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Mixed-reality technologies are evolving rapidly, allowing for gradually more realistic interaction with digital content while moving freely in real-world environments. In this study, we examined the suitability of the Microsoft HoloLens mixed-reality headset for creating locomotor interactions in real-world environments enriched with 3D holographic obstacles. In Experiment 1, we compared the obstacle-avoidance maneuvers of 12 participants stepping over either real or holographic obstacles of different heights and depths. Participants’ avoidance maneuvers were recorded with three spatially and temporally integrated Kinect v2 sensors. Similar to real obstacles, holographic obstacles elicited obstacle-avoidance maneuvers that scaled with obstacle dimensions. However, with holographic obstacles, some participants showed dissimilar trail or lead foot obstacle-avoidance maneuvers compared to real obstacles: they either consistently failed to raise their trail foot or crossed the obstacle with extreme lead-foot margins. In Experiment 2, we examined the efficacy of mixed-reality video feedback in altering such dissimilar avoidance maneuvers. Participants quickly adjusted their trail-foot crossing height and gradually lowered extreme lead-foot crossing heights in the course of mixed-reality video feedback trials, and these improvements were largely retained in subsequent trials without feedback. Participant-specific differences in real and holographic obstacle avoidance notwithstanding, the present results suggest that 3D holographic obstacles supplemented with mixed-reality video feedback may be used for studying and perhaps also training 3D obstacle avoidance. | https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/avoiding-3d-obstacles-in-mixed-reality-does-it-differ-from-negoti |
Wiki-workshopping: using Wikispaces for peer writing workshops
Abstract:
This project uses the Wikispaces Web platform to facilitate peer writing workshops. Over the course of the semester, students will post drafts of their papers to Wikispaces. Then, students will use the wiki editing tools to revise and comment on peer drafts. Because Wikispaces tracks all revisions, it is possible to view a revised document and also identify which revisions were made by which students. Ultimately, revised documents can be stored as a Web page, allowing each student to use Wikispaces to create an electronic portfolio of her/his writing from the semester.
Discipline/Academic areas addressed
Applicable to all disciplines incorporating writing and editing, and also useful to disciplines, such as communication and education, which emphasize media literacy
Instructional purpose
Since Moffett and Wagner (1968) first suggested the use of peer writing workshops, such activities have come to be viewed as an established and effective classroom practice (Karegianes et al., 1980; Macrorie, 1976). Such workshops provide students the opportunity to receive suggestions from their peers regarding how to improve the quality of their writing. Additionally, the process of editing a peer’s writing leads to reflection and learning on the part of the student editor. However, such processes can be very time consuming. When conducted as an in-class activity, they can use up valuable instructional time. When conducted outside of class, the logistics of printing and distributing copies of student drafts to other group members can be challenging, and incur additional, burdensome, printing costs for students and faculty.
The use of social media such as Wikispaces solves both of these problems, and offers other benefits as well. First, Wikispaces can be used outside of class, thus freeing up valuable instructional time. Second, it allows for drafts to be electronically shared and edited, thus eliminating the need for excessive printing and providing both environmental and financial benefits. Third, Wikispaces tracks the revisions made to the document, allowing the instructor to view which suggestion and edits were made by which students. This tracking feature provides a helpful summary so that the instructor can easily and accurately gauge student involvement in the editing and revising process. Finally, because this activity involves the use of a new media platform, it also has the added benefit of exposing students to the power of Web 2.0 technologies. As such, while this activity primarily serves the purpose of helping students become better writers, it also helps students to develop basic media literacy competencies which are very important to twenty-first century life (Jenkins, 2006).
Student learning outcomes
1. Students will become familiar with wiki technologies and the Wikispaces Web platform.
2. Students will be able to identify and correct grammatical and mechanical errors in their peers’ essays.
3. Students will be able to identify and correct errors associated with source citation in their peers’ essays.
4. Students will be able to suggest ways to improve the content development, introduction, and conclusion of their peers’ essays.
5. Students will be able to integrate their peers’ suggestions into later drafts of their own writing.
6. Students will be able to create a Web-based writing portfolio.
Prerequisite skills and knowledge
Step-by-step directions
1. Prior to assigning a new writing assignment, divide students into peer workshop groups. The size of groups can vary, but three individuals is recommended.
2. Spend a class period demonstrating how the peer writing workshop process works, and explaining specific issues that students should address after reading their peers’ papers. Students are instructed to
a. Identify and correct misspelled and improperly used words.
b. Identify and correct grammatical errors.
c. Identify and correct errors associated with source citation.
d. Provide comments regarding the quality of the introduction and conclusion.
e. Provide comments regarding the paper’s content development.
f. Provide summary comments regarding overall impressions of the paper. (Note: The specific issues which students are instructed to address can be adjusted to meet course-specific objectives.)
3. Spend approximately half of a class period demonstrating how to access and use Wikispaces, and teaching students how to post their own paper, and revise and comment on a peer’s paper (see below). While this Web platform is very easy to use, students may be intimidated by the technology and require specific instructions.
a. Directions for students posting their paper to Wikispaces
Delete the default text on the screen, as you would if editing a document in a word-processing program.
Paste the text of your paper into the wiki. After you are finished, click “Save”.
b. Directions for students editing a peer’s paper
From the menu, select the page of the group member whose paper you want to review.
After opening the appropriate page, you will see the text of your peer’s paper.
In the menu bar above the text, click on “Edit”. This will provide you an editable version of your peer’s paper.
Make any corrections that you consider necessary to your peer’s paper, as you would if editing a document in a word-processing program.
To include comments or suggestions, highlight the word or sentence about which you would like to comment, then click on the “Comment” icon. This will open a new box in which you can type your comment. After you are finished, click “Save” in the comment box.
After you are finished correcting the paper and providing relevant comments, click “Save” in the menu bar. This will save a revised version of the paper, but mark all changes as highlighted text so that the author can identify areas that you have edited.
Continue reviewing the papers of other members of your writing workshop group, and save your comments and revisions by the deadline.
c. Directions for students reviewing their own edited paper
From the menu, select the page to which you posted your paper.
After opening your page, you will see the edited text of your paper, including all comments and revisions that your peers in your writing group have made.
To view the changes made by each group member, click on “View Revisions”.
You will now see a menu that lists each revised version of your paper posted by other members of your writing workshop group. Click on the first revised version to begin.
After opening the first revised version of your paper, you will notice that all changes are highlighted. Now, compare the revisions against your original draft to determine if these changes should be adopted in the final version of your paper.
Continue reading through each revised version of your paper, reviewing the corrections made and comments provided by your peers.
Respond to each change or correction made by your peers by highlighting the word or sentence about which you would like to comment, then clicking on the “Comment” icon. This will open a new box in which you can type your reply. After you are finished, click “Save” in the comment box.
Respond to each of the comments posted by your peers by clicking on the “Reply” button in the comment box.
After reviewing all edited versions, use the suggestions of your peers to create a new draft of your paper.
Turn in a final draft of your paper by the appropriate deadline, and post the final draft to your Wikispaces page.
4. Assign students a writing assignment, and provide a date by which the first draft of the assignment must be posted to their Wikispaces page.
5. On the day that assignments are posted to Wikispaces, provide group members a deadline for posting revisions and comments online.
6. Instruct students to review and respond to their peers’ revisions and comments.
7. Instruct students to edit or rewrite their own paper, and then post the final draft of their paper to their Wikispaces page.
8. Evaluate student participation in the peer writing workshop using the Peer Revising and Commenting Rubric and Response to Peer Revisions and Comments Rubric (in “Supplemental materials”).
9. After the process, discuss challenges that students faced when using the technology.
10. This process can be repeated for multiple drafts and multiple assignments. In the process, students can see a final draft evolving before their eyes.
11. If this process is used for multiple assignments, the instructor can then assess the final Wikispaces website which constitutes an electronic portfolio of all completed assignments.
Approximate time required
One 50-minute class session will be required to explain the peer workshop process.
One half of a 50-minute class session will be required to explain how to use Wikispaces.
Required resources
Computer and Internet connection
Word-processing software (e.g., Microsoft Word)
Wiki FAQs: http://help.wikispaces.com/faq+teacher+wiki
Variations on the basic theme
Wikispaces is a powerful, yet easy-to-use platform that allows multiple users to edit and refine a document or Web page. As such, it is an excellent tool for collaborative work, and provides an easy platform for students to access, edit, revise, or provide comments regarding peer writing. Further, because Wikispaces will track all revisions made by all users, it is possible for the instructor to have a summary of which students were most actively involved in the online workshop. Additionally, Wikispaces can be used to create an electronic writing portfolio. After the revision and rewriting process is complete, students can post a final version of their essay and save this as a separate Web page that can be accessed by either specific users or the general public.
Admittedly, Wikispaces is not the only technology that can make Web-based, out-of-class writing workshops possible. For instance, Google Docs could be used, and students could be provided with passwords to access the documents that contain their peers’ writing assignments. Or, files could be distributed by email, and the “track changes” feature of Microsoft Word could be used to provide comments and suggestions.
Nevertheless, because Wikispaces is extremely easy to use, accessible from any computer with an Internet connection, does not require the sharing of documents via email or discussion boards, and can be used to create a Web-based writing portfolio, it is an ideal platform to use for out-of-class writing workshops.
Such an activity could be adapted for other writing projects as well. Because Wikispaces facilitates collaboration, it could be used to help students complete group writing assignments in a wide variety of disciplines. Or, wiki technologies could be used by student newspaper editors and faculty advisors who need to collaborate with student reporters during the writing process.
Observations and advice
Typically, students are very hesitant to provide constructive criticism to their peers, and what criticism is provided is often very superficial in nature (Beaven, 1977; Nilson, 2003; Pianko & Radzik, 1980). This is, at least in part, due to two reasons: insufficient experience, which makes it difficult to identify problems, and the fear of offending a peer. Simply moving the activity online does not instantly resolve those issues. Additionally, students are sometimes intimidated by the thought of using Web-based tools, and instinctively resist learning to use a new technology.
However, all of these challenges can be addressed by the instructor. Skillful classroom instruction can minimize or eliminate these problems. As such, a critical component of this exercise is to make sure that adequate time is spent teaching students about how the peer-writing workshop works, and explaining the type of issues to look for when reading and editing their peers’ writing (Lam, 2010).
Additionally, instructing students how to use Wikispaces is also necessary. It is easy for instructors to assume that students—many of whom were born into the “Net Generation”—are digital natives, and naturally comfortable with Web-based technologies such as Wikispaces. This is not, however, the case. Research has shown that students are frequently involved in basic Web-based activities, like using email or streaming video, yet only rarely engage in more involved activities such as blogging or Web design (Kennedy et al., 2007). As such, it is important to spend class time explaining how Wikispaces works, helping students create their account, and make initial postings.
Thus, an investment of time is needed prior to initiating wiki-workshops. However, after students understand the process, wiki-workshops ultimately become a time-saver over the course of the semester. Students can effectively and efficiently engage in peer workshop activities outside of class, and the instructor can easily monitor student involvement without using valuable class time.
Beaven, M. Individualized goal setting, self-evaluation, and peer evaluation. In: Cooper C., Odell L., eds. Evaluating Writing: Describing, Measuring, Judging. Urbana, IL: National Council for Teachers of English; 1977:135–156.
Caverly, D.C., Ward, A. Techtalk: Wikis and collaborate knowledge construction. Journal of Developmental Education. 2009; 32(2):36–37.
Gooding, J. Web 2.0: A vehicle for transforming education. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology. 2008; 4(2):44–45.
Hargadon, S. Web site in a rush. School Library Journal. 2009; 55(1):16–17.
Jakes, D. Wild about Wikis: Tools for taking student and teacher collaboration to the next level. Technology & Learning. 2006; 27(1):6.
Jenkins, H. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press; 2006.
Karegianes, M., Pascarella, E., Pflaum, S. The effects of peer editing on the writing proficiency of low-achieving tenth grade students. Journal of Educational Research. 1980; 73:203–207.
Kennedy, G., Krause, K., Judd, T., Churchward, A., Gray, K., Digital Natives + Others = First Year Students. Educause, Boulder, CO, 2007. Available from www.caudit.edu.au/educauseaustralasia07/authors.papers/kennedy.ppt
Lam, R. A peer review training workshop: Coaching students to give and evaluate peer feedback. TESL Canada Journal. 2010; 27(2):114–127.
Lamb, A., Johnson, L. An information skills workout: Wikis and collaborative writing. Teacher Librarian. 2007; 34(5):57.
Macrorie, K. Telling Writing. New York: Hayden; 1976.
Maltese, D., Naughter, K. Taking down walls: An international wiki creates a community of thinkers. Voices from the Middle. 2010; 18(1):17–25.
Moffett, J., Wagner, B. Student-centered Language Arts and Reading, K-13. Boston: Houghton Mifflin; 1968.
Morgan, B., Smith, R.D. A wiki for classroom writing. Reading Teacher. 2008; 62(1):80–82.
Nielsen, L. Eight ways to use school wikis. Teach & Learning. 2009; 30(1):32.
Nilson, L.B. Improving student peer feedback. College Teaching. 2003; 51(1):34–38.
Pianko, S., Radzik, A. The student editing method. Theory into Practice. 1980; 19:220–224.
Saovapa, W. Using wikis to develop summary writing abilities of students in an EFL class. Journal of College Teaching & Learning. 2010; 7(12):5–10.
Supplemental materials
This rubric is used to assess student participation in the process of revising and commenting on a peer’s paper.
This rubric is used to assess student responses to the peer revisions and comments regarding their own paper. | http://devguis.com/chapter-9-wiki-workshopping-using-wikispaces-for-peer-writing-workshops-the-plugged-in-professor.html |
A concise history of the development and practice of Egyptian medicine and its related subjects. It examines the images which are carved and painted on the walls of tombs, represented in statues, in the hieroglyphs and in the papyri and offers and explanation of the types of representation which show obvious disease and deformity. The application of modern scientific methodlogy to palaeopathology and palaeopidemiology has given Egyptologists and medical historians a greater understanding of the interaction between human disease and the contemporary environment. An overview of modern scientific studies is included along with specific case studies detailing evidence of disease. The Egyptians knew and used at least one-third of all the medicinal plants listed in modern pharmacopoeias and the constituents and efficacy of the pharmacists' remedies are examined. A brief overview of the medical papyri and medical inscriptions is included. These provide further poignant insights into the Egyptian medical practioner's understanding of anatomy and physiology.
If you use Linux in your day-to-day work, this popular pocket guide is the perfect on-the-job reference. The...
Advanced Engineering Mathematics provides comprehensive and contemporary coverage of key mathematical ideas, techniques, and their widespread applications, for students majoring in engineering, computer science, mathematics and physics. Using a wide range of examples throughout the book, Jeffrey illustrates how to construct simple...
GRAPHS AND GRAPH algorithms are pervasive in modern computing applications. This book describes the most important known methods for solving the graph-processing problems that arise in practice. Its primary aim is to make these methods and the basic principles behind them accessible to the growing number of people in need of knowing them. The...
Our manuals facilitate your learning by providing structured interaction with the software itself. While we provide text to explain difficult concepts, the hands-on activities are the focus of our courses. By paying close attention as your instructor leads you through these activities, you will learn the skills and concepts effectively.
Absolute beginners to designing games for Android will find this book is their passport to quick results. Lots of handholding and practical exercises using Unity 3D makes learning a breeze. | https://book.pdfchm.net/egyptian-medicine-shire-egyptology/9780747801276/ |
John Locke, Two Treatises of Government, ed. Thomas Hollis (London: A. Millar et al., 1764).
Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, The Complete Works of M. de Montesquieu (London: T. Evans, 1777), 4 vols. Vol. 1.
Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, The Complete Works of M. de Montesquieu (London: T. Evans, 1777), 4 vols. Vol. 3: Persian Letters.
Session I: John Locke on Ends of Politics and the Preservation of Liberty.
Session II: John Locke on Limited Government.
Session III: Trenchard and Gordon on Liberty, Law, and the Essentials of Free Governments.
Number 42, “Considerations on the Nature of Laws"
Number 45, “Of Equality and Inequality of Men"
Number 59, “Liberty proved to be the unalienable Right of all Mankind"
Number 60, “All Government proved to be instituted by Men, and only to intend the general Good of Men"
Number 61, “How free Governments are to be framed so as to last, and how they differ from such as are arbitrary"
Number 62, “An Enquiry into the Nature and Extent of Liberty; with its Loveliness and Advantages, and the vile Effects of Slavery"
Number 63, “Civil Liberty produces all Civil Blessings, and how; with the baneful Nature of Tyranny"
Number 84, “Property the First Principle of Power. The Errors of our Prices who Attended Not to This"
Session IV: Forms of Government: The Nature, Principle, and Laws of Republics, Monarchies, and Despotisms as Envisioned by Montesquieu.
Session V: Montesquieu and Paine on the English Constitution.
Session VI: Hume’s View on the Principles of Government, Factions, the Ideal Commonwealth, and the True Sources of English Liberty.
“Of the First Principles of Government"
“Of the Independency of Parliament"
“Whether the British Government inclines more to Absolute Monarchy, or to a Republic"
“Of the Parties of Great Britain" | https://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/british-and-french-sources-of-american-constitutionalism |
We intend to derive a sophisticated analytical understanding of the risk/return profile of risk-control strategy indexes and to verify the key results by numerical backtests. In essence, we assume a strategy index that invests in the holdings of a standard equity blue-chip index with value St at time t and a money market instrument, where in principle both investments can be long or short.
The appendixes of this paper are available online.1 There, we derive a complex mathematical description of this type of strategy index that is based on the well-known Brownian-motion model for the underlying equity index, which is commonly used in option pricing. In essence, this model is based on the assumption of equity returns following a normal distribution. Since real-world equity returns typically show heavy tails—which means that real-world equity markets are riskier than a normal distribution would predict—we will use numerical simulations based on real-world equity returns to verify the theoretical results based on this model.
As a general index concept, we consider a strategy index It that uses equity volatility ?t observed in the market at time t as an asset allocation signal in the sense that it invests a portion of R(?t) into the underlying equity index St and a portion 1-R(?t) into the money market at rate rt . We will refer to the equity portfolio weight R(?t) as the response function, since it determines the amount of equity held in the index portfolio depending on the current level of equity volatility.
The index-update formula that index providers use for this type of strategy index basically states that the index return is the weighted average of the return on the equity investment and the money market investment. It takes the form:
where ?(t+1, t) denotes the time between date t and t+1 in the respective date-count convention. In principle, leveraged equity indexes and target volatility indexes are calculated according to formula (1), although they are quite different in terms of the way the size of the equity investment R(?t) is determined (as we will elaborate later) and also in terms of the rebalancing frequency: Leveraged indexes are typically rebalanced periodically (i.e., daily, weekly or monthly), whereas most target volatility indexes use a triggered rebalancing (i.e., rebalancing takes place when the actual weight of the equity investment in the index deviates by more than a predefined threshold from the desired weight R(?t)). Nevertheless, both index concepts can be analyzed within the same mathematical framework and can be improved by implementing an optimal risk-control mechanism in a similar way. | https://www.etf.com/publications/journalofindexes/joi-articles/12932-optimal-design-of-risk-control-strategy-indexes.html/page/0/1 |
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[Increased anti-tumor activity of chemotherapeutic agents combined with direct current against murine transplanted tumors].
The antitumor activity of direct current was studied in mice which were transplanted fibrosarcoma (FSa) into the right thigh. Mice were inserted electrodes into tumor and normal tissue surrounding the tumor, and treated with constant current. The direct current therapy (D.C.T.) (0.6 mA, 120 min) alone was effective to regress tumor, but tumor was not eradicated by D.C.T. alone. Cyclophosphamide (CPA, 100 mg/kg) could markedly reduce the FSa tumor size, but all tumor regrew finally. When D.C.T. was combined with CPA (100 mg/kg), the therapeutic response of FSa tumor was enhanced in mice which were inserted cathode into tumor. For example, in mice receiving direct current (0.6 mA, 120 minutes), the cure rate was 70% compared with 30% by the anode in tumor. Using cure rate assay, D.C.T. and about half dose of CPA could give the similar treatment results as the full dose of CPA alone. That is, D.C.T. will be able to reduce the dose of chemotherapeutic agents. Combination of D.C.T. and doxorubicin was not so effective as CPA, but showed the similar results. The experimental results suggest that D.C.T. alters the drug distribution in the tumor and makes the drugs more effective.
| |
Normal Distribution concerns quantitative variable e.g. systolic BP, birth weights, age at menarche etc.
Summary values of quantitative data are:
Mean and Standard deviation (SD),
Mode and
Median
Standard deviation (SD) summarizes the variation of a large sample
Variable is mostly distributed normally if:
The sample is fairly large and
The sample units have been chosen randomly i.e. the sample is a ‘random sample’
Normal Distribution (Gaussian Distribution)
After a large number of observations of a quantitative variable (e.g. systolic BP) have been taken from a large, random sample, a frequency distribution table has to be prepared using class (or group) intervals
Mean = 120 mmHg and Standard Deviation (SD) = 10
Mean ± 1 SD or 110 to 130 mmHg would include 68% of observations
Mean ± 2 SD (100 – 140mmHg) will include 95% of the subjects and
Mean ± 3 SD (90 – 150 mmHg) will include 99.5% of observations
Only 26 observations are lower than mean - 3 SD’s and
Only 7 – 15 observations are higher than mean + 3 SD’s
Normal Curve (Gaussian Curve)
A histogram is the graphical representation of quantitative data
The frequencies of the class intervals (number of subjects with values in the specified class interval) are plotted against the intervals on a graph
This plot looks like bars drawn WITHOUT space among them, as the data is continuous and hence are the class intervals are without break
When the midpoints of the top of the bars are joined by drawing straight lines, we obtain a ‘frequency polygon’
Smoothened shape of this polygon is called ‘frequency curve’
The curve is smoothened when the same histogram is drawn with very reduced class intervals and then joining the midpoints
Characteristics of a Normal Curve
It is bell shaped
It is symmetrical bilaterally
Mean, mode and median coincide and = 0
It has two inflictions at the points where the curve changes from convexity to concavity
Mean ± 1 SD includes 68.27% of observations
Mean ± 2 SD will include 95% of the values and
Mean ± 3 SD will include 99.5% of observations
Standard Normal Deviate
The normal distribution and normal curve describe the distribution of quantitative variables like systolic BP, height, weight etc. | http://www.ihatepsm.com/blog/normal-distribution-normal-curve |
Last week before Half Term!
What a fantastic final week before Half Term! We continued our learning of life cycles in science as we learnt about the gestation period of mammals. The children were able to interpret data and use this to create a bar graph which we then analysed and subsequently discovered that an elephant has a gestation period of around 22 months! We also finished reading our class text, Journey to Jo'burg, which centres around 2 children as they navigate apartheid in South Africa. The children subsequently wrote a diary entry as the character, Tiro, which retold the events of one of the chapters.
We hope you all have a fantastic Half Term and are looking forward to seeing you when we are back! | https://www.sheenmount.richmond.sch.uk/news/?pid=47&nid=5&storyid=58 |
This charming mid-terrace residence is a welcome addition to the thriving property market, located in the ever popular village of Crossgar. This home offers superb accommodation, perfect for the modern day living. The ground floor comprises a generous living room, modern open plain kitchen and dining area and WC. Upstairs there are three good sized bedrooms, all with built in robes and the family bathroom. Prompt viewing is highly recommended and can be organised through Edel in our Downpatrick branch.
DescriptionENTRANCE HALL
LIVING ROOM 12' 9" x 13' 8" (3.89m x 4.17m)
KITCHEN & DINING AREA 13' 7" x 13' 11" (4.14m x 4.24m)
GROUND FLOOR WC
BEDROOM 1 12' 1" x 10' 6" (3.68m x 3.2m) with built in robes
BEDROOM 2 12' 5" x 8' 11" (3.78m x 2.72m) with built in robes
BEDROOM 3 8' 10" x 6' 5" (2.69m x 1.96m) with built in robes
SHOWER ROOM 5' 11" x 8' 2" (1.8m x 2.49m)
Mortgage Calculator*
* This information does not contain all of the details you need to choose a mortgage. Make sure you read the key facts illustration provided with your mortgage offer before you make a decision. | https://www.quinnestateagents.com/101-killyleagh-street-crossgar-downpatrick/649696 |
Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a growing concern with more than 1 in every 68 children affected in the United States by age 8. Limited scientific advances have been made regarding the etiology of autism, with general agreement that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to this disorder. Objective: To explore the link between exposure to PBDE, mitochondrial dysfunction and autism risk. Results: Perinatal exposures to PBDEs may contribute to the etiology or morbidity of ASD including mitochondrial dysfunction based on (i) their increased environmental abundance and human exposures, (ii) their activity towards implicated in neuronal development and synaptic plasticity including mitochondria, and (iii) their bioaccumulation in mitochondria. Conclusion: In this review, we propose that PBDE, and possibly other environmental exposures, during child development can induce or compound mitochondrial dysfunction, which in conjunction with a dysregulated antioxidant response, increase a child’s susceptibility of autism. | https://ucdavis.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/autism-mitochondria-and-polybrominated-diphenyl-ether-exposure |
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Output effects of fiscal policy in Portugal: a structural VAR approach
2013
Authors
Publication Year
2013
Abstract
This study applies the structural VAR methodology to the identification of fiscal policy shocks in Portugal, using quarterly general government accounts from 1995 to 2011. Using a more detailed breakdown of variables than is usual, an estimate is made of the impact on economic activity of shocks to taxes, broken down into direct and indirect taxes, transfers, and government consumption, broken down into compensation of employees and expenditure on goods and services. The findings point to the existence of multiplier effects on output with a conventional sign (except for expenditure on goods and services) in the sample period, stronger for compensation of employees and direct taxes than for the remaining variables analysed. At the same time, changes in indirect taxes and, to a lesser degree, in transfers, tend to cause less of an impact on economic activity. | https://www.bportugal.pt/en/paper/output-effects-fiscal-policy-portugal-structural-var-approach |
Will TPP End Up Dead Without the US?
Sputnik – 23.01.2017
President Donald Trump said that the US will start pulling out of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement to protect American jobs and kick-start economic revival.
In a statement issued after Trump’s January 20 inauguration, the White House named the planned withdrawal from the TPP as a major priority for the new administration’s effort to bring down unemployment and breathe new life into the stagnant US economy.
“This strategy starts by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and making certain that any new trade deals are in the interests of American workers,” the White House release stated.
The TPP seeks to remove barriers to trade among its 12 signatories, which together account for 40 percent of the world’s economy: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.
During his presidential campaign, Trump has repeatedly criticized the TPP and expressed the desire to shift the focus from global trade to national economic development in order to support the US economy.
Warning about the catastrophic impact the TTP pact, initiated by the Obama Administration, could have on the US economy, Donald Trump is committed to negotiating “fair trade deals” that would benefit American manufacturers and workers.
The restrictions on Asian imports proposed by Donald Trump are part of his strategy to revive domestic production and give up on the “global division of labor.”
TPP a boon to transnational corporations
The TPP began as an expansion of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement signed by Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore in 2005. Beginning in 2008, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the United States and Vietnam joined the discussion for a broader agreement, bringing the total number of countries participating in the negotiations to twelve and accounting for up to 40 percent of the global GDP.
The signing of the TPP deal led to mass-scale protests in many of the participating nations with the critics describing the agreement as an attempt to set the rules of the global economy to favor multinational corporations over domestic producers.
This, they warned, would negatively impact the situation of the domestic labor markets of the participation countries.
The TPP trade agreement consists of chapters on a range of issues dealing with trade barriers, intellectual property rights, human rights and government regulations across a host of industries, such as agricultural goods, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing.
It favors large multinational corporations which want to impose their regulations on foreign competitors.
The TPP deal also undermines domestic companies, laws, regulations and institutions with an extra-judicial Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) that stacks the deck in favor of multinational corporations.
US pivot away from Asia
In its push for the TPP, the Obama Administration was also governed by political considerations. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said that the agreement was meant to strengthen Washington’s alliances with the key Southeast Asian nations.
“Obama planned to create an expanded free trade zone in Asia and the Pacific US companies would benefit from,” Sergei Lukonin, a senior expert on Chinese politics and economics in Moscow, told RT.
“The TPP could also be used by the US as a counterbalance to China. If Washington gives up on its leading role in the region, this would strengthen Beijing’s hand in the ongoing talks on the Comprehensive Regional Economic Partnership,” Lukonin noted.
He added that America’s withdrawal from the TPP would undermine its reputation in the region.
“With the United States out, the Asian nations will have to reconsider their military alliances with Washington,” Lukonin said.
Sergei Silvestrov, a Moscow-based economic expert, said that Washington’s withdrawal from the TPP would complicate its relations with Australia, New Zealand and other countries where the TPP is now being ratified.
Silvestrov added that without the United States the TPP would become meaningless as the US and Japan alone account for a hefty 80 percent of the TPP countries’ trade turnover.
Vietnam has already responded to Trump’s statement by suspending its ratification of the TPP deal, while Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull remains all set to speed up the ratification process.
Japan has been alarmed the most by the prospect of a US withdrawal from the TPP. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pinned much hopes on the deal that would open the US market to Japanese exports. He will try to remedy the situation during an upcoming visit to Washington.Aside from the negative response from America’s Asian partners, Donald Trump will face serious opposition from transnational corporations. With the globalization process advanced as it is, it will take a country more than just canceling a single agreement to protect its domestic market.
Back to the roots
It still looks like President Trump worries more about America’s economic woes than he does about the political fallout his decision to withdraw from the TPP could create in the world, RT wrote.
During his election campaign he promised to fight unemployment and stand up for the interests of ordinary Americans and now is the right time for him to start practicing what he preached while on the stump.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump is also committed to renegotiating another trade deal, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was signed by the United States, Canada and Mexico in 1994.
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Any multi-National treaty that allows Corporations to sue National governments for various reasons(IE, Cigarette companies, for loss of income due to, example, Australia forcing plain packaging onto all cigarette producers)must NOT be agreed to. Signing the TTP would have been a capitulation by governments and a surrender of Sovereignty to the Corporations.
Just like NAFTA, which was a disaster for American workers, TPP would have allowed Corporations to trample over everyone.
Here’s a better idea. Why can’t we have an International Tax Treaty that brings to a HALT, the World TAX AVOIDENCE INDUSTRY, that allows Multi-National Corporations(and National Corporations as well) to LOOT their countries tax revenue base, thereby bloating the 1%’s income and causing a tax revenue “DROUGHT” around the World.
It would require Politicians to actually do their jobs, rather than prostituting themselves to Corporate ‘Graft’. but there must be SOME politicians who are honest……surely? | https://alethonews.com/2017/01/23/will-tpp-end-up-dead-without-the-us/?shared=email&msg=fail |
On October 13, the United States Embassy in Tashkent joined the 15th annual worldwide Daniel Pearl World Music Days with a gala concert at the Old U.S. Embassy Chancery in Chilanzar. About 500 guests attended the concert, which featured legendary artists Farrukh Zakirov and Yalla, Shahzoda, and DJ Piligrim, as well as up-and-coming artists IWALF Band, Archie Sundance, Janset Bogdalova, and Janna Kim. These hot new artists were selected from more than 30 talented young musicians across Uzbekistan who submitted recordings via Facebook.
As Deputy Chief of Mission Les Viguerie noted in his opening remarks, “Your presence here is a testament to the power of music to break down walls and bring people of different cultures, races, and beliefs together. In the spirit of harmony this concert represents, we have a number of young Uzbek musicians at the beginning of their musical careers, performing American and original English-language songs, alongside some true legends of Uzbek music. So there you have it, all on one stage – three generations of amazing music and two glorious cultures, united to celebrate one harmonious humanity.”
Daniel Pearl World Music Days is an annual global concert network affirming the ideals of tolerance, friendship, and our shared humanity. The World Music Days are inspired by the life and work of journalist and musician Daniel Pearl, who would have celebrated his birthday on October 10. Daniel lived a life that knew no geographical boundaries, with a spirit that knew no prejudice. While working as a reporter in South Asia in 2002, he was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan, sparking international outrage. Since then, every year throughout October, musicians around the world join in “Harmony for Humanity” to promote peace and understanding through music, uniting against violence and working toward a world without hate. Since 2002, Daniel Pearl World Music Days has featured more than 14,000 performances in 140 countries. | https://uz.usembassy.gov/daniel-pearl-world-music-days-three-generations-two-cultures-one-humanity/ |
Reese Witherspoon's daughter just turned 16, and Witherspoon took to her social media accounts to post a sweet happy birthday message. "My sweet girl turns 16 today! I am so blessed to have such a kind, compassionate, brilliant, artistic, all-around wonderful daughter who makes me a better person every day. I love you Ava!!!" the actress wrote with an accompanying photo collage of her daughter, Ava Phillippe, as a little girl and as her current self.
It's a lovely message, but what catches our attention even more is how similar Witherspoon's daughter looks to her mother. Sure, there are hints of her father, Ryan Phillippe, but at first glance, she is practically a mini-me of the actress. As Witherspoon gushes, Ava appears to be growing up beautifully. Happy birthday to her! | https://www.nylon.com/articles/reese-witherspoon-ava-birthday |
Michael is the Chair of Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Ecology and sits on the Board of Directors at Sasaki, a global design firm with offices in Boston and Shanghai. Leading the much of the firm’s work in Asia, he offers unique insight into the unprecedented transformation and urbanization of the region. Michael is a fierce advocate for the vital role that landscape architects play in shaping contemporary cities. Informed by a rigorous inquiry of economic, ecological, and cultural influences, he believes that the role of the designer is to make cities more livable, equitable, resilient, and just. His career spans a variety of project types and scales including regional planning, new communities, urban districts, and waterfronts. Michael is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in landscape architecture and a focus on planning and urban design, and also is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, sits on the Placemaking Council of the Urban Land Institute, and serves on the board of the Landscape Architecture Foundation. His work has also been recognized with numerous awards, and he frequently lectures at universities around the world.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Grand Ballroom III, Level 5, Jing An Shangri-La
Project leaders share their experiences, what made their projects successful, and how they delivered civic, commercial and community outcomes. | https://apacsummit.uli.org/people/michael-grove/ |
Key survey findings: (Source: Michael Page Employment Index report, Q2 2012)
- 64% of employers predict business conditions will remain stable or improve in coming months.
- 61% of companies expect headcount levels to remain stable in Q2.
- 41% of employers believe the impact from weak economic conditions offshore on the domestic economy will be low, while 40% believe impact will be moderate to high.
3 April 2012: The leveling out of Australia’s employment market will continue into the second quarter of the year, with findings from the latest Michael Page Employment Index pointing to an overall stable outlook.
Consistent with previous quarter survey results, the majority of employers surveyed predict business conditions will remain stable or improve (64%). With business conditions expected to stablise there is a flow on in sentiment to the local recruitment market, and the bulk of surveyed employers (61%) predict headcount levels will remain the same during the second quarter, with replacement hires only.
However, when asked about the impact that weak economic conditions in the US and Europe are having on the local economy, survey responses were separated down the middle. There was an even split between companies thinking there will be a high or moderate impact (40%) and those that believe impact will be low (41%).
“The Q2 Employment Index survey findings confirm what we have been seeing in Australia – that some businesses and sectors are being impacted by global economic conditions and others are not. There have been different experiences and there are different views,” says Mr. Phillip Guest, Regional Managing Director of Michael Page International.
“For example Financial Services, a truly global business, has been impacted by economic conditions abroad, while Mining & Resources has been much less so,” he adds.
While the majority of companies will be leaving headcount steady over the coming months, for the 22% of companies indicating they intend to increase staff the focus will once again be on front-line, revenue-generating business areas, with 54% of hiring activity directed towards sales and business development roles.
