of Celsus was the third largest library in the ancient world, behind Alexandria and Pergamum.
Another jaw-dropping structure to visit is the Ephesus Great Theater. It was first constructed during the Hellenistic Period around 3rd century BC and was later expanded by the Romans in 1st century AD.
This massive open-air theater is set upon a hill and has a seating capacity of 25 000! The stage structure itself towers 3 stories high and is adorned with columns, niches, windows and statues.
The Ephesus Great Theater was used for concerts, plays, religious, political and philosophical discussions as well as animal and gladiator fights.
My biggest suggestion when visiting Ephesus is to wear a hat, use sunscreen and bring plenty of water. There is barely any shade throughout the entire city which can make the exploration in the summer months very tiresome.
They do sell water within the city, however, like most tourist attractions it is extremely overpriced. The footpaths in the city are relatively uneven so wearing a comfortable pair of walking shoes or runners is also suggested.
2. Ephesus Museum
Located right in town, just across from the Otogar Bus Station is the Ephesus Museum. Any archaeological artifacts that were dug up between 1867-1905 were taken to the British Museum and those that were found between 1905-1923 were taken to Vienna.
After the founding of the New Turkish Republic, the government forbid any of its relics to be taken out of the country and required that any artifacts formerly taken be returned to its rightful owner.
In 1964 Ephesus Museum was founded and excavations from the Ephesus site were then proudly displayed in this small but important museum. The museum is open from 8 am – 6:30 pm daily.
3. House of Virgin Mary
Perfectly located on the top of Bulbul Hill about 5 miles from Ephesus sits the House of Virgin Mary. Said to be the place where Mary spent her last years, today this stone cottage that is nestled among the hills is a chapel and pilgrimage for both Christians and Muslims alike.
It has been said that Jesus entrusted Virgin Mary to St. John before he died on the cross. St. John then came to Ephesus with Virgin Mary to escape persecution in Jerusalem.
What remains of this two-storied house looks more like a chapel than a cottage. Interestingly there is a fountain called the Water of Mary that is said to have healing properties.
It can be found near the exit of the church area and is said that the stream providing the water used to flow directly into the room where Virgin Mary slept. Visitors can leave prayer offerings by tying tissue to the wishing wall and even drink from this holy fountain.
Entrance into the House of Virgin Mary is 25 TL and it is important to note that you are only allowed to pay in cash. Hours into the chapel are 8 am – 6 pm from March to October and 8 am – 5 pm from November to February. Every Sunday there is a holy mass that takes place at 10:30 am and it is given in English.
4. Byzantine Castle of Ayasuluk
At the top of the hill stands the Byzantine Castle of Ayasuluk. This fortress was built atop Ayasuluk Hill during the Byzantine times to stand over the Basilica of St. John.
Later renovated by the Turks you can now see the face of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk – Father of the modern-day Republic of Turkey on the outside of the castle. Although the castle itself is a tad underwhelming as the inside is merely ruins of a Mosque, the views over Selcuk Turkey are definitely worth the visit.
Try coming around sunset and soak in the history that is literally beneath your feet. Make sure to combine your visit with the other nearby sites of St. John’s Basilica (entrance fees include both sites) as well as the Isa Bey Mosque.
5. St. John’s Basilica
Although St. John’s Basilica is merely just a skeleton of the splendor it once was, it is a popular stop on the way up the scenic Ayasuluk Hill. This Basilica was built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was built to honor St. John the Apostle who lived in Ephesus after leaving Jerusalem.
It has been said that he wrote his gospel on this very hill. Referenced in the New Testament and burial site of the Apostle, this site holds such meaningful significance in Christianity.
The church’s major attraction is of course St. John’s tomb which also hold his relics and its marble encasement is still visible today. Entrance into the Basilica is 10 TL and also includes the your ticket into the Byzantine Castle of Ayasuluk.
The site is open from 8 am – 6 pm from April to October and 8 am- 4 pm from November to March.
6. Temple of Artemis
The Temple of Artemis is part of the original list of the Ancient 7 Wonders of the World. Interestingly enough, only one out of the seven actually still remains intact – the Pyramids of Egypt.
Even though little remains from this original architectural masterpiece, it still is worth the time to walk past the site and ogle at what once was. The Temple of Artemis was first built by Croesus, King of Lydia in 550 BC.
It was built as a place to worship the Greek Goddess Artemis – goddess of fertility, the earth, the moon and the animals. Considered to be 3 to 4 times the size of Athens Parthenon, it truly was a place of important significance.
It is said that the temple was adorned with intricate works of art and stood over 350 feet! Unfortunately due to environmental and human disasters, a lone column with a stork’s nest is all that remains.
Thankfully the original statue of Artemis was salvaged and is on exhibit at the Ephesus Museum.
7. Isa Bey Mosque
Right among the other historic sites in Selcuk you will find the Isa Bey Mosque. According to the inscription on the West Gate, the Mosque was built by an architect Ali Dimaski from Damascus in 1375 for Sultan Aydinoglu Isa Bey who is known as a Patron of Scientists.
The Mosque is unique in that it is asymmetrical and its columns and stones were taken from the ruins of Ephesus City. Don’t miss the gorgeous mosaic in the south dome and the statue of Emir of Aydin’s bust opposite the main entrance outside in the courtyard.
Entrance into the Mosque is free but make sure that you are appropriately dressed (women must wear a headscarf and have long clothing).
8. Pamucak Beach
Just 4 miles from Selcuk is the longest beach in all of Turkey. On the southern tip, there are a few hotel resorts but most of the beach is public. This 260 foot stretch of sand is a popular place for Turkish families to come on the weekend but during the week the beach is nearly empty.
There are a few amenities to buy drinks and snacks but the beach itself is not very developed. As well, there is very little shade so make sure you have a hat, water and are loaded up with sunscreen.
9. Day trip to Sirince from Selcuk Turkey
One of my favorite villages that I visited in Turkey is the cute little Greek-influenced town of Sirince. Having once been occupied by the Greek Orthodox, homes nestled among the hills definitely have a Greek architectural feel.
The first settlers actually named the village Cirkince which means ugly in hopes to deter outsiders from entering the village. Since 1926 the name has changed to Sirince which translates to cute, and true to its name, its beauty has so much character that it is very obvious why this little gem has become a tourist hot spot.
Getting to Sirince is relatively easy from Selcuk. You can catch a dolmus (minibus) from Selcuk Otogar (bus station) for only 6 TL. It takes about 15 minutes to get there and the view winding up the lush hills is absolutely picture perfect. The dolmus stops in the center of the village and picks up is at the very same location.
The village is surrounded by fertile fields which have made it perfect for vineyards and several fruit orchards. Homes are connected by narrow cobblestone streets and the main center is well preserved as there are no vehicles allowed.
This makes exploring the town just that much more peaceful and picturesque. It is quite hilly so be prepared with a good set of walking shoes. Sirince is known for its wine so perhaps the exercise from climbing the hills will help burn the calories from all the wine tastings that are possible throughout the town.
Shopping at the Sirince Bazaar is another fun experience. There are colorful shops, wonderful cafes and interesting stalls in plenty. There are so many handcrafts to purchase and knowing you are supporting a local village makes it that much more special.
Without a doubt, Sirince stole my heart. With its friendly people, small-town charm and naturally perfect outskirts, this town is a must-see for anyone traveling near the Aegean coast.
How to get to Selcuk Turkey
- By Air: Getting to Selcuk by air is always an option, however, the nearest commercial airport is located in Izmir which is about 50 miles away. Dozens of flights leave Istanbul daily and they only take about an hour and fifteen minutes. From the airport, you can either take the train, taxi or shuttle.
- By Train: The train station is located directly on the Adnan Menderes Airport grounds and leaves 8 times per day. Although I have not experienced the journey by train myself, I have heard that it can get very busy and you might have to stand for the entire journey. It is also important to note that there is a train that runs directly from Denizli (Pamukkale) to Selcuk which makes it a great destination to either come from or head to after.
- By Shuttle: Shuttles are another option from the airport but maybe a bit trickier to navigate as they are not directly located on the airport grounds. The Central Bus Station, called Otogar is located about a mile from the airport. It is not a bus, but rather a large minivan and is labeled Selcuk-Ephesus. The shuttle journey lasts approximately one hour and will have other stops along the way. If you happen to fly from Istanbul with Atlas Jet, they have their own complimentary shuttle service that will take you directly to Selcuk.
- By Taxi: The last but most expensive way to get from the airport to Selcuk would be by taxi. It costs approximately 100 TL which is about $18 US.
- By Bus: Traveling by bus through Turkey is incredibly easy. There are plenty of overnight buses that travel to Izmir and finding the perfect connection can be just a click away. Once in Izmir you can travel to Selcuk the same way as above; by train, shuttle or taxi.
Where to Stay in Selcuk Turkey
With the popularity of nearby Ephesus, there are plenty of hotel options in and near Selcuk. These properties can accommodate a wide range of budgets and vary widely on what to expect for amenities.
That said, I recommend that you have a look at either the Cella Hotel & Spa or Ena Serenity Boutique Hotel for your stay in Selcuk. Both have fantastic 10-star review ratings from fellow travelers and offer a comfortable stay.
As you can see, there is so much to do while visiting Selcuk. Spending at least two days in Selcuk would be my recommendation so that you can discover all that it has to offer.
Whether it be soaking in the incredible history, getting a taste of the delicious Turkish food or just meandering down old cobblestone streets, this destination is truly what Turkey is all about.
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The Conference USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year calls Huntington home, and Marshall fans — albeit fewer than usual — will get to see him play.
The university announced Tuesday that fans will be permitted at all Thundering Herd home games this fall. There will be severe restrictions and safety protocols for fans to follow.
Seating will be reduced, although an exact percentage was not given. Joan C. Edwards Stadium has a seating capacity of just over 38,000.
“We are thrilled to be able to have our loyal and passionate fan base in attendance for our six home football games in 2020,” Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick said in a release. “We worked diligently and deliberately to create a plan that will allow us to proceed safely and take care of our season ticket-holders, students, staff and visitors. We will have a minimal amount of additional tickets available, but the best way to guarantee a seat is through the purchase of season tickets."
The season will start Sept. 5 with Eastern Kentucky visiting for the first of six home games. Remaining home games are Sept. 19 versus Appalachian State, Oct. 3 versus Rice, Oct. 24 versus FAU, Nov. 14 versus Middle Tennessee — the 50th anniversary of the 1970 plane crash — and Nov. 21 versus Charlotte.
While priority will be given to season ticket holders, students and players' families, there is the possibility of a limited number of single-game tickets being sold.
For those who already have season tickets, seat locations have changed. Season ticket holders should log on to their accounts at HerdZone.com and click on Order History. Under 2020 Football, click on the EKU game to find your new location.
Game tickets will be sent to cell phones and season ticket holders will receive their tickets via email on their phones five days prior to game day. Cell phone tickets will be scanned at the entrance of the gate closest to the ticket holder's assigned seating area.
Paper tickets will only be issued in an emergency situation. There will be no on-field passes.
No groups larger than six will be permitted in the stands. Fans are to keep the row in front of them and behind them empty while seated, as well as two seats to the left and two seats to the right.
All fans will be required to wear a face covering at all times while in the stadium. No one will be allowed to enter without a covering, and no reentry will be allowed.
Social distancing is to be adhered to; there will be no vendors in the concourse to assist with social distancing efforts.
Cleaning of restrooms, the elevators, stairwells and handrails will take place before and throughout the game. Elevators will be limited to two people, with the exception of a family all living in the same household.
Tailgating will not be permitted. Parking lots will open two hours before kickoff but there is to be no congregating.
Parking passes ordered by Big Green members will be mailed Friday.
“Again, we are so grateful we will have fans at The Joan for such a special season," Hamrick said. "In order to have fans, we must follow the orders and guidelines that will be distributed soon. We will proceed safely, methodically and we look forward to an exciting 2020 season.”
The announcement came moments after C-USA announced its preseason awards. Running back Brenden Knox was named player of the year and was one of five Thundering Herd players honored.
Knox, a 6-foot, 223-pound junior, was the 2019 Player of the Year after leading C-USA with 1,387 yards on 270 carries and scoring 11 touchdowns.
Also honored were offensive lineman Cain Madden, linebacker Tavante Beckett, defensive back Nazeeh Johnson and punt returner Talik Keaton.
Madden was named to the Outland Trophy Watch List last season. Beckett is on the Bronko Nagurski list and led C-USA with 121 tackles last season. Johnson had 88 tackles and seven passes defended a year ago. Keaton was the league's only freshman first-teamer in 2019 after averaging 12.6 yards per punt return.
For questions on ticketing, call the ticket office at 800-THE-HERD or email [email protected]. | https://www.register-herald.com/sports/college_sports/limited-number-of-fans-will-be-allowed-at-marshall-games/article_0dd8b2ad-f3b6-58e7-b26c-0ea0943c844d.html |
On Christmas Day in 1879 the combination of fog and smoke was so dense over London that it was virtually dark at noon. Nowadays, with many people staying at home and fewer vehicles on the road, the ambient air quality on Christmas Day is typically very good. However air in the home may be at its worst.
On Christmas, indoor sources of air pollution can generate particles that, in terms of number and mass concentrations, significantly exceed background levels. Here are a few reasons why.
Turkey pollution
Cooking the traditional Christmas dinner can result in elevated levels of a number of pollutants. Ultrafine particles (UFP) smaller than 100 nanometres are of special interest from a health perspective, since they can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and cause inflammatory effects. A number of studies have reported increased UFP concentrations associated with electric stoves and cooking utensils, perhaps from heating detergent residues.
The number of particles emitted during cooking depends upon factors such as the raw food composition, cooking temperature and style – stirring food has been shown to produce larger aerosols as the ingredients are splashed about and tiny specs fly into the atmosphere.
Sergey kamenskykh / shutterstock
Gas cooking is a major source of both nitrogen dioxide (a harmful gas) and particulate matter (tiny, often hazardous particles suspended in the air). Kitchens with gas cooking can have higher levels of nitrogen dioxide than even a busy roadside.
In fact it has been shown that gas cooking is associated with increased risk of both current and lifetime asthma.
The health risks associated with cooking are poorly understood, although UK regulations require extractor fans in kitchens. Given that it takes more than four hours to prepare and cook the average Christmas dinner, people with asthma or cardiovascular disease may want to avoid the kitchen. When cooking, especially with gas, it is important to keep the extractor fan on or open a window. | https://www.iflscience.com/environment/air-pollution-expert-why-christmas-may-be-the-most-toxic-day-of-the-year/ |
Customary International Law is one of the oldest sources for International Law making. This is a form of law which is not written down like a treaty. Instead the law would be identified by two basic elements. Primarily the law or practice must be such that many states would obey it. Secondly the customary law must have opinio juris. By having the opinio juris it means that it is rooted in a legal obligation standpoint or a legal duty. As an example of the customary law, it considers how countries ensure immunity to a visiting Head of State from another country. According to the first element in the customary law, this is a practice that is followed by all states in general, maybe only with very few exceptions. It is a consistent practice and all international countries recognize the practice. Secondly the legal and customary obligation or duty for the state to protect the representative of another country cannot be denied. Treaties are a main source of international law. They are agreed upon conventions. However, the treaty is by itself should be considered as a source of obligation of the country that has entered the treaty.
Only the states which have entered into the treaty will be obligated to meet the rules and conventions under the treaty. Hence they have to make and follow legislation that conforms to the rules of the treaty (Greenwood, 2008). The requirement followed the treaty is by itself created because of the rule of the customary international law explained above. So when a state enters into a treaty it is customary to meet the requirements of the treaty. Sometimes when many states are entering into a treaty, it might even be considered as the emergence of a customary rule that other states (who have not signed the duty) might also be expected to follow. For instance, the Vienna Convention is a law on Treaties and was established in the year 1969. Courts consider the provisions as being applicable to all countries irrespective of whether they have entered into the treaty because a majority of states have treated the rules of the Convention as a form of customary law (Greenwood, 2008). | https://www.advancedthesis.net/lun-wen-chao-xi-xi-guan-guo-ji-fa/ |
(TRENTON, NJ) ― The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is pleased to announce that the application for the 2014 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards is now available. Completed applications must be received at DEP by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17.
The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards Program is New Jersey’s premier awards program for recognizing outstanding environmental performance, programs and projects throughout the state. These awards recognize individuals, businesses, institutions, communities, organizations, educators, youth and others who have made significant contributions to environmental protection in New Jersey.
Since the awards program was established in 2000, 135 entities have been recognized. Nominations can be submitted for the following categories: Clean Air; Healthy Ecosystems; Water Resources; Land Conservation; Healthy and Sustainable Communities; Healthy and Sustainable Businesses; Innovative Technology; and the recently added “Environmentalist of the Year” category. In addition, the category for “Environmental Education” has been divided into two awards: one for adult-led educational initiatives and one for projects that are student-led or have succeeded due to a high level of student involvement.
The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards Program is sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology, in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. | https://www.gardenernews.com/nj-applications-for-2014-governors-environmental-excellence-awards-now-available/ |
2019 Brownie Nominations Now Open
Do you know of an award-worthy brownfield project or program, or an industry member whose contributions should be recognized? Nominate them for a Brownie Award! Now's the time - nominations for the 2019 Awards are now open. The Brownies recognize excellence in brownfield remediation and reuse in six categories; in addition, we also recognize a notable brownfields champion with the Brownfielder of the Year. For more information on the categories, please see here, and to review our FAQ, see here. The nomination forms are on both pages.
RemTech is Coming!
CBN partner ESAA (the Environmental Services Association of Alberta) is presenting RemTech 2019 October 16-18 in Banff, and we're pleased once again to be delivering the brownfields stream. For details and to register, please visit the RemTech website.
The CBN is a knowledge-based national network of passionate, multi-disciplinary industry professionals, focused on uncovering, understanding and sharing brownfield barriers and solutions.
Vision
That brownfield property reuse be the preferred solution by developers.
Mission
To be recognized as the go to source for brownfield redevelopment.
Goal
Provide research, engagement, and clarity on issues related to brownfields.
Achievements
June 2019
CBN's Technical Advisory Committee responded to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks' request for comments on proposed changes to the excess soil regulations (Ontario Regulation 153/04, Part XII). The response is available here.
April 2019
CBN's Government Relations Committee provided a response to the Government of Canada's draft Federal Sustainable Development Strategy 2019-2022. The committee identified several areas where brownfields can assist in addressing the strategy's goals, including climate change, housing and sustainability. You can read the submission here.
November 2018
CBN releases the materials from the 2018 Brownfields Summit. These include the province-by-province review of brownfields policy, the results of the NRTEE +15 survey, and the recommendations of the Summit's break-out groups. These reports can be seen here.
June 2018
CBN presents the first-ever Canadian Brownfields Summit as part of its 2018 Conference.
November 2016
CBN and Actual Media, publishers of ReNew Canada magazine, made their first joint presentation of the Brownie Awards. The Awards, presented by the Canadian Urban Institute since 2001, are given to projects, programs and individuals that have moved the Canadian brownfields agenda forward. The Brownies, which celebrate excellence, innovation and leadership in the industry, were presented at the Awards Gala November 29, 2016.
June 2016
CBN presented its inaugural HUB (Heroes Underpinning Brownfields) Awards. The Awards, given in three categories (Foundation, Pillar and Vision) recognize individual achievement in, and contribution to, brownfields in Canada. The 2016 winners were Janet Bobechko (Foundation), Michel Poirier and Alan McCammon (Pillar) and Stephanie Bohdanow (Vision). For information on the Awards, and to nominate someone, visit the HUB Awards page.
October 2013
CBN Past-President and long-time member Bonnie Prior received the Brownfielder of the Year award at the 2013 CUI Conference "Still Making Great Places". Bonnie is Executive Director of the Ontario Association of the Appraisal Institute of Canada and is very active with CBN's Government Relations Committee, particularly in arranging support for brownfield tax initiatives with allied associations.
October 2011
CBN's own Dave Harper received the CUI Brownfielder of the Year award at the recent "Making Great Places". Dave, a managing partner with the Kilmer Brownfield Equity Fund was profiled, along with some of the award-winning projects, by the Globe and Mail in an article posted to the CTV News website. In the article, Dave discusses the challenges and triumphs of brownfields development. | https://canadianbrownfieldsnetwork.ca/ |
In survey of 2,300 CIOs enterprise growth tops business goals, 61 percent plan to improve mobile, many using technology to improve customer experience.
January 23, 2012
By
D.H. Kass: More stories by this author:
Enterprise chief information officers (CIOs) will have to address top priorities such as attracting and retaining customers without an increase in IT budgets in 2012, according to a global study of business priorities and strategies conducted by researcher Gartner Inc.
The study, conducted in the fourth quarter of 2011 and entitled "Amplifying the Enterprise: The 2012 CIO Agenda," polled 2,335 CIOs covering 37 industries in 45 countries and representing some $321 billion in IT budgets.
Results of the survey show IT budgets flat for 2012, increasing only by .5 percent on average while declining .6 percent in North America and .7 percent Europe. Organizations with IT budgets exceeding $500 million have continued to cut IT expenditures, Gartner said, balancing moderate growth among the remainder of the survey’s participants.
In addition to revealing tighter IT budgets, the study’s results also suggested that businesses are leveraging technology to alter the way they interact externally with customers rather than only to improve internal operations, the researcher said.
Gartner also said that the survey’s findings point to the increasing importance of technology in the enterprise to improve business growth. The researcher said that CIOs are beginning to view technology priorities such as business analytics, mobility, cloud computing and social media as tools to use in concert to address business issues such as customer attraction and retention.
"CIOs concentrating on IT as a force of operational automation, integration and control are losing ground to executives who see technology as a business amplifier and source of innovation,” said Mark McDonald, Gartner Executive programs group vice president and Gartner Fellow.
"Mobility, social media, information and analytics can be used to re-imagine the customer experience, as well as sales and service channels,” he said. “These technologies do more than automate or administer processes--they are the processes and the sources of value," he said.
Indeed, some 61 percent of the study’s participants said that they plan to improve their mobile capabilities in the next three years, Gartner said.
The majority have crafted a mobility strategy to become a market leader in their industry, with many combining technologies to address key business issues such as analytics plus mobility for field sales and operations, and analytics plus social for customer engagement and acquisition.
CIOs in the study consider growth as their top priority, followed by attracting and retaining customers, reducing enterprise costs, and creating products and services, according to survey data. Factors such as improving profitability, attracting and retaining the workforce, improving the effectiveness of marketing, and expansion rank lower on CIOs’ priority lists, Gartner said.
Slightly less than half of the CIOs in the survey reported that their IT budget would increase from 2011 to 2012 in terms of actual dollars spent. The average firm in the study will see a modest budget increase of between 2 and 3 percent, Gartner said.
"As business executives see the potential of technology to transform customer channels and the customer experience, their view of technology has leapfrogged conventional ideas of IT," said said Dave Aron, Gartner vice president and Fellow. | http://www.itchannelplanet.com/trends/gartner-global-it-2012-budgets-flat-analytics-top-technology-priority.html |
In the age of collaboration, change can roll over your professional life like a tsunami if you’re not proactive. It’s one thing to keep an eye on trends such as mobile learning, talent management, and the latest insights on leadership development, but it’s quite another to recalibrate your skills, your job, your thinking, and your professional relationships to keep pace.
If you still believe learning and development (L&D) is merely about the transfer of knowledge, you’re already behind the times. And if you think you will be working mostly with other HR professionals in the future, you’re mistaken.
6 emerging themes
Let’s start at the top, with the future of HR itself. In some organizations, the function is already reaching beyond its traditional boundaries into such areas as marketing, communications, and corporate reputation.
“This goes beyond partnering with these functions to support their work,” says John Boudreau, co-author with Ian Ziskin of “The Future of HR and Effective Organizations,” published in the October 2011 issue of Organizational Dynamics. “HR will learn from and adapt the practices of other disciplines and this will be essential to HR’s progress going forward,” he adds.
HR practitioners might, for example, use concepts from supply chain management to define the flow of talent through the organization, deciding when to hire heavy and develop light and when to do the opposite. Or they might involve marketing professionals in the design of L&D to make it fit the other elements of the employment “deal” using product design principles.
“An important concept for L&D professionals to understand and act on is that boundaries between HR and other functions will be more permeable,” says Ziskin. “It will be necessary to reach out through the whole organization and co-create with functions that may formerly have been rivals.”
This investigation into the future of HR by Boudreau and Ziskin is part of an initiative at the University of Southern California’s Center for Effective Organizations. Their work identified six emerging themes.