“This continued focus on revenue-generating roles indicates that some businesses continue to see opportunities for growth in the current market. This is an encouraging sign,” adds Mr. Guest.
The stable market outlook is also keeping talent management at the forefront of employers’ minds, and in particular the retention of their key staff. Some 80% of surveyed companies will have a major or moderate focus on staff retention during the second quarter, a similar level to the first quarter of the year. | https://www.pagepersonnel.com.au/panel-australia%E2%80%99s-employment-market-tale-two-halves |
Capital Recruitment Services, Bangalore and Chennai has posted recruitment for medical coding executives. The candidates having minimum one year to two years of medical coding experience can apply for this post. The candidates need to have experience in Diagnosis and procedure coding and completing the coding with in TAT and producing daily individual production report and quality check report. Medical coders need to ensure the quality in coding and updating the quality tracking sheet for training and if needed train the coders. interested and eligible medical coders can apply soon by sending the updated resume to the mentioned email address below. | https://www.medicalcodingjobs.co.in/medical-coding-executive-recruitment-capital-recruitment-services/ |
In many ways Oklahoma State is the most Big twelvish Big 12 team, perfectly encapsulating many of the key features associated with the league’s style of play. They have a balanced spread system on offense that develops complementary skill sets amongst the players to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. On defense their strategy concedes that they can’t stop their fellow Big 12 teams from racking up yards between the 20s but instead hope to win by using disguised coverages and multiple packages to force turnovers and clamp down in the red zone.
If you are balanced on offense, can score on big plays in the passing game, and are effective at preventing opposing offenses from translating gobs of yards into gobs of points then you’re going to win a lot of games in the Big 12. With their most high-powered offense since Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon walked the campus, Oklahoma State was a favorite to build on their regular 10-win seasons and win the Big 12 in 2017. Then TCU upset the apple cart with a 44-31 victory in Stillwater to set the stage for a very interesting 2017 Big 12 season.
The Horned Frogs gave up 499 yards but forced four turnovers that limited OSU’s ability to translate that production directly into points. Meanwhile the Frogs ran for 238 yards and threw for 228 more, out Big 12-ing the Cowboys on their own field. TCU achieved much of what OSU and the rest of the Big 12 is aiming for but their underlying philosophy is speed, speed, and more speed.
Speed on offense
The Frogs are pretty big along the offensive line. Their bookend tackles Joseph Noteboom and Matt Pryor go 6-5, 320 and 6-7, 350 respectively while the interior features more typically-sized fellows. TCU will also regularly employ TE Cole Hunt, a 6-7, 250 pounder, as an ancillary blocker in-line at TE or off the ball as an H-back to help boost their run game.
The name of the game is speed though, getting the ball to small, speedy players in space and feasting on the results. It starts with running back Darius Anderson, who’s taken the lion share of the carries this season in lieu of starter Kyle Hicks’ injury, and stands at 5-11, 205. That’s not particularly small for a Big 12 RB but his game is defined by darting quickness rather than power.
The question isn’t whether you can bring him down, but whether you can fill creases well enough against TCU’s combination of pace and double teams to prevent him from finding grass. Once he’s in space, Anderson runs like he’s being controlled by a TCU assistant with a joystick up in the booth.
TCU currently has five different receivers with at least 100 receiving yards and the top two are tied at 151 yards apiece, so this is a very balanced offensive attack. Of those five receivers, only John Diarse is even as tall as six feet (he’s 6-1), while the other four average out to 5-9, 171 pounds. The sixth leading receiver Kenedy “mach” Snell (91 yards) who stands at 5-8, 170. They all excel at darting into the creases that their offense creates all too easily across the field.
Oklahoma State safety Ramon Richards is all over this play but Kavontae Turpin is too quick to the spot and then too fast and low to the ground to bring down with a high arm tackle.
It’s an entire skill ensemble of water bugs, running screens and quick routes off TCU’s zone running game and utterly exhausting opposing defenses trying to catch them. In many ways it’s a modern, balanced take on Mike Leach’s classic mantra of “throw it short to people who can score.”
Their ability to run the ball and generate easy explosive gains throwing quick routes to burners appears to be effective enough to allow them to keep pace in the high scoring Big 12.
Doubling down on defensive speed
Gary Patterson built his reputation and his program off going small with the 4-2-5 defense. At first it was considered ridiculous, then a gimmick, then standard practice across the nation. But spread offenses in the Big 12, particularly what Art Briles was doing at Baylor in the early 2010s, are designed to abuse nickel defenses of the sort that Patterson got famous utilizing.
The 2014 season in which TCU’s 12-1 record was spoiled due to a 61-58 defeat to Baylor in which Patterson’s otherwise stalwart defense surrendered 782 yards of offense clearly left a big mark on Gary and the program. The extreme stress that Baylor successfully put on TCU’s defense with their combination of power runs, spread sets, and regular deep shots was too much for the Frogs to keep under wraps.
So from there Gary Patterson started to double down on what had worked in the past, and he sought to get even more speed on the field.
The 2017 TCU Horned Frogs have a pair of starting linebackers that go 225 and 213 pounds respectively in Montrel Wilson and Travin Howard. 2016’s best linebacker, Ty Summers, was moved to defensive end in the fall and now plays at 6-2, 242 pounds opposite 6-4, 245 pound end Ben Banogu. Their three safeties are 5-10, 194 (free safety Niko Small), 5-10, 187 (weak safety Nick Orr), and 6-1, 196 (strong safety Ridwan Issahaku). Neither of the cornerbacks are big guys either.
There was a lot of talk from Gary Patterson this offseason about getting bigger up front along the DL, perhaps to balance their usage of so many smaller athletes in the defensive backfield, but the starting defensive tackles go 6-2, 275 (Chris Bradley) and 6-4, 326 (Ross Blacklock). The nose tackle Blacklock is perhaps the only player on the entire defense who’s bigger than the national average for his position amongst power five schools. This is a small unit...but they’re fast.
Oklahoma State scored 31 points because they have exceptional personnel, but they struggled to overstress the Frogs’ and force them to play in more space than they could adequately defend.
Here’s a normal first down call in which the Cowboys paired a normal zone run with outside pass options for Rudolph to hit if the defense cheated numbers into the box.
There are only five defenders in the box here for TCU with a sixth coming late in the form of the strong side linebacker and another in the form of the weak safety. Until they read run though each are sitting on the quick slant to the slot or the skinny post to James Washington that Rudolph has shown he can hit consistently.
Because those two defenders (Travin Howard and Nick Orr) are both fast, they can arrive and help if a run gets loose but unless the five defenders in the box are playing well TCU is going to get gashed in this call.
However, the Frog DL is putting their unique blend of speed and power to work on a stunt to help them defend the run without numbers. The 3-technique tackle Chris Bradley works hard upfield through the B-gap while DE Ben Banogu stunts inside of him into the A-gap.
The center is unable to come help because big nose tackle Ross Blacklock is sticking his big mitts in his chest and the right tackle starts the play concerned with setting the edge against Banogu so he’s not ready to pick up Bradley shooting through the gap or to chase Banogu inside. The result is that TCU successfully sets the edge from the B-gap and gets a two-on-one against the right guard that results in a tackle for loss.
The Frogs are denying the quick pass options by alignment and then relying on speed and scheme to create advantages that allow them to stop the run up front.
On the occasions when the Frogs were able to force passing downs they were ready for the Cowboys with a package designed to minimize the challenges of keeping all of OSU’s athletic receivers under wraps while highlighting Mason Rudolph’s limitations.
By dropping eight into coverage (converted LB Ty Summers puts his old training to use dropping into the flat) and bracketing the OSU receiving threats it put Rudolph in the difficult position of either making progressions and beating coverage or else scrambling for time or yardage. The OSU signal-caller is lights out throwing to spots on RPOs and play-action but he’s less effective going through progressions and resetting his feet and his play is as terrifying to his own team as the opponent when he’s trying to create outside of the pocket.
TCU made the most of their ability to play at depth and close on the ball throughout the game, even on this early TD bomb to James Washington.
This is basically the “good on good” of the spread/anti-spread tactics. OSU is running play-action off the threat of a weak zone run with an H-back creating a new gap to command the attention of the secondary. The defense has their boundary safety and strong safety in position to be extra men against the run but they are playing at depth and checking against the threat of a pass before committing to run behind the linebackers.
Then the offense runs the dreaded dig/post route combination outside from stacked receivers. The free safety has to try and split the difference between the dig and the post and stay in position to help over the top on the former and inside on the latter.
They just get beat here by a combination of Rudolph’s arm strength and James Washington’s incredible speed as the Cowboys out throw the coverage. OSU struggled to find similar success elsewhere in the game and had to throw a lot of comebacks and flat routes to move down the field. Without regular explosive plays over the top, OSU went from being an offense that can score 40-60 points to being a team that struggled to finish drives and break 30.
It’s essential to the TCU defensive system that they be able to allow the front six and either end of the secondary to play in isolation to create diverse play calls and engender aggressive play. To get away with it though they needed guys in the secondary that can hold up against deep routes without getting burned for 800 yards and 60 points against spread teams that can throw deep.
That has meant going even smaller and faster on defense for Gary Patterson. If they can keep it up and allow their own team speed to be the defining factor in Big 12 play this season, perhaps they’ll be the real contender to Oklahoma that we all thought Oklahoma State would be. | https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2017/9/29/16380586/tcu-horned-frogs-doubles-down-on-speed-4-2-5-water-bug |
When it comes to Gothic architecture, you probably think about the famous Gothic cathedrals constructed all around Europe during the Middle Ages.
There were, however, many other types of structures built in this amazing architectural style between the 12th and 16th centuries.
Gothic buildings evolved from Romanesque buildings and incorporated some unique features.
Rounded arches and windows became pointy and new structural developments allowed buildings to become much higher.
Rib vaults and flying buttresses were key elements to support the spires that reached toward the heavens above.
So what were some of the most famous Gothic buildings ever constructed? In this article, you’ll find out.
1. Leuven Town Hall – Leuven, Belgium
Leuven Town Hall is the city hall of this relatively small city just east of Brussels in Belgium. It’s located at the Grote Markt, the main market square in the city, and is a prime example of the magnificent Brabantine Late Gothic style that was popular in the low countries in the 15th century.
This amazing city hall was constructed between 1448 and 1469 and was originally part of a much larger complex of civic buildings. This highly decorative architectural style of this structure makes it one of the most beautiful buildings in Belgium.
2. Palais des Papes – Avignon, France
The Palais des Papes or the “Palace of the Popes” is a historic palace in the city of Avignon in Southern France. It’s an enormous medieval structure that once served as the official residence of the Pope and the seat of Christianity in the 14th century.
This immense palace has a total floor area of 15,000 square meters (160,000 square feet) which made it the largest Gothic building that was ever constructed in Europe. The building was constructed in such a way that it could withstand extended sieges, so thick walls and supportive elements were heavily used.
3. Conciergerie – Paris, France
The Conciergerie is one of the most significant historic buildings in Paris as it served as both a courthouse and prison. It’s here that many important prisoners were held during the French Revolution. This includes Marie Antoinette who was transported to her place of execution from here.
This famous Gothic building was originally part of a much larger palace complex known as the Palais de la Cité. This served as the residence of the Kings of France between the 6th and 14th centuries. The Hall of the Men-at-Arms inside the building is the largest non-religious Gothic hall in Europe.
4. Belfry of Bruges – Bruges, Belgium
The Belfry of Bruges is one of the most amazing landmarks in Bruges, a medieval city in the western part of Belgium. Bruges was one of the most important port cities in Europe during the Middle Ages and this reflects in the incredible buildings that were built here, including this famous bell tower.
The original version of this tower was completed in 1240 but it had to be rebuilt because of a fire in 1280. The octagonal upper section of the tower was completed later between 1483 and 1487. It was originally topped with a Gothic-style spire but this was also destroyed by fire in the 18th century and never rebuilt.
5. Ypres Cloth Hall – Ypres, Belgium
The Ypres Cloth Hall is another famous building in a city in Belgium that was thriving during the Middle Ages. Ypres is located in the western corner of Belgium and was a center of the cloth industry between the 12th and 14th centuries. That’s why this commercial building was constructed.
It was completed in 1304 and was one of the largest commercial buildings in Europe at the time. It features a stunning Gothic belfry in the center which emphasized the city’s wealth. Unfortunately, the cloth hall was destroyed during World War I but completely rebuilt during the 20th century.
6. Middelburg Town Hall – Middelburg, Netherlands
The Middelburg Town Hall is another great example of Gothic architecture in the Low Countries. It’s located at the main square in the Dutch city of Middelburg, the capital of the Zeeland Province in the utmost southwestern part of the country.
The building was completed in 1520 and just like the Leuven Town Hall, features an incredible amount of decorative elements. This structure was heavily bombed during World War II and the interior was destroyed. Remarkably, the exterior remained intact and was preserved during restoration projects.
7. Mir Castle – Mir, Belarus
Mir Castle is a historical castle in Europe that is located in the town with the same name in the western part of Belarus. This just shows how widespread the architectural movement was during the Middle Ages, although the design incorporates a local version of Gothic architecture.
It was completed in the 16th century which means it’s one of the late-Gothic buildings that used brick as the main material. This was a time when this region was part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000 because of its historic significance.
8. King’s College Chapel – Cambridge, England
King’s College Chapel is the main chapel of King’s College at the University of Cambridge. This university city is located in Cambridgeshire in the East of England and is home to a large number of historic buildings, including this remarkable Gothic chapel that was completed between 1446 and 1515.
This building is quite long at 88 meters (289 feet) and is home to the longest fan vault in the world. The style of the chapel is a prime example of the late Perpendicular Gothic style, the final style of Gothic architecture in England. The stained glass windows of the chapel were completed in 1531.
9. Doge’s Palace – Venice, Italy
The Doge’s Palace is one of the most important buildings in Venice. It served as the seat of the Doge, the ruler of the Republic of Venice, and was originally completed in 1340. It’s a great example of Venetian Gothic architecture, the local version of the Italian Gothic style.
It’s a fascinating variant of Gothic architecture because it incorporates elements of Byzantine architecture and Islamic architecture as well. This has to do with the strong trading culture that existed in the Republic of Venice throughout the Middle Ages and beyond.
10. Brussels Town Hall – Brussels, Belgium
Brussels Town Hall is a stunning building in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium. It’s the only medieval building that still faces the Grand Place in the heart of the city. That’s quite remarkable because this large structure is the only one that survived the bombardment of Brussels by the French in 1695.
This incredible city hall was constructed between 1401 and 1455 and is a masterpiece of Brabantine Gothic architecture. Its distinctive spire reaches a height of 96 meters (315 feet) and is topped by a large statue of Saint Michael, the patron saint of Brussels, who is slaying a dragon. | https://art-facts.com/gothic-buildings/ |
The Transformative Power of Self-Care
You can explore the universe looking for somebody who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and you will not find that person anywhere.
—Anonymous
Growing up the oldest of seven children (five boys and two girls), I remember breakfast at our house being extremely hectic.
My harried mom was scrambling to make lunches, my dad was running around looking for tennis shoes, and invariably one of the seven of us was in the kitchen cooking peanut butter oatmeal, rice flour pineapple muffins, or some other strange concoction (in our family we were heartily encouraged to become masterful at “life skills”—this philosophy encouraged lots of cooking experiments but invariably led to mayhem in the kitchen!).
One morning, my nine-year-old brother, Kert (now a macrobiotic chef), decided to whip up some pecan waffles. As I reached over to the waffle maker to help myself to breakfast, I bumped the edge of the hot grill and burned my elbow. I must have been 10 years old at the time.
I don’t remember if I mentioned the accident to my parents, but hours later I was sitting in my classroom at school, trying to ignore the pain from a small, brown, bubbly-looking burn on my elbow.
Rather than go and get a teacher for help or a bandage, I simply suffered, thinking silently, it’s not really important enough to bother anyone.
This is my earliest recollection of realizing that self-care was not something that was promoted or taught in my family (even though my parents were medical professionals!). It was definitely something I had to learn.
Maybe when you think of self-care, you have visions of pedicures and facials. Indeed, physical self-care is a big part of the overall picture. But eliminating critical thinking, not overscheduling, releasing the need to be perfect, hiring a babysitter for dates with your partner or yourself, saying no, refusing to do things out of guilt, and giving yourself much-needed rest and downtime to refuel are also integral to total self-care.
Self-care is about nurturing yourself on all levels—physical, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—so you can live, love, and parent optimally.
Visiting with my friend Megan, mom to Mateo, three, and Alea, one, I listened as she shared how frustrated she was feeling. Exhausted from staying up into 2:00 am the night before to do laundry, she had skipped breakfast and lunch, was surviving on nothing but coffee, and had been beating herself up all day about not getting a homemade meal over to her neighbor, who had recently lost her father. My heart ached for Megan. Most of us would never imagine denying our children sleep or nourishment, being judgmental of them, or allowing them to ignore their emotional needs.
Yet, as mothers, we do this to ourselves on a daily basis.
The same love, gentle care, and compassion we offer so generously to our little ones should be extended to ourselves as well. We teach our children about self-worth and honoring one’s value through our actions, not our words. Modeling self-love and self-acceptance is the most effective way to have a powerful impact on a child’s self-esteem and how they view themselves.
Why Self-Care?
What are some reasons that self-care is important and how do we benefit by making time for self-renewal?
- By filling our cups first, we tend to feel more generous and can avoid building resentments toward others who demand our energy and time.
- Nurturing ourselves makes us naturally feel more loving, which makes us better friends, partners, parents, and more fun to be around!
- Making our self-care a priority is one of the best ways to validate and honor our own worth, which naturally enhances true confidence and self-esteem.
- Taking care of ourselves on all levels (physically/mentally/emotionally/spiritually) helps us feel alive and whole, able to function at our best and do all the things we want to do.
- By taking time to care for yourselves, we renew and restore our energy supply and create energy reserves so we’re able to weather unforeseen challenges more easily.
- Practicing self-care and being loving and gentle toward ourselves helps us to be more present and calm, so we can respond wisely, intuitively and effectively to a variety of circumstances.
- Honoring and nurturing our essence provides us with opportunities to experience profound spiritual and personal growth.
- Owning our personal power (realizing our potential) is our birthright. Self-care, self-love, and self-acceptance are wonderful avenues for reaching this goal.
- When you feel good on the inside, you look good on the outside. Nurturing your essence—inside and out—promotes overall well-being and a sense of vitality.
For me, having grown up with a mother who suffered from depression and struggled constantly with issues around self-worth and self-esteem, I am motivated to make self-care an important part of my life so I can model this behavior for my son. I want him to see the value of total self-care and how it can positively impact how he feels about himself and others.
Self-care is not about pampering. It’s about owning your personal power. It’s about self-worth and honoring the person you are.
After you taste the benefits of focusing on your self-care, you will begin to schedule time for self-nurturing just like you schedule doctor or dentist appointments. You’ll discover that it is integral to your emotional survival and that you are wiser and more effective in all areas of your life when you take time to fill your cup first!
Renée Peterson Trudeau is an internationally recognized life-balance coach and president of Career Strategists. This article is adapted from her book The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life.
© 2008, Balanced Living Press. Reprinted with permission. | https://kripalu.org/resources/transformative-power-self-care |
Practicing Self-Care: Moving from "Should" to "Good" Habits
If you follow me on Twitter, then you know that yesterday I gave a talk on self-care for the Maternal and Child Health Program in the School of Public Health at UIC. (which is an amazing program!) This was such a great opportunity for me to consolidate all the reading, studying, and practicing I’ve been doing in this area for myself and to help my psychotherapy clients.
One of the researchers/writers/storytellers that inspired my talk was Dr. Brene Brown. She is a PhD social worker at the University of Houston (my alma mater!) who does qualitative research on our experiences of shame, fear, and vulnerability in the service of understanding what helps us access joy, authenticity and gratitude. One of the ways she inspired my talk on self-care, was that she talks about the importance of understanding “what gets in the way” of us practicing authenticity and having more joy in our lives so that we can use this awareness and then make better choices that lead us towards all these things that we so desperately want!
Most people I know (including myself) struggle with some aspect of taking care of themselves. What I’ve learned from my personal work in psychotherapy, and my work with my clients is that the vast majority of us have a somewhat conflictual relationship with ourselves. A love/hate or frenemy type arrangement where certain needs, feelings, thoughts, and experiences are simply not OK. How often have you said something like, “I’m such a moron! I can’t believe I said that!” or “I’m so lazy, I didn’t get anything done.” There are a million examples and those are just the things we may actually say out loud. Of course there are many things we experience that we may not acknowledge to anyone or maybe only with great courage, acknowledge to a therapist because we are so ashamed of whatever we are thinking or feeling that we can’t bear for anyone else to know about it.
I believe that this fear/shame about ourselves is definitely one of the things that gets in the way of taking care of ourselves. In order to take care of ourselves, we have to be attuned to what we need, and if we are dismissive or judgmental of our experience, then it’s very difficult to even know what we need, let alone figure out how we can meet our needs!
So, if you struggle with eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, making time for pleasurable activities, connecting with friends/family/partner or exercising (all considered important parts of self-care) then add “cultivate self-acceptance” to your list of self-care habits. It is the foundation from which you can understand what your needs are, and then can support us in fostering the courage to take the action required to meet those needs.
How do you foster self-acceptance? In the same ways you foster self-compassion. I spoke about Dr. Kristin Neff’s work during the talk, and have blogged previously on this topic: http://nikkilively.com/self-compassion-very-important-how-to-foster-it/ I strongly recommend developing a self-compassion mantra as a start to changing your self-talk and the ways you respond to yourself.
I also strongly recommend looking into the work of Dr. Brown. She has a wonderful blog, and there are links to many of her videos there discussing her work and what she learned about herself in the process of doing her research. Great, inspiring stuff!
Thanks for reading! | https://www.nikkilively.com/single-post/2012/02/04/practicing-self-care-moving-from-should-to-good-habits |
“Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.” ~Rudyard Kipling.
An eloquent phrase about the seemingly never-ending disagreements between Great Britain and its former colony, India, in the 1800s. Unfortunately, this phrase may also be asserted about some students’ perspectives of how the theories learned in the classroom will be applicable in their careers. As a teacher, I want to transform this perspective into one that connects theory and practice, equipping graduates of my class with the tools needed to provide new perspectives to practical management issues.
Students in my undergraduate classes are expected to move through three levels of Bloom's Taxonomy over the course of the semester: knowledge, understanding, and application. Assigned readings, and in class lecture are the media through which I help students attain the knowledge level. To help students move to the understanding level, I interject questions and solicit discussion of concepts throughout the class period, providing students with opportunities to extend their understanding of the materials beyond the confines of the formal definition. I also try to complement this with in-class activities, multimedia, games, and other interactive methods of instruction to solidify students' knowledge and understanding of the materials. Finally, to facilitate student's ascension into the application level, I incorporate a team project into my courses to allow students to apply the concepts learned in my course. For team projects, I encourage students to work with business owners in the local community. This benefits students by providing them with exposure to current problems faced by real businesses rather than historical cases that may never happen again. This also benefits the local community by providing a free service to local business owners.
I feel that the atmosphere of the class plays a large role in students' willingness to step outside their comfort zone and make significant jumps in their learning. As such, I attempt to foster an environment where questions, experimentation, and creative thinking are encouraged. To encourage diversity of thought and active participation, I encourage students to contribute to the in-class discussion regardless of whether they agree with my point of view. In doing this, I have on several occasions learned from my students' viewpoints, improving my and the other students' understanding of the materials.
When students walk into my class at the beginning of the semester with a perspective similar to that of Rudyard Kipling, I try to help them leave with a perspective more akin to that of Kurt Lewin: "There is nothing so practical as a good theory". Seeing this transformation in students is rewarding to me as a teacher and truly makes this aspect of my career enjoyable. | http://amckenny.com/teachingphilosophy.php |
Being a one-win team coming into Friday night’s game, the Muscatine boys basketball squad felt as if it hadn’t played a complete game yet this season.
That changed.
Something had to give though, as Clinton came into the game with only a lone win on the year as well.
The Muskies came out hot offensively and equaled that effort on the defensive end. They shot 11-of-24 in the first half and held the River Kings to a mere three field goals on 17 attempts through two-quarters of play. Furthermore, Clinton committed eight turnovers over that span as Muscatine came out a 62-50 winner.
There were times it felt as if it would be more of the same as far as second-half struggles, though. In the third, the River Kings forced the tempo and pushed the game into warp speed. By the end of the third, Clinton had shot 9-of-14.
But riding their early advantage, the Muskies countered the River Kings’ attack by going 5-of-12 and added three free throws while Clinton didn’t get to the charity stripe in the quarter.
"We played four full quarters; that's the first time we've done that all year," Muscatine head coach John Windham said. "I think the key in the first half was that we had guys come in off the bench like Nick Scholz, Reed Ulses and Briggs (Miller) and those three guys came in, were diving for loose balls, playing real hard on defense. That's what we need to do to get better."
Nonetheless, a 28-11 halftime lead for Muscatine stood at 44-32 after three.
In the early goings, it was junior Noah Yahn and sophomore Braden Hufford who carried the scoring load for the Muskies. The two combined for 23 points in the opening half.
Yahn finished with a game-high 20 while Hufford was held scoreless after the break, finishing with 10. Yahn left late in the game with an ankle injury and was escorted to the locker room. While he didn’t return to the game, he did make it back out to the bench with the team and seemed to be moving fine after the game went final.
"It's just great to see all the hard work we've put in as a team pay off," Hufford said. "We lost to them by three the first game (of the season). We really just wanted to come out tonight and beat them."
Junior big man Josh Dieckman was there to pick up the slack, scoring 11 of his 16 in quarters three and four.
To ice it in the fourth, the Muskies shot 10 of 13 from the free-throw, which helped stave off the Clinton run as desperation set in on its side.
"Hufford started us off in the first half with a couple threes, Noah had a game and (Dieckman) came out in the second half and played well after picking up some early fouls," said Windham. "Our defense slacked off a little, but for 3 1/2 quarters, it was very, very good.
"We're still learning and in the process of getting better, (but) this is a big win for us."
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Access to adequate, safe, secure, accessible and affordable housing is a fundamental human right and one stipulated in the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Australian adults with disabilities experience housing disadvantage including homelessness, poor-quality housing and housing unaffordability; however, we lack a comprehensive comparison of the housing circumstances of people with and without disabilities and differences by impairment type. We analysed data from a nationally representative sample of 11,394 working-aged Australians collected in 2011. We found that people with disabilities experienced disadvantage across all housing indicators, and people with intellectual and psychological disabilities fared worst. These findings suggest that there is a housing crisis for Australians with disabilities, which may intensify with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. There is a need to develop long-term housing solutions that promote independence, are accessible and affordable, and that consider location and neighbourhood context.
Aitken Z, Baker E, Badland H, Mason K, Bentley R, Beer A & Kavanagh A. Precariously placed: Housing affordability, quality and satisfaction of Australians with disabilities. Disability & Society. 2018 22 Dec.
This survey is part of an Australian Research Council Linkage Project investigating the role of local government in housing Australians in the 21st Century.
It is the second report drawing on an Australia- wide survey of local governments and housing. Our first report, ‘A Report on the Local Government and Housing Linkage Project National Survey’, had a nation-wide focus.
This report compares the responses of councils in Sydney (17 Sydney councils responded to the survey) to the response of councils in the rest of New South Wales and the rest of Australia. Overall, 213 local governments in Australia completed the survey – representing about 40 per cent of all local governments in Australia. The majority of Sydney-based respondents agreed that housing affordability is a huge issue and a high priority for their councils.
This study analyses the super-gentrification of Millers Point, an inner-city area in Sydney, Australia, and the displacement of its 465 public housing tenants. Drawing on in-depth interviews with public housing tenants and homeowners, media reports and government media releases, it argues that a key reason for the displacement was the super-gentrification of the area that was hastened dramatically by the Barangaroo development, a massive urban spectacle on the site of the old port adjacent to Millers Point. Unlike the earlier analyses of super-gentrification described by Lees and Butler where an already gentrified area is settled by super wealthy households over a period of time, the shift to super-gentrification status in Millers Point did not involve households moving into an area already gentrified. Rather, the process was premised on the Barangaroo development and the displacement of public housing tenants. The displacement meant that the heritage-listed public housing dwelling were now available for purchase by exceptionally wealthy households.
Alan Morris and Catherine Davis have published an article in The Conversation discussing some of the key findings from our national survey. Read the article here.
An article by Professor Alan Morris published in the Summer 2018 issue of Housing Finance International. Read the entire issue here.
Local Government and Housing in Australia for the 21st Century ARC Linkage Project investigators are pleased to release this substantial report which presents the outcomes of an online survey of local governments across Australia into their attitudes, programs, policies and actions with respect to housing. The survey was undertaken as part of the three-year project in which a number of local governments and their representatives are active participants.
The investigators would like to thank those who helped us in the production of this report, especially our industry partners who provided invaluable feedback on the nature and targeting of our survey. The results presented in this report would never have come to light without the input of local government staff across Australia who took the time to complete this survey. We owe all our respondents a considerable debt of gratitude.
The Discussion Paper is available here.
Andrew Beer’s presentation to the National General Assembly (NGA) of Local Government, National Convention Centre, Canberra, on 19 June 2018.
Researchers involved with the ARC Linkage Project ‘Local Government and Housing for Australian in the 21st Century’ were invited by the Bellingen and Nambucca Affordable Housing Action Group, to attend the Affordable Housing Local Solutions Forum. Chief Investigator John Martin and PhD Student Laura Hodgson made the journey to Bellingen, New South Wales, after the Mooney Valley Workshop held earlier in the week. The forum was held over the 3rd and 4th of May and was attended by local government council members and staff, representatives of various organisations, researchers and members of the public. Over 120 people had registered for attendance over the two days, surpassing the Action Group’s expectation of 50 attendees! The attendance itself showed the interest in and importance of affordable housing in the area.
Keynote addresses by our own John Martin, accompanied by Karen Walsh – CEO of NSW Shelter, Rebecca Jardim – Senior Strategic Planner at Bellingen, Gary White – NSW Chief Planner.
CEO of Common Equity Ltd, James Brown presenting on modern co-operative housing solutions, which preceded a panel discussion on forms of co-operative housing. This was of great interest to the community which has an existing housing co-operative.
Other sessions included financing affordable housing projects and innovative local housing solutions.
There were two closed sessions: one for local government, which was facilitated by John Martin and Gary White and focussed on the role of Councils; and another session that was for housing industry professionals, including developers, architects, engineers and real estate agents in addition to some local government staff.
Fundraising dinner with keynote speakers Dr Louise Crabtree – University of Western Sydney and Dr Ben Spies-Butcher – Macquarie University.
Key themes which repeated throughout the forum was the desire for Bellingen and Nambucca to have a plentiful supply of fit for purpose, affordable and sustainable housing – suitable for young people, families and those who choose to retire and relocate to the region from the city. Bellingen also relies heavily on tourism, therefore both council and the community were interested in understanding the extent and use of platforms such as Airbnb and how they can contribute to the local economy and housing.
Laura will be using the Bellingen Shire as one of the case studies for the project.
Laura and John would like to thank the Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre who organised the forum and assisted in accommodation costs. Materials from the forums will be available shortly on the Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre website. | https://localgovernmentandhousing.com/publications/ |
Mansfield District Council is advising everyone to be vigilant to protect themselves and vulnerable people from scams and crooks seeking to take advantage during the Covid-19 national emergency.
Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams said: “We don't want to discourage anyone from offering support or looking out for their neighbours or family members, especially if they’re elderly or self-isolating. We also don't want to breed distrust in those genuine members of the community who are trying to support others.
“What we do ask is that everyone remains vigilant and share the following tips with others, particularly the elderly or vulnerable, to try to keep everyone safe.
"With the Government's new restrictions in place about leaving the house, it’s even more important that we offer support to elderly or vulnerable neighbours and reach out to people via telephone.”
- Try to liaise only with people you know. For some we recognise this may be difficult so if you need assistance contact your local councillor, a local community group or the CVS (Council for Voluntary Service).
- Do not hand over a bank card to anyone who offers to collect shopping or prescriptions for you - use small amounts of cash only. Some fraudsters are offering to do shopping for residents, taking large amounts of money and then not returning with the goods, or taking a shopping list along with a bank card and a PIN and not returning. This would be considered as theft and should be reported to the police.
- If a person says they are from a community organisation, ask for some ID or verify their identity by calling the organisation directly, not the number on the ID card.
- No legitimate organisation will contact you out of the blue and ask for payment information.
- The Red Cross is NOT doing door-to-door testing as has been suggested in some areas.
Phishing emails
Sadly scammers are also sending out coronavirus-themed phishing emails which attempt to trick people into opening malicious attachments or revealing sensitive information about themselves such as personal and financial details.
Phishing emails have claimed to be from organisations affiliated with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). There have also been some variations on current scams, with fake emails appearing to be from HMRC offering a tax rebate due to the coronavirus.
Look out for suspicious emails. Do not click on the links or attachments and do not respond to any unsolicited messages or calls asking for your personal or financial details.
Reporting a crime
If you have been a victim of fraud or cyber crime, report it via the Action Fraud website (opens in new window) or by calling them on 0300 123 2040.
You can also contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service for consumer advice by calling 0808 223 11 33. | https://www.mansfield.gov.uk/news/article/134/stay-safe-from-fraudsters |
The conference proceedings content type captures metadata about a single conference, such as date, acronym, and location. DOIs should be assigned to all papers associated with the conference, and a DOI may be assigned to the conference itself. Ongoing conferences published with an ISSN may be deposited as a series.
How DOI find the DOI for a conference paper?
Last Updated: Nov 24, 2020 Views: 414970. Look for the DOI (digital object identifier) on the PDF of the article or search for it on the CrossRef.org website using the Metadata Search. Be aware that not all articles have a DOI.
Are conference proceedings peer-reviewed?
Some fields only review and publish abstracts (e.g., medicine), in some fields conferences are more important than journal publications (e.g., computer science). But as a rule of thumb: a conference is only considered to be peer-reviewed when the full paper is reviewed, and not an (extended) abstract.
Do conference proceedings have impact factor?
Conference proceedings that have been published as part of an indexed journal are citable items – they appear in the denominator. However, conference proceedings that have been published as a stand-alone item do not receive an Impact Factor.
Do all papers have DOI?
There are a couple of important things to know about DOIs. Not every article or resources has a DOI. DOIs are not related to the peer-review status of an article. Both peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed articles can have DOIs.
Differences between journals, Proceedings, Reviewed papers and conferences : Researchersjob
What if you can't find the DOI?
If you still can't find the DOI, you can look it up on the website CrossRef.org (use the "Search Metadata" option). It's important to note that not all electronic materials will have a DOI. The DOI system is a fairly recent concept, so books and articles published prior to 2000 are less likely to have DOIs.
What is the difference between a DOI and a URL?
A DOI is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies content and provides a persistent link to its location on the internet. ... A URL specifies the location of digital information on the internet and can be found in the address bar of your internet browser.
What is a good impact score for a conference?
In most fields, the impact factor of 10 or greater is considered an excellent score while 3 is flagged as good and the average score is less than 1. This is a rule of thumb.
What is the difference between conference proceedings and conference paper?
A conference proceedings article is published in the proceedings of a conference and the proceedings can be found online or in physical format. ... A conference paper is presented at the conference but there is no published proceedings. E.g. INFORMS International Conference, Strategic Management Society Conference.
Are conference papers good?
It contains a number of peer-reviewed papers that are generally considered credible and are very good sources to cite from. A conference, on the other hand, is a place where scholars, researchers, professors, and academics gather to discuss research and developments in a certain field.
Do Conference Proceedings count as publications?
Conference paper is counted as scientific publication. But most of the educational institutions need a peer reviewed indexed journal publication for the promotion purpose.
Are conference proceedings reliable?
But since conference papers can have different levels of reliability you have to be careful. The original submissions, with no quality control; typically distributed at the meeting itself and "published" by the conference organizers are maybe not so reliable.
Are conference abstracts publications?
Abstracts are not peer-reviewed publications, and don't contain enough information to be evaluated as such. Some people include abstracts in their lists of publications, others don't.
Is DOI and ISSN the same?
ISSN: International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is a unique number used to identify a print or electronic periodical (journal) title. DOI: Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is used to uniquely identify online objects such as journal articles or data sets.
Is an ISBN the same as a DOI?
What is an ISBN and a DOI? An International Standard Book Number (ISBN) identifies a book by format (print, audio etc.), edition and publisher. A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is as persistent and stable as an ISBN.
Is accession number the same as DOI?
Note that an Accession Number is distinct and unrelated to a document's DOI number. For more information about DOI numbers, please refer to this FAQ. Many Library databases assign an Accession Number or Document ID, including EBSCOhost.
What is the difference between conference and proceedings?
Conference journal papers are usually a selection of papers, sometimes by track or that particularly focus on the conference theme published in the journal associated with the conference. ... In a nutshell, Proceedings are just conference papers (published in a particular conference book/e-book).
How do you make conference proceedings?
- Author or authors of paper. The surname followed by first initials.
- Year.
- Title of paper (in single inverted commas).
- Editors of conference proceedings.
- Title of conference proceedings (in italics).
- Location of conference.
- Date of Conference (if available)
Where can I publish conference proceedings?
Publication. Conference proceedings are published in-house by the organizing institution of the conference or via an academic publisher. For example, the Lecture Notes in Computer Science by Springer take much of their input from proceedings.
Is an impact factor of 2.5 good?
An Impact Factor of 1.0 means that, on average, the articles published one or two year ago have been cited one time. An Impact Factor of 2.5 means that, on average, the articles published one or two year ago have been cited two and a half times.
Which Journal has highest impact factor?
- CA- A Cancer Journal for Clinicians | 435,4.
- Natural Review Materials | 123,7.
- Quarterly Journal of Economics | 22,7.
- Nature Reviews Genetics | 73,5.
- Cell | 58,7.
- Journal of Political Economy | 12,1.
- New England Journal of Medicine | 66,1.
- Econometrica | 8,1.
How do you know if a conference is good?
Some people accept conferences that they know are not good, if they see a nice opportunity for a holiday in them. However, if half the organizers or speakers are well known, or have well established research groups, then you're probably good to go.
What is DOI in APA example?
A DOI is a permanent ID that, when appended to http://dx.doi.org/ in the address bar of an Internet browser, will lead to the source. For example, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajae/aaq063 will take you directly to the information page for the article "An Analysis of the Pricing of Traits in the U.S. Corn Seed Market."
What is the advantage of a DOI?
DOI enables every published article to cite properly, thus provides accurate number of citations and also increase the visibility of the published work. This will directly affected to the impact factor of the author and journal as well. Don't waste efforts in publishing without DOI.
What if there is no DOI APA 7? | https://moviecultists.com/do-conference-proceedings-have-doi |
Please Help AAUP with YOUR Vision for the Universities Connecticut Students Deserve We believe excellent public universities are essential for...
Central Connecticut State University
American Association of University Professors
CONTRACT Q & A
Will faculty have to pay for parking?
True or False? The Board of Regents can decide to save money by making CSU faculty members pay for parking as is done at UConn.
NEWS/EVENTS
Events
On Thursday, January 16, 2020, please join CCSU-AAUP for an Evening for Part-time Faculty and enjoy presentations from CCSU-AAUP, Human Resources. Learn about various university policies on diversity and inclusion, as well as the use of Blackboard. This gathering is from 5 to 9 p.m. and includes appetizers and drinks during networking and social time from 5 to 5:30 p.m. Dinner is served at 7:30 p.m. The evening is being sponsored in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Faculty Development. We hope to see you there!
CCSU-AAUP works to ensure that all faculty members have academic freedom, shared governance, and the working conditions necessary to provide quality education to Connecticut residents while pursuing satisfying careers as teachers, researchers, and scholars. For more see What We Do.
Unions have a positive impact on the life of all workers and on the entire community. Unions help ensure workers have salaries that keeps up with inflation, access to healthcare, paid leaves, a secure retirement, fair treatment (no unjust punishment or dismissal), healthy working conditions, and gender & racial equity. Unionized workers contribute billions of dollars to the economy through higher productivity, increased consumer spending, more tax dollars, and less government assistance. | https://ccsuaaup.org/ |
Psychological Testing and Evaluation
Sometimes symptoms of a psychological disorder are apparent, like when a child is really struggling with school work, having trouble making friends and getting along with others. However, for an adult who has chaotic or unstable personal and professional relationships, inconsistent vocational, educational or employment history due to unpredictable behavior, the cause of the problems is not always clear. Psychological testing and evaluation are comprised of a series of tests that help determine the root cause of psychological symptoms and disorders, to clarify the correct diagnosis and provide a road map for the appropriate course of treatment.
Psychological Testing and Evaluation for Children and Adolescents
Some common areas of assessment include:
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Learning Disabilities (e.g., non verbal learning disability, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, reading disabilities, math learning disability, disorder of written expression, intellectual disability, etc.)
Intellectual Giftedness
Diagnostic clarification for psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, behavioral disorders, bipolar disorder)
Psychological Testing and Evaluation are also used with adults, for instance, to determine the extent of a brain injury or disorder, or to decide if a person is mentally competent to stand trial.
Some businesses and organizations use psychological testing and evaluation to decide whether or not an applicant is likely to be a good candidate for a position within the company, or to determine the needs of an active employee.
The outcome of the assessment is to guide treatment or other supports needed to maximize a person’s ability to function at their best in their environment. | https://palmercounsel.com/services/psychological-testing-and-evaluation/ |
Healthcare access for the Beachwood community will soon be as easy as going to school
How communities can come together to deal with trauma and avoid chronic diseases
Health Net organized a forum at the Greater Sacramento Urban League, Friday, July 20, where school and health officials and interested community members talked about the connection between trauma and chronic illnesses.
By
Up Next
Health Net organized a forum at the Greater Sacramento Urban League, Friday, July 20, where school and health officials and interested community members talked about the connection between trauma and chronic illnesses.
By
Students, their families and the community around Joe Stefani Elementary will be able to get medical care right at the school starting next year, according to school officials.
Golden Valley Health Centers is opening a health center right next to the school at 2768 Ranchero Lane in the Beachwood area of Merced County, expected to open in January 2020 on school days between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., according to a news release.
The health center will offer physical, dental, mental and preventative services, along with treatment for illnesses, chronic conditions and diabetes, according to the release. Screenings for dental, vision and hearing issues will also be available.
“We believe this will not just help students, but by tending to these needs at school, we are also supporting parents,” said Tony Weber, Golden Valley CEO.
Other school districts in Merced County have provided school-based health centers. Livingston High School has enjoyed healthcare on campus with Livingston Community Health for the past several years.
The health center will operate out of a modular unit, similar in design to the campus, on property leased by the Merced City School District, according to the release.
The school district board voted to approve the land use on March 12. One key reason is research showing that school-based health centers improve attendance and graduation rates, the release states, also adding more importance to prevention, early intervention and healthy habits.
“Attendance is a key factor in academic success,” said RoseMary Parga Duran, Merced City School District superintendent. “And we believe this center will help our students spend more time learning and maximizing their potential so they can thrive in school and later in life.”
Read Next
UC Merced’s student-run news source The Prodigy has lost its funding from Associated Students of UC Merced and is likely to disband without new dollars, its editor CC Gillespie said on Monday, April 29, 2019. | |
Take the 360-degree virtual tour of the Grand Palace, located in the old city of Bangkok on the banks of the Chao Phraya river is one of the must-see sites of Thailand.
The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam (and later Thailand) since 1782. The king, his court and his royal government were based on the grounds of the palace until 1925. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), resided at the Chitralada Royal Villa and his successor King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) at the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, both in the Dusit Palace, but the Grand Palace is still used for official events. Several royal ceremonies and state functions are held within the walls of the palace every year. The palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand.
Construction of the palace began on 6 May 1782, at the order of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I), the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, when he moved the capital city from Thonburi to Bangkok. Throughout successive reigns, many new buildings and structures were added, especially during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). By 1925, the king, the Royal Family and the government were no longer permanently settled at the palace, and had moved to other residences. After the abolition of absolute monarchy in 1932, all government agencies completely moved out of the palace.
In shape, the palace complex is roughly rectangular and has a combined area of 218,400 square meters (2,351,000 sq ft), surrounded by four walls. It is situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River at the heart of the Rattanakosin Island, today in the Phra Nakhon District. The Grand Palace is bordered by Sanam Luang and Na Phra Lan Road to the north, Maharaj Road to the west, Sanamchai Road to the east and Thai Wang Road to the south.
By his royal command, a palace was built to serve not only as his residence but also as the site of administrative offices. The royal compound has been known since then as The Grand Palace. The two earliest buildings erected within the complex were the Dusit Haha Prasat Throne Hall, and the Phra Maha Monthian. | https://www.p4panorama.com/Gallery.aspx/grand-palace-thailand-360-virtual-reality/ |
The invention provides a text coding method and system for mixing a neural network and character information, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining a to-be-coded text, coding the to-be-coded text according to fine-grained segmented words through a pre-training neural network, and obtaining a first word sequence code and a first text code; encoding the to-be-encoded text by using SimHash according to the coarse-grained segmented words to obtain a second word sequence code and a second text code; encoding the text to be encoded by using SimHash according to the labels of the words and the text to obtain a third word sequence code and a third text code; and mixing the first word sequence code, the first text code, the second word sequence code, the second text code, the third word sequence code and the third text code to obtain a final word sequence code and a final text code. According to the method, the problems of data prejudice and information loss caused by purely using a neural network pre-training model are eliminated, the training convergence speed and the reasoning generalization ability of a downstream model are improved, and the engineering iteration speed of application landing is increased. | |
Miki Aoki studied piano at Indiana University and Yale University in the USA before taking her concert examination at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre. Since her debut at London’s Royal Festival Hall at the age of 12, pianist Miki Aoki has performed at numerous venues and music festivals all over the world, including the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Salzburg Festival, the Rheingau Music Festival, the Menuhin Festival Gstaad, the Beaulieu-sur-la-Mer Festival (France), the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival (USA), the Tembi Festival (Indonesia) and the International Classical Music Festival (Myanmar). The artists with whom she works regularly include Pierre Amoyal, Francois Salque, Andreas Brantelid, the Kuss Quartet and the Ariel Quartet.
Miki Aoki has to date released two CDs of works by Zoltán Kodályi, Anatoli Liadow, Alexander Glazunov, Felix Blumenfeld and Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov exclusively on the Hänssler Profil Medien label. Miki Aoki has an excellent reputation as a highly versatile pianist and musician. She is therefore in frequent demand not only as a soloist or chamber music partner but also as a teacher and piano accompanist. Miki Aoki currently lectures at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz (Austria). | https://www.kronbergacademy.de/en/education/faculty/faculty/miki-aoki/ |
Regional and international members can participate in the online version of the event on 24 August 2022.
Data literacy among engineers was determined one of the priorities for the institution in 2023 at the first Knowledge Café event.
Hosted by ICE on one of the hottest days of the year, the event convened members of all infrastructure specialisms to debate the challenges the industry faces.
After discussing the threats and opportunities for the profession, attendees then debated on what ICE might do to respond to these challenges.
Data literacy figured significantly among the challenges discussed, with attendees pointing out that the industry is struggling to fully capitalise on the benefits of digitalisation.
Lack of up-to-date knowledge and skills and of effective implementation processes were cited as obstacles to overcome.
Decarbonisation, productivity and efficiency of the industry, were other priorities debated at the event.
What is the Knowledge Café?
The Knowledge Café is based on how the institution was originally founded in the 19th century – a group of engineers getting together in a coffee house to debate shared challenges, exchange knowledge, and come up with solutions.
The goal of the event was to draw on the collective expertise of the ICE membership and identify some of the priorities for the institution in 2023.
These will be summarised the ICE’s ‘Infrastructure in 2023’ report in December 2022.
The issues raised may be addressed through future research projects, reports, CPD activity, events, or other activity aimed at informing members, industry, and stakeholders.
How were discussions organised?
ICE President Ed McCann introduced the event. He highlighted the need to implement and share existing knowledge.
Specialists were organised into workshop groups for ICE’s 10 core, strategic themes:
- decarbonisation
- data & digital
- engineering fundamentals
- flooding
- water & sanitation
- productivity
- sustainable & resilient infrastructure
- low carbon energy
- structures & geotechnical
- transport & mobility
The specialists were challenged to identify and agree on their top priority, then debate what ICE could do in response.
What did they discuss?
Some of the key issues raised during this debate continued to be the efficiency and productivity of the industry. This is the main topic of the 2022 State of the Nation report.
As well as data literacy, other topics included how ICE could influence strategies and policies to better support the low carbon energy resilience of the UK.
Similarly, low-carbon transport policies and education were debated. Participants discussed how the ICE could effectively share technical knowledge with decision makers to support investment in low-carbon transport schemes.
Construction is a carbon-intensive activity. Reducing carbon in design from the use of steel and concrete were key areas where ICE could have an impact.
It’s not always necessary to build, attendees stressed, adding that engineers can retrofit and repurpose.
How can you get involved?
The ICE is keen to ensure that it engages with all parts of its membership and other infrastructure specialists around the world.
Aware that not everyone can make the trip to the ICE HQ in London, the ICE will facilitate opportunities to join discussions virtually wherever possible.
The ICE will be holding an online Knowledge Café event to discuss issues, challenges and ideas from its international and regional members.
Members can participate by registering to attend the ICE Knowledge Café online event which will be held at 9-11am GMT on Wednesday 24 August 2022.
Like at the in-person event, delegates will be grouped according to their interest.
The ICE encourages its regional and international members to attend and help set the institution’s knowledge agenda for the future.
The Knowledge Networks
The ICE continues to invite specialists to join its Knowledge Networks.
Across a variety of subjects, the ICE wants members and infrastructure experts to help develop world-class insight and guidance, addressing key infrastructure challenges facing the profession.
The Knowledge Networks will also support the development of products that build competence and advance thinking on major world issues. | https://www.ice.org.uk/news-insight/news-and-blogs/latest-news/news/data-literacy-should-be-a-priority-for-2023-knowledge-cafe-concludes/ |
HEA (IPBL) beams, European standard wide flange · HEB beams, European equal flange tees, steel Tee sections specifications, properties, dimensions.
WIDE FLANGE BEAMS. ASTM A36 & A992. W SHAPES. Dimensions. D e s ig n a tio n. Web. Flange. Distance. Area. Depth. Thickness tw. Width. Thickness. T k.
Mild Steel Channels. Product Depth 'A' (mm) x Width of Section 'B' (mm) x Thickness 't' (mm). Size Stock lengths vary according to the size of the beam.
Among our handy steel beam tables you can find standard beams' dimensions and please allow your browser to run scripts, otherwise the tables can't work.
A T-beam (or tee beam), used in construction, is a load-bearing structure of reinforced concrete, T- beam designs come in many sizes, lengths and widths depending on what the structure is Most T-beam construction is not with steel or concrete alone, but rather with the composite of the two, namely, reinforced concrete.
Dimensions. Shapes. Area. A. Depth d. Web. Flange. Distance. Thickness tw. Width bf. Thickness tf k1. T. Work- able. Gage in.2 in. in. in. in. in. in. in. W 10 x 12.
Dimensions of Tee steel Equal NEN-EN 10025-1/2. TEE W x H, thickness, weight kg/m, surface area m2/m. 20 x 20, 3, 0.896, 0.075. 25 x 25, 3.5, 1.31, 0.094. | https://www.asiasteelmetal.com/sheet-plate/135.html |
The functional unit of the human nervous system is the neuron. The human nervous system has two parts.
Part-1 Central nervous system
This part includes the spinal cord and brain
Brain
The brain has three parts.
- Front Brain
- The thalamus, cerebrum, hypothalamus glands are found in the brain.
- The cerebrum controls intelligence and memory.
- Thalamus makes a man feel pain, cold, hot.
- The hypothalamus controls hunger, thirst, love, hatred, heat control, sweating, anger, happiness, etc. in humans.
2. Middle Brain
- Corpora quadrigeminal and peribrum pedicle are found in the middle brain.
- Corpus quality controls ground vision and hearing powerAdvertisement
3. Posterior Brain
- The cerebellum and medulla oblongata are present in the posterior brain.
- The cerebellum performs the task of balancing the body with the help of the ear.
- Medulla oblongata controls heartbeat and respiration.
Part-2 Peripheral Nervous System
- A network of neurons is present in the peripheral nervous system.
- This neuron transmits the message from one place to another through electrical impulses.
- This electrical impulse travels from one nerve cell to another nerve cell via the synapse synaptic crack. | https://www.apninaukri.com/2020/08/05/human-nervous-system/ |
PAX:
Number of Pax: 2
Pax Names: Code yellow, Test Tube,
Number of FNGS: 0
FNG Names:
QIC: Code Yellow
Test Tube and YHC waited till only a few minutes before the beatdown to leave our cars and prepare for what lied before. That would be our last dry moment for some time. The warmup included a 1/4 mile mosey, 15 SSH IC, 8 WP IC, 12 Imperial Walkers IC, and Sun Gods and Michael Phelps OYO.
The Thang:
Beginning at the flag we did 4 exercises: Burpees, Merkins, Squats, and Big Boy Situps. We started the rep count at 5 for each exercise then ran about a 1/4 mile lap. Each time at the flag we repeated the exercises adding one to the rep count. We made it through 12 in about 39 minutes (68 total reps of each exercise, 2-2 1/2 miles of running), leaving 6 minutes for Mary at the end. Box Cutters, Flutter Kicks, Freddie Mercuries, American Hammers, J-Los, Monkey Humpers, and 6 Inches were all done together and IC. We ended in a COT of 2. The rain couldn’t stop us from enjoying our coffee, though it did seem to cause the coffee to cool off quicker. | https://f3cherokee.com/backblasts/rain-or-shine-but-all-rain-this-time/ |
How many times have you been told that you should make a schedule? Well, if your answer is innumerable, then, it I am sure that I too am one of them to inform you that you should have a schedule. As a mid-school teacher, I have always advised my students that they should schedule their daily work and prepare their homework according to it. It is only then that a process of recapitulation as homework would yield positive results.
There have been more than a singular occasion, when I have chalked out a schedule for my students, only to get a reply, ‘’Ma’am who will follow this? Does this even work?†Well, a huge shout out to students out there, this does work!
Schedule: Discipline is the fundamental that the world works on
As a student, you must have heard multiple times from your mother that discipline and following a schedule is the core of getting high grades. All those times you must have simply overheard her! Well, wish you didn’t since, following a schedule has a host of perks.
When a student follows a schedule, his or her time gets organised. In this way distractions are lessened and hence, completion of homework is dome within time and learning process is enhanced. Naturally, grades get a high jump.
This is surely not possible if you don’t have a specific timeline, and things are set in a haphazard manner. Time is lost, and with little time for learning, grades are surely on the lower side.
Now you know why it is so important. Here is a couple of reasons that would specifically show to you theimportance of following a schedule, and how it would affect your grades in the long run.
The best function of a schedule is that it gives you a plan that can be followed. I have seen students, as per their behaviour that they are haphazard in nature. It is their carefree attitude that to a great extent harms their grades. Having such an attitude is good, but surely not at the cost of your education.
With a schedule to follow, this haphazard nature will end, and a proper plan will be set, that will ensure that a student learns a topic deeply from within and he can better his or her grades.
The most frequent question that I had to hear was, ‘’Ma’am we don’t get time to study all subjects!’’ This is surely nothing new since, without any schedule being present managing time is truly difficult.
By having that specific schedule, students will get to study all subjects and that too in an organised manner. The timetable is set according to priorities of subjects, thereby ensuring that there is ample amount of time to be dedicated behind each of the subjects.
Clearly, this prioritization will help in giving each subject that required time and improved grades on the whole.
What I have seen from thepersonal point of view is that students complain that after completion of homework and preparation for tests, they do not have enough time for checking out reference material. Naturally, relying solely on texts and class notes would never fetch as high a grade that added information would provide.
As I have directed my class, with any fixed schedule, there would be ample time for checking out reference materials that would help in bettering answers related to any topic. In fact, there are a number of online professional websites that help in providing tailor-made answers to questions. In this way, both, homework is completed, and students learn, thereby improving grades in class.
Most of the students think that completing homework is no big deal. Well, that is not the case! Homework, if has to be done properly, requires a set framework to be followed. It is only then that high grades can be achieved.
With a schedule at hand, this setting or segmentation of homework becomes easier. Prioritization of topics become better, and finally, grades are improved.
If you are wondering if homework actually has any relevance in learning theprocess or can help in bettering grades, then you can surely to check effective use of homework to become an active learner for details.
This is the most important factor that needs to be taken into account and which is why, not just me but every guardian asks their wards to follow a schedule. Have you ever met a child who loves doing his or her homework? None, I bet! Naturally, chances of getting distracted, diversions of mind, not completing work within a specified time frame crops up.
However, with bound schedule, where targets are fixed and have to be met at any cost, chances of such diversions are reduced, and thestudent gets to spend more time with his or her studies. This surely marks an improvement in grades for them. Hence, having a schedule is a must!
Too tired of following a schedule? Take a break!
For any person, having a regular schedule and following it with utmost care is not possible. There are times when you wish to cheat and break the rules. In that case, I would suggest taking up such breaks that do not harm your schedule in the long run.
All these ways do break your schedule, but not to such an extent that it cannot be reverted back to. Rather, they help in breaking themonotony, and ensuring that you are all set!
Why don’t you share your ideas with us? Being a student, do you have other options or suggestions? We are waiting for your reply! | https://myhomeworkhelp.com/importance-of-scheduling-your-homework-to-achieve-perfect-grades/ |
[Measure methods of tobacco abstinence according to recommendations--own and Canadian research finding].
Tobacco abstinence measure in smoking cessation interventions is the key methodological issue. We can find different methods of short- and long-term tobacco abstinence measure and outcome comparisons in the scientific papers. The methodological guidelines have been provided by recommendations of the Society of Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2001, 2002, 2003 and the Society for the Study of Addiction 2005. Preparation of the rules of tobacco abstinence rates calculation from extremely conservative to extremely liberal ones according to recommendations and comparison of own research and Tom Baker Cancer Centre Study TBC Calgary, Canada outcomes. The own empirical data gathered in 2001-2007 for 627 participants of group-based smoking cessation program with follow-up in 2008-2009 and the TBC data gathered in 1986-1990 for 971 participants of group behavior intervention with follow-up in 1995 were used in the analyses. Tobacco abstinence rates were differentiated depending on an observation period (range from 12% do 17%) and the methodological approach from extremely conservative to liberal one (range from 17% to 30%). To improve the scientific quality of long-term outcomes of smoking cessation interventions and comparisons the list of ten key methodological questions were prepared for researcher to answer them on the conceptualization stage of the project. Further research regarding smoking cessation interventions using methodological guidelines of the SRNT Work Groups recommendations are needed.
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With the help of the Indian railways, Jaipur is well linked with different parts of India therefore it can be accessed easily. A number of trains connect Jaipur with different cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Agra to name a few. Long distance trains connect different cities that lie at a larger distance from Jaipur such as Patna, Lucknow, Surat, Goa and many other cities with it. There are three main railway junctions at Jaipur, Gandhinagar and Durgapur. Every train has a stop at Jaipur junction, while some trains stops at other junctions also.
The most convenient route that a person can take to reach Jaipur is to travel by air. All the major Indian cities are well connected with Jaipur with the help of different airlines that operate at regular interval. At a distance of 12 kms, the airport that lies nearest to the city of Jaipur is located in Sanganer.
A large network of National Highway including NH8, NH11 and NH12 connects Jaipur with all the major cities in India. The Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) provides bus services at regular interval to Jaipur from Delhi and vice versa also. Some private buses also ply for carrying tourists to their destinations. Travelling by bus is the most pocket friendly way to reach the pink city, Jaipur. | http://www.myhappyjourney.com/Jaipur/how-to-reach |
The Podlaskie Voivodeship is the European Union’s gateway to the East and a region with numerous advantages for international trade. The region's logistics centres offer the possibility to handle goods transported along the corridors of the New Silk Road. Podlaskie is cut through important expressways, such as the S61 (Via Baltica transport corridor), the S19 (Via Carpatia), and the S8.
Podlaskie has three road and three railway border crossings to Belarus. The latter will be used more and more intensively for trade between the European Union and the countries of the Far East, including China, Japan and South Korea. In recent years, the number of rail shipments between Chinese provinces and Europe has been growing by over 100% annually. It is estimated that railways only cater to a few per cent of the total trade between Europe and China, with a value of over 20 billion dollars, but their share will grow steadily. In addition to railways, intermodal terminals will play an increasingly significant role.
Strengths of logistics development
Three modern trans-shipment centres located in the region will soon reach a total capacity of over 300,000 TEU per year. Chryzanów and Sokółka support both broad-gauge and standard-gauge tracks, which streamlines the shipment of goods across the border to Belarus. Due to its excellent location, the terminal in Łapy offers direct railway connections to ports on the Baltic Sea: Gdańsk, Gdynia, and the port in Elbląg, the importance of which will increase after the navigation canal across the Vistula Spit is completed.
3 intermodal terminals
Chryzanów, Łapy, Sokółka
300 000 TEU
The capacity of terminals in Podlaskie
20 000 000 people
within 300 km of the centre of the region
6 border crossings with Belarus
3 railway i 3 road
Warsaw in one hour
As a result of infrastructural investments, Podlaskie is getting closer and closer to Warsaw, a metropolis of two million people and the business centre of Central and Eastern Europe. At present, the drive on the S8 expressway from the capital of Poland to Podlasie takes slightly more than an hour. In 2023, after the modernisation of the Rail Baltica, it will only take 74 minutes for trains to travel to Białystok from Warsaw. Białystok will be one of three voivodeship capitals with the best transport connections to Warsaw. Travelling to other cities will be made easier thanks to the Eastern Railway Mainline. This multi-billion investment project will be a significant growth stimulus for Eastern Poland, a macro-region with 8 million inhabitants that boasts great potential.
Domestic and international airports
The Solidarity Transport Hub Poland (STH), a huge multi-modal hub near Warsaw, integrating road, rail and air transport, will have an even more significant impact on Podlaskie. The STH will be completed by 2030 and will service several dozen million travellers a year. New railway lines are being designed as part of the project, one of which will connect Łomża and Warsaw, making it possible to travel between the cities in 75 minutes. The travel time from Warsaw to Suwałki will also become shorter, at 2.5 hours, which is nearly half the current time.
The STH will be the largest, but not the only airport to serve Podlaskie. Thanks to its excellent location, the region has access to domestic and international airports. The central and southern parts of the region are in the catchment area of Chopin airport in Warsaw and Warsaw-Modlin Airport. The northern part of the voivodeship uses Olsztyn-Mazury Airport and the airport in Vilnius, Lithuania. The smaller regional airports in Białystok and Suwałki mainly serve tourist and business traffic.
Intermodal terminals and logistics centres
Podlaskie is the perfect location for logistics centres. More than 20 million people live within a 300-kilometre radius of the region’s centre, which includes the capital cities of Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland. The markets of Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Ukraine, and Russia are also in close proximity.Terminals and logistics centres located in the Podlaskie Voivodeship are an alternative to the increasingly busy Małaszewicze cargo port. Even today, Eurasian railway transports moving along the New Silk Road pass through Podlaskie.
Barter S.A.
One of the projects carried out by Barter S.A. involving the construction of a new intermodal terminal in Sokółka along with the procurement and installation of all necessary operating equipment. The terminal has been designed to handle two 36-car trains per day, giving it a capacity of more than 50,000 TEUs per year.
Kontrast Intermodal
Container terminal with logistics centre located in Łapy near Białystok. The facility is located in the immediate vicinity of railway line no. 6 (E75) with twa 300 m railway tracks and a single 600 m sidetrack. The terminal and the centre have a 1,050 TEU storage capacity (target capacity: 2,500 TEU) and provide a handling capacity of 54,750 TEU per year.
Terminal Chryzanów
The Chryzanów Terminal is one of the best developed terminals in eastern Poland with an area of 6ha, owned and managed by Andrex Logistics. The facility supports 1435 and 1520 mm rail gauge systems. The total capacity of the container yards is 3000 TEUs, the terminal's annual capacity is 200,000 TEUs.
Need more information?
Contact the staff of the Investors Assistance and Business Promotion Bureau of Podlaskie Voivodeship Marshal’s Office. | https://investinpodlaskie.pl/en/podlaskie-european-crossroads/ |
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References & Citations
Quantitative Finance > Statistical Finance
Title:Lead-lag Relationships in Foreign Exchange Markets
(Submitted on 25 Jun 2019 (v1), last revised 26 Jun 2019 (this version, v2))
Abstract: Lead-lag relationships among assets represent a useful tool for analyzing high frequency financial data. However, research on these relationships predominantly focuses on correlation analyses for the dynamics of stock prices, spots and futures on market indexes, whereas foreign exchange data have been less explored. To provide a valuable insight on the nature of the lead-lag relationships in foreign exchange markets here we perform a detailed study for the one-minute log returns on exchange rates through three different approaches: i) lagged correlations, ii) lagged partial correlations and iii) Granger causality. In all studies, we find that even though for most pairs of exchange rates lagged effects are absent, there are many pairs which pass statistical significance tests. Out of the statistically significant relationships, we construct directed networks and investigate the influence of individual exchange rates through the PageRank algorithm. The algorithm, in general, ranks stock market indexes quoted in their respective currencies, as most influential. Altogether, these findings suggest that all market information does not spread instantaneously, contrary to the claims of the efficient market hypothesis. | https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.10388 |
IGCSE Mathematics
Course Overview
Mathematics is often used to simply mean numeracy but there is much more to this core subject than just being able to add up! Studying mathematics enables us to develop our ability to think logically and develop well-reasoned responses. Mathematics supports our understanding of the real world and the way we describe it and it also allows us to make sense of the huge amounts of data which we now have to deal with.
Unit Guide
You will study the following units for IGCSE Mathematics:
Number – manipulation of integers, fractions, percentages, decimals, powers and roots with consideration of accuracy and application to real-world situations.
Algebra – Use and manipulation of symbols to represent variable values and how to interpret expressions and solve equations using both algebraic and graphical techniques
Geometry – looks at shape space and measure including how to draw accurate diagrams, the properties of circles, how to identify common shapes and use their properties to solve problems.
Statistics –how to make sense of data including how to represent data graphically and how to give basic summary information about the data. Probability – the likelihood that an event will happen – is also studied and you will consider how data can be used to provide sensible estimates for probabilities.
Assessment
The exam is externally assessed by two 2-hour papers. There are two levels of entry, Foundation (Grades C – G) and Higher (A* – D). Calculators are permitted for all examinations. Each paper will have approximately equal marks available for each of the targeted grades with the weighting by topic as shown:
Number and Algebra
55%
Geometry
25%
Statistics
20%
Progression
Attaining a GCSE in mathematics is a pre-requisite to many further education courses and careers even if there is little mathematical content within the area of study or work. If you enjoy mathematics, then a good grade will provide you with the opportunity to progress to the further study of mathematics, typically A-level. This level of qualification will support many areas of academic interest such as science, medicine, engineering and computing.
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In New Haven, W.Va., the Mountaineer Power Plant is using a complicated chemical process to capture about 1.5 percent of the carbon dioxide it produces. The gas is cooled to a liquid at a pressure of about 95 atmospheres and pumped 2,375 meters down to a sandstone formation, where it is meant to remain indefinitely. The objective is to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being added to the atmosphere from the coal burning at the plant.
This certainly seems to be doing it the hard way. Extracting just this 1.5 percent of the carbon dioxide from the plant’s flue requires a $100 million investment, and whether the gas will remain underground or bubble to the surface is in question.
Fortunately, there is a way to capture and store excess carbon from the atmosphere that is cheap, efficient and environmentally friendly. It relies on two technologies that have been in use for more than 8,000 years: agriculture and the garbage heap.
Some basics: Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it to sugars and other organic compounds. Some of this carbon is burned by the plant, and the rest is used to increase the plant’s mass. If the plant or its components are eaten by an animal, some of that carbon will be burned by the animal, with the remainder used to increase the animal’s mass. When the plant or animal dies, the remains are generally consumed by bacteria, which burn some of the carbon and use the remainder to create more bacteria.
When this process is in equilibrium, living things return as much carbon to the atmosphere as plants take out of it. And the carbon dioxide generated by these organic processes is exactly the same as the carbon dioxide released by burning coal or oil.
With an overabundance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it is reasonable to ask, “Where are the plants?” Why hasn’t the Earth’s vegetation grown larger and faster to absorb the additional carbon dioxide? The answer is that it probably has. Some of the 20th century’s improvement in crop yields may be due to higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Nevertheless, eventually those plants die or are eaten, returning their carbon to the atmosphere. To remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the plant material has to be prevented from decomposing.
Any gardener knows that compost heaps must be turned regularly. Without access to oxygen, bacteria cannot break down plant material. The principle can be harnessed for carbon capture: All that is necessary is to pile the plants high enough, and the carbon at the bottom will stay put indefinitely. After all, this is how all that coal and oil formed in the first place.
Piles of plant material are not like ordinary landfills, of course. There is no need to worry about toxins leaching into the water supply. No elaborate liner or monitoring is required. Plant material need not be transported to distant sites or pumped underground but can be piled up where it grows. It is not even necessary to cover the heap with soil.
The most obvious target for such a technique is agricultural waste. Worldwide carbon dioxide emissions in 2006 were estimated at about 28 billion metric tons, of which the United States was responsible for 5.8 billion. That represents about 1.6 billion tons of carbon.
In 2009, the combined U.S. production of corn, wheat and soybeans was 487 million metric tons. That production measures the usable part of the plants. It is reasonable to believe that there is at least as much material in unused stalks and leaves. If just this material were stored rather than burned or plowed under, it could compensate for almost a quarter of the U.S. carbon footprint. The Mountaineer Power Plant could match the captured carbon of its high-tech approach by piling up the plant waste from 12,000 acres of farmland, at a tiny fraction of the cost.
Other land could be managed to maximize carbon capture. There are millions of acres of woodlands in North America where trees are grown for paper and lumber. Can leaves, bark and branches that are now discarded or burned be piled up instead? Is it more beneficial to recycle paper or to collect it?
Instead of trying to manufacture ethanol from switchgrass, would it be more effective to burn oil and bury the switchgrass? We sometimes pay farmers not to grow crops to sustain prices; should we pay them to grow otherwise useless crops and stockpile them?
The biggest problem with this approach may be that it’s so low-tech. No green-technology subsidies are required, so there may not be a natural constituency for it. On the other hand, environmentalists should love it. What could be greener than growing plants? And for those concerned about the economy, this approach provides a low-cost method of reducing the country’s carbon footprint without increasing the cost of energy. It is also reversible. If current concerns about carbon dioxide concentrations turn out to be unwarranted, the stockpiled material will be readily available for use. What could be simpler?
Hugh Price is director of production planning at The Washington Post, for which he wrote this column.
Join the Conversation
We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. | https://www.twincities.com/2010/09/21/hugh-price-a-cheap-low-tech-really-green-way-to-sequester-carbon/ |
Cajun and Creole Cuisine Guides
Want to learn more about Cajun and Creole cuisines, food history, cooking techniques, ingredients, and more? Read our guides, features, and personal essays to deepen your knowledge of Cajun and Creole food.