1) Hero leadership to collective leadership. Collective leadership is vested in the whole organization, not concentrated at the top. In such organizations, leadership development will be broader, applied wherever leadership is needed, and aimed at a new cadre of leaders wherever they are.
2) Intellectual property to agile co-creativity. This trend to rethink the ownership and shelf life of intellectual property is already observable in the pharmaceutical and IT industries and will spread to HR. “Competitive advantage will come not from protecting intellectual capital but from co-creating it with others,” says Boudreau.
3) Employment value proposition to personal value proposition. HR has traditionally considered employment as a product of the organization directed at employees and potential employees, explains Ziskin. In the future, this value proposition will extend beyond employees to target customers, legislators, investors, activists, and other groups who want to have a say in the practices of large organizations. Think Occupy Wall Street, or efforts by consumers to influence Walmart’s HR practices.
Another change to expect will be a move from broad characterizations of organizations as family-friendly, innovative, or fun to value propositions that are personal to each employee and not just from a work perspective. HR will be grappling with mass customization of a value proposition that could encompass work location, flexible hours, and a better boss, among many other individual values of employees.
4) Sameness to segmentation. For L&D, this change will require finding the right balance between potentially wasteful standardized development for everyone in a category and mass customization of learning.
“People in L&D will have to behave more like marketers,” says Boudreau, “understanding talent and customizing development for individual needs, but also optimizing those efforts by knowing where customization has the biggest impact.”
5) Fatigue to sustainability. The accessibility and mobility afforded by technology has a negative side effect: fatigue. L&D will play a significant role in advancing thinking and practice about work-life balance in the digital age. Fatigued employees do not build sustainable organizations, and HR will be expected to be more actively engaged in building sustainable organizations.
6) Persuasion to education. L&D often takes a customer service approach to its offerings, marketing them for their business value and their impact on performance. Boudreau and Ziskin see a shift from a service approach to L&D being accountable for the quality of the decisions their constituents make as a result of their development.
“This is a role that is more like that of an educator and requires looking beyond L&D and even beyond HR,” says Boudreau. “When L&D’s constituents have finished working with your systems and teams, have they learned something applicable about the nature of their learning? Are they smarter about this or have they just completed a series of tasks before going back to their real work?”
Ziskin adds that “better analytics will be an important underpinning to address these issues.”
What about those metrics?
The need for new metrics in L&D is a topic burning up the blogosphere and dominating agendas at gatherings of senior HR leaders. Blogger Clark Quinn recently posted this gripe about measurement’s slow rate of change:
“This stuff shouldn’t be a topic in 2011. It should be already well-practiced and in the repertoire. We should be thinking about how to start tracking meaningful activity in social networks, the value of performance support and more, not old stuff about courses. And, how to tie it back to important deltas in organizational performance.”
Groups including The Conference Board, KnowledgeAdvisors, the Institute for Corporate Productivity, the Society for Human Resource Management, and ASTD are devoting their efforts to identifying and sharing new metrics for the profession. While these and other groups challenge the usefulness of traditional metrics about learning events, there is little consensus yet about what should replace them.
Should these new metrics address effectiveness and efficiency? Should they demonstrate L&D’s influence on strategic goals of an organization? Should they correlate with and help predict high performance?
Some things about new L&D metrics are already clear: They won’t be determined in isolation by industry insiders and they will cut across HR, reaching to the top of the organization.
“Determining what to measure will be a collaborative effort involving not only the stakeholders in managing talent across the organization, but their CEOs,” says Tony Bingham, president and CEO of ASTD.
In his conversations with CEOs of major companies, Bingham notes a consistent theme on the topic of the effectiveness of training: Specific individual measures about learning matter less to them than progress toward their companies’ most important goals.
“Time and again, CEOs have told me that they know learning and development is working when they see progress toward key strategic goals,” says Bingham. “Making that link clearer will be an essential component of any new metrics for the learning profession.”
Returning full circle to Boudreau and Ziskin’s prediction that HR will learn from and adapt the practices of other disciplines, practitioners also should expect to apply many new perspectives—from accountants, supply chain experts, marketing people, and others—to the future of metrics and how they show value.
The age of the stand-alone expert is over.
About the Author: | http://www.workforcexpert.com/tag/requiem |
Part of being the trusted voice for family & children's services in Iowa is advocating for policies that remove barriers for families to receive services, develop new services, improve reimbursement, and make Iowa a better place to raise a family. The Coalition for Family & Children's Services in Iowa members regularly meet with lawmakers and other key stakeholders to educate them on the policy issues that impact member organizations, their employees, and the families they serve.
Cope Murphy + Co.
Our advocacy team cannot do it without you! Your work as an advocate is crucial to motivating legislators and other stakeholders. Our goal is to make it easy for you with a range of tools that will help you identify and contact your legislators and summarize the issues.
Transformational Change: Protecting Child and Family Wellbeing: Coalition's Advocacy Statement
Residential (QRTP & Shelter) Crisis White Paper (12-2-21)
Workforce Matters, Families Matter
Alliance for the Betterment of Children's Systems in Western Iowa (ABCs): Check out their Advocacy Statement. | https://www.iatrainingsource.org/2022-legislative-priorities |
Ineffective Learning From Home During a Pandemic Has The Potential to Erase Demographicstenaga kerja
Ineffective Learning From Home During a Pandemic Has The Potential to Erase Demographics – Indonesia is predicted to experience the peak of the demographic bonus period, where the number of the productive age population (aged 15-64 years) is greater than the population of the unproductive age (children and the elderly). By 2035, the productive age population will reach 64% of the total population of 297 million people.
However, the ineffective implementation of home learning in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic could erase the opportunity to benefit from the bonus. School students who are currently studying from home around 2035 will enter the world of work. Unfortunately, research in 2020 from the SMERU research institute noted that the learning process from home in Indonesia encountered many obstacles, ranging from inequality in access to online learning facilities to the uneven ability of teachers.
This widens the gap between students in Indonesia – with the worst learning loss among the poor – thus exacerbating the existing problems of poor employment competence. How can all of this affect Indonesia’s golden employment opportunities in the future, and what should be done from now on to anticipate them?
The education quality of workers was already low even before the pandemic
To reap the “gift” of the demographic bonus in the form of an abundant population of productive age, Indonesia must ensure that the quality of their education and skills is really good, including readiness to face a competitive global labor market.
However, in terms of employment, Indonesia still faces two major challenges related to the quality of education and worker competencies that existed even before the emergence of learning from home due to the pandemic.
First, around 59% of the current workforce is Junior High School (SMP) graduates and the majority is even lower. The learning outcomes of these graduates during school – which are even conducted face to face – are also very low. A study from the Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE-SMERU) program in 2018 reports that the majority of secondary school graduates have not mastered simple arithmetic skills that should have been mastered at the elementary school level. Second, the education and skills obtained by prospective workers while at school are not in accordance with the needs and minimum competencies. As a result, the world of work is difficult to get the manpower that is really needed.
Based on the records of the Demographic Institute (LD) at the University of Indonesia which processed the results of the 2015 National Labor Force Survey (SAKERNAS), for example, there is a ‘vertical mismatch’ of workers’ education levels of 53% of the entire workforce. This means that many workers have a lower level of education than is required by their workplace.
In addition, the majority of workers also experience what is referred to as a ‘horizontal mismatch’. In this case, in addition to their own level of education, 61% of workers also have a type of education, competence, or training that does not match the needs of the place where they work.
Deteriorating learning outcomes will further threaten the demographic bonus
The two problems above have the potential to get worse due to ineffective learning from home in the midst of a pandemic. A study from the World Bank, for example, estimates that ineffective home learning results in a loss of student learning outcomes in Indonesia. Furthermore, the impact is even more severe for those from the poorest groups. Studying from a bad home for just four months will widen the gap in learning outcomes between poor student groups from the rich group in Indonesia – from 1.4 years behind in the learning process to 1.6 years behind in the learning process.
For students from families with the most vulnerable economic conditions, they even have to face the risk of child marriage and also dropping out of school. The latest level of education and learning outcomes that are getting worse will cause their productivity and competitiveness to be even lower in the future. Schoolchildren currently adversely affected by ineffective home learning, for example, are expected to enter the workforce in the 2030s – or at the peak of the demographic dividend. In fact, in the future, researchers estimate that 65% of the variety of jobs now will be replaced by new types of work that have not been imagined and require various competencies that are far more complex than today.
If our learning system does not immediately find a quick way to improve its quality, the majority of the population who are expected to be part of the demographic bonus will be marginalized in the modern and formal world of work. Many Indonesian workers in the future can actually become a “burden” as second-class citizens in their own country.
Also Read : Extension of Employee Tax Exemption Incentives
Education policy in the region is the key
Since the implementation of the decentralization and regional autonomy policies two decades ago, the affairs of primary and secondary education have become the authority of local governments. This means that the front line responsible for improving the quality of education are various local educational apparatus and institutions throughout Indonesia. In the short term, the local government should be able to guide schools to slowly reopen face-to-face learning – of course, taking into account the factors of the spread of COVID-19, the vulnerability of students, and the readiness of health facilities in the area.
Once schools reopen, they must also direct schools to focus on recovering learning outcomes lost during the pandemic, especially on poor students. In the long term, local governments must improve their policies that have not been effective so far. In 2018, the RISE-SMERU program found that only 62 out of 508 – or around 12% – districts/cities in Indonesia had innovative education policies.
In general, our researchers found that various local education policies have not been effective in improving learning outcomes. The number of teacher training policies, for example, does not correlate with the SMP National Examination (UN) scores in each district/city. This means that there is still a large gap between educational needs in the regions and the policies issued, and more research and studies are needed to find alternative solutions at the regional level before it is too late.
What is clear, given the low quality of existing learning outcomes, is that there is no choice for education apparatus working in ministries, regional education offices, and schools – from ministers to teachers – other than to work harder and conduct large-scale evaluations of various policies. education that has been done.
If this is ignored, Indonesia’s demographic bonus will not have much meaning. Instead of being a gift, they can actually be a heavy burden for the nation. | https://www.hflabour.org.uk/2021/06/ |
People usually retire early in hopes of living a better life than the one they had while working.
However, early retirees shouldn’t be focusing on themselves during early retirement, according to best-selling author Vicki Robin — they should focus on servicing the greater good.
Research shows that altruistic behavior can help heighten health, wellness, and personal growth.
However different the reasons behind retiring early, they often unravel from the same thread — early retirement benefits the early retiree.
For many, it’s about making more time to pursue a passion or finding the peace of mind that comes from financial security. At the end of the day, most early retirees are in pursuit of a personal sense of freedom that isn’t available to them in the corporate world.
But that freedom shouldn’t be used to serve yourself, says Vicki Robin, the co-author of the best-seller “Your Money or Your Life,” which has inspired young Americans to join the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement since it was first published 20 years ago.
In the Wall Street Journal’s podcast “Secrets of Wealthy Women,” Robin said early retirees should use their position and independence to focus on helping others.
“The idea of financial independence is great, but if you don’t use your freedom in service to something higher than just yourself, then what are we doing other than taking a lot of smart people out of the common project called our society?” Robin said. | https://usaonlinejournal.com/2018/11/09/a-best-selling-author-who-popularized-the-idea-of-financial-independence-20-years-ago-says-the-purpose-of-retiring-early-is-not-to-focus-on-yourself/ |
Writing commentary is undoubtedly probably the most troublesome part of writing any essay. The word essay derives from the French infinitive essayer, “to try” or “to try”. In English essay first meant “a trial” or “an try”, and that is nonetheless an alternate that means. The Frenchman Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) was the first creator to explain his work as essays; he used the term to characterize these as “makes an attempt” to put his ideas into writing.
Picking Easy Programs In essay samples
After answering the above questions you will be able to get the knowledge you want from the textual content. This will act as the proof that you’ll use to bolster your essay. Notice the symbols, passages, and pictures used to explain the scenes you might be analyzing. The step that follows after gathering the necessary info is the writing process. You may reinforce your data on methods to write a literary analysis essay, by studying literary works from nice writers.
Antagonists. The alternative of the protagonist means being in opposition to the precept character. Aside from the villain or several enemies, the antagonist may be portrayed by the stress of nature, animal, or else. Once Literary Analysis Instance again, the antagonist may generally possess better human qualities than the protagonist. In addition to, it’s a more advanced and interesting individual for evaluation, as a rule.
Cover all essay sections. Basically, students need help writing essay papers because of the different requirements demanded for each of the various kinds of essays. Nevertheless, there are three primary sections of an essay project. Make it possible for your essay has an introduction, a physique and a conclusion. Introduce the subject sufficiently in the opening statements. Ensure you have mastered the topic of your study alongside other defining components associated to the subject of your study. Write the thesis statement within the introductory half and proceed to provide support information in the physique part. Be certain that there may be sufficient information that backs the thesis to your essay. This can enhance the credibility of your essay. As soon as you’re carried out with these two sections, proceed to write down a summary and a conclusion. Revisit the main points of your essay and conclude it.
Chopin does a terrific job at integrating two of the conventions of narrative fiction, plot and character improvement. The plot of a narrative is the sequence of events in a narrative and their relation to one another as they develop and usually resolve a battle (Charters2 1003).” Within the plot of narrative stories there’s an exposition, rise to motion, climax, and a fall from motion. The character improvement is the opposite conference that enables Chopin to jot down this thought scary story. Character is what stays with you after you will have completed studying it. The motion of the plot is carried out by the characters in the story, the individuals who make one thing occur or produce an effect” (Charters2 1006). Chopin uses her character development to enhance the plot in an effort to deliver the reader nearer to the feelings of the story. In ‘The Story of an Hour” each of those parts are vitally interconnected to one another.
A literary analysis essay has the same structure as any other essay. It consists of an introduction, body part, and conclusion. When writing, do not forget that each assertion requires its own separate paragraph! After you end it, put it apart for a while and then read it all as soon as again. Like that you will simply discover any misconnections and elements that must be improved.
Plan: planning in each activity is essential. Do not simply wake up from sleep and begin writing. You could know what you are writing about. The very best essays are normally edgar allan poe black cat summary written out of an excellent plan. Know when you’ll begin writing and have a look at what you must get started together with your essay writing exercise.
Picking Methods Of essay samples
All literary works are challenging and confusing as a result of they are comparable yet different in some ways. Writing an effective literary evaluation essay could be achieved by using the proper writing system and following the directions offered concerning the delivery of the essay. When you have any questions regarding this information on the right way to write a literary analysis essay, be happy to contact us. | https://dlprostudio.com/revealing-rapid-systems-for-ap-literature-essay/ |
Tesla was under pressure on Friday, down more than 4%, after the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report that theAutopilot feature was engaged during a deadly crash that involved a Model 3 sedan.
The NTSB says the Autopilot feature was active around 10 seconds before the collision, and that the driver’s hands were not detected on the steering wheel for the eight seconds prior to the collusion.
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Friday’s selling pushed Tesla shares to a low of $217.05 apiece — their lowest level since January 2017. Late last month they broke below key support at the $250 level.
Katie Stockton, founder and managing partner of Fairlead Strategies, thinks there is more pain ahead for Tesla’s stock. Earlier this week, she told Markets Insider by email that Tesla has “broken support in the $250 area and that the decline “is supported by negative momentum across time frames.” She added the next major support area “is roughly $180.”
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Recently I came across an interesting news piece that reported on a published research article documenting an unusually high rate of injuries requiring prehospital and emergency room utilization as a result of particularly risky behaviors, specifically at a Tough Mudder competition. You can find the actual article published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine here. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Tough Mudder race (similar to others like the Spartan Race, etc.) is an extreme obstacle course competition open to pretty much anyone who wants to participate. But unlike other physically demanding activities like marathons and triathalons, participants often fail to train properly prior to the event – in fact many join viewing it as the occasional fun weekend activity with a team of friends (yes, some call running through 10,000V of electrical wires and jumping down 15+ feet fun).
The results of the study made me wonder about the effect these events (which some would argue are voluntarily “high risk” activities) have on our public healthcare system, especially in light of our current wait times situation; each acute orthopedic injury requiring surgery, for example, would potentially bump/delay someone else who’s been suffering in pain and off work for months on a waiting list for an elective hip or knee replacement. Does that seem entirely fair and reasonable? I posed this question on Facebook – and unsurprisingly, opinions are quite split and polarized.
On one side sits the sentiment that individuals who voluntarily participate in higher risk activities should understand that they may potentially utilize our common healthcare resources to a greater degree than others, and thus should be subject to some method of greater personal accountability. Here are some comments I received:
“…if you’re going to knowingly engage in risky behavior, you should be expected to pay for the healthcare resources you consume and not take from the shared pool of Canada’s universal healthcare. …”
“…In my opinion, the answer is yes. If govts are required to be fiscally accountable to taxpayers, then taxpayers have to be fiscally accountable for their choices. Not easy to implement i agree but we have to start somewhere.
When someone is required to sign a waiver form, they should ask themselves: can i afford to get hurt? Too many benefit from short and long term disability ins that also prevents people from being guided to make the right decisions for themselves.
I think its time govts turns the table around and make some taxpayers more accountable through some sort of user fees… Accountability is a two way street!…”
“…All that being said, in an event where you are exposed to a potential large electrical shock you would think that the organizer would have to have some accountability – insurance, large tax fee, etc…”
The trick is of course, how does one concretely define “risky”? In the study, they indeed found the volume and severity of injuries from the Tough Mudder event to be “unusually high”…but what should be the cut-off?
“…My quick thought is that a high risk lifestyle is awfully hard to clearly define – addict, glutton, sloth, marathoner, high stress job with famillial hypertension…. where do you draw the line??…”
On the flip side, others argue that it would be unfair to “punish” these individuals who are actually taking time out to be physically active; perhaps we should shift the focus onto other “risky behaviors” that are also linked to higher rates of healthcare utilization:
“…Ya lets promote obesity because that doesn’t take up any unnecessary health care resources. Then there’s the small problem of defining “risky behavior”… Any type of exercise can be considered “risky” and penalizing people for trying to improve their health doesn’t make sense to me…”
“…Only if those who abuse their bodies in the opposite way are also accountable?…”
“…You could make the same argument for motorcycles, sports cars, skiing, eating a bad diet, smoking, elective plastic surgery (the complications of), bicycling, etc. Part of the rationale for a “universal” health care system is the diversification of the risk pool. We all take risks in our life to some degree. In the end it generally evens out. There are very few outliers and we all will use most of our health care costs in our last few years of life…”
“…Not until we charge smokers… Drinkers,… Etc a higher rate!…”
Of course, this idea is not new. We tax tobacco and alcohol already, don’t we? In fact, some countries have already started to implement “fat taxes” – check out Mexico’s recent tax on high-sugared drinks. More and more research is starting to suggest that making individuals more accountable through such taxations may have huge health benefits. See this study last year estimating that slapping a “penny-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages would prevent nearly 100,000 cases of heart disease, 8,000 strokes, and 26,000 deaths over the next decade”.
The critical issue is, how to balance an individual’s right to make autonomous decisions about their lifestyle, versus the cost to a public healthcare system funded by universal taxation?
“…You are walking a fine line when you want to play big brother and tell people what to do with their life by threatening their health care coverage…”
Whichever side you fall on, some facts remain: demand for healthcare is continually rising, while there is a limited funding pot. As discussed in a previous post, the Canadian healthcare system was never intended to be able to cover unlimited healthcare usage by everyone; moderation and self accountability was always a fundamental pillar of a sustainable system.
The question is where do we draw the line? The arguments may be polarized, but better to engage the issue now before it’s too late. And from my brief Facebook posting experiment, it seems the appetite for discussion is there. | https://canadiem.org/extra-health-tax-on-extra-risky-behaviors/ |
The phenomenon of plagiarism is well known and may have different forms. While deliberate plagiarism is a serious infringement, there is also incidental plagiarism, which is comparatively inoffensive, but still quite unpleasant.
In the education, plagiarism may hinder students in compiling most of their works. The reason is that today’s education and science strongly relay on various kind of sources. To produce a really valuable research paper, students usually have to find solid pieces of appropriate text for quotation from highly recognized scientific works. In the process, however, you may incidentally duplicate considerable volumes of somebody else’s original text without mentioning that it is a quotation rather than your own contribution. Besides, you may memorize a couple of extracts in somebody’s investigation and then reproduce them in your work.
The result of this is the appearance, in your paper, of coincidences or matches with someone else’s work, which is a highly undesirable phenomenon. (Actually, it is the above mentioned plagiarism, and it is not always so easy to prove its undeliberate character) The more the matches, the lower is the important parameter of uniqueness of your paper. And the higher the uniqueness, the greater is your own contribution into the science. The rate of uniqueness is actually an important indicator in the evaluation of texts in various areas that include, beside science and education, also mass media and arts.
Hence, the danger of being accused in plagiarism (or otherwise punished for too many matches) is quite serious. Consequences vary but they are all negative. If you are a student, plagiarism may considerably worsen both your grades and your academic reputation. So a proper and reliable means to detect plagiarism and prevent possible damage is always welcome among the higher school community.
Especially urgent is the question how to check plagiarism free and online. And what we offer you in this brief presentation is exactly such a service, which is part of our free online grammar checking package.
When the need arises to perform a check for plagiarist of one of your papers, you are welcome to try the plagiarism checking feature of the above mentioned checking software set, which allows a check for plagiarism for free. Among other advantages are online mode, interactivity and a very simple and user friendly interface.
Actually what we present is a website to check for plagiarism. And this website is free, comprehensive and customizable.
One of the tools that the website offers as part of its comprehensive checker package, is an engine to check texts for plagiarism in a most convenient and efficient way.
As mentioned above, one of the features of the offered checker engine is its interactivity. It is a property that allows constant dialogue between the user and checker engine. Corrections of the found problems are not performed automatically, but are only made on the user’s consent. However, in the case of plagiarism check, problems represent matches with somebody else’s papers whose number and share should not be too big.
The plagiarism check produces for you a text with marked matches and the overall rate of uniqueness of your text. In this way, you are suggested to remove the matches in the text to raise its uniqueness (unless you are satisfied with the current rate of uniqueness).
Plagiarism check is especially important in the case of essays (including student essays). The reason is that essay is a usual form of control of students’ progress in most higher education institutions so it often requires extensive quotation.
an enjoyable and intuitive user friendly interface.
And yet another important and pleasant feature: all the checking tools, including the plagiarism checking unit are constantly under improvement, which promises even more comfortable service in the future. | https://checkmygramma.com/plagiarism-checker/ |
European Central Bank’s biggest rate hike ever
FRANKFURT, Germany – The European Central Bank delivered its biggest-ever rate hike on Thursday, after the US Federal Reserve and other central banks in a rapid rate hike across the country. demand to eliminate record inflation is squeezing consumers and pushing Europe into recession.
The bank’s 25-member board of directors raised its key benchmarks by an unprecedented three-quarters of a percentage point across the 19 countries that use the euro. The ECB usually changes interest rates by a quarter point and has never raised its key bank lending rate by three quarters of a point since the introduction of the euro in 1999.
The bank said it expects more price hikes to come as “inflation is likely to pick up further in the near term” and noted that the economy is expected to “stagnate later this year”. The move follows a half-point rally at the ECB’s last meeting in July, the first increase in 11 years.
The increase in jumbo is aimed at raising borrowing costs for consumers, governments and businesses, which in theory slows spending and investment and cools rising consumer prices by reducing demand. goods.
Analysts say it is also aimed at bolstering the bank’s credibility after they downplayed the duration and severity of this inflationary flare. After hitting a record 9.1% in August, inflation could rise to double digits in the coming months, economists said.
The war in Ukraine has fueled inflation in Europe, with Russia sharply reducing supplies of cheap natural gas used to heat homes, generate electricity and run factories. That has caused gasoline prices to increase 10 times or more.
European officials have criticized the cuts as blackmail intended to pressure and divide the European Union over its support for Ukraine. Russia has blamed technical problems and threatened to completely cut off energy supplies this week if Western institutes plan to cap Moscow’s oil and natural gas prices.
Some economists say a rate hike by the ECB could exacerbate the European recession predicted later this year and early 2023, caused by higher inflation making everything from groceries to utility bills become more expensive.
Energy prices are out of the ECB’s control, but the bank has reasoned that a rate hike would prevent higher prices from being included in expectations for the current wage and price agreements and decisive action will prevent demand from rising further if inflation takes hold.
“The European Central Bank” wants to fight inflation – and wants to be seen as anti-inflation,” said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg bank.
While energy prices and government support programs to insulate consumers from some pain will “have a much larger impact on inflation and the depth of the recession than monetary policy.” ,” he said.
Carsten Brzeski, chief eurozone economist at bank ING, also said the upcoming recession “will be driven by energy prices, not interest rates.”
A higher rate can help fight inflation by increasing the exchange rate of the euro against the dollar and other currencies. That’s because the euro’s recent slide below $1 – driven by rising energy costs and a softening economic outlook – makes imported goods, including energy, more expensive.
The ECB has lagged behind other global central banks in raising interest rates. Central banks around the world have scrambled after inflation caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has sent energy prices soaring and limited supplies parts and raw materials.
The sudden interest rate hike comes after years of low borrowing costs and inflation driven by broad trends such as globalization, aging populations and digitalisation.
The ECB benchmark is currently 1.25% for lending to banks. The Fed’s main benchmark is 2.25% to 2.5% after several major rate hikes, including 2/3 points. The Bank of England’s main benchmark is 1.75%, and the Bank of Canada on Wednesday rose three-quarters of a point to 3.25%. | https://kignews.com/european-central-banks-biggest-rate-hike-ever/ |
The Board of Trustees intends to provide English language learners with a challenging core curriculum and instruction that develop proficiency in English as rapidly and effectively as possible in order to assist students in becoming productive members of our society.
The District's program shall be based on sound instructional theory and shall be adequately supported so that English language learners can achieve results at the same academic level as their English-proficient peers.
To ensure that the District is using sound methods that effectively serve the needs of English language learners, the Superintendent or designee shall annually examine program results, including reports of the students' academic achievement and their progress towards proficiency in English. The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that schools compile data on programs for English language learners in order to help determine program effectiveness.
(cf. 4112.22/4212.22 - Staff Teaching Students of Limited-English Proficiency)
(cf. 6190 - Evaluation of the Instructional Program)
The Board encourages staff to exchange information with other Districts and the county office of education about programs, options and strategies for English language learners that succeed under various demographic conditions.
The Superintendent or designee shall maintain procedures which provide for the identification, assessment and placement of English language learners and for their redesignation based on criteria adopted by the Board and specified in administrative regulations.
In the structured English immersion program, classroom instruction shall be in English. However, clarification, explanation and support, as needed, may be in a student's primary language.
An English language learner shall be transferred from a structured English immersion classroom to an English language mainstream classroom when the student has acquired a reasonable level of English proficiency as measured by any of the state-designated assessments approved by the California Department of Education or any locally developed assessments. (Education Code 305; 5 CCR 11301)
A student has acquired a "reasonable level of English proficiency" when he/she has achieved the following:
Fluency on English Oral Language Assessment Test
Achievement in reading and writing equal to their English speaking peers
(cf. 6011 - Academic Standards)
(cf. 6162.5 - Student Assessment)
(cf. 6171 - Title I Programs)
Parental Exception Waivers
Upon the request of his/her parent/guardian, a student shall be placed in an English language mainstream classroom. (5 CCR 11301)
Parent/guardian requests for waivers from Education Code 305 shall be granted in accordance with law and administrative regulation.
The principal shall consider all waiver requests made pursuant to Education Code 311(c) for students with special needs and shall submit a rationale of the decision regarding the waiver to the Superintendent. When determining whether or not to recommend the approval of the waiver request, the principal shall assume that the facts justifying the request attested by the parent/guardian are a true representation of the child's condition. All such waiver requests shall be granted unless: (1) the principal and educational staff determine that the alternative program requested by the parent/guardian would not be better suited for the overall educational development of the student, or (2) the program requested by the parent/guardian is not offered at the school.
When evaluating a waiver request pursuant to Education Code 311(a) for students who already know English and other waiver requests for those students for whom standardized assessment data are not available, other equivalent assessment measures shall be used.
These equivalent measures may include local assessments, local standards and teacher evaluations.
If the waiver requested by the parent/guardian is granted, and less than 20 students at the same school receive a waiver, the student shall be allowed to transfer to another public school in which such a class is offered. (Education Code 310)
Students wishing to transfer shall be subject to the district's intradistrict and interdistrict attendance policies and administrative regulations. Students wishing to transfer to another District shall also be subject to the receiving district's interdistrict attendance policies and administrative regulations.
(cf. 5116.1 - Intradistrict Open Enrollment)
(cf. 5117 - Interdistrict Attendance)
(cf. 5117.1 - Interdistrict Attendance Agreements)
(cf. 5117.2 - Alternative Interdistrict Attendance Program)
If the Superintendent or designee denies the waiver request, he/she shall provide a written justification to the parent/guardian describing the reasons for the denial. A parent/guardian may appeal the Superintendent's decision in writing to the Board. The Board may consider the matter at its next regular Board meeting. The Board may decide not to hear the appeal, in which case the Superintendent's decision shall be final. If the Board hears the appeal, the Superintendent or designee shall send the Board's decision to the parent/guardian within seven working days.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
300-340 English language education for immigrant children
33308.5 CDE guidelines not binding
44253.5-44253.10 Certification for bilingual-cross-cultural competence
48985 Notices to parents in language other than English
52130-52135 Impacted languages act of 1984
52160-52178 Bilingual Bicultural Act especially:
52164.6 Reclassification criteria
52169 Requirements for establishment of program
52171 Evaluations of student progress
52171.6 Annual report to legislature
52177 Administration of article
52180-52186 Bilingual teacher training assistance program
54000-54028 Programs for disadvantaged children
62000-62005.5 Evaluation and sunsetting of programs
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
4320 Determination of funding to support program to overcome the linguistic difficulties of English learners
11300-11316 English Language Learner Education
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
1701-1705 Equal Educational Opportunities Act
COURT DECISIONS
Valeria G. v. Wilson, C-98-2252-CAL (July, 1998)
Teresa P. et al v. Berkeley Unified School District et al, (1989) 724 F.Supp. 698
Casteneda v. Pickard, (5th Cir. 1981) 648 F.2d 989
Management Resources:
CDE PROGRAM ADVISORIES
0408.98 Policy for English Language Learners
0125.90 Procedures for requesting guidance from the US Department of Education
0515.89 Limited English Proficient Programs
CSBA ADVISORIES
0812.98 Proposition 227 Advisory
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org. | http://www.gamutonline.net/district/atascadero/displayPolicy/217209/4 |
Prior to his work at Human Rights Watch, John was a festival coordinator for the Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He also enjoyed a successful career both as a director and producer of independent films and as a director of photography on numerous films and videos for television. John graduated with a Bachelors degree in Anthropology/Archaeology from Stanford University in 1985. He lives in Irvington, NY.
Bijan Tehrani: Please tell us a little bit about your own background. When did you get involved with the festival? Also, please tell us a little about the history of this festival.
John Biaggi: I was a filmmaker before I joined Human Rights Watch; I made some independent films myself and realized how hard it is to do that and how hard it is to find the funding for that, particularly here in the United States. Then, in 1996, I came to Human Rights Watch for a job as a programmer for the festival. A few years later I became the Deputy Director, and for the past almost-two-years I have been the Director of the film festival in New York. The festival was founded in 1988 here in New York, and it took a one year hiatus in 1990; hence the 20th anniversary is this year, 2009. It was founded because that was the 40th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. It was felt here at Human Rights Watch that not enough people knew about the declaration, and that human rights as a concept was not well known to the general public, and we as an organization wanted to do something to change that. The feeling was that film was the most powerful tool to get a message across in the modern world, so they thought to do a film festival. It started downtown at the public theater in New York, and it has become quite large now and has played for the last 13 years at the Film Society’s Walter Reade Theater. We have also expanded to London, which is now in its 13th year, and we have a large traveling film festival as well that hits over 40 sites in North America each year.
BT: How are the movies selected for the festival, understanding that it can sometimes be hard to find films that relate to this topic, or it can be hard for the filmmakers to reach the festival.
JB: It’s interesting because the films are selected from quite a large submission process. In fact, it is quite the opposite; there are thousands of films made in a year, and hundreds of films made on human rights issues each year. We used to get inundated with submissions when we had a broad open call for films, so now we have screened it a little and we still get hundreds of submissions. There are a lot of films made on the human rights topic each year, and it is our job to go through these films and find the ones that are the strongest visually, cinematographically, structurally, as well as the most factually (the most accurate) and also current—current issues are very important to us. We want to show films that are dealing with what is happening now.
BT: How have audiences received this festival in New York?
JB: The festival in New York is very popular. In fact, this year the opening night sold out three weeks ago, which amounts to a month before the festival even begins. We see a large number of our films sell out, and it is something that has been a fixture in New York in the calendar for years. We are also well known for bringing in most of the filmmakers for the films. Most of the films we show are documentaries—we show a few dramas but we concentrate on documentaries—and they are greatly enhanced by having the filmmaker present for a Q&A;, and audiences really appreciate that. I think that has been part of the great success of the festival. It is a way of actually tying the audience directly into the message of the film, and also giving them an opportunity to actually do something concretely to help with that particular issue, because the filmmakers are often coming armed with how you can help with the situation. That really is a big part of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival.
BT: How can people get tickets for the films of this festival?
JB: Well, it is quite well-organized; we partner with the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and people can buy tickets on their website, which is filmlinc.com. Or they can go to the box office at the Walter Reade Theater and buy tickets there. One of the things that has made the festival so successful in London and New York is that we partner with a theater, or a theater chain in the case of London. That really makes a big difference because the theaters have a whole structure and ability to sell tickets which we wouldn’t normally have.
BT: Do you think the Human Rights Film Festival has any effect on the way that politicians, or society as a whole, look at the issues that are being dealt with at the festival?
JB: A good question; at the festival each year we have a number films that have a direct impact on the situation that is portrayed in the film. A good example of the last festival would be “The Great Silence: Rape in the Congo” by Lisa Jackson. The filmmaker did a superb job of out-reaching that film directly to different political bodies. For instance she screened it for the British Parliament, the UN, the US Senate, and she also took it back to the Congo and screened it at important conferences. She has really done something that we really like to see at the festival, which is to take the film and use it as a tool for change. I would say that was one of the best examples from last year.
BT: What are the highlights of this year’s festival?
JB: [laughs]. Highlights are always tricky, because any time you do highlights you leave out some people. But, well, generally I would say that one of the big highlights and one of the things that makes the 20th anniversary particularly nice is that we have, of the 32 films we are showing, six filmmakers who are returning to the festival multiple times. That starts with our benefit gala, which starts with Costa-Gavras, the renowned human rights filmmaker. It is his third film in the festival that we are showing on June 11. The following evening is our opening night with the film “The Reckoning”, on the International Criminal Court, by Pamela Yates; that is her fourth film in the festival over the last 20 years. Every year we give one filmmaker a prize at the festival for courage in filmmaking, and this year it is Anne Aghion and her film “My Neighbor, My Killer”, and this is Ann’s third film at the festival. So there’s quite a bit of returning filmmakers this year, and it really speaks to the strength of human rights filmmaking. The fact that these filmmakers wish to return and bring their films here for their New York premieres says something very nice about the festival. Those are some of the highlights. And, of course, our closing night, which brings the screening of “The Yes Men Fix the World“.
BT: Does the younger audience come out to the festival? I think that is the generation that really needs to see these films.
JB: I think that we actually get a significant number of younger audience members each year; human rights something that appeals to the younger generation. Additionally we have, for the second year, a program called Youth Producing Change, which is a series of short films made by youths, 19 years old and younger. Last year, it sold out and it was quite remarkable. We had a majority of the filmmakers on stage for a Q&A;, and it was wonderful. It will be, I believe, another wonderful evening, and it is a chance for younger people to see work by their peers. | https://www.cinemawithoutborders.com/1914-a-conversation-with-john-biaggi-director-of-the-human-rights-watch-international-film-festival/ |
In the final part of our weekly series where we have featured just some of the platforms that integrate with Dentally to make things easier for you, we are once again discussing referrals for special dental care and treatment.
This week we focus on Dental Referrals, who help you refer with ease to provide the right care in the right place for your patients. This system is operated by FDS Consultants, a consortium of dental and medical NHS consultants based in the North West of England.
How does it work?
Dental Referrals offer a seamless link to Dentally, to ensure that they can provide dental practitioners with the most effective and responsive dental referral management solution.
They provide a complete directory of services in your area and allow you to easily track the referrals you have made for a patient using a unique reference number through a secure online portal.
Find out more
To understand how the system works, take a look at their website here.
If you would like to talk about anything we have discussed in this series then please do just ask. Over the past five weeks we have featured just a few of the software platforms that we integrate with, but you can find out more about some of the other systems on our website here. | https://blog.dentally.co/integrating-with-dental-referrals |
He's been referred to as an "enigma in the global choral tapestry" and ''arguably one of the very, very best leaders of children’s choirs in the history of choir singing" (Artsvark). "
Hennie Loock's talent for leading the Tygerberg Children's Choir to unsurpassed heights is the hallmark of the man who started off the choir 46 years ago. Under the passionate conductor's watchful eye and dedicated guidance, more than 3 000 children have been inspired to sing.
Loock will finally be laying down his baton next year in March but it's doubtful he'll rest on his laurels after a lifetime of mentoring and passing on his consummate passion to the next generation.
In two of his final concerts, Loock will be conducting the choir this weekend and the following weekend at the Endler Hall in Stellenbosch.
Loock has taken countless groups of children overseas to delight foreign audiences, performed at hundreds of concerts and put his own personal mark on the harmonious and magical sounds of young voices coming together in perfect synchronicity.
Speaking on the phone, he relates that several defining moments in his youth led him to his calling: hearing the Drakensberg Boys Choir more than half a century ago could have been one of the first seeds that grew the passion as well as growing up in a very musical family. And maybe serendipity led to the fact that playing tennis gave Loock the sense that the sport's own rhythm could be found in music and "in both you have to have stamina", he says.
Over the decades in which he has been at the helm of the well-loved choir, Loock's travels all over the world with the children, from Australia to the Americas to the Far East, to St Petersburg, Budapest, major European capitals and centres have all rubbed off on him.
"From that I have learnt that in order to enjoy yourself you need to pick up from other people. You steal with your ears and your eyes and yes, I can say that what I have done has been entirely fulfilling," he said.
Loock lost his beloved wife Theresa earlier this year, who was a leading light of the children's choir. Referring to the choir as his "family"he relates, "people were so kind to me. My wife and I led such a full life in our 42 years together and I still feel her warmth in the house but yes, I have to face life."
Hennie Loock will be conducting the much-loved Tygerberg Children's Choir in two Christmas concerts at the Endler Hall, University of Stellenbosch. The first concert will be held this Sunday, November 25 from 4pm to 6pm and the second, the following week, on Sunday December 2, also from 4pm until 6pm.
Booking is at Computicket and for more information call 021 808 2358. | https://www.iol.co.za/entertainment/whats-on/cape-town/hennie-loock-to-helm-his-final-tygerberg-childrens-choir-christmas-concert-18189727 |
Her role as a woman was also to give recognition to the characters when they deserved it. For example, during Beowulfs first feast at Heorot, “Wealthow came in, Hrothgar’s queen, observing the courtesies, Adourned in her gold, she graciously saluted the men in the hall, handed the cup first to Hrothgar, their homelands guardian, urging him to drink deep and enjoy it because he was dear to them. And he drank it down like the warlord he was, with festive cheer…decked out in rings offering the goblet to all ranks, treating the household and the assembled troops until it was Beowulfs turn to take it from her hand. With measured words she welcomed the Geat and thanked God for granting her wish that a deliverer she could believe in would arrive to ease their afflictions”. (605-615) When Wealthow gives the cup to Hrothgar first she is showing who the boss of the place is and setting the hierarchy of the story.
The Façade of the Weak Surprisingly, Tales From The Thousand and One Nights portrays women in a manner contrary to what many Westerners would stereotype ancient Middle-Eastern women as. Some are independent and many share what most would consider valuable, yet immoral qualities. There are stereotypical examples of the ancient Middle-Eastern women, but these are few and far between. The cunning and treacherous women in the stories contribute to the fact that these stories are not considered legitimate Arabic literature by the Arabs themselves. However, these stories are the mostly read Arabic literature in parts of the world which recognize women’s rights.
Questia states, “Despite their vital role in Ancient Greek and Roman society, women were not considered full citizens and in most instances required a guardian – their fathers, and later husbands – to represent them” (“Women in Ancient Greece and Rome”). As his poem progresses, Homer presents female characters in different aspects, demonstrating that women should not be confined to the standard they were held in that society. At the beginning of the book, women are first introduced as being loyal, faithful, and under complete servitude to men. This presentation of women demonstrates the view of women at that time. This is evident in the treatment and actions of Penelope and Calypso.
Role of women until 1500 “Women Past Lived” Erin Snider World Civilization I Martha Stillman September 21, 2009 Women Past Lived Page 2 Women today have status and rights because of the women of yesterday’s many societies breaking through obstacles of extreme measures. Even though culture around the world differed in religion, dress, language and a few daily rituals there were many similarities that connected the way of life. The role of women in every society through early times including Roman, Medieval, India and China mostly ruled there women as inferior to their men and were unable to have many rights. Women were usually uneducated; unable to vote some of the case they hardly left their homes. The
The Role of Women in “The Odyssey” It seems if it weren’t for women in Homer’s The Odyssey all forms of empathy, love, war, or compassion wouldn’t exist. Although women held an entirely different position in society compared to men, they too held influence and power. “The Odyssey” revolves around Odysseus’ quest to return home to Ithaca and back to his wife Penelope, which has been overrun by suitors. Within the poem there are three basic types of women the goddess, the seductress, and the good hostess/wife. Each role adds a different element and is essential to the telling of the story.
The roles of women in Much Ado About Nothing and the Odyssey are quite similar in many regards. The gender theme in Much Ado About Nothing like many of the works of that can be seen as a loaded concept. The female characters portrayed by Shakespeare in the majority of his work are often seen as submissive and easy to control. The daughters and nieces submit to the patriarchal society and repression of the time with no obvious complaint. Characters are subject to limitations and expectations because of their gender.
Women Are Everything in Times of War In Tim O’ Brien’s short story collection, The Things They Carried, women play a supporting role, not seen, but very much on the mind of the men. Women exist only on the margins of the narrative. They are scarcely remembered girlfriends, or they are beloved girlfriends who are only present in meaningful bits and pieces. Although women play a small role, it is a significant one in these six short: “The Things They Carried,” “Love,” “Spin,” “Sweetheart Of the Song Tra Bong,” “Stockings,” and “The Lives Of The Dead”. Female characters such as Martha, Mary Anne Bell, Linda, Kathleen, and Henry Dobbins’s unnamed girlfriend all affect the men of the Alpha Company—although in some of the cases, the women aren’t
She lived in a time period where “radical ideas that had seemed impossible to realize only a generation earlier swept throughout Europe with astounding force” (Austin 35). Her thesis reinforces the idea of not only equality between men and women but equality in duties as well. Wollstonecraft mainly focuses on co-education and its spiraling demise that women are going through because they are not co-educated. She says, “Women have been allowed to remain in ignorance, and slavish dependence, many, very many years, and we hear of nothing but their fondness of pleasure and sway, their preference of rakes and soldiers, their childish attachment to toys, and the vanity that makes them value accomplishments more than virtues” (Austin 37). The negative impact of not having women educated with men is illuminated when she describes women from a man’s viewpoint.
One of Woolf’s supports for her essay was that she discusses the everyday life of a woman so far as she has been to piece it together from the few reports she has been able to recover of that time; complaining that there is not nearly enough information on the period only supports her claims. Comparing that research to the life of a woman in Shakespeare’s plays, it is easy to see that Shakespeare exaggerated just a little about the importance, intelligence and treatment of women. She observes that “Imaginatively she is of the highest importance; practically she is completely insignificant.” (Woolf, 23) “For genius like Shakespeare’s is not born among laboring, uneducated, servile people.” (Woolf, 24) Generally Woolf prefers to reference those classics like Poe and of course Shakespeare, but her primary source for her essay was Professor Trevelyan’s History of England. She really enforces that this is an expert evaluation by using Professor Trevelyan’s book and others opinions, like the anonymous bishop, as evidence or at least clarity. She evaluates all corners of the woman’s life, (education, parenting, travelling etc.)
Although leadership has always been an important function in all social activities for millennia, the question of women leadership remains one of the major important issues globally because leadership is still associated with men and masculinity. In Côte d'Ivoire societies, women still remain underrepresented in many spheres, including administrative positions and executive settings. The under-representation of women in positions of power and decision-making is still an evidence today. By observing the social, administrative and political situation in Côte d'Ivoire, it is clear that power is not shared equally and the low professional representation of women justify that. Overall, few of them participate in administrative and political life. | https://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/Role-Model-Women-Wealhtheow-21086.html |
Specifications:
Building type: Office
Map ref no: 4
Total size: 21,603 sq.ft
Currently available: 2,067 - 6,653 sq.ft
Description/features: 3 storey BREEAM Very Good rated Grade A office development located in Bridgeton. Completed in October 2014.
Availability: Immediate
Additional information: Brochure available for download: The Albus
Website: www.thealbus.com
Did you know...
Clyde Gateway won the 2013 RICS Scotland Regeneration Award. The Regeneration and Renewal Journal recognised Clyde Gateway as the largest regeneration project in Scotland and the 4th most active in the UK. | http://www.investinclydegateway.com/portfolio/the-albus |
- Why Do Small Firms Benefit Less From Alliances Than Large Firms?
- Collaborating With Larger Partners: Benefits and Risks for Entrepreneurial Firms
- Types of Spin-Out Firms and Collaborations With Parent Organizations
- The Role of Heuristics in Alliance Collaboration for Entrepreneurial Firms
- Amphibious Entrepreneurs and the Origins of Invention
- Collaboration in Business Model Innovation
- Collaborating for Innovation: The Role of Organizational Complementarities
- Interorganizational Collaboration and Start-Up Innovation
- Entrepreneurial Team Assembly: Knowledge Transfer, Customer Transfer, and Matching Models
- The Contingent Effect of Team Composition on the Performance of Entrepreneurial Teams
- Collaboration Inside the Firm: Founders and Managers of Entrepreneurial Ventures
- An Intentions-Based Model of Entrepreneurs’ Prosocial Behavior: Why Entrepreneurs may be Exceptionally Generous
- Family Founding Teams, Internal and External Collaboration, and New Venture Growth
- Microfoundations of Collaboration in Entrepreneurship
- Index
Abstract and Keywords
Technology start-ups face tough odds in their journey to commercial success. A key consideration in entrepreneurial decision making is whether and when to find a collaboration partner, in the form of an acquirer. The same decision also applies to the other side of the table, as buyers have to decide whether and when to engage in technology acquisitions through collaborations with start-ups. This chapter looks at the literature that uncovered some of the factors around the key decision of the timing of a collaboration, with specific focus on technology start-ups that also possess patents. For start-ups possessing patents, the recent development of markets for technology offers more opportunities to engage in collaboration and bring their ideas to fruition. The chapter discusses directions for future research in the conclusion.
Keywords: collaboration, technology acquisition, start-up, timing, technology markets, patents
Bocconi University
Bocconi University and ICRIOS
Access to the complete content on Oxford Handbooks Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription.
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- Copyright Page
- About the Editors
- Contributors
- The Interplay of Entrepreneurship and Collaboration
- Temporality and Collaboration in Entrepreneurial Ownership and Finance
- The Paradox of Control Through Collaboration in Effectual Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship Through Mergers and Alliances: Schumpeter Remixed
- The Communicative Constitution of Entrepreneurship
- Institutions and the Embedded Entrepreneur
- social relations and the performance of different start-up types: The Networks Don’t Lie
- Dynamic Networking by Entrepreneurs: Collaborative Efforts in Developing Opportunities and Mobilizing Resources
- Community Social Capital and the Venture Gestation Process
- Collaboration Among Silicon Valley Venture Capitalists
- Start-Ups’ Exit Strategies in the Market for Technology: When to Pull the Plug
- Avoiding Collaboration Stalemates in Technology Commercialization
- Collaboration and Intellectual Property: Strategies for Navigating Fragmented Property Rights
- Collaborative Market Making: The Critical Role of Dyadic and Multipartner Alliances in the Formation of New Markets
- The Effects of Venture Capital Firms on Entrepreneurial Firms’ Strategic Alliances and Liquidity Events
- The Crowdfunding Paradigm: An Exploration of Founder–Funder Dynamics and their Implications for Capability Development and Long-Term Success
- Coordination Frictions in Venture Capital Syndicates
- Collaboration in Entrepreneurial Finance
- Asymmetric Partnerships: Formation, Process Dynamics, and Firm Performance
- Why Do Small Firms Benefit Less From Alliances Than Large Firms? | https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190633899.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190633899-e-35 |
Electrical Cord Storage Sleeve
Developed by firefighters, this cord sleeve makes getting and keeping your cords organized simple and convenient. Just slide the coiled extension cord through the sleeve and pull the draw strings tight. The spring loaded keepers will retain tension on the cord to make sure the coil stays in place. A webbing handle makes the coil easy to carry. The sleeve is recommended for 25’ - 100’ of coiled cord, this can vary depending upon the guage of the electrical cord.