Grilled Cajun Chicken Wings Recipe
Shrimp Étouffée Recipe
Red Beans and Rice With Smoked Turkey Recipe
Cajun Burgers With Spicy Rémoulade Recipe
Clemenceau'd Shrimp from 'Treme'
The Food Lab Junior: Dakota’s Red Beans and Rice Recipe
New Orleans-Style Barbecue Shrimp from 'Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking'
How Roux Made Its Way Into the Gumbo Pot
Cajun Burgers With Spicy Remoulade: A Holy (Trinity) Marriage
Cajun Pork and Beef Pie with Savory Cream Cheese Topping Recipe
Sunday Supper: Cajun Pork and Beef Cheese Pie
Cajun Spice Blend Recipe
Cajun Spice Blend: Store-Bought or Homemade? | https://www.seriouseats.com/cajun-creole-cuisine-guides-5117131 |
GRIIS Checklist of Introduced and Invasive Species - France- Wallis and Futuna
CitationMeyer J Y, Malau A, Soubeyran Y, Wong L J, Pagad S (2019). GRIIS Checklist of Introduced and Invasive Species - France- Wallis and Futuna. Version 1.3. Invasive Species Specialist Group ISSG. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ewseat accessed via GBIF.org on 2019-04-23.
DescriptionThe Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS) presents validated and verified checklists (inventories) of introduced (alien) and invasive alien species at the country, territory, and associated island level. Phase 1 of the project focused on developing validated and verified checklists of countries that are Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Phase 2 which is on-going, aims to achieve global coverage including non-party countries and all overseas territories of countries e.g. Netherlands, France and United Kingdom. Species belonging to all Kingdoms are covered as well as occurring in all Environment/systems. Country/ Territory/ Island checklists are reviewed and verified by networks of country or species experts. Verified checklists/ species records as well as those under review are presented on the online GRIIS website (www.griis.org). Individual species records are flagged with a ‘yes’ for verification. Only verified checklists/ species records are presented on the GBIF Portal. This annotated checklist is of introduced (alien) and invasive alien species known to occur in French Overseas Territory of Wallis and Futuna
PurposeThe resource will be a support to countries to make progress to achieve Aichi Biodiversity Target 9 -in the development of their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans, their National Invasive Alien Species Strategy and Action Plan, target setting and monitoring.
Sampling Description
Study ExtentThe geographic focus of this checklist is the French Overseas Territory of Wallis and Futuna.
SamplingThis annotated checklist is focused on introduced (alien) and invasive species that are known to occur in the French Overseas Territory of Wallis and Futuna. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, (IUCN) describes an Introduced/ Alien and Invasive alien species as follows:
An Introduced/ Alien species means a species, subspecies, or lower taxon occurring outside of its natural range (past or present) and dispersal potential (i.e. outside the range it occupies naturally or could not occupy without direct or indirect introduction or care by humans) and includes any part, gametes or propagule of such species that might survive and subsequently reproduce. An Invasive alien species means an alien species which becomes established in natural or semi-natural ecosystems or habitat, is an agent of change, and threatens native biological diversity.
Quality ControlThe draft checklist (inventory) is compiled by collating data and information through a comprehensive literature overview. Additional steps implemented to control the quality of the data are described below. Taxonomic harmonization and normalization using the GBIF taxonomic backbone In order to harmonize all species names across countries, species lists are subjected to a normalization process in which taxon rank and taxonomic status are identified and assigned. Spelling and other errors in assigning species authorship are also corrected. Data validation The checklist (inventory) compiler team completes a review and validates all the annotations especially those on provenance and ‘invasiveness’ status of the species based on evidence of impact. Data verification The checklist (inventory) is submitted to a network of country editors for a review of both accuracy of records, annotations and identification of any significant gaps in the data. Data verification is an iterative process and the activity is declared completed on agreement of all relevant country editors.
Method steps
- Data collation and categorization Data filtering and categorization/ classification Taxonomic harmonization and normalization Data validation Data verification
- The published methods underpinning GRIIS and each Checklist are described in the following article: Pagad S, Genovesi P, Carnevali L, Schigel D, McGeoch MA (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data, 5, 170202. https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata2017202
Additional infoThe data collation and compilation have been conducted by the IUCN French Committee and his program on invasive alien species in the French overseas territories (www.especes-envahissantes-outremer.fr) La collecte et la compilation des données ont été effectuées par le Comité français de l’UICN et son programme sur les espèces exotiques envahissantes dans les collectivités françaises d’outre-mer (www.especes-envahissantes-outremer.fr)
Taxonomic Coverages
Animalia, Bacteria, Chromista, Fungi, Plantae, Protozoa, Viruses
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Animaliarank: kingdom
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Bacteriarank: kingdom
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Chromistarank: kingdom
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Fungirank: kingdom
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Plantaerank: kingdom
-
Protozoarank: kingdom
-
Virusesrank: kingdom
Geographic Coverages
Wallis and Futuna
Bibliographic Citations
ContactsJean Yves Meyer
originator
position: Délégué à la Recherche
Délégation à la Recherche de la Polynésie française Bâtiment du Gouvernement, avenue Pouvanaa a Oopa
PF
email: [email protected]
Atoloto Malau
originator
position: Directeur Service de l'Environnement
Service de l'Environnement
PF
email: [email protected]
Yohann Soubeyran
originator
position: Chargé de mission "Espèces outre-mer"
UICN Comité français Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature CIRAD - UMR AMAP
FR
email: [email protected]
Lian Jenna Wong
originator
position: Reseach Assistant
Biodiversity Data Management Ltd. | https://www.gbif.org/dataset/0103d6f8-1f34-4f5d-a456-93dbcfe9f615 |
Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita is one of those rare few classic novels that translates well to the big screen. To some extent, this was intentional — Nabokov often wrote fiction with an eye to selling film rights. John Colapinto writes about the author’s relationship with the cinema over at Page-Turner. You could also read our own Lydia Kiesling’s Modern Library Revue of Lolita.
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"Whatever the facts of her life – whether she turned out to be an ancient man living in the Icelandic interior or a woman waiting tables at a Texan diner – Ferrante writes in an autobiographical mode. That is fuel for the truthers, a sort of literary ankle-flashing. But it is also good cover for another motive: a very contemporary form of envy of another’s autonomous space and their creativity, a rage that while they give us their work, they will not also give us their person." On a new collection of Elena Ferrante's letters, interviews and short pieces.
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Recommended Reading: David Sedaris's essay about his sister Tiffany's suicide, "Now We Are Five," for The New Yorker. "How could anyone purposefully leave us, us, of all people? This is how I thought of it, for though I’ve often lost faith in myself, I’ve never lost it in my family, in my certainty that we are fundamentally better than everyone else." | https://themillions.com/2015/01/like-something-in-the-movies.html |
Can Alcohol Cause Depersonalization?
_____________________________
We already know that there is a direct link between drug use and Depersonalization -- but what’s mentioned less is the possible link between Depersonalization and alcohol.
DP sufferers often report feeling more Depersonalization after drinking. So can alcohol cause Depersonalization?
Can it make it worse? Can it make it better?
Depersonalization after Drinking
I have heard it from many sufferers over the years: they go out to a bar / club, have a few drinks too many -- and feel more depersonalized for days afterwards.
I had the exact same experience.
My Depersonalization hit me at the age of 25. I was a pretty sociable guy who enjoyed going out and having a few beers. But when I got DP, that all changed. For the first few months I hardly left the house -- Sociability was the last thing on my mind.
But as time went by I desperately wanted to get some part of my old life back -- and that meant going out with friends and having drinks.
Forgetting the Feelings
The alcohol would help me to forget the feelings of Depersonalization for a few hours. This was incredibly exciting -- for the first time in months I was able to relax a little and enjoy myself.
Of course, this usually meant that I wanted to keep partying until all hours and keep the feelings of DP away for as long as possible.
But of course, the party had to end sometime. And I would pay for it over the next few days. Heightened feelings of stress, anxiety -- and of course, DP -- would overwhelm me.
I would sink into a depression, thinking I was stuck in this condition forever. After a few weeks, I’d get brave enough to try going out again, and the cycle would repeat.
Can Alcohol Cause Depersonalization?
Now, this may sound as if there is some complex relationship between alcohol and depersonalization. But as with everything DP-related, the actual explanation is very simple.
So, can alcohol cause Depersonalization?
The answer is No. Alcohol itself doesn’t cause depersonalization.
Of course it doesn’t -- If that were the case, it would have to carry a mental health warning and nobody would touch the stuff! People drink to relax and have fun. And in fact, alcohol usually causes depersonalization to recede temporarily. Why?
Well, think about it -- Why is it a social lubricant? Why does it reduce your inhibitions?
Because it temporarily reduces feelings of anxiety.
As this article from Healthline says: "At first, drinking can reduce fears and take your mind off of your troubles. It can help you feel less shy, give you a boost in mood, and make you feel generally relaxed. In fact, alcohol’s effects can be similar to those of antianxiety medications."
DP is an anxiety-based condition. So when your base level of anxiety drops, so do the feelings of DP. That’s why going out for a few drinks can be such a relief for sufferers of the condition.
Hangovers and Anxiety
But alcohol also causes hangovers. And hangovers cause anxiety.
And anxiety causes Depersonalization.
This is why people experience depersonalization after drinking. DP almost never occurs while the person is inebriated and having a good time. It’s always a result of feeling hungover.
Anxiety is the root cause of depersonalization and therefore, alcohol reduces feelings of depersonalization -- until the hangover kicks in!
Think about the symptoms of being badly hungover:
Fatigue and Weakness
Headaches and Muscle Aches
Poor or Decreased Sleep
Shakiness
Brain Fog
Increased Sensitivity to Light and Sound
Dizziness or a Sense of the Room Spinning
Decreased Ability to Concentrate
Increased Heartrate
Depression, Anxiety and Irritability
Now, think about adding those feelings on top of the symptoms and heightened levels of anxiety that come with a condition like DP. You’d be doubling, tripling the anxiety levels, right?
And that’s what sends people spiraling off into negative thought patterns for days and weeks on end!
So when somebody says that they have a few too many drinks and they feel depersonalized for weeks afterwards -- that’s not a result of the alcohol itself.
It’s a result of the anxious feelings that come with feeling hungover.
Conclusion
So there you have it! There's no complicated connection between alcohol and Depersonalization.
Alcohol causes hangovers, which can cause anxiety, which can cause Depersonalization.
It's really that simple!
Once I figured this out, I made sure that if I did go out, I'd only have one or two drinks -- and plenty of water too! -- so there'd be no hangover the next day. I did this carefully until I was recovered completely from Depersonalization.
And once you’ve recovered from DP, which you can and will do 100%, you can absolutely get back to your normal habits of socializing, drinking etc.
Because the alcohol is not the cause.
Neither is caffeine, or social situations, etc.
The anxiety is the cause.
And understanding that is the first step towards your recovery from Depersonalization.
________________________
Start your Recovery from DP today
The Depersonalization Manual is the oldest and most trusted text on Depersonalization recovery available today. Written by a fully recovered sufferer with over 15 years experience of dealing with DP sufferers, it's been the trusted DP recovery program for more than 25,000 people worldwide. | https://www.dpmanual.com/articles/can-alcohol-cause-depersonalization/ |
Nita Ambani, owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians, on October 8, addressed the Sports Business Summit in London, which is part of Leaders’ Week London 2019 event.
She is also the Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Here’s a full transcript of Ambani’s address:
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen friends — Namaskar.
A very good afternoon and warm greeting to each and every one of you. It is an honour for me as an Indian and as woman to deliver a keynote address before this global gathering of leaders in sport.
I come from the land of Buddha, Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa. I represent the dreams, hope and aspirations of a billion Indian. India is home to one-sixth of humanity, it is the youngest country in the world, a resurgent nation of 1.3 billion people of which 600 million are under the age of 25. If the youth of India were a country by themselves they would be the third largest country in the world. India is truly at a point of inflection, a country whose time has come.
India is scaling new heights in all fields including and especially sports. Friends, I would like to thank the organisers of this summit for inviting me to share my thought and experiences with this august gathering. They have graciously referred to me as the First Lady of Indian Sport.
My presence here is an honour for all woman of India and it is my mission to empower and enable every woman in India. I am a big believer in the phenomenal power of women, I believe that when women lean on women incredible things happen. I believe women can excel not only in playing sport but also in promoting sport at national and international levels.
Today, women in India are breaking the glass ceiling in more and more areas of human endeavour. Indeed women all over the world are doing so in sport and science, in boardrooms and courtrooms, in Bollywood and Hollywood, in politics and philanthropy, in effect anywhere and everywhere.
Friends, through my work at Reliance Foundation, I have had the privilege of working closely with women and children. It is my firm belief that when children learn and play, communities grow and countries prosper. For the holistic development of a child’s personality there is only well proven formula just let them play a sport, any sport. Sport is a great teacher, it is a magical equalizer and in a young country like India the aspirations are so audacious, the adrenalin so high and appetite to achieve so strong that if you can just guide and steer our in the right direction, they will script the most stunning success stories the world has ever seen.
Friends, my own tryst with sport began at an age when most sport persons retire. I was 44 when sport changed my life, my perspective and my worldview. It all started with cricket and Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2009. It was the second season of IPL – The Premier League and our team was at the bottom of the table. I had no knowledge of cricket but I flew to South Africa to motivate and be with the team when they were down and out. From those first meetings with the teams, learning the nitty-gritties of cricket from the legends of the game to this day ten years later when MI is the most valued team in India with four IPL titles. My journey has been incredible. Through this magical journey, I experienced for myself that cricket is truly a religion in India.
While the British gave us cricket, I can say without any fear of being contradicted that the record for scoring the highest number of runs in test cricket and in ODIs stands in the name of one Indian – Sachin Tendulkar. I am proud to say that Sachin was the captain and has been the mentor of Mumbai Indians since inception. What MI has taught me is this – Sport does not differentiate, it knows no race or religion, talent can come from anywhere and reach the pinnacle of success.
I would like to share with you the transformational journey of a young boy who was discovered by Mumbai Indians (MI) from a small town of India.
Today, Bumrah is an inspiration to countless young boys and girls. In the last ten years MI have discovered several young talents like Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and so many more, I look forward to the day when every young boy and girl from remotest parts of the country can dare to dream and make it big.
Friends, women’s empowerment through sport is one of the silent revolutions taking place all over the world. Like most sports traditionally cricket has also been a bastion of men, even Lords the iconic home of cricket welcomed women to its pavilion only in 1999 and offered full membership to women only last year.
In a tradition bound society like India, the change has been even more dramatic. Ten years ago when IPL started cricket in India was watched largely by men. Over the last ten years we have seen a new diversity for fan base with cricket. Indeed for all sports in India, today female fan following for IPL is almost equal to male following and this dynamic shift has just not been with the fans. India’s women cricket team is now ranked number two in the world followed by England.
Friends, one of the most heartwarming initiatives of Reliance Foundation and MI is ‘Education and Sports for All Programme’. It combines the power and pull of sports and education especially for children who are under privileged and differently abled. Under ESA initiative every year we bring 21000 of this children to watch their favourite MI team play. For all of them this is their first ever visit to the stadium to watch a live match. It is a day that gives them immense joy and hope. It is really gratifying to watch this children interact with their sporting heroes. Not only do this children go home with stars in their eyes but also with the belief that they too can dream and achieve. Let us experience the magic of ESA.
Education and Sports for All (ESA) is truly the soul of MI.
Friends, success in one field encourages success in many fields that is the eternal law of life. The popularity of IPL has led to the emergence of many more professional leagues in India like hockey, badminton, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, kabbadi and of course football. As a teacher and as a mother, I know that children in our school would wake up in the middle of the night to watch the EPL, I saw my own son Akash did that too. That is when I realised the younger generation had a huge interest in and love for football and I saw there was a big opportunity in India for this beautiful game. This motivated me to launch the Indian Super League for football in 2014. I am pleased to share that in just five years ISL has immerged as the third most watched league in India.
ISL viewership for 2018-19 on television alone was 168 million and digital viewership was over 12 million. Since the inception of ISL, the Indian National Team’s FIFA ranking has shot up from 173 to 96. It is now my dream to see India perform at the pinnacle of global football and qualify for the FIFA World Cup. This calls for the development of a vibrant footballing ecosystem in the country – that is the vision of ISL.
Our grassroots programme in football has so far reached out to over 1.5 million children. Our huge sports programme for schools and colleges has reached out to 9 million children. The Reliance Foundation Junior NBA Prgramme has reached out 11 million children. Overall, across all sports, Reliance Foundation has reached out to over 21.5 million children across the country.
Ten years ago it would have been unthinkable for an Indian family to see football as a viable career option for their children. Young Indian boys and girls are all over the Silicon Valley but they are missing on the pinnacles of international sports……
Friends, ten years ago my husband Mukesh Ambani and I started the Reliance foundation to empower all Indians especially women and children. We have had the privilege of touching the lives of 34 million people through our work in diverse areas in the remotest villages and towns of India.
Every single life that we have touched has made us believe even more firmly in the power of our youth.
Swami Vivekananda the great Indian philosopher had said make your body strong, play games, play football, you will be nearer to god through football than through the study of the Bhagavad Gita. Now India is discovering our great traditional wisdom in many fields including sports.
No nation in the world can emerge as a great sporting power without strong governmental support. Right now in India, we are fortunate that our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a great vision to transform India into a global sporting powerhouse. In addition to promoting yoga globally, Prime Minister Modi has recently launched two major initiatives to promote sports – ‘The Khelo India’ programme and the ambitious ‘Fit India’ movement. Helping these initiatives is the digital revolution that is changing the landscape of India.
India is the second most digitally connected country in the world. Jio – Reliance’s newest initiative is today the largest digital services company in India and the second largest mobile company in the world.
Jio is now building multiple digital platforms and solutions in diverse fields including sports, education and healthcare. The efforts put in by government and the private sector in grassroots and youth development have started bearing fruit. Our young Indian players have taken the world by storm. In the month of July alone, Indian athletes won over 200 medals at the international level. Out of these the majority were won by women.
Our 19 year old sprinter Hima Das in a span of just 20 days picked up 5 gold medals across track events in Europe. Growing up not having enough means to even buy a pair of shoes, Hima practised barefoot. Today not only is she a gold medallist but also a proud brand ambassador of Adidas Shoes. This is the power of sports.
Friends, right now is probably the most exciting time for sports in India, whether you are a player, a coach, an investor, an administrator or a fan, there has never been an environment more conducive, more encouraging, more enabling for sports than what we have in India today. India is truly emerging as the newest and youngest sporting power in the world and what makes it even more engaging and exciting is the strength of our numbers.
We are a television loving nation. Let me share with you the spectacular growth of sports media in India. For the first 10 years media rights for IPL went for USD 950 million. Just last year IPLs media rights for the next five years were sold for USD 2.5 billion; a staggering growth of 500 percent, amazing isn’t it?
When England beat New Zealand in 2019 Cricket World Cup final, 15 million viewers watched the match on TV in England, while 180 million viewers watched the same game in India alone. Compare that with the semifinals when India lost to New Zealand, over 220 million viewers watched the game in India. Now imagine if India was in the finals apart from giving England a very tough competition, the viewership numbers would have just sky rocketed.
The scale and size of viewership not just for cricket but for other sports like the Olympics the FIFA World Cup, EPL and many more makes India truly a unique opportunity. 800 million Indians consumed sports on television alone in 2018.
Friends, the picture of the fast changing sporting landscape, which I presented before you must have convinced you about one thing – New India is a land of infinite opportunities. Sport has given rise to many budding businesses and professions – coaches, physios, tech entrepreneurs, media and merchandising; New India is a land that invites all of you with open arms. What India offers you uniquely is a combined power of democracy, diversity, demography and development.
Within a decade, India will overtake China as the most populist nation in the world. India is proud of being a free, open, liberal and democratic society. The time is not far when India will become the third largest economy in the world with an ambitious target of doubling GDP in five years to make it a five trillion dollar economy. Distinguished leaders in sports, with all these unique opportunities can you stay away from the incredible India opportunity – the answer is obviously no.
As I come to the end of my address let me share my vision for the future of sport in India. I have three dreams. My first dream, I would like to see that no child in India is deprived of an opportunity to experience and learn from the joy and thrill of sports. I would like to see that along with the right to education, the right to sport is also declared as a fundamental right in our constitution. My priority is to reach out to children from poor and marginalized regions and families. I am personally committed to creating such opportunities for all our children.
This is because keeping our children fit, healthy and happy is the fundamental duty of every society. I take it as my dharma, my duty to support the right to sport for our 300 million children of India, they are the future of our nation, the face of a beautiful tomorrow.
In fact, not just children, my dream of ESA is truly for people of all ages – from children, to parents, to grandparents. Let us all start a movement for Sports and Fitness for All and urge the United Nations to make it one of the sustainable development goals.
My second dream – I would like to see India become a global sporting power house. There is no reason why a nation of 1.3 billion people cannot be amongst the leading medal winners on the international stage. It is my hope and my dream to see India host some of the most iconic sporting championships in the world like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup.
Just four days ago Reliance Foundation brought the NBA to play its first ever game in India. I invite each and every one of you to join us and be a part of the great Indian dream – the India Opportunity.
My third dream is to see that sport performs its most important global goal to promote peace, amity and understanding – to inspire, to heal and to transform. One of the most defining moments of Rio Olympics 2016 was when the first ever refugee Olympic team came together and marched as one under the Olympic flag. In their darkest times sport gave them courage and beliefs. Their refugee camps became sports ground. It was an emphatic moment of solidarity and humanity. This shows the unique power of sport to become an agent of change of hope, of unity and of peace both within and between countries and cultures.
In fact, when you travel back in time to the 8th Century BC, a sacred truce was announced in Ancient Greece at the time of Olympic Games – all waring countries laid down their arms, sport became the biggest weapon that ended all wars.
Truly, the power of sport as a promoter of peace is as old as human civilization itself. Isn’t this power of sport just as relevant today?
This year marks the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest peacemaker of the world in modern times. In paying tribute to the Mahatma today, I call upon all of you – let us replace warfare with sportsmanship. Let us turn all our battlegrounds in the world into playgrounds. Let us give every young boy and girl the courage to believe in their dreams and the power to write their own destiny and finally, let us leave behind a more peaceful, more beautiful, more sustainable and a more joyous world for all our children. | https://pcworldcafe.com/full-text-nita-ambanis-address-at-sports-business-summit-in-london/ |
Showing results for: Health and nutrition policy
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The COVID-19 pandemic, mitigation measures and the emerging global recession could cause food disruption on a scale not seen for more than half a century, according to this policy brief from the United Nations. The UN calls for large-scale coordinated action to protect health and nutrition.
This commentary piece draws on the experience of nutrition labelling to explore whether environmental sustainability labelling on food products can encourage more sustainable food choices and contribute towards building a healthy, sustainable food system.
This report from the UK’s Food Ethics Council reviews the electoral manifestos of the Conservative, Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat parties in 2015 and 2019 to see how each party’s food policies have changed over time.
The UK’s Food Research Collaboration has published a guidance note and a report on how food policy is currently made in England. It calls for more coordination between different decision-making bodies in the response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food system.
In this piece in The Conversation, Tim Lang (Professor of Food Policy at City, University of London) argues that the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis exposes the fragility of the UK’s food supply chain, with limited storage, a just-in-time supply model, and nearly half of the UK’s food being imported. Lang calls for a food rationing system to be introduced to ensure everyone has access to food (read Lang’s letter to the UK Prime Minister here).
FCRN member Nicole Tichenor Blackstone has co-authored this paper, which compares the diets recommended by the EAT-Lancet Commission and by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). It finds areas of similarity as well as areas of divergence.
This policy update from the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs sets out a timeline for planned agricultural policy changes for England over the next few years. Policies are likely to be shaped by the recommendations of the National Food Strategy review, to be released in winter 2020. This policy update discusses measures for protecting food security as the UK adjusts to leaving the European Union, and sets out the proposed Environmental Land Management scheme to replace the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.
This report assesses the impact of the UK non-profit Veg Power’s “Eat them to defeat them” advertising campaign, which aimed to persuade children to eat more vegetables. Children who had seen the advertising campaign were more likely to agree with statements such as “Eating vegetables is fun”, “I like vegetables” and “Vegetables can be really tasty” than those who did not see the adverts. An estimated 650,000 children ate more vegetables as a result of the campaign.
This report, by the global NGO World Economic Forum and the management consultancy McKinsey & Company, sets out four pathways by which food systems stakeholders can be encouraged to bring about a transformation in food production, supply chains and diets.
This book explores how the design of new food products can contribute to healthy diets and discusses the role of the food industry and government in shaping health policies.
This report from UK food waste charity Feedback examines the impacts of UK sugar production. It finds that the area of farmland used to produce sugar beet in the UK - 110,000 hectares - is similar to the area devoted to UK vegetable production. The report argues that sugar beet harvesting is damaging to the soil.
The Lancet and the World Health Organisation have produced a series on the double burden of malnutrition and how it affects low- and middle-income countries. The double burden of malnutrition refers to the simultaneous presence of overnutrition (e.g. overweight and obesity) and undernutrition (e.g. stunting and wasting) in a country, city, community or person.
This book sets out the importance of assessing food security policies, such as to address failures of past food policies, and gives practical guidance on how to use evidence to analyse policies.
This report from UK NGO Sustain is a guide for both local and national policymakers. It argues that controlling hot food takeaway outlets (e.g. fish and chip shops, kebab shops, burger bars) through planning laws, e.g. by limiting the number of outlets near schools, can help to promote public health.
This op-ed by FCRN member Mia MacDonald and Judy Bankman, both of US think tank Brighter Green, argues that affordable, accessible, sustainable and healthy diets for everyone can only be achieved with the commitment of everyone, including policymakers, industry influencers, city planners, local business owners and consumers. | https://www.fcrn.org.uk/research-library/keywords/health-and-nutrition-policy |
Looking for some travel inspiration? Look no further. We've crowd-sourced the hidden gems and must-see sights in the best holiday destinations from our own globetrotting team. So whatever stage of planning you're at - whether you're wondering where to spend autumn or looking for shopping tips in Europe's top cities - you'll find plenty of tips, insider knowledge and inspiration for where to go on holiday next.
Who was the real St Patrick?
How much do you know about the founder of Christianity in Ireland? We separate the man from the myths.
Why take an Irish tour?
Want to travel comfortably without missing anything? Hop on board our coach. | https://www.cosmos.co.uk/inspire-me/ |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 60/023,065, filed Aug. 2, 1996.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Modern hydro-softfeel lacquers have special characteristics which make the use of plural component mixing equipment difficult. In particular, the solvent which is required to be used on the catalyst side of the mixing equipment is incompatible with the resin.
The general mixing process for the instant invention is set forth in European Patent EP0116879 in that portions of resin and catalyst are sequentially dosed into an integrator tube where some homogenization takes place and the premixed material is then finally homogenized in a static mixer. This procedure is continuously repeated thus providing a continuous mixed material from the sequential dosing system. Currently, such systems are sold by the assignee of the instant invention under the trademark PRECISIONMIX.
To solve the problem with the hydro-softfeel lacquer, a n additional valve is installed in the mixing block of the resin side, that is the single purge valve previously used on the resin side is replaced by an adapter block which has two valves so that the two separate purge materials can be flushed into the outer tube of the integrator and one purge material used on the inner tube.
During production, only the mixed material is purged and the catalyst will remain in the inner tube. This is performed by using two resin purge valves which inject water and air at intervals into the integrator tube mix chamber. This mixture is then flushed via the hose and gun.
When the purge process is terminated the mix program is restarted. This process is used for color change, however at the end of production or substantial periods of interruption of production, the catalyst too then must be flushed. To do so, the process set forth above is initially applied and when the integrator tube is completely free of mixed material and resin, the purge valve on the catalyst side opens and the catalyst is flushed with solvent.
Because the resin and solvent are completely incompatible, it is necessary to make sure that the solvent has been flushed completely out of the integrator tube and the mixed material line before starting the mix process. Therefore the catalyst valve is opened for a certain time sufficient to replace the solvent in the integrator with catalyst before the initial purge process described above for color change is again initially applied to flush the solvent out of the mixed material line.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description made i n conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
FIG. 1
shows a schematic view of the plural component mixing system used with the method of the instant invention.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
20
1
12
5
6
8
8
8
a
b.
The instant invention is generally designated and is shown schematically in FIG. . To solve the problem with the hydro-softfeel lacquer, an additional valve is installed in the mixing block of the resin side, that is the single purge valve previously used on the resin side is replaced by an adapter block which has two valves and so that the two separate purge materials can be flushed into the outer tube of the integrator and one purge material used on the inner tube
8
5
6
8
b
During production, only the mixed material is purged and the catalyst will remain in the inner tube . This is performed by using two resin purge valves and which inject water and air a t intervals into the integrator tube mix chamber. This mixture is then flushed via the hose and gun.
8
7
When the purge process is terminated the mix program is restarted. This process is used for color change, however at the end of production or substantial periods of interruption of production, the catalyst too then must be flushed. To do so, the process set forth above is initially applied and when the integrator tube is completely free of mixed material and resin, the purge valve on the catalyst side opens and the catalyst is flushed with solvent.
8
3
8
Because the resin and solvent are completely incompatible, it is necessary to make sure that the solvent has been flushed completely out of the integrator tube and the mixed material line before starting the mix process. Therefore the catalyst valve is opened for a certain time sufficient to replace the solvent in the integrator with catalyst before the initial purge process described above for color change is again initially applied to flush the solvent out of the mixed material line.
It is contemplated that various changes and modifications may be made to the method without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. | |
Welcome to 2020—a year that seems cosmically designed to nurture and facilitate greater clarity in human consciousness. As this new year opens, many of us find ourselves navigating a period of both personal and global chaos that disrupts us spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and physically. In short, our entire species now faces the consequences of a longstanding, compulsive fascination with attempting to forcibly control the flow and curate the content of the infinite stream of human information.
Long ago, our ancestors began to imagine that they could claim dominion over the entire universe by dissecting it and exposing its basic mechanics. Perhaps fear triggered by an unexpected global catastrophe triggered this impulse within us; who can say? Yet it seems that we have taken the pursuit of information as far as it can go and have reached its zenith, only to find that we follow a false god.
What has our pursuit of this false god taught us? That information is so easily corrupted, misinterpreted, restricted, confused, limited, and deceitfully provided that we simply cannot trust it to reveal for us the entire truth of anything at all. One by one, we are surrendering to the realization that we simply cannot use or manipulate data in ways that will allow us to control the rest of the universe for our own personal gratification or gain. At best, more information enables us to communicate better with the rest of reality, and to collaborate more consciously with life. Greater access to information does not grant us permission to assume dominion over life. Furthermore, we cannot even respond successfully if we rely solely on intellectual rationalism and objective materialism to justify our responses to reality.
If you believe at all in synchronicity, then the year 2020 suggests that we are rapidly approaching a tipping point of sorts in human consciousness. We approach the new omega point together, where clarity illuminates the darkness and clears the confusion that for so long has shrouded and stressed the human mind.
The Age of Information appears to be coming to a natural close as the structural limitations and intractable problems generated through relying solely upon information to guide our decisions are growing ever clearer to us all. The Age of Wisdom is rising, calling for an expansion of our awareness that still includes the use of information, while transcending its limitations by transforming its role in our decision-making process. We came to rely upon information because when we first developed the power of reason we fell in love with its contribution to us.
Understanding the world plays a useful role in the process of problem-solving. Yet the thinking mind does not serve us best when it seeks to decide what we ought to be creating for ourselves. The mind’s proper role is to decide how best to achieve what our spirits want to bring forth, and not to decide what we need to manifest. Spirit initiates our best creative decisions based on all of life’s expressions at every level—sensory, emotional, rational and unseen. It invites our emotions to volunteer their feelings, our bodies to volunteer their reactions, and the entire world to participate in the choice of whatever comes next.
Clarity arises when we allow our personal field of awareness to expand beyond the limitations of our personal perspective by re-centering ourselves inclusively within an infinitely creative, eternally changing universe. It arises once we retrain ourselves to listen deeply and compassionately to the nonverbal cues that our bodies are constantly sending. It arises when we relax and allow ourselves to fully feel our feelings all the way through, no matter how uncomfortable they may become for a time, without discharging them aggressively or violently at others for “making” us feel them. It arises when we fall still enough to listen to the sublingual, whispering truths that flow beneath the highly excited, surface exchanges of our own beliefs and opinions.
Clarity arises when we fall mentally still, open our hearts, relax our bodies, and wait patiently for the aliveness of inspired insight to guide us, instead of relying only on the problem-solving brain to lead us through a difficult challenge. To put the brain in its proper place—to render it a congenial, co-equal branch of the body’s own regulatory system (instead of allowing it to imagine it can dictate the workings of our entire internal system) reveals to us where our structural social weaknesses also abide. As within, so without. Reason, untempered by compassion, condenses into cruelty for expediency’s sake. Punishment, lacking mercy, condenses into vengeance rather than justice. Action, lacking peaceful intentionality, condenses into selfishness rather than service. To realize this sets us ALL free from the limits of reason. We come more fully alive when we align ourselves with life in trust, willingly, courageously, compassionately, kindly, patiently, and with peaceful intentionality. We become at last what we have ever been meant to become, and our consciousness flowers. The Earth looks forward to the full flowering of human consciousness. Having birthed us and having allowed us to eat from her body for many millennia, she now looks forward to watching us self-coordinate and discover what we can do once we know how we are. I therefore wish all of you a more inspired, loving, wiser, and more graceful life experience this year. May the clarity of 2020 vision light your way! | https://www.museharbor.com/welcome-to-2020/ |
The protests in Baghdad and Southern Iraq still continue and have entered the 3rd week now. So far the protesters have been able to protect their own independency and none of the political parties or the regional governments have been able to tame or control them.
While some of the media outlets, particularly Al Jazeera tries to discredit the protesters and describe them as foreign-backed groups and agents of the United States of America (USA). However, the Iraqi government, to certain extent, acknowledged the legitimacy of the protesters’ demands. The Iraqi Prime Minister, Hadier al-Abadi agreed to spend $3 million to meet some of the demands of the people.
In fact , there is no doubt that USA, Iran, and the other neighbouring states try to domesticate the protesters, as they want to intervene in Iraq, to control it to remain in a weak position for their own interest.
However, they know that the collapse of the Iraqi government under the pressure of mass protests, demonstrations or uprising is not in their interest. The “Arab Spring” has given them a good lesson.
It is absolutely certain that the demands of the people are legitimate. The people have been suffering for so long and now have no choice but to force the government, through their uprisings, to meet some of their demands.
The protests, which started on 08/ 07/2018 triggered when the Iranian authority switched off the electric power from Basra when the temperature was around 50 degrees. The protests are getting bigger and bigger and have extended to Baghdad and various other towns and cities in southern Iraq. | https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2018/07/25/the-mass-protests-in-baghdad-and-southern-iraq-continue/ |
Apple had planned to ‘aggressively’ boost AirPods production throughout 2020 following stronger than expected demand for the wireless earphones however, the coronavirus outbreak has put those plans in jeopardy as suppliers have been forced to halt production.
Nikkei Asian Review claims AirPods manufacturers, Luxshare, Goertek, and Inventec have all stopped assembly as a result of the outbreak, adding that even though production is scheduled to restart as soon as next week, a shortage of components from other suppliers could put Apple’s production plans at risk.
The report claims Apple’s three suppliers have “two weeks’ worth of materials and components needed for AirPods assembly.”
“One of the big concerns is whether other parts suppliers in China can smoothly resume work to produce enough parts for final assembly,” the person said. “We really have to wait and see how things play out next week. If the assemblers could not get enough supply of parts in two weeks, it will be a big problem.”
Apple had supposedly asked suppliers to produce 45 million AirPods units during the first half of 2020 in order to keep up with “surging demand for the new wireless earphones.”