Dimensions: 15” height x 30” circumference. Color: Yellow. 22oz. vinyl construction. Weight 16 oz. | https://firerescuestore.com/products/electrical-cord-storage-sleeve |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present application is a divisional of U.S. Pat. application no. 16/018,162 filed on Jun. 26, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference.
The disclosure relates generally to fluid propellers such as electric fans.
BACKGROUND
Commercial aircraft are usually propelled by gas turbine engines of the turbofan or turbo-prop type. Existing gas turbine engines can release emissions in the environment and also generate noise. Even though significant progress has been made in reducing emissions and noise generated by aircraft engines, further improvement is desirable.
SUMMARY
a stator;
a fan rotor rotatably mounted relative to the stator, the fan rotor comprising:
an annular body defining a flow passage therethrough;
a ring gear extending around the flow passage; and
a plurality of fan blades disposed in the flow passage and mounted for common rotation with the annular body about a fan rotation axis; and
an electric motor mounted to the stator and drivingly engaged with the ring gear to cause rotation of the fan rotor relative to the stator, the electric motor having a motor rotation axis that differs from the fan rotation axis.
In one aspect, the disclosure describes an electric fan comprising:
The motor rotation axis may be disposed radially outwardly from the flow passage.
The electric motor may be drivingly engaged with the ring gear via a pinion gear.
The motor may be a first motor and the fan may further comprise a second electric motor mounted to the stator. The first and second electric motors may both be drivingly engaged with the ring gear via the pinion gear.
A motor rotation axis of the second electric motor may be substantially coaxial with the motor rotation axis of the first electric motor.
The pinion gear may be disposed between the first and second electric motors.
The first and second electric motors may form a motor pair and the fan may further comprise one or more other motor pairs. Each one or more other motor pairs may be drivingly engaged with the ring gear via a respective other pinion gear.
The fan rotor may be hubless.
The fan may comprise a plurality of roller bearings mounted to the stator. Each roller bearing may have an axis of rotation that is non-parallel to the fan rotation axis. The fan rotor may comprise an annular track for interfacing with the plurality of roller bearings.
The electric motor may be one of a plurality of electric motors drivingly engaged with the ring gear.
The plurality of electric motors may define a plurality of motor pairs circumferentially distributed about the fan rotation axis. Each motor pair may be drivingly engaged with the ring gear via a respective pinion gear. Each motor pair may be disposed radially outwardly from the annular body of the fan rotor.
Embodiments can include combinations of the above features.
a stator;
a rotor rotatably mounted relative to the stator, the rotor comprising:
an annular body defining a flow passage therethrough;
a ring gear extending around the flow passage; and
a plurality of blades disposed in the flow passage and mounted for common rotation with the annular body; and
a motor mounted to the stator and drivingly engaged with the ring gear to cause rotation of the rotor relative to the stator, the motor having a motor rotation axis that is disposed radially outwardly from the flow passage.
In another aspect, the disclosure describes a fluid propeller comprising:
The motor may be one of a plurality of motors drivingly engaged with the ring gear.
The plurality of electric motors may define a plurality of motor pairs circumferentially distributed about the flow passage. Each motor pair may be drivingly engaged with the ring gear via a respective pinion gear.
The motors in each motor pair may be coaxial. The blades may depend radially inwardly from the annular body to define a hubless rotor.
Embodiments can include combinations of the above features.
electrically driving a bladed rotor of the electric fan to rotate in a first direction to generate forward thrust to propel the aircraft; and
electrically driving the bladed rotor of the electric fan to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction to generate reverse thrust.
In a further aspect, the disclosure describes a method of operating an electric fan mounted to an aircraft. The method may comprise:
The method may comprise electrically driving the bladed rotor of the electric fan to rotate in the first direction during flight of the aircraft; and then after a touch-down of the aircraft, electrically driving the bladed rotor of the electric fan to rotate in the second direction.
ceasing to electrically drive the bladed rotor to rotate in the first direction;
allowing windmilling of the bladed rotor; and
generating electricity from the windmilling of the bladed rotor.
The method may comprise, during a decent phase of the aircraft:
The bladed rotor may be a first bladed rotor disposed in a fluid passage and the electric fan may comprise a second bladed rotor disposed in the fluid passage. The method may comprise driving the first and second bladed rotors at different rotational speeds when generating forward thrust.
The method may comprise driving the first and second bladed rotors in opposite directions to each other when generating forward thrust.
Embodiments can include combinations of the above features.
In a further aspect, the disclosure describes an aircraft comprising an electric fan as described herein.
Further details of these and other aspects of the subject matter of this application will be apparent from the detailed description included below and the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
1
FIG.
is a perspective view of an exemplary aircraft comprising an electric fan as described herein;
2
FIG.
is a perspective axial cross-section view of an exemplary electric fan;
3
FIG.
2
FIG.
is an enlarged perspective axial cross-section view of a portion of the electric fan of ;
4
FIG.
2
FIG.
is a perspective view of exemplary electric motors of the electric fan of ;
5
FIG.
2
FIG.
is a perspective view of an exemplary configuration of the electric motors of the electric fan of ; and
6
FIG.
is a flowchart of a method for operating an electric fan mounted to an aircraft.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following disclosure relates to fluid propellers such as electrically-driven fans that can be used to generate thrust for propelling aircraft or for other applications. In some embodiments, the electric fan disclosed herein can be electrically-driven via a plurality of electric motors arranged in a configuration that promotes a relatively high power density and efficient use of space. When used on an aircraft, the electric fan disclosed herein can, in some embodiments, be relatively environmentally friendly, quiet, and have lower maintenance and operating costs than traditional gas turbine engines. Also, the use of such electric fan to propel an aircraft can eliminate the loss of performance that can be associated with gas turbine engines due to decreasing air density with increasing altitude. In some embodiments, the thrust levels generated by an electric fan as disclosed herein can be comparable to a turbofan gas turbine engine of a similar fan diameter. In some embodiments, the electric fan disclosed herein can be used to generate reverse thrust during landing of an aircraft for example and either reduce or eliminate the need for conventional thrust reversers provided on aircraft engines. The electric fan disclosed herein can be used to propel an aircraft during various phases of operation of the aircraft including when the aircraft is in flight or on the ground (e.g., during taxiing).
Aspects of various embodiments are described through reference to the drawings.
1
FIG.
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is a perspective view of an exemplary aircraft comprising electric fan as described herein. Aircraft can be any type of aircraft such as a commercial passenger aircraft. Aircraft can be a fixed-wing aircraft. Aircraft can comprise one or more electric fans (referred hereinafter in the singular), wings , fuselage and empennage . Electric fan can be mounted to wing or to fuselage of aircraft and may serve to produce thrust for propulsion of aircraft . In some situations, electric fan may supplement or serve as a substitute for one or more conventional gas turbine engines for propelling aircraft . Even though the exemplary embodiments described herein relate to electric fans configured to interact with air, it is understood that aspects of the present disclosure can also apply generally to fluid propellers that can be configured to interact with air or other fluids.
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Electric fan can be electrically coupled and powered via any suitable electric power source(s) onboard aircraft . In some embodiments, power source can comprise one or more batteries. In some embodiments, power source can comprise an auxiliary power unit (APU) drivingly engaged with a suitable electric generator. Such APU can comprise a gas turbine or other combustion engine that is disposed in an aft portion (e.g., tail) of aircraft for example.
2
FIG.
2
FIG.
2
FIG.
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is a perspective axial cross-section view of an exemplary electric fan of aircraft . Electric fan can be housed inside a suitable nacelle, which is not shown in . In various embodiments, electric fan can have a single-stage or a multi-stage configuration. illustrates a dual-stage configuration where like elements of fan stages A and B are identified using like reference numerals. First stage A and second stage B of electric fan can have a generally similar configuration so the following description of various elements of electric fan is presented in relation to one of the stages.
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Electric fan can comprise stator , fan rotor and one or more electric motors mounted to stator and drivingly engaged with fan rotor to cause rotation of fan rotor relative to stator . Fan rotor can be rotatably mounted relative to stator for rotation about fan rotation axis FA. Fan rotor can comprise annular body defining a flow passage therethrough. Fan rotor can comprise a plurality of fan blades disposed in the flow passage and mounted for common rotation with annular body about fan rotation axis FA.
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Motor(s) can each have a motor rotation axis MA that differs from fan rotation axis FA. For example, motor rotation axis MA can be disposed radially outwardly from the flow passage defined by annular body . In some embodiments, motor rotation axis MA can be disposed radially outwardly from annular body . In some embodiments, motor rotation axis MA can be substantially parallel to fan rotation axis FA. In some embodiments, motor rotation axis MA can be radially offset from fan rotation axis FA.
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In some embodiments, fan blades can be secured to annular body and depend radially inwardly from annular body and into the inner flow passage defined by annular body . In some embodiments, fan blades can define a hubless fan rotor . For example, inner ends of fan blades can be free (i.e., not connected to any other structure) and can define an unobstructed central passage into which fluid flow can be induced during rotation of fan rotor . Alternatively, it is understood that aspects of the present disclosure are also applicable to bladed rotors that have central hubs. Accordingly, in various embodiments, fan rotor can have a central hub or can be hubless.
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In some dual-stage embodiments of electric fan , stages A and B can be configured for counter-rotation during operation of electric fan . Since stages A and B of electric fan can be independently driven and controlled via separate electric motors , fan rotors of stages A and B can be driven in different directions and/or at different rotational speeds depending on operating conditions and for optimization of flow conditions in the flow passage defined by annular body . For example, the shapes of fan blades of stage A can be different from the shapes of fan blades of stage B due to the counter-rotation configuration and/or other reasons. In some embodiments, the counter-rotation of fan rotors of stages A and B can reduce or eliminate the need for the presence of stator vanes inside the flow passage defined by annular body . For example, second stage B can be configured to partially counteract some of the flow disturbances in the fluid caused by first stage A. For example, second stage B can be configured to at least partially undo some of the swirling induced in the fluid flow by the first stage and also straighten the flow of fluid exiting electric fan in order to orient the thrust produced by electric fan accordingly (e.g., substantially along fan rotation axis FA). It is understood that electric fan can comprise a single stage or two or more stages. In some embodiments, each fan rotor can be configured to be driven in one rotational direction during a first mode of operation to generate forward thrust and in an opposite rotational direction during a second mode of operation to generate reverse thrust.
3
FIG.
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is an enlarged perspective axial cross-section view of a portion of electric fan . Fan rotor can be rotatably mounted relative to stator via one or more bearings . In some embodiments, bearings can be rolling-element (roller) bearings. In some embodiments, bearings can be ball bearings. In some embodiments, electric fan can comprise a plurality of bearings serving as an interface between stator and fan rotor . For example, bearings can be arranged in a circular array where bearings are circumferentially spaced apart about fan axis FA. In some embodiments, a first circular array of bearings can be disposed forward of motor(s) and a second circular array of bearings can be disposed aft of motor(s) . For example, motor(s) can be disposed axially between the forward array of bearings and the aft array of bearings . Each bearing can be mounted to stator and interface with annular track of fan rotor . For example, each bearing can have an inner race that is secured to stator and an outer race that engages with (e.g., rolls against and is guided by) track .
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In some embodiments, a forward annular track can be provided for interfacing with the forward array of bearings and an aft annular track can be provided for interfacing with the aft array of bearings . In some embodiments, each bearing can have a bearing rotation axis BA that is tilted (i.e., non-parallel, oblique) by a non-zero tilt angle α relative to fan rotation axis FA. The tilt angle α of the bearing rotation axis BA relative to fan rotation axis FA can facilitated the transfer of thrust loads between stator and fan rotor . In some embodiments, forward bearings can have a bearing rotation angle BA that is tilted in one direction (e.g., positive) relative to fan rotation axis FA and aft bearings can be tilted in the opposite direction (e.g., negative) relative to fan rotation axis FA to facilitate the transfer of both forward and reverse thrust loads between stator and fan rotor .
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Fan rotor can comprise ring gear extending around the flow passage defined by annular body . In some embodiments, ring gear can be disposed on a radially outer side of annular body . Ring gear can be directly or indirectly secured to annular body to form part of fan rotor . Ring gear can comprise teeth (not shown) facing radially outwardly for meshing with teeth (not shown) of pinion gears . It is understood that ring gear could instead comprise teeth (not shown) facing radially inwardly for meshing with teeth (not shown) of pinion gears .
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Electric motors can be drivingly engaged to ring gear via one or more pinion gears . In some embodiments, a plurality of electric motors can be configured to cooperatively drive fan rotor via ring gear . For example, a plurality of electric motors can each be drivingly engaged with ring gear via respective pinion gears . For example, the plurality of electric motors can be arranged in a circular array (circumferential set) of electric motors that are circumferentially distributed about fan rotor . In some embodiments, the plurality of electric motors can be arranged in two circular arrays of electric motors that cooperatively drive the same fan rotor . In some embodiments, the arrangement of the plurality of electric motors illustrated herein can promote efficient use of space and relatively high power density.
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FIG.
In some embodiments, the plurality of electric motors can define a plurality of motor pairs circumferentially distributed about fan rotation axis FA. For example, two electric motors defining a motor pair are identified in . Each motor pair can be drivingly engaged with ring gear via a respective pinion gear . The two electric motors of a motor pair can be drivingly engaged with ring gear via the same pinion gear . The two electric motors in each motor pair can be coaxial and share the same motor rotation axis MA. Pinion gear can be disposed axially between the two electric motors of the motor pair. Motor rotation axis MA can represent an axis about which a rotor of electric motor rotates. In some embodiments, one electric motor of a motor pair can be part of one circular array of electric motors and the other electric motor of the same motor pair can be part of another circular array of electric motors . In other words, the plurality of electric motors can be arranged to define a circular array of motor pairs extending about the flow passage defined by annular body .
4
FIG.
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is a perspective view of two exemplary pairs of electric motors in isolation from electric fan . Each electric motor of a motor pair can be drivingly engaged to the common pinion gear via respective motor shafts . In some embodiments, adjacent electric motors in the same circular array can share a common motor stator .
5
FIG.
5
FIG.
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is a perspective view of an exemplary configuration of electric motors of electric fan . shows a single circular array of electric motors drivingly engaged with ring gear . It is understood that one stage of electric fan can comprise a single circular array of electric motors where electric motors are drivingly engaged to ring gear via respective pinion gears , or, the one stage of electric fan can comprise two circular arrays of electric motors defining motor pairs that are drivingly engaged to ring gear via respective pinion gears .
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In some embodiments, electric motors may be configured as a multi-rotor electric machine of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,232,700 entitled “MULTI-ROTOR ELECTRIC MACHINE”, which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, this arrangement can provide a relatively high power to weight ratio and may be suitable for physical integration into electric fan within a space defined inside a nacelle housing electric fan . Electric motors can each comprise motor stator and motor rotor . In some embodiments, each motor rotation axis MA can be radially offset from fan rotation axis FA at a substantially uniform offset distance.
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FIG.
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FIGS. and
5
FIG.
In some embodiments, electric motors can be operated to provide phased rotary power to ring gear by using torque phasing between some electric motors to allow for the torque application on ring gear to be more evenly distributed. For example, in reference to the single array of electric motors shown in , torque phasing can be used between different electric motors in the array so that torque pulses are not applied to ring gear by all electric motors simultaneously. This type of torque phasing can be applied to more evenly distribute the torque application with respect to time. In reference to the dual array of electric motors shown in , torque phasing can similarly be used between different motor pairs so that torque pulses are not applied to ring gear by all motor pairs simultaneously. In some embodiments, torque phasing (e.g., 90°) can be applied between electric motors of the same motor pair to more evenly distribute the torque application on the common pinion gear with respect to time. In some embodiments, torque phasing can be used to provide a smoother torque application and reduce the magnitude of torque spikes that could otherwise be applied to pinion gears and/or ring gear . The structure and principle operation of the arrangement of electric motors illustrated in are described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,232,700.
6
FIG.
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electrically driving a bladed rotor such as fan rotor of electric fan to rotate in a first direction to generate forward thrust to propel aircraft (see block ); and
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electrically driving the bladed rotor of electric fan to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction to generate reverse thrust (see block ).
is a flowchart of a method for operating electric fan when mounted to aircraft . Method can be conducted using electric fan as described herein or using other types of fluid propellers suitable for generating thrust for propelling aircraft . Method can comprise:
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For example, fan rotor can be electrically driven to rotate in the first direction during flight of the aircraft; and then after a touch-down of aircraft , fan rotor can be electrically driven to rotate in the second direction. Method can comprise ceasing to electrically drive fan rotor to rotate in the first direction before reversing the direction of rotation of fan rotor .
2
FIG.
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In some embodiments where electric fan has two stages A and B (see ), method can comprise driving the two fan rotors at different rotational speeds when generating forward thrust. In some embodiments, method can comprise driving the two fan rotors in opposite directions to each other when generating forward thrust.
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In some embodiments, one or more electric motors can operate as electric motors when driving fan rotor and can operate as electric generators when fan rotor is caused to rotate by the air passing through the flow passage defined by annular body . In some embodiments, method can comprising ceasing to electrically drive fan rotor to rotate in the first (or second) direction and then allowing windmilling of fan rotor . During descent phase of flight of aircraft for example, fan rotor can be allowed to “windmill” and cause to drive electric motors as electric generators for the purpose of generating electrical energy for use onboard aircraft . In some embodiments, the electrical energy generated can be used to recharge one or more batteries (e.g., of power source ) for example. It is understood that the use of electric motors to generate electricity during windmilling can be incorporated with method or can be part of a different method. Fan rotor can also be stopped from rotating via suitable control of electric motors so as to produce drag during movement of aircraft to which electric fan is mounted. It is understood that allowing windmilling of fan rotor would also produce drag during movement of such aircraft .
The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one skilled in the relevant arts will recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed. The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the subject matter of the claims. The present disclosure is intended to cover and embrace all suitable changes in technology. Modifications which fall within the scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light of a review of this disclosure, and such modifications are intended to fall within the appended claims. Also, the scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole. | |
The National Economic Council yesterday rose from its emergency meeting and declared that the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other secessionist had hijacked demonstrations and caused mayhem and lawlessness across the country.
Hoodlums had reportedly taken advantage of the #EndSARS protests to attack and loot public and private assets causing loss of lives and property across the nation.
The NEC, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, in the communique issued after the virtual meeting, said it reviewed the activities of the IPOB and other secessionist groups, stressing that these subterranean and violent tendencies must be quickly addressed given that they had “continually hijacked demonstrations and caused mayhem and lawlessness across parts of the country.”
The NEC attributed the civil unrest witnessed in the country in the last few weeks to economic issues, saying good governance and improved service delivery remained the fundamental panacea to social tensions in the country.
The council added that social welfare must be given greater priority in the first instance.
The council agreed to embark on an objective framing of a new security and stability architecture for the country supported by the development of a framework of engagement with the youth, civil society and religious leaders.
It said the framework for national unity would engage with security agencies that will devolve more control to state governors who are the chief security officers of their states.
Meanwhile, the council resolved that Osinbajo lead a committee constituted to address the “deeper” issues behind the #EndSARS protest and its fallouts.
ALSO READ:#EndSARS Protests: IPC Condemns Police Assault On Vanguard Journalist In Delta
The committee is to engage the youth, representatives of civil society organizations, religious and traditional leaders on employment, social safety net programmes and national unity, among other key issues of concern.
Members of the committee are the governors of Sokoto, Borno, Niger, Ondo, Ebonyi and Delta States, representing the six geopolitical zones.
The committee, which is to commence work immediately, will develop a comprehensive framework under the auspices of the NEC that will coordinate joint actions and steps to be taken by both the federal and state governments to examine the fundamental issues underlining the protests and arrive at effective solutions, including how to enhance Nigeria’s national security.
The NEC backed President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to a complete overhaul of the nation’s security services.
The council also lauded the Nigerian Police Force and security agencies for their handling of the disturbances in some states of the federation, stressing that most members of the Nigerian security personnel were law abiding and capable of restoring law and order in the country.
The NEC enjoined the CACOVID leadership to come out with an independent statement on the status of the distribution of palliatives donated to states to unravel the circumstances behind the delay in the distribution of food items domiciled in warehouses across the country.
It said it involved a framework for federal support to provide compensation for those who had incurred losses in the last few weeks and a framework for social security to deal with the problem of unemployment and poverty in the country.
The council decried the irresponsible use of social media in fueling misinformation and increasing social tensions.
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Buhari To Confer CON Award On Agbon Monarch
Nigeria @ 62: Where Are We Really Going? | https://oasismagazine.com.ng/2020/10/endsars-ipob-other-secessionists-hijacked-protests-says-nec/ |
The roar of motorcycle engines will take the place of the recently retired shuttle program this weekend at Brevard County’s 30th Annual Toy Run sponsored by ABATE of Florida. This year’s run is expected to bring in truckloads of gifts for needy children countywide.
The Annual event is organized by ABATE, a non-profit organization promoting motorcycle safety, training and political awareness, and is co-sponsored by the Azan Shriners who donate many beverages and man-hours at the event. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Motorcycle Squad will lead the Toy Run.
Participating bikers are each asked to donate a new unwrapped toy or a $10 donation. There will be numerous vendors, music, food, drinks, a golf ball drop, a live camel, and more. Proceeds benefit Shriner’s Hospital Children and local charities.
The run will start at noon Sunday, December 4th, at Merritt Square Mall, head down State Road 520 and southbound U.S. 1, ending up at Brevard Community College’s Melbourne campus on Post Road about two hours later. | https://www.sinclairlaw.com/get-your-keepsake-koozies-at-abates-annual-christmas-toy-run/ |
Equal Education (EE) and Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) welcome the recommendations of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which has called on the South African government to intensify its efforts to, among others: improve school infrastructure, reduce school dropout rates, prevent discrimination related to school fees, improve access to education for learners with disabilities, and hold private actors in education to account.
The recommendations follow a process of reporting by South Africa to the Committee with inputs from civil society, including EE and EELC. This is the first time that South Africa has reported to the Committee after the country’s ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 2015. South Africa’s ratification binds it to the provisions of the Covenant, including regular reporting on measures and progress toward full realisation of these rights.
EE and EELC submitted a joint shadow report highlighting specific challenges learners face in accessing basic education, and presented on these before the Committee earlier this month. We now welcome the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations, which require the government to address many of the issues EE and EELC raised in its shadow report.
Withdrawal of declaration
Significantly, the Committee raises its concern about the declaration South Africa made when it ratified the Covenant, which would allow government to progressively realise the right to basic education, within available resources. In line with EE and EELC’s submissions, the Committee has recommended that government withdraw this declaration, which will ensure that the realisation of the right to basic education remains immediately realisable, as stated in the South African Constitution.
School infrastructure provisioning
The Committee also highlights its concern over the poor state of public school infrastructure in South Africa, noting those schools that have no, or limited access to water, sanitation and electricity due to budget cuts or financial mismanagement. In light of this, the Committee recommends that the government intensify its efforts to improve school infrastructure and provide basic services by allocating sufficient funding and effectively managing its money.
Fees as a barrier to quality education and regulation of private actors
The Committee further recommends, among others, that the government ensure that fees are not a barrier to education, that it improves the regulation of private actors in education, and that it guarantees high quality early education for all children, especially those from disadvantaged families.
Learners with disabilities and migrant learners
Importantly, the Committee also makes strong recommendations concerning children with disabilities. In particular, the Committee calls for the immediate roll-out of the no-fee school programme to State-run schools for children with disabilities who cannot be accommodated in mainstream schools. The Committee also recommends that inclusive education be a guiding principle in all education plans and programmes, and requests that all migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking children should have access to education regardless of their immigration status.
The Committee’s recommendations speak to a number of the toughest barriers learners face in accessing education and which, if addressed, can help ensure that equal access to basic education becomes a reality for all learners in South Africa. Civil society must take up this call to monitor and evaluate the government’s response to these recommendations, and hold it accountable for the steps it will take. In this way, civil society, together with international bodies, can play an active part in advancing the right to education in South Africa.