Reports had claimed Apple could see up to 85 million AirPods shipments in 2020, with revenue expected to double. | https://www.theapplepost.com/2020/02/06/airpods-production-halted-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak-plans-to-aggressively-boost-supply-in-jeopardy/ |
The Competition Commission of Brunei Darussalam (CCBD) has launched an official website, which served as a platform for people to learn more about the Competition Order.
The website is especially complementary to the new law, with CCBD now enforcing the first phase of the order which prohibits businesses from making anti-competitive agreements.
The website features practical information on conducts prohibited under anti-competitive agreements and its related guidelines, including compliant procedures and how businesses can play a role in breaking up a cartel.
The website also offered resource materials and updates on activities including dialogues for members of the public and the business community.
One of the key contents posted on the website includes a guideline for the public to submit their complaints on any suspected contraventions of the law to the CCBD.
CCBD in a statement said it is accepting complaints related to anti-competitive agreements such as bid-rigging (collusive tendering), price-fixing, market sharing, and supply control – but it also has the discretion to decide if a prompt investigation is needed after receiving the complaint.
It added that this may also depend on its assessment of the implications on the competitiveness of the market and the interest of the public.
“It is important to note that the CCBD does not act on behalf of complainants; rather it serves to protect the competition process in the market. The Guidelines on Complaint Procedures, which can be found in the website, describes the manner and form in which complaints may be made to the CCBD,” the commission said.
The guideline, it added, also incorporates information on the processes the CCBD will use for determining what action to take in relation to a complaint. | https://www.thebruneian.news/ccbd-launches-website-on-competition-order/ |
during a JDK build.
The program analyzes one or more full verbose logs from either an old-style or new-style JDK build, and generates summary tables of the different warnings that were found, where in the source code they occured, and which tools generated them.
The analysis works as follows:
- The program looks for lines containing the word
‘
warning’.
- Each line is checked against a list of known “false positives” and ignored if a match is found.
- Each line is then checked against lists of regular expressions, to identify the source file (if any) identified in the message, the general text of the message (ignoring any instance-specific details), and the tool that generated the message.
The use of regular expressions to identify the characteristics of the message is somewhat fragile, and does require periodic updates to the program, either when new warnings are generated by changes to the source code, or when the tools that are used in the build are updated.
If you have a reference set of log files available (such as those generated by a previous build), the program can generate a differential analysis report, showing whether warnings are being fixed (good), or whether new warnings are have started to occur (bad!).
Since
BuildWarnSummary specifically focusses on
lines containing the word ‘
warning’, it
might miss some otherwise important messages generated during the
build. Use the related program
BuildLogFilter to summarize
all of the “unexpected” messages generated during a
build.
Usage
java -jar buildLogWarnSummary.jar options... files... | https://openjdk.java.net/projects/code-tools/friday-stats/buildLogWarnSummary.html |
*This content requires the base game Sid Meier's Civilization V on Steam in order to play.* The period of Classical Antiquity saw the rise of city states from Phoenicia, Greece, and later Rome and Persia. Their struggles all centered on the great sea in the "Middle of the Earth," hence the name Mediterranean. This map covers the entire Mediterranean basin including the nearby peninsulas and coasts where these great empires grew and prospered. The Cradle of Civilization map packs are Firaxis-designed maps of real-world locations. You can play random leaders in these settings, or choose leaders appropriate to the history of these areas. The maps can also be opened up in World Builder, where you can even create specific scenarios.
159,92 kr
Colonize Mars and discover her secrets, with minimal casualties. Surviving Mars is a sci-fi city builder all about colonizing Mars and surviving the process. Choose a space agency for resources and financial support before determining a location for your colony. Build domes and infrastructure, research new possibilities, and utilize drones to unlock more elaborate ways to shape and expand your settlement. Cultivate your own food, mine minerals or just relax by the bar after a hard day’s work. Most important of all, though, is keeping your colonists alive -- not an easy task on a strange new planet. There will be challenges to overcome. Execute your strategy and improve your colony’s chances of survival while unlocking the mysteries of this alien world. Are you ready? Mars is waiting for you. | https://www.joybuggy.dk/sid-meier-s-civilization-v-cradle-of-civilization-mediterranean |
By Saud Mazrooei, Company Secretary, Omantel Group and Company Secretary of the international Subsidiary
Omantel is the Sultanate of Oman’s first and leading integrated telecommunications services provider, enabling its digital society to flourish by delivering a world of information, news and entertainment. At Omantel, we work to boldly innovate, delivering the broadest and most reliable nationwide network, while investing for future development.
Omantel has been offering the full spectrum of telecommunications solutions to the people and businesses of Oman since the dawn of the renaissance in 1970 and, as a pillar of the Omani economy, the company has been a leading player in Oman’s progress and national development.
Omantel, which has a very strong brand presence in Oman, has been named the most valuable brand in the Sultanate by Brand Finance, as well as the best brand in Oman in general and among the telecom sector in particular. Omantel is also the largest listed company in Muscat Securities Market in terms of market value.
We are committed to adding outstanding value to our customers and stakeholders. To do that in the most agile and effective way, we developed Omantel 3.0, our new corporate strategy for 2015 to 2020. Omantel 3.0 will drive performance and focus the company’s efforts.
In addition, our sustainability strategy framework outlines our priorities to contribute to sustainable development. The changes that will be implemented strategically over six years will transform Omantel and the way that we do business, improving service to our customers and building on the strengths and opportunities of the telecommunications market in Oman and regionally.
Omantel was originally established in 1980 pursuant to Law No. 43 of 1980 as the General Telecommunications Organisation (GTO) to provide domestic and international telecommunication services within Oman. In 1999, Omantel was incorporated as a closed joint stock company under the First Omantel Decree following the transformation of the GTO, which involved the creation of Omantel to replace the GTO, paving the way for the privatisation of the telecommunications industry in line with the government’s policy of liberalisation and deregulation.
In July 2005, the government sold 30 per cent of its stake in Omantel, representing 225,000,000 ordinary shares (the IPO). In April 2014, the government sold an additional 19 per cent of its stake in Omantel, representing 142,000,000 ordinary shares, in a public offering to Omani institutions and individuals. Today, the government of Oman owns a 51 per cent share in Omantel.
Omantel is registered with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and its shares have been listed on the Muscat Securities Market since 2005. The board and management of Omantel are committed to ensuring that the company adheres to a high standard of ethical corporate governance. The board regularly reviews and assesses the prevailing governance structures and processes to ensure that they are consistent with international best practices in both form and substance.
Omantel continues to stand out among the Sultanate’s corporate sector through its high investor grade ratings. We maintained our ‘BBB’ and ‘A3’ ratings assigned by Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s respectively. These ratings are reflective of our strong and sustainable financial position in the Sultanate’s fixed line and mobile telephony markets, solid competitiveness, operating performance and above average profitability.
As the nation’s pioneering telecommunications service provider, we are working to connect even the most remote communities in Oman to each other and to the rest of the world. Omantel’s integrated telecommunication solutions service the needs of individuals, public and private organisations in addition to local and international telecom companies. We offer the broadest choice, widest coverage and state-of-the-art mobile and fixed broadband services and we are constantly expanding our networks to ensure even better customer experience.
Omantel has laid out a ‘carrier of carriers’ strategy as part of the wholesale business to achieve a sustainable revenue growth, which is increasingly evident for its successful execution of this strategy and the fact that more and more global content players and international carriers select Omantel as their partner to serve the region and beyond. In the international wholesale arena, Omantel is considered one of the most prominent, attractive and competitive wholesale telecommunication providers in the Middle East region. Currently, we have 11 international submarine cable landings and expect to touch 14 cable landings in Year 2017. We are one of the leading companies in the field of submarine cable networks that link Asia, Europe and America passing through Oman to meet the international capacity requirements of customers locally and internationally, thereby sustaining the company’s leading position among its competitors.
Guiding principles and foundations
Omantel works closely with community groups and organisations to make a meaningful difference to the future development of the nation. We spend on average $4million per annum in a number of community support initiatives, sporting events and corporate social responsibility programmes.
Omantel is committed to the highest standards of the code of corporate governance. In pursuit of this goal, it has embarked upon various principles of the code with regard to the appointment of members of the board of directors, ensuring the adequacy and efficiency of internal controls in all aspects of the company’s operations and transparency in business dealings.
The company is committed to Capital Market Authority’s (CMA) standards and guidelines on disclosure of material information. Further, it is committed to the rules and regulations issued by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. The financial statements are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and the disclosure requirements set out in the rules for disclosure and proformas issued by the CMA and comply with the requirements of the Commercial Companies Law of 1974, as amended.
Since 2005, Omantel has been publishing yearly audited financial statements and quarterly reviewed financial statements without any audit qualifications. Omantel follows the industry’s best practices in maintaining confidentiality of material operational and financial information. Stringent confidentiality measures are in place to limit the audience of strategic information prior to its mandatory disclosure to avoid foul practices, such as insider trading and/or other abuses.
The system of corporate governance adopted by Omantel, which is defined according to international standards, is focussed on the leadership role in strategic decision-making by the board of directors, on the transparency of management choices, both within the company as well as in respect to the market, on the efficiency and effectiveness of the internal control system, on the strict discipline of potential conflicts of interest and on firm guiding principles of conduct for transactions with related parties.
All related party transactions in particular, are undertaken in line with principles of the code of corporate governance and are validated by Omantel’s Board/AGM on a case basis. Any member of Omantel’s board/audit committee, who may be party to such a transaction, does not participate in the decision-making process. Internal audit reports directly to the audit committee are fully independent of management, and their appointment, remunerations and other HR-related aspects are approved by the board’s HR committee.
Composition of the board of directors
The board of directors of the company is composed of nine members with five members representing the government share, including the board chairman. The other four members are elected by the AGM every three years.
The appointment of the members of the company’s board of directors representing the government share is subject to the same procedures followed in the appointment of board members representing the government share in other companies. As for members of the board representing the private sector, they are elected at the general meeting by following the procedures laid down in the commercial companies law and rules and regulations issued by the CMA.
The board has established four principal committees to review and decide on specific matters. The committees are given responsibility for specific areas of significance to Omantel’s corporate governance and assist the board in discharging its responsibilities by advising and making recommendations
to the board.
Each committee comprises a chairman and is composed of at least three members of the board. The committees are:
- Executive committee, comprising of five members from the board, is considered as mini board and is mandated to oversee various strategic aspects, such as annual business plan, budget and corporate strategies, etc
- Audit committee, comprising of five members from the board, is responsible for all audit and review of financials, procedures, policies and risks assessment procedures
- Human resource committee, comprising of four members, is responsible for all HR policy and procedures, head count, remuneration, training and development etc
- Tender committee, comprising of five members, is responsible for setting up tendering process & procedures, awarding tenders, etc
Members of the board are entitled to remuneration for the services rendered by them, which is determined by a meeting of the general assembly.
Awards and accolades
Over the years, the company has accumulated a growing collection of awards and accolades. Omantel was voted Leading Corporate for Investor Relations and Best Investor Relations Professional in Oman for 2015 at the seventh Annual Middle East Investor Relations Society (ME-IRS) award ceremony held in Dubai. It was voted as the Most Trusted Brand in the Telecom Sector in the Sultanate by Oman Economic Review.
The company has also, maintained its position as Oman’s Most Valuable Brand, according to a study published by Brand Finance, one of the world’s leading intangible assets and brand valuation independent consultancies. Omantel was named the Best Performing Company in Muscat Securities Market by Oman Economic Review for the 10th consecutive year.
Methods of communication with shareholders and investors
Our quarterly financial reports are published in the local newspapers and are also uploaded to the website of Muscat Securities Market and on our website. In addition, the shareholders are notified of the details of the financial results individually at their request.
We have a dynamic website detailing our company profile and services. We conduct quarterly conference calls, carry out roadshows and participate in local, regional and international one-on-one investor conferences. We also publish an annual report including all of the financial results and details of our management and governance. Since 2013, we also publish comprehensive sustainability reports. This award from Ethical Boardroom is a welcome recognition of Omantel’s efforts in regard to ethical governance and sustainable business practices. | https://ethicalboardroom.com/omantel-dials-into-corporate-governance/ |
Dietary modifications in patients receiving miglustat.
Weight loss and gastrointestinal disturbances are often seen during miglustat therapy for lysosomal storage diseases. A retrospective analysis of data from a mixed group of patients treated with miglustat at two UK centres was performed to evaluate the effect of two different dietary interventions on body weight and gastrointestinal tolerability during the initial 6 months of miglustat therapy. Neurological outcomes in these patients are not discussed herein. Data were analysed from a total of 29 patients with varied neurolipidoses (21 children/adolescents; 8 adults). Negative mean changes in body weight were seen in children/adolescents on an unmodified diet (-8.1%), and in adults (-4.1%) and children/adolescents (-5.2%) on a low-lactose diet. Patients on the low-disaccharide diet showed a positive mean change in body weight (+2.0%), although there was high variability in this group. Non-parametric sub-analysis of median body-weight change in children/adolescents also showed high variability both within and between diet groups, with no statistically significant difference between the effects of different diets on body weight (p = 0.062). The low-lactose diet reduced gastrointestinal disturbances; single small doses of loperamide were required in some patients. Patients on the low-disaccharide diet showed the lowest frequency of gastrointestinal effects. In conclusion, simple dietary modifications allowed the maintenance of body-weight gain in line with normal growth potential during miglustat therapy in young patients with lysosomal storage diseases, and reduced gastrointestinal disturbances.
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Very few people really experience lucid dreaming, but we can actually work on becoming lucid dreamers, some of us can actually achieve to become lucid dreamers and in doing so we can have a whole new world of experiences to explore while in the safe environment of our own bed.
Rock also points out that “some lucid dreamers also can consciously manipulate the setting, characters and action taking place in their internal dramas.” This is the best thing that could happen to us when we are having a nightmare, and if that nightmare is recurrent, it is possible to consciously change it to have a nicer and less frightening outcome. It is actually a strategy that is taught to children who do not sleep well at night because they have nightmares, when they can change the terrifying part of their dream into a nicer part, then they can achieve to get a good night’s sleep at night, every night.
While most of us are unaware that we are dreaming while the dream is in progress, something unusual that happens in our dream can trigger our awareness within our dream. The triggers that work are different for each person and each individual dream. Turning on our self-awareness during dreaming is a skill that can be learned with practice. | http://www.sleepnsync.com/lucid-dreaming/ |
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,260,597 and 3,265,498 disclose controlling the density of a Dmin range referred to as "fog" by using a development inhibitor or a development inhibitor precursor in a color diffusion transfer photographic element.
In these patents, the density of the Dmin region which is effected by the acting time is controlled by using a development inhibitor for an image-receiving layer or the acting time of a development inhibitor is controlled by using a precursor capable of releasing a development inhibitor in a hydrolysis reaction. However, the compounds illustrated in these patents inhibit not only the unnecessary development but also the necessary development, whereby the image quality is greatly reduced.
Furthermore, the photographic development reaction is greatly influenced by temperature, i.e., development proceeds slowly at low temperature but proceeds quickly at high temperature. In particular, excessive development is liable to occur at high temperature, whereby the density in a Dmin region increases which results in greatly reducing image quality. Accordingly, it has been desired to find a development inhibitor precursor which can enlarge the allowable processing temperature region by inhibiting the occurrence of unnecessary development at about room temperature, controlling the necessary development so that the development is not inhibited, and inhibiting the occurrence of excessive development at high temperature.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 17369/80 and Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined) No. 77842/81 disclose development inhibitor precursors for controlling the acting time of development inhibitors by controlling the reaction rate of hydrolysis.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined) No. 130929/79 discloses a development inhibitor precursor which suppresses the occurrence of unnecessary development only by controlling the reaction rate of hydrolysis by temperature, that is, by restraining the increase of the reaction rate of hydrolysis below about room temperature beyond what is necessary and also enlarge the allowable region of processing temperature by sufficiently increasing the reaction rate of hydrolysis at high temperature to control the occurrence of excessive development.
However, the compounds illustrated in the foregoing Japanese Patent Publication No. 17369/80 and Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined) Nos. 77842/81 and 130929/79 cause a reduction in density in the maximum color density (Dmax) region of an image when these compounds are incorporated in photographic elements and preserved in such a state, which results in greatly reducing image quality. Also, when the photographic elements using these development inhibitor precursors are preserved for a long period of time or are preserved at a high temperature and/or a high humidity, the reduction in image quality becomes greater to the extent that it substantially reduces the commercial value of the photographic elements.
Considering the molecular weights of the compounds illustrated in the foregoing patent publications, it is considered to be reasonable that these compounds unavoidably diffuse in the photographic elements and they diffuse more and more when the photographic elements are preserved for a long period of time although the details have not yet been clarified.
On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 34927/80 and Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined) No. 138745/80, there are illustrated organic ballasting group-containing development inhibitor precursors which become substantially nondiffusible in photographic elements.
However, when a photographic element containing such a development inhibitor precursor having an organic ballasting group as illustrated in the foregoing patent publications is preserved for a long period of time, the density at the Dmax areas is also reduced, which results in greatly reducing image quality. The reason is believed to be that since these compounds are substantially nondiffusible, the releasing rate of development inhibitors by hydrolysis is undesirable.
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Website BC Public Service
Job Description:
The role and work of the Ecosystems Section in the Cariboo Region of the Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship is to conserve and manage native species and ecosystems. The work involves a broad range of subject areas and functions including collecting and managing information on species habitat and ecosystems, species at risk, habitat conservation, management and restoration, and developing and implementing standards and guidelines related to these areas.
Job Responsibilities:
The Senior Project Biologist will lead and coordinate the integration of ecosystem management into large or major projects such as those undergoing Environmental Assessments as well as other regional initiatives.
Job Requirements:
- Experience assessing and monitoring natural resources.
- Experience managing and/ or leading complex and sensitive natural resource management issues/projects related to ecosystems in a team environment.
- Experience providing scientific and regulatory advice related to ecosystems to biologists, technicians, decision-makers and other agencies regarding biological impacts as a result of resource development.
- Experience in negotiating/mediating solutions in natural resource management with external and internal stakeholder groups.
- Bachelor’s Degree in biological sciences or related field AND a minimum of 5 years of related experience.
- Registered (or eligible) as a Registered Professional Biologist (RP Bio) in B.C. with the College of Applied Biology within six months of employment. Note: Immediately eligible for registration is defined as being able to immediately transfer a current membership from an applicable jurisdiction to the appropriate association.
- Ph.D. in biological sciences or related field AND a minimum of 1 year of related experience; OR,
- Master’s Degree in biological sciences or related field AND a minimum of 3 years of related experience; OR,
Job Details: | https://www.jobseve.online/post/bc-public-service-jobs-08 |
During these uncertain times, how can we help?
See below to access our COVID-19 Resource Hub, and to explore our growing directory of COVID-19-specific and virtual volunteering opportunities.
Taking pictures of the community at special events
1021 N. Goldenrod Rd., Orlando, FL 32807, US
To facilitate and coordinate outreach efforts in the community by promoting understanding and acceptance among people of all faiths and all ethnicities. With that in mind, we believe that education builds acceptance and understanding. The Peace Institute continues to bring people for dialogue and peace by providing accurate information about diverse topics, developing a platform for critical thinking and promoting community engagement through service.
The Peace Institute was founded to respond to the need for accurate information about diverse groups and interfaith awareness after the tragedies of 9/11, and works to promote understanding and acceptance amongst people of all faiths and backgrounds.
Currently, the Institute focuses on bringing awareness about the social issues that face the general community.
We'll work with your schedule. | https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp456332.jsp |
Without an end-to-end quality management system, manufacturers risk compromising product quality, brand integrity, and overall process efficiencies. Fortunately, managing statistical process control (SPC) data in a centralized, unified repository can help you overcome the most difficult challenges of today’s changing manufacturing landscape.
Total enterprise quality is the future of manufacturing intelligence. Whether you want to achieve quality on a global scale or gain visibility into the product lifecycle, the manufacturing intelligence that a centralized quality hub can provide gives you the power to identify areas for improvement, improve quality, and increase profitability.
Download this free white paper for insight on how an end-to-end quality management system can help you overcome these SPC challenges:
Complete the short form, then click Submit. | https://www.infinityqs.com/connect/white-papers/enterprise-quality-concerns-you-cant-ignore |
Описание: Language Practice - серия практических пособий от издательства Макмиллан, позволяющая успешно готовится к сдаче различных экзаменов английского языка. Учебники выдержали несколько изданий, и являются весьма популярными во всем мире. Основной упор сделан на усвоение грамматики и лексики (в пределах задач соответствующих уровню). Каждое пособие может использоваться как для самостоятельного обучения, так и как дополнительный учебный материал для работы в классе. Использование Language Practice Series дает студентам глубокие и прочные знания в области лексики и грамматики английского языка, способствует формированию правильности и беглости речи.
Language Practice - very popular and reliable series is now available in updated editions. An in-depth, detailed approach to English grammar and vocabulary, this is a combination of two books – with grammar clearly presented in the first half, and vocabulary input offered in the second half. It is a thorough and comprehensive series that ensures students’ confidence with language through the progressive levels. New edition now comes with CD-ROM for added computer-based practice - ideal for self study.
First Certificate Language Practice - This text revises the main grammar points at the level of First Certificate as well as providing practice in key lexical areas. The book can be used as a self-study reference grammar and practice book or as supplementary material in classes preparing for examinations.
IELTS Language Practice is a reference and practice book for students preparing for the IELTS examination. It provides clear grammar explanations and regular practice units to consolidate the grammar points in a wider context. There are themed vocabulary units that contextualize essential words and phrases, offering a variety of exercise types students will encounter in the IELTS exam.
Language Practice New Edition is an in-depth, detailed approach to English grammar and vocabulary, providing clear grammar explanations, plenty of practice and regular review units. Themed vocabulary units contextualise essential words and phrases, offering a variety of exercise types to help students understand and use the new vocabulary. The accompanying Macmillan Practice Online access provides extra practice for all the units covered in the book. This book is perfect for students preparing for examinations as it can be used both in the classroom and for self-study. | http://frenglish.ru/macmillan_language_practice.html |
Rotavirus is double-stranded RNA virus and is the most common cause of diarrhoea in young children and infants. Nearly every child is infected with rotavirus at least once in their life. However, there are various ways to prevent this illness.
Symptoms
Rotavirus can cause gastrointestinal illness in children and young adults. It is often spread through contaminated stool. Therefore, it is essential to wash hands often, especially when handling infants. Handwashing is also important when changing a diaper or cleaning the toilet. It is also a good idea to wear gloves when handling these items. It is also advisable to avoid exposure to sick people around infants, especially those immunocompromised. Vaccination against rotavirus can help reduce the symptoms’ severity and prevent the disease’s spread.
In addition to vomiting and diarrhoea, other common rotavirus symptoms include fever, abdominal cramps, and malaise. Vomiting and diarrhoea can occur as early as six hours after the infection has started. Rotavirus infection typically lasts between five and seven days. Infected children can spread the virus to other children by touching their hands or surfaces, where germs can survive for a long time.
Treatment for rotavirus varies. If diarrhoea persists for more than a few days, the child may need fluid replacement to replace lost body fluids. In addition, a child suffering from rotavirus should take electrolyte replacements to replace electrolytes lost during diarrhoea. In some cases, parents may choose to give acetaminophen to reduce the fever. Washing hands thoroughly before changing a child’s diaper is also a good idea.
Treatment
Treatment of rotavirus infection involves close interprofessional collaboration. The faecal-oral transmission route causes the disease, commonly occurring in household settings or daycare facilities. Therefore, it is essential to educate the patient about the nature of the infection and the symptoms that may develop. If symptoms persist for more than five days, the child may be ill and should be quarantined.
Rotavirus treatment involves replacing fluids and electrolytes in the patient. Antibiotics will not help to cure rotavirus infection. However, these drugs can be used to treat the underlying infection. If the condition is severe or the patient is dehydrated, they will need admission to the hospital.
Symptoms of rotavirus gastroenteritis include watery, non-bloody diarrhoea and fever. In severe cases, the illness can lead to dehydration, encephalitis, and seizures. Children are more likely to exhibit vomiting than adults. They may also show signs of metabolic acidosis and fever.
Prevention
Rotavirus infection can be prevented through several steps. The first step is to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. The virus is spread through contact with the stool of an infected person or object. Using a disinfectant or soap to clean your hands can also help prevent the spread of rotavirus. Prevention of rotavirus is essential for young children, especially if they go to daycare.
Rotavirus vaccines are available on the market today. However, vaccines need to be manufactured at affordable prices to achieve global coverage. As a result, several manufacturers in emerging countries are developing candidate vaccines. They should be available within five years. However, they are not yet available in the United States.
Infant vaccination is the primary public health measure to prevent rotavirus infection. Vaccination has also been shown to reduce the number of hospitalizations and the severity of the disease. However, children can still get rotavirus infection even after the vaccine.
Vaccines
Rotavirus vaccines are a cost-effective solution to protect children against this severe disease. They can be used in both developed and developing countries. These vaccines provide high protection against the disease in children. In addition, vaccines can potentially reduce the use of antibiotics and save lives. Currently, 45 Gavi-supported countries use rotavirus vaccines. In India, a nationwide rotavirus vaccination programme is being developed.
The Rotarix vaccine was first approved in Mexico in 2004 and has been used in many countries worldwide. Later, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the bovine-human reassortant vaccine RotaTeq. These vaccines have the potential to reduce hospitalizations and deaths related to the rotavirus.
The effectiveness of rotavirus vaccines has not yet been thoroughly evaluated, but several studies have shown promising results. In the United States, two vaccines have been licensed from Merck, RotaTeq (RV5) and Rotarix (RV1), all of which are oral live-attenuated virus vaccines. They were developed through reassortment of a bovine rotavirus strain and a human strain. They contain the P1A(8) attachment protein and human G proteins, two of the proteins involved in infection. | https://www.thedailyengage.com/rotavirus-and-rotavirus-vaccines/ |
Many countries are counting on vaccines to build sufficient immunity in their populations so that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, isn’t able to find enough people to infect, causing transmission to eventually stop. But even in countries with a high proportion of people inoculated with highly effective vaccines, it’s unclear if it’s possible to reach the so-called herd immunity threshold anytime soon.
Will vaccines eliminate Covid-19?
There’s considerable uncertainty about that. One scientific paper calculated that if a vaccine could provide a lifelong, fail-safe shield against infection with SARS-CoV-2, it would need to reach 60-72 per cent of people to establish herd immunity. But if a vaccine is only 80 per cent effective at preventing any infection, 75-90 per cent of people would need to be immunised — a high bar. The Covid vaccines in use today have been shown to offer 50-97 per cent protection against becoming sick, but it’s mostly unknown how well they prevent people from getting an infection without symptoms that could still be passed on. The rapidly spreading delta variant, which is about twice as infectious as the original strain, is weakening vaccine effectiveness too. Another question is the duration of protection. The shorter it turns out to be, the higher the rates of immunisation required to establish herd immunity. Vaccines might not have to do all the work to get there: Some people who’ve already had the virus will be immunised against it, though not as well as those who’ve been inoculated.
The more the coronavirus circulates, the more opportunity it has to mutate in ways that enhance its ability to evade the immunity people have gained. Over the past year, such variants have spread globally, leading to new surges in cases. Studies from the UK have shown delta, discovered in India in October, is more resistant to vaccines than the alpha variant that emerged in England in late 2020, particularly in people who have received just the first of two doses. Scientists say the vaccines should still work at stopping severe disease in the vast majority of cases, but some shots may be less effective at protecting against mild infections. Inoculations may need to be updated periodically to maintain their efficacy.
Why is delta especially problematic?
Vaccines have been shown to reduce the concentration of virus particles, or viral loads, in the airways of individuals who become infected, lowering the probability of them transmitting their infection to others. Delta, though, is linked with viral loads that are over 1,200 times higher in newly infected individuals compared with the original coronavirus strain — a feature that helps delta spread as easily as chickenpox.
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Muhammad Ejaz (Abbasi), a PhD student at the Hazara University in Mansehra, Pakistan, will be a guest researcher at the School of Global Studies from April to September 2019.
“My research topic is ‘Civil Society and Peacebuilding in Pakistan: A Critical Analysis’ and Dr. Adil Seemab is supervising me. In my research, I intend to work on the role of civil society in the transformation of the ethnic conflicts and ultimately bringing about the sustainable peace. Furthermore, the main discussion will be on the role, challenges and potentials of the civil society of Pakistan in the peace building,” said Muhammad Ejaz.
During his time at the School of Global Studies, Muhammad Ejaz hopes to gain new theoretical insights of relevance to his research on the role of civil society in peacebuilding. His contact person at the School of Global Studies is Camilla Orjuela, professor in peace and development research.
As a guest researcher at SGS, he has been sponsored by the Higher Education Commission Islamabad (Pakistan), which regulates and accredit the Higher Education Institutes and Universities in Pakistan.
“My border interests in the academics are civil resistance, peace building, ethnic conflicts, regional organizations, South Asian politics, and Pakistani Society, Politics and Foreign Affairs. My unpublished research theses, my research papers and periodicals are basically related with the above mentioned areas,” said Muhammad Ejaz.
“Furthermore, I am also a member of the National Youth Assembly, National Peace Council, Inter-Faith Harmony, Pakistanis and PASS – organizations, which are working for social uplift of the masses, peacebuilding and countering the narratives of extremists in the country." | https://globalstudies.gu.se/forskning/gastforskarprogram/muhammad-ejaz-2019 |
The 2020 Summer Olympics javelin throw competition for men was held in the Japan National Stadium on August 4th and 7th, 2021. For more information continue reading below Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men’s Javelin Throw.
About 35 competitors competed, with the actual number depending on how many countries sent athletes in via universality places in addition to the 32 who qualified automatically via distance or ranking (one universality place was used in 2016).
Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men’s Javelin Throw
On August 4, 5, and 7, 2021, in the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, the men’s javelin throw competed in the Athletics 2020 event of the 2020 Summer Olympics. There were 32 athletes competing, and Neeraj Chopra of India came out on top.
His compatriots Jakub Vadlejch and Vitezslav Vesely both of the Czech Republic won silver and bronze, respectively.
There are two stages to the competition. Each athlete will have three opportunities to throw the javelin as far as possible during qualification. There will be a total of 24 competitors, and the top 12 after three attempts will qualify for the final.
In the championship round, just like in qualifying, the qualified athletes will have three opportunities to go as far as they can; but, in contrast to qualification, the top eight finishers will receive an additional three attempts. The competition is won by the competitor who throws the furthest distance.
There will be 32 competitors in the competition, and one of the favourites is Johannes Vetter. After placing fourth in 2016 and winning gold at the 2017 world championships, the German athlete settled for bronze in 2019.
Last Words
Keshorn Walcott and Neeraj Chopra were in shape with large throws leading up to the Olympics, but the competition also included Cheng Chao-tsun, ranked third in the world, and Anderson Peters, ranked fifth, giving the event a lot of potential medalists.
Challengers to the 2013 World Champion Vitezslav Vesely were Julian Weber, Gatis Cakss, and Alexandru Mihaita Novac. | https://newsexel.com/athletics-at-the-2020-summer-olympics-mens-javelin-throw/ |
Language performance in naturalistic contexts can be characterized by general measures of productivity, fluency, lexical diversity, and grammatical complexity and accuracy. The use of such measures as indices of language impairment in older children is open to questions of method and...
- Second children don't talk later than first. // Redbook;Jan97, Vol. 188 Issue 3, p114
Presents the results of a study on the vocabulary usage of firstborn and second children; Significant difference between the two groups; Conclusions.
- Tracking children from poverty at risk for specific language impairment: A 3-year longitudinal... Fazio, Barbara B.; Naremore, Rita C. // Journal of Speech & Hearing Research;Jun96, Vol. 39 Issue 3, p611
Presents a longitudinal study of the language performance of children from poverty and address the problem of separating children with a specific language impairment (SLI) from low-scoring normal children. Subject selection; Changes in procedures; Determination of passing scores on language...
- Children With SLI Argument Structure Cues to Learn Verbs. Oetting, Janna B. // Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research;Oct1999, Vol. 42 Issue 5, p1261
Provides information on a study which examined whether children in the United States with specific language impairment (SLI) make use of structural cues to learn verbs. Outline of syntactic bootstrapping; Characteristics of children with SLI; Methodology of the study; Results and discussions of...
- Children With a History of Expressive Vocabulary Delay: Outcomes at 5 Years of Age. Girolametto, Luigi; Wiigs, Megan; Smyth, Ron; Weitzman, Elaine; Pearce, Patsy Steig // American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology;Nov2001, Vol. 10 Issue 4, p358
Outcomes of 21 children who were previously identified as late talkers were investigated at 5 years of age. The model of service delivery used for these children included a parent program for preventive intervention when the children were 2 years old, followed by focused direct intervention for...
- Language Abilities of Children with Asperger Syndrome. Saalasti, Satu; Lepistö, Tuulia; Toppila, Esko; Kujala, Teija; Laakso, Minna; Nieminen-von Wendt, Taina; Wendt, Lennart; Jansson-Verkasalo, Eira // Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders;Sep2008, Vol. 38 Issue 8, p1574
Current diagnostic taxonomies (ICD-10, DSM-IV) emphasize normal acquisition of language in Asperger syndrome (AS). Although many linguistic sub-skills may be fairly normal in AS there are also contradictory findings. There are only few studies examining language skills of children with AS in...
- Talking Tots: early speech and language development. Hubbard, Ben // Education (14637073);10/17/2003, Issue 116, p4
Focuses on a Bilston and Ettingshall Sure Start (BESS) research which found that several four-year-olds in Great Britain had speech and language skills below the national average and the norms expected for their age. Response of Jessica Guerin, a specialist speech and language therapist at BESS,...
- Trastorno EspecÃfico del Desarrollo del Lenguaje en una población infantil colombiana. HINCAPIÉ-HENAO, LILIANA; GIRALDO-PRIETO, MARIO; LOPERA-RESTREPO, FRANCISCO; PINEDA-SALAZAR, DAVID ANTONIO; CASTRO-REBOLLEDO, RODRIGO; LOPERA-VÁSQUEZ, JUAN PABLO; MENDIETA-VILLAMIZAR, NORA STELLA; JARAMILLO-PÉREZ, ÁNGELA MARÍA; ARBOLEDA-RAMIREZ, ALEJANDRA; AGUIRRE-ACEVEDO, DANIEL CAMILO; LOPERA-ECHEVERRI, EGIDIO // Universitas Psychologica;may-ago2008, Vol. 7 Issue 2, p557
The Neuroscience Group of Antioquia evaluated two hundred and four children from 6 to 16 years old with speech and language problems and 51 of them meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria for Specific Language Impairment (SLI). The SLI group underwent a neuropsychological and linguistic test...
- Repeated Storybook Reading as an Instructional Method. Bellon, Monica L.; Ogletree, Billy T. // Intervention in School & Clinic;Nov2000, Vol. 36 Issue 2, p75
Discusses repeated storybook reading using adult scaffolding and phonological awareness strategies to facilitate oral and written language in children with language delays. Benefits of storybook reading; Storybook selection; Storybook use; Intervention strategies used; Necessary clinical... | http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/2353721/effects-treatment-linguistic-social-skills-toddlers-delayed-language-development |
Atlantic Magazine asserts that Millennials are the “best-educated generation in American history,” with more than a third holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. Nevertheless, they may become the first generation of Americans to be worse off than their parents, with lower incomes, more debt, and higher poverty rates.
Which obstacles will this generation face during their careers?
Who can Millennials trust for financial advice?
What are the most important, time-tested strategies for building wealth?