[END]
For further media comment:
Equal Education
Hopolang Selebalo (Co-Head of Research)
[email protected]
Roné McFarlane (Co-Head of Research)
Equal Education Law Centre: | https://equaleducation.org.za/2018/10/22/media-statement-un-committee-calls-sa-government-to-action-on-basic-education/ |
The God Within (FULL) from DivinityNow.com – Mike Adams aka The Health Ranger
Adams refutes the persistent belief of physicists that physics can understand everything. Physics cannot be wholly explained without taking consciousness into account. Most conventional physicists, like Stephen Hawking, doesn’t believe in consciousness or free will. Adams shows no mercy in finding the flaws in Hawking’s arguments.
Adams looks at determinism, self awareness, enlightenment, quantum theory, the nature of reality, origins of the universe, and the big bang. | http://www.twobitguru.com/2014/02/28/the-god-within/ |
OUR BLUES AWARDS
Each year students are recognised for their achievements and successes in cultural activities, on the sports field and for academic excellence. Three separate evenings celebrate our students dedication and excellence in their discipline and students are awarded blues badges for excellence.
Due to alert level restrictions, all prize givings, award evenings and ceremonies will be held online this year.
CULTURAL BLUES 2021
Cultural Blues Award is a prestigious distinction that is presented to a student who has achieved outstanding success in cultural activities. Please complete the applicable information outlining your achievements for your cultural activity/s below.
Applications are now closed. All successful applicants will receive a personal invitation to the Cultural Blues Awards to be held online. More details to follow soon.
SPORTS BLUES 2021
Nominations are now closed. Our Sports Blues Awards will be held online. More details to follow soon. | https://www.mahurangi.school.nz/blues |
Throughout most of the medieval period, Southwest Scotland was more or less under English suzerainty. During the twelfth century this area was also subjected to considerable military influence from its southern neighbour and in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries this influence was replaced by an attempt at direct political control which resulted in the Scottish Wars of Independence.
The Southwest area of Scotland had only been drawn into the Kingdom of Scotland in 1034, having previously been the separate British or Welsh Kingdom of Strathclyde with its predominantly Scandinavian sub-kingdom of Galloway to its south. This meant that the military organisations of the western Lowlands retained their own distinct traditions. Scottish monarchs during this time however, also started a policy of feudalisation, using Norman England as their model even going as far as encouraging Anglo-Normans to settle in Scotland in the twelfth century, where they would become a major military influence. Scottish charters from the twelfth century mention knight service, mounted sergeants who held estates, mounted and infantry archers and feudal fiefs, granted in return for the supply of ships and oarsmen for the royal fleet. Not only does this show an adoption of 'feudal' ideas, but it meant that the Scots could now call up large armies unlike the Welsh who still used traditional, 'native' organisation. Although southern Scotland copied many aspects of these English or French methods of organisation, the old military structures didn't disappear fully until the English system was imposed on them by the English crown during the occupation of the late thirteenth century.
During this period the military structure, equipment and tactics of southwest Scotland was very similar to that of Northern England. The infantry played the major part in warfare with cavalry not playing much of a role at all until the eleventh century. The most common infantry weapons were spears, axes and swords with the soldiers from areas such as Galloway being poorly equipped compared to their counterparts in Ayrshire. A favoured weapon in Galloway was still the old Danish style axe with it's wickedly upwards sweeping blade, which had originally been designed to break through the shield walls of previous centuries. Although the small feudal elite were mounted and armoured, Scottish lowland warfare still relied on infantry armed with long spears or pikes. This was the main difference between Lowland Scotland and England; the peasantry were still the mainstay of Scottish armies in contrast to the professional mounted knights south of the border. By the fourteenth century Lowland Scotland had adopted many of the tactics and weapons of the English, including siege engines and most noticeably there was a pronounced emphasis on archery.
The Scots had to adapt to compete within the evolving world of warfare. The tactic of using static circular formations of long spears (schiltrons) to defeat cavalry had met with disaster at Falkirk in 1298, where they had been ripped apart by English arrows. However in 1314 at Bannockburn these units were mobile and well drilled, similar to later pike formations, and after the English longbowmen had been routed, they met with amazing affect, devastating one of the most advanced and well equipped armies in Europe. However the Scots were deterred from further adaptation of this style after the sickening defeat at Halidon Hill in 1333, again proving the dominance of the English Longbow at this time. Out of necessity the Scots, knowing that they could not compete in the open field against the heavy English cavalry resorted to guerrilla warfare which consisted of small-scale hit-and-run operations or swift raids into Northern England to plunder lightly protected towns and monasteries. To do this the Scots were lightly mounted and carried their own food, dismounting to fight (These troops were known as hobelars). The larger English horses could not follow the small, sturdy Scottish horses across the hills of the rugged border landscape and the English relied on an arterial, easily severed train of supplies to its troops. The French chronicler, Froissart, describes Scottish Soldiery around 1327 thus "They were all a-horse back, the knights and squires being well horsed while the lower ranks rode sturdy little nags, whose sole object was to transport their rider to the field of battle, or convey him rapidly in a raiding party……They would take with them no purveyance of bread nor wine, for…they will pass in the journey a great long time with flesh half sodden, without bread, and drink of the river water without wine, and they neither care for pots nor pans, for they seethe beasts in their own skins…on their horse between the saddle and the panel they truss a broad plate of metal, and behind the saddle they will have a little sack of oatmeal…they lay this plate on the fire and temper a little of the oatmeal; and when the plate is hot, they cast of the thin paste thereon, and so make a little cake…and that they eat to comfort withal their stomachs."
This led to a reversal of the earlier trend, England now had to learn Scottish tactics and strategies in order to compete with this highly mobile force and hobelars now became an aspect of the English military along with other infantry tactics learned from the Scots. Combined with their better trained and equipped troops and great numbers of archers, these new tactics (which were actually quite ancient) did not only ensure English military superiority over the Scots, but were employed by Edward III to crush the flower of French Chivalry during the early part of the Hundred Years War. | http://www.futuremuseum.co.uk/collections/people/lives-in-key-periods/the-medieval-period-(1100ad-1499ad)/wars-of-independence/scottish-soldiery.aspx |
Pit 3 functions as the headquarter of the army.
They reveal the real military arrangement of the Qin army, including disposition of infantry, cavalry, chariot soldiers, archers, and the usage of weapons.
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Military Formation of Terracotta Army in Pit 1
According to the relevant historical records, the Terracotta Warriors of Pit 1 are a military defense troop to protect the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum. It is the largest among the three pits with an area of 14,260 square meters (17,055 square yards). It reveals the reality of military formation of the Qin army. This pit contains more than 6,000 lifelike terracotta warriors, including: chariot and infantry soldiers, and well-equipped chariots. The first three rows are 204 archers in armor. On two sides and the end of the formation, are warriors facing outside. Behind the archers are over 6,000 infantry with weapons, standing in 38 lines, dotted with 45 chariots.
|Military Formation of Terracotta Army Pit 1|
Military Formation of Terracotta Army in Pit 2
Located on the northeastern side of pit 1, the Terracotta Warriors Pit 2 has an area of 6,000 square meters (7,176 square yards). Around 1,000 pieces of potter ware warriors, including chariots and infantry soldiers, as well as cavalry are buried underground pit 2. These three arms of the services had their own military formations respectively in this pit, and they also were distributed interactively inside a big alterable and flexible military arrangement. Some archers were positioned in front part of the small infantry array, and some kneeling archers and standing archers were separately located in its middle and periphery. Besides, there were more than 80 war chariots scattered within the greater battle formation, to support the fighting when necessary.
Some experts guessed that the role of the pit 2 is to reveal the essential elements of an ancient military camp, instead of show the military arrangement at that time. Hence, it’s uncertain to say the military formation of terracotta army in pit 2 is for attacking or not.
|Military Formation of Terracotta Army Pit 2|
Military Formation of Terracotta Army in Pit 3
|Military Formation in Pit 3|
Altogether 68 terracotta warriors, and one chariot were found in Terracotta Warriors Pit 3. In addition, many ceremonial weapons were unearthed from this pit as well. Compared to pit 1 and pit 2, this one had minimum area with around 520 square meters (622 square yards), and was regarded as a military headquarter. The pottery warriors were arranged face to face, and orderly on both sides of the passageways in the pit 3.
Different Weapons Armed to Terracotta Warriors
The peripheral soldiers in pit 1 were equipped with range weapons: bows and crossbows, mainly to assault the enemy from afar. The remaining main force had various weapons, such as spears, swords, and halberds. The separate small array scattered in terracotta warriors pit 2, included plenty of excellent archers, and they were armed with bows and crossbows to play a vital role when assaulting, defending, ambuscading and breaking through in battle. This kind of arrangement reflects the mature tactical thoughts in ancient China. | https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/strategy_1.htm |
If you are thinking of moving to Oakamoor or just want to know a what the area is like, the statistics on this page should give you a good introduction. They cover a range of socio-economic factors so you can compare Oakamoor to figures for Staffordshire and nationally. These statistics can tell you if Oakamoor is an economically deprived area and how hard it might be to get a job.
These statistics are for the highest level education obtained by the residents of Oakamoor and are from the UK Census of 2011.
Oakamoor has a higher rate of home ownership, either outright or via a mortgage than the national average, which suggests that Oakamoor is a relatively affluent area.
These figures for Country of Birth for the residents of Oakamoor are from the UK Census of 2011. Since Oakamoor has a higher level of residents born in the UK than the national average and a lower rate of residents either born in other EU countries or outside the EU, it does not have a significant immigrant population.
The population of Oakamoor as a whole, is older than the national average. The population of Oakamoor is also older than the Staffordshire average, making Oakamoor a older persons location.
These figures on the claiming of benefits in Oakamoor come from the Department for Work & Pensions and are dated . They can often be a good indicator of the prosperity of the town and possible indicator of how hard it would be to get employment in the area. The rate of unemployment in Oakamoor is both lower than the average for Staffordshire and lower than the national average, suggesting that finding a job in this area maybe easier than most places. The rate of claiming any benefit (which includes in work benefits) is more than 10% lower in Oakamoor than the national average, suggesting higher salaries than the average in the area.
The respondents of the 2011 Census were asked to rate their health. These are the results for Oakamoor. The percentage of residents in Oakamoor rating their health as 'very good' is less than the national average. Also the percentage of residents in Oakamoor rating their health as 'very bad' is more than the national average, suggesting that the health of the residents of Oakamoor is generally worse than in the average person in England.
Do you live in Oakamoor? Let us know what you think in the comments below. | https://www.ilivehere.co.uk/statistics-oakamoor-staffordshire-28603.html |
Original article published by Harvard Business Review on June 12, 2017
When I was Chief Innovation Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital, I often felt that my title should have been Chief Innovation Communication and Relations Officer. In any firm, an innovation program cannot be effective without building bridges within the firm. But, in highly regulated industries, such as healthcare delivery, pharma, banking, and insurance, good relationships and effective communication are especially vital.
Innovating in highly regulated industries can be challenging. But it is necessary, because even firms in these industries must innovate to gain competitive advantages and thrive. For innovation to flourish despite legal and regulatory obstacles, you must address innovation barriers head-on. Here are a few tips based on my experience:
1. Build relationships proactively with internal regulatory and legal folks
That’s right. Seek out—don’t avoid – the staff responsible for legal, regulatory, and compliance within your organization. Innovators sometimes think they are better off steering clear of these gatekeepers and guardians for as long as possible. That’s a big mistake. You can’t avoid working with these folks, and if you don’t find them, they will come and find you. Talk to your legal, regulatory, and compliance colleagues early, well before your innovation is ready. Discussing your project at the beginning of the innovation lifecycle, when the stakes are still low, gives them time to digest the new idea and provide input and guidance while the idea can still be shaped into an innovation.
Talk to your legal, regulatory, and compliance colleagues early, well before your innovation is ready. Discussing your project at the beginning of the innovation lifecycle, when the stakes are still low, gives them time to digest the new idea and provide input and guidance while the idea can still be shaped into an innovation.
When I was Chief Innovation Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital, my team realized our doctors could use videoconferencing to care for critically ill patients in small community hospitals. Our legal department, however, greeted the idea with scowls and skepticism. The lawyers were worried about patient consent, physician licensure, medical liability, and a long litany of other legal and regulatory concerns.
Eventually, after many intense conversations, they came on board. In fact, once our “Teleconnect” program launched, the attorneys actually became some of the most enthusiastic internal advocates for the program.
Sometimes, however, resistance is strong. When that happens, should you circumvent the lawyers and appeal to the CEO? Going above the lawyers can break an impasse. But it also can damage relationships, and make it harder to gain legal or regulatory approval the next time around.
Instead of doing an end-run around your legal and regulatory people, continuously emphasize to them why and how your innovation is important to the business. Explain that killing the project isn’t a good option because it hurts the organization. When the lawyers understand the benefits, they will find ways to drive the innovation forward.
2. Find a champion within your legal or regulatory departments who is interested in innovation
Recruiting a legal or regulation expert who will champion innovation lends internal credibility to your project and can help you navigate not just your organization, but also your industry.
To find this innovation ambassador, be open. Your legal innovation champion could be a far-sighted junior attorney or a seasoned lawyer.
At a biotech company where I worked, my regulatory champion on a social media initiative was a relatively new lawyer. He had joined the company recently and was thoughtful, caring, and interested in exploring the possibilities of social media. He created a useful bridge to other regulatory experts in the organization.
3. Frame conversations as discussions
By asking questions and exploring hypothetical scenarios, you can change responses from legal and regulatory folks from “no” to “yes, but…”
For example, asking “How can we…?” rather than “Can we…?” encourages thinking about how something can be accomplished despite existing restrictions.
At Boston Children’s Hospital, when we began planning our first hackathon, people were concerned about who would own any intellectual property generated at the hackathon. When the question was reframed during a series of discussions, outside innovators and the hospital found common ground and a way to share the IP.
4. Communicate broadly and repeat yourself
One of the most impactful things we did to drive innovation forward was to set up regular monthly meetings we set up with our legal team at Boston Children’s Hospital. This gave us the time and space to discuss emerging issues calmly and collaboratively. While it’s great to have informal check-ins, nothing beats regularly scheduled meetings for ensuring legal, regulatory, and compliance partners are up-to-speed–and on board with your plans.
Similarly, we also had monthly fora where we shared progress on innovations that were underway with a broader team of stakeholders. As Chief Innovation Officer, I also continuously made rounds to all the clinical departments to provide updates and information to the doctors and nurses there. We produced an annual innovation report, which proved an effective way to disseminate information about our progress on a yearly basis. Holding annual “innovation days” provided us with a platform for innovators to share their exciting work. Highlighting the outcomes of prior innovation laid the foundation for future innovation.
Effective, broad internal communication is vital when innovating in any industry, and even more so in heavily regulated ones. Why? In regulated industries, folks throughout the organization – not just legal, regulatory, and compliance experts – may worry about innovation-related risk.
5. Tackle “folk law” head on
In regulated industries, there are clearly industry rules that need to be followed and laws to be aware of. However, there are also often gray areas where the law is unclear. Innovation frequently occurs in that uncharted territory, where regulations may not be well-defined. In the absence of clear laws and regulations, people tend to rely on “folk law.”
Folk law is simply the way things have always been done. Even though folk law is often based on mistaken assumptions, it is treated as if it were an actual regulatory constraint. Folk law develops based on what people are familiar with and comfortable doing. Once restrictions are identified as “folk law,” moving past them becomes easier.
Folk law at a biotech company where I worked dictated that executives couldn’t tweet. Our legal team was extremely uncomfortable with the idea. Once we began to discuss the reasons for their discomfort, it became clear their concern was rooted in the fact that none of the executives had ever been active on Twitter. The folk law that “executives can’t tweet” disintegrated once it was poked and prodded. Soon after, the regulatory team issued a set of internal policies and guidelines around the use of Twitter by employees.
6. Track the competition
Legal and regulatory folks are not always comfortable having their organization be the first to innovate and chart new territory. However, when in-house legal and regulatory experts can see how other organizations in the same industry are innovating and pushing the envelope –and how regulators respond– they often then become comfortable with their own organization following these other leaders.
There is a sense of “safety in numbers.” Tracking how your competition is innovating and sharing it within your organization can help you make the case for innovation with your internal legal and regulatory experts.
7. Be patient
Innovating in regulated industries takes longer than in other industries. People are more uncomfortable with innovation in regulated industries. They are quicker to raise red flags and barricades. But you still can innovate successfully. Involve those people early, while they can help shape the project, and be patient.
Expect setbacks. Innovation is rarely easy, especially in regulated industries. But it becomes easier when you treat legal, regulatory and compliance colleagues as assets rather than as adversaries. With time and patience, and by involving legal, regulatory and compliance folks early, you too can bring innovation to a highly-regulated industry.
Regulated industries need time to adapt, and they need to understand innovation, its risks and benefits. Don’t get discouraged when there are setbacks. (I’ve been there!) Instead, be patient and focus on the ultimate goal. And communicate, communicate, communicate. | https://www.pharmstars.com/blog/when-you-are-down-and-out-how-do-you-get-up-and-go-forward |
Merge your artistic and technical skills into a career that can impact entire communities and change the way people experience and move through life! Architecture is an art that has far-reaching effects and is constantly changing with technological advances. If you are ready to dive into a field that combines both creativity and engineering, find out more about the architecture major at NCC.
You'll experience coursework which combines a mixture of academics, design and advanced computer technology as you dream up residential and commercial design projects. Your passion for creating will be fueled as you learn how to build stylish structures that are also safe and functional. NCC's architecture program is a member of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, ensuring that the program is current with trends in the field. Our faculty consists of practicing, registered architects who are members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Take the Next Step
Your Career in Architecture
Graduates of the NCC program will be prepared for transfer into an accredited five-year Bachelor of Architecture Professional Program leading to a three-year internship and NCARB Examination to practice architecture. NCC Students have transferred to 30 different universities.
Architecture Career Paths
- Architect
- Architectural Technician
- Building Inspector
- Architectural/Building Sales
Degrees We Offer
- Associate in Applied Science | 2 years
Transfer possibilities include: | https://northampton.edu/architecture.htm |
Cultural Heritage Resilience Against Climate Change and Natural Hazards
The eBook "Cultural Heritage Resilience Against Climate Change and Natural Hazards. Methodologies, Procedures, Technologies and Policy improvements achieved by Horizon 2020 - 700191 STORM project" is edited by Vanni Resta, Andrei B. Utkin, Filipa M. Neto, and Charalampos Z. Patrikakis.
> Horizon 2020 - a guide to intellectual property protection
With the importance of Cultural Heritage recognised not only for its contribution in shaping ethnic identities, but also as an important factor in the economic growth of a country through its contribution to tourism, the need of protecting and preserving Cultural Heritage sites has been acknowledged as a priority for our societies.
In this course, the collaboration of experts from different disciplines is important. STORM project is an attempt to combine the expertise of a multidisciplinary group of academics, researchers, experts and practitioners, towards effective prediction of environmental changes and for revealing threats and conditions that could damage cultural heritage sites.
STORM has completed its 3 years works, leading to results reporting on scientific and technical advancements, proposed strategies and policies, as well as practices and interventions towards the protection of Cultural Heritage.
This book reports these results through a spherical coverage addressing both challenges and problems, and solutions, proposals and insights on the future. | https://fasi.eu/en/news-2/comments-and-research/20816-cultural-heritage-resilience-against-climate-change-and-natural-hazards.html |
We’re very pleased to report on a significant energy siting victory achieved by our client SDS Lumber Co. and its subsidiary, Whistling Ridge Energy LLC, at the Washington Supreme Court yesterday. We believe the decision sets an important precedent for energy facility siting in Washington. The case is Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Inc. and Save our Scenic Area vs. State Energy Facility Siting Council and Governor Gregoire, et. al., No. 88089-1.
At issue was the approval of a wind energy project to be sited near the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Then-Washington Governor Christine Gregoire had approved the project in March 2012 following recommendation by the State of Washington’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC). Two environmental groups, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Inc. and Save our Scenic Area, then sued in an attempt to get the site approval overturned.
On August 29, 2013, the Supreme Court ruled there was "no basis" to reverse the EFSEC’s recommendation or the Governor’s approval, and dismissed the appeal. In so doing, the Court gave an unequivocal affirmation for an objective, criteria-based process for the approval of energy projects. The Court confirmed that it will defer to EFSEC and the Governor when the siting decision demonstrates consideration of the entire record and sound application of regulatory standards.
Stoel Rives represented Whistling Ridge Energy, LLC, throughout the three-year approval process, and prevailed in demonstrating the project’s compliance with a host of federal, state and local regulatory standards. As the Court noted (quoting EFSEC), the comprehensive approval process "set a record for length, volume, and number of issues addressed." We subsequently represented Whistling Ridge throughout the trial and appeals process.
Review of the Court’s Decision
In its ruling, the Court emphasized that EFSEC operates in “unique statutory framework,” with the legislature granting much discretion to both EFSEC and the Governor. EFSEC conducts the project review process, based on statutory and regulatory standards, and makes a recommendation to the Governor. The framework “requires the involvement of various stakeholders, including environmental groups, throughout the process, and in EFSEC’s ultimate decision.” Further, the EFSEC statute is fundamentally based on the legislature’s recognition of the “importance of increasing the State’s energy output.” Consequently, the Court held that its review of EFSEC decisions will be deferential and “necessarily limited.”
The Court found that the opponents’ challenge focused on “technical” alleged deficiencies and an “extreme reading” of RCW Ch. 80.50 and EFSEC’s administrative rules, ignoring “the broader framework of the application process” and “misunderstand[ing] EFSEC’s role in balancing competing interests.” The Court found that the EFSEC application “is the starting point of a longer process,” where “specific decisions are addressed throughout the process.” Minor deficiencies in applications of the complexity of those involved in EFSEC proceedings “are to be expected and do not warrant reversal.” The Court added that “invalidation of the completed review and recommendation would also defeat the purpose of extended hearings and ongoing oversight of the project.”
The opponents further contended that EFSEC failed to render a final decision regarding Whistling Ridge’s voluntary offer to conserve a mitigation parcel to address potential wildlife impacts, contending that EFSEC lacked authority to defer consideration of this offer. The Court brushed aside the opponents’ attack on this issue, finding that “would be impractical” to achieve complete resolution of all mitigation issues “in the planning stage” due to the “complicated nature of [EFSEC] projects and the likelihood that additional issues will arise later.” Finding that EFSEC has the discretion to seek public comment and conduct adjudications later, if necessary, the Court dismissed this and similar issues as being “not ripe” for resolution.
Finally, breathing additional life into its prior holding in Residents Opposed to Kittitas Turbines v. State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, 165 Wn.2d 275, 197 P.3d 1153 (2008), the Court punctuated EFSEC’s authority to preempt conflicting regulations in order to allow energy facilities to move forward. Without question, projects like Whistling Ridge which are allowed by local zoning codes may be approved, notwithstanding alleged minor discrepancies with local comprehensive plans and other regulations. Moreover, locally adopted moratorium ordinances are subject to EFSEC’s preemptive authority, and may not interfere with EFSEC’s authority to approve energy facilities.
The Court found that the opponents could not prove that they were “substantially prejudiced” by the claimed (and unproven) “shortcomings,” holding that Whistling Ridge “substantially complied” with all of EFSEC’s regulatory standards. Reviewing a host of alleged deficiencies, the Court held that “EFSEC properly considered the conflicting evidence and made its recommendation in light of the entire record.” Consequently, the Court held that the opponents failed to meet their burden to prove error justifying reversal of Governor Gregoire’s decision.
The Right Decision Was Reached
We are pleased to have played our part in the evolution of the siting process, and we congratulate the EFSEC and the Governor for conducting open, public processes, where the “goal posts” are clearly and fairly defined for all parties, up front, and consistently throughout the siting process.
We also applaud our client for standing up against a significant environmental group challenge, and consistently “doing the right thing.” "The Siting Council, the Governor and now the state’s Supreme Court have all recognized that this project is outside the National Scenic Area, and that all impacts have been appropriately mitigated," said Jason Spadaro, president of Whistling Ridge Energy, LLC. "We look forward to finally proceeding with the business of securing markets for our energy and creating local jobs." | https://www.lawofrenewableenergy.com/2013/08/articles/siting/washington-supreme-court-establishes-important-energy-siting-precedent/ |
You may be wondering how decades should you have currently in a relationship before you get wedded. The answer is dependent largely in your preferences and exactly who you happen to be marrying. A large number of people go into relationships hoping to meet the proper person and it may take years prior to they actually fulfill. If you’re taking into consideration marriage, you might want to take time to find the ideal partner and figure out how 10 years should you have currently in a relationship before you get married.
A recently available study revealed that people within a relationship routinely have two to five years of seeing before getting engaged. Folks who live mutually are more likely to marry sooner than these who do not live together. Lovers who begin out as friends are nine years over the age of those who cohabitate. Nevertheless, various people think that the time put in in a camaraderie is more important than getting married. However this isn’t often the case.
According to Bradford Wilcox, director of the Nationwide Marriage Job at the College or university of Virginia, having many previous serious romantic relationships poses a higher risk for divorce and a lesser quality of marriage. This is because previous partners could potentially cause people to compare and contrast them to the new partner, which is not automatically good for the partnership. It’s important to raise this issue early on in the marriage to ensure a positive outcome. So many people are hesitant to throw open about their past relationships because they can feel retroactively jealous and judgmental. Recharging options necessary to admit the person’s existence before matrimony.
Prior to marriage, many women will have old fifteen men and two long lasting partners before finding ‘The One’. In contrast, men will have sex two times as often , knowledge four regrettable dates and become stood up 2 times. This may sound like a lot, although it’s even now a very prevalent scenario, and it is crucial that you find the right one pertaining to your needs and desired goals. The lead researcher of this study explained, ‘You ought to be happy with your relationship, rather than having a line of bad times before marriage’.
Even though numerous relationships may be good at one time, life changes happen to be constantly happening, and people quite often change. Relationships may undergo major changes, and this can be frustrating. However , if you find the appropriate person in the right time, you will still enjoy these people more and have more successful romances. The key is to make sure that you show similar desired goals and have common characteristics that suggest a commitment. Any time this feels like you, in that case go ahead and take the leap and generate that 1st date a long-lasting one.
Whether you will absolutely in a romance now and/or still online dating, it’s important to discuss your non-negotiables. Although these may differ from person to person, they will include cheating, lying, betting, and other behaviors. You might like to revisit this kind of list any time something has changed in your relationship. You also needs to discuss fresh dealbreakers in the event that they present a danger to your relationship.
Adults with a few college education are more likely than those without to say that having a stable job and financial protection is important just before getting married. However , half of most adults state they should have got a stable task and economical security ahead of moving in with someone. Additionally , they should likewise have children alongside one another before deciding to marry. In terms of dating, enough time between the two is much short than when couples 1st receive engaged.
Regardless of whether you https://dreamfiancee.com/review/lovefort happen to be dating an individual for the first time or perhaps you’re already married, you should always consider the long-term ramifications of your decision. After all, the long-term https://momontheside.com/8-secrets-to-keeping-the-spice-in-your-marriage benefits of a relationship will be worth the potential risks. Even if the marriage doesn’t result in marriage, you have to keep your personal life intact. You can have a happy marriage in the event you put time and effort and effort into the relationship. Should you be already operating, you should go over all your alternatives before relocating together.
In general, experts recommend to wait in least 12 months after a severe relationship ahead of introducing the significant other to your family. One in five persons recommend looking 3 months before bringing out your spouse to your family. One in ten people advise waiting for least a year. One-third of people who reached this landmark introduced their very own significant other to their individuals after simply a week or two. That may not look like a long time, but it’s a good way to make sure it’s dating the suitable person. | https://www.linda-verweij.nl/how-many-years-should-you-have-in-a-serious-relationship-before-you-get-married/ |
Zimbabwe’s economy finds itself plumb in the midst of a transition. We have moved from a multicurrency system to a local currency and have shifted from a fixed exchange rate of 1:1 to a free-floating system in an interbank forex market that is still very much in its infancy after several years of inactivity.
In many respects, the markets are still trying to establish a fair level for the local currency’s exchange rate to the US Dollars and other currencies.
As we digest the recent policy shift, looking at events post the pronouncement and casting our eyes further forward into the future, it is perhaps important to note one key point regarding exchange rates:
The level of a currency’s exchange rate is of relatively less importance to an economy’s performance than its stability. Japan for instance, the world’s third biggest economy, has a currency that has traded around 1:100 to the US dollar for the more than a decade.
While it is understandable that people are fixated with the level of our USD/ZWL exchange rate given its immediate impact on livelihoods, our view is that it’s not so much the level of the rate, but finding relative stability around whatever level the free market determines that matters to long term economic performance and people’s welfare.
With that, let’s unpack developments post the recent policy pronouncements and try to see what lays in wait.
In the two weeks post the policy pronouncement, the exchange rate in the alternative market has retreated from 14 to around 8.5 whilst the rate on the formal market has edged up to similar levels, reaching convergence.
The move to 14 was largely driven by uncertainty stemming from talk of the re-introduction of the local currency which had gathered pace in the few weeks prior to the policy pronouncement. It was unclear to the market how this process would shape up. Statements by local policy-makers on the strength of the local currency negatively affecting the competitiveness of our exports were construed by some as suggesting the local currency, when introduced, would be initially pegged above the South African Rand level of circa 14 to the US Dollar. Others yet feared the complete demonetization of local RTGS dollar and bond notes, similar to 2009 when Zimbabwe Dollar balances were whipped out. With the policy announcement, some of this uncertainty lifted and the rate dropped to around 8.5 in a classic case of “buy the rumour, and sell the announcement”.
The two questions uppermost in the minds of many is whether this correction in the exchange rate will be sustained and if this will filter through to the real economy and result in a decline in the prices of most goods and services, which had shot up with the spike in the exchange rate.
Let’s try and address each in turn.
In analysing the issue of exchange rates, its best to differentiate between immediate/short-term fluctuations and the medium to long-term trend. In the short-term, exchange rate stability will, to a large extent be driven by market confidence. Over the medium to long-term, the trend in the exchange rate will be driven by Zimbabwe’s money supply growth, government spending, aggregate demand and our international trade performance.
Now that there is clarity on the mechanics of Zimbabwe dollar re-introduction, and that is all priced in, the next question is how effective are the new measure in availing forex to all importers (both large corporates and SMEs). If importers are able to obtain forex through formal channels at current exchange rates, that builds confidence, meaning they are less likely to resort to the alternative market and start driving up the exchange rate.
The challenge is that the formal market still has frictional issues that need sorting out before it can generate the forex volumes to satisfy importers forex demands. Firstly, banks are still fairly rigid and less agile than informal traders in their Zim dollar settlement channels. In the forex market, nuance is everything. A further bottleneck is that some banks are only buying currency from their existing clients and not trading with “walk-in” clients.
Bureau de Change businesses, whilst less stringent in terms of their KYC, are still restricted to selling travel allowance and various subscription payments.
Important to note is that around 60% of our imports are from South Africa. In addition, Zimbabwe generates sizable amounts of South African Rand (between USD500 million to USD1 billion worth of Rand annually by some estimates) through illicit gold exports.
Given the frictional issues in the formal market, the concern is that importers may not initially obtain their forex requirements in full through the interbank market, grow impatient and revert to the informal market for intermediation to tap into the Rand flow from the illicit gold trade. With Zim dollar pricing for goods and services still pegged around 1:15, there remains headroom in the short-term for the exchange rates to rebound initially on the alternative market, with the interbank market following suit.
Over the medium to long-term, the trend in the exchange rate will be driven by the afore-mentioned factors, namely money supply growth; government spending vis-à-vis revenue; aggregate demand and our international trade performance. A brief look at each:
Local policy-makers seem intent on containing money supply growth – the total RTGS balances within the economy have remained flat at just under ZWL10 billion for the best part of a year. In short, the central bank has not been printing money. Kudos – they must stay the course!
In addition, the central bank has raised the overnight accommodation rate to 50% per annum. This should see banks increase their lending rates to levels above 50%, likely around 70%, making borrowing more expensive. This should curb the growth in bank loans to the private sector, one of the factors alluded to have been driving speculative demand for forex. Further, through the legacy debt assumption, central bank targets to mop up close to ZWL1,2billion from the market. This should result in further tightening of market liquidity and contain money supply growth.
For the first time in a long time, government is not spending beyond its means. This 2% transaction tax, whilst vilified and painful to the populace, has effectively sorted out government finances. The first quarter of 2019, government recorded a budget surplus of ZWL443.1 million. However, we feel there is yet room to trim some of government’s expenditure.
The levels of local wages and salaries have not kept pace with increases in the prices of goods and services. At most, incomes would have increased by 100% over the past year and a half – and that’s being very generous. On the other hand, prices have gone up at least seven-fold during the same period. Whilst total demand within the Zimbabwe economy is augmented by diaspora remittances which average around USD1 billion annually, this figure only comprises around 6% of total national income. It therefore stands to reason that real disposable incomes have declined given the current price levels.
In terms of international trade, initial numbers published for the first six months of the year indicate that there has been a marginal decline in exports of 4% on 2018 levels to USD922 million in the period February 2019 through April 2019. The current account narrowed to –USD231 million during the same period. Imports are down significantly 35% from last year to USD1,153. Given our heavy reliance on imports of consumer goods, and the decline in aggregate demand stemming from lower real disposable incomes due to exchange-rate-induced inflation, we expect a contraction in imports.
Zimbabwe’s power crisis poses serious threat to industry and exports. We see output and exports also contracting from 2018 levels given the power crisis and our below average 2018/2019 agriculture season. Its yet unclear which of these two, exports or imports – record the greater contraction.
Assuming recent trends in the above fundamentals persist, we can expect a macro landscape over the next twelve months or so that is characterised by restricted money supply growth, government spending confined to fiscal revenues, a reduced level of imports and exports. Three of the four elements are in place for a stable long-term exchange rate environment, which informs our bullish outlook on exchange rate stability in the medium to long-term.
Given the foregoing, what happens to prices of goods are serves in the greater economy? To try and form an opinion on the trajectory of price levels, its useful to see things from the perspective of corporates and entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe.
With the carnage that was experienced in the forex market over the past month and a half or so, the mindset within Corporate Zimbabwe currently is a defensive one – avoiding losses by pricing defensively to cushion oneself against further weakness in the local currency. The original fall back was to decline payment in Zimbabwe dollars and insist on receiving US dollars. That avenue is closed now. Sales have to be in Zimbabwe dollars. With sales likely to slow down given the contraction in demand, at some point the focus moves from loss avoidance to profit generation. After all, overheads have to be met and salaries need to be paid regardless of sales volumes. Meanwhile between the formal and informal markets, the exchange rate finds a level.
Our view is that once the focus of corporate Zimbabwe shifts to profit generation, it will, by necessity, require that pricing be reviewed to induce sales.
One of two things has to happen for corporate sales to rebound – an increase in disposable incomes and or a downward movement in the prices of goods and services. Whilst we can expect an upward review of incomes in the economy, we do not anticipate said increments to match the levels of inflation that we have witnessed.
As such, we foresee corporates being compelled to review their price levels downwards so as to induce sales, which requires a rethink around the appropriate level at which they buy forex. Assuming monetary authorities refrain from printing money and thus maintain a tight rein on money supply growth, it is difficult to see anything other than a correction downward of prices in the medium term given that currently the pricing is anchored on an exchange rate of circa 1:15.
Having regained full control of monetary instruments through the re-introduction of the Zimbabwe dollar, the monetary authorities now hold full sway as to the level of the stock and cost of money in the economy. Currently we sit around ZWL10 billion. Our projections on the exchange rate and price levels are thus premised on the authorities staying the course on fiscal and monetary discipline.
Local policy makers have made their move. Like a doctor, they have made a prognosis and prescribed a cocktail of “medicine” that is certainly unpalatable, but, in the main, appears apt for the condition at hand. It does require fine-tuning as we go. But like any patient, one cannot say with certainty that by such-such a time, the condition will have cleared. Rather, it is to say, take the medicine, come back for a review after X amount of days, by which time, we expect the patient to be feeling better.
Raymond Chigogwana
+263 772 288 049
[email protected]
Senziwani Sikhosana
+263 783 279 854
[email protected]
Stephen Mashozhera, CFA
+263 772 389 582
[email protected]
Contact Details
7th Floor, Finsure House, Cnr Sam Nujoma St
Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe
Telephone: +263 242 253 661-3
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.accessfinance.co.zw
Great effort and care was applied to produce accurate and factual information. However, note that Access Finance make no representation regarding, and assumes no responsibility or liability for, the accuracy or completeness of, or any errors or omissions in, any information contained herein.
This presentation does not constitute an offer to provide any investment service or advice, and no part should be relied upon in connection with any contract, commitment or investment decision in relation thereto. | https://www.accessfinance.co.zw/2019/07/09/economic-musings-exchange-rate-outlook/ |
What is group? How should it be defined?
As any other term referring to social agents of scientific change, group deserves a proper definition.
In the scientonomic context, this question was first formulated by Nicholas Overgaard in 2016. The question is currently accepted as a legitimate topic for discussion by Scientonomy community. Group (Overgaard-2017) is currently accepted by Scientonomy community as the best available definition of the term. Group (Overgaard-2017) states "Two or more people who share any characteristic."
Contents
History
Acceptance Record
|Community||Accepted From||Acceptance Indicators||Still Accepted||Accepted Until||Rejection Indicators|
|Scientonomy||19 May 2017||The question became accepted with the publication of Overgaard's A Taxonomy for Social Agents of Scientific Change.Overgaard (2017)||Yes|
All Theories
|Theory||Formulation||Formulated In|
|Group (Overgaard-2017)||Two or more people who share any characteristic.||2017|
Accepted Theories
|Community||Theory||Accepted From||Accepted Until|
|Scientonomy||Group (Overgaard-2017)||2 February 2018|
Suggested Modifications
|Modification||Community||Date Suggested||Summary||Verdict||Verdict Rationale||Date Assessed|
|Sciento-2017-0012||Scientonomy||19 May 2017||Accept a new taxonomy for group and its two sub-types - accidental group, and community.||Accepted||A consensus has emerged after a long discussion that the distinction and the respective definitions should be accepted. It was noted that "these formulations tend to be the starting point for so many of our discussions"c1 and that "despite all disagreements that this taxonomy causes, it is actually accepted by the community".c2 Yet, it was also indicated that whereas the definition of group as "two or more people that share a characteristic" is the best we have at the moment, it may be potentially necessary to pursue the idea of redefining it as "one or more people..." to allow for one-scientist communities.c3 Finally, while a question was raised whether there is any "value in defining accidental groups as something separate from groups",c4 it was eventually agreed that it is important to draw "a clear distinction between the two kinds of groups as accidental groups and communities".c5||2 February 2018|
Current View
In Scientonomy community, the accepted definition of the term is Group (Overgaard-2017). It is defined as: "Two or more people who share any characteristic."
In Overgaard's taxonomy, the term group refers to the most basic societal entity - a set of two or more people. As such, it is meant to play the role of the most abstract class which has two sub-classes - community and accidental group.Overgaard (2017) Read More
Related Topics
This topic is also related to the following topic(s): | https://www.scientowiki.com/Group |
Regulations to restrict the commercial availability of alcohol to underage youth.
Regulations to restrict the non-commercial availability of alcohol to underage youth.
Public & private sectors working together to develop and enforce policies related to underage alcohol use.
In order to prevent underage alcohol use, alcohol must be made less obtainable for young people. While doing so, the social norms that currently exist around alcohol and drinking must also be changed. For example, many youth believe that their peers consume alcohol more frequently and in greater quantities than they actually do. The desire to “be like everyone else” may cause a youth to drink when they normally would not.
Agencies, whether their focus is on policy or prevention, can play a key role in changing social norms through enacting and supporting policies that prevent the availability of alcohol to young people who are below the minimum drinking age.
Does your state, county, or city have regulations to restrict the commercial availability of alcohol to underage youth? Are they effectively enforced?
Does your state, county, or city have regulations to restrict the non-commercial availability of alcohol to underage youth? Are they effectively enforced?
Are members of the educational system (public and private), the business sector, youth serving agencies, government, and law enforcement agencies in your state, county, or city working together to develop and enforce policies related to underage alcohol use?
This section focuses on what can be done at the local level, since local level policy change is usually more attainable than state level.
Mosher, J. & Reynolds, B. How To Use Local Regulatory and Land Use Powers to Prevent Underage Drinking. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Coleman, V. & Sparks, M. (2006) Public Convenience or Necessity: A Guide for Local Government and Interested Citizens. Center for Applied Research Solutions: Community Prevention Initiative. | http://youthbingedrinking.org/you/government.php |
I felt terrified Wednesday when I heard reports of a gunman near where my partner works at UNC Chapel Hill. I felt powerless while he was hiding in a cubby room. I felt overjoyed when the all-clear was sounded, and I could breathe again. And when Kevan came home safely, I was immeasurably grateful. But after having gone through that and now the typical fear-mongering that inevitably comes after the real-life shooting in San Bernardino, today I also feel so freaking angry.
After the shooting of three UNC students last year, Kevan and I took a class to learn how to safely handle and carry a concealed weapon. We passed the written and shooting tests, and have all the training required to carry concealed almost anywhere. However, we have not gotten our permits yet, because, among other things, we each spend the overwhelming majority of our days in places where it is a crime to carry the tools necessary to defend ourselves should the worst happen. I am talking about university campuses.
I am glad that the scare Wednesday in Chapel Hill was a false alarm. But what makes me so angry is that it could have been real. And if it had been real, Kevan would have been completely helpless despite the fact that his being disarmed does nothing to make the campus safer, does nothing to prevent a crazed shooter from terrorizing the campus, does nothing at all but make a person trained to use tools of self-defense safely another easy target.
Kevan was not going to be some rough vigilante like the fear-mongers around guns would have you believe. He would have found a safe place to hide and only used the tools necessary for self-defense if there were no other options. I know this, not because Kevan would be some great exception to the rule, but because that is exactly how we were taught in our concealed carry class.
No benefit was achieved by him being made helpless. And no one should ever have to feel so powerless when the answer to the problem is quite simple. Those with the knowledge and training to handle the tools of self-defense safely should not be prohibited from defending themselves, especially not in a potentially fatal school shooting. It is infuriating to me that our state lawmakers have refused to prioritize students’ fundamental rights to defend themselves.
But, my anger today goes beyond just the fact that Kevan would have been helpless in the face of a real crisis or that our politicians continue to refuse to allow students to defend themselves from unprovoked, violent aggression. At a societal level, I’m angry because we have allowed it to be “OK” to call for victims to disarm because criminals continue to use tools of defense as weapons of nihilist massacre, terrorism and crazed sport. And after a day like Wednesday, the real world implications of that being “OK” are just too clear: Victims must stay powerless, and criminals remain outside our control. I refuse to let that be “OK” with me, and those who have made sure that they are trained to safely defend themselves need to start demanding that they not be made powerless.
Peter McClelland is an Elon University law student and a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and Charlotte Latin. He recently served as executive director of the N.C. Federation of College Republicans. Reach him at [email protected]. | https://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article47735655.html |
Fed's Powell: Pandemic recession has particularly hurt women
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Mohamed El-Erian criticized the Fed's narrative of transitory inflation in an interview with Bloomberg on Friday. "You can't simply dismiss them as transitory," he said. "It is going to go down in history as one of the worst inflation calls." Recent data show US inflation is running at its fastest...
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Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell appears on a television screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Over the span of the pandemic, certain numbers have loomed large. Early on, it was the daily coronavirus case count. Then weekly unemployment claims became a data point to watch.
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Although last year’s pandemic-driven recession was brief, the economy is still dealing with numerous disruptions related to COVID-19, according to Fifth Third Bank Chief Investment Strategist Jeff Korzenik. “We’ve done significant structural damage to the economy,” Korzenik said Wednesday during IBJ’s 2022 Economic Forecast event at the Marriott Indianapolis Downtown.
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The chances are improving that Federal Reserve Gov. Lael Brainard will land the top job at the U.S. central bank, but current chief Jerome Powell still is the favorite, according to the latest odds in the betting market PredictIt.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Inequality can prevent the U.S. economy from reaching its potential, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday, and he underscored the Fed’s commitment to reducing unemployment as broadly as possible, including among disadvantaged groups. “While monetary policy does not target any particular group of people … we...
(Reuters) - Women suffered more from job losses in the COVID-19 recession than men and bridging gender gaps is imperative for the U.S. economy to reach its full potential, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Monday. "Long-standing disparities weigh on the productive capacity of our economy, which can only...
St. Louis Fed President James Bullard argued on Monday that the United States is in "pretty good shape for economic growth" and pointed out that gross domestic product (GDP) is "above pre-pandemic levels so we already fully recovered in that sense from the pandemic and the pandemic isn't even over yet."
(Reuters) - Gaining a full understanding of how job market dynamics have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will take some time, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday. Powell, speaking at a press conference after the Fed's latest policy meeting, said this summer's wave of infections from...
If you heard economists arguing about “the taper” this year, chances were they weren’t talking about pants or haircuts but about central banks. The question has been when the U.S. Federal Reserve and its global peers, including the European Central Bank, would start to pull back on the massive bond-buying programs they unleashed in 2020, when economies staggering under the pandemic needed all the stimulus central banks could give. Now that the Fed has laid out its tapering plan, the debate is likely to shift to whether it can find the right balance between giving too much or too little support to an economy in transition. | |
Abstract
Tasigna® (Nilotinib) is a recently approved BCR-ABL kinase inhibitor by the Food and Drug Administration, which is indicated for the treatment of drug-resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). The efflux of tyrosine kinase inhibitors by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug transporters, which actively pump these drugs out of cells utilizing ATP as an energy source, has been linked to the development of drug resistance in CML patients. We report here synthesis and characterization of a fluorescent derivative of Tasigna to study its interaction with two major ABC transporters, P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and ABCG2, in in vitro and ex vivo assays. A fluorescent derivative of Tasigna, BODIPY® FL Tasigna, inhibited the BCR-ABL kinase activity in K562 cells and was also effluxed by Pgp- and ABCG2-expressing cells in both cultured cells and rat brain capillaries expressing Pgp and ABCG2. In addition, [3H]-Tasigna was also found to be transported by Pgp-expressing polarized LLC-PK1 cells in a transepithelial transport assay. Consistent with these results, both Tasigna and BODIPY® FL Tasigna were less effective at inhibiting the phosphorylation of Crkl (a substrate of BCR-ABL kinase) in Pgp- and ABCG2-expressing K562 cells due to their reduced intracellular concentration. Taken together, these data provide evidence that BODIPY® FL Tasigna is transported by Pgp and ABCG2, and Tasigna is transported by Pgp. Further, we propose that BODIPY® FL Tasigna can potentially be used as a probe to study Tasigna in imaging Pgp- and/or ABCG2- expressing cancer cells and other preclinical studies.
Introduction
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia (Ph)-positive acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) are caused by the unregulated activity of chimeric Bcr-Abl protein in white blood cells 1. Gleevec® (Imatinib mesylate) is a first generation BCR-ABL kinase inhibitor that competitively inhibits binding of ATP to the kinase and inhibits the phosphorylation of cellular targets 2. Treatment of CML patients with Gleevec was shown to be highly effective in clinical studies 3-5. However, several patients showed resistance to Gleevec or experienced a relapse after initial success with the drug 6, 7. Approximately 50% of those patients carry resistance-associated point mutations in the ATP-binding pocket of BCR-ABL 2, 8, 9. In the remaining 50% of Gleevec-resistant patients, several mechanisms of resistance have been described, including amplification or mutation of the BCR-ABL gene and active efflux of drug from the resistant cells by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug transporters 10-13.
Tasigna® (nilotinib, AMN107; marketed by Novartis) is a new, orally active tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with a higher binding affinityand selectivity for BCR-ABL kinase than Gleevec 14. Tasigna is 20 to 50 times more potent than Gleevec in Gleevec-sensitive CML cell lines and 3 to 7 times more effective in Gleevec-resistant cell lines 14.