For the working careers of most Millennials (2010-2060), economic growth measured by gross domestic product (GDP) will average 2.08% annually, according to projections by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This rate is less than half the rate of GDP growth of 6.86% experienced in the previous half-century (1960-2010) calculated from figures supplied by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Physical work requiring little to no formal training is quickly disappearing as intelligent machines assume more of the tasks formerly done by humans. According to figures compiled by the Brookings Institute, the manufacturing sector’s share of GDP accounted for 12.1% of annual real GDP during the period 1960-2010, while its proportion of the workforce fell from approximately 25% to 8.8%.
Routine tasks are increasingly becoming mechanized. Some experts found that 47% of workers in America had jobs at high risk of automation. The jobs at risk include taxi and delivery drivers, receptionists, programmers, telemarketers, and accountants.
Defined contribution retirement plans have replaced defined benefit plans (pensions), while more employers are transferring health care costs to employees in the form of higher insurance premiums, co-pays, and limited coverages.
Contract labor is replacing employees as companies seek to lower fixed costs and increase flexibility. One report estimates that more than 40% of the American workforce – 60 million workers – will be self-employed as freelancers, contractors, or temporary employees by 2020.
The historical link between productivity and pay is disappearing, exacerbating the disparity between the “haves” and “have-nots.” In 1970, almost two-thirds of Americans were considered middle class, reflecting the link between productivity and pay between 1948 and 1973. Although productivity has continued to increase, about half of American families were considered “middle class” in 2014, according to the Pew Research Center. Rising income inequality is likely here to stay.
The survival of social safety nets, such as Social Security and Medicare is uncertain as Federal and local governments wrestle with unprecedented national debt levels. Simply put, neither Social Security nor Medicare is guaranteed for future beneficiaries without significant changes in the programs.
1. Family Income Is Increasingly Volatile. More than 40% of families experience an income gain or drop of more than 25% every two years. While drops and gains have balanced out in recent years (about the same number increasing income as those losing income), only two-thirds of those families suffering a drop recover their previous income level within the next decade.
2. Emergency Savings Are Virtually Nonexistent. Most households (75%) lack sufficient emergency funds to replace their income for a 30-day period. The top quarter of households have savings to cover just 52 days of income. Liquidating their investments and retirement funds would increase this to an estimated 98 days of protection. In other words, three-quarters of American families could cover only four months of their income (without selling their homes) if a major economic shock occurred.
3. Almost Half of Families Spend More Than They Earn. As a consequence, they are unable to save and rely on borrowing to make ends meet. One in 11 Americans now pays more than 40% of their income on interest and debt repayment.
In addition to an uncertain economic future, Millennials begin their working careers with greater student debt than any previous generation: $16,500 for a 1999 graduate, rising to $37,172 for a 2016 graduate. In other words, the average Millennial graduate is shackled to a $23,000 ball and chain (the average debt for graduates during the period) that will impact retirement savings, homeownership, and the age of marriage and parenthood. | http://www.michaelrlewis.org/investing-financial-advice-for-millennials-6-principles-to-build-wealth/ |
In a recent study, where more than 7.000 plantar fasciitis patients revealed their best working treatment, it was shown that stretching and massaging your plantar fascia plus the usage of appropriate footwear such as special sandals and walking shoes are the most effective treatments.
Plantar fasciitis and calcaneal spur may be caused by a shortening of the muscles, primarily in the sole of the foot or the calf. Stretching the muscles and ligaments in this area may relieve some of the tension on the plantar fascia.
Below we explain some recommended exercises that can be used to stretch the muscles and treat plantar fasciitis. Some have very similar results, so find the ones that suit you best for stretching the entire area.
NOTE:
Make sure you don’t abuse these exercises. Although it may relieve the pain, if you exceed it may cause harm to the muscle fibers and ligaments. Make sure to do these exercises several times during the day with 3 to 4 exercises in every session and 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise.
EXERCISE 1 (THE BOTTLE ROLLER): MASSAGE AND TEMPERATURE CHANGES
The first exercise focuses on the release of the myofascial tissue in the sole of the foot, in which the plantar fascia is part. To do it, you just need a cylindrical object to massage the foot sole. A bottle of 0.5 l of water or a can may be used, ideally with a low temperature due to the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of cold temperatures. Place the object on an anti-slip surface such as a towel. Place the foot on the object and roll your foot back and forth. Do this exercise approximately 5 minutes with each foot, ideally at the end of the day. This may be done sitting or standing and it is important to make sure there is adequate pressure on the object in order to get a better stretch of the sole structures.
EXERCISE 2: MUSCLE STRETCHING
The second exercise is a direct stretching of the structures involved in the tension of the foot sole (Gastrocnemius and soleus). This exercise should be done in a sitting position with a towel or an elastic band placed on the forefoot while holding the ends of the towel with your hands. A flexion movement should be done aiming to pull the toes back towards you while keeping the knee outstretched. Do 10-15 repetitions with each foot until completion of 3-4 sessions.
EXERCISE 3: STRENGTHENING
The third and last exercise is recommended for the strengthening of the foot structures (intrinsic muscles). The goal of this exercise is to build resistance of the structures in order for them to contribute to the support of the plantar arch. Lay a towel out on the floor and try to grab it or drag it toward us using only our toes. This should be done for 3-4 minutes with both feet at the same time.
BONUS EXERCISES
Exercise 1: Stretching of the plantar fascia and calf.
Stand with your metatarsals or tiptoes at the edge of a step. Let the heel fall until you feel the stretch. Stay in this position for a few seconds and rest.
Exercise 2: Stretching of the plantar fascia and calf.
Sitting on a chair, cross your right leg over the left one. Grab your right toes and stretch them towards you.
Exercise 3: Stretching of the calf.
Support yourself against a wall or post leaving one leg back in a stretched position while keeping your front leg bent at the knee. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in the back leg.
Exercise 4: Stretching of the lower part of the calf (soleus muscle).
Lean back against a wall, lower yourself and bend your knees. You’ll feel a stretch in the lower part of the calf where [no comma] the soleus muscle is located.
Exercise 5: Stretching of the plantar fascia.
In a sitting position, place a golf or tennis ball under your foot and roll your foot back and forth so that the ball massages and stretches the sole. The harder the ball, the better the results. Avoid causing yourself too much pain.
Hey, | https://treatplantarfasciitis.com/blogs/support/stretches-and-exercises-for-plantar-fasciitis |
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Journal Articles
Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus Does Not Affect the Decrease of Decision Threshold during the Choice Process When There Is No Conflict, Time Pressure, or Reward
Publisher: Journals Gateway
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2018) 30 (6): 876–884.
Published: 01 June 2018
FIGURES
AbstractView article PDF
During a decision process, the evidence supporting alternative options is integrated over time, and the choice is made when the accumulated evidence for one of the options reaches a decision threshold. Humans and animals have an ability to control the decision threshold, that is, the amount of evidence that needs to be gathered to commit to a choice, and it has been proposed that the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is important for this control. Recent behavioral and neurophysiological data suggest that, in some circumstances, the decision threshold decreases with time during choice trials, allowing overcoming of indecision during difficult choices. Here we asked whether this within-trial decrease of the decision threshold is mediated by the STN and if it is affected by disrupting information processing in the STN through deep brain stimulation (DBS). We assessed 13 patients with Parkinson disease receiving bilateral STN DBS six or more months after the surgery, 11 age-matched controls, and 12 young healthy controls. All participants completed a series of decision trials, in which the evidence was presented in discrete time points, which allowed more direct estimation of the decision threshold. The participants differed widely in the slope of their decision threshold, ranging from constant threshold within a trial to steeply decreasing. However, the slope of the decision threshold did not depend on whether STN DBS was switched on or off and did not differ between the patients and controls. Furthermore, there was no difference in accuracy and RT between the patients in the on and off stimulation conditions and healthy controls. Previous studies that have reported modulation of the decision threshold by STN DBS or unilateral subthalamotomy in Parkinson disease have involved either fast decision-making under conflict or time pressure or in anticipation of high reward. Our findings suggest that, in the absence of reward, decision conflict, or time pressure for decision-making, the STN does not play a critical role in modulating the within-trial decrease of decision thresholds during the choice process.
Journal Articles
Publisher: Journals Gateway
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2015) 27 (10): 2035–2050.
Published: 01 October 2015
FIGURES | View All (6)
AbstractView article PDF
Memory consolidation underpins adaptive behavior and dopaminergic networks may be critical for prolonged, selective information storage. To understand the time course of the dopaminergic contribution to memory consolidation in humans, here we investigate the effect of dopaminergic medication on recall and recognition in the short and longer term in Parkinson disease (PD). Fifteen people with PD were each tested on or off dopaminergic medication during learning/early consolidation (Day 1) and/or late consolidation (Day 2). Fifteen age-matched healthy participants were tested only once. On Day 1 participants learned new information, and early episodic memory was tested after 30 min. Then on Day 2, recall and recognition were retested after a 24-hr delay. Participants on medication on Day 1 recalled less information at 30 min and 24 hr. In contrast, patients on medication on Day 2 (8–24 hr after learning) recalled more information at 24 hr than those off medication. Although recognition sensitivity was unaffected by medication, response bias was dependent on dopaminergic state: Medication during learning induced a more liberal bias 24 hr later, whereas patients off medication during learning were more conservative responders 24 hr later. We use computational modeling to propose possible mechanisms for this change in response bias. In summary, dopaminergic medication in PD patients during learning impairs early consolidation of episodic memory and makes delayed responses more liberal, but enhances late memory consolidation presumably through a dopamine-dependent consolidation pathway that may be active during sleep. | https://direct.mit.edu/jocn/search-results?f_Authors=Rafal+Bogacz |
PREVIOUSLY: Negotiations between Univision and Dish have reached an apparent impasse, as the two companies have released competing statements blaming each other for the breakdown.
Late Friday, Dish released a statement saying Univision made an “abrupt departure” from the negotiating table in their ongoing carriage dispute.
The company also accused Univision of making “untenable demands” and slow-walking the negotiations. According to Dish, Univision is asking for a 75 percent increase in retransmission fees. The company pointed to Univision’s declining ratings and failure to secure the rights to the next three World Cups as the reasons those demands are unreasonable.
Dish also took issue with Univision’s subscription offering, Univision Now, being priced at $7.99 a month, nearly 50 percent less than what Univision is asking Dish to pay to make the same content available to its customers.
Univision fired back with its own statement on Saturday, disputing Dish’s claim that it had ended negotiations.
The company also said Dish’s claim about Univision’s declining ratings does not fully reflect the network’s value to its customers. According to Univision, its viewers make up 60 percent of the Spanish-language for Dish’s DishLatino service.
“With a growing number of platforms and ways to watch programming, traditional ratings don’t tell the full story. The old industry standard of capturing viewers simply cannot reflect a network’s popularity or cultural relevance today,” Univision said. | https://www.thewrap.com/univision-dish-trade-barbs-in-ongoing-carriage-dispute/ |
Q:
Missing line below caption in algorithm environment
Using two different computers at work and at home, I sometimes compile my thesis with one computer and sometimes with the other. Most of the time the two versions are consistent, but for algorithms I noticed that the same code gives a different output on the two machines. In particular, if I compile the following code:
\begin{algorithm}[!t]
\caption{The GaussSieve algorithm}
\begin{algorithmic}[1]
\State Initialize an empty list $L$ and an empty stack $S$
\Repeat
\State Get a vector $\vec{v}$ from the stack (or sample a new one)
\For{\textbf{each} $\vec{w} \in L$}
\State Reduce $\vec{v}$ with $\vec{w}$
\State Reduce $\vec{w}$ with $\vec{v}$
...
then on one computer I get:
and if I compile on the other I get:
In other words: on one machine the output has a horizontal line (as I think it should) and on the other it doesn't. On both machines I use the algorithmicx and the algpseudocode packages, along with a dozen other packages.
So my question is: how do I make the output consistent? And in particular, how do I get both computers to add the horizontal line? Is there a simple command that I could use that forces both machines to output a horizontal line there? Or could I force both computers to use the same version of the package, by e.g. putting the same .sty file in some folder?
Additionally: the spacing between the caption and the first line is larger in the second example than in the first, which causes the page numbers on both machines to be different (as in the first case one section just fits within the page, and in the second it doesn't).
Thanks in advance!
A:
Updating the packages algorithmicx and algorithms did not help, but indeed the problem was that on one machine one of the packages was outdated.
After a thorough search/comparison of the package dates in the MiKTeX Package Manager on both machines, I found that on one system the package caption had a different date than the other. Uninstalling the older version, synchronizing the repository, and installing the newest version or this package (dated 2013-05-21) solved the problem.
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When I first saw this recipe at Vania’s Blog I thought how easy, just mix everything in a bowl.
Here is the recipe. Originally from Martha Stewart.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 large whole eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup warm water
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 standard 12 cup muffin pans with paper liners.
Into the bowl of an electric mixer, sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Attact bowl to mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; add the eggs and yolk, the milk, oil, vanilla and warm water. Beat on low speed until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Divided batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake come out clean, 20-25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool slightly. Invert cupcakes onto the rack; then reinvert and let them cool completely, top sides up. Frost cupcakes with buttercream, swirling to cover and garnish with chocolate curls.
Cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 day. | https://www.whittycute.com/sweet/one-bowl-chocolate-cupcakes/ |
Greater transparency and, in particular, sharing of clinical study reports and patient level data for further research is an increasingly important topic for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry and other organisations who sponsor and conduct clinical research as well as academic researchers and patient advocacy groups. Statisticians are ambassadors for data sharing and are central to its success. They play an integral role in data sharing discussions within their companies and also externally helping to shape policy and processes while providing input into practical solutions to aid data sharing. Data sharing is generating changes in the required profile for statisticians in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, as well as academic institutions and patient advocacy groups. Successful statisticians need to possess many qualities required in today's pharmaceutical environment such as collaboration, diplomacy, written and oral skills and an ability to be responsive; they are also knowledgeable when debating strategy and analytical techniques. However, increasing data transparency will require statisticians to evolve and learn new skills and behaviours during their career which may not have been an accepted part of the traditional role. Statisticians will move from being the gate-keepers of data to be data facilitators. To adapt successfully to this new environment, the role of the statistician is likely to be broader, including defining new responsibilities that lie beyond the boundaries of the traditional role. Statisticians should understand how data transparency can benefit them and the potential strategic advantage it can bring and be fully aware of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry commitments to data transparency and the policies within their company or research institute in addition to focusing on reviewing requests and provisioning data. Data transparency will evolve the role of statisticians within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, academia and research bodies to a level which may not have been an accepted part of their traditional role or career. In the future, skills will be required to manage challenges arising from data sharing; statisticians will need strong scientific and statistical guiding principles for reanalysis and supplementary analyses based on researchers' requests, have enhanced consultancy skills, in particular the ability to defend good statistical practice in the face of criticism and the ability to critique methods of analysis. Statisticians will also require expertise in data privacy regulations, data redaction and anonymisation and be able to assess the probability of re-identification, an ability to understand analyses conducted by researchers and recognise why such analyses may propose different results compared to the original analyses. Bringing these skills to the implementation of data sharing and interpretation of the results will help to maximise the value of shared data while guarding against misleading conclusions. | https://www.altmetric.com/details/9525852 |
Lino Tagliapietra: The Making of a Maestro
Lino Tagliapietra, considered by most as the greatest glassblower in history, is a mentor, motivator, and visionary. Bridging the divide between Italian and American glassblowing, Lino's career has transcended continents and inspired a new generation of glassblowers. Now 85, Lino continues to push the boundaries of the medium, testing the limits to see what both the material and the man can do. | https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/lino-tagliapietra-the-making-of-a-maestro/umc.cmc.4cnst837fshgsorw50stvdmea |
Today, Governor Charlie Baker extended the pause on evictions and foreclosures for 60 days, until October 17, 2020, through the authority granted to the governor by Chapter 65 of the Acts of 2020, An Act providing for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 Emergency, which was signed into law on April 20, 2020. This law’s limitations on evictions and foreclosures have allowed many tenants and homeowners impacted by COVID-19 to remain in their homes during the state of emergency, and this extension provides residents of the Commonwealth with continued housing security as businesses cautiously re-open, more people return to work, and the state collectively moves toward a “new normal.” The moratorium was set to expire on August 18, 2020.
Bridgewater Police Accepting Applications for Cadet Program
Chief Christopher D. Delmonte is pleased to announce that the Bridgewater Police Department is accepting applications from qualified residents to fill two full-time Police Cadet positions.
State Announces Launch of Targeted Free COVID-19 Testing Sites
Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced the launch of free COVID-19 testing sites in eight communities from July 10 to August 14 to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
State Officials Announce EEE Preparedness Measures
Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito today joined Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides, Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel and local officials to highlight steps the Commonwealth is taking to prepare for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) this year. Preparedness measures include ongoing and increased surveillance testing, an updated public awareness campaign, and mitigation efforts such as larvicide, spraying, and horse vaccination. The Administration also highlighted its recently-filed legislation that would authorize a coordinated, proactive, statewide approach to mosquito control activities. | https://bwaterportal.com/page/3/ |
IoT data capture from products and assets to understand performance, usage, and potential monetization opportunity is not automated and cohesive.
Goals and Objectives
The objectives are to design products that track and capture performance and usage and provide users an easy way to communicate feedback to product owners that could lead to monetization.
Technology Deployed
Hardware: AR/VR, Servers, storage, IoT, smartphones, tablets
Software: CAD, PLM, ERP, SCP, BDA, Cognitive/AI
Services: Business services, Connectivity services, IT services
Use Case Summary
Products are designed to easily capture data and communicate to engineering & R&D, to optimize monetization. | https://www.idc-dxusecases.com/use-case/design-for-data-monetization/?color=orange&modal=1 |
Important note: This Wiki page is edited by participants of the EOWG. It does not necessarily represent consensus and it may have incorrect information or information that is not supported by other Working Group participants, WAI, or W3C. It may also have some very useful information.
Important Note: For this draft we have some tool-specific guidance. However, there are potential issues with vendor-neutraility and we might need to address this a different way — for example, moving tool-specific guidance to WebPlatform Docs or the WAI-Engage wiki where people can easily add other tools.
Introduction
EOWG Comments on the Introduction
editor's discretion:section tools.First sentence: "Most of these checks you can do with any browser, that is, you do not need to download anything."Are the words in the right order in this sentence or should it be: "You can do most of these checks with any browser, that is, you do not need to download anything"? {Sylvie}
Page title
EOWG Notes on Page Title
[done] the shortcut with the WAT toolbar is no direct one: You first have to press ctrl+alt+6, then press down arrow key once or type the first menu letter, maybe H for the English version of the toolbar? {Sylvie} [Thanks, Sylvie! I added it. {Shawn}]
The text says: "The first thing screen readers say when the user goes to a different web page is the page title. Page titles are important for orientation — to help users know where they are and move between open pages."Would it be useful to have a sound clip of the screen reader going through page titles? Low priority, but maybe neat for people who don't know screen readers? {Shawn}
The text says: "Most browsers have a window title bar by default, except Chrome and IE versions 9 and later. In those browsers, and most others, you can see the full page title by hovering over the tab".
Suggested text: "Many browsers have a window title bar and tabs, whereas others, such as Chrome and IE versions 9 and above, use tabs only to display the page title. For browsers with tabs only hover over the tab to view the full page title" {Vicki}.
Headings
EOWG Notes on Headings
heading h4: "To try checking headings in BAD" There seems to be one or two words too much:"Follow the one of the instructions under "To check headings outline" above"Suggestion: "Follow one of the instructions under "To check headings outline" above" {Sylvie}
comment {name}
Color contrast
Zoom and text size
People with mild to moderate visual impairments may need to enlarge content in order to read it, or read it without straining. This simple requirement is mostly achieved by the functionality of the browser and ensuring that the page design supports that functionality.
Most browsers offer two ways of enlarging content: page zoom and text resize. Page zoom works by scaling up the page content, so that text, images, and buttons are all increased or decreased in size, and the integrity of the layout is maintained. Text resize only affects text, although implementation techniques can be used to also change the widths and heights of containers, margins, padding, and other aspects of the design.
Not all browsers offer both choices, and some browsers will not resize text if it has been set using fixed units such as pixels.
In browsers that support zoom, increase zoom level to 200% or maximum zoom if smaller than 200%
In browsers that support text resizing, increase text size to 200% or maximum size if smaller than 200%
What to do
For each browser to be tested:
Set the screen window to full width
Open your preferred browsers. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Opera all offer zoom as a function of View or Function menus, or as a keyboard shortcut (usually, Control +, or for Mac Command +).
In browsers that support page zoom, enable this option and use the appropriate control to increase zoom level to 200% or maximum zoom.
In browsers that support text resizing, enable this option and use the appropriate control to increase text size to 200% or maximum size.
What you will see
For page zoom layout should remain approximately the same for fixed width designs, and will reflow in the same way as resizing the window would at small sizes.
For text resize most aspects of the design will not change and layout will probably not increase in size. Content will reflow appropriately within the same available space as text increases in size.
What to check for
Text should increase in size in both cases, addionally with page zoom all elements on the page should increase in size.
No content should overlap.
All controls must be clickable.
Note
Some browsers can expand the text beyond 200% - this is not covered by the resize requirement as it is recognised that this will cause some of the failures described. It is also accepted that some horizontal scrolling may be necessary but see also 1.4.8 which is a AAA requirement.
Users with more severe visual impairments who need larger text are likely to use screen magnifiers to increase text size above 200%.
link to {BAD example} No specific BAD examples – some reference to Text as image in relation to the phone number, and column width.Question for Shadi or others: Are there any BAD pages that break with text or page zoom?
EOWG notes on zoom and enlarge
[done - 1 Feb agreed to include it] We previously thought we wouldn't include this in the easy checks. One of the issues was conflicting perspectives in forums and critiques that 200% is too hard to meet. Ian has re-drafted this section.
Please comment on reasons to include it or not. Feel free to edit the main text as well.
I would include this as it's well explained and sounds simple :) Often, this is a check which is quite difficult to understand but as it's explained quite clearly here, I would include it. One comment: at the end of the first section (just before "What to do"), there are two bullet points on the browsers and zooming. Shouldn't this be removed and left (as currently duplicated) in the "What to do" section? {Vicki}
Keyboard access, labels, content order, visual focus
Many people do not use the mouse and rely on the keyboard to interact with the Web. This requires keyboard access to all functionality, including links, form controls, input, and other user interface components. While screen reader users rely on the keyboard, they are not the only ones. In addition, sighted users with mobility impairments may rely on the keyboard or have assistive technologies that are controlled through keyboard actions. Therefore, key components of effective keyboard access include visible focus indication and a logical tab order. @@ need to explain 'visible focus indicator' and 'logical tab order' - we can't just use these phrases and expect folk to understand {Andrew}
What To Do
Click in the address bar, then put your mouse aside and don't use it.
Press the 'tab' key to move around the page. @@ Alternative: Press the 'tab' key to move through the interactive elements on the page. {Andrew}
Use the keyboard to set the focus to all focusable elements on the page. @@ Huh?? What does this mean in comparison to previous bullet? {Andrew}
What To Look For
Can you tab to all the elements, including links, form fields, buttons, and media player controls? Are there any actions you can't get to (e.g., if they are only available on mouse hover or click)?
Does the tab order follow the logical reading order, top to bottom, left to right in sequence?
Does the focus get stuck anywhere - that is, you can tab into a control but not out? (called a "keyboard trap")?
Does the order that items get focus make sense to sighted users? (e.g., you don't jump around the page out of order logically) @@ Covered in point 2? {Andrew}
Can you tab right through to the bottom of the page and then resume again from the top? (e.g. you don't get stuck anywhere and can't move on)
If there is a drop-down box (for example, for navigating to a different page): If you tab into the drop-down box, can you use the down/up arrow keys to move through the options, and @@use 'tab' to the following item@@? (Make sure it doesn't automatically select the first item.)
Visually examine progress through elements and verify that the focus indicator is clearly visible (i.e. you can see where you've 'tabbed' to). @@ swap bracket for phrase before to reduce jargon? {Andrew}
Common failures occur when the default focus indicator is turned off in CSS or when the element is styled with borders that occlude the focus indicator.
Verify that any visual changes that occur with mouse hover also are triggered with keyboard focus
Notes
Multimedia (video, audio) alternatives
[Updated 7 February]
Check multimedia elements to ensure that visual and audio content includes equivalent alternatives and that the media player is fully accessible.
What to do
These steps will give you a quick and easy first look. They will identify that alternatives for media content have been considered and attempted. A more comprehensive testing process will be needed to verify the quality of the alternatives provided.
Follow the steps for keyboard access to ensure that the media player controls are labeled and operable by all users.
Play a short piece of the audio content
Play a short segment of the video content
Toggle closed captions on (if available) {@@ need some guidance on how to do this?}
Toggle audio description on (if available) {@@ need some guidance on how to do this?}
If no captions or audio description options are provided, check page for transcript or link to transcript
What to look for
Captions
Are captions provided?
Are they synchronized to the spoken content? {@@ not sure this is necessary for easy check?}
Has important audio content other than dialogue been included? (music, relevant ambient sounds, etc) {@@ need to say more and maybe give examples, or is that beyond easy check?}
Audio Description
{@@ think most people have no idea what this is and we need a brief explanation? Andrew: agree}
Is an audio description track provided? {@@ could be a separate file, not a track}
Transcript
If captions and audio descriptions are not provided, look for a link to a text-based script containing dialogue and other audio content and description of video needed for understanding.
Check for spelling and accuracy. {@@ I think spelling and accuracy is beyond quick check}
Note: Some aspects will be integrated with keyboard access, visual focus, content order.
Forms are everywhere on the web and successful user interaction relies on clear, understandable, and accessible form controls. Several principles of accessibility should be kept in mind when testing forms. Labels for form controls, input, and other user interface components must be provided. Many people do not use the mouse and rely on the keyboard to interact with the Web. This requires visible keyboard access to all functionality, including form controls. Forms may be confusing or difficult to use for many people, and, as a result, they may be more likely to make mistakes. Clear recovery mechanisms must be provided.
Forms - simplified
[Edited by Suzette, is this sufficiently simplified?]
Note: Some aspects of Forms will be integrated with keyboard access, visual focus, content order. {SK - Also have removed references to colour coding and graphics/non text content and CAPTCHA.}
Forms are everywhere on the web and successful user interaction relies on clear, understandable, and accessible form controls. Forms are complex and need in depth assessment.
Some critical elements which can affect screen reader users are much easier to detect using an automatic tool to check the HTML and CSS, or as a user trial with an experienced screen reader user.
The following visual checks can identify some common problems which are particularly important when testing forms.
{There 10 Success criteria references are included to help editorial choices – is this too many? SK}
Labels for form controls, input, and other user interface components must be provided. (Labels and Instructions 3.3.2 A)
Keyboard access for people who do not use the mouse and rely on the keyboard to interact with the Web. This requires visible keyboard access to all functionality, including form controls. (Keyboard 2.1.1 A, No keyboard trap 2.1.2 A, Focus visible 2.4.7 AA)
Information needs to be in a logical order which is followed when tabbing through the input fields. (Meaningful sequence 1.3.2 A, Focus order 2.4.3 A)
Error correction: Forms may be confusing or difficult to use for many people, and, as a result, they may need more time and be more likely to make mistakes. Clear recovery mechanisms must be provided. (Error identification 3.3.1 A, Error suggestion 3.3.3.AA, Error prevention (legal, financial, data) 3.3.4 AA. Timing 2.2.1 A)
Are there any forms
Check through the web pages to look for examples of forms.
What to look for:
Forms include registration forms, contact forms, booking and purchase details which include text entry fields, radio buttons, dropdown boxes and submit buttons and also single text entry boxes such as login or search box.
Visually examine the instructions for the form and input fields
Check over each form.
What to look for:
Are there text instructions at the beginning of the form including if any elements are essential?
Are there text labels (before/after?) the input fields that describe what to do and if any elements are essential
{Exclude? If required fields are indicated by use of color cues, ensure that additional, alternative methods are also used – Use of colour 1.4.1 A)
Keyboard access
Use the Tab key to move through form controls, text boxes, radio buttons, drop down box and submit button. (Use shift tab to go back). Use the cursor (arrow) keys to access selection box content.
{SK: recommend refering to Keyboard access (above) and delete the rest of this section}
What to look for:
Is the focus visible on all form controls, including inputs, submit mechanisms, and check boxes and radio buttons?
If the form control is a check box or radio button, ensure that focus indication includes form label as well as the actual control (SK –can you do this visually?)
If the form control is a select box, ensure that arrow keys can move focus between select options and that selection is made by user action and not by default focus. (SK – can you do the second part of this visually?)
Logical sequence
Compare the sequence of information presented visually with the tab through order.
Use the keyboard to enter data into the text field.
Ensure that focus does not automatically advance to the next field, but requires user input to advance (SK – is this easy or advanced, what success criteria?)
When erroneous data is entered and form submitted:
Ensure that error message is clear and specific about the nature of the error and the field in which it was made
Ensure that focus moves to the error message
Ensure that guidance is provided to help user understand and fix the error.
{SK: recommend referring to Keyboard access (above) but would suggest keeping this practical suggestion to try filling in the form, especially with correct and incorrect information that will trigger error messages}
References
Several Accessibility Principles are relevant to the accessibility of forms, including these:
Notes
[can be internal notes for now or maybe will be included in final doc]
...
Is it possible to have a 'first glance' option to identify potential trouble spots and very common problems, which can then be examined in more depth? {Suzette}
I have noticed some developers having trouble with single fields such as search boxes or login details, or simple little contact forms - perhaps we could expand the opening description to suggest looking for these. It is not just dedicated forms such as membership details, job applications, tax returns, travel booking and shopping etc.{Suzette}
Comments 2012-Nov-30
Shawn: Maybe, a couple of things are easy, some are complex. We could use the nice writeup somewhere else if not used here.
Suzette: I can try and pick the easy bits out of Sharron's content to see if we can get this in.
Shawn: Or add notes on forms to Keyboard Access and Visible Focus sections.
Next Steps
So, you've spent a little time getting a sense of the accessibility issues that need to be addressed, but what do you do next? How can you flag the problems and solutions, while being sure that the information reaches those who can make the changes happen?
If you have a bug-tracking/helpdesk system, you might use that. Or you might decide it would be more effective to write a report in which you group problems and solutions in terms of people's roles and responsibilities. [@@ JS: maybe link to WAI-Engage, even though it's in progress?]
What works best will depend on your circumstances. Regardless, you'll want to describe the issues clearly. For examples of recommendations we have developed to guide site visitors who experience difficulty accessing a web site, see a section of [Contacting Organizations about Inaccessible Websites http://www.w3.org/WAI/users/inaccessible] called "Describe the Problem." In addition, these Sources for More Information will help your colleagues familiarize themselves with additional information.
When you're ready to conduct a more thorough evaluation,either internally or by hiring a qualified contractor, the [WCAG- Evaluation Methodology Overview] (coming soon) and accompanying documents will help you develop your plans as you continue your efforts to provide a more accessible web for all.
Ian, Suzette, Vicki, Sylvie, Helle, Shawn for working on an early draft at the f2f in Nov.
Sharron for help making all the early drafts and versions less confusing.
Wayne and Ian for sharing colleagues' related work.
Denis for edits to the old page content.
Important Note: For this draft we have some tool-specific guidance. However, there are potential issues with vendor-neutraility and we might need to address this a different way — for example, moving tool-specific guidance to WebPlatform Docs or the WAI-Engage wiki where people can easily add other tools.
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Susan Welt is a Principal Engineer based in Massachusetts with more than 20 years of experience focused on the investigation and remediation of industrial sites, former manufactured gas plants (MGP), mining operations, and U.S. Department of Defense facilities. She is an experienced strategic planner and risk communicator and manager of soil, groundwater, sediment, and vapor intrusion (VI) projects.
Susan advises her clients on the risk-based management of contaminated media. By using a multiple-lines-of-evidence approach, she has developed remediation action levels and remedial strategies that are protective of public health and the environment; including, but not limited to applicable soil remediation levels that limit the need for excavation and deed restrictions, groundwater clean-up levels based on minimizing the VI exposure pathway, and redevelopment plans for current and future residential and commercial building use scenarios.
Her MGP experience includes site investigation, engineering design, remedial oversight, and site management at many different sites. Her research on remedial measures to address residual MGP impacts has led to the development of risk-based remedial goals that incorporate bioavailability for MGP-impacted sediments.
Susan has evaluated and mitigated VI impacts at hundreds of major industrial, commercial, and residential sites throughout the United States and Europe. She previously served as a VI expert with the New York State Department of Health and is a former member of the VI technical team for the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC). In this role, she was a contributor to the ITRC's current VI guidance.
A fellow in the Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Susan is also a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Association for Environmental Health and Sciences, and the National Air and Waste Management Association.
To advance the state of the practice, Susan is a frequent presenter at industry conferences and symposia. She is the author or co-author of numerous papers on VI sampling, assessment, and mitigation techniques; the risk-based management of contaminated sediments; and the in situ remediation of contaminated sediments and soils.
Career Summary of Susan Welt, M.P.H., P.E. | https://www.geosyntec.com/people/susan-welt |
Other Editions of This Title:
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Description
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Andesite Press, 9781298746061, 852pp. | https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781298746061 |
5 Diseases Nutrition Can Help Prevent
(In the ROE, the 2000 U.S. standard population was used.) Unadjusted charges are known as “crude” charges. Tracking overall rates of illness within the United States, unbiased of exposure, enables the analysis of disease patterns and emerging tendencies. It may establish ailments, circumstances, and potential risk components that warrant further research or intervention and may help identify the place insurance policies or interventions have been profitable. Numerous human ailments and circumstances have been linked with exposures to environmental contaminants, some more strongly than others. Identifying illnesses that could be related to environmental contaminants, and figuring out the prevailing information sources obtainable for them, is a key a part of the effort to higher characterize links between environmental exposures and adverse health outcomes.
Each patient’s therapy plan appears different, however doctors typically try to cut back irritation, halt the immune system from overreacting, and decrease any harm to the organs. While lupus can range from gentle to extreme, most individuals can stay an extended, wholesome life with proper remedy. AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is the final and most superior stage of HIV. Not everyone who has HIV reaches this stage, but if it progresses so far, you turn into prone to infections most people don’t want to fret about. | https://www.starprogram.net/author/tamiruby |
Ortt Hosts Rally for Increased Employment Opportunities Amongst New Yorkers With Disabilities
On Thursday, Sen. Rob Ortt (R,C,I,Ref-North Tonawanda) joined dozens of New Yorkers with disabilities, their families and disability advocates to voice their desire to update the 43-year-old New York State Preferred Source law during a “MAKE THE CHANGE” rally at the Legislative Office Building (LOB) in Albany.
With the unemployment in New York’s disabled community reaching a staggering 70 percent, legislators are looking to change the current and outdated Preferred Source law, create more jobs for people with disabilities and facilitate a sense of belonging to a vastly underserved community.
“The legislation that is currently on the books in our state has made hiring those with disabilities much more difficult than it needs to be,” said Sen. Rob Ortt. “There are so many individuals in New York’s disabled community who have a desire to work and contribute to the community they are a part of, however, state law prevents employers from hiring them. This ‘Make the Change’ movement will help update current Preferred Source law, allow more disabled individuals to enter the workforce and help change the stigma surrounding those with disabilities in our state.”
For more information on “MAKE THE CHANGE,” including personal stories of Preferred Source workers positively impacted by the campaign, visit: www.makethechange-ny.com. | https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/robert-g-ortt/ortt-hosts-rally-increased-employment-opportunities-amongst |
Hungarian Review annual subscriptions for six issues, including postage (choose one):
About Us
20th May 2014
Selected Praise for Hungarian Review
”A new political-historical magazine just started here. It has had three issues. I told the young editor I thought it was excellent."Why?" he asked. I quoted George Mikes' reply about Encounter: "Because it has something to read in every issue."
The Hungarian Review is better. It has several things to read in every issue. I'm very impressed.”