TKIs, including Gleevec and Tasigna, have recently been found to modulate drug resistance mediated by ABC drug transporters in in vitro and in vivo studies 15-17. Although these TKIs were developed to interact specifically at the ATP-binding sites of the kinases, we showed earlier that Gleevec interacts with both Pgp and ABCG2 at the transport-substrate site(s) and not at the ATP-binding site(s) of ABC drug transporters 18. Existing literature does not provide definitive data on the effectiveness of TKIs (specifically Tasigna, which is used to treat imatinib-resistant CML patients) in ABC-drug-transporter-expressing CML cells 18. Therefore, we sought to address this aspect of TKI-ABC drug transporter interactions using a fluorescent and a radiolabeled derivative of this drug. We synthesized a fluorescent (BODIPY® FL ) derivative of Tasigna and this study highlights the interaction of this fluorescent derivative (BODIPY® FL Tasigna) with Pgp and ABCG2 using both cell-based in vitro and ex vivo assays. In addition, we studied the transport of a radiolabeled [3H] derivative of Tasigna in polarized LLC-PK cells expressing Pgp. The results from these two derivatives of Tasigna demonstrate that Tasigna is transported by Pgp and ABCG2. These data may have important pharmacological and toxicological significance, as Tasigna is an orally active drug recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of CML and its safety and efficacy profile are still under investigation.
Animals
Male Sprague-Dawley rats (10 weeks old, 300 g average body weight) were purchased from Charles River (Portage, MI). All animal protocols were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Minnesota (IACUC protocol # 0710A17842; PI: Björn Bauer) and were in accordance with AAALAC regulations and the Guides to Animal Use of the University of Minnesota and NIH animal use guidelines.
Isolation of crude membranes
Crude membranes from High-five insect cells expressing Pgp were prepared as described elsewhere 24. The protein content was estimated using the amido black B-dye binding assay, as described previously 25.
Fluorescent drug accumulation assay by Flow Cytometry
Accumulation assays with BODIPY® FL Tasigna (0.5 μM) were performed as described previously 26. For all samples, 10,000 events were counted and the analysis was performed with Cell Quest software (Becton-Dickinson Immunocytometry systems). The mean fluorescence intensity was calculated using the histogram stat program in Cell Quest software.
ATPase and photoaffinity labeling assays
For ATPase assays, crude membrane protein (100 μg protein/ml) from High-five cells expressing Pgp and ABCG2 was incubated at 37°C with varying concentrations of Tasigna and ATP in the presence and absence of 0.3 mM sodium orthovanadate and the vanadate-sensitive ATPase activity was determined by estimating the amount of inorganic phosphate released, as described previously 24.
Photoaffinity assays were performed by incubating crude membranes (1 mg protein/ml) from Pgp-expressing or ABCG2-expressing High-five cells with 0-20 μM of Tasigna for 10 min at 21-23°C in 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5 followed by addition of 3-6 nM [125I]-IAAP (2200 Ci/mmole). The samples were crosslinked and incorporation of [125I]-IAAP was determined as described previously 27.
Transepithelial transport assay
LLC-PK1-MDR1 cells were seeded at a density of 2 × 106 cells/24mm well on transwell costar polycarbonate filters (0.4μm pore size, Costar, Lowell, MA). Cells were cultured for 5 days with media changed once in two days. To confirm the quality of the cell monolayers, transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was measured with an epithelial voltmeter (World Precision Instruments, Sarasota, FL). Cell monolayers with TEER values above 200Ω were used for assay. The transport across the cell monolayer was conducted by adding [3H]-Tasigna (64 nM, 1 μCi/ml) to either the apical or basolateral side of the monolayer in the absence or presence of cyclosporine A (10 μM) or tariquidar (1 μM). Aliquots of medium (50 μl) were taken from the opposite side of the cell monolayer at 60, 120, 180 and 240 minutes, mixed with scintillation cocktail (10 ml) (Bio-Safe II) and the disintegrations per minute were measured using a Beckman Coulter LS-6500 liquid scintillation analyzer. The efflux ratio (B→A/A→B), in folds, were calculated by dividing drug efflux rate of (B→A) from (A→B) to evaluate Pgp-mediated directional efflux.
Measurement of BCR-ABL kinase activity in K562 cells
K562, K562/i-S9 and K562 ABCG2 cells were treated with 0.05-1 μM Tasigna or 10-20 μM BODIPY® FL Tasigna for 4 hr. BCR-ABL kinase activity was measured in total cell lysates by detecting the levels of P-Crkl, a BCR-ABL kinase target using P-Crkl (Tyr207) or total Crkl levels using CrkL antibodies (Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA) according to the manufacturer's suggested protocol.
Synthesis of Tasigna and BODIPY® FL Tasigna
The synthesis of Tasigna was accomplished using a series of published methods 32. The complete synthetic scheme for BODIPY® FL Tasigna is shown in Figure 3. Detailed characterization of the intermediates in the synthesis protocol and an analytical trace demonstrating the purity of BODIPY® FL Tasigna is given in the supplementary information section.
Statistical Analysis
Data are presented as mean ± SEM. A two-tailed unpaired Student's t test was used to evaluate differences between controls and treated groups; differences were considered to be statistically significant when P < 0.05. Sigmoidal dose-response curves and IC50 values were calculated using GraphPad Prism Software Version 4.01 (GraphPad Software, Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA).
Results
Tasigna inhibits the transport of substrates by Pgp-overexpressing cells
To investigate the interaction of Tasigna with Pgp, its effect on the Pgp-mediated efflux of calcein-AM was determined. Control pcDNA3.1-HEK and Pgp-expressing Pgp-HEK cells were incubated with 0.25 μM calcein-AM in the presence or absence of indicated concentrations of Tasigna or 2 μM, Tariquidar (XR9576; a Pgp-specific inhibitor) at 37°C for 10 min. The total cellular fluorescence was monitored using flow cytometry as described in the Experimental section. As shown in Figure 1a, 1-2 μM Tasigna inhibited the efflux of calcein-AM in Pgp-HEK cells, while it had no effect on the accumulation of this compound in control pCDNA3.1-HEK cells. The inhibition of calcein-AM efflux by Tasigna was comparable to 2 μM XR9576, suggesting that Tasigna was a potent inhibitor of the function of Pgp.
Tasigna interacts at the substrate binding pocket of Pgp
To understand the mechanism of interaction of Tasigna with Pgp, we determined the effect of Tasigna on Pgp ATPase activity and its ability to displace IAAP binding in photoaffinity labeling assays. Tasigna inhibited the photolabeling of Pgp with [125I]-IAAP in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 0.18 μM and stimulated ATP hydrolysis at very low concentrations, with only 0.19 μM required for 50% stimulation (Figure 1b and c). These results demonstrate that Tasigna interacts with the drug substrate binding site(s) on Pgp in a way similar to its interaction with drug substrate binding sites on ABCG2 reported earlier 33. Tasigna also stimulated the ABCG2-ATPase activity in a concentration-dependent manner [see Figure 3 in reference 33].
An important physiological function of Pgp and ABCG2 is to provide a pharmacological barrier for tissues present in the blood-tissue interphase such as in the blood-brain barrier. Since Tasigna inhibits the transport function of Pgp in cultured cells (Figure 1a), we then sought to determine if it was also effective in an ex vivo system consisting of freshly isolated, intact rat brain capillaries, which express both Pgp and ABCG2 and are an established ex vivo model to study blood-brain barrier function 34-37. Isolated brain capillaries were exposed to either 2 μM NBD-CSA (fluorescent Pgp substrate), or 2 μM BODIPY® FL prazosin (fluorescent ABCG2 substrate) for 1 h with or without Tasigna. In capillaries treated with Tasigna, lumenal fluorescence of both NBD-CSA and BODIPY® FL prazosin was reduced in a dose-dependent manner (Figure 1d and 1e middle panels). PSC833, a Pgp-specific inhibitor, and fumitremorgin C (FTC), an ABCG2-specific inhibitor, also reduced lumenal fluorescence of NBD-CSA and BODIPY® FL prazosin, respectively (Figures 1d and 1e, right panel). Quantification of steady-state lumenal fluorescence accumulation showed that Tasigna, PSC833, and FTC maximally reduced lumenal fluorescence to approximately 50% of control capillaries (Figure 1f and 1g). Note that the fluorescence remaining after inhibition of transport reflects passive diffusion and nonspecific binding of the dye to the tissue 36, 37. The IC50 concentrations for Tasigna to inhibit efflux activity were 3.46 μM for Pgp and 93.2 nM for ABCG2, respectively.
The effect of Tasigna on the cytotoxicity of other anticancer drugs is further demonstrated by the reversal of cytotoxicity assays where a non-toxic concentration of Tasigna in combination with the Pgp substrate doxorubicin was able to inhibit drug resistance mediated by Pgp in MDR1-transfected HEK cells (Table 1).
Tasigna is less effective at inhibiting BCR-ABL kinase in Pgp- and ABCG2-expressing CML cells
Since Tasigna targets the BCR-ABL kinase in CML cells, we evaluated its ability to inhibit BCR-ABL kinase activity in CML cells that overexpress Pgp and ABCG2. The BCR-ABL kinase activity was measured by monitoring the phosphorylation of Crkl (P-Crkl), a target of BCR-ABL kinase in K562 cells (a CML cell line) since this kinase is specifically expressed in this these cells. Tasigna was less effective at inhibiting the phosphorylation of Crkl in Pgp-expressing K562/i-S9 cells (Figure 2a, upper panel), and ABCG2-expressing K562-ABCG2 cells (Figure 2b, upper panel) compared to that in parental, control K562 cells. The level of total Crkl remained unchanged in these cells by treatment with Tasigna (Figure 2a and 2b, lower panels). The level of P-Crkl expression was quantitated by densitometric analysis. The IC50 value of Tasigna for inhibition of Crkl phosphorylation in K562 cells was 69.85 nM, while it was 329 nM for K562/i-S9 (Pgp) cells and 370 nM for K562-ABCG2 cells (Figure 2b). Tasigna was thus 4-to 5-fold less effective at inhibiting BCR-ABL kinase activity in Pgp- and ABCG2-expressing K562 cells compared to control K562 cells. A plausible reason for the reduced efficacy of Tasigna in Pgp- and ABCG2-expressing cells could be lower intracellular levels of the drug due to Pgp- and ABCG2-mediated active efflux from these cells as compared to control K562 cells.
Synthesis of BODIPY-conjugate of Tasigna
The above described results indicated that active efflux of Tasigna by Pgp and ABCG2 in CML cells can lead to its reduced efficacy. However, there was no clear evidence that Tasigna was transported by Pgp or ABCG2. In order to address this question, we synthesized a fluorescent derivative of Tasigna (Figure 3) as described in the Experimental section and evaluated it in fluorescence-based in vitro and ex vivo assays. Previously, BODIPY conjugates of anticancer agents including vinblastine, verapamil and paclitaxel have been used as tools to determine transport function of ABC drug transporters 38, 39. The basic physicochemical properties of Tasigna and a truncated version of Bodipy-Tasigna molecule (the programs used can't deal with the multivalency of the boron in the Bodipy fluorophore so it had to be removed) are significantly similar (the Log P values of Tasigna and its fluorescent derivative are 4.95 and 3.68, respectively). Further analysis showed that the only major difference between Tasigna and Bodipy-Tasigna is within the polar surface area which understandably goes way up for Bodipy-Tasigna. There is no clear data that suggest this should have an effect on passive membrane permeability.
BODIPY® FL Tasigna is transported by Pgp- and ABCG2-expressing K562 and HEK cells
BODIPY® FL Tasigna proved to be an effective tool to study the intracellular Tasigna levels in cells expressing Pgp and ABCG2 with both flow cytometry (Figure 4a) and confocal microscopy (Figure 4b). Since K562 cells do not grow as a monoloayer, but remain in suspension, they could not be analyzed by confocal microscopy. The confocal images were therefore acquired with only HEK cells. K562, K562/i-S9 (Pgp), and K562-ABCG2 (Figure 4a) or pcDNA3.1-HEK, Pgp-HEK, and ABCG2-HEK (Figure 4b) cells were incubated with 0.25 μM BODIPY® FL Tasigna in the presence or absence of different Pgp/ABCG2 inhibitors as described in the Experimental section. While control cells showed high levels of accumulation of BODIPY® FL Tasigna, the Pgp- and ABCG2-expressing cells had low levels of accumulation (Figure 4a and b). Addition of 2 μM Tariquidar (XR 9576, Pgp inhibitor) or 10 μM FTC (ABCG2 inhibitor) completely blocked active efflux of BODIPY® FL Tasigna, thereby increasing total cellular accumulation of the compound (Figure 4b). These results demonstrate that the total intracellular levels of the BODIPY® FL Tasigna in Pgp- and ABCG2-expressing cells are lower than in cells that do not express these transporters, indicating that it is actively pumped out of these cells and that BODIPY® FL Tasigna is a transport substrate for both Pgp and ABCG2. These results substantiate the results shown in Figure 2 suggesting that Pgp- and ABCG2-mediated cellular efflux of Tasigna could be responsible for the decreased intracellular Tasigna levels and its reduced effectiveness at inhibiting BCR-ABL kinase in Pgp- and ABCG2-expressing K562 cells. It should be noted that the difference in total intracellular levels of BODIPY® FL Tasigna in K562 cells (Figure 4a) were modest compared to the HEK cells (Figure 4b). This may be attributed to differences in the expression levels of Pgp and ABCG2 in K562 cells compared to HEK cells (see ref. 41-44).
BODIPY® FL Tasigna is transported by both Pgp and ABCG2. (a) BODIPY® FL Tasigna is effluxed by Pgp-expressing K562 cells
BODIPY® FL Tasigna inhibits BCR-ABL kinase activity in CML cells
To demonstrate that the properties of Tasigna are not drastically altered in conjugated BODIPY® FL Tasigna, we characterized its activity in inhibiting BCR-ABL kinase activity. Figure 5a (upper panel) shows that 10-20 μM BODIPY® FL Tasigna inhibited the phosphorylation of Crkl in K562 cells, while total Crkl levels remained unchanged (lower panel) suggesting specific inhibition of phosphorlyation of Crkl. These data suggested that conjugation of Tasigna with the BODIPY group did not qualitatively alter the BCR-ABL kinase inhibitory potential of the parent drug Tasigna. It should be noted that BODIPY® FL Tasigna was less potent than Tasigna in inhibiting BCR-ABL kinase (a potential consequence of the structural alteration of the molecule and/or cytosolic exposure of the conjugate relative to free drug).
BODIPY® FL Tasigna is effluxed at the blood-brain barrier and it interacts at the substrate-binding pocket of Pgp and ABCG2
To further confirm that BODIPY® FL Tasigna can be used as an surrogate tool to monitor Tasigna's interactions with ABC drug transporters under ex vivo conditions, freshly isolated rat brain capillaries were incubated with BODIPY® FL Tasigna for 1 h. As shown in Figure 5b and c, BODIPY® FL Tasigna was actively effluxed into the lumen of brain capillaries (Figure 5b and c). This could be inhibited by Tasigna and PSC833 or FTC, specific inhibitors of Pgp and ABCG2, respectively. In addition, BODIPY® FL Tasigna also inhibited the binding of 125I-IAAP to Pgp and ABCG2 (Figure 5d), indicating that similar to Tasigna, fluorescent Tasigna also interacts at the substrate binding site(s) on Pgp and ABCG2. These results clearly showed that BODIPY® FL Tasigna is pumped out by Pgp and ABCG2 present at the blood-brain barrier and that this compound interacts with the substrate binding pocket in a manner similar to other typical substrates of these transporters. Consistent with these results, BODIPY® FL Tasigna also stimulated the ATPase activity of Pgp and ABCG2, respectively (data not shown). It should be noted that the IC50 for inhibition of Crkl activity, inhibition of 125I-IAAP binding and the concentration required for 50% stimulation of ATP hydrolysis for BODIPY® FL Tasigna was 5- to 7-fold higher than that for Tasigna. The observed lower activity may be due to the larger size of BODIPY® FL Tasigna (mol. wt. 1108.49) compared to parent compound (mol. wt. 530.18) and/or the altered cellular exposure to the conjugate. BODIPY® FL Tasigna may therefore be especially useful in studies of the interactions of tyrosine kinase inhibitors with Pgp, as this and other TKIs are known to interact with ABC transporters with a higher affinity, making it difficult to observe the TKI transport differences in intact cell assays.
[3H]-Tasigna is transported by Pgp
To confirm further that Tasigna is a transport substrate of Pgp, we used polarized LLC-PK1 cells expressing Pgp (Figure 6a) and evaluated ability of these cells to efflux [3H]-Tasigna in transepithelial transport assay (Figure 6b). Cells were incubated with [3H]-Tasigna (64 nM) and drug transport across the cell monolayer was measured for 4 hrs. [3H]-Tasigna transport from the basolateral to the apical compartment (B→A) was significantly higher than transport from the apical to the basolateral compartment (A→B) and a time-dependent linear increase in drug transport across the cell monolayer was observed (Figure 6b). The fold difference in B→A versus A→B [3H]-Tasigna transport at 180 minutes was 5.64 ± 0.44 (Figure 6c). Inhibition of Pgp function with cyclosporine A (10 μM) or tariquidar (1 μM) significantly reduced the B→A transport rate, indicating that the observed transport across polarized LLCPK1 cells was Pgp-specific. Taken together, the results with [3H]-Tasigna and BODIPY® FL Tasigna clearly demonstrate that Tasigna is a transport substrate of Pgp.
Transepithelial transport of [3H]-Tasigna across monolayers formed by LLC-PK1 cells expressing human Pgp
Discussion
Expression of the ABC drug transporters Pgp and ABCG2 has been associated with the development of drug resistance to first generation BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors such as Gleevec 12,40-42.Tasigna, a second generation BCR-ABL kinase inhibitor has been developed as more potent and specific inhibitor that also inhibits the kinase activity of mutant Gleevec-resistant BCR-ABL kinases. Several conflicting reports have been published about the above kinase inhibitors being substrates of ABC drug transporters. While some groups have shown that resistance to Gleevec is due to its low intracellular accumulation 33, 43, 44, other reports have suggested that the resistance is not dependent on drug efflux by ABC drug transporters 45, 46. In the case of Tasigna, it has also been shown that Tasigna interacts with ABCG2 with a very high affinity, is a substrate of this drug transporter, and reverses drug resistance mediated by Pgp and ABCG2 17, 33, while others reported that cellular accumulation of Tasigna in cell lines and primary CD34(+) CML cells is not mediated by active uptake or efflux by major drug transporters and expression of Pgp may not be enough to confer drug resistance to Tasigna 15, 47. However, the nature of the interaction of Tasigna with Pgp is not very well understood. Moreover, the effectiveness of Tasigna in inhibiting BCR-ABL kinase activity in Pgp- and ABCG2- expressing leukemic cells has also not been studied mechanistically.
The data from this study indicate that Tasigna inhibits Pgp activity by interacting with the substrate binding pocket of Pgp, similar to results obtained previously with ABCG2 (Figure 1 and 33). This inhibition of Pgp and ABCG2 function at low micromolar and nanomolar concentrations, respectively, can influence the toxicity or bioavailability of other drugs or metabolites in humans that are substrates of ABC drug transporters. Systemic concentrations of Tasigna after administration of the recommended twice daily dose of 400 mg ranges from 1.7 to 3.6 μM 48. Therefore, the above experimental concentrations of Tasigna can be achieved systemically in CML patients treated with Tasigna, which may further inhibit Pgp physiologically, representing another cellular target for Tasigna that may arise in a secondary phenotypic outcome. Direct evidence for this is presented in our experiments with rat brain capillaries, where Tasigna inhibits Pgp and ABCG2 function resulting in decreased efflux activity of these transporters at the blood-brain barrier.
A fluorescent derivative of Tasigna was synthesized to study its direct interaction with ABC drug transporters (Figure 3 and supplementary information). We showed for the first time that the total intracellular levels of BODIPY® FL Tasigna in Pgp- and ABCG2-expressing cells were lower than in cells that do not express these transporters, indicating that it is actively pumped out of these cells (Figure 4). This efflux of BODIPY® FL Tasigna was inhibited by specific inhibitors of Pgp and ABCG2 in both in vitro and ex vivo assays (Figures 4 and and5).5). This fluorescent derivative also inhibited the BCR-ABL kinase activity although with a lower efficiency that could be attributed to the structural alteration of the molecule, possibly resulting in decreased affinity to its target (Figure 5).
[3H]-labeled Tasigna was also synthesized to test whether it is a transport substrate for Pgp. The polarized LLC-PK1 cells expressing Pgp were used to determine [3H] Tasigna transport. The data clearly demonstrated a net active transport of [3H]-Tasigna from the basal to apical side of the polarized LLC-PK1 cells expressing Pgp and Pgp inhibitors significantly blocked the directional flux of radiolabeled Tasigna (Figure 6). These data validate the results obtained with BODIPY® FL Tasigna. However, Hegedus et al 15, based on an HPLC-MS assay, reported that there was no significant difference in the amount of intracellular Tasigna in control and Pgp-expressing K562 cells (non polarized cells). At present, we do not know the reason for failure to observe transport in non-polarized cells, but most likely it could be the result of high background due to non-specific binding of Tasigna to cells (also mentioned by these authors).
Our results with both the fluorescent derivative and [3H]-Tasigna collectively show that this TKI is transported by Pgp and ABCG2. Based on these data, we conclude that Tasigna is a less potent inhibitor of BCR-ABL kinase activity in Pgp- or ABCG2-expressing drug-resistant CML cells compared to sensitive control CML cells because it is transported by Pgp and ABCG2, resulting in reduced intracellular accumulation. This is an important finding given the clinical application of Tasigna, which is administered to drug-resistant CML and ALL patients. This reduced effectiveness becomes more important in a scenario where the expression of ABC transporters is increased in patients who have been treated with a drug that is a transporter substrate and the incidence of secondary resistance increases because the drug becomes ineffective due to active efflux by these transporters. In fact, despite the initial clinical effectiveness of Tasigna in CML resistant patients, lack of response to Tasigna therapy and development of resistance have also been reported 14, 49.
A non-toxic concentration of Tasigna in combination with the Pgp substrate doxorubicin was able to inhibit drug resistance mediated by Pgp in MDR1-transfected HEK cells (Table 1). These observations could have dual implications in the clinic. Administering Tasigna with drugs that are substrates of Pgp could result in increased systemic concentrations of these drugs. Alternatively, administering Tasigna with drugs that inhibit Pgp function could lead to increased Tasigna toxicity. The FDA summary review for approval of Tasigna reflects these two possibilities, stating that treatment with Tasigna may result in increased toxicity or drug/drug interactions if administered with drugs which are either Pgp substrates or inhibitors (http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/nda/2007/022068s000_SumR.pdf). Increased oral bioavailability or antitumor response of anticancer drugs in combination with other TKIs such as Gleevec, Gefitinib or Lapatinib has already been shown by a number of studies 50-53.
In conclusion, our findings indicate that interaction of Tasigna with Pgp and ABCG2 may be an important factor in the treatment of CML and AML patients, as efflux of Tasigna by Pgp and ABCG2 may result in resistance to this drug. Moreover, interaction with Pgp and ABCG2 can modify the pharmacokinetic and toxicity profile of Tasigna in vivo. Additional studies to specifically investigate the interaction of Tasigna with ABC transporters may be warranted to determine its efficacy in the treatment of Gleevec-resistant CML and ALL. In addition, BODIPY FL® Tasigna may represent an important tool for researchers to follow the efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of Tasigna in preclinical and clinical models. A similar approach may be used to study whether a given TKI is transported by Pgp or ABCG2. It could also be adapted for use in in vivo imaging studies to assess the accumulation of xenobiotics in the brain that are transported by Pgp or ABCG2. To our knowledge, this is the first study that not only demonstrates direct transport of Tasigna by Pgp in transepithelial monolayer assays but also reports synthesis and characterization of a fluorescent derivative of a TKI that is not only active in inhibiting the target kinase but can also be used to study its interaction with other proteins such as ABC drug transporters in cancer cells.
Supplementary Material
Supplementary Material
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research. We thank Dr. Krishnamachary Nandigama for providing Pgp-expressing High-five insect cell crude membranes, Anne Ramsey for help in kinase assays, and George Leiman for editorial assistance.
Abbreviations
ABC
ATP binding Cassette
BCR-ABL
breakpoint cluster region-abelson
FTC
Fumitremorgin C
IAAP
Iodoarylazidoprazosin
Pgp
P-glycoprotein
TKI
tyrosine kinase inhibitor
Footnotes
Supporting Information (SI). Synthesis and characterization of BODIPY® FL Tasigna and its intermediates. This information is available free of charge via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org/.
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As I sit on the couch again stressing over the election, I wonder about something that is far from a new idea. Why is the most important day in American politics on a Tuesday in November that isn’t even a holiday?
There are many national holidays, and none are as important as election day. As a democracy, it is extremely important that we prioritize public participation in both local and national elections. There is a sizable amount of the population not participating in elections because of job and family obligations, so it isn’t truly democratic. Being democratic means people have power, and allowing the majority of the population to decide on key issues.
There are many people who work multiple jobs or long hours to support their families. The majority of them most likely are not able to take time off, and those that can’t will not be able to vote. While mail-in ballots are accepted, a large number of Americans will miss out on voting, possibly changing the outcomes of many votes.
According to Penn State University Libraries, only 58.1% of voting-eligible Americans voted in the 2016 election, which is about 138 million people. This number would likely increase considerably if election day was a national holiday.
Initially, election day was decided to be on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. It is on a Tuesday because back in 1845 when it was set, the United States was a largely agrarian society, and Tuesdays aligned with the farmers’ schedules with the harvest and sale of their goods. Today’s society is different, and the majority of Americans have to work on Tuesdays. It makes sense that there should be adjustments made, because of how much society has changed since the 1800s.
Unlike the United States, Australia has made voting mandatory, and declining to vote is punishable by a fine. According to CNN, 90% of Australians participate in elections, much more than what is seen in the United States. More participation in elections would show a more accurate view of who the nation decides should be the next leader and would represent much more of the population.
According to Pew Research, out of the 36 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 27 of them hold election day on the weekend. Additionally, Israel and South Korea have made it a national holiday. In its recent election, South Korea saw a voter turnout of 66.2% according to CNN, a whole 8.1% difference from the United States.
Many Americans who do not want to make election day a national holiday argue that the more people that vote, the more likely it is that a Democrat will win. According to CNN, a majority of the nonvoting population would lean towards voting democratic, and that would likely give Democrats a greater advantage in the polls. However, as earlier stated, a democracy is letting the public make the decisions, and if the public wants to go one way, they should be able to. To Republicans or non-Democrats who are hesitant to support this idea, voting is an integral part of this country and it is key to keeping it running smoothly. It is not a legitimate democracy if there are a lot of people who don’t participate, and if the majority of the population wants something to change, then it should.
It is clear that the voter turnout would increase if it was a national holiday, and while there have been attempts to make it so, nothing has worked so far. It is currently unclear what the future holds and if a change could be made in the coming years, so all that we can do now is continue to raise the discussion and petition for changes. | https://thetamnews.org/21512/opinion/why-election-day-should-be-a-national-holiday/ |
NYI Africa leadership team meeting.
Youth form an integral part of the Church and any organization. They need motivation, training, and empowerment to grow in the ministry of reaching out to nations. This requires more team building activities and strategizing to bring cohesion and teamwork. In February, the Africa NYI Leaders had a seven-day team building.
The NYI Africa, Regional Council Members met in Nairobi, Kenya, from 12 to 18 February 2022 to pray, listen, strategize, analyze, and receive training to enhance the effectiveness of the youth ministry in Africa. The guests were; Africa East Field FSC, Dr Musa Kunene, Senior Africa Nazarene University Religion lecturers and ANU students, Regional Office Coordinators (finance and urban ministries), and different facilitators who contributed to the success of the meeting.
The objectives of this meeting were to analyze the current state of NYI and increase team cohesion. To create awareness of all factors involved in making decisions regarding the development and growth of our youth ministry and to develop a specified plan to be more effective and relevant in our programs and projects.
The team received daily devotions from Dr Kunene, focusing on Isaiah 54. He challenged the NYI leadership to enlarge the place of their tents because the time had come to expand our tents, stretch our tent curtains, lengthen our cords, and strengthen our stakes.
Workshops on mental health and self-awareness, strength finding, unearthing the leader in you, cross-culture orientation, authenticity in African youth, and transformational leadership were among the many pieces of training the leaders received. Calebe Luo from KenSHIN Coaching conducted the strength finder to allow the team to study individual and collective strengths and identify areas that need improvement. Knowledge of personal strengths is an essential factor for any leader. This allowed the team to explore individual and collective strengths and identify areas that needed improvement.
We had the Regional Communication Coordinator, LoReal Burton, join the meeting via Zoom to facilitate a discussion on Authenticity in African Youth. This was to help determine how the youth ministry can embody the region’s four values, clarify the external influence affecting the African Youth, and discuss possible solutions to helping our youth be authentic.
The Africa Region Personnel Coordinator, Michelle Eby facilitated Youth in Missions & Cross-culture Orientation for the leaders to understand the cross-cultural missionary work within Africa.
The Regional Director, Dr. Daniel A.K.L Gomis joined in via Zoom to speak about transformational Leadership and Self-reflection. He encouraged proper planning, encouraged the FYCs to spend time with the youth leaders, and forged means of involving them in the growth of NYI.
Our NYI Global Director, David Gonzalez, brought his greetings via zoom and shared more on the NYI 100-year celebration and NYC.
On one of the days, NYI leaders met with some of ANU’s management board members, staff, faculty, and students. A meeting to discuss how NYI and ANU can collaborate was held over a delicious meal. Each Field Youth Coordinator (FYC) met with ANU students from their respective fields. We encourage all our youths to consider studying at ANU, where “What begins at ANU transforms the world”. ( https://www.anu.ac.ke/ )
On the last day of NYI meetings, there was a time of prayer and partaking in the Holy Communion together. | https://africanazarene.org/nyi-africa-leadership-team-meeting/ |
You were born with two minds, the mind that God created and the mind that has been shaped and conditioned by the world, your worldly mind. At this moment, you have these two minds.
It is a grave disappointment to many people that the world is so full of conflict. There is a general hope that when you came to the world it would be as peaceful, as wonderful and as inclusive as your Ancient Home. But what you find instead is conflict, dissension, turmoil, all manner of deception, attack, warfare, competition, alienation, estrangement and a host of other maladies experienced on an individual and collective level.
Following the presence of God is learning how to be in the world but not of the world. This is learning how to build a connection to your Ancient Home while you are here.
Your experience of love emanates from the deeper well of Knowledge within yourself. It is the power and the evidence that you have a greater life and a greater Intelligence within you. | https://www.newmessage.org/tag/greater-mind |
For more information on how to receive CSU support for your event, please select your type of organization from the list below and follow us to the page designed to help you through this process:
1) Undergraduate Student Organizations
3) Sports Clubs
4) Professional and Graduate School Governments
Any funding request forms that are submitted after the Appropriations Committee stops hearing requests in the spring, over the summer, or in the fall before the Committee has resumed meetings will be heard at one of the first committee meetings in the fall.
It is my duty to ensure this process is streamlined. With events and many different activities going on during the course of your academic career at Creighton, I understand how life can become busy at times and you may need a helping hand. Please, if you should have any questions or concerns regarding student funding or the status of your student organization, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. If you would prefer, you may also pay me a visit in the Student Leadership and Involvement Center, my door is always open. :)
As a reminder there are a few important dates to be aware of if your club is seeking or has sought assistance from CSU:
For information regarding the fall 2018 budget please click here.
Best Regards, | http://www.creighton.edu/csu/funding/ |
The critical shortage of physicians in Wyoming has a crippling impact on access to medical care. The medical community has been pushing for more primary care physicians for several years now, as projections reveal a shortage of 130,000 doctors by 2025 – according to the Association of Medical Colleges. Greater access to health insurance and the growing baby boomer population that qualifies for Medicaid drive demand for services. Although the extent of the shortage is questionable, most experts can agree that the U.S. needs more primary care providers. Many of them agree that professionals other than primary care physicians can provide the primary care services that the population needs. One increasingly popular means for delivering primary care to rural areas is through the services of nurse practitioners.
Nurse practitioners are becoming the health provider of choice for many Americans. They use their clinical expertise to diagnose and treat medical conditions with an emphasis on disease prevention and health management. In the state of Wyoming, the doctoral degree program prepares registered nurses with the advanced clinical training to become expert health care providers capable of delivering the high-quality care. In addition to the didactic and clinical components covered the program, the student will sit a rigorous exam for national certification. Nurse practitioners represent one category of advanced practice nurses recognized by the Wyoming State Board of Nursing. Other categories include Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Nurse Midwives, and Certified Nurse Anesthetists. The Doctor of Nursing Practice can prepare registered nurses to fill these advanced practice roles and renew their commitment to continued learning and professional development to maintain their clinical competency.
Reasons to Get A DNP
Doctoral study for nurses leads to two primary pathways – professional or practice. Unlike the Ph.D., which prepares students to test and validate new knowledge, the practice doctorate (DNP) helps students develop the competency to apply the new knowledge in practice to solve problems. In short, DNP graduates (advanced practice nurses) can translate research concepts into best practice in a clinical setting. With the need to improve patient outcomes and meet the rising challenges in health care head-on, there are numerous reasons why a registered nurse should take the plunge and pursue the DNP.
Strong leadership is a critical part of the health care equation. One component of the DNP Essentials is leadership – a quality that goes hand in hand with evidence-based practice. The DNP graduate can apply the principles of evidence-based practice in clinical settings to bright the gap between research findings and the delivery of care. Moreover, a nurse trained at this level will unearth challenges within the health care system, promote nursing knowledge, and develop an environment that new approaches to care that will improve patient outcomes.
The need to increase the education of advanced practice registered nurses to that of the DNP is not a call to bog down the lives of nurses. The recommendation is reflective of the times and the complexities of the health care system. The DNP will broaden the legitimacy of APRNs, specifically, nurse practitioners, who are increasingly called upon to help bridge the gap in primary care. Nurse practitioners treat the “whole” person – not just the disease. Although the degree represents the terminal degree for nurses, it reemphasizes the lifelong commitment to knowledge and growth. With such a commitment, graduates will use their leadership to promote positive health outcomes, encourage patient safety, and assume accountability for decisions made. Following the changing model of health care, they will educate patients and their families, so that they take an active role in the prevention, preservation, and restoration of their own health.
For an advanced practice nurse or registered nurse enrolling the in the DNP through the MSN or BSN route, the curriculum will expand their knowledge to appraise and implement research. Graduates will have the confidence to make clinical decisions based on an analysis of the data that is currently available. Building on their years of experience in practice, the DNP gives nurses additional confidence in their ability to lead, which will improve their contributions to patient care and effectiveness and creativity in the delivery of care.
A major part of the DNP program is the management, or development, of an approach to leadership that integrates a broad and detailed assessment of evidence combined with communication and influence to encourage the behaviors in patients that will affect change. DNPs think critically and ask questions to arrive a better practice. They foster teamwork and collaborate with physicians, pharmacists, and nursing peers to inspire and improve outcomes.
DNP graduates are transformational leaders. These nurse leaders have defined attributes and are visionaries who can bring teams together that are both collaborative and autonomous. They contribute to organizational growth and influence the health care environment by instilling confidence, support, and commitment from all stakeholders. They are transformational leaders committed to ongoing education, which will open the door to even greater opportunities.
DNP Admission Requirements Wyoming
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree is fast-becoming the new standard for advanced practice registered nursing – especially for nurse practitioners that will deliver primary care across Wyoming. The Fay Whitney W School of Nursing at the University of Wyoming offers the only DNP program within the state. There are two clinical options: a family nurse practitioner (FNP) and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP). The programs are both post-BSN. However, FNPs or PMHNPs may enroll in the program, but they must take the entire post-BSN plan of study. Graduates are prepared to provide rural primary care or rural psychiatric mental health care depending on the clinical option chosen. The PMHNP is offered in collaboration with the College of Nursing at the University of Colorado.
As the only DNP in the state, the program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which will strengthen the delivery of primary and mental health care in Wyoming. Accreditation will also give graduates the eligibility to sit the national certification exam for their respective area of study and obtain licensure in Wyoming or another state. Accreditation also benefits the medical community and patients who will receive primary and mental health care from graduates.
The program may be completed in nine semesters, three years, and covers 84 credits for the program and a total of 19 practicum credits (1140 clock hours). Course topics include but are not limited to advanced pathophysiology, health behavior change, foundations of integrative advanced practice nursing, evidence-based practice, advanced health assessment and clinical decision-making, improvement science in health care, leadership in advanced practice nursing, health communication and informatics, and innovative practice models.
Admission Requirements – Post-BSN Entry
The University of Wyoming admits individuals who can demonstrate a commitment to becoming leaders in rural primary and mental health care and willingness to adhere to the highest professional standards. Applicants must also have the intellectual capacity and academic ability to successfully complete the program. Preference is given to those who have a cumulate GPA of 3.0 or above.
General admission requirements include:
- A completed graduate application for the appropriate year. UW requires all documents, with the exception of official transcripts, to be submitted online.
- Official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities. The transcripts must be mailed from previous schools directly to the UW.
- A completed essay that describes your personal goals, the role of the FNP or PMHNP and the aspects that appeal to you.
- A curriculum vitae outline employment history, certifications and licensure, publications, presentations, academic history, continuing education experiences, and presentations.
- Professional letters of recommendation,
- Attend an on-campus interview – by invitation only.
Tuition costs approximately 8,580 per semester for resident students. The amount is based on an enrollment of 11 credits per semester. The actual cost of the tuition will depend on the total credit hours enrolled. In addition to tuition, students will need to budget for textbooks and personal expenses.
DNP Programs Wyoming
Laramie, WY DNP programs: | https://nursingdegreeprograms.net/dnp-programs-wyoming/ |
Nitin Sawhney (raised in Rochester, Kent, England) is a london-based composer and dj of various styles of music, including jazz, drum and bass, hip-hop, flamenco and modern orchestral compositions. His major works include Beyond Skin, Prophesy, Human, and Philtre. He is considered one of the pioneers of what is known as the Asian Underground music scene, defining a music genre that mixes south-asian musical influences with western electronica and breakbeat style. He does however dislike the tag of "world" music, describing it as musical apartheid.
RJD2
RJD2 is Ramble John Krohn, a hip-hop producer. RJD2 was born in Eugene, Oregon, and raised in Columbus, Ohio. Until recently, he was part of the Definitive Jux label and produced tracks for many of its artists, as well as having a solo career. In 2006, RJ "ditched hip-hop" for the indie-rock label XL, releasing The Third Hand in March 2007. From 1998 to 1999, he saw success blossom as DJ/producer for the Columbus-based group the Megahertz, with two twelve-inch singles on Bobbito Garcia's legendary NY label, Fondle 'Em Records.
Inga Liljestrom
Mistagged artist, please see Inga Liljeström and help keeping last.fm stats clean.
Portishead
Portishead are a band from Bristol, United Kingdom, named after a small coastal town twelve miles west of said musical hotbed, in North Somerset. They were initially known for their use of jazz samples and some hip-hop beats along with various synth sounds and the hauntingly beautiful vocals of singer Beth Gibbons. Their current sound drops the samples in favour of a harder, more abrasive edge, but retains Gibbons' vocals.
Ruby
There are three artists named Ruby.
1) Ruby (the UK band)
2) Ruby (harsh breakcore artist)See:Ruben De Haan
3) Ruby (Egyptian singer)See:Roubi 1) Ruby was the project of UK vocalist Lesley Rankine and US composer/producer Mark Walk. Their repertory of styles expanded across electronic, trip hop, noise, and industrial. The band Ruby was named as such because Rankine and Walk both have a grandmother named Ruby.
DJ Krush
DJ Krush (Hideaki Ishii) was born in 1962 in Tokyo. At an early age, Ishii dropped out of school, and joined a local gang, and a few years later, Yakuza. After watching the film 'Wild Style' in the early '80s, he was inspired, bought himself a set of turntables, and began to learn the art of turntablism. In 1987, he formed the KRUSH POSSE, which made numerous appearances as a group in late 1992 which gave him recognition for becoming the first DJ in Japan to perform with live musicians.
Magnolia
There are at least 12 bands called Magnolia: 1) Female Country Duo. > www.magnoliacountry.com
2) Romanian quality disco/pop band > www.magnoliamusic.ro
3) French trip-hop band that released "Intravenus".
4) New Zealand breakbeat/electronica/dub band.
5) Israeli post-rock/metal band.
6) Swedish rock band.
7) A Quebec band led by Melanie Auclair, cellist from Lhasa De Sela.
8) An italian screamo band from Torino's underground scene.
9) Japanese band led by Maiko Kishi (mai-Magnolia), Tsuru Onishi (g.), Toshiyuki Kasahara (b.), Kyoichi Shiino (dr.)
Recoil
Recoil is the project of Alan Wilder, formerly a member of Depeche Mode. Born on 1st June 1959, he is a classically-trained musician and renowned contemporary music producer. Recoil was born in 1986 as a two-track experimental EP. Simply entitled ‘1 + 2’, this collection of primitive demos caught the attention of Mute Records label boss Daniel Miller and was inconspicuously released as a mini-album on 12" vinyl.
UNKLE Sounds
UNKLE's live- and DJ-project under which diverse DJ-mixes have been released Releases:
Do Androids Dream Of Essential Beats (2003)
Never, Never, Land Throwdown (2003)
Edit Music For A Film (After Dark Prologue) (2004)
Where The Wild Things Are (2004)
Edit Music For A Film - The Director's Cut (2005)
Essential Music For A Film - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Reconstruction (2005)
Unofficial Releases: | https://www.musicosity.com.au/taxonomy/term/391 |
Range of incubation periods for the disease in humans (and how this varies across age and health status) and how long individuals are contagious, even after recovery.
The first three months of the COVID-19 epidemic: Epidemiological evidence for two separate strains of SARS-CoV-2 viruses spreading and implications for prevention strategies
Epidemic Situation of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia in China mainland
The value of early transmission dynamic studies in emerging infectious diseases
Substantial undocumented infection facilitates the rapid dissemination of novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
Modeling the Corona Virus Outbreak in IRAN
Prevalence of asymptomatic shedding and transmission (e.g., particularly children).
The Active Role of a Blood Center in Outpacing the Transfusion Transmission of COVID-19
COVID 19: Will the 2020 Hajj pilgrimage and Tokyo Olympic Games be cancelled?
Scabies: Application of the Novel Identify-Isolate-Inform Tool for Detection and Management
Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents
Screening of faecal microbiota transplant donors during the COVID-19 outbreak: suggestions for urgent updates from an international expert panel
Seasonality of transmission.
Understanding Epidemic Data and Statistics: A case study of COVID-19
Estimation of the Time-Varying Reproduction Number of COVID-19 Outbreak in China
Tracking and Predicting COVID-19 Epidemic in China Mainland
Analysis of the epidemic growth of the early 2019-nCoV outbreak using internationally confirmed cases
Backcalculating the Incidence of Infection with COVID-19 on the Diamond Princess
Physical science of the coronavirus (e.g., charge distribution, adhesion to hydrophilic/phobic surfaces, environmental survival to inform decontamination efforts for affected areas and provide information about viral shedding).
COVID-19: Epidemiology, Evolution, and Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives
Initiation of a new infection control system for the COVID-19 outbreak
The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak from a one health perspective
Beyond the assistance: additional exposure situations to COVID-19 for healthcare workers
Public Exposure to Live Animals, Behavioural Change, and Support in Containment Measures in response to COVID-19 Outbreak: a population-based cross sectional survey in China
Persistence and stability on a multitude of substrates and sources (e.g., nasal discharge, sputum, urine, fecal matter, blood).
Respiratory Viral Infections in Exacerbation of Chronic Airway Inflammatory Diseases: Novel Mechanisms and Insights From the Upper Airway Epithelium
Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment of COVID-19
Nervous system involvement after infection with COVID-19 and other coronaviruses
Diagnosis and treatment plan of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (tentative sixth edition)
Cannabidiol as prophylaxis for SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19? Unfounded claims versus potential risks of medications during the pandemic
Persistence of virus on surfaces of different materials (e,g., copper, stainless steel, plastic).
A novel antiviral formulation inhibits a range of enveloped viruses. | https://www.benh.ca/dataset/ |
Over the last five months, NCTE staff and members have pushed aggressively for improvements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, a.k.a. No Child Left Behind) which is up for reauthorization. On Advocacy Day in early March, NCTE offered three recommendations to policymakers that, together, define our priorities for ESEA reauthorization.
On April 7th, the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released a bipartisan reauthorization bill that will be marked up in committee next week. It is certainly a compromise, but it contains numerous improvements over the Republican draft bill released prior to hearings in January and February.
Here are some of NCTE’s key recommendations and how they compare to the bipartisan bill.
Recommendation #1: Dedicate Funding for Comprehensive Literacy Programs and for Professional Learning
Decades of research show that literacy is essential to all learning and that literacy education is most effective when it holds to core principles.
NCTE helped to craft a definition of comprehensive literacy education that is included in Title II of the bill. It includes many of these core principles.
Congress should authorize under ESEA at least $500 million for a comprehensive literacy program that includes these core principles, providing formula funding to all 50 states.
The bill includes authorization of a comprehensive literacy program based on language developed by Advocates for Literacy, a coalition in which NCTE plays a central role. This language was adapted from the LEARN Act, which NCTE also helped to write, and includes key provisions to ensure truly comprehensive literacy education, such as directing funding to high-needs schools, providing professional learning and collaboration opportunities to teachers across subject areas, and reserving 15% of funding for early education, 40% for elementary, and 40% for secondary.
The bill does not authorize formula funding or set a specific funding level. However, if NCTE and other advocates can win sufficient funding through the appropriation process, it may be possible to award grants to most if not all states.
Congress should authorize dedicated funding for professional learning that includes protected time in the school week for educator collaboration under mandatory use of funds.
While not mandatory, protected time for collaboration is one of a limited set of evidence-based practices on which state and local literacy grant funding may be spent.
Recommendation #2: Fund and Encourage Assessments for Learning and Innovation in Assessment for Accountability
Congress should provide funding for research, technical assistance, and professional development focused on formative assessment to improve student learning.
The bill contains no dedicated funding for formative assessment, but support for formative assessment is an allowable use of funding in several of the programs within Title II, including the technical assistance provided to states by the Department of Education.
Congress should encourage innovation in assessment for accountability; the assessments should be targeted and should use multiple measures.
The bill provides vastly expanded flexibility to states in how they develop and implement accountability systems. Such systems much include annual testing data, but also multiple measures such as graduation rates and others chosen by the states, which could include resource equity measures. Increased flexibility could make it easier for states to address overtesting.
Federal funding should provide states with the flexibility to try forms of assessment for accountability other than standardized tests, such as portfolios, performance assessments, and competency-based approaches.
The bill allows for local pilot programs that test out alternative approaches to measuring student learning outcomes other than standardized tests. It does not include funding explicitly dedicated to developing such systems, but states and districts have the option of using Title I funding for this purpose.
Federal funding for such assessments should require that they are used only for the purposes and in the manner for which they have been proven valid.
Use of assessments for purposes for which they were not designed would not be outlawed, but the bill does explicitly forbid the Department of Education from mandating that states use tests inappropriately in teacher evaluation.
Recommendation #3: Build the Capacity of High-Needs Schools
Local literacy education capacity building is a powerful and sustainable way of serving children in poverty. Students learn not as isolated individuals but as members of school communities. To improve the literacy learning of the students most in need, we must build the capacity of whole schools and districts in which these students are most concentrated.
States and districts would have increased flexibility in the use of Title I funds to address inequities, particularly in how they identify and work to turn around struggling schools. This flexibility could make it easier for districts and schools to embrace the capacity-building model.
Title I funds must be devoted to the schools and districts that serve the most low-income children.
The original draft bill included Title I portability, awarding funding based simply in proportion to the number of low-income students in a school rather than on the basis of where there are high concentrations of poverty. This provision has been dropped from the bipartisan bill. The bill includes strong requirements for reporting on equity of access to educational resources, but there is no federal definition of minimum requirements for serving as a teacher of record, which could mask key inequities in the distribution of fully prepared teachers.
On the whole, the bipartisan bill is a significant improvement over both existing law and the earlier draft bill, and further improvements—such as new formula funding for early education—may be possible through amendments in committee and on the Senate floor.
Several significant hurdles remain before a reauthorized version of ESEA becomes law:
- The Senate bill needs to pass out of committee and on the floor without the addition of damaging amendments.
- The House needs to pass its own version of ESEA, which is much more conservative than the Senate bill but still not conservative enough for many House Republicans.
- A conference committee will then need to work out a compromise between the two bills that can garner enough votes to pass both houses and be signed by the President.
- Getting a compromise bill through the House is likely to be particularly challenging.
Throughout this process, NCTE will continue to press for the policies that our elected leadership have identified as key to supporting teachers dedicated to creating powerful literacy learning environments. Should a bill pass, much work will remain for NCTE member advocates at the state level in order to ensure that the new flexibility such a bill is likely to offer will be used in a way that best serves students. | http://www2.ncte.org/blog/2015/04/esea-reauthorization-and-nctes-recommendations/ |
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