George Jonas, novelist and journalist, Toronto
“Hungarian Reviewis a handsome production, and filled with fascinating material.”
J.D. McClatchy, Editor, Yale Review, New Haven, USA
“I’m enjoying Hungarian Review immensely.”
Fiona Kahn, Editor, City Secrets Books, New York
“Let me congratulate you on the launching of Hungarian Review. I hope it is a great success.”.
James Steffen, Film and Media Librarian, Emory University, Atlanta, USA, December 2010
“I want to congratulate you on the publication of Hungarian Review. It is wonderful to have such a journal, and I shall tell all my friends about it.”
David A. Hill, writer and poet, Budapest
“As before, I am finding Hungarian review very absorbing. It is a very informative, stimulating and well balanced publication.”
Austin J. O'Connor, banker, Luxembourg
“As always I enjoy reading the Hungarian Review. The depth of its coverage puts many much wider circulation up-market intellectual magazines in West Europe to shame." | http://hungarianreview.com/article2/about_us |
The Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Hugh Grant, Jeremy Strong, Colin Farrell, Tom Wu, Eddie Marsan,
The Story: An American expat tries to sell off his highly profitable marijuana empire in London, triggering plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.
Sunday, May 14, 2017
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword - Movie Review
The Movie: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
The Director: Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes)
The Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou, Eric Bana, Aiden Gillan
The Story: Robbed of his birthright, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy - whether he likes it or not.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Crimson Peak - Movie Review
Crimson Peak is a fantasy drama written and directed by Guillermo del Toro who's previous work includes Pan's Labyrinth, Blade 2, and Pacific Rim. The movie features acting performances by Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver, Burn Gorman, Leslie Hope, and Doug Jones.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Pacific Rim - Movie Review
Since the first time I saw the very first trailer for Pacific Rim, I have been waiting not so patiently for its arrival. Seriously, this is giant robots fighting giant alien monsters in a movie directed by Guillermo del Toro and I had no doubt in my mind this would be nothing less than a glorious display of 3D awesomeness. Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Charlie Day, and Rinko Kikuchi are also in the movie because I guess there needs to be some people in it, too.
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Technical Field
Background
Summary
Brief Description of the Drawings
Detailed Description
Examples
The present invention relates to sterilization indicators, e.g., self-contained biological indicators, for evaluating the efficiency of a sterilization process and to methods of evaluating the efficiency of a sterilization process using such indicators.
Sterilization processes are utilized to sterilize a wide variety of materials including, for example, medical instruments, surgical instruments, and the like. Items to be sterilized are typically placed in a chamber and subjected to conditions believed to be sufficient to effectively sterilize the items and render them free (or at least to a pre-determined, acceptable level) of biological contaminants. There are a variety of sterilization techniques by which sterilization can be effected including steam sterilization, exposure to gaseous sterilants (e.g., ethylene oxide, vaporized hydrogen peroxide, and the like), plasma sterilization, and the like. Regardless of the techniques utilized to sterilize items, evaluating the effectiveness of the applied sterilization process is beneficial to ensure that the process provided the desired degree of sterilization. Evaluating the effectiveness of a process may be particularly desirable when sterilizing items such as medical instruments and devices invasive to the human body.
The efficacy of sterilization processes are evaluated using sterilization indicators, which typically evaluate whether a sterilization resistant challenge material survives a sterilization process. A typical biological indicator system, for example, includes a source of microorganisms (e.g., bacterial spores), a culture medium, and a visible detector to indicate the presence or absence of viable microorganisms. The indicator system is subjected to a sterilization cycle, which should be sufficient to kill the microorganisms. Following the sterilization cycle, the source of microorganisms is combined with the culture medium and then incubated to encourage the outgrowth of any remaining viable microorganisms. During the incubation period, the indicator system is evaluated to determine whether any microorganisms survived the sterilization process. The indicator may be evaluated visually (e.g., by turbidity or a color change) or with a detector (e.g., by spectroscopy using a spectrophotometer, fluorometer, or the like), to measure a selected property such as pH change, fluorescence, change in light absorbance, and the like.
Commercially used biological indicators frequently employ a system in which the culture medium is separated from microorganisms by placing the growth medium in a glass ampoule and disposing the ampoule within a container housing the microorganisms. Following the sterilization process, the biological indicator is activated by breaking the ampoule, which releases the growth medium into the container.
Commercially used biological indicators may also have relatively long incubation periods to obtain a detectable level of spore outgrowth. For example, commercially used biological indicators may require incubation periods from eighteen hours to up to seven days. Depending on the items being sterilized, such long periods for evaluating the efficacy of a sterilization process may not always be practical. In particular, medical devices and instruments that have been sterilized should not be used while still evaluating the efficacy of the sterilization process to which the devices were subjected. But it is costly to have medical devices inactive for extended periods while determining if they have been sufficiently sterilized.
To provide a more rapid indicator to evaluate sterilization efficacy, some systems evaluate the activity of enzymes occurring in microorganisms rather than microorganism growth. For example, 3M Corporation makes a rapid readout indicator under the tradename ATTEST®, which utilizes an enzyme that occurs naturally in the spore coat to degrade 4-methylumbelliferyl-α-D-glucoside to a fluorescent breakdown product. The fluorescence signal associated with this enzyme can be measured within one to three hours. In this indicator, a non-fluorescent substrate is added to the media, the substrate degrades to produce a fluorescent compound, and the fluorescent compound, rather than microorganism outgrowth, is monitored to evaluate the process. These indicators are utilized for evaluating steam sterilization processes. During sterilization, the steam heat inactivates the enzyme that performs the non-fluorescent to fluorescent reaction.
U.S. Patent Nos. 5,073,488
5,223,401
5,418,167
5,866,356
6,566,090
Other examples of biological indicators that employ enzymes whose activity is correlated with spore viability to give an indication of sterilization efficacy include those described in ; ; ; , and .
a polymeric container (30) for holding a concentration of microorganisms and/or an enzyme, the container having an upper end (33), a lower end (31), and an opening at the upper end; and
a cap (20) for holding a growth medium, the cap having an outer wall (22), an upper, closed end (23), a lower end (21), an opening adjacent the lower end of the cap (20), and an inner wall (24), which is spaced apart from the outer wall (22), defining an inner chamber (26) having an opening adjacent the lower end of the cap (20), the inner chamber for holding a growth medium (50) and/or a substrate reactive with the enzyme, the cap comprising a breakable barrier (40) overlying and covering the opening (25) of the inner chamber (26), and at least one projection (36) disposed within the container for puncturing the breakable barrier (40) formed from a polymeric material, a metal foil or a combination thereof.
The present invention provides a self-contained sterilization indicator for determining the effectiveness of a sterilization process, the sterilization indicator comprising:
A problem with sterilization indicators that use glass ampoules to store the growth medium is that the ampoule must be broken to activate the indicator. The ampoule is typically located within the container portion of the indicator. When the ampoule is shattered, fragments from the ampoule may obstruct the light path when the indicator is in a reader to be analyzed. Applicants have found that by encapsulating the growth medium in the cap with a breakable barrier formed from a polymeric material and/or foil material, which do not shatter upon breaking, the possibility of light path obstruction in the container is greatly reduced or even eliminated.
The geometry of the container serves as the light path. By placing the microorganisms in the container and the growth medium in the cap, Applicants have also found that a minimal amount of media may be used to concentrate the microorganisms, enzymes, indicator material, and/or substrate molecules, which increases the signal while maintaining an increased path-length for the light.
The sterilization indicator may be configured to be activated by causing the breakable barrier to be opened. In one aspect, the container is configured for causing the breakable barrier to be opened. The cap is mountable on the container and may be mounted on the container in a first, non-activated position in which the breakable barrier is not opened and the growth medium remains in the cap. The container may include a projection or member adapted for opening the breakable barrier, and the cap may be moveable to a second, activated position in which the projection on the container causes the breakable barrier to be opened and release the growth medium into the container.
In another aspect, the breakable barrier may be openable by providing the breakable barrier as a self-breakable configuration. The breakable barrier may be self-breakable by being formed from a polymeric material that melts at a selected temperature. Additionally, a self-breakable barrier may be provided as a heat shrinkable film.
The sterilization indicator may be provided with a support member or members.
The base of the sterilization indicator may be configured to key the indicator to a holder, reader, incubator, or the like such that the indicator is designed to enter or be held in a holder, reader, incubator, or the like in a desired position.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a method of assessing the efficiency of sterilization comprising: providing a self-contained sterilization indicator as described in claim 1 and comprising (a) a container comprising a top, a bottom, an opening at the top, and defining an interior region; and (b) a cap having an inner chamber containing a growth medium, the inner chamber defining an opening adjacent the bottom of the cap and chamber, the cap further comprising a breakable barrier overlying the chamber; inoculating the container with microorganisms having a high sterilization resistance; mounting the cap on the container in a first position such that the breakable barrier is unbroken; subjecting the microorganisms to a sterilization process; causing the breakable barrier of the cap to break such that the growth media flows into the interior region of the container and contacts the microorganisms; incubating the microorganisms and the growth medium under conditions sufficient to promote the growth of microorganisms; and detecting the presence of viable microorganisms.
In still a further aspect, the present invention provides a biological indicator system comprising: a self.contained sterilization indicator as described in claim 1, comprising a container having a lower, closed end, an upper end, and an opening at the upper end; a concentration of microorganisms disposed within the container; a cap mounted on the container over the upper end of the container, the cap having an upper, closed end, a lower, open end, an outer wall, an inner wall defining an inner chamber having an open end, a frangible barrier covering the open end of the inner chamber; and a liquid growth medium disposed within the inner chamber of the cap.
These and other features of the invention are described in reference to the following detailed description and the drawings.
Fig. 1
is a perspective view of an exemplary self-contained sterilization indicator in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention showing the cap detached from the container;
Fig. 2
Fig. 1
is a cross-sectional view of the indicator of (taken along line 2-2) showing the cap mounted on the container in a first non-activated position;
Fig. 3
Fig. 2
illustrates the indicator as viewed in with the cap mounted on the container in a second/activated position;
Fig. 4
Fig. 3
is a cross-sectional view of the indicator of rotated by 90°;
Fig. 5
Fig. 1
is a bottom perspective view of the cap from the indicator of ;
Fig. 6
is a perspective view of an exemplary self-contained sterilization indicator in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention showing the cap detached from the container;
Fig. 7
Fig. 6
is a cross-sectional view of the indicator of (taken along the line 7-7) showing the cap mounted on the container in a first non-activated position;
Fig. 8
Fig. 6
is a cross-sectional view of the indicator of (taken along the line 7-7) showing the cap mounted on the container in a second/activated position;
Fig. 9
Fig. 6
is a cross-sectional view of the indicator of (taken along line 9-9) showing the indicator in a second/activated position;
Fig. 10
Fig. 6
is a top view of the indicator of the container of with the cap removed and looking into the container; and
Fig. 11
Figs. 6-10
illustrates the bottom of the indicator system in adapted for fitting into a reader or holder.
In the annexed drawings like parts and features have like references. A number of the annexed drawings are schematic illustrations, and which are not necessarily proportioned accurately or drawn to scale.
All ranges and ratio limits disclosed in the specification and claims may be combined in any manner. It is to be understood that unless specifically stated otherwise, references to "a", "an", and/or "the" may include one or more than one, and that reference to an item in the singular may also include the item in the plural. All combinations specified in the claims may be combined in any manner.
The term "sterilization" refers to rendering a substance incapable of reproduction, metabolism, and/or growth. While this is often taken to mean total absence of living organisms, the term may be used herein to refer to a substance free from living organisms to a degree previously agreed to be acceptable. Unless otherwise indicated, the term "sterilization" may be used herein to also refer to processes less rigorous than sterilization, for example, disinfection, sanitization, decontamination, cleaning, and the like. Similarly, variations of the term "sterilization," such as sterilant, sterilizing, cleaning, sanitizing, etc., may also be used herein to refer to and encompass related variants associated with processes less rigorous than sterilization (e.g., disinfectant, disinfecting, etc.)
Generally, the present invention provides a self-contained sterilization indicator system suitable for evaluating a sterilization process comprising a cap adapted for housing a culture medium (also referred to herein as a growth medium) and a container adapted for housing microorganisms. The cap includes an inner chamber for housing the growth media and a breakable barrier (which may also be referred to as a frangible barrier) covering the inner chamber and encapsulating the growth medium in the chamber. The media-filled cap is mountable on the container, and the system is adapted for breaking the breakable barrier at a selected time so that the growth medium flows into the container containing the microorganisms. In one embodiment, the container may be adapted to break the breakable barrier. In another embodiment, the breakable barrier may be configured to break itself upon exposure to certain conditions.
Figs. 1-4
Referring now to the drawings, show a sterilization indicator system 10 in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The indicator system 10 comprises a cap 20 that is mountable on a container 30. The container 30 includes a closed, bottom end 31 and an open, upper end 33, and defines an interior space 34. The cap 20 has an outer wall 22, an open, lower end 21, and a closed, upper end 23. The cap also includes an inner wall (or walls) 24 disposed interior of the cap's outer wall and defining an inner chamber 26. The inner chamber 26 includes an opening 25 adjacent to the bottom end of the wall(s) 24. The chamber 26 contains a fluid 50, and the cap 20 includes a breakable barrier 40 disposed about the opening 25 of the chamber 26 to encapsulate the fluid 50 within the chamber 26.
Figs. 1-4
Figs. 2-4
In the embodiment illustrated in , the indicator system is configured for the cap 20 to be mounted to the container 30 in a snap-fit relationship. As shown in , the container 30 includes an annular projection 32 forming a ridge or lip adjacent or near the upper end 33 of the container. The cap 20 includes an annular projection 29 forming a ridge or lip adjacent the bottom of the cap. The cap 20 may be mounted onto the container 30 by sliding the ridge 29 of the cap over the ridge 32 of the container. The ridge 32 of the container 30 engages the ridge 29 on the cap 20 to prevent the cap 20 and container 30 from decoupling. The cap 20 and container 30 may be sized such that the ridge 32 exerts a sufficient amount of pressure against the cap 20 to prevent the cap 20 from sliding downward without applying an external downward force to the cap 20. In this way, the breakable barrier 40 may be kept spaced apart from the edges 38 of puncture members 36 so the breakable barrier 40 does not contact and/or is not broken by the puncture members until such time as desired to activate the indicator.
Figs. 1-4
As shown in , the container 30 is adapted to break the breakable barrier 40. The containers include projections 36 (which may also be referred to herein as "puncture members") having edges 38 adapted to break or puncture the breakable barrier 40 when the breakable barrier 40 is moved downward toward and contacts the edge 38 of projection 36. The puncture members 36 are shown as being integral with and extending from the side wall 35 and the inner, bottom wall 37 of the container.
Fig. 2
To evaluate a sterilization process, a calibrated concentration of microorganisms is disposed within the interior 34 of the container 30. The microorganisms may be disposed directly on the walls 35 of the container or may be provided on a support member (e.g., support member 70) that is disposed within the container 30. The indicator is then assembled by mounting the media filled cap 20 on the container 30. The cap 20 may be mounted by snap-fitting the cap 20 onto the container 30 as described above. With reference to , the media-filled cap 20 is mounted on the container 30 in a first, non-activated (or open) position such that the breakable barrier 40 is not punctured by the puncture members 36. Desirably, in the first, non-activated position, the breakable barrier 40 is positioned away from and does not contact the edges 38 of the puncture members 36.
Fig. 2
With the indicator 10 being assembled such as shown in , the indicator may then be subjected to a sterilization process. The cap 20 is shown as having apertures 28 through which a sterilant vapor may enter and flow into indicator system. The sterilant enters the cap through apertures 28 (into the space between the outer wall 22 and the inner wall 24) and flows into container 30 through a space 60 defined between the exterior surface of inner wall 24 on the cap 20 and the inner surface of wall 35 on the container 30. The sterilant vapor flows into the container 30 and acts upon the microorganisms.
Figs. 3 and 4
After the sterilization process is completed, the indicator may be activated by moving the cap 20 downward toward the container 30 to a second (or closed or activated) position, which is illustrated in . The cap 20 is moved downward by applying a sufficient downward force or pressure on the cap 20. As the cap 20 is moved downward, the breakable barrier 40 is brought into contact with the edges 38 of the puncture members 36, and eventually moved into a position such that the edges 38 of puncture members 36 puncture or penetrate the breakable barrier 40. When the breakable barrier 40 is punctured, the opening 25 of the chamber 26 is exposed, and the liquid growth medium 50 drains into the interior region 34 of the container 30 and into contact with the microorganisms. It may be desirable to move the cap 20 downward with a twisting motion to effect a greater or maximum opening of the breakable barrier 40 to ensure complete drainage of the growth medium into the container.
Figs. 3 and 4
As shown in , the inner surface of the cap 20 includes a second annular projection 27, and the cap may be moved downward to a position such that the upper portion of the projection 27 engages the bottom of ridge 32 on the container 30, and the cap 20 is held in the second, closed/activated position. The second, closed/activated position may serve to hold the cap 20 in a sealed relationship with the container 30, which may prevent additional microorganisms from entering the system. The indicator 10 is then incubated for a sufficient period of time to allow microorganism viability to be determined. During incubation, any viable microorganisms will metabolize and grow, and this metabolism and growth releases byproducts into the culture medium. The byproducts may be detected by any selected property including, for example, pH change, color change, opacity, fluorescence, and the like.
U.S. Patent No. 5,770,393
It will be appreciated that the cap 20 need not include the second projection 27 to maintain the container in the closed position. In one alternative embodiment, the container 30 may include another annular projection or a set of detents (not shown) on the outside of the container 30 and located below the ridge 32, which projection or detents may be adapted to engage the ridge 29 on the cap to maintain the container 30 in a closed position. illustrates such a configuration. In another alternative embodiment, the inner surface of the cap 20 and the outer surface of the container 30 may be threaded, and the cap 20 may be moved into and maintained in a closed position by screwing the cap 20 onto the container 30.
Figs. 6-10
A second exemplary embodiment of a biological indicator system in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in . A sterilization indicator 100 includes a media-filled cap 110 and a container 120. The media-filled cap 110 has an outer wall 112, a lower, open end 111, and a closed, upper end 113. The cap 110 includes an inner chamber 116 defined by an inner wall 114 that is spaced apart from the outer wall 112. The chamber 116 defines an opening 115 at the bottom of the inner wall 114. The inner chamber 116 is adapted for housing a fluid 140, and the cap includes a breakable barrier 130 disposed about the opening 115 to encapsulate the fluid within the chamber 116.
The container 120 has a closed, bottom end 121, an upper, open end 122, a wall 123, and defines an interior region 124. The container 120 includes puncture members 127 having an edge 128 suitable for puncturing and/or tearing the breakable barrier 130.
The cap 110 and container 120 are adapted for the cap 110 to be mounted to the container 120 in both a snap-fit and screw thread engagement. The cap 110 includes an annular projection 117 adapted to slide over projections 126 on the container 120 to engage the cap 110 with the container 120. The cap 110 also includes a threaded surface on the interior surface of wall 112 defined by projections 117 and recesses 119. The threaded surface may engage the projections 126 (which may serve as thread projections) on the container 120 in a screw-thread relationship, and the cap 110 may be moved into a fully closed position by screwing the cap 110 onto the container 120. It will be appreciated that screw thread assemblies do not have to have a snap-fit configuration.
Fig. 7
The indicator 100 may be used in a manner similar to that described with respect to the previously described indicator 10. Microorganisms may be placed within the interior 124 of the container 120, for example, on a pad 190 and the cap 110 may be mounted on the container 120. As shown in , the cap 110 is mounted on the container 120 in a first, open (non-activated) position by sliding the projections 117 of the cap 110 over the projections 126 of the container 120 such that the projections 126 engage the projections 117 and hold the cap 110 in place.
Figs. 6-10
The indicator 100 may then be subjected to a sterilization process. The sterilization vapor enters the cap 110 near the lower end of the cap 110 through a space between the cap 110 and the container 120. For example, in the embodiment depicted in , the projections 126 are discontinuous such that there may be a space or opening between the outer surface of the container 120 and the inner surface of wall 112. The sterilent passes through this space/opening and enters into space 118 formed between wall 112 and wall 114. The sterilent passes over and around the projections 117 and over the open end 122 of the container 120 and flows into the container through a passageway 150 defined by a space between the inner surface of wall 125 of the container and the outer surface of wall 114 on the cap 110, and then acts upon the microorganisms.
Figs. 8-9
Figs. 8
9
After the sterilization process, the indicator 100 is activated by moving the cap 110 into a second, closed position () by screwing the cap 110 onto the container 120. Screwing the cap 110 onto the container 120 causes the edges 128 of puncture members 127 to penetrate the breakable barrier 130, which causes the fluid 140 to drain from the inner chamber 116 of the cap 110 down into the container 120 and into contact with the microorganisms. As shown in and , the cap 110 may be moved to a position such that the uppermost thread engages the projections 126 to hold the cap 110 in a sealed relationship with the container to prevent additional microorganisms from entering the system and to provide a tortuous path for the passage of the sterilization medium. The indicator 100 may then be incubated for a sufficient period of time to determine microorganism viability.
Generally the cap (e.g., cap 20 or cap 110) may have any configuration, shape, and/or size as desired. Additionally, the configuration, including the shape and/or volume of the inner chamber (e.g., chambers 26 and 116) is not limited and may be selected as desired.
Figs. 1-4
As described above, the cap 20 in the embodiment illustrated in is shown as having apertures 28 to allow for the ingress of the vapor sterilant into the indicator. It will be appreciated, however, that a cap need not be provided with such a feature. The number, size, shape, and/or location of the aperture(s) may be selected as desired. For example, the location, shape, and size of the apertures in the cap and/or the container may be selected to provide a tortuous path for the entrance and exit of the sterilization vapor between the microorganisms and the surrounding environments. The tortuous path may also serve to discourage contamination from external agents.
Apertures may be provided in the container in addition to or as an alternative to providing apertures in the cap. If apertures are not provided in the cap, the inner wall(s) need not be located to provide a space between the inner wall of the cap and the inner surface of the container. Additionally, if apertures are provided in the container, they should be located such that the growth medium does not leak or spill out through such apertures when the indicator is activated and the barrier is broken.
The container (e.g., containers 30 or 120) may be sized and shaped as desired to suit a particular purpose. As shown in the illustrated embodiments, the containers 30 and 120 have a generally conical shape where the side wall tapers toward the bottom of the container. That is, the side wall is substantially circular in cross section such that a cross sectional cut nearer the base is of a smaller diameter than a cross sectional cut further away from the base. Additionally, the geometry of the container's interior may be selected as desired for a particular purpose or intended use. Generally, the interior region is defined by the space between the conical side wall. The interior region may be made smaller by increasing the thickness of the sidewalls. The geometry of the container may generally be designed to serve as the light path for various detection methods such as spectroscopic detection methods. Desirably, the light path runs through the container. By providing the container with an interior having a relatively small volume (e.g., tapered geometry in the illustrated embodiments), a smaller volume of growth media is used to concentrate the organisms, metabolites (e.g., enzymes), indicators, and/or substrate molecules. This increases the signal while maintaining an increased path length for the light source.
Fig. 10
It is also desirable for the light path to be substantially free of any objects that may interfere with the light from the light source. Thus, with an indicator system employing puncture members configured as shown in containers 30 and 120, the container would desirably be oriented in a detector such that the puncture members do not obstruct or interfere with the light path. Arrows 160, 170, and 180 in illustrate potential light sampling paths for analyzing the indicator systems 10 and 100 spectroscopically. It will be appreciated that the light can be read (sighted) along any face of the container. The arrow 180 illustrates that a light source may be mounted in the bottom of the well of a reader.
The cap and container are configured for mounting the cap on the container. The mounting configuration is not particularly limited, and, as illustrated in indicator systems 10 and 100, the cap may be mounted to the container in a snap-fit and/or screw-thread relationship. As shown in indicator systems 10 and 100, a snap-fit configuration may be provided by providing projections on the cap and the container adapted for engaging one another. The design of such configurations is not limited. Similarly, there is no limitation regarding the design for an indicator system adapted for screw-thread mounting/closure. It will be appreciated that other mounting configurations are also contemplated. For example, an indicator system may be configured with an external latching mechanism or other mechanisms suitable for mounting the cap on the container and activating the indicator.
As shown in the illustrated embodiments, the container contains at least one puncture member (e.g., puncture members 36 and 127) adapted for penetrating or causing the breakable barrier to break when the indicator system is activated. The configuration, size, shape, location, and/or number of puncture members may be selected as desired. For example, while the illustrated embodiments are shown as having two puncture members that extend from the bottom of the container, it will be appreciated that one or more puncture members of similar or other configurations may be selected. As will be described later, the indicator system does not have to include a puncture member to break the breakable barrier. Rather, the breakable barrier may be configured for self-breaking at a selected time and/or under certain conditions.
Figs. 6-10
As shown in the embodiment in , a container 120 may be provided with a support member such as, for example, legs 129. One or more support members may be provided to provide a self-supportive structure and/or to improve the stability of the indicator. Support members may also provide additional contacting surface for improved heat exchange with a heated surface (e.g., within a sterilization apparatus or with the incubator feature of a detector such as a fluorometer).
Figs. 6-10
Fig. 11
Fig. 10
The underside of the container may be provided with a surface geometry suitable for keying the indicator system to a holder for placement in a particular sterilization apparatus, reader, incubator, etc., so that the container can enter a selected holder, reader, incubator, etc. and/or enter the holder, reader, incubator, etc. in a proper orientation. For example, while the legs 129 on the container 120 in may serve as support members to stabilize and/or support the container, they may also help define a surface geometry along the bottom and sides of the container 120. A holder, reader, incubator, or the like may be provided with a surface having grooves that correspond to the surface geometry/design of the bottom or sides of the container. For example, with reference to , a base 200, such as in a sterilizer, a reader, an incubator, a holder, or the like, may include depressions or grooves 202, 204, and 206, sized and shaped to receive a corresponding feature, such as the base of the legs 129 and bottom 121 of the container 120. Providing the base and sidewalls of the indicator system with a particular geometry keyed for receipt in a particular holder of a reader, detector, incubator, etc., may be desirable to ensure that the indictor enters into and is positioned within the reader/detector so that the container is positioned in the reader in an appropriate orientation. For example, with reference to , it may be desirable for the indicator system 100 to be placed in a reader or detector in a particular orientation to ensure that the container is oriented to provide an appropriate light path for the sample to be read. An indicator system could also be keyed to a particular incubator that is set to or sets itself to an appropriate temperature for the biological organism being used, as different organisms often require different temperatures for optimal growth.
Figs. 1-4
It will be appreciated that the container does not have to have legs 129 to provide the container with a particular surface geometry suitable for keying the indicator to a holder. For example, the base of a container, such as the base of bottom end 31 of container 30 in , could be provided with a pattern of grooves, depressions, projections, and the like to provide a particular surface geometry.
The cap and the container may be made from any material that is able to withstand the temperature and/or chemicals employed in a particular sterilization process. Different sterilization techniques may have different material requirements, and the material employed may be selected to suit a particular purpose or intended use. The cap and/or the container may be made, for example, from a polymeric material. Suitable polymeric materials include, but are not limited to, polyolefins, polystyrenes, polycarbonates, polymethacrylates, polyimides, polyesters, combinations of two or more thereof, and the like. Examples of suitable polyolefins include polyethylene, polypropylene, and the like. An exemplary material for the cap and/or the container is polypropylene, which is compatible with a variety of sterilants including hydrogen peroxide, steam, ethylene oxide, and peracetic acid. The container and the cap may be manufactured from the same material or they may be manufactured from different materials. To be suitable for use with methods for detecting the change in a property of the indicator, the container desirably has some transparency. For example, for fluorometric and spectroscopic detection methods, the container desirably has some transparency to the wavelength(s) of interest. If desired, the cap and/or the container may be colored.
The cap and/or container may be formed by any suitable method such as, for example, by molding methods as are known in the art. The breakable barrier may be configured as desired and made from any suitable material such that the barrier is capable of being broken to release the fluid from the cap into the container. As used herein, a breakable barrier is not limited to a structure that must be broken such as by puncturing the barrier with another object (e.g., by puncturing barriers 40 or 130 with the sharp edges of puncture members 36 or 127, respectively). The term "breakable barrier" may also encompass a barrier that is "self-breakable" and as a result of a physical property or change in physical property under certain conditions.
Figs. 1-10
In one embodiment, such as in the embodiments illustrated in , the breakable barrier is constructed as a barrier layer that is to be broken by another object (e.g., puncture members) penetrating through the barrier. Such a barrier layer may be formed from a polymeric material, a metal foil, or a combination of two or more thereof. Suitable polymeric materials include polyolefins, polystyrenes, polymethacrylates, polyimides, polyacrylamides, combinations of two or more thereof, and the like. An exemplary polymeric material for the breakable barrier is a biaxially oriented polyester. An exemplary metal foil/polymer combination for the breakable barrier is Alcon DD225, which is a metal foil with a lacquered side and a polypropylene coated side.
Figs. 1
5
The barrier may be provided as a film and may have any thickness as desired provided the film is capable of being broken by the puncture members when the cap is moved into a closed position. In one embodiment, the breakable barrier has a thickness in the range of from about 0.5 to about 10 mils. In another embodiment, the breakable barrier has a thickness in the range of from about 0.5 to about 2.5 mils. The breakable barrier may be formed as a single layer construction or a multi-layer construction. The breakable barrier may be designed to facilitate puncturing of the barrier by the puncture members. For example, the barrier layer may be provided with an area of weakness to aid in effectively puncturing the barrier. Areas of weakness may be provided, for example, by providing the barrier with one or more areas that are thinner and easier to puncture (i.e., require less force to puncture) relative to the remainder of the barrier layer. Areas of weakness may also be provided by providing the film with a score line, die-cut line, perforated line, or the like. As shown in and , the film 40 includes a die-cut line 42.
In another embodiment, the breakable barrier may be self-breakable and be formed from a material that undergoes a physical change upon heating, which physical change results in the barrier being broken. For example, in one embodiment, the barrier may be formed from a polymeric material having a selected melting point such that the indicator is activated by heating the indicator (at a selected temperature) thereby causing the barrier to break by melting and releasing the growth medium into the container. In another embodiment, the barrier layer may be formed from a heat shrinkable film having suitable properties to facilitate breakage of the film upon exposure to a selected temperature. For example, the film may be a heat shrinkable film having a relatively low tear strength such that the film tears upon shrinking thereby releasing the growth medium into the container. The materials for a barrier that break by melting or tearing (due to shrinking) are ascertainable by persons skilled in the art and may be selected based upon the particular sterilization method being employed and/or the desired conditions to activate the indicator. Heat shrinkable films typically include oriented films, such as, for example, oriented polypropylene films. In one embodiment, the barrier may be adapted to break at or around the sterilization temperature (provided the indicator is exposed to the sterilization process for a sufficient period of time before the barrier is broken). In another embodiment, it may be desirable for the barrier to not undergo the self-breakable physical change (e.g., melting, shrinking, and/or tearing) until after the indicator system has been exposed to the sterilization conditions for a sufficient period of time. That is, it may be desirable for the barrier to not undergo the desired change in physical property at the sterilization temperatures, but to exhibit the change at a temperature greater than the sterilization temperature. In this instance, the indicator system may be exposed to the sterilization conditions at a first temperature for a selected period of time, and then exposed to a second temperature (greater than the sterilization temperature) to cause the barrier to break (such as by melting or shrinking or tearing). The self-breaking barrier may be particularly suitable for use in steam or dry heat sterilization processes.
The cap and container may be formed by any suitable method for forming the desired shape and/or configurations. Caps and containers formed from polymeric materials may be formed by various molding methods such as, for example, injection molding.
The media filled cap may be provided by providing a cap structure having an inner chamber suitable for containing the liquid media. The inner chamber may then be filled with a selected growth medium, and a breakable barrier may be attached to the inner chamber so as to cover the access opening of the chamber and encapsulate the growth medium within the inner chamber. The breakable barrier may be attached to the chamber by any suitable method including, for example, by an adhesive, sonic welding, heat sealing, and the like. The breakable barrier may have one or both sides corona treated, treated with an adhesive, coated with a lacquer or polymer film, or metalized to facilitate attachment of the film to the chamber. An exemplary barrier layer is a lacquered aluminum foil, which facilitates heat sealing to a variety of polymeric materials including polypropylene.
Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus coagulanis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus circulans, Bacillus atrophaeus, Geobacillus stearothemrophilus, Deinococcus radiodurons, Aspergillus niger,
5
10
The test microorganism may be selected as desired based on the sterilization process being evaluated. Generally, the test microorganism should have a high resistance to the sterilization process being evaluated. Bacterial spores are exemplary microorganisms, because they generally have a high resistance to many different sterilization processes. Other suitable microorganisms include yeasts, fungi, and bacteria in the vegetative state. Exemplary bacterial spores include, for example, and the like. A single type of test microorganisms or combinations of test microorganisms may be used. The concentration of test microorganisms may be selected as desired for a particular purpose. In one embodiment, the concentration of test microorganisms may be in the range of from about 10 to about 10 colony forming units (cfu).
U.S. Patent No. 5,516,648
As previously described, the test microorganisms may be inoculated on the bottom or on the walls of the container. Alternatively, the microorganisms may be placed on a support, which is then disposed within the container. Any suitable support material may be used including, for example, a cellulose-based support, a glass fiber based support, or a polymeric support. A non-limiting example of a suitable support includes a spore inoculated element that is wrapped in or encapsulated in a microporous, hydrophilic membrane as disclosed in , which is incorporated herein by reference.
The growth medium may be selected as desired for a particular purpose or intended use. Examples of suitable growth media include aqueous solutions of soybean-casein digest broth, Dextrose Tryptone, and fluid thyoglycollate. An exemplary growth medium is Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB). In steam or dry heat applications, agar-based media may be used. Agar-based media are generally semi-solid at room temperature, and upon exposure to steam or dry heat, the agar melts. Upon activation of the indicator, the breakable barrier is broken and melted agar flows into the container that contains the test microorganisms and generally remains liquid at the temperatures used for monitoring.
Bacillus subtilis,
The growth medium may comprise an indicator that undergoes a property change, which is capable of being detected and/or measured, in response to the growth of a particular microorganism. For example, the detector may be provided to react with a particular metabolite (e.g., an enzyme) produced by the growing microorganisms, which results in a color change, a pH change, a pH and a color change, a change in fluorescence (e.g., fluorescing or fluorescence), a change in turbidity, and the like. Desirably, the metabolite is selected such that relatively quick or early detection of microorganism activity is achieved. Desirably, the indicator is present in an amount sufficient to provide detectable quantities of the indicator, in the presence of the metabolite, within a period of about two hours (or less) following the completion of the sterilization process. The indicator may be selected based on the test microorganism being used and the metabolite of interest. Suitable metabolites and an appropriate indicator for detecting the metabolite are readily ascertainable by persons skilled in the art. A non-limiting example of a suitable metabolite of interest is an enzyme such as alpha amylase, which is secreted in bacterium such as proteases, and the like. Suitable indicators include, but are not limited to, biologically active molecules, fluorescent dyes, dyes, chromogenic substances, pigments, acids, bases, radiolabelled compounds, molecules that exhibit fluorescence, molecules that cease to fluoresce, and the like. An exemplary indicator is a fluorescent substrate such as, for example, 4-methylumbelliferyl-α-D-glucopyroside (MUD), 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-galactopyronoside (MUG), and the like.
The detection method may be selected based on the property of interest and may include, for example, fluorometric, visual, pH, and spectroscopic detection methods. The detection of a measurable change in an indicator property within an established period of time indicates viability of microorganisms and inadequate sterilization. The absence of a measurable change within the established period of time demonstrates that the sterilization process was lethal to the test microorganisms and, thus, adequate.
The growth medium may also contain a substance that reduces the toxicity of the growth medium toward the metabolite. Suitable toxicity reducing substances include, for example, activated charcoal, bovine serum albumin, a soluble starch, and the like.
While the method of using the sterilization indicator has been described with respect to biological indicators, it will be appreciated that the indicator is not so limited and may be used as an enzymatic indicator, a dual biological/enzymatic indicator, and the like. In one embodiment, the sterilization indicator may be used as an enzymatic indicator. In such an application, an active enzyme may be placed in the container, and a substrate that reacts with the enzyme may be placed in the inner chamber of the cap and sealed within the cap's inner chamber by the breakable barrier. The active enzyme may be impregnated on a carrier strip and disposed within the container. The indicator is then subjected to a sterilization process. The sterilant enters the container and contacts the active enzyme on the carrier strip. After the sterilization procedure, the indicator may be activated as previously described by moving the cap downward such that the breakable barrier is broken (e.g., by being punctured by the puncture member(s) within the container) and the substrate flows into the container where it can contact the enzyme on the carrier strip.
The effectiveness of the sterilization procedure may be evaluated by evaluating the activity of the enzyme. The enzyme and substrate are chosen such that the substrate reacts with the active enzyme to form a detectable product. Generally, the inactivation of the enzyme will be correlated with the death of test microorganisms in the indicator. The enzyme selected for use in a biological indicator should be at least as resistant (and desirably more resistant) to a sterilization procedure as microorganisms that are likely to be present as contaminants. The enzyme should remain sufficiently active to form a detectable enzyme-substrate product after a sterilization cycle that fails to kill contaminating microorganisms, yet be inactivated by a sterilization cycle that kills contaminating microorganisms. If the sterilization procedure works properly, the enzyme is inactivated during the procedure, and there is no detectable product. If the sterilization procedure does not work properly, the enzyme is not inactivated, and the enzyme will react with the substrate to form a detectable product. The enzyme-substrate product may be detectable as a color change, a fluorescent signal, a luminescent signal, or the like.
The enzyme and substrate are not limited and may be selected as desired for a particular purpose or intended use. A person skilled in the art will be able to ascertain and select an appropriate substrate that will react with an active enzyme to produce a product that is detectable by fluorescence, color change, and the like.
Bacillus stearothermophilus
Bacillus subtilis.
An active enzyme may be obtained from various sources such as (i) the purified, isolated enzyme derived from an appropriate microorganism, (ii) a microorganism to which the enzyme is indigenous or added by genetic engineering, or (iii) a microorganism to which the enzyme has been added during sporulation or growth such that the enzyme is incorporated or associated with the microorganism. Suitable enzymes include enzymes derived from spore-forming microorganisms, such as and Enzymes from spore-forming microorganisms that are useful in the biological indicators of the invention include, but are not limited to, β-D-glucosidase, α-D-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, butyrate esterase, caprylate esterase lipase, myristate lipase, leucine aminopeptidase, valine aminopeptidase, chymotrypsin, phosphohydrolase, α-D-galactosidase, β-D-galactosidase, tyrosine aminopeptidase, phenylalanine aminopeptidase, β-D-glucuronidase, α-L-arabinofuranosidase, N-acetyl-B-glucosaminodase, β-D-cellobiosidase, alanine aminopeptidase, proline aminopeptidase and a fatty acid esterase, derived from spore forming microorganisms.
Chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates that react with enzymes to form detectable products, and that are suitable for use in the sterilization indicator of the invention, are known in the art. Substrates may be classified in two groups based on the manner in which they create a visually detectable signal. The substrates in the first group react with enzymes to form enzyme-modified products that are themselves chromogenic or fluorescent. The substrates in the second group form enzyme-modified products that must react further with an additional compound to generate a color or fluorescent signal. A number of fluorogenic substrates for enzymes of diverse origin which are known, commercially available, and have been used in enzymological procedures. Among these are a variety of fluorogenic 4-methylumbelliferyl derivatives (hydrolysable to 4-methylumbelliferone); derivatives of 7-amido-4-methyl-coumarin; diacetylfluorescein derivatives; and fluorescamine.
-
Useful 4-methylumbelliferyl derivatives include, but are not limited to, 4-methylumbelliferyl-2-acetamido-4, 6-0-benzylidene-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl acetate; 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-β-D-galactosaminide; 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-α-D-glucosaminide; 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminide; 2'-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-α-D-N-acetyl neuraminic acid; 4-methylumbelliferyl α-L-arabinofuranoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-L-arabinoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl butyrate; 4-methylumbelliferyl βD-cellobioside; methylumbelliferyl β-D-N, N'-diacetyl chitobioside; 4-methylumbelliferyl elaidate; 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-fucoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl α-L-fucoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl β-L-fucoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl α-D-galactoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-galactoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl α-D-glucoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-glucoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-glucuronide; 4-methylumbelliferyl p-guanidinobenzoate; 4-methylumbelliferyl heptanoate; 4-methylumbelliferyl α-D-mannopyranoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-mannopyranoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl oleate; 4-methylumbelliferyl palmitate; 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate; 4-methylumbelliteryl propionate; 4-methylumbelliferyl stearate; 4-methylumbelliferyl sulfate; 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-N, N', N"-triacetylchitotriose; 4-methylumbelliferyl 2,3,5-tri-o-benzoyl-α-L-arabinofuranoside; 4-methylumbelliferyl-p-trimethylammonium cinnamate chloride; and 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-xyloside.
The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following example. The examples are not intended to limit the invention in any manner but only to further illustrate various aspects of the invention.
Figs. 6-10
Pancreatic digest of casein:
17 g
Enzymatic digest of soybean meal:
3 g
Sodium chloride:
5 g
Dipotassium phosphate:
2.5 g
Dextrose:
2.5 g
Distilled water:
1 liter
-
A self-contained biological indicator is designed having a cap and container similar to that illustrated in . The cap and the container are formed from polypropylene via a molding process. The cap is filled with 0.5 ml of a growth medium containing a fluorescent substrate. The growth medium has the following formulation:
To the above growth medium is added 0.2 g of 4-mehtylumbelliferyl-βD-galactopyronoside (MUG) as the fluorescent substrate. The inner chamber of the media filled cap is covered with a breakable barrier formed from a 1 mil thick lacquered aluminum foil. The cover film is secured to the inner chamber by heat sealing.
5
6
5
6
Geobacillus stearothermophilus.
Geobacillus stearothermophilus
The bottom of the container is inoculated with 10 or 10 cfu (colony forming units) of The cap is mounted on the container and the sample is autoclaved. Following autoclaving, the indicator is activated by screwing the cap down with a force greater than or equal to about 4 lbs/in, which causes the breakable barrier to be broken by the puncture members. A control indicator containing 10 or 10 cfu of is activated in a similar manner. The indicators are then incubated at 55-60°C in an 8-well, 2-temperature fluorescence incubator/reader available from STERIS Corporation. The fluorescent reader excites the sample at 365 +/- 20 nm and detects the emission from the sample at 420 +/- nm.
5
6
Bacillus atrophaeus
Geobacillus stearothermophilus
In yet another embodiment, 10 or 10 cfu of is used in place of for the evaluation of ethylene oxide based sterilization and the resulting activated indicator is incubated at 37°C in the 8-well, 2-temperature fluorescent reader described above. | |
In his essay on a three month spiritual education program undergone by new employees of a Japanese bank, the anthropologist Thomas Rohlen provides a striking account of the Japanese concept of “spiritual strength” (精神力, seishinryoku). The program, in which he participated, culminated in a 25 mile endurance walk, accomplished through repeated circuits around a public park. Along the way, senior employees – recent graduates of the same training program – offered cold drinks to the trainees; but the trainees had been instructed to refuse these drinks, along with a ban on all other refreshment for the duration of the exercise. Lasting from early morning to mid-afternoon, the walk was called to an early close as several trainees collapsed due to heat exhaustion in the sweltering summer sun.
Long hours, exhaustion, and low productivity are hallmarks of Japanese workplace culture that have stubbornly resisted efforts at reform – and the value placed by the employer in Rohlen’s account on an exercise designed to push employees to their mental and physical limits gives us some clues as to why this culture persists, despite growing acceptance of the damage it causes both to individual employees and to the economic fortunes of the companies themselves. Rohlen’s essay was published in 1973, but the spartan training regimens for new employees he describes still exist at some firms. A 2018 article on Bengo4.com, a news site for legal professionals, featured a matter of fact discussion on such “hellish training”, covering issues such as the legality of forced night time marches, possibility of compensation for mental and physical trauma, and whether employees can legitimately face disciplinary action for “escaping” from such training programs.
Rohlen argues that the purpose of this kind of training is to demonstrate to new employees the nature of “spiritual strength” and driving home the importance of its development and practice. Spiritual strength in this context does not necessarily carry the kind of religious connotation that the word “spiritual” might evoke among Westerners; it simply refers to a mental and physical toughness, the ability to resist temptation and overcome hardship with willpower, endurance, composure, and a positive attitude. The idea is that through the development of spiritual strength through spiritual education, future ordeals will be less challenging, and one’s moral character will be elevated. A spiritually strong person is therefore both capable and virtuous. Importantly, we should not see the term as indicating some unique or essential psychological characteristic, but rather as a concept that informs the understandings of many Japanese people about people’s capabilities.
Late-night work is an opportunity for the worker to show their self-discipline and grit – overcoming tedium and sleep deprivation
Paul Nadeau, in his piece for the Tokyo Review, aptly described Japanese professional culture as input-based, “where long hours and late nights are a less a means to accomplish tasks and more of a means of value-signalling.” Attention to the notion of spiritual strength helps us to understand why such late-night work is understood to be so valuable and virtuous in the first place. It is an opportunity for the worker – whose office job is unlikely otherwise to require much endurance or stamina – to demonstrate his worth as a professional by overcoming tedium and sleep deprivation through self-discipline and grit. Perhaps the next day his or her boss will extend the perfect compliment – “you look tired” (疲れているね, tsukareteiru ne).
Although such corporate instances of turning desk work into an endurance slog have drawn attention within the context of the discussion on work style reform, they are but one manifestation of a broader approach to achieving, learning, and becoming a good person. This approach can be boiled down to a simple principle: that any legitimate achievement must be a test of mental and physical toughness. Achieving things needs to hurt a little. It is a principle that will be well drilled into most salarymen well before they begin their corporate lives, in large part through their experience in the Japanese education system, particularly in school clubs.
The importance of school clubs, known as bukatsu (部活), can be easy to overlook as they are not part of the formal school curriculum. They nonetheless represent a hugely important part of growing up for the vast majority of students. For many students from junior high school onwards, they are how any time left over from regular classes and cram school is spent. The most intense sports clubs can devote every morning, afternoon, and weekend to practice, with no breaks even during the holidays. It is not uncommon for students to fall asleep in class, having been up since the early hours of the morning for practice. And though clubs may be voluntary in theory, not joining any club is often poorly looked upon.
Founded to create tough and loyal young men for imperial Japan, school clubs now serve corporate Japan instead
The first such clubs were established during the Meiji period (1868-1912). Educational reformers sought to combine Japan’s own martial arts tradition with the Western tradition of organized sports, hoping to create tough and loyal young men for the newly established Japanese nation state. Peter Cave, who has researched historical and contemporary school clubs described them as a site for the development of moral character through organizational life characterized by strict hierarchy and punishing physical training regimens. Even the contemporary orchestra and drama clubs studied by Cave began their practices by first running laps around the school and doing sit-ups and push-ups.
Though school clubs suffered a brief lapse during the wartime years, they persist to this day in a remarkably similar form as before. Now, it is argued, they serve not imperial Japan, but corporate Japan, socializing new generations for the corporate cultures they will encounter after graduation. And although in recent years various problems associated with school clubs, such as bullying and excessive demands on teaching staff, have become a topic of heated debate, government statistics show that participation rates in sports clubs are largely stable.
The morally edifying quality accorded to physical endurance is not limited to club activities. Brigitte Steger’s research on Japanese notions of time and diligence highlights how persevering through sleep deprivation when studying for exams has a moral value quite separate from the intellectual purpose of studying. Indeed, the saying goes that if you sleep for four hours while studying you will pass the exam, but if you sleep as long as five hours you will fail (四当五落, yontōgoraku).
Many activities, including entry to prestigious universities, are organized as contests of effort and persistence rather than talent
Mental and physical endurance is the source of moral development and legitimate achievement. This belief in turn leads to a kind of meritocracy where many activities are organized so as to be contests of effort and persistence rather than talent. Indeed, the work of both Rohlen and Cave highlights the exhaustive repetition of basic forms as one of the most widespread and fundamental patterns of learning in Japan. One example is formal education and exams organized almost entirely around the memorization and regurgitation of facts. The achievement of admittance to a prestigious university is commendable not only as something objectively difficult, but because of the enormous effort that it is understood to acquire. Admittance attests to the spiritual strength and therefore high moral character of the successful entrant, who is seen as justly deserving the accomplishment on account of these qualities.
For generations of Japanese workers, a work style of long hours, sleep deprivation and the dogged execution of menial tasks is a logical continuation of the values and practices learnt in childhood and youth. The challenges faced by work style reform, such as suggestions by younger workers for improving productivity being perceived as laziness by their superiors, are not simply a matter of professional culture, but of how work, achievement, worth and virtue are perceived more generally. Even the most persuasive arguments for efficiency, productivity and shorter hours will be undermined by the fact that the subjective experience of a job well done will need to involve an element of perseverance through hardship. New work styles will need to be championed not only with new thinking about efficient working practices, but with new thinking on the moral value of work and diligence as a whole. Until such new thinking gains a foothold, sleeping eight hours and leaving the office on time just won’t feel right. | https://www.tokyoreview.net/2019/07/old-ideas-hamper-work-productivity/ |
Laser therapy uses light to accelerate the body’s natural healing processes. The laser beam is moved over the skin so that the light energy (photons) penetrates the tissue where it interacts with various molecules (chromophores) that cause different biological effects. It produces a photochemical, photothermal and photomechanical effect.
The energy from laser light interacts with tissue, generating biological effects:
PRIMARY BIOLOGICAL EFFECTSPhotochemical Effect
Photochemical Effect (FASTER HEALING)
Direct transfer of energy to the biological sublayers (endogenous or exogenic chromophores).
- Enzymatic activation
- Increase in ATP production
- Modulation of cellular metabolism
- Effect on pain perception threshold
Photothermal Effect (FASTER HEALING)
Photothermic interaction is based on the conversion of option radiation into thermal energy which, at a microscopic level, occurs through the inelastic encounter between excited molecules following the absorption of photons.
- Increase in circulation
- Increased supply of oxygen and nutrients
Photomechanical Effect (FASTER HEALING)
The absorption of energy involves the formation of mechanical waves.
- Production of an extracellular matrix (important in tissue repair & regeneration)
- Acceleration of lymphatic peristalsis
- Re-absorption of edemas
- Reactivation of microcirculation
Effects on Cells (FASTER HEALING)
- Increase in ATP synthesis
- Increase in the production of RNA
- Increase in cellular proliferation
- Induction of differentiation processes
- Release of growth factors (fibroblasts) and other substances
- Increase in the production of molecules of the extracellular matrix (fibroblasts & chondrocytes)
Effects on Tissue (FASTER HEALING)
- Modulation of the inflammatory processes
- Re-modeling of the extracellular matrix
- Induction of lymphatic and vascular regeneration
- Stimulation of the endothelial function
- Reduction of the edema re-absorption times
- Prevention against the formation of scar tissue and hyperkeratosic lesions
Systemic Effects
Analgesic effect:
- Blocking of pain stimulus conduction
- Hyperemia and “wash out” of the algogenic substances
- Increase in endorphin synthesis
- Pain threshold modulation
Anti-inflammatory and anti-edema effect:
- Increase in the caliber and modulation of lymphatic and capillary vessel permeability
- Hyperemia and “wash out” of the pro-inflammatory molecules
Biostimulating effect:
- Increase in the supply of nutrients, oxygen and growth factors
- Cellular function activation
- Modulation of cell proliferation and differentiation (e.g., nerve regeneration)
- Increase of matrix protein synthesis
- Reduction of scar tissue formation
Sterilizing and anti-microbial effect:
- laser light can destroy bacteria, fungal organisms, and viruses
- non-pharmacological method of eliminating infection
- a way to reduce antibiotic resisstance
At Byron Animal Clinic, we use soft tissue laser to treat wounds, allergic rashes, ear infections (including stenotic canals), dental extraction sites, surgical incisions, as well as acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain like cruciate ligament injury or arthritis.
Please call (519) 472-3770 now to inquire about or book soft tissue laser treatment for your pet. | https://byronanimalclinic.com/service-category/alternativetherapy/ |
We are providing a comprehensive directory of public libraries in Borden County, Texas. This list includes library formal name, street address, postal code, phone number and how many books are available. Check the following list to see all public libraries in Texas Borden County.
Overview of Borden County, Texas
Borden County is a county located in the state of Texas. As of 2000, the population is 729. Its county seat is Gail. Borden is named for Gail Borden, Jr., businessman, publisher, surveyor, and inventor of condensed milk.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,347 km² (906 mi²). 2,328 km² (899 mi²) of it is land and 19 km² (7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.80% water.
Adjacent counties
- Garza County (north)
- Scurry County (east)
- Mitchell County (southeast)
- Howard County (south)
- Martin County (southwest)
- Dawson County (west)
- Lynn County (northwest)
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 729 people, 292 households, and 216 families residing in the county. The population density is 0/km² (1/mi²). There are 435 housing units at an average density of 0/km² (0/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 90.53% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 6.31% from other races, and 2.74% from two or more races. 11.93% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 292 households out of which 30.10% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.10% are married couples living together, 6.20% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% are non-families. 22.60% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.20% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.50 and the average family size is 2.93.
In the county, the population is spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 103.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 108.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $29,205, and the median income for a family is $36,458. Males have a median income of $25,556 versus $21,607 for females. The per capita income for the county is $18,364. 14.00% of the population and 11.80% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 14.30% are under the age of 18 and 11.60% are 65 or older. | https://www.allpubliclibraries.com/texas-borden-county-public-libraries/ |
Military Air Installation -- FAQ
- What is a military air installation noise zone and/or accident potential zone?
- In Virginia the seller is required to provide to the buyer with a disclosure that the property is located within a military zone that is considered a noise hazard or nuisance or a possible locality for military accidents. These zones are designated by official maps that each locality possesses.
The Department of Defense (DoD) provides noise zones as a planning tool
for local planning agencies.
DoD measures noise exposure using the day-night average sound levels (DNL). The DNL noise metric averages noise events that occur over a 24-hour period. Aircraft operations conducted at night (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.) are weighted because people are more sensitive to noise during normal sleeping hours when ambient noise levels are lower.
Accident Potential Zones (APZ) are areas that the DOD have determined an aircraft accident is likely to occur if one occurs. Clear Zone areas are included in this designation. Due to their proximity to military bases, APZ areas are concentrated in the higher AICUZ noise zones. The DOD provides these areas along with noise zone areas to local land use agencies to act as a planning tool.
- What does the Residential Property Disclosure form say?
- The owner of residential real property located in any locality in which a military air installation is located shall disclose to the purchaser whether the subject parcel is located in a noise zone or accident potential zone, or both, if so designated on the official zoning map by the locality in which the property is located on a form provided by the Real Estate Board. Such disclosure shall state the specific noise zone or accident potential zone, or both, in which the property is located according to the official zoning map.
- Why is this information important?
- Military air installations are located in selected area of the state, buyers may want to know this information to understand if the property is exposed to the noise of jets as well as the risk of harm and death from the possibility of an air-vehicle crash. | https://pdsreports.com/Military-Air-Installation.html |
The testator had no close living family, but he had developed a close relationship with the contestant. The contestant had lived with the testator at times, driven him to medical appointments, and visited him, even after the testator became sick.
According to the court's opinion, however, the two men had a disagreement during the testator's illness, and the contestant did not visit or call the decedent from March 26 to May 18, 2005. The testator died on May 21, 2005.
The will, executed in October 2004, had named the contestant as the beneficiary of certain real property. There was evidence, however, that in April of the following year, the testator expressed concern the contestant was unable to take care of that property and said he wanted to put that property in a trust.
On April 12, the attorney and testator discussed the land trust and removing the contestant as beneficiary of the tangible items listed in the will. The testator executed the land trust and his revised will on May 12. He also signed a beneficiary designation form, changing the beneficiary on a retirement account from the contestant to the testator's goddaughters. He specifically declined to remove the contestant and the contestant's brother as residuary beneficiaries.
After the testator's death and presentation of the will, the plaintiff objected to the probate and challenged the beneficiary designation, alleging a lack of testamentary capacity. The two cases were consolidated.
The testator's attorney and his employees testified that the testator seemed to follow the conversation and understand the changes in his estate plan on May 12. Although medical records noted the testator showed some confusion in the days before and after he signed the documents, the judge found that he had testamentary capacity when he signed.
The Appeals Court noted that a testator can have testamentary capacity at some times and not others. In this case, evidence was presented indicating that the testator was alert and aware when he executed the documents. He had even performed several related tasks, including dialing a phone number from memory, requesting his goddaughters' social security numbers, and providing those numbers to his attorney over the phone. The attorney and the witnesses testified that the testator seemed to understand the conversation and the changes that were being made in his estate plan.
The contestant argued that the medical records showed times of confusion and hallucination. The Appeals Court noted that the contestant had provided conflicting evidence but had not provided anything to suggest the judge had not considered and weighed the conflicting evidence. The existence of conflicting evidence does not mean the ruling was improper when there was sufficient evidence to support a finding that the testator was competent when the documents were executed. The Appeals Court found that the contestant's evidence was insufficient to overcome the presumption of testamentary capacity.
Both the trial court and the Appeals Court agreed that language in the tangible remainder provision designating "one or more of my friends" as beneficiaries was invalid as a trust because it failed to identify the entire class of beneficiaries. The language provided that the tangible person property would go to such friends or charitable organizations as the executrices chose in their "absolute and uncontrolled discretion," and both the trial court and appellate court found that accepting the language as a power of appointment preserved the testator's intent. The Appeals Court affirmed the partial summary judgment in favor of the proponents.
This case illustrates some of the issues that may arise when an estate plan is changed during a serious illness. While it is not always possible to avoid such changes, a person who intends to create or change an estate plan should not delay doing so. Documents executed during a serious illness may be more vulnerable to challenges based on testamentary capacity.
If a testator does need to make changes during a serious illness, an experienced estate planning attorney can help document evidence of testamentary capacity. If you need assistance with estate planning or probating or administering an estate, call the Law Offices of Richard Mucci at (781) 729-3999. | https://www.muccilegal.com/blog/2015/06/the-appeals-court-of-massachusetts.shtml |
Lignin is a key structural component of plant cell walls that provides rigidity, strength, and resistance against microbial attacks. This hydrophobic polymer also serves a crucial role in water transport. Despite its abundance and essential functions, several aspects of lignin biosynthesis and deposition remain cryptic. Lignin precursors are known to be synthesized in the cytoplasm by complex biosynthetic pathways, after which they are transported to the apoplastic space, where they are polymerized via free radical coupling reactions into polymeric lignin. However, the lignin deposition process and the factors controlling it are unclear. In this study, the biochemical and developmental dependencies of lignification were investigated using a click-compatible monolignol analog, 3-O-propargylcaffeyl alcohol (3-OPC), which can incorporate into both in vitro polymerized lignin and Arabidopsis thaliana tissues. Fluorescence labeling of 3-OPC using click chemistry followed by confocal fluorescence microscopy enabled the detection and imaging of 3-OPC incorporation patterns. These patterns were consistent with endogenous lignification observed in different developmental stages of Arabidopsis stems. However, the concentration of supplied monolignols influenced where lignification occurred at the subcellular level, with low concentrations being deposited in cell corners and middle lamellae and high concentrations also being deposited in secondary walls. Experimental inhibition of multiple lignification factors confirmed that 3-OPC incorporation proceeds via a free radical coupling mechanism involving peroxidases/laccases and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Finally, the presence of peroxide-producing enzymes determined which cell walls lignified: adding exogenous peroxide and peroxidase caused cells that do not naturally lignify in Arabidopsis stems to lignify. In summary, 3-OPC accurately mimics natural lignification patterns in different developmental stages of Arabidopsis stems and allows for the dissection of key biochemical and enzymatic factors controlling lignification. | https://pennstate.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/investigating-biochemical-and-developmental-dependencies-of-ligni |
Unless otherwise agreed, the purchase price will be due without deduction immediately upon receipt of the goods and invoice.
Payment will only be regarded as effected when we can dispose over the invoice amount. Cheques and bills of exchange are only accepted on account of payment. With all means of payment, the date on which we can finally dispose over the invoice amount will be regarded as the date of receipt of payment.
From the date of default, interest on arrears will apply as agreed at a rate of 8% above the base rate, but at least 12% per year.
4. SET-OFF AND RIGHT OF RETENTION
The customer may only exercise a right of retention if its counterclaim is based on the same contractual relationship.
5. RETENTION OF TITLE AND ASSIGNMENT BY WAY OF SECURITY
The customer may process and sell the reserved goods in the ordinary course of business. The customer hereby assigns any claims and rights arising from this to us in full by way of security. We hereby accept the assignment. After the assignment, the customer is authorised to collect the claim until revoked by us in writing. In the event of default of payment by the customer, we will be entitled to withdraw from the contract and to take back the reserved goods at the customer's expense or to demand assignment of the customer's claims for return against third parties. If the value of the assigned claims exceeds the customer's liabilities to us by more than 10%, the excess amount will be assigned back to the customer after our claims have been fully satisfied.
6. DELIVERY TIME AND DELIVERY
The risk of accidental loss or deterioration of the goods will be transferred to the customer as soon as the goods have left our factory/warehouse or that of our subcontractor and, in the case of sale to a specific destination, upon delivery of the goods to the forwarding agent, carrier or other third party commissioned to carry out the shipping. If the goods are ready for dispatch and the dispatch or acceptance is delayed for reasons for which we are not responsible, the risk will be transferred to the customer upon receipt of the notification of readiness for dispatch.
The method of shipping, transport and means of protective packaging will be at our discretion. The goods will be shipped ex works for the account of the customer. Transport insurance will only be concluded on the express instructions of the customer. Any transport damage and losses must be reported by the customer immediately upon receipt of the goods and confirmed by the carrier on the consignment note.
Reasonable part deliveries and part fulfilment are permissible to an acceptable extent.
If the delivery owed by us is delayed due to unforeseeable circumstances for which we are not responsible (e.g. industrial disputes, operational disruptions, transport obstacles, shortage of raw materials - also on the part of our own suppliers - as well as late delivery by our suppliers), we will be entitled to postpone the delivery for the duration of the hindrance or - in the case of late delivery by our suppliers - to withdraw from the contract. If the originally agreed delivery time is exceeded by more than two weeks, the customer will have the right to withdraw from the contract. Claims for damages will be excluded.
If we are in default with the delivery in the case of a delivery date agreed in writing, the customer may withdraw from the contract after setting a reasonable extension period of at least 14 days, unless the setting of an extension period is dispensable in exceptional cases. If the customer does not already declare when setting the further deadline whether it still insists on performance or wishes to exercise its right of withdrawal and if we do not receive such a declaration within a further period of 7 days, we will be entitled to withdraw from the contract. The customer's right to claim damages is governed by the provisions of No. 8.
7. Warranty
The customer must check for itself whether the goods ordered from us are suitable for the purpose for which it intends to use them. A defect in this respect will only exist if we have confirmed the suitability to the customer in writing.
For defects in the goods we will initially, at our discretion, fulfil the warranty conditions by rectifying the defect or supplying a replacement. If we are not willing or able to do so, the customer may, at its discretion, demand a reduction in price or withdraw from the contract. However, the latter option and the claim for damages instead of fulfilment will not apply in the event of only a minor breach of contract. The customer's right to claim damages is governed by the provisions of No. 8.
The warranty period is 1 year from delivery of the goods to the customer, unless the customer has not notified us of the defect in good time or insofar as the breach of duty was caused by us intentionally or negligently.
The customer does not receive any guarantees in the legal sense from us. Manufacturer's warranties remain unaffected by this. If we breach obligations which are not performance-related in accordance with § 241 Para. 2 of the German Civil Code, the customer will only be entitled to a right of withdrawal and a claim for damages in lieu of performance beyond the statutory requirements if we have received a written reminder in advance and have repeatedly breached our obligations.
8. COMPENSATION, LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
If we have negligently breached an obligation that is essential for the fulfilment of the purpose of the contract, the amount of liability will be limited to the damages that are typical for comparable transactions of this type and foreseeable at the time the contract was concluded or at the latest when the breach of obligation was committed. Claims for damages due to injury to life, limb and health as well as claims under product liability legislation will remain unaffected. This will also be the case if we can be accused of fraudulent intent.
9. Final provisions
The place of jurisdiction is Bremen, even in the case of cross-border deliveries. We reserve the right to also bring an action before any other court which has jurisdiction on the basis of the EU Convention on Jurisdiction and the Enforcement of Judgments. We will also have the right also to bring an action at the customer's place of business.
German law will apply, to the exclusion of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.
If individual provisions of the contract with the customer, including these GTCs, are invalid, this will not affect the validity of all the other provisions or agreements. | https://www.hansa-flex.de/en/gtc |
MoneyTrack has focused on the course insured in the context of alternative medicine: the advantage for the insured is that he does not have to advance the costs and wait for the reimbursement. This is a key differentiator for insurers.
They talk about it
MoneyTrack aims to facilitate payments, to automate processes, and above all to secure transactions in such a way as to strengthen or even restore trust between the stakeholders in the directed payment industry. This disruptive platform could replace traditional intermediaries in this area. | https://www.truffle.com/en/exemples-d-investissements/moneytrack |
Exercise or acupuncture? Which alternative treatment works best for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis?
Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) causes chronic back pain, which is relieved through a variety of treatment methods. In a study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Japanese researchers compared the effectiveness of medication, exercise, and acupuncture – the three most commonly prescribed approaches – for relieving pain caused by LSS. Back pain […]
06/12/2018
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By RJ Jhonson
Why tai chi is good for you, regardless of age and physical activity level
In recent years, tai chi has made it to many lists of the most popular meditation techniques, and for good reason. No matter how old or active you are, this ancient Chinese practice offers many health benefits, including disease prevention and pain relief. Data from 2016 reveal that more than three million people practice tai chi in […]
03/16/2018
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By Jessica Dolores
Could practicing tai chi improve your driving skills? | https://womensfitnessfocus.com/tag/chinese-medicine/ |
Ethnobotanical study was conducted in Nagelle Arsi District, Ethiopia with the objective of identifying and documenting medicinal plants, associated indigenous knowledge and ethnobotanical practices of local communities. Household survey using semi-structured interviews, key informant interview, group discussions, field observations and market survey methods were used for data collection. A total 17 kebeles (smallest administrative unit) out of the 34 in the District were selected for this study, from which 90 informants for the household survey were interviewed. Eight key informants per each site were selected following purposive sampling method. Qualitative and quantitative statistical methods, priority ranking, paired comparison, direct matrix ranking, informant consensus and percentage distribution were used for data analysis. A total of 102 medicinal plants belonging to 85 genera and 55 families were collected and identified including four endemic plants to Ethiopia. The finding indicated that 65 species were used for treating human diseases, 31species for both human and livestock diseases and 7 for livestock diseases. Species used for treating cancer, blood pressure, malaria, diabetes, hemorrhoids and prostate problems were identified and documented. Seventeen medicinal plants were found to be wild edibles. Commonly used plant parts were leaves followed by roots and barks. The common routes of administration were oral followed by dermal. It was concluded that although the District was rich in medicinal plants, these species have been under serious threat due to agricultural expansion, deforestation, forest degradation and over harvesting for different purposes including firewood collections. Therefore, urgent conservation measures applying in-situ and ex-situ methods and strengthening sustainable management of natural forest were recommended.
Keywords: Biodiversity conservation, indigenous knowledge, medicinal plants, Nagelle Arsi, sustainable use.
DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/9-13-01
Publication date:July 31st 2019
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Paper submission email: [email protected]
ISSN (Paper)2224-3186 ISSN (Online)2225-0921
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This journal follows ISO 9001 management standard and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. | https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JNSR/article/view/48787 |
When you play different games via Steam, you may have come across an error that leads the application to believe that your game is still running. While this error could be an indication that you may have not closed your previous game, there have been plenty of cases where this issue has occurred despite players exiting their previous gaming sessions. If you are one of those who has come across this error without any reasonable explanation, check out this guide for the solution.
How To Fix Steam Thinks Game Is Running?
Check to See if You Have Closed the Previous Game
To fix Steam Thinks Game is Running, the most obvious thing you can do is check if you have closed the previous game you had opened via Steam. Since each game that has been downloaded through Steam requires Steam to run, the application might display the Game is Running message in case you have moved onto another game without having closed the previous one.
To solve this, just make sure that the previous game has closed. Often, games might not close properly, leading to the message popping up. You might especially come across this phenomenon if you have tried closing a very resource-intensive game on a computer with low to medium specifications
If this solution still fails to correct the error, check out the rest of the fixes in this article.
Restart Steam to Solve Game is Running Error
On some occasions, restarting an application can tend to fix several issues at once. The same may also apply to Steam. If you have come across the Game is Running issue, just close the application completely, and then restart it.
Once you restart the app, try opening the game which was earlier being prevented from launching by Steam.
Shut the Game via Task Manager
If the Steam restart solution mentioned in the lines above failed to rectify your error, it could be because the game in question is probably still running in the background on your computer. You can also try to shut Steam via the Task Manager.
To clear the game from the background completely, you will need to open the Task Manager. To open this menu, you will need to hold the CTRL, ALT, and DEL keys at once on your keyboard. Doing so will show you a list of different options. Click on Task Manager. In the resultant menu, look for the game in question. Once you find it, click on it, after which you will find the option to End Task on the bottom right of the menu. Alternatively, you can also right-click on the game and click on End Task.
Once you complete this process, wait for around a minute and then restart Steam. Try to reopen the game. You should be able to find that the game now runs smoothly without any interruptions from Steam. However, if this solution does not work, check out the other possible fixes in this guide.
Simply Restart your Computer
If none of the steps mentioned earlier in this guide work to rectify the Game is not Running error in Steam, a simple restart of your PC might just do the trick. Once you have restarted your system, try to open Steam again, and then try to launch the game you want to play.
In case this step does not work, you might have to try some of the more extreme solutions mentioned below.
Uninstall the Game & Re-Install It
Now that we have deduced that the earlier solutions mentioned in this article have failed to solve your issue in Steam, the next best option might be to just uninstall the game causing you trouble from Steam and simply installing it again.
While this might be a painstaking process to undertake if you have a poor internet connection, it might just be necessary to rectify the Game is Running error on Steam. Once the said game has been re-installed, try opening it.
Uninstall Steam & Re-Install It to Solve Game is Running Error
Your absolute last-resort fix to the Game is Running issue might be to just uninstall Steam altogether from your computer.
Once you uninstall it, just head to the Steam website and install the application once again. When the app has completed the installation process, log in with your relevant details. Then, search for the game you want to play and try launching it. This process should work to solve the issue. However, try to save this particular solution for the absolute end, when no other fix works.
These were all of the possible fixes to the Game is Running error in Steam. We recommend you follow the same order of solutions as mentioned in this guide, as these fixes go from simple to complex. While a simple game or app restart might just do the trick, you might need to uninstall Steam altogether in more complex cases. Alternatively, you can also wait for Steam to come up with an update or a patch to rectify this issue.
Now that you can run your games perfectly, check out all you need to know about Steam Points. | https://gamertweak.com/steam-thinks-game-is-running-fix/ |
